Whistler Village Gondola Stage I – Whistler Blackcomb, BC

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Upper portion of stage I.  The WVG is really two separate lifts with shared cabins.  The original cabins were replaced with Sigma Diamond cabins after these photos were taken.
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Arriving at the mid-station where cabins switch between haul ropes.
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Bottom terminal departure side.
Whistler Trip 147
Base station in Whistler Village.
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Poma plaque showing the lift’s original name.
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Inside the bottom terminal loading area.
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Elevators to underground cabin parking at Olympic Station.
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Chain-driven rails in the mid-station. Each section of the lift can be run independently if necessary.
The Whistler Village gondola received new Sigma Diamond cabins in 2014.
Towers at the Fitzsimmons Express crossover.
View up the line.

 

16 thoughts on “Whistler Village Gondola Stage I – Whistler Blackcomb, BC

  1. Andrew's avatar Andrew June 21, 2017 / 9:18 pm

    The Whistler Village gondola got new cabins in 2014, and is now an 8 MDG Lift. I will be up there this summer if you would like pictures of the gondola with new cabins. Fitzsimmons also no longer has bubble chairs, they are now just regular 4 CLD Chairs.

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    • Cameron Halmrast's avatar Cameron Halmrast June 21, 2017 / 11:21 pm

      Just curious, but do the bubbles make an appearance on the Fitzsimmons Express in the summer time? I seem to be seeing quite a bit of media showcasing the bubbles on like every third carrier during summer ops.

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      • Andrew's avatar Andrew July 29, 2017 / 10:11 pm

        They did at one point, but they don’t anymore. They don’t put them on even in the winter anymore. I think they all got moved over to Wizard and Solar Coaster.

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      • Cooper's avatar Cooper July 30, 2017 / 12:50 pm

        Yeah, Wizard and Solar coaster have tons of extra bubbles. They arent normal and bubble for the whole lift line.

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  2. John's avatar John April 12, 2020 / 9:48 pm

    I was just here a month ago and I found that the whistler village gondola has the Doppelmayr logo on the mast closest to you when you enter at the base station. Why do they have the Doppelmayr logo on a Poma lift?

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    • pbropetech's avatar pbropetech April 13, 2020 / 1:22 pm

      Someone had a sticker and thought they were being funny?

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  3. David's avatar David June 11, 2020 / 8:02 pm

    hi I want to know why the Mountie signboard that used to be at the Whistler Village Gondola mid station got taken down

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  4. Dan's avatar Dan April 2, 2022 / 10:43 am

    Those original cabins were some of the most uncomfortable I’ve ever ridden. The new sigma diamond cabins are much nicer.

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    • pbropetech's avatar pbropetech April 2, 2022 / 6:14 pm

      Especially if you rode them all the way up. Tiny ‘bench’ seats that still only held eight people, so that the remaining two had to stand. We usually parked in Whistler Village proper and not Creekside, so we’d ride this once to get up high and then stay there all day.

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  5. Myles's avatar Myles January 3, 2023 / 8:06 pm

    I’m confused on how the capacity of this lift is worded on the spreadsheet. Is it 2640 for each stage or for the whole gondola?

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    • pbropetech's avatar pbropetech January 3, 2023 / 9:21 pm

      Being as it’s usually operated as one lift, I’d say the capacity is for the entire two-stage affair. Rob would know for sure.

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    • Aussierob's avatar Aussierob January 3, 2023 / 10:28 pm

      Each stage is 2640, but as it usually runs connected, its 2640 for the whole lift. I think that’s the same for any two stage gondola that runs connected, unless there is a special operating condition.

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  6. bluebottlenose's avatar bluebottlenose January 18, 2024 / 7:17 pm

    when they eventually replace this lift, it would be cool if it was a D-Line operating at the max speed (for gondolas) of 1378 FPM. When you combine both sections, I’m pretty sure it would be the longest lift in north America at 16401 feet, second place going to the Gondola and silver mountain at 16350 feet.

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  7. Ski guy's avatar Ski guy February 13, 2024 / 8:27 pm

    I hope they replace this lift sooner than later. Apparently it would take a couple of years to build so that’s why Fitz became an 8 as well and also many ppl are saying Garbo will go to a six.

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    • skiliftycolton's avatar skiliftycolton February 26, 2025 / 6:21 pm

      Fitz was not on the replacement shortlist when it was replaced, the lift was suppose to replace Silverlode 6 at PCMR in Utah but was rejected by the city and moved here. The reason Whistler got it was the bike park, not the gondola.

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  8. SKILIFT LOVER's avatar SKILIFT LOVER March 20, 2024 / 11:24 am

    The old cabins looked kinda ugly. I’m glad they replaced the cabins.

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