I've spent countless hours operating/maintaining that very lift you were sitting on. I was on the lift maintenance crew at sugar for nearly 4 years, full time/year round. I have as of this season made the short move to nearby beech mtn, NC where I'm now on their maintenance crew. Anywho, high speed detachable grip ski lifts are so interesting and fascinating to learn about and work on. There are so many things happening in the terminals and so many moving parts. A whole system of 95 belts and 95 wheels/tires of different diameters control the speed of the chair as it moves through the station. Theres even a proximity scanner based anti collision system for the chairs since they are literally detaching themselves from the haul rope twice per full revolution. It's insane how much the technology has improved in recent years. These are truly the Lamborghinis of ski lifts
Thank you for the work you do to keep those lifts running and keeping the skiers safe. And thank you for the explanation of how the mechanism works inside the terminals. I’ve been skiing at sugar mountain since 1987, the high speed lift was one of the best things they ever did there.
Charlie Burleson: I am glad to have read about your experience. May I ask you a question? What is the purpose of the detachment of the gondolas and chairs from the haul rope? I think the purpose is to let the gondolas and chairs come to a full stop so as to load and unload riders. Is it safe to load and unload riders with moving gondolas and chairs?
@@legpol the purpose of a detachable grip ski lift is to allow chairs and gondolas (or any carrier for that matter) to travel at a snail's pace at either station while still allowing the rest of the ski lift to operate at high speed independently. By eliminating the obvious issue of difficulty unloading and loading on a very swiftly moving ski lift, you can run at much faster speeds and get more customers up the mountain per hour. Thanks for your question!
@@legpol and to answer your last question, most ski lift whether they be gondolas or other chairs don't actually come to a complete stop in the terminals but slow down to such a slow rate that it is plenty of time for the average skier or snowboarder to safely load
@@charlieburleson3310 : Thanks for your prompt answer. It means that all the gondolas cannot come to a full stop. "Cannot" is the key. If a gondola carries too many riders, or there are handicapped riders in wheelchairs, the gondola still keeps moving when it unloads or loads them.
Thanks! I’m always interested in mechanical things. For a long time I didn’t know how the high speed lifts worked, but after reading about it and seeing it in action, I decided to do this video for a visual explanation
Hk psg1 shooter you say…. Man am I jealous, so cool, and you ski. Hahaha I need friends like you!l going to have to check out your other videos. Also this is like the 4th video I’ve watched trying to figure out the mechanics of how this works and some guy riding the lift with a cell phone is the one who shows the parts and explains them so clearly. Appreciate your time.
I never saw a high speed lift in person. I have worked on several derail circuits on old Riblets but now you got me thinking about high speed. I will have to find some other videos and check them out.
I live and ski Heavenly resort in Nv. The cable coupling did not couple or came uncoupled and we had an accident on Comet chair last week. 3 riders dumped out fell 30 feet, 2 on the ground nailed too. Maybe scheduled maintnance could have helped idk
I hope they are all OK. Evidently it was a rare occurrence/freak accident, as modern chairlifts have a lot of redundant safety features to prevent this.
I've always wondered how those high speed detachables work. It makes no sense to me that the chair would slow way down at the top or bottom but the other chairs would keep moving at their regular speed. First time I rode one was at Crystal Mountain, WA. Scared the blank out of me to go so fast, thinking how the hell am I going to get off this thing? Before the place became an overpriced tourist trap, Crystal had put them in almost everywhere, especially on the Rainier Express, where the easiest run was a black diamond.
First time I rode one I was also leery about how fast it approached the unload station, then it slowed down. Always wondered how they worked and then I studied it.
There are some videos on TH-cam that shows the internal mechanism of the terminal as the chairs go through it, showing how they detach and then reattach
@@areyouarobotz yeah, we unfortunately don't typically get enough natural snow to sustain ourselves for the entire winter season here in western NC. So instead, we've enlisted the help of these (rather noisy) "snow demons" that we captured from the south pole using dark magic and a spellbook so we could then force them to shriek ferociously at the mountain until the land has no choice except to freeze solid out of pure fear...(shhh, that's an industry secret)😈 ... just joshin' with ya. Snowmaking is an art I don't understand enough about, but its definitely cool as hell, albeit a bit noisy😆
Wet bulb temperature and humidity are just as important as the temperature itself. Also the correct mixture of air and water is important in the nucleation process to make snow. I have a home made snow Gun that’s an internal mix design, uses 5 CFM at 90 psi for the air, and 3 GPM at 1500 psi for the water. In one night I can put about 3 ft of snow in my yard. Here on the SC coast, where it NEVER snows. But it has to be 27 degrees or lower to do it. At 27 it’s a wet slushy snow, once it gets 20 or colder it is a nice powder like natural snowfall
So the wheels in the station for slowing down for speed, do those wheels travel different speeds due to the size of the gears being spun by the main ropes in the station
Yes, I think that’s how it works. From my understanding the wheels are different sizes and speeds to slow it down and speed it up as it goes through the terminal
The wheels are belt driven (in most cases). Each subsequent wheel moves slower after disconnecting, and faster after starting to connect, so as to equal the speed of the couch or gondola with the speed of the rope. The whole thing is synchronized with the rope drive because it can move at different speeds. The clamp itself is a brilliant invention. It's hard to believe that it supports a large chair or gondola for up to a dozen people and withstands extreme weather situations.
There's a lot of safety features on chairlifts, and a lot of destructive testing has been done over the years to assess what can be improved. The most hazardous situation is a rollback. Although it's very rare, it can happen. There are videos of that situation, it's a scary thing to watch.
@@HKPSG1Shooter In modern systems, there are several independent brakes. Some of them will work even without power. Moreover, they are constructed in such a way that the open position is forced and any failure results in closing. Rollback can happen in old systems or possibly where a person is messing with the hardware against the rules. Look for a recent accident in the Czech Republic on Mount Jested near Liberec (Liberec). The emergency brakes were sticking so they were locked. They had no chance to work when needed.
Every time I see a chairlift now I think of that movie "Frozen" where the people went snow skiing and they got left on the lift. And eventually they were all eaten by wolves... lol
Never saw the movie, but yeah, the thought of being stuck on the lift is one of those fears that occasionally enters my mind while on the lift. That and the fear of the cable or cable grip failing and me plummeting to my death over one of the areas with boulders the lift crosses over. I try to quickly put that out of my head, especially with my dislike for heights.
Yes if there is an outright failure of the haul rope, the whole thing comes down. As for how much force or what conditions could cause a complete failure of the cable, that’s best answered by an engineer. But I know they build these things for maximum safety and take all those factors into account. I can also tell you that the cable ends are put together with a long splice, about 100 ft. But it’s done in a way that you would never see it, because there can’t be any lumps in the cable. The long splice is nearly as strong as the cable itself, perhaps more.
@@HKPSG1Shooter The rope can also fall off the rollers, but fortunately this practically does not happen. Just connecting the rope by twisting is an amazing operation. There are movies - worth seeing.
@@HKPSG1Shooter Gunthers way is a great run to Flow on for sure. My secret is parking near the 4 big stones at upper lot. Gives you a place to sit and relax during the day.
@@DaBluBarron1918 We usually rent a slope side house along lower flying mile. It’s nice to be able to ski right to the house to take a break, grab a bite to eat.
@@DaBluBarron1918 We usually go there every year. Didn’t make it this past year because of Covid and some other issues. But next year we will be back. 👍
Will the gondolas come to a stop for loading and unloading riders? ( I have no experience riding on the gondolas. ) Thanks to whomever answers my question.
It’s been a long time since I rode in a gondola, but if I’m not mistaken I think they completely detach from the haul cable until fully loaded and then they re attach and take off
@@HKPSG1Shooter Thanks for your answer. But unfortunately you missed the main point, the stopping. Do gondolas come to a full stop to do loading and unloading of riders? Can the gondolas be stopped manually by riders? When a family has a number of little kids to take the gondola ride, can the parents manually stop the gondola for the little kids to walk into? I think the purpose of the detachment is to let the motion to stop so as to load and unload riders safely. And then there are the chair lifts. Will they come to a full stop to load and unload?
The chairs and gondolas do not stop; rather, they move at a speed slower than the cable to load and unload riders comfortably. Gondolas move slower in the load/unload zones to give people enough time to load/unload the cabins.
Paul Wanders, I am looking for an answer to my question: Do gondolas and chairs come to a full stop to load and unload riders? Will there be security guards to make sure gondolas and chairs are fully stopped when people are walking in and sitting down?
I've spent countless hours operating/maintaining that very lift you were sitting on. I was on the lift maintenance crew at sugar for nearly 4 years, full time/year round. I have as of this season made the short move to nearby beech mtn, NC where I'm now on their maintenance crew. Anywho, high speed detachable grip ski lifts are so interesting and fascinating to learn about and work on. There are so many things happening in the terminals and so many moving parts. A whole system of 95 belts and 95 wheels/tires of different diameters control the speed of the chair as it moves through the station. Theres even a proximity scanner based anti collision system for the chairs since they are literally detaching themselves from the haul rope twice per full revolution. It's insane how much the technology has improved in recent years. These are truly the Lamborghinis of ski lifts
Thank you for the work you do to keep those lifts running and keeping the skiers safe. And thank you for the explanation of how the mechanism works inside the terminals. I’ve been skiing at sugar mountain since 1987, the high speed lift was one of the best things they ever did there.
Charlie Burleson: I am glad to have read about your experience. May I ask you a question? What is the purpose of the detachment of the gondolas and chairs from the haul rope? I think the purpose is to let the gondolas and chairs come to a full stop so as to load and unload riders. Is it safe to load and unload riders with moving gondolas and chairs?
@@legpol the purpose of a detachable grip ski lift is to allow chairs and gondolas (or any carrier for that matter) to travel at a snail's pace at either station while still allowing the rest of the ski lift to operate at high speed independently. By eliminating the obvious issue of difficulty unloading and loading on a very swiftly moving ski lift, you can run at much faster speeds and get more customers up the mountain per hour. Thanks for your question!
@@legpol and to answer your last question, most ski lift whether they be gondolas or other chairs don't actually come to a complete stop in the terminals but slow down to such a slow rate that it is plenty of time for the average skier or snowboarder to safely load
@@charlieburleson3310 : Thanks for your prompt answer. It means that all the gondolas cannot come to a full stop. "Cannot" is the key. If a gondola carries too many riders, or there are handicapped riders in wheelchairs, the gondola still keeps moving when it unloads or loads them.
Thanks for showing this! I love learning more and more about ski lifts. Seeing how they work is really cool.
Thanks! I’m always interested in mechanical things. For a long time I didn’t know how the high speed lifts worked, but after reading about it and seeing it in action, I decided to do this video for a visual explanation
Hk psg1 shooter you say…. Man am I jealous, so cool, and you ski. Hahaha I need friends like you!l going to have to check out your other videos. Also this is like the 4th video I’ve watched trying to figure out the mechanics of how this works and some guy riding the lift with a cell phone is the one who shows the parts and explains them so clearly. Appreciate your time.
Thanks for watching, glad this video helps explain how these things work.
I never saw a high speed lift in person. I have worked on several derail circuits on old Riblets but now you got me thinking about high speed. I will have to find some other videos and check them out.
I always wondered how they worked and then after reading up on it, and observing them in operation as I rode on them, I figured it out.
I live and ski Heavenly resort in Nv. The cable coupling did not couple or came uncoupled and we had an accident on Comet chair last week. 3 riders dumped out fell 30 feet, 2 on the ground nailed too. Maybe scheduled maintnance could have helped idk
I hope they are all OK. Evidently it was a rare occurrence/freak accident, as modern chairlifts have a lot of redundant safety features to prevent this.
@@HKPSG1Shooter Its hard to find anything out, I am a local and they keep it all hid...thanks
I've always wondered how those high speed detachables work. It makes no sense to me that the chair would slow way down at the top or bottom but the other chairs would keep moving at their regular speed. First time I rode one was at Crystal Mountain, WA. Scared the blank out of me to go so fast, thinking how the hell am I going to get off this thing? Before the place became an overpriced tourist trap, Crystal had put them in almost everywhere, especially on the Rainier Express, where the easiest run was a black diamond.
First time I rode one I was also leery about how fast it approached the unload station, then it slowed down. Always wondered how they worked and then I studied it.
The satisfaction of being on lift 1
I didn’t plan it that way, just an odd coincidence.
Thanks for the explanation. By the way, where is that? I was surprised to see such a large build pop into frame at 3:29
That's Sugar Mtn NC.
It's like the most demonic explanation video, but it's awesome
There are some videos on TH-cam that shows the internal mechanism of the terminal as the chairs go through it, showing how they detach and then reattach
@@HKPSG1Shooter I meant the sounds coming from the background noise, ha!
@@areyouarobotz Snow guns.
@@areyouarobotz yeah, we unfortunately don't typically get enough natural snow to sustain ourselves for the entire winter season here in western NC. So instead, we've enlisted the help of these (rather noisy) "snow demons" that we captured from the south pole using dark magic and a spellbook so we could then force them to shriek ferociously at the mountain until the land has no choice except to freeze solid out of pure fear...(shhh, that's an industry secret)😈 ... just joshin' with ya. Snowmaking is an art I don't understand enough about, but its definitely cool as hell, albeit a bit noisy😆
Wet bulb temperature and humidity are just as important as the temperature itself. Also the correct mixture of air and water is important in the nucleation process to make snow.
I have a home made snow Gun that’s an internal mix design, uses 5 CFM at 90 psi for the air, and 3 GPM at 1500 psi for the water. In one night I can put about 3 ft of snow in my yard. Here on the SC coast, where it NEVER snows. But it has to be 27 degrees or lower to do it. At 27 it’s a wet slushy snow, once it gets 20 or colder it is a nice powder like natural snowfall
So the wheels in the station for slowing down for speed, do those wheels travel different speeds due to the size of the gears being spun by the main ropes in the station
Yes, I think that’s how it works. From my understanding the wheels are different sizes and speeds to slow it down and speed it up as it goes through the terminal
The wheels are belt driven (in most cases). Each subsequent wheel moves slower after disconnecting, and faster after starting to connect, so as to equal the speed of the couch or gondola with the speed of the rope. The whole thing is synchronized with the rope drive because it can move at different speeds.
The clamp itself is a brilliant invention. It's hard to believe that it supports a large chair or gondola for up to a dozen people and withstands extreme weather situations.
So many things that could go wrong, surprised we don’t hear of more tragedies
There's a lot of safety features on chairlifts, and a lot of destructive testing has been done over the years to assess what can be improved.
The most hazardous situation is a rollback. Although it's very rare, it can happen. There are videos of that situation, it's a scary thing to watch.
@Chris thank your local lift maintenance crew 😉
@@HKPSG1Shooter In modern systems, there are several independent brakes. Some of them will work even without power. Moreover, they are constructed in such a way that the open position is forced and any failure results in closing. Rollback can happen in old systems or possibly where a person is messing with the hardware against the rules.
Look for a recent accident in the Czech Republic on Mount Jested near Liberec (Liberec). The emergency brakes were sticking so they were locked. They had no chance to work when needed.
Every time I see a chairlift now I think of that movie "Frozen" where the people went snow skiing and they got left on the lift. And eventually they were all eaten by wolves... lol
Never saw the movie, but yeah, the thought of being stuck on the lift is one of those fears that occasionally enters my mind while on the lift. That and the fear of the cable or cable grip failing and me plummeting to my death over one of the areas with boulders the lift crosses over.
I try to quickly put that out of my head, especially with my dislike for heights.
@@HKPSG1Shooter If you get a chance watch that movie Frozen it came out in 2010.
Can the cable break ?? What if the cable breaks, don't all the chairs go down or Gondolas if this was that kind of lift ?.
Yes if there is an outright failure of the haul rope, the whole thing comes down. As for how much force or what conditions could cause a complete failure of the cable, that’s best answered by an engineer. But I know they build these things for maximum safety and take all those factors into account.
I can also tell you that the cable ends are put together with a long splice, about 100 ft. But it’s done in a way that you would never see it, because there can’t be any lumps in the cable. The long splice is nearly as strong as the cable itself, perhaps more.
cables in europe have to be atleast 12 times as strong as they actually need to be
@@HKPSG1Shooter The rope can also fall off the rollers, but fortunately this practically does not happen.
Just connecting the rope by twisting is an amazing operation. There are movies - worth seeing.
This is Sugar Nc. There every week. This 6 Chair was a game changer.
Been going to Sugar Mountain almost 35 years. I love the high speed lift as well as the new trail they made a few years ago.
@@HKPSG1Shooter Gunthers way is a great run to Flow on for sure. My secret is parking near the 4 big stones at upper lot. Gives you a place to sit and relax during the day.
@@DaBluBarron1918 We usually rent a slope side house along lower flying mile. It’s nice to be able to ski right to the house to take a break, grab a bite to eat.
@@HKPSG1Shooter I bet that is Pretty sweet. Them and Beech have some good ski in/out houses. Can’t wait for next season. See you There!!
@@DaBluBarron1918 We usually go there every year. Didn’t make it this past year because of Covid and some other issues. But next year we will be back. 👍
Will the gondolas come to a stop for loading and unloading riders? ( I have no experience riding on the gondolas. ) Thanks to whomever answers my question.
It’s been a long time since I rode in a gondola, but if I’m not mistaken I think they completely detach from the haul cable until fully loaded and then they re attach and take off
@@HKPSG1Shooter Thanks for your answer. But unfortunately you missed the main point, the stopping. Do gondolas come to a full stop to do loading and unloading of riders? Can the gondolas be stopped manually by riders? When a family has a number of little kids to take the gondola ride, can the parents manually stop the gondola for the little kids to walk into? I think the purpose of the detachment is to let the motion to stop so as to load and unload riders safely. And then there are the chair lifts. Will they come to a full stop to load and unload?
The chairs and gondolas do not stop; rather, they move at a speed slower than the cable to load and unload riders comfortably. Gondolas move slower in the load/unload zones to give people enough time to load/unload the cabins.
@@TwinSkiingLiftsRides ： Thanks for your answer. Now I understand why the gondolas and chairs don't stop. Thanks.
@@legpol none no matter the type come to a full stop
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Paul Wanders, I am looking for an answer to my question: Do gondolas and chairs come to a full stop to load and unload riders? Will there be security guards to make sure gondolas and chairs are fully stopped when people are walking in and sitting down?
Lol. Your on chair one.
Yeah, I thought that was kinda cool. Thanks!
@@HKPSG1Shooter Your welcome. I just thought I would mention it since no one else did.
There are many TH-cam videos that explain this in much better detail.
Well, without authorization to go inside the lift terminal and film it in operation, best I can do is try to explain it from the chairlift.