kintaro 0 Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 I've only boarded in Japan. It seems I spend more than half my time in the gondola or other lifts when I visit the ski-jo. Those of you who've been to Europe, NZ, OZ Canada, etc. and ALSO Japan; are lifts faster? Japan is known for it's "safeness" so I wonder if lifts are faster elsewhere. Is the technology not available (besides helicopter) to get us up quicker? The fastest lift I've rode was at Yamagata Zao. Others seem slow. Maybe I'm just impatient Link to post Share on other sites
nzlegend 1 Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 Yep they are faster in other places. Most detachable chairs go at between 4metres per second to a max speed of about 5.1 or 5.2 mps. In Colorado USA anyway the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board set the maximum speed at that. In 1997/98 Keystone Co. built a new High speed quad that had the potential to run at 5.6mps I remember being with the dopplemayr guys when the were winding it out and 5.6mps is really honking, chairs were coming into the terminal at a scary speed and at the speed an E stop would almost throw you out of the chair without the bar down. In Europe chairs go at a comparable speed to the USA but Japan is noticeably slower I would say they run there detachables in the low 4's. Fixed grips are notoriously slow anywhere, as you are limited to the speed that riders can disembark at the top without getting tangled up. Japan is it seems errs on the side of caution and run their fixed grips a little slower but marginally so than other places. But you will find lifts servicing more difficult terrain going noticeably faster than lifts servicing green runs for obvious reasons. NZ has alot of T bars which are faster than fixed grips chairs as they are much easier to disembark and small NZ places have rope tows and nutcrackers which are faster again but lethal if you screw up while using them Link to post Share on other sites
window-cleaner 0 Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 I kinda thought Japanese resorts were ultra modern with fast lifts and the whole deal... Link to post Share on other sites
nzlegend 1 Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 Quote: Originally posted by window-cleaner: I kinda thought Japanese resorts were ultra modern with fast lifts and the whole deal... they would have been ultra modern during the halcyon days of the Bubble ecomony when ski resorts opened and expanded at a rapid rate, I think looking at the equipment of many of the places I have been to, that alot of it is looking a little aged now and there has been little expansion or new lifts added due to the decline of the economy and the decline in overall numbers from the late 80's. But the thing with Japaneses ski resorts as they are entirely service dby chairs, no T bars or rope tows, I casnt ever recall seeing a T bar here are there any? anybody? Link to post Share on other sites
nagoid 4 Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 No tbars is a good thing Link to post Share on other sites
snowboard_freak 0 Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 I love the no t-bar thing about Japan. Fantastic! Niseko does have a couple of very short rope tows just to get you up a smalll incline. Link to post Share on other sites
OUfreeski2 0 Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 Whats` the bad thing about T-bars?They`re not hard to ride!! Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 T bars are a nightmare for boarders they cant relax. One reason that resorts dont wind up the lifts is also the cost. It costs takes alot of energy to move a lift. 4 ms a sec vs 5ms will save money and ware and tare. On down days in British Columbia its rare to find a chair running at 5ms. One of the reasons to run it so fast is to keep the line ups at a minimum. I prefer places with slow lifts. Cortina never gets skied out. Also most slow lifts have a better uphill capicity cause you can get more chairs on the line. Link to post Share on other sites
snowboard_freak 0 Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 As Fatty said they aren't the most relaxing of rides for us boarders. On skis they are fine. It's not that they are hard to use on a snowboard, they are just a pain in the arse and are damn uncomfortable, especially if the slope is steep. T-bars and learner boarders don't mix, you make it about 10 metres, catch an edge and slam! You just waited in a lift line for 20 mins, only to be pulled 10m up the mountain. Extremely annoying when your learning. Link to post Share on other sites
OUfreeski2 0 Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 I know about Ts and beginners after being a liftie at Perisher Blue.So many beginner boarders can`t ride `em. I thought this CAN`T be that hard. So borrowed my buddys` board w/my Sorels and headed to the hill and was surprised at how undifficult riding a T is. Link to post Share on other sites
danz 0 Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 I prefer my high-speed quads! but that is the NorthEast skier in me...if you got less than 2000' of vert and no pow, I want to do as many laps as possible...and the only way is with a long, properly placed high speed detachable... the lifts in japan are pathetic...slow, and poor vert...not to mention terrible line managment, which is equivalent to running the lift even slower than they do (empty chairs...)... danz Link to post Share on other sites
pjem 0 Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 I was reading this forum back in winter, don't I remember hearing about that new teleporting technology being put in a small resort in Nagano - did that not get done then? Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 Line management is needed more than highspeed quads. Is getting people into groups 20 spots ahead too much to ask. High speeds are great but things get skied out much faster. If you want good high speed laps in Japan heres the place. Happone, You can ride the gondola up and then take the highspeed quad up to the downhill start, then one more highspeed up to the top. On a good day you can rip it right to the bottom. If you know where to look you can hit great trees and powder all the way too. Usally run the lifts at around 4.5 to 5 ms. Link to post Share on other sites
kintaro 0 Posted May 21, 2003 Author Share Posted May 21, 2003 Kamoshika, thanks. You are a wealth of information aren't you! Link to post Share on other sites
zwelgen 0 Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 Quote: Originally posted by snowboard_freak: Niseko does have a couple of very short rope tows just to get you up a smalll incline. Yeah those were so crappy. when we were there we just took our gear off and walked up the hill. What I hate about Tbars and platters is when some pillock falls off and youre sitting there waiting and then they start up, someone else falls off and it stops.... I still feel bad about tearing your gloves a bit on those bastard rope tows at Niseko MrSparkle. gomen Link to post Share on other sites
snowboard_freak 0 Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 Thats what i hate about rope tows. Mitten destroyer's!! I was actually relly suprised at the amount of people who couldn't ride the rope tows and constantly fell off them. Some even seemed to be resonable at riding or skiing. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 Try riding this lift its called the "face lift". Its a double black diamond rope tow. You have to push off as your getting on. The point is it acesses some great terrain that you might otherwise have to hike or traverse to. http://www.skifernie.com/stats/newfernietrailmap03.jpg Link to post Share on other sites
snowboard_freak 0 Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 My mate was telling me about that t-bar a couple of weeks ago. It sounded pretty crazy. Link to post Share on other sites
Davo 1 Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 Here's a dumb idea-how about just building a decent lift which takes you right to the top without all the sidetracking pissabout transfers. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 Its not a Tbar its a rope tow. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 Fattwins, Fernie looks huge in that picture. But then the longest run is 5 km. Is it bigger than say, Myoko Suginohara? Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 Fernie is wide 4 interconnected bowls. It has a true vert of 3000 feet or a little more.average snowfall around 370 inches. As for how myoko compares to Fernie.. Fernie is steeper but myoko could be longer. At Fernie there are very few closed areas. The Backcountry is some of the best that Ive ever skied you can due quick laps with almost no hiking involved. If you have a snowmobile you can go anywhere. Link to post Share on other sites
powwwers 0 Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 yes fattwins, that is indeed a prety narly rope tow that. but it takes you to some pretty awesome `bowl` action. that `Curry bowl` goes off! when i rode it, it hadn`t snowed for a cupple and there was a pretty decent boot pack heading there. but there was still lots of fresh to be had- so i did! fernie is pretty special indeed! Link to post Share on other sites
zwelgen 0 Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 Now that looks like a real resort. Imagine that place with 1m of powder overnight. Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah its a good few months before Ill be skiing again " title="" src="graemlins/cry.gif" /> Link to post Share on other sites
danz 0 Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 yo fattwins... so how far is fernie from say, Seattle?? got any hot tips for good canadian skiing nearby seattle?? danz Link to post Share on other sites
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