 Poster: A snowHead
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A Canadian version is being marketed as one of the speediest around - up to 30 kph! That's positively rocket-like compared to the ones I've tried. Variable speed, but even so the jump from idle speed to lift speed might put some strain on arm and shoulder joints and muscles.
Anyone ever used anything similar? The ones I've used have dawdled along in comparison. At $950 doesn't sound a bad investment for someone in the hills in the UK, either...
Short article here.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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PG,
At that price I'd buy one for the farm!!
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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?
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Are they available and if so what's the site. I read about this tow last autumn but still wasn't in commercial production. Any info appreciated. Is that $950 US or canadian $, and wonder what it would cost in shipping!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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US dollars. The only rather amateurish website I could find is here. I'd emailed for more info but nothing back as yet.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Peter S, does the weardale ski club still exist?
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Peter S, The Lecht used them too for at least the first year of operation.
Other clubs had arrangements with farmers in North Wales.
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Peter S,
I take it UK skiing was pretty big in the 1980s? What happened? I suppose it has got relatively cheaper to ski in France etc
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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.
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johnboy, and the frequency of accessible snow seems to be a lot less common!
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We sold ours a few years ago, after we only got the chance to use them once in about 10 years. Those with longer memories than me reckon that they used to be able to use them (in the Midlands, so not especially high altitude) at least once most winters.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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As a kid I remember somebody rigging something similar up on Box Hill in Surrey...I used to hike up several hills in the area with my skis.
It's been a long time since we had enough snow to do that.
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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.
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The first ski lift I ever used was like that. It had a hinged wire clip that you flicked over the rope, then clung on to. If you didn't fall over immediately, you were then supposed to feed the clip and rope over the pulleys - or you were personally hated by those behind.
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| Peter S wrote: |
I think our club still have a couple of similar engines lying around someones garage.
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ISTR the Carlisle club bought two portable tows off our club only three years ago. Unfortunately we are (relatively) 'darn sarth' so get even less snow than the Pennines. Hope they've been useful!
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You know it makes sense.
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I got an email back from them, the rope tow ships with a 150m rope, but they can go longer though the don't recommend it because the design is to take one skier up at a time at a high speed, so longer the rope, way lower the capacity. The estimate the cost would be about $250 for shipping to the UK if you were prepared to pick it up from a port. Probably $400 for door to door shipping.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Winterhighland, yes pretty much sums up the reply I received. I did wonder at the fuel consumption of the generator running a group up constantly at speed, forgot to ask about that.
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Poster: A snowHead
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From my limited experience of these with the White Star Ski Club in Leeds the ones they had could pull 2 or 3 people at a go, was this common for a lower speed variety? Incidentally my company supplies Briton Engineering with fittings for sprinkler systems for lubricating dry slopes with!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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150m rope is rather short (ie a 75m pull, minus a bit each end) - the MK snowdome is 2.5 times longer!
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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?
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Helen,
Yes weardale is still going
http://www.skiweardale.co.uk/
I actually discounted them from the list of rope tows because by the early 1980s they had already converted to dopplemayer lifts.
Johnboy - the decline in English skiing is partly because of less snow, but mainly more affordable holidays, higher expectations and generally less interest in voluntary activity, which affects all Clubs.
Rob - I don't think it was our Club that bought the portables - we've got one of these instead http://www.thepriceofcheese.com/gallery/twooofive/slides/MG_1657.html 
Snowball, i suspect that the length quoted is drag length rather total loop length. I'm sure our 5hp portable had a rope providing uplift of 200m with up to 4 or 5 riding at a time. A lot however depends on slope steepness, snow stickiness and wind strength.
With regard to fuel economy it does burn a bit but there is a limit to what a 5.5hp motor can consume.
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FAQ
