Media Centre

Safety Information

In selecting the Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group (Doppelmayr) to design and develop the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola project, Whistler Blackcomb has extended its partnership with the Austria-based lift manufacturer, emphasizing its unsurpassed record in safety and reliability.  

“Doppelmayr’s lift systems have built-in safety systems and redundancies that are on par with the airline industry,” said Doug Forseth, Senior VP of Operations at Whistler Blackcomb. “We worked closely with them during the pre-engineering phase to ensure it is the most wind-tolerant lift on the mountains. Guests will be able to ride the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola even if other alpine lifts are closed due to stormy weather.”

Forseth continued, “We also asked Doppelmayr to work on the functional design of the enclosed sky cabins. They will provide year-round protection against the elements while accommodating the special access needs of our family and elderly guests.”

“The Doppelmayr 3S tri-cable ropeway means that gondola cars ride on two track ropes and are pulled along by one haul rope for outstanding wind stability, low power consumption, and the use of long spans for maximum sight lines,” said Warren Sparks, Executive Vice President for Dopplemayr CTEC Inc.’s western Canada office. “We understand their business case over importance of reliable lift operation and our design reflects this.”

Doppelmayr’s lift fabrication, safety redundancies and secondary systems are designed for increased operating reliability. Major elements include:

• High Wind Stability: Designed to operate in winds up to 80km/hour, cabins ride on two cables, making the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola the most wind tolerant lift on Whistler Blackcomb. Testing at other Doppelmayr 3S installations have measured sustained winds at 100km/hour with no decrease in performance.
• Back-up Power: A diesel engine is installed and will take over in the case of primary engine failure or if there is a power outage.
• Redundant Bearing System: Both bull wheels have emergency bearings to stop the gondola if there is a primary bearing system failure.
• Acoustic Sensors: SPM acoustic sensors monitor bearings on top and bottom bull wheels to recognize potential failures before they happen, further reducing the possibility of a bearing system failure.
• Redundant Tire Conveyors: Two lines for accelerator and decelerator connected to crank-shafts, plus two independent electrical motors supplemented by an emergency power generator are located in each station in the event of an electrical failure.

In the rare case that the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola needs to be evacuated, four manned emergency cars will ride out on the line to the cabins, where staff will connect a winch cable onto the car to pull the cabin back to a location where it is safe to lower passengers to the ground. Passengers remain safely seated inside the gondola cabin for the duration. Estimated time to evacuate at full load is four to five hours.

There are currently four Doppelmayr 3S lift installations in Europe. Two lifts in Saas Fee, Switzerland, and one each in Val d’Isère, France and Kitzbuhel, Austria all have perfect safety records.