 Poster: A snowHead
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We are in Champoluc and as we approached the top of the chairlift, the wind suddenly came in very strong and obviously triggered safety features and stopped the lift. This caused quite a bit of panic for my daughters, but now my eldest is desperate to know what windspeed triggers this? Can anybody help?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Found the following om a US website, so not sure if the info goes for EU lifts also: Any windspeed above 35 mph will generally trip the safety feature and stop the lift.
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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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@DanishRider, think she was hoping for higher LOL
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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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Many lifts have a feature that high wind will first reduce their speed, then if it gets higher will stop completely. The wind speed that triggers these events is variable, 2 man chair catches less wind than 4 which catches less wind than 8 etc. Covered chairs catch more wind than uncovered then you get into fixed v detachable etc, all these things have a bearing on what the limits are for each individual lift.
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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 believe that the bearing, aka angle, of the wind is as significant a factor as the wind speed in determining the point where the lift goes on wind hold.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Have to say from my singular visit to Monterosa area for the GnarliiBuG in 2017 is that the area seems to shut lifts a lot earlier than other areas I've been to
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Depends on the lift and location. Glencoe's access chair (and old 2-seater) operates up to about 50mph according to their Facebook page last week.
Monterosa has a lot of high / exposed terrain, ridges and irregular topography. That will make gusts more likely, so they may appear to be more cautious with lift openings when that isn't really the case.
Crosswinds are worse than winds blowing up or down the line of a lift.
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It does depend a lot on the lift. On our local mountain in Les Saisies, the lift up one side (our side) had a wind tolerance quite a lot lower than the one the other side - up from the village. It was not uncommon for our lift to be shut when all the others were open - there was a bus, but if that happened we generally went home and put our feet up! I don't know what factors made for the difference.
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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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The wind was truly horrid that came up Yesterday. Gressoney side ended up shut completely. Trying to get of that lift even once it dropped enough to let the chair run again was a huge challenge and people in front didnt stay on their feet. I crouched as low as i could. My girls got themselves off.
I have no doubts it needed to stop.
Having got over the panic, i think she is now into the telling the story to her friends which is good 
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| DanishRider wrote: |
| Any windspeed above 35 mph will generally trip the safety feature and stop the lift. |
If she was hoping for higher, tell her in km/h.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| NickyJ wrote: |
| @DanishRider, think she was hoping for higher LOL |
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