Garaventa and Big Sky Resort are in the home stretch of a herculean effort to bring modern lift service to Lone Peak, the first new tram built at a North American ski area since 2008. Switzerland-based Garaventa is the same outfit that brought skiers the new Jackson Hole tram 15 years ago, the Snowbird tram in 1971 and the Palisades Tahoe tram before that.
The original Lone Peak Tram, which catapulted Big Sky to the upper echelon of extreme skiing in 1995, will carry its final souls a few weeks from now. The only passengers left to hoist are construction workers and a few lucky spectators touring the progress. With one rope and 15 passenger “beer can” cabins, the tram is more jig-back gondola than a true aerial tram. It was built by Doppelmayr, the Austrian heavyweight which absorbed Garaventa six years after skiers began conquering Lone Peak. Garaventa remains a specialized subsidiary of the Doppelmayr Group focused on aerial trams, funiculars and the Swiss market.
The old tram needed to go. The bottom terminal was built atop a rock glacier and, while designed for it, flowed at least 25 feet downhill over the past 28 years. The lower dock no longer sits level such that water pools in triangles at corners. Erroneous faults occur routinely as the tram completes its final missions to 11,166 feet (it’s not a safety issue, each fault is investigated before the lift is restarted).
This summer’s greatest challenge was not the tram installation itself but rather setting twin tower cranes needed to build the 100 foot intermediate tower and top terminal. Each crane had to be flown in sections weighing up to 9,000 lbs. It took multiple Chinook helicopters weeks with pauses for bad weather and other setbacks. Once the cranes were live and Big Sky’s own employees trained to operate them, the installation team from Garaventa could get to work.
Big Sky and contractors completed micropiles, tiebacks and concrete work last summer, setting the stage for this summer’s steel erection and rope pulling marathon. As of today, three of the four track ropes are on their bollards. A fourth track rope pull is in progress with the haul rope on deck. For each track rope, a helicopter pulled a 10 mm pilot line up to the top terminal and back down. Then crews attached and pulled successively larger 18 mm, 22 mm and 32 mm ropes until finally the smooth 48 mm track rope was up the line. The process is slow and steady with up to 10 Swiss men on headsets and binoculars monitoring every inch of progress for 5-6 days per rope. The 37 mm haul rope will be pulled in similar fashion and spliced into a continuous loop like more traditional ski lifts. The tram will be driven from the bottom station with no counterweight required for tensioning. Redundancy is built in everywhere, from multiple transformers to dual motors, evacuation drives and generators. Frey AG Stans supplied the lift’s state-of-the-art control system, similar to one recently installed on Snowbird’s tram.
This winter, guests will pay per tram ride rather than a daily rate as they did in the final years of the old tram. Big Sky notes the average tram day pass purchaser only rode 1.8 times. The privilege cost $20 to $100 depending on demand and some were riding the tram multiple times solely to feel better about their investment. This added to long lines and detracted from the Lone Peak experience. New tram access will cost less – $10 to $40 per ride – charged automatically to a credit card with each scan at the bottom dock.
Big Sky Ski Patrol will monitor conditions hourly and decide how many skiers and snowboarders to let on the cars, which can hold up to 75 riders. Big Sky will also debut a sightseeing specific line designed to fill excess tram capacity with guests not utilizing limited ski terrain off the summit. Come 2025, foot passengers will be able to ride a new 10 passenger gondola from the Mountain Village right to the base of the new tram. This boarding location lies 700 vertical feet lower than the old tram station, eliminating the need to ride Powder Seeker for a tram lap. Most importantly, it’s below the rock glacier. The new tram will eventually open year round, though summer 2024 will be spent completing glass enclosures around each station.
Once rope pulling wraps up, the tram’s two cabins will be driven up from the village and attached to the haul rope. The CWA cabins will feature automatic doors, a glass floor panel and seating for 12. Acceptance testing is expected to take four to five weeks. Big Sky has been careful not to advertise a grand opening date, but the word December is being thrown around. That month will mark 15 years since the last new tram debuted in this part of the world and 50 years since Big Sky opened.
Starting today, anyone over 42 inches tall can ride on the roof of the legendary Snowbird Tram and enjoy unobstructed views of Little Cottonwood Canyon. The first-of-its-kind experience in the United States will cost $20 on top of a tram ticket, which currently runs between $37 and $42. I took a preview ride last night and enjoyed the open views of the carriage, towers and mountains during the trip. In addition to hosting the first public riders on the balconies today, the tram is also carrying the last skiers of the season up Hidden Peak this weekend.
Grouse Mountain in Canada debuted a similar rooftop option on its Garaventa tram in 2016 but it has been closed since Covid. At Snowbird, balconies are certified for up to 14 people but Snowbird plans to start with no more than 11 guests per trip. Riders ascend a staircase within the tram cabin during boarding and stand in a designated L-shaped area while the tram is in motion. Speed and capacity of the tram are limited when the system is in balcony mode. CWA and Garaventa designed a safety gate that is tied into the lift control system to prevent passengers from ascending or descending the staircase while the trip is underway. Cabin operators also have live video feed of the rooftop and Snowbird plans to have an additional operator on the balcony during each trip.
The new balconies, along with glass floor sections, are a summer-only offering and will be removed each winter season. This summer the tram is open 11:00 am to 8:00 pm daily, weather permitting.
One of the new cabins being installed on Snowbird’s Aerial Tram fell Saturday during installation, causing significant damage. Thankfully the incident occurred in a closed construction area at the base of the mountain and no one was injured. Snowbird said the root cause was some sort of equipment malfunction. “An investigation is under way to determine where the malfunction occurred,” the resort said in a statement. Upgrades to the tram are being carried out by Doppelmayr/Garaventa, the original manufacturer of the tram. The project includes new cabins with rooftop viewing decks, new controls, bullwheels and other upgrades.
The modern red and blue cabins were manufactured in Switzerland by CWA Constructions and had just arrived in Utah. Snowbird said Doppelmayr and CWA will work to replace the likely damaged beyond repair red cabin in time for the 2022-23 winter season. Snowbird and Doppelmayr are also also working on a plan to have at least partial tram service for this summer. The tram was originally scheduled to re-open with new cabins in late June.
The iconic red and blue tram cars which first came to Little Cottonwood Canyon in 1971 are being replaced. “After 50 years of a job well done, it’s finally time for the original Tram cabins to become literal snowbirds and enjoy some much-deserved retirement,” Snowbird announced today. It is estimated the original cabins have traveled 794,994 miles, or the equivalent of traveling to the moon and back over one and a half times.
Manufactured by CWA in Switzerland, the new cabins will feature floor-to-ceiling windows and a modern design. During the summer months, the tram will sport three 3-foot by 3-foot glass floor panels and an open air rooftop balcony for up to 15 people. “The new Tram cabins pay homage to the original Red and Blue Trams while incorporating a fresh, sleek design and a few extra bells and whistles,” said Snowbird.
The last day to ride the current tram cabins will be April 3rd. The new cabins are already complete and currently being shipped to Utah. Upon arrival in April, the cabins will be installed and tested with re-opening of the tram planned for late June.
Two intentional haul rope cuts and a global pandemic aren’t keeping British Columbia’s Sea to Sky Gondola from its mission of carrying guests high above Howe Sound. The lift will once again open to passengers a week from Friday with enhanced health and security measures in place.
The gondola was forced to close September 14th, 2020 when its haul rope was intentionally cut. Shockingly, this was the second such crime mirroring a similar incident in August 2019. The gondola first reopened Valentine’s Day 2020 only to be shuttered again by the pandemic the very next month. It reopened for a second time amid Covid last May, catering to locals and passholders. After the cable was cut a second time, Fatzer again worked to provide a new haul rope while CWA manufactured 25 new cabins. “Needless to say, the past eight months have been extremely challenging for everyone,” read a reopening announcement on the Sea to Sky website. “We would like to thank our fantastic Sea to Sky community and industry partners who, despite their own challenges, have supported us every step of the way.”
“We have implemented extensive updates to our security system, including a professional in-house security team; 24-hour surveillance of all infrastructure and refined our detection and response capabilities in partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,” said the gondola. “Our security architecture is extraordinary in the lift industry and has evolved after extensive consultation with security experts. We will not be disclosing all of the details of our security system; however, by design, we will provide a safe experience for everyone.”
The gondola will continue to adhere to all Covid public health orders and travel advisories as it reopens, hopefully for good. A $250,000 reward remains in place for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the 2019 and 2020 downings.
Nearly 300 gondolas joined the transport fleet at the world’s most visited resort this morning, commencing an exciting new era for the U.S. ropeway scene. The milestone comes more than two years since construction began and almost 50 years from when a simpler VonRoll gondola system first opened at Walt Disney World Resort.
Crews fired up all three Skyliner lines pre-dawn, giving guests their first opportunities to skip bus rides and explore multiple parks in one day. Connecting Epcot and Hollywood Studios with four resort hotels, the system is sure to become among the most-ridden gondolas in the world.
This is the second D-Line detachable system from Doppelmayr to open in the Americas following Big Sky Resort’s Ramcharger 8 launch last December. Although the Austrian builder maintains a strong presence as maintenance contractor for the Skyliner, you won’t find the Doppelmayr name and logo prominently displayed here.
The cabins are highly customized CWA Omega IV models seating up to ten passengers. About half of them feature wraps with characters from Disney, Pixar and Marvel movie franchises.
The biennial Interalpin conference kicked off today in Innsbruck, Austria with alpine technology brands showcasing their latest and greatest to customers. I am just following from afar but this year’s show is already proving to be monumental with major new products and initiatives being unveiled.
Leitner launched a redefined 2S gondola which is being positioned as an economical middle ground between a monocable lift and a 3S. The reimagined bicable gondola utilizes standard monocable drive components, tensioning systems and cabins but with a single track rope added. This allows lifts to traverse much longer spans with more cabins than a standard gondola system.
The terminals are of modular design with the exterior designed by Pininfarina. A new carriage utilizes synthetic rollers and takes cues from the popular LPA grip. On the lattice-style towers, sheaves are isolated for vibration dampening and track ropes rest on synthetic profiles. Leitner has also developed a new system for track rope slipping which it calls “simple, safe and time saving.” I find this product exciting as 3S gondolas are simply too expensive for many operators, as evidenced by their complete lack of adoption in the United States.
Leitner also showed off its next generation premium chair called Evo. It comes with three bubble color options, three bar styles and two different kinds of upholstered seats.
Vail Resorts reports a fantastic season with skier visits, lift ticket revenue, retail, ski school and dining all up between 6.2 and 9.3 percent through April 21st.
On the heels of building its 50,000th Omega gondola cabin, CWA Constructions introduced the fifth generation of an icon yesterday. Omega V features updated design language and is highly customizable for monocable gondola installations going forward. Omega first debuted back in 1983 and the the rest is history. The Omega IV joined the dynasty in 2007 and in just a dozen years became the chosen carrier for 29 gondolas in the United States and Canada. “The new cabin features the unmistakable Omega shape which merges seamlessly with any of its surroundings. The cabin has been completely redeveloped while retaining the core values of a true Omega,” Doppelmayr says.
Designed with 10 passenger D-Line systems in mind, The V will become the global standard for snow, tourism and urban installations by the Doppelmayr Garaventa Group, of which CWA is a member. The changes I noticed first were the suspension going below the roof line and the bench seats being swapped for individual places (each seat is 18.1 inches or 460 mm wide, more than you’ll find in a typical economy airline seat.) The V has new ergonomic ski rack choices, two bumper options and wider doors that open to 35 inches (900 mm.) A single door can hold up to six pairs of powder skis or five with a snowboard lot. An interior bike rack is also available.
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