 Poster: A snowHead
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Think this is worthy of being a News item ? Feel free to edit & move .
Whistler has officially announced the P2P Gondola . It part of the 2010 winter Olympics build-up.
http://ww1.whistlerblackcomb.com/p2pg/home.html
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 21-04-07 12:09; 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
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stanton, sounds excellent. we hardly skied blackcomb when we were there, this gondola would certainly make a difference
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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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I think its ridiculous and is probably being done only for bragging rights/maintenance of their media profile. It takes about 5-7 mins to ski down to the village if you want to cross over to Blackcomb from the Roundhouse (I'm sure veeight, paulhothersall etc regularly clock it faster) so its hardly inconvenient.
Another motive may be to ease overcrowding in the Emerald area as Blackcomb is always in my experience quieter than Whistler. My experience of WB is that they like to focus on things that look good in glossy magazine ads but don't really care too much about things they can't boast about like having a day parking lot that doesn't resemble Dresden post war.
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fatbob, I preferred Blackcomb, and I think we skied there more often than Whistler.
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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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| Helen Beaumont wrote: |
| fatbob, I preferred Blackcomb, and I think we skied there more often than Whistler. |
Me too I think on balance on recent trip. I think one of the drivers behind Blackcomb being quieter is that ski school from the village is heavily (or exclusively?) skewed towrds Whistler. Of course if all the punters can readily transfer to Blackcomb after lunch then I can see whole new choke points being created around Jersey Cream etc rather than mainly Emerald as at present.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 19-04-07 22:16; edited 1 time in total
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fatbob, as it wasn't Whistlers best year for snow, I think conditions were better on Blackcomb, as it was less skied out.
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It is being implemented as part of the 20... Winter Olympics ..
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stanton, 2010
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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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No mention of the Olympics in the press releases I can see , though I can believe they might want some VANOC funding towards it. Some spurious stuff it seems about reducing mountain to mountain vehicular traffic, allowing skiers to move to the best weather - well if its puking or raining up top of one mountain chances are its doing the same on the other.
Don't get me wrong WB is a great place but I'm not sure how this improves the skier experience as it adds zero uplift or lift accessed terrain. Notable they are reluctant to brag about it being No 1 in the world as it might be tough to compete with things like the Aiguille Du Midi, Vanoise Express, Jungfraubahn etc
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I thought I read somewhere that it won't even be covered in the normal lift ticket. You will have to pay a supplement. After forking out $70 for a lift ticket, I can tell you with 100% certainty that I won't be using this.
Cut down on vehicular traffic? Sure. For all those people who ski down Whistler, get in their cars, drive over to Blackcombe, get out, and ski Blackcomb. It's great that they're finally addressing this issue. We really needed to get those two cars off the streets.
It would be easier to accept this if they just came out and said: 'Look, it's a freaking cool feet of engineering. People will pay extra money to ride it, and we think that will make it pay for itself. So why not?' But they could at least spare us the BS.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I doubt I'd be paying extra to use this when it's just as easy to ski down to the village. IMHO I think it will just be a big blot on the landscape.
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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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You'll probably be able to get it cheaper if you give your instructor a tip. 
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| fatbob wrote: |
| ... Some spurious stuff it seems about reducing mountain to mountain vehicular traffic, allowing skiers to move to the best weather - well if its puking or raining up top of one mountain chances are its doing the same on the other. |
Perhaps they think it'll be good for people who like to go walking at the tops of the mountains in the summer? I can't think of any other reason why a peak to peak gondola is actually needed.
IMO you just don't need to ski both mountains in a single day - there's so much terrain on each mountain as it is. And besides, if it's busy at the Peak lift, it's bound to be busy at the Glacier Express too.
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You know it makes sense.
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I recon it's to get people to use Blackcombe more, since I know some people are put off it because it doesn't have a gondola to the top. (sad I know)
though I think it's a bit poor if you have to pay more for it.
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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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| fatbob wrote: |
| It takes about 5-7 mins to ski down to the village if you want to cross over to Blackcomb from the Roundhouse (I'm sure veeight, paulhothersall etc regularly clock it faster) |
I think one snowHead once made it down to Creakside in about 2 minutes, although he fell on his last turn. (but that was a couple of decades ago)
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Poster: A snowHead
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i agree with ami in berlin, it is a great peice of engineering and i think it will be and look the dogs nuts.. its actual effectivness may be debateable but so what .. if i was there i would definetly use it..
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Snowy, maybe it's to make life easier for people staying at Creekside to get to Blackcomb.
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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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Wear The Fox Hat, starting from where? And was it Martin Bell? 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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geetee, yes - on the Dave Murray downhill course.
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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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| CANV CANVINGTON wrote: |
| i agree with ami in berlin, it is a great peice of engineering and i think it will be and look the dogs nuts.. its actual effectivness may be debateable but so what .. if i was there i would definetly use it.. |
Hmmm. Not sure a great big cable slung across what is currently an unbroken view to the glaciers could be described as good looking...
I think from my cynical perspective I'd have to agree with geetee, it really would make creekside a more attractive place to stay and where are intrawest doing lots of development...?
Also agree with snowy that it would seem better as a summer sightseeing attraction than anything of much use in the winter.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| stuarth wrote: |
| CANV CANVINGTON wrote: |
| i agree with ami in berlin, it is a great peice of engineering and i think it will be and look the dogs nuts.. its actual effectivness may be debateable but so what .. if i was there i would definetly use it.. |
Hmmm. Not sure a great big cable slung across what is currently an unbroken view to the glaciers could be described as good looking...
I think from my cynical perspective I'd have to agree with geetee, it really would make creekside a more attractive place to stay and where are intrawest doing lots of development...?
Also agree with snowy that it would seem better as a summer sightseeing attraction than anything of much use in the winter. |
Hang on - currently take first Creekside Gondola up - good blast down empty run to Village base - take Excalibur/Solar Coaster to top (minimal lift queue as most numpties still queuing for Whistler Gondola)
You get the run down to the village when its in its best condition & you're still up Blackcomb pretty quick.
Alternatively take Creekside Gondy, Red Chair, over to P2P (pay $10 say) and over to Rendezvous. You've done no skiing and you're out of pocket. Same no of lifts though. Hmmm
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When I was on the Vanoise express in March, there were only about seven people in total on with me, not exactly packed.
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Kramer, is that cause it wasn't busy, or is it due to your personal hygiene? 
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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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local expectations (at least the ones I talked to) is that it is more for the summer trade, hikers, bikers and genral tourists than for the skiers which will have to pay extra to use it. I am told more visitors in the summer than in the winter? Personally I see no reason to want to ski both on the same day. Whistler kids decamp over to Blackcomb one day a week and in turn we normally then visit Whistler.
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A sightseeing gondola? That makes a bit more sense.
Not to get from one peak to another (not much reason to do so). But just to travel in the gondola and see the surrounding mounatin (in summer).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| fatbob wrote: |
Hang on - currently take first Creekside Gondola up - good blast down empty run to Village base - take Excalibur/Solar Coaster to top (minimal lift queue as most numpties still queuing for Whistler Gondola)
Alternatively take Creekside Gondy, Red Chair, over to P2P (pay $10 say) and over to Rendezvous. You've done no skiing and you're out of pocket. Same no of lifts though. Hmmm
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True but if you're trying to get over to Blackcomb in the morning in time for a lesson then to have to line up in a queue twice at the base (Creekside and Excalibur+Excelerator) might take longer, esp at weekends. Plus your way relies on the ski-out to the village being open. Otherwise you'd have to download from mid-station. I still think it will spoil the view though.
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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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and you reckon it will be as much as $10? I wonder if there's anything in the Pique about prices.
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| geetee wrote: |
| and you reckon it will be as much as $10? I wonder if there's anything in the Pique about prices. |
Just a guess - if day tickets are $80+ then $10 more to ride the "premium lift in North America" won't be much of a stretch.
In my experience even on a powder day lines at Creekside are insignificant provided you get out of bed early enough i.e. to be there when the lifts open.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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But you're unlikely to get the big one to yourselves. Unless of course you don't mind spectators.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Snowy, I think one of the reasons is that they're trying to cut down on road traffic - if you click on the Environment tab through the above link it says
"We project that this mountain link will reduce the need to commute between mountains via vehicle and ease congestion on the roads for those who need to travel by vehicle. "
You forget that a lot of the North American visitors would rather drive their own vehicle than take the bus.
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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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if we start taking views into account then a lot of lifts and cable cars would be heading for the bin.. if it wasnt for all the lifts already there and the trees chopped down to make the runs, and all the ugly buildings very few people would ever go there to see the 'view' any way..
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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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| geetee wrote: |
Snowy, I think one of the reasons is that they're trying to cut down on road traffic - if you click on the Environment tab through the above link it says
"We project that this mountain link will reduce the need to commute between mountains via vehicle and ease congestion on the roads for those who need to travel by vehicle. "
You forget that a lot of the North American visitors would rather drive their own vehicle than take the bus. |
I just don't buy this - I can't imagine anyone commuting between the 2 mountains by car. If you drive to the day lots at the Village they are slap bang between the bases for the 2 mountains, and actually the Village plaza provides access to both. There may be the odd person who drives from say Creekside base to Blackcomb Base 2 but these are almost certainly locals and not tourists and I would think their behaviour is unlikely to change.
The whole thing smacks of half truths and posturing - boasting that involes cutting fewer trees and les construction traffic than a regular lift - big deal, for a lift that has much less functionality as far as skiing goes. Its a tourist sightseeing thing primarily - they can shift daytrippers up Whistler & over to Blackcomb, feed them at Christines and ship them back across and down again.
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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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| geetee wrote: |
| "We project that this mountain link will reduce the need to commute between mountains via vehicle and ease congestion on the roads for those who need to travel by vehicle. |
Road congestion in Whistler? I've never noticed any while travelling on the bus at the start of the day. Seems like a poor excuse to me!
They should come to Cambridge and we'll show them proper road congestion! 
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Snowy, I think Hwy 99 can get a bit clogged up in the morning and we wouldn't normally notice that in the village. I remember our babysitter phoning up several times when she got stuck in jams coming up to the village.
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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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why do they need an excuse to build something that will be pretty spectacular.. if everything was purely functional it would be a pretty boring, and exceptionally drab world
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FAQ
