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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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?
After all it is free
After all it is free
WTF.
Poor Fitzwilliams. Hope nobody is seriously injured
Been on that lift, very mellow normally.
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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.
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!
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!
It's certainly moving, must be terrifying and then having to time your jump near the end to get off.
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.
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... .
Nuts! Easily the most scary thing I have seen on a ski slope
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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.
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?
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Wow - what a rush
After all it is free
After all it is free
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".
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@pam w, I think the article has now been edited!
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maybe they read Snowheads!
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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".
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.
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!
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.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@userscott, Welcome to snowHeads!
And good point, well made.
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Poster: A snowHead
@userscott, welcome and good point!
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):
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)
@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.
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...
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.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@horizon,
After all it is free
After all it is free
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............?
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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
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
Mike Pow wrote:
The infrastructure is very good at Gudauri. Far better than a lot of resorts on Hokkaido
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