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Teenager critical on French trip

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Awful news.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Dreadful.
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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?
So so sad. Somehow it seems worse because he was doing something that is meant to be fun. Words fail me. Awful news
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Such a shame. Sad
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
presumably the problem with reversing the chair lift is all the people at the bottom getting on.. they will all have to be cleared out of the way, and the communications, getting it all done.. its all going take valuable minutes at least
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
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CANV CANVINGTON,
Actually I think there is even more to it than that, the older type "fixed" chairlifts, as I understand are geared up to do only 2 things, winch uphill and stop using a braking system on the drive system . So while it is possible to "freewheel" them backwards controlling them with the brakes. if a lot of the uphill chairs are full and the downhill empty the the whole thing starts to behave like water in a U-tube until it reaches equilibrium. I have seen a video somewhere of a "controlled test" doing this with horrendous results. The newer detachable type chairlifts are obviously different but I think a rollback is not something you can do just like that.
That this young guy's life should end in this way is absolutely awful.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
skitow, More than 30 years ago I was on a 2 person chairlift that was wound back, some of the very first chairlifts worked as you describe but nothing in recent history should be that old
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
D G Orf,
There was an incident in resort in Wisconsin, Devils Peak I think it was called, where the gearbox failed and the chairs rolled back, the service brakes could not hold the weight of the ascending chairs, the secondary safety systems also failed and the chairs rolled back at an ever increasing speed. I believe several people were seriously injured either through being thrown off or jumping off. That happened, I think in 2009. I do not know how old the lift was. I probably oversimplified my description but I think rolling back a chairlift is not generally something that a liftie can do just like that. ( Theres been many occasions when I've wished they would though!)
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
skitow, but that's with a mechanical failure of the lift, if the gearbox failed in your car you'd have a hard time trying to go in reverse with that as well, rollback on a chairlift can occur with mechanical failure, I believe I've seen a video clip where the top wheel actually comes off its shaft ! But we're not talking about a mechanical failure situation, rather a lift in good working order being put into reverse, I can recall of at least two occasions (in the last 10 years) in the Wengen area when I've been on a chair lift that's been reversed, On one occasion because someone had fallen off the lift and been dragged a very short distance by the chair, they reversed the chair by about a couple of meters to get the person out (no damage that I could see) and on the other occasion when someone stayed on the chair as it carried on around (think they'd got caught with clothing) they were almost out of the top station when the lift was reversed.

So far as I am aware the only types of lift that can't be reversed are drag lifts

Modern high speed chairs are actually more complicated as the chair comes off the cable at top and bottom stations and slows down but the system can still be put into reverse
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
D G Orf, I've been one chairs reversing several times too.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
The lift operator has been found guilty of indirect manslaughter and given a suspended sentence

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-34841450
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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.
That is a ridiculous sentence, I agree with his family that justice has not been done.
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 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
^ you may think so but compared to that lorry driver in Glasgow it's positively harsh
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@dsoutar, very true.
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