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Vert per minute

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
What do you want from a ski lift? I want it to give me the greatest height gain as quickly as possible. So I want to maximize VPM (Vert per Minute). Amazingly the excellent folks at http://seilbahntechnik.net don't explicitly compute that, so I've written a little program to compute it. Just done Espace Killy and Jungfrau right now, will do more later, but see http://awf.fitzgibbon.ie/vpm if you want to know the fastest chairlifts in the west[ern alps].

To cut to the chase though, Espace Killy winners are (ignoring the trains, cos ICBA with the queueing)

Olympic Bubble: about 200 metres of height gain per minute's ride time.

Laisinant Express: chairlift and 120 vpm

[Edits: new link, removed discussion of errors since fixed, although many caveats remain -- see the blurb on the site]


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 26-12-12 17:15; edited 2 times in total
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
awf, interesting in its own right but somewhat misleading in cases... snowHead
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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?
awf,

You have the Grand Motte Funicular in twice with different ride times. Does it go quicker downhill than uphill wink
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Can't really be arsed doing the maths myself, but 200m/m from the Olympic bubble Shocked really.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Just had a look sat the table, the Brevieres is showing a length of 119m and a vertical rise of 270m. I think your data source is inaccurate.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Yep, large pinch of salt as I say on the page. If anyone can contribute timings for a recent journey, or point me to some site with a load of GPS traces, we can refine those. One can also contribute data to the seilbahntechnik.net (SBT) guys, and thereby improve the data.

Bottom line is if it looks too good to be true it probably is. Brevieres is a 2-man CLF (fixed-grip chairlift), so is very unlikely to be running at 200 vpm. So discount that one.
On the other hand, if I were new to a resort, I would certainly check out the top few chairlifts early in the week, and hopefully gain myself some time...

stewart woodward, the two entries are based on different ways to measure the time. One is the ride time posted on SBT, the other is line length over line speed. As I say on the page, these often differ, but you can use them to give you an idea of accuracy. Just choose the most pessimistic or optimistic according to your likes.

PS, again folks: I'ld be very very pleased to get more accurate ride time data.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
awf wrote:

stewart woodward, the two entries are based on different ways to measure the time. One is the ride time posted on SBT, the other is line length over line speed. As I say on the page, these often differ, but you can use them to give you an idea of accuracy. Just choose the most pessimistic or optimistic according to your likes.


The line length over line speed is a spurious calculation as this assumes a constant speed and does not allow for speeding up and slowing down whilst leaving/entering the stations. The funicular normally takes 6 mins 30 secs to complete its journey.

The lift data you have used is also out of date. The 2 Palfour lifts were replaced by a detachable chair some 5 years ago Confused
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
stewart woodward, I agree about distance/speed but for some lifts the ride time is not available. I have updated the Grande Motte Funiculaire time on SBT (thanks for the report! more please Smile ), so that change should propagate as soon as it's moderated.

Thanks for the tip about replaced lifts, I have adjusted the code to extract the RIP data, so the old ones are now at the bottom of the list. Ultimately I'll remove them but for the moment it allows for debugging.


Last edited by After all it is free Go on u know u want to! on Wed 26-12-12 16:24; edited 1 time in total
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The other factor to consider is how long you need to wait till you get on the lift. For something like a chair lift this will be approaching zero (assuming no queue for the lift) but for a cable car or funicular where there are two cars going end to end you'll expect to wait for a bit more than half the journey time till you can get on, as chances are the cars will be in transit when you arrive.
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ahh, apologies, I see you've already made mention to that in the blurb at the top.
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kieranm, absolutely (perhaps I should have pasted the preamble from the webpage...) Sometimes, e.g. with the Tignes funicular, it keeps to a predictable schedule, so you need only add a constant 1-2 minutes to the ride time, which would bring it from 6.5 to 8.5, so from 143 to 110, certainly competitive with the fastest chairs, although I still prefer the latter for faff minimization.
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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.
Good Grief LADS Shocked Shocked Shocked There's snow on't hill . . . save this sort of twadle fer t'Summer Evil or Very Mad
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 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
Masque wrote:
Good Grief LADS Shocked Shocked Shocked There's snow on't hill . . . save this sort of twadle fer t'Summer Evil or Very Mad


Toofy Grin Toofy Grin Well said and I agree.

I know of some really slow chairs that I would rather ride than any of your fast ones, theres also a lot of folk that rate them and put a lot of effort in trying to get on 'em wink

Also ridden the shortest ( allegedly) gondola and thats ok too Madeye-Smiley

Verts good but not always all its cracked up to be, but the longest Vert. in NA is worthy in the right conditions NehNeh
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Who gives a toss about vert per second of the lift you go up on , its the quality of the ski down that is important .
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Of course, if you prefer a nice sit down on a slow chair to actually skiing, this can help you too. Just choose a nice slow chair from the bottom of the list....

I can add a "heated seat" column too if you like....
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
riverman wrote:
Who gives a toss about vert per second of the lift you go up on , its the quality of the ski down that is important .

Absolutely, give me a nice scenic chair ride that may take twice as long and go half the distance than a cramped cable car every time.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
awf, I think you are missing the point. Your intention is to go for quantity whereas mine is to go for quality when it comes skiing.
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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?
riverman wrote:
Your intention is to go for quantity whereas mine is to go for quality when it comes skiing.


The two are mutually exclusive? Why didn't anyone tell me this before? Crying or Very sad
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