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SnowJapan.Com#2

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    Something I've noticed watching the Olympics

    in General off-topic discussions

    Posted

    Before this thread deteriorates any more.... a call for calm.

     

    Please - let's keep insults and the like off the forums.

     

    We don't want to have to consider closing the thread (or anything nearly as controversial as that ;\) ) right now, but ask that if you can't post on subject without using insults please refrain from posting.

     

    Let's try to keep it good-natured.

     

    Thanks.

    \:\)

    NEWS - International Snow News - Jul 04

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    International Snow News

    (brought to you in association with Snow24 )

     

    --World's Highest Ski Lift Likely To Open in October

    --New Funitel at Alpe d'Huez

    --Vast Ski Area Planned for Ukraine

    --Deer Valley Spends on New Lifts

    --Kat Skiing adventurers to Mt McKay Begin For Season

     

    =================================================

     

    World's Highest Ski Lift Likely To Open in October

     

    Completion of the second stage of a POMA built gondola at the famous Indian ski area of Gulmarg in Kashmir is likely to be completed by October, according to the latest reports.

     

    The gondola project has been mooted for nearly 20 years, with the initial lower section completed several years ago in 1999 - but 12 years after work began in 1987, making it possibly the longest ski lift construction in history - it had had to be abandoned for ten years from 1989, when nearly complete, because of the political instability.

     

    The new lift will be the first of a major ski area to reach 4000 metres. At 5km long it will also be one of the world's longest. The latest reports have given a wide variety of completion dates from last Autumn onwards, but the latest October date appears tro be based on the current advanced stage of the project and the desire to have it open for the 04-05 season. Work began on the latest, higher, final section in June last year.

     

    Gulmarg has a long history dating back to British Colonial time and was beginning to see a boom in international business in the late 1980s and early 1990s, particularly as a heli-ski base, but then political tensions over the area - ownership of which is disputed by India and Pakistan - spoiled in to violence. Gulmarg was then populated by Indian troops rather than Bollywood film stars and it remains "within shelling distance" of the Pakistani border. However with the current positive dialogues between the two nations after the nuclear tensions of 2002, the local state-run tourism bodies are in positive mood and the gondolas is clearly seen as a sign of India's commitment to the region.

     

    There is a higher gondola, built by Leitner in China several years ago, but not serving a ski area (although recent reports suggest there may one day be ski runs at Jade dragon where it is located). Highest ski lifts - primitive rope tows - have been built in Venezuela and Bolivia but both are no longer operational. Currently the world's highest northern hemisphere winter ski lift is at Loveland, Colorado, a high speed quad chair reaching 3871m. Higher surface lifts at Zermatt in Switzerland and Elbrus in Russia, at 3899m and arguably 3875m respectively, only operate in the summer. Other high lifts at Pikes Peak, Colorado, USA and Merida, Venezuela, do not serve ski areas.

     

    The Gulmarg gondola has cost $8 million (US) and it is hoped will lead to a fresh influx of foreign tourists. Among the main attractions of the area, a tourism official said, "you can ski for a whole day here for the cost of two cups of coffee in the Swiss Alps."

     

    The status of local separatist terrorist groups remains somewhat confused. Pakistan has vowed not to support them in any way, however tourists in Kashmir are still occasionally being murdered, but the major groups are now stressing that tourists are not targets.

     

    ------------

     

    New Funitel at Alpe d'Huez

     

    Work is underway on a spectacular new Funitel lift at Alpe d'Huez in France to improve access to the Sarenne Glacier. The new Doppelmayr lift will work in a similar way to a funicular railway crossed with a gondola, as rather than continuing on a loop like most funitel lifts, the giant gondola cabins will reverse up and down the twin suspending cables.

     

    The lift alone is costing €4.6 million, even without its top and bottom stations and links the Marmottes II lift to the glacier to improve access particularly at the start and end of the season. Ultra-stable, it can operate even in winds exceeding 30 metres per second. Capacity is 1,100 skiers per hour. Opening date is scheduled for December this year.

     

    http://www.alpedhuez.com

     

    ------------

     

    Vast Ski Area Planned for Ukraine

     

    A vast new ski area has been planned for Bukovel in the Ukraine. If the target size of 278km of trails, served by 35 lifts with uplift of 50,000 is achieved by 2008-9, it would be one of the world's 20 largest ski resorts.

     

    The resort, which will have four main centres and has been planned by Austrian experts, will include summer tourist infrastructure designed for cycling, horseback riding, motorcycle racing, gliding flights and even a water chute.

     

    Work has already begun on the ski area, first conceived in 2001. It opening with eight kilometres of trails last season, the area will expand to 20km and three new chairlifts will be added in time for next winter.

     

    Nearly 12.5 million tourists visited Ukraine last year, a 19% rise from the 2002 figures. Tourism could become a blessing for Ukraine, which rivals France in size and boasts a 48-million population. In the Carpathians, famed for their forest-covered mountains and thermal springs, hotel, ski stations and spas have been sprouting like mushrooms.

     

    http://www.bukovel.info/ua

     

    ------------

     

    Deer Valley Spends on New Lifts

     

    2002 Olympic venue Deer Valley in Utah is spending $8 million on upgrades this summer in readiness for the 204-5 season.

     

    The bulk of the money will go on two new chairlifts in the Flagstaff area. The Judge lift is a fixed grip triple that will run parallel to the existing Viking chairlift on the south side o the Trainer ski run. Its base will be near the Quincy chairlift base and the top will be just below the merge between Homeward Bound and Bird's Eve ski runs.

     

    The Silver Strike Express lift will be a detachable quad and come up from the property below the base of the Northside lift and will run to the east of Northside ending on top of Flagstaff.

     

    Two new intermediate runs will be added in the Flagstaff area accessed from the new Silver Strike express lift.

     

    New glade skiing will also be added in the Empire Canyon and Flagstaff area.

     

    ------------

     

    Kat Skiing adventurers to Mt McKay Begin For Season

     

    Kat Skiing adventurers to Mt McKay, the steepest and highest slopes at Falls Creek, Australia have begun operations for the season.

     

    John Sereni, the Lift Operations Manager for Falls Creek Ski Lifts, said: "All the Kat's groomed tracks to the drop-off points are nice and firm, and the pick-up points at the bottom of Rocky Knolls and Dam Site are in place.

     

    "Mt McKay has multiple sides and our guided Snow Kat tours are best suited to advanced to expert skiers and boarders, who are comfortable with exploring a vast array of ungroomed, off-piste terrain.

     

    "Its about a 4 minute ride in the 10 seat 'Kat' from the top of Ruined Castle Chairlift to our first drop off point where the guide will lead the skiers down Shangri-La, as a warm up for the more challenging, black diamond terrain on Mt McKay. In each three hour tour we can usually fit in about eight runs.

     

    The 'Kat' will now operate daily (whenever weather conditions are suitable) with two, three hour sessions, starting at 9am each morning and 1pm in the afternoon. The meeting place is at the Snowsports School Office, at the

    top of Halley's Comet Chairlift, 15 minutes prior to each session. Each session costs $69.

     

    =================================================

     

    The above news items were brought to you in association with Snow24. Visit their website at www.snow24.com .

    Chatroom???

    in General off-topic discussions

    Posted

    Sorry about that.

     

    ( Out of the 25 or so people who have tried so far, we've had just 2 who couldn't login - both saying that they were trying from work behind some evil firewalls. And one of them said they could login when they got back home ;\) ).

     

    Any more people interested in giving it a go?

    Chatroom???

    in General off-topic discussions

    Posted

    We tried logging in with your username and password RH without problem - seems in your case it is a firewall issue at work (!) We'll do what we can to make it as accessible as possible.

     

    Thanks to all the people who have helped out - we'll keep this open for the next few days so if you want to check it out just mail us!

     

    Thanks

    Local beach!

    in General off-topic discussions

    Posted

    First of all, there has been no censorship in this thread at all. Simply a request for cool down.

     

     Quote:
    SJ, I'm certainly not one to favor censorship but our pal Ocean 11 and DB do seem to enjoy favoritism.
    They do not. No-one does. Simple as that.

     

     Quote:
    Maybe it's based on their volume of posts..nationalities, I don't know.
    The thought of cautioning someone because of their nationalities has not even crossed our minds for a second. Apart from the fact that that would be a silly idea, pointless and without merit, believe me - we have many more better things to do with our time.

     

     Quote:
    Let me ask you, have you cautioned them like you do the Americans on this site?
    In this thread, we were "cautioning" EVERYONE, wherever they come from. Nationality is completely insignificant and to be honest, we're really not interested....

     

     Quote:
    Let us speak freely or censor all of us please.
    We don't want to censor anyone, and in this case we have not. We were simply asking for some cooling down.

     

     Quote:
    I'll wager a hamburger that none of the administrators of this site are American's
    Once more - read above - we're not interested in peoples nationality. And, as for the wager - you lose. How can we claim our hamburger? \:\)

     

    ---------

     

    Just to make the point clear once more so that there is no misunderstanding - there has been no censorship here. (And us deleting a post or thread is extremely rare - almost never.)

     

    Hope that answers your points. If not, you can mail us if you wish - coz we're not going to continue this discussion here. ;\)

     

    wave.gif

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