Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post.
Register to become a member today!
Is there a reason why a mountain wouldn’t have a rope tow? It seems like it would cut down on lines for legitimate runs / doesn’t seem expensive to run. Or am I mistaken
Very inefficient compared to something like a poma(lift, not company) and a T-Bar for ground lifts. Both of those are also safer. The most helpful being the T-Bar, should be used in more areas imo. A lot of resorts are also just resorting to chairlifts and the use of midstations for either pinch points or areas of interest. A rope tow in general would actually increase lift lines, but decrease the amount of people skiing on the hill due to the low loading and unloading capacity.
SmokedGoudaVery inefficient compared to something like a poma(lift, not company) and a T-Bar for ground lifts. Both of those are also safer. The most helpful being the T-Bar, should be used in more areas imo. A lot of resorts are also just resorting to chairlifts and the use of midstations for either pinch points or areas of interest. A rope tow in general would actually increase lift lines, but decrease the amount of people skiing on the hill due to the low loading and unloading capacity.
Let me rephrase this, I did not mean to get rid of lifts and put a rope tow in. I meant why are there not more rope tows for rail parks. It seems like every resort would have the room
Skiblade420Let me rephrase this, I did not mean to get rid of lifts and put a rope tow in. I meant why are there not more rope tows for rail parks. It seems like every resort would have the room
Its all about the money, man. Resorts would rather just deal with a lot of people with a lift as opposed to a small niche of people with a little tow here and there. Now, thats not to say that some resorts do have something like this. At Breck, the resort has quite a few pomas in beginner areas but uses a chair to access the park. A lot of the mid season parks are the length of a run. Doesnt make sense, and like earlier(unneeded maintenance costs). Running a resort is already expensive enough.
Its all about consolidation too. Tear down some lifts here and there, upgrade the capacity of others.
**This post was edited on Dec 1st 2021 at 2:24:58am
hoodratz47I think having them for rail park situations is a wonderful idea
I think this is what he was referring to, nothing is worse than being at a bigger mtn trying to get a rail trick and having either to hike until your lungs burst or take a 20 min chair lap. rope tows are goated simply bc o the amount of laps they allow you to get in. look at the trollhaugen kids, they use rope tows to lap rails all day and as a result they're all mutants at rail skiing
sunsetconoisseurI think this is what he was referring to, nothing is worse than being at a bigger mtn trying to get a rail trick and having either to hike until your lungs burst or take a 20 min chair lap. rope tows are goated simply bc o the amount of laps they allow you to get in. look at the trollhaugen kids, they use rope tows to lap rails all day and as a result they're all mutants at rail skiing
It is a good idea, but most places would probably decide otherwise.
My dad used to ski at suicide six and it was and old surplus truck on blocks and the rope around the spinning rim
sunsetconoisseurI think this is what he was referring to, nothing is worse than being at a bigger mtn trying to get a rail trick and having either to hike until your lungs burst or take a 20 min chair lap. rope tows are goated simply bc o the amount of laps they allow you to get in. look at the trollhaugen kids, they use rope tows to lap rails all day and as a result they're all mutants at rail skiing
This is a pic of the indoor place near me. On the right you see it has its own poma lift and i have to say this works like a charm. Its not often that the lift stops.
I’ve actually heard it’s an insurance problem as we’re trying to have the university engineering dept build one. The manager says insurance won’t cover its permanent fixture on hill but allows for it to be used as a “feature” if someone is having a rail jam. It’s basically gotta be someone else’s liability if anyone gets hurt. Could be a completely bullshit answer from management but seeing how a lot of guys in the engineering dept either work at the mountain or are there more than some employees, I believe the story is legit.
DesertStixI’ve actually heard it’s an insurance problem as we’re trying to have the university engineering dept build one. The manager says insurance won’t cover its permanent fixture on hill but allows for it to be used as a “feature” if someone is having a rail jam. It’s basically gotta be someone else’s liability if anyone gets hurt. Could be a completely bullshit answer from management but seeing how a lot of guys in the engineering dept either work at the mountain or are there more than some employees, I believe the story is legit.
Yeah, could be true. My local had an accident on one a fews tears ago. To be blunt, kids scarf got caught in the rope and he ended hanging himself by accident.
Shit. Reading that wasn’t how I thought I’d start my day 👀
r00kieYeah, could be true. My local had an accident on one a fews tears ago. To be blunt, kids scarf got caught in the rope and he ended hanging himself by accident.
I have been begging Snoqualmie Pass to build a small rail garden with a rope tow for what feels like an eternity. Mission Ridge has one and I've heard it's great. Some days I just wanna practice my sketchy 270s all day on rails on not do entire runs
There’s a dude who posts one word “towrope” on every single IG post from our mountain. It’s pretty damn funny. We have a stupid expensive gondola, high speed chairs, etc and this dude just wants a simple towrope.
I'm guessing this is the return side of the poma and they are really high up? Looks like they're going right through all the rails haha.
DientoThis is a pic of the indoor place near me. On the right you see it has its own poma lift and i have to say this works like a charm. Its not often that the lift stops.
Skiblade420Is there a reason why a mountain wouldn’t have a rope tow? It seems like it would cut down on lines for legitimate runs / doesn’t seem expensive to run. Or am I mistaken
Fuck rope tows, magic carpets, high speed lifts, gondolas, and all that shit. Every mountain should have a pack of sled dogs that brings you up.
r00kieYeah, could be true. My local had an accident on one a fews tears ago. To be blunt, kids scarf got caught in the rope and he ended hanging himself by accident.
ours got taken out bcs it ws right beside the beginner hill and a bunch of kids were braking it and i mean i dont have a problem with beginners bcs everyone was one but it would just brake so much they took it out
Been advocating for one in our medium park for a bit, I think the problem is the perception Midwest style tows have with management as being unsafe and not enjoyable. Obviously it’s not as comfy as a chair but I’d argue they are much safer with modern stop gates then back in the day when they were all homemade with a cat engine at the top, but remember all the people running resorts just remember having their arms ripped off by one as a kid, they ain’t out here watching trollhaugen edits or the yawgoons
While I think we will get one eventually it’s probably gonna be a handle tow like at windells, kind of a bummer since they’re slower and build up a lift line faster but better then nothing
ArgyleNJI'm guessing this is the return side of the poma and they are really high up? Looks like they're going right through all the rails haha.
Yessir on the right side of the park (next to the support pillars) is where the poma lift is going up. I thought i posted a pic with actual people riding the lift but it turns out it wasnt :/ my bad
DesertStixI’ve actually heard it’s an insurance problem as we’re trying to have the university engineering dept build one. The manager says insurance won’t cover its permanent fixture on hill but allows for it to be used as a “feature” if someone is having a rail jam. It’s basically gotta be someone else’s liability if anyone gets hurt. Could be a completely bullshit answer from management but seeing how a lot of guys in the engineering dept either work at the mountain or are there more than some employees, I believe the story is legit.
For knowing policies for massive resorts corporate bought and for having worked in insurance i can confirm this is a fact !