Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

Terrifying incident in Georgia

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Very scary!



http://youtube.com/v/dk_BR77VNJ8


http://youtube.com/v/2GuTIb8Q3Ic
latest report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Wow that's a real life example of a destructive rollback. Don't know quite what was going through the minds of the people who thought being taken round the bullwheel was preferable to jumping off beforehand.
snow report
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
no one to switch it off ?! it is going for to long!
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
kedsky wrote:
no one to switch it off ?! it is going for to long!


I thought the same but then I began to think "is it its own momentum that is driving it?" Possible failure of a braking mechanism allowing it to run freely. It only stops when there is a number of chairs jammed under the bullwheel.
ski holidays
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Gaza wrote:
kedsky wrote:
no one to switch it off ?! it is going for to long!


I thought the same but then I began to think "is it its own momentum that is driving it?" Possible failure of a braking mechanism allowing it to run freely. It only stops when there is a number of chairs jammed under the bullwheel.


Yeah, it's not running, it's lost power and the auto braking has failed. It's the weight of people pulling it backwards.
snow report
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Poma drag lifts have a set of pawls to prevent the tow running in reverse which is what it will try to do if the motor stops, because the upline is loaded. Occasionally the pawls can stick, eg. in high humidity freezing conditions. They just need a tap with a hammer and perhaps some antifreeze. It the event that the pawl does not engage there is a brake which the operator pulls manually. That directly engages on to a brake disc on the drive shaft. You simply pull it and it stops the shaft rotating. However with a drag lift running backwards, as a 'passenger' you just let go. You cant do that on a chairlift. Obviously a serious failure with the anti reverse system and presumably the emergency brake ? It was perhaps fortunate that the rope didn't derail as well. Hope everyone is OK.
snow report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Is it just me who wonders about people whose reaction to this is "poo-poo this is nasty better get my phone out to video it!".

I know for sure I'd be either running round the front to shout at people to jump off or helping pick up the pieces round the bull wheel. Wouldn't everyone?
ski holidays
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
WTF.

Poor Fitzwilliams. Hope nobody is seriously injured

Been on that lift, very mellow normally.
ski holidays
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Another view of it:-


http://youtube.com/v/D_K-2lLCVdI
ski holidays
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
News sites are reporting either only minor injuries or mostly minor with 2 serious.

BTW: the snow and conditions look fantastic. Never knew Georgia had ski resorts.
latest report
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Wow that's amazing that there are so few injuries.

Gudauri is awesome. Was there in January 2016

http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=123502
snow report
 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Dave of the Marmottes wrote:
Don't know quite what was going through the minds of the people who thought being taken round the bullwheel was preferable to jumping off beforehand.


There is one video taken from the top station showing someone going round the bullwheel there. Either they were on their way down when the incident happened, or they made it round the bottom bullwheel and all the way back to the top before heading down again!


http://youtube.com/v/VRbi0bx06l4
snow conditions
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
As you said @Gaza, very, very scary! Shocked

It's certainly moving, must be terrifying and then having to time your jump near the end to get off.
latest report
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Gaza, I'd created another thread on this accident just 4 mins after you created this one, so I've asked the mods to close mine. Madeye-Smiley

Yes, as others have said it looks to me like the power failed, the brake failed and then the weight of the passengers on the uplift side caused it to go into reverse, accelerating all the time... .

Here's a news link I gave in the other thread http://agenda.ge/news/97480/eng
snow report
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Nuts! Easily the most scary thing I have seen on a ski slope
snow conditions
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
jedster wrote:
Is it just me who wonders about people whose reaction to this is "poo-poo this is nasty better get my phone out to video it!".

I know for sure I'd be either running round the front to shout at people to jump off or helping pick up the pieces round the bull wheel. Wouldn't everyone?


Absolutely I would too, I just don’t get it why anyone would just stand there filming. Also, where there is a situation where things have gone wrong and I was trying to process what’s happening I definately wouldn’t be stoke face-on; I’d move out to the side. Poor people - stuff of nightmares.
snow report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Very frightening.

jedster wrote:
Is it just me who wonders about people whose reaction to this is "poo-poo this is nasty better get my phone out to video it!".

I know for sure I'd be either running round the front to shout at people to jump off or helping pick up the pieces round the bull wheel. Wouldn't everyone?


It's not just you who wonders that!


Meanwhile.... The Telegraph proves it has no idea how ski lifts work, or what skiers use them for...
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/16/tourists-flung-control-ski-lift-malfunction-georgia-resort/
Quote:

Skiers were being transported down a hill at the Gudauri resort located on the plateau of The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range in the former Soviet republic, when the out of control lift suddenly began picking up speed.

rolling eyes
snow conditions
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Gaza wrote:
Dave of the Marmottes wrote:
Don't know quite what was going through the minds of the people who thought being taken round the bullwheel was preferable to jumping off beforehand.


There is one video taken from the top station showing someone going round the bullwheel there. Either they were on their way down when the incident happened, or they made it round the bottom bullwheel and all the way back to the top before heading down again!



That one looks like a ped downloader although the way they lurch about like a dummy suggests they were already sparko. It's amazing if there wasn't a death toll from the incident (as apparently is being reported)
latest report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Quote:

The Telegraph proves it has no idea how ski lifts work, or what skiers use them for...

It is by no means unknown for skiers to use a lift to go downhill, actually! I'd rather not use that one to go in any direction.
snow conditions
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
pam w wrote:
Quote:

The Telegraph proves it has no idea how ski lifts work, or what skiers use them for...

It is by no means unknown for skiers to use a lift to go downhill, actually! I'd rather not use that one to go in any direction.

Yes, but I'd suggest it's fairly rare for them to do so backwards! It's surely clear that one in all the video on the Telegraph's article is running backwards and that the skiers on it were rather hoping to get to the top. You'd think even a telegraph journo would be able to work that out.
ski holidays
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
pam w wrote:
Quote:

The Telegraph proves it has no idea how ski lifts work, or what skiers use them for...

It is by no means unknown for skiers to use a lift to go downhill, actually! I'd rather not use that one to go in any direction.


Yebbut the specifics of the footage suggest that you would have to be a bear of very little brain to believe that that is the way skiers download.
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Wow - what a rush Shocked Shocked Shocked Shocked
latest report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
The Telegraph says "Skiers were being transported up a hill at the Gudauri resort, located on the plateau of The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range in the former Soviet republic, when the out of control lift suddenly began running backwards at high speed".
latest report
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@pam w, I think the article has now been edited!
snow conditions
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
maybe they read Snowheads!
latest report
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
pam w wrote:
The Telegraph says "Skiers were being transported up a hill at the Gudauri resort, located on the plateau of The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range in the former Soviet republic, when the out of control lift suddenly began running backwards at high speed".

It does now!
It looked like this before:
https://web.archive.org/web/20180316140552/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/16/tourists-flung-control-ski-lift-malfunction-georgia-resort/
snow report
 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
pam w wrote:
maybe they read Snowheads!


Or he read the email I sent him. Toofy Grin Toofy Grin Toofy Grin Toofy Grin
snow report
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
There's keen, @Gaza!
snow conditions
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
jedster wrote:
Is it just me who wonders about people whose reaction to this is "poo-poo this is nasty better get my phone out to video it!".

I know for sure I'd be either running round the front to shout at people to jump off or helping pick up the pieces round the bull wheel. Wouldn't everyone?


First post here, so go easy on me, but there is a place for people to film incidents such as these. The information gained from them, such as the mechanical performance or failure mode of the lift, coupled with the value for any potential inquiry should there be a loss of life etc are exceptionally valuable to preventing this happening again. If everybody just shouted at the bottom, you couldn't provide this service for the post-accident team.

It's very important that, should there be a sufficient amount of people able to assist those in distress, that those less able to assist or not directly required do exactly what these persons did - document evidence and upload to allow all affected parties to quickly and efficiently dissect the information available.

Horrible accident, and mechanically, in-excusable. There will be no justification.
snow conditions
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@userscott, Welcome to snowHeads! snowHead

And good point, well made. Madeye-Smiley
latest report
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@userscott, welcome and good point!
snow conditions
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Video of a chairlift rollback test in the US some years ago (very similar to what happened to the Georgia lift today, except that of course there were no passengers):


http://youtube.com/v/FwPP4i7ENvQ&app=desktop
snow conditions
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Dave of the Marmottes wrote:

That one looks like a ped downloader although the way they lurch about like a dummy suggests they were already sparko. It's amazing if there wasn't a death toll from the incident (as apparently is being reported)


Friend of mine was there (2 mins away from being on the lift), and says he doesn't believe no-one was killed... (No idea personally)
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
@clarky999, I must admit I was surprised it said only minor injuries were sustained, the way some of them were being thrown around like rag dolls especially with their skis still on.

Mind you, I think a broken arm or broken leg is still classed as a ‘minor injury’ (believe it or not) because for the most part broken limbs are not life threatening.
I’ve only ever had a broken wrist and it didn’t feel very minor at the time.
ski holidays
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
kolkie has been skiing in Gudauri for a week at the end of January. She said she must have taken that lift 50 times. She's a bit shocked by all this...
snow conditions
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
It’s horrific. The really scary one is the person in yellow who flies off. It was only on second viewing that I realised they actually got their ski stuck in the bull wheel and the bindings ejected them. Good thing the bindings released.
latest report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@horizon, Shocked
latest report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
In Soviet Georgia some dayz ski lift do as it please................

Daily inspection and maintenance goes a long way to prevent this from ever happening, but hey, it's Georgia, what could possibly go wrong, komrades............?
snow conditions
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
arcsinice wrote:
In Soviet Georgia some dayz ski lift do as it please................

Daily inspection and maintenance goes a long way to prevent this from ever happening, but hey, it's Georgia, what could possibly go wrong, komrades............?


Really surprised at this.

The infrastructure is very good at Gudauri. Far better than a lot of resorts on Hokkaido
latest report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Mike Pow wrote:
The infrastructure is very good at Gudauri. Far better than a lot of resorts on Hokkaido


*cancels plans to go to Hokkaido* Wink
snow report



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy