 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm always amazed at how some people seem to be in such a hurry to lift the bar up long before the warnings notices, if the lift gets stopped before you arrive at the ski-off point, and the seats swing with the momentum as they sometimes do, you would be faced with a backwards swing, with the seat tipping you forwards, and no safety bar, and some lifts still have enormous drops under them, right up to the off load notices, and very shallow seats! I don’t remove my feet until it tells you to, and I make sure no one lifts the bar up by resisting the efforts of those trying to, this annoys the macho and foolhardy, but I’d rather be thought of as a sissy than injured at best, or dead at worst.
Whilst skiing in Cervinia a few years ago, it was the norm in our dinning room for everyone to compare bruises caused by the most antiquated lifts I have seen, some nothing more than a plank of wood, with a frail rail around them, they hit you in the back of the legs as they arrived (no slowing) swung like mad as you tried to get the bar down, and there were no attendants at the top, where if you didn’t get off fast enough and away, the chair hit you in the head, or worst still, if you got caught, you could get dragged through a concrete tunnel. I can’t understand why they don’t upgrade them, it has put us off, and others we know, from ever going there again, as these lifts eliminate a large part of what is a very enjoyable ski circuit.
roga, We have been toying with the idea of skiing in the USA or Canada, at some point in the future, and to hear that they don’t use safety bars has definitely made me rethink.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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sharon1953,
I've skied Breck, Banff, Whistler, Tremblant, Mont Ste Anne & Stoneham - I've never seen any lifts at any of these resorts not having a safety bar =- not to say I have used all the lifts but all the ones I've used have had bars.
BTW Mr HL had the chair in the head thing in Cervinia - very common event.
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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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OK, just to correct (again) the misinformed people who are going for the "There are no safety bars on any lifts in America"...
US Resorts I've been to where most lifts do NOT have safety bars/footrests:
Alta
US Resorts I've been to where most lifts do:
Stowe
Beckenridge
Keystone
Winter Park
Copper
Vail
Beaver Creak
Aspen/Snowmass
Deer Valley
Park City
The Canyons
Snowbird
Solitude
Brighton
Jackson Hole
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Mon 12-03-07 23:38; edited 1 time in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Squaw Valley is in the NOT group.
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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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Wear The Fox Hat, the issue isn't whether they have the bars....more if the bars are used!!
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Elizabeth B, OK, that's up to the people riding the lifts - that's a BIG difference.
In the US, the normal practice I've experienced is that if you are going to bring the bar down, you let the other people on the lift know first of all - out of politeness, and for their safety - i.e. if someone is leaning forward and you just bring the bar down, you may well hit them on the head.
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laundryman, ask me in a week's time, after I've been to Squaw! 
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Wear The Fox Hat, thanks, glad to read that list anyway, covers most of the ones we would consider
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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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...and I'd add...
Alta has a safety bar on most (possibly all) it's lifts, but doesn't have footrests.
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I cant get my feet on the footrests but do object to shortarses dragging the bar down at high speed withou the slightest thought for others 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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pam w,
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Quote:
Anyone know the right French phrase for; sit still you little sh*t your giving me heart failure
"Doucement!"
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Yes, it's amazing just how much venom you can pack into that one word, isn't it
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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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Frosty the Snowman, and then there are the ones who refuse to lift the bar until their feet are in contact with the snow....
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clara_jo, they don't get any chance with me. As a boarder I make sure the bar is up with plenty of time to get sorted. Otherwise everyone ends up on the floor 
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You know it makes sense.
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Swirly, I must admit I had absolutely no problems sharing chairs with boarders in Laax, as they seemed pretty competent. In Val d'Isere, however, (when it wasn't very busy, and chairs were going up empty) I'm afraid I would avoid getting on next to any boarder who was looking a bit wary. I saw too many fall over each other getting off chairs to want to end up mangled with them.
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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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| Wear The Fox Hat wrote: |
Elizabeth B, OK, that's up to the people riding the lifts - that's a BIG difference.
In the US, the normal practice I've experienced is that if you are going to bring the bar down, you let the other people on the lift know first of all - out of politeness, and for their safety - i.e. if someone is leaning forward and you just bring the bar down, you may well hit them on the head. |
To expand that, for anyone who's state-bound:
-- Grab the bar, pause
-- Shout "bar down", pause to wait for reactions
-- Bring it down!
You don't want the bar up so early?
-- Rest your feet/arm on the bar to resist the upward pressure
-- Say "Sorry" and pretend you're still busy putting on your gloves or something.
-- When ready, remove your arms/feet from the bar
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Poster: A snowHead
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abc, I do that now for "don't want bar up early"  and never been on a chair yet where it was left up, but would certainly, look, signal, manoeuvre if I did.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| sharon1953 wrote: |
| abc, I do that now for "don't want bar up early" and never been on a chair yet where it was left up, but would certainly, look, signal, manoeuvre if I did. |
To be honest, I count myself as one typical Yank who doesn't bother to lower the bar unless someone else does it.
I also never seen anyone object to it either. State-side, it's really one of those 'self-service' thing. For those who want it down, you need to do it yourself. The exception being, when there's small child on the chair, they were taught to ask politely "Can you please bring the bar down?". Most adults would readily oblige.
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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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abc, is there some reason why, when travelling hundreds of feet above the ground, on nothing but a bench (that can and does swing forwards and backwards), you would choose to sit there with nothing in front of you to hold onto? The stabiltiy of a chair lift and its passengers, can be affected by high winds, snow and ice, so what do you grab onto when you feel insecure once the bar is left up and the wind takes hold? And why would you enjoy the feeling of the weight of your skis and boots hanging on your unsupported legs? (not good for the knees you know) Is it some sort of personal challenge against gravity, the eliments or a man thing? It seems as bizarre as riding roller coaters standing up!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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crosbie, 
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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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| sharon1953 wrote: |
| abc, why would you enjoy the feeling of the weight of your skis and boots hanging on your unsupported legs? (not good for the knees you know) |
It's because about half of the chair have bars that don't have foot-rests. So, bar up or bar down, your skis are still danging from your feet as dead weights. No rest.
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| It seems as bizarre as riding roller coaters standing up |
But we DO have stand up roller coasters. We honestly do! 
Also in Canada too (I think the Canadians started it)!
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| is there some reason why, when travelling hundreds of feet above the ground, on nothing but a bench (that can and does swing forwards and backwards), you would choose to sit there with nothing in front of you to hold onto? The stabiltiy of a chair lift and its passengers, can be affected by high winds, snow and ice, so what do you grab onto when you feel insecure once the bar is left up and the wind takes hold? Is it some sort of personal challenge against gravity, the eliments or a man thing? |
The real reason of it all, is most of the chairs don't hang hundreds of feet above the ground. They're often only a few feet off the ground!
Unlike in Europe, where chairs go over small valleys that are indeed hundreds of feet deep, most US resorts are build on the hillsides. So the only time the chairs "truely" leave the ground is when the snow were thin!
In fact, I got yealled at in one small resort for leaving the bar up. But I felt silly pulling the bar down. You see, the ground was about 2 feet away, and there're signs warning "No jumping from chairs"! Obviously, the two (leaving the bar up and jumping from chair) must be related!
Last, but not least. I think lifties state-side are more attentative. The result being chair loading and unloading are more orderly. Hence the need to stop the chair to clear up some chaos are much less. In all 5 weekends (almost 15 days) of skiing this year, I only had been on ONE chair that stopped mid-way (though 3 times!) And that, happens to be a beginer chair. The rest of the time, the chairs just kept moving smoothly. Having a large percentage of detachable chair also help ease loading and unloading and keep the chairs moving along. So, no swinging back and forth of chairs
Next time you're stateside, take time to observe. You may just well find the bars coming down rather quickly whenever the wind is blowing hard! No, I don't think it's national mentality thing that we left the bar up. Just a reflection of the gentler terrain and weather we have here.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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sharon1953, do you remember the old days before people wore seat belts in cars (or perhaps you're not that old, but you might remember the days before they were worn in the back of cars)?
If you look at a chair lift seat, you'll see that it's angled back a bit, and when you're sitting on it, it would be difficult (but not impossible) to slide off. Try sitting on an ordinary padded seat at home, and see how far forward you need to tilt it before you slide off.
I prefer to have the bar down, but when you realise the difference it makes in normal circumstances, it doesn't make a big difference to me. And I've never been on a lift where people have said "no you can't bring the bar down", so I don't see why you need to make a big fuss over the fact that some people don't automatically bring it down.
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sharon1953, I'm glad someone asked the question - to me it would be just alien not to pull the bar down when your 20 - 30ft up, which can be quite common in Europe. Also it gives something to rest the poles on when you're faffing about with your gear.
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abc I appreciate the difference in terrain, and having never used a chair in 8 years of skiing that only skims the service, I cannot comment on how I would feel in those circumstances. Wear The Fox Hat, now try sitting on the same seat with a bag on your back as most have these days! The reason for front seat belts is self explanatory and causes most of us no hardship at all, rear ones prevent human missiles killing those in front! We used to send kids up chimneys and breathe in asbestos dust, not sure the point you are making -
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so I don't see why you need to make a big fuss
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just expressing a point of view that differs from yours! Thought that was the idea of a forum! You can stand on your head with your feet wrapped round the overhead cables if you so desire, as long as you aren’t on the same chair as me!
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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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sharon1953, so, maybe the question should be: why do a lot of people insist on carrying bags on their backs these days, and why, when they get on a lift, do they not follow the safety instructions of removing the bag from their back, and holding it in front of them - those are the dangeous people to look out for!
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Wear The Fox Hat, Most wear a bag so that they can carry extra layers for varying changes in weather or perhaps safety equipment if they ski off piste. I have never seen any instructions about where to carry a bag, and I would think that getting off a chair, avoiding those that cannot ski off straight yet, (and those boarders that find chairs difficult with one foot attached) whilst gathering up poles, AND carrying a rucksack, which would now have lots of loose straps, would present more of a danger, and there is the heightened risk of it dropping off mid-flight if unattached. I have never felt in any danger from a back-carrying bag user!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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sharon1953,
never seen a bag carrier hanging from the chair after they tried to get off and couldn't?
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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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| sharon1953 wrote: |
| I have never seen any instructions about where to carry a bag |
 You're kidding, right? I've never been on a chairlift that doesn't have a sign quite clearly vetoing backpacks on backs!
Of course, I've only done three weeks, and all of those have been in the Tarentaise, but still...
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You know it makes sense.
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When skiing in Canada we sometimes put the bar down and other times don't bother especially when sharing with borders who seem to prefer it up. I have been in emergency stops and in no way felt in danger of falling out so not unduly worried about it. You don't get people on the chairs with backpacks on their back as they are told to take them off before loading so that remove that risk.
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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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Wear The Fox Hat, yes I saw that video, very scary, but I wonder how the foot rest caught it when the rest is high up in the air once the bar is lifted, it looks more like the lower part of the arm rest has caught it, perhaps one of the straps got snagged in the gaps between seats and arm rests. Not easy to see clearly. Most if the purpose made hydration bags seem to be quite slim, and minimalist. But I can see there is a potential for danger, as there is with catching hoods on jackets, straps on boards/blades, bum bag belts, in fact just about any loose garment or protrusion!! So lets ski naked!! ……well this is getting all too gloomy 
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Poster: A snowHead
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sharon1953, How close to the chillfactor, i reckon im in contention to be closer!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Liam, about 8 mins in the car! Just near junction 2 of the M602
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Ah yes, Hope, off there for a knee op before next ski trip! Such joy. Hope they give out reduced season tickets for locals! The Chillfactor that is!
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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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I,ve seen loads of people in the US fall out . Last time was in Telluride 2 seasons ago on the first day of the season Just as the detachable chair left the bottom station a guy got his pole stuck or jammed between the footrest & his jacket . Its the only thing that prevented him falling. After a while a ski Patrolman came and pulled himeslef up the the cable (around 20M), clamped himself to the chair then clamp another rope to the guy suspended. Shut the Chair for at least 1.5hrs !
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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stanton, but why was the guy going to fall out? Was it because his pole was caught? Or because he had a backpack on? Or what?
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I do occasionally carry a backpack, especially when I ski a resort with multiple bases. That way, I can take off the extra layers midday and put them back on towards the end. Granted, it's not a NEED to, but a WANT to thing. And I can perfectly handle the extra hassle getting on and off the chair. So it's more pluses than minuses (for me).
But as a kayaker, I got it drilled into my head that nothing with straps should ever be tied to my body. And backpacks has loads of loose straps, perfect for entanglement potential!
So, I ALWAYS take them off one shoulder before getting on a chair. With the backpack on only one shoulder, I can let go of it I if need to, freeing myself from getting carried away by the chair. Carrying it on one shoulder, I also don't need an extra hand to grab it while skiing away from the chair.
I can't stand sitting at the front edge of the seat and NOT able to lean back. Also, sitting close to the front edge of the seat, there's little support under your thigh. Now I can understand why Sharon find the skis and boots so uncomfortable dangling from your feet. You're sitting on only half the chair while the rest of us sit on the whole chair!
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abc, I don't have one usually, hubby carries everthing - that's why I take him silly
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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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| sharon1953 wrote: |
| So lets ski naked!! |
| Lam wrote: |
| sharon1953, How close to the chillfactor, i reckon im in contention to be closer! |
I think anyone skiing naked wins the battle for chill factor
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Elizabeth B, oooh that adds a new meaning to the place!!
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FAQ
