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Whistler Peak 2 Peak Gondola

Posted on 29. Nov, 2008 by BCXS in BC, Featured, Whistler

The gondola, which makes its winter operation debut Dec. 12, is part of a massive expansion the two resorts are undergoing in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

The cost of the lift project alone is $52 million Canadian. Construction began in spring of 2007, and it will be the world’s longest unsupported span for a lift of this kind.

The total free span between the towers (two on each peak) is 1.88 miles. The lift covers 2.73 miles between Whistler and Blackcomb peaks.

One advantage for skiers and snowboarders is they’ll now be able to take advantage of cruising both mountains in one day.

“We found that about 12 percent of our visitors would utilize the two mountains on the same day,” said the resort’s communication specialist, Michelle Leroux.

If you were a really fast skier and didn’t encounter a lot of lift lines, it would take about 40 minutes to get between both mountains. But if you went at a normal pace and had to stand in lines, it could take about an hour or longer.

“The gondola creates a whole new experience, and a person could cherry-pick the spots they want to go all in one day,” Leroux said. “In terms of using it as a transportation tool is quite incredible, and it will definitely cut your time to get from one place to the other.”

Each gondola cabin can hold 28 people (22 sitting and six standing) and can transport 2,050 people per hour each way. It takes each gondola about 11 minutes to cross each peak, and one cabin departs every 49 seconds.

The system will have 28 cabins, including two silver-colored gondolas that will feature real glass floors for a bird’s-eye view of Fitzsimmons Valley 1,427 feet below.

The lift is also greener. Since there is no elevation gain, energy consumption is much less than a traditional lift, and it uses less energy than the Emerald Express high-speed quad on Blackcomb.

The resort also utilizes hydro power, which is considered a renewable resource, to power its operations. More than 90 percent of British Columbia’s energy comes from hydro projects rather than electricity derived from burning fossil fuels.

“When you look at the amount of terrain we had to alter it wasn’t much,” Leroux said. “The area where the towers were installed was already cleared, and there was no impact on trees and virgin land.”

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