Slide racks on shortened arrivals of surface lifts

Abstract

It is no easy matter to let go of a towhanger at the end of track, especially for young skiers or beginners, because of several factors. For example: The steep slope of the cable beyond the arrival which maintains the towhanger fully extended and requires a major effort on the skiers part to release his traction link, high speed (over 3.3 m/s, i.e. approximately 650 ft. min). To help skiers release their towhanger, a short slide has been installed at the arrival in order to detach the grip from the cable. The detached grip slides on a rail and is mechanically pulled, before being re-attached to the cable. The new design of the grip detaching system gives a few extra seconds to help skiers and reinforces safety in areas where injuries can occur. (CFD).