 Poster: A snowHead
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The rumoured installationn of a Gondola in Montalbert rather than a new chairlift seems to have revealed some hatred of Gondola's.
Personally I think I prefer a chairlift for skiing but can see some advantages in a gondola, anyone on here have strong views on one or the other?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Chair lift - even with my board !
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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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A gondolas a nice (in the pejorative sense) rest occasionally but if there was a chair and a gondola side by side a la Meribel at the Chaudanne I'd take the chair every time, the faff factor of taking off your ski's and climbing steps etc is just a pain.
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For a long lift I prefer a gondola (the smaller 6-8 person ones), you can stretch out, have more of a break, and it's easier to talk to people. I don't like the bigger gondolas (new Galzigbahn) so much, and cable cars are the worst. Chairlift for the shorter uplifts, less faff taking skis off etc.
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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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| Boredsurfing wrote: |
The rumoured installationn of a Gondola in Montalbert rather than a new chairlift seems to have revealed some hatred of Gondola's.
Personally I think I prefer a chairlift for skiing but can see some advantages in a gondola, anyone on here have strong views on one or the other? |
The only gondolas I hate are the ones with apostrophes in them.  Otherwise I'm not fussed either way - except that I don't like getting cold on very long, exposed chairs.
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Helmet.
Goggles.
Oops... wrong argument threads. Gondolas generally are more of a pain in the ass for repeat laps as its skis off, up stairs to loading platform, down stairs from unload, clip in etc. For 1st in the day uplift or mid day picnic they have their benefits enabling one to do one's faff without losing stuff. Pulse gondolas (except at La Grave) are a cheapskate approach and should be discouraged.
Edit to add - many gondola racks incapable nowadays of taking "modern" width skis
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I thought that I was in a minority of one! Good to know others prefer chairlifts!
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Gondola might be able to keep going in higher wind speeds than a chair. But I doubt that'd be an issue from Montalbert - which is relatively low and sheltered, I think. Personally I prefer chairs in fairish weather - 'cos you keep your skis on and get only fresh air. Sometimes a gondola can be stinky. But if the chair slows and it's really cold, no contest.
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Modern detachable chairlift (with weather cover) is preferable while skiing, however Gondolas are much better for pedestrians, so are much more easily in summer for tourist/walkers etc - potentially a way of getting a better return on investment?
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| RobinS wrote: |
| Gondolas are much better for pedestrians, |
And for ski and boarding beginners. I've not yet had the pleasure of skiing to Montalbert so don't know if beginners would ever need to upload from the village, but if they did a gondola would be easier for them to manage.
I prefer a fast chairlift with a cover. No faffing around taking skis off, trying to squeeze them into a too-narrow ski rack, no problems with big temperature differences (can't bear being in a hot cablecar or gondola on a freezing cold day). Just better all round.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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rob@rar, easier to pass the brandy filled hip flask over too 
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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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Chairlift for me on skis or board, unless it's really bitterly cold and blowing a howler.
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Hurtle, as Lizard is fond of pointing out, I must have been a greengrocer in a former life
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You know it makes sense.
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| RobinS wrote: |
| Modern detachable chairlift (with weather cover) is preferable while skiing, however Gondolas are much better for pedestrians, so are much more easily in summer for tourist/walkers etc - potentially a way of getting a better return on investment? |
I agree with the benefits of detachable chairlifts with optional pull down covers.
I have seen them used for walkers in the summer in places. They just run them at half speed so when it comes to getting on and off they are going very slowly indeed. A bit slow going up of course, but if you are out for a day's walking you are only likely to use them once a day anyway and you can just relax and enjoy the view.
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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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Chairlifts have been used for decades for summer walkers in the alps without incident and for mountain bikers by welding a couple of hooks on every other chair. No real case for gondolas except for the wimpish.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I can see the benefits of a gondola in a resort that struggles for snow from mid march.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Chairlifts generally preferred - only when it is really extremely cold (as we experienced one year in Stowe) would I prefer a gondola, as everyone has said, all that faffing about and climbing up stairs quite often. Not sure that I agree that gondolas are better in the summer though - they can get oh so hot... and if its nice enough to be out then it nice to be in the fresh air on the chair. You just have to be ready to scoot off at the top if not on the modern ones that come almost to a standstill.
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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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Chairlifts for me during the day. I don't mind gondolas first thing in the morning and last thing at night to get on/off the hill.
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Chairlift in the sun.
Cabin in all other weathers.
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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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| Boredsurfing wrote: |
The rumoured installationn of a Gondola in Montalbert rather than a new chairlift seems to have revealed some hatred of Gondola's.
Personally I think I prefer a chairlift for skiing but can see some advantages in a gondola, anyone on here have strong views on one or the other? |
I don't care as long as they replace the chair we have which is run on geriatric marmot power 
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Skis dangling in the air, hip flask in hand, slight risk of mobile phone/car keys/poles etc being dropped to certain death,the Austrian next to me cursing the very air I breathe in German.
Chairlifts all the way!
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redrunmarcus, I gave up using that lift Will they keep the faster alternative?
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Boredsurfing, probably not...............maybe we could buy it and operate privately.................. 
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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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redrunmarcus, How cool would that be
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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It has to be a chairlift. Gondolas seem like cheating. Nothing beats your skis rocking while you look at some seriously stunning scenery.
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on a chair lift you can look at the scenery and switch off and relax, in a gondola most times you have to look at the smelly person squeezed in right in front of you. If the gondola is empty or you are with you mates then fine
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You know it makes sense.
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Detachable, covered chairlift.
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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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I think it is Zermatt has a lift that is a mix of Gondola and Chairs so every 2nd uphill is on a chair and the rest are Gondola based.
Best of both worlds and no argument 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hear, Hear!
Gondola, Chairlift, Poma, T-Bar. All the same to me. Not so keen on dangling sardine cans (cable cars) though.
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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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The best ascents are self-powered.
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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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Chairlift much preferable to Gondola. Hate having to take my skis off to get in the gondola, but the main reason I hate them is that gondolas encourage extreme amounts of faffing even in normally faff-resistant skiiers. If you measured the amount of faffing people do after a gondola I reckon its roughly twice as much on average, as after a chairlift. People much more likely to mess with boots, gloves, helmets, rucksacks, hair, goggles, sunglasses, start taking photos, need the toilet, need a coffee, need to apply sunscreen, need to put on additional clothing, need to feed the dog, water the plants, etc etc etc after gondola. PLus they are more boring and you dont get to sit in the open air.
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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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Batman_123, you're right! Must admit that, if my first uplift of the day is a gondola, I tend to get there only half-dressed, carrying sundry bits of equipment including the suntan cream and with my boots undone - so my own faff factor will be at its maximum. 
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Hurtle,  God point well made, should suit my teenagers very well.
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Hurtle, I know, its a pattern I have been monitoring for a while. Very very important at times.
Gondolas are also worse than Pomas and T-Bars on the faff factor scale although I am yet to decide which of those two causes most faffing. T-Bars get people up quicker (assuming equal basic speed of lift), if people are able to go 2 at a time, but then people faff around at the top as they get there together and need to talk about how funny it was that one of them nearly fell off or some other hilarious incident that occurred on the way up, and once this conversation has started, more faffing will ensue and boots will start being fiddled with (plus rest of list mentioned in above post). Pomas on the other hand are a bit slower in only taking one at a time, but tend not to encourage people to faff once at the top, so actually I think less faffing on Pomas than T-Bars
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Batman_123, made even worse by the fact that in the gondola they could have spent the whole ride faffing with sunnies, sun-block, lippy, phone-a-friend, nom some jelly babies, check the piste map, ...
Only excuse for faff is finding a gap to put skis on, and bash all the sticky snow off the boots that just accumulated in that 15m walk.
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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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Gondolas are rubbish with fat skis! I'm terrified I'll lose mine when I put them in the snowboard rack.
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