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Stats:
Speed - 7.5m/s
Ride Time - 11 minutes
Frequency - One Cabin every 49 seconds
Total Distance - 4.4km
Longest Span - 3.024km
High Point - 415m over Fitzsimmons Creek
Cabins - 28
Cabin Capacity - 24 seated and 4 standing
Hourly Capacity in one direction - 2050 people
Towers - 2 on each mountain for a total of 4
Tower Height - 35-65m
Track Ropes - 56mm diameter, 2 for each direction, each 4600m long
Haul Rope - 46mm diameter, only 1 (circulating), 8850m long
Timeline
September 19, 2005: A council meeting at Whistler announced plans for a new gondola interconnecting the Roundhouse and the Rendezvous.
October 18 2005: Open House in Whistler, Skiingbc.info visits and gets the first photo content.
Summer 2006: Construction of the Peak to Peak will begin next summer if it goes ahead..
March 2007: Skiingbc.info predicts that the official announcement will be during TWSSF which is true...
April 17 2007: Official Announcement, Peak to Peak Gondola to Unite Whistler and Blackcomb at the Top!
May 8 2007: Intrawest Names IMG Exclusive Sales Agent for Whistler Blackcomb Corporate Naming Rights
June 15 2007: Estimated Excavation compete
August 7 2007: Whistler Blackcomb's Record Breaking Peak to Peak Gondola Well Underway
September 14 2007: Estimated Terminal foundations & construction complete
Mid September 2007: Estimated Lift tower 3 installation complete
End October 2007: Estimated Lift tower 2 installation complete
Mid June 2008: Estimated Lift towers 1 & 4 installation complete
October 2008: Estimated Evacuation training
Early November 2008: Estimated Comprehensive lift & load testing
December 2008: Estimated Grand opening
Records Broken
Longest free span (3024m)
Highest Vertical Drop (415m-436m from liftline to valley floor depending on load)
Longest continuous lift system when combined with Whistler Village Gondola and Solar and Wiz chairs
First 3S (tricable gondola) in North America
Most expensive lift ever built in North America
Photos
Peak to Peak - 2007 Construction
Peak to Peak - 2005 Open House
Environment
The amount of land to be cleared of trees to construct and operate this lift is 68% less than a conventional lift.
2.5 hectare footprint compared to 8 hectare footprint for a High Speed Quad
Because the Peak to Peak gains minimal elevation the energy consumption required to operate it is approximately 50% of the Village Gondola and similar to Jersey Cream or Emerald Express.
We project that this mountain link will reduce the need to commute between mountains via vehicle and ease congestion on the roads for those who need to travel by vehicle.
A word from Dave Brownlie, Chief Operating Officer of Whistler Blackcomb
“Most of our guests choose to ski either Whistler or Blackcomb Mountain each day. The Peak to Peak Gondola will link 8,171 acres of terrain into one continuous lift system allowing skiers and riders to maximize their day by moving quickly and effortlessly across the valley to the best snow and weather in each alpine area.”
Open House October 18 2005
Poster
Consumer Research
Winter
(survey data collected winter 2005 on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains)
75% of all respondents initial reaction to the Gondola concept was strongly positive
67% of skiers/boarder indentified time saving and convenience as the most frequently identified advantage. The second most common advantage was more run choices.
When asked "How often would you expect to use this gondola in a season?"
9% All of the time
27% Most of the time
56% Some of the time
7% Never
1% Don't Know
Summer
(survey data collected summer 2005 mountain and in (the village?))
60% of respondents initial reaction to the Gondola concept was strongly positive
78% of the respondents said they would use it at least once
86% of the existing Village Gondola users said they would ride the proposed gondola across to Blackcomb
Information collected and complied by Consumer Scan Market Research
Consumer Research
The Economics
Project Cost
Projected cost os estimated at approximately $40-50 million (CDN).
Financing
Intrawest is seeking a joint venture partner on this project so that we can preserve capital for future investments in Whistler Blackcomb. We will remain the operator to ensure a seamless experience for our guests.
Cost to Ride
Pricing and packaging has not been finalised however, the cost to ride will be based on an opt-in additional fee for use. We estimate that a season pass upgrade,for unlimited use of the Peak to Peak will be approximately $59
The Economics
The Guest Experience
Winter
-Improved accessibility to the Alpine on both mountains for all availability levels.
-Ability to spend more of your day in the best weather and snow conditions.
-Increased ability to connect with friends and family regardless of which mountain they are on.
-Powder seekers will be able to easily follow the lift openings on both mountains after big dumps.
-Light boards showing both mountains will allow skiers to maximize the ski day and will assist in balancing lift loads between mountains.
-Sun Seekers can now easily follow the sun angles.
-Skiers and boarders coming from south of Whistler can now easily access Blackcomb from the Creekside base, reducing congestion on the roads trying to access parking at the base of Blackcomb
-Skiers and boarders coming from the north, bound for Whistler Mountain, can easily access Whistler from either the Village base or Blackcomb base. This will balance the loads between all lifts and reduce the Village base congestion.
The Guest Experience
Safety/Reliability
-Redundant Hydraulic System. The hydraulic tensioning system will have a redundant pump in case of the failure of the main pump. The tensioning system will also be continuously monitored by two independant systems measuring force and pressure.
-Efficient Evacuation. In the unlikely event that an evacuation is required, four manned rescue cars will be dispatched, two from each tower closest to the centre span. The cars will run down to line and winch each car, with the passengers' safely seated inside to a location where the passengers can be lowered to the ground.
Air Traffic Safety
Transport Canada are currently reviewing a number of line detection options. Whistler Blackcomb and Doppelmayr will meet the line detection requirements of Transport Canada.
History of the Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group
The Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group ("Doppelmayr") was established in 1892 and has established itself as the ???? quality and technology leader in ropewat engineering. This leadership is based on a combination of ongoing innovation, the highest standards of workmanship and an absolute commitment to safety. With their years of experience and dedication to customer requirements, Doppelmayr is well recognized for professionalism, reliability and precision in performance. Doppelmayr has subsidiaries, branches and agents in over thirty countries of the world and to date has built more that 13,300 lifts on five continents.
To date 80% of the high speed chairs and Gondolas on Whistler and Blackcomb have been designed and built by Doppelmayr.
Other 3S Lifts in the World
There are currently four lifts of the proposed design in the world. All have perfect safety records.
-Two in Saas Fee Switzerland built in 1991 and 1994
-One in Val d'sere Switzerland built in 2002; and
-One in Kitzbuhel Austria opened December 2004
Lift Operating Reliability
The design, numberous redundancies and secondary systems, developed by Doppelmayr, have all focused on increasing operating reliability. Major elements include:
-High Wind Stability: The cabins will be riding on two cables making the Peak 2 Peak the most wind tolerant lift on Whistler and Blackcomb. It will be designed to operate in winds up to 80km/h. The Kitzbuhel lift has been tested at 100km/h with no difficulties
-Back-up Power.The lift has a back up diesel engine (rim gear) in the event the primary engine fails or there is an electrical power outage.
-Redundant Bearing System. Both bull wheels will have emergency bearings that can be utilized in the event a primary bearing begins to fail.
-Acoustic Sensors. Both Bull Wheels will have a SPM acoustic sensor to monitor the bearings. Potential failures will be recognized before they happen, further reducing the possibility of a bearing system failure.
-Redundant Tire Conveyors. There will be two lines for accelerator and deacelerator connected with crank-shafts, two independent electrical motors supplemented by an emergency power generator set in each station in the event of an electrical power failure.
Lifts Affected
Catskinner Will be shortened
Blackcomb Station: Right above the top Station of Solar Coaster.
Whistler Station: Beside the Roundhouse (Above) Separate but may have a walkway interconnecting the Roundhouse
Planned Opening Date: November 07
Extended to 2008-09 Season