When Tremblant expanded onto the Soleil side, it re-used this high speed quad which formerly ran where the gondola does now.Doppelmayr CLD-260 style station.Side view of the top terminal.The top two towers.View down the lift line, much of which is not ski under.Upper part of the line.The bottom terminal seen from above.Towers 1 and 2 above the lower station.Lift overview.Loading area and turnaround. You can tell this was once a bubble chair.
These terminals slightly resemble the western CLD-260. Interestingly, Doppelmayr constructed a lot of unique detachable lifts in Quebec until the introduction of the standard UNI terminal in 1991.
I thought the UNI came out in 1989. The former Atomic Express at Horseshoe Resort used that model. The main difference between this lift and the western CLD-260 is that it has windows on the back of the terminal. Same basic shape though. I bet Tremblant wished they waited a year to get the UNI since it is so much more reliable and easier to maintain.
You’re right! If I recall correctly, Blue Mountain in Ontario also built a UNI in 1989, as did Bretton in New Hampshire. Blue Mountain’s lift operates at Owl’s Head here in Quebec now.
1991 was the first appearance of the UNI in Quebec, which is admittedly inaccurate for a “global” launch year, since 3 eastern resorts installed one in 1989, and it began appearing in the west in 1990.
Interestingly, the windows were a new addition when it was reinstalled in 1999. The interior components of Le Soleil are nearly identical to the standard CLD-260 line. Its reliability is poor and we sometimes delay the opening due to technical problems starting it up in the morning, either due to wind, temperature, or just mechanical issues. There have been days where it doesn’t run at all. The UNI is better, but the Duncan Express isn’t the best example.
What sort of issues are you having with this? I’ve not worked on older Doppelmayrs (our oldest is a ’94 Uni with DS grips) but I’ve definitely put in time on older Pomas and I’m curious. Our oldest detaches were built in ’86 and ’89, respectively, and were our workhorse lifts their entire lives, until 2018.
There’s only 1 falcon left in north America, and way over 10 CLD 260s. I also know Sunshine at telluride seems to run pretty reliably, vs Pioneer at winter park which kept having gearbox failures. I know comet had a gearbox failure, and the chair slid down the rope, but the grip failure was due to maintenance neglect.
My impression of why there are fewer Performant/Alpha Evolutif lifts left is because of the fact that many were replaced for reasons other than reliability. I can tell you that the Flyer, Colorado, the Falcon, Summit X, Fanny Hill, and Big Burn were all capacity chokepoints, and I think the Zephyr, Siberia, and Shirley lake were as well (given that they were all replaced by six-packs). Pioneer had a few issues but it was an outlier. There were a ton of Doppelmayr first-gen DS detaches out there- between Bachelor, Vail, and Beaver Creek I count eleven alone. There were many more in Quebec, Ontario and BC as well, so there were just that many more of them than the first-gen Pomas.
Even though this lift is old and arguably in need of a detachable six replacement (especially with the hotel and proposed Soleil mini-village), it is not shown to be replaced in Tremblant’s master plan. It instead calls for an additional detachable quad going to a different peak south of Tremblant’s existing main peak named “Timber”. I still wish a bubble detachable six would go here anyway because it is a long ride and this mountain is cold.
That plan was from the 90’s when they had only just moved the Tremblant Express over here. I think the Timber expansion will happen soon. The hotel and upgraded Algonquin snowmaking are obvious clues. The newer master plan has the Timber lift starting off that last sharp turn on Algonquin as it starts going back to the base.
I think a bubble-6 will come here before long. They will need additional capacity with Timber and the additional base development.
The new plan has the Timber Express starting from the main Soleil base area, next to Le Soleil. The expansion was expected for the 2021/2022 season but COVID obviously put that to a halt.
Can you post the pictures please
I was Mt Manager then and was responsible for taking down all the old lifts and coordination with Doppelmayr for thé re installations but do not have any pictures?
Could you forward them to me please Kevin.tremblant@gmail.com
Having now skied Tremblant I can say that this lift skis the worst of the detachables here and it’s really a shame since I feel like the terrain is under-utilized. The top half is fun but nothing special and the bottom half all funnels into 2-3 groomed runs that are just flat (which then makes the lift feel too long for the short amount of good skiing you get). I understand that rockiness and topography are a problem, but this pod would ski a lot better with 1-2 trails/glades closer to the lift where the terrain is a lot more interesting. As of now it’s kind of a waste. I hope Timbers isn’t similar.
For Doppelmayrs, you can look at the side armrest, if there’s a solid white piece there, the lift once had bubbles or at least was designed for them, if its the usually empty space with no white plastic, the lift has never had bubbles. Fitzsimmons at Whistler and old Vista at Vail are/were prime examples of lifts that had their bubbles removed but kept that characteristic piece.
This is one of two chain driven doppelmayr chairlifts in Quebec with the non bubble EJ chairs. The other chain driven doppelmayr lift that has non bubble EJ chairs in Quebec is the Express du Nord at Mont Sainte Anne, although unlike that one, this one used to have bubbles when it operated as the Tremblant Express while Express du Nord never had bubbles.
Did they move the rest of this lift to another lift at the mountain? When the chairs stops completely the chairs like move forward and back. Why’s that? Got a massive terminal. The bars don’t go down completely. Accesses great views of the Laurentian Mountains.
Depending on the design and length of a lift, as well as the topography it runs over, you might notice some line equalisation on a stop. What you’re experiencing is when the forward momentum of the heavy side pulls out all the slack on the light side while the lift comes to a stop, then the light side recoils and pulls that slack back out of the heavy side. Sometimes it takes a few back-and-forth cycles until everything is completely at rest. The old Flyer at Copper was the most extreme example I can think of, but many lifts have this side effect. When I was doing line work in the summer, I’d call for a stop several feet before the heavy side of tower two, the work chair would travel all the way past the assembly, then run backwards to the #1 sheave, then forwards again to the middle of the assembly. I was used to it but if I had a new mechanic with me it was an eye-opener for them….
Lift Blog 
These terminals slightly resemble the western CLD-260. Interestingly, Doppelmayr constructed a lot of unique detachable lifts in Quebec until the introduction of the standard UNI terminal in 1991.
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I thought the UNI came out in 1989. The former Atomic Express at Horseshoe Resort used that model. The main difference between this lift and the western CLD-260 is that it has windows on the back of the terminal. Same basic shape though. I bet Tremblant wished they waited a year to get the UNI since it is so much more reliable and easier to maintain.
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You’re right! If I recall correctly, Blue Mountain in Ontario also built a UNI in 1989, as did Bretton in New Hampshire. Blue Mountain’s lift operates at Owl’s Head here in Quebec now.
1991 was the first appearance of the UNI in Quebec, which is admittedly inaccurate for a “global” launch year, since 3 eastern resorts installed one in 1989, and it began appearing in the west in 1990.
Interestingly, the windows were a new addition when it was reinstalled in 1999. The interior components of Le Soleil are nearly identical to the standard CLD-260 line. Its reliability is poor and we sometimes delay the opening due to technical problems starting it up in the morning, either due to wind, temperature, or just mechanical issues. There have been days where it doesn’t run at all. The UNI is better, but the Duncan Express isn’t the best example.
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What sort of issues are you having with this? I’ve not worked on older Doppelmayrs (our oldest is a ’94 Uni with DS grips) but I’ve definitely put in time on older Pomas and I’m curious. Our oldest detaches were built in ’86 and ’89, respectively, and were our workhorse lifts their entire lives, until 2018.
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Not correct. Mont Orignial built a six pack uni in 1989, Le Relais also built a HSQ uni in 1989.
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Mont Orignal built the 6 pack in 1991
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Even then, the CLD 260 is way more reliable than a Poma Falcon, or even a Competition.
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Why do you say that?
Also, you probably know what I’m going to say about the ‘falcon’.
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There’s only 1 falcon left in north America, and way over 10 CLD 260s. I also know Sunshine at telluride seems to run pretty reliably, vs Pioneer at winter park which kept having gearbox failures. I know comet had a gearbox failure, and the chair slid down the rope, but the grip failure was due to maintenance neglect.
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My impression of why there are fewer Performant/Alpha Evolutif lifts left is because of the fact that many were replaced for reasons other than reliability. I can tell you that the Flyer, Colorado, the Falcon, Summit X, Fanny Hill, and Big Burn were all capacity chokepoints, and I think the Zephyr, Siberia, and Shirley lake were as well (given that they were all replaced by six-packs). Pioneer had a few issues but it was an outlier. There were a ton of Doppelmayr first-gen DS detaches out there- between Bachelor, Vail, and Beaver Creek I count eleven alone. There were many more in Quebec, Ontario and BC as well, so there were just that many more of them than the first-gen Pomas.
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A picture I found of the base terminal when it was Tremblant Express https://www.alamy.com/major-ski-lift-at-the-mont-tremblant-ski-resort-in-quebeccanada-image9252950.html
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And another picture https://www.fotosearch.com/UNS082/u11150425/. You can see the Tremblant Express in the background.
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Even though this lift is old and arguably in need of a detachable six replacement (especially with the hotel and proposed Soleil mini-village), it is not shown to be replaced in Tremblant’s master plan. It instead calls for an additional detachable quad going to a different peak south of Tremblant’s existing main peak named “Timber”. I still wish a bubble detachable six would go here anyway because it is a long ride and this mountain is cold.
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That plan was from the 90’s when they had only just moved the Tremblant Express over here. I think the Timber expansion will happen soon. The hotel and upgraded Algonquin snowmaking are obvious clues. The newer master plan has the Timber lift starting off that last sharp turn on Algonquin as it starts going back to the base.
I think a bubble-6 will come here before long. They will need additional capacity with Timber and the additional base development.
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The new plan has the Timber Express starting from the main Soleil base area, next to Le Soleil. The expansion was expected for the 2021/2022 season but COVID obviously put that to a halt.
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I have a ton of pics from when they dismantled the tremblant express (Le Soleil), when they built the gondola and when they installed le soleil.
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Can you post the pictures please
I was Mt Manager then and was responsible for taking down all the old lifts and coordination with Doppelmayr for thé re installations but do not have any pictures?
Could you forward them to me please
Kevin.tremblant@gmail.com
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Having now skied Tremblant I can say that this lift skis the worst of the detachables here and it’s really a shame since I feel like the terrain is under-utilized. The top half is fun but nothing special and the bottom half all funnels into 2-3 groomed runs that are just flat (which then makes the lift feel too long for the short amount of good skiing you get). I understand that rockiness and topography are a problem, but this pod would ski a lot better with 1-2 trails/glades closer to the lift where the terrain is a lot more interesting. As of now it’s kind of a waste. I hope Timbers isn’t similar.
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Do you know what the capacity of the versant Soleil quad Tremblant is ?
What was it initially when it was first installed?
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How does one tell whether a lift once had bubbles or not?
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For Doppelmayrs, you can look at the side armrest, if there’s a solid white piece there, the lift once had bubbles or at least was designed for them, if its the usually empty space with no white plastic, the lift has never had bubbles. Fitzsimmons at Whistler and old Vista at Vail are/were prime examples of lifts that had their bubbles removed but kept that characteristic piece.
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Yesterday at Soleil a chair fell at at the bottom terminal. After 30 minutes the lift was reopened.
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This terminal kind of looks like the Poma drive terminal on Rainier Express at Crystal, but Doppelmayr.
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Yes, but Poma’s one are looking better. Le Soleil’s terminals are looking like the easter model of the CLD-260.
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Those terminals look like custom skins, mechanicaly, same as other CLD-260s, agree it looks like the Competition Prototype.
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This is one of two chain driven doppelmayr chairlifts in Quebec with the non bubble EJ chairs. The other chain driven doppelmayr lift that has non bubble EJ chairs in Quebec is the Express du Nord at Mont Sainte Anne, although unlike that one, this one used to have bubbles when it operated as the Tremblant Express while Express du Nord never had bubbles.
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Other ones were all slated chairs, like the ones used on the fixed quads.
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Did they move the rest of this lift to another lift at the mountain? When the chairs stops completely the chairs like move forward and back. Why’s that? Got a massive terminal. The bars don’t go down completely. Accesses great views of the Laurentian Mountains.
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Depending on the design and length of a lift, as well as the topography it runs over, you might notice some line equalisation on a stop. What you’re experiencing is when the forward momentum of the heavy side pulls out all the slack on the light side while the lift comes to a stop, then the light side recoils and pulls that slack back out of the heavy side. Sometimes it takes a few back-and-forth cycles until everything is completely at rest. The old Flyer at Copper was the most extreme example I can think of, but many lifts have this side effect. When I was doing line work in the summer, I’d call for a stop several feet before the heavy side of tower two, the work chair would travel all the way past the assembly, then run backwards to the #1 sheave, then forwards again to the middle of the assembly. I was used to it but if I had a new mechanic with me it was an eye-opener for them….
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