For over twenty-five years, detachable quad ski lifts have seemingly ruled the slopes. A surprisingly old technology, the detachable platter tow was invented was invented in 1908. However, the first detachable high-speed quad chairlift wasn’t installed in North America until 1981, when Breckenridge opened the Quicksilver SuperChair. In 1985, Vail installed four high-speed quads, and the rest is pretty much history. Or is it?
Despite strong public demand for, and the expectation of, high-speed chair lifts, fixed grip lifts are still being installed at many ski areas. According to Victor Gerdin, Mountain Planner with Aspen Skiing Company, Aspen has installed 6 high-speed lifts and 7 fixed grip lifts, in the past 15 years. Yes, that’s right. The fixed grip lifts are winning.
Here’s why:
1. Relative Cost and Value. High speed detachable chairlifts are much more expensive to purchase and maintain. They have many more moving parts, so they wear out sooner. Fixed grips chairlifts are relatively simple and can last 40 to 50 years.
2. Planning Criteria. Different ski areas have different planning criteria, but at Aspen/Snowmass the criteria is a nine minute ride. If a lift is shorter than 4,300 feet, it’s a perfect candidate for a fixed grip chair. And, depending upon the terrain, a longer ride can also be desirable, if it gives skiers and riders a needed rest.
3. Mountain Capacity. While many high-speed lifts are high-capacity, they don’t have to be. According to Victor, Aspen Skiing Company has many low-capacity, high-speed lifts. As he puts it, “We want to deliver people to the top fast, but we don’t want to overload the terrain.” Fixed grip or detachable, planners make a conscious decision about how to disperse skiers.
So next time you’re skiing at your favorite resort and you hear someone complaining about a fixed grip lift, look around. Is it a short lift? What type of terrain does it serve? Is it in a high-capacity area? A slow, fixed grip lift serving a busy base area is probably not such a good thing. But a fixed grip lift serving a super-steep shorter face? It might make sense.
See if you can guess what the planners were thinking. And, don’t discount terrain not served by the high-speed six pack. It is there that you may very well find a hidden gem.
Enjoy!
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I feel the same way! Too many people (and corporate resorts) are focused on the quantity rather than the quality of skiing! Bring back the fixed grips and let’s have time to enjoy skiing again 🙂
This is a great topic for a post. Wish I would have thought of it myself. You’re right about the terrain capacity. We have a fixed grip chair at Crystal Mountain, WA that accesses a large section of expert terrain, as well as provides access to the sidecountry. My husband is the owner and operator of Crystal, and as he plans to replace this chair in the future, the biggest consideration is the terrain. On a powder day, these slopes get hit pretty hard. A high-speed chair would increase the amount of skiers on the hill, cutting it up that much faster. Like you mentioned, its possible to put fewer chairs on the line, thereby reducing the uphill capacity.
The other consideration for this chair is performance in wind. A quad, with heavy chairs, is much better in windy conditions, which is a factor on many upper mountains.
One last thing about cost. The cost of new lifts has increased tremendously in the past 10 years. Used to be that a new detachable quad might cost as little as $1 million, but those days are long gone. Now, a new fixed double costs about that much. A big, new detachable quad could cost $3-4 million. Whistler’s Peak to Peak Gondola cost $55 million. Skiers often cite lawsuits as the reason ticket prices are climbing. In fact, lawsuits are on the wane. A ski area is only as good as its uphill transportation, and ski area operators must take that into consideration.
Thanks for the insight into cost. It is kind of mind-boggling, isn’t it? There are so many factors which go into planning that I think most of us never consider. Wind, for example. Cheers!
Ummm…Hi Kim! So since Crystal Mountain is one of my favorite places on earth, any way I could get a hook up for doing some snowboarding there through your husband? Haha just asking since I’m working hard to pay off credit card debt this year before I get married and my fiancee and I decided that a trip to Crystal wasn’t going to work out financially this year. It has been a really hard pill to swallow because I came there last year and fell in love with the mountain, the terrain, the Sasquatch Jib Park…everything! Just thought I’d ask!
-Nate
Nate,
Our marketing department does offer tickets to professionals that are filming that day? Are you a pro snowboarder? Otherwise, right now, we are offering 2 for 1 tickets on Tuesdays, open to everyone. Hope that helps.
Best,
Kim
Obviously, I’m not Nate, but I wish I was in Washington at Crystal on Tuesdays! Someday Kim, I’m skiing with you! Cheers.