There’s a whole bunch of gondolas rated to run 1200 fpm. Problem is most ski areas have since turned them down to 800-1000 fpm to save money. The fastest monocable gondola I know of by design speed is Cloudsplitter at Whiteface which is rated for 1212 fpm. I’m a Whiteface passholder and I have never seen it run anywhere near that speed, even on the busiest of days. The lift I’ve found to run at 1200 most often is the Telecabine Express at Tremblant. Runs that speed always unless weather issues prevent it like high winds or extreme cold.
Already got it. Swain’s Borvig double is 2380 feet from the load point to the unload point, and 2446 feet overall (measurements from Google Earth). According to NorthEast Chairlift’s recording (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjRzai7tNss) , the ride time was exactly 5 minutes from loading to unloading with no stops. 2380 ft / 5 min = exactly 476 fpm.
Google earth’s distances are always short as they don’t account for elevation. It is probably 500. Anything above is unloadable for most without a carpet.
Actually it was measuring slope length. I also have installation surveys from the 1960s until the 2000s, and Swain’s Double is listed. 1971 Borvig Double. It’s listed as 2400 feet long, 530 vertical feet, capacity of 1200 riders per hour, and a listed max operating speed of 465 fpm.
Well the profile of the Double Chair is relatively flat in the middle-ish area, so I will just add a few more fpm to my calculation. Otherwise, I can’t do anything else.
Decently close. 434 fpm. I also measured lifts at Greek peak yesterday.
Lifts 1a and 4 we’re 434 fpm
Lift 5 was 454 fpm
Lift 2 was 394 fpm
Lift 3 was not ridden
Tenney Mountain’s Hornet Double runs at ~460 fpm or so. Its top speed is 500 fpm.
And Pat’s Peak’s Vortex Double and Peak Triple, which run at about the same speed, feel slightly faster than that. I wouldn’t be surprised if they run at 500 fpm.
Can someone go and measure the uphill travel time on the Tram at Jay Peak in Vermont. The install books say it is 8000 feet ;long. The original travel speed (when new ) was 2000 FPM. Now that the full repairs are done, I imagine it is now allowed to travel at a higher speed, after years of being dialled down by regulators..
Fun fact: Between 2008 and 2012, Stowe was federally-owned, through its majority ownership of AIG. The FourRunner HSQ was installed during this period.
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Peter, would you happen to know what the fastest lift in North America is? I’m planning to measure Swain’s Double Chair speed soon.
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There’s a whole bunch of gondolas rated to run 1200 fpm. Problem is most ski areas have since turned them down to 800-1000 fpm to save money. The fastest monocable gondola I know of by design speed is Cloudsplitter at Whiteface which is rated for 1212 fpm. I’m a Whiteface passholder and I have never seen it run anywhere near that speed, even on the busiest of days. The lift I’ve found to run at 1200 most often is the Telecabine Express at Tremblant. Runs that speed always unless weather issues prevent it like high winds or extreme cold.
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I was talking about fixed grip lifts.
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Then I believe it’s the single chair at Mad River
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Already got it. Swain’s Borvig double is 2380 feet from the load point to the unload point, and 2446 feet overall (measurements from Google Earth). According to NorthEast Chairlift’s recording (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjRzai7tNss) , the ride time was exactly 5 minutes from loading to unloading with no stops. 2380 ft / 5 min = exactly 476 fpm.
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Google earth’s distances are always short as they don’t account for elevation. It is probably 500. Anything above is unloadable for most without a carpet.
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Actually it was measuring slope length. I also have installation surveys from the 1960s until the 2000s, and Swain’s Double is listed. 1971 Borvig Double. It’s listed as 2400 feet long, 530 vertical feet, capacity of 1200 riders per hour, and a listed max operating speed of 465 fpm.
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I think it’s faster than that. I’m gonna do it the simple way; use a gps speedometer.
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Does your GPS account for the fact that you are not moving across a flat plane? Probably not.
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Well the profile of the Double Chair is relatively flat in the middle-ish area, so I will just add a few more fpm to my calculation. Otherwise, I can’t do anything else.
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Decently close. 434 fpm. I also measured lifts at Greek peak yesterday.
Lifts 1a and 4 we’re 434 fpm
Lift 5 was 454 fpm
Lift 2 was 394 fpm
Lift 3 was not ridden
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Tenney Mountain’s Hornet Double runs at ~460 fpm or so. Its top speed is 500 fpm.
And Pat’s Peak’s Vortex Double and Peak Triple, which run at about the same speed, feel slightly faster than that. I wouldn’t be surprised if they run at 500 fpm.
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Pretty sure its the Peak 2 Peak gondola in Whistler at 1476 FPM. It’s possible there’s a tram that’s faster thought.
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Can someone go and measure the uphill travel time on the Tram at Jay Peak in Vermont. The install books say it is 8000 feet ;long. The original travel speed (when new ) was 2000 FPM. Now that the full repairs are done, I imagine it is now allowed to travel at a higher speed, after years of being dialled down by regulators..
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Cannon’s tram usually runs about 3.9-4.1 m/s. She can get up to 10 m/s, though.
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Well I feel the same as you northeast, swains double moves a lot faster then any other double I have ridden for that matter triple or quad as well.
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I believe the original Gondola was not removed until 1991, also Lookout’s vertical drop is 1,750ft according to Stowe’s trail map
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Vertical rise for the lookout double seems off. According to google maps its top terminal is only ~300 vertical feet below fourRunner.
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I agree. I believe it should be 1750 ft, not 1175. It could be a typo.
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one of the t-bars that was up here https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/two-skiers-grab-the-ski-lift-chair-to-ascend-the-slope-at-a-news-photo/451076911
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Stowe Sunrise 6 opening Thursday.
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Here’s the old Mt. Mansfield Double (before the Ski Rio relocation in ’85)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC51-rS9NtBa4R6FUsllnrfw/community?lb=UgkxhQnr1QTe7Js0tEYy3LwOdkgjO2E3zvEC
https://www.newenglandskihistory.com/lifts/viewlift.php?id=111
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There’s a chair from the Mt. Mansfield single chair in a museum in Montpelier, Vermont.
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Here’s the museum location.
Vermont Historical Society Museum – Google Maps
Pictures of the single chair at Stowe: (note at that time Stowe was part of Smugglers’ Notch).
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Fun fact: Between 2008 and 2012, Stowe was federally-owned, through its majority ownership of AIG. The FourRunner HSQ was installed during this period.
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