Ski lift

Aerial Tramway An aerial tramway is a special type of aerial transport, usually, we know it like ropeway or cable car, and sometimes erroneously called as a gondola.

All Seasons Resort means a resort that provides for the development of single or multi-season recreational activities and facilities and the development of overnight accommodation as an essential associated land use.

Average Width This is the average width of the entire trail, from top to bottom. This may be determined by field measurements, or by calculation utilizing the given trail acreage and slope length (i.e., acreage x 43,560ft/slope length).

Base Area means that part of the Controlled Recreation Area shown or defined as the base area in the Resort, as amended and endorsed with approval of the Regulatory Authorities from time to time.

Base Area Design Particular consideration should be given to the relationship of the base area to the mountain facilities. Upon arrival at the ski area, skiers should be able to move directly from parking or other arrival points, through ticketing or rental locations, to the base of the lifts.

Base Lands Slope Analysis An evaluation of the base lands topography in terms of slope gradient, which determines its ability to support base area facilities, village development, auxiliary facilities, and residential development. Typically,the slope gradients for base area development are broken into categories up to a maximum of 40% slope.

Black Diamond Difficult Amongst the most difficult at a given mountain. Black Diamond trails tend to be steep (typically 40% and up) and may or may not be groomed, though the introduction of winch-cats has made the grooming of steep slopes both possible and more frequent.

Blue Square Intermediate Intermediate difficulty slopes with Grades commonly ranging from 25% to 40%. These slopes are usually groomed. Blue Square runs make up the bulk of pistes at most ski areas, and are usually among the most heavily trafficked.

Bullwheel is a large wheel on which a wire rope turns, such as in a chair lift. In that application, the bullwheel that is attached to the prime mover is called the drive bullwheel, with the other known as the return bullwheel.

Carrier A generic term for the device on or in which customers ride. They can be chairs, gondola cabins, tram cabins, T-bars, etc.

Carrier Spacing can refer to either the time interval between carriers as they move through the terminal or the distance between carriers themselves. Typically, fixed grip lifts send a carrier past the load line every six seconds or so - a "six second" spacing. When used to describe distance, refers to the linear distance between the carriers. The design spacing is maintained on detachable lifts by means of a device called a spacer.

Cat Tracks: Relatively flat paths used by Snowcats to move around a mountain. These are often used by skiers and snowboarders as well to reach different areas within a resort.

Chair Lift The chairlifts are a type of aerial lift, more exactly known as an elevated passenger ropeway. The chairlift consists of a continuously circulating steel cable strung in a loop between two end terminals and generally over intermediate towers.

Crossarm The horizontal arm on top of a tower, to which the sheave wheels are attached.

Detachable Grip: The grip is able to open and close during regular operation allowing carriers to detach from the line and travel at a different speed. Detachable grips allow a greater line speed to be used, usually twice that of a fixed grip chair. There is a limit to how fast passengers can load a lift; a lift moving at greater than 2.5 m/s is very difficult to load, and a load interval of less than 5 seconds forces passengers to rush, and creates potential misload situations.

Destination Mountain Resort has the criteria or features:Serves local, regional and destination enthusiasts with an emphasis on catering to destination needs and services. Offers a unique special mountain experience. Provides a wide range of tourist facilities, where lift serviced skiing and snowboarding (although still the cornerstone activities) are no longer the only attractions. International airport within a two to three hour drive. Significant bed base in close proximity to lifts and trails at the ski resort.

Double Black Diamond Expert These trails are even more difficult than Black Diamond, due to exceptionally steep slopes and other hazards such as narrow trails, exposure to wind, and the presence of obstacles such as steep drop-offs or trees. They are intended only for the most experienced skiers. This trail rating is fairly new; by the 1980s, technological improvements in trail construction and maintenance, coupled with intense marketing competition, led to the creation of a Double Black Diamond rating.

Environmentally sensitive areas so designated include wetlands, steep slopes, waterways, underground water recharge areas, shores, natural plant and animal habitats, and other landforms that are easily disturbed by development.

Fan guns are one of the two basic types of snowmaking apparatus. They require electricity to power a fan and a hose with a spray/mist attachment. The hose sprays a mist and fans propels the mist into the air to achieve the hang time. Fan guns have anywhere from 12 to 360 water nozzles on a ring that the fan blows through on the front of the gun.

Funifor is a type of aerial lift or aerial tramway with two guide ropes and a haul rope loop per cabin.

Funitel is a type of aerial lift, generally used to transport skiers. The name funitel is a portmanteau between the French words funiculaire and telepherique.

Fixed Grip: The grip is fixed on the line; it should not move during regular operation.

Gondola The gondola lift is a certain type of aerial lift, its second name is cable car or aerial lift, consists of a long steel cable hooked to two turning points, with a number of passenger cabins carried along by the cable. For longer stretches, a number of supports are placed between the two main points to hold the cable up and provide additional stability. An electric bullwheel pulls the cable through, bringing the gondolas along.

Green circle Easiest The easiest slopes at a mountain. Green Circle trails are generally wide and groomed, typically with slope Gradients ranging from 6% to 25% (a 100% slope is a 45 degree angle).

Grooming: The most common form of trail maintenance, done to spread new snow and to smooth over bumps, icy patches and other obstacles. To groom, tractors known as Snowcats drag giant rakes over the snow; on steeper slopes, winches are used to drag rakes up the incline.

Guidance rail is used on a high speed detachable lifts have to stabilize the carrier as it enters and moves around the terminal.

A Handle Tow Lift is a power-driven conveyor, usually with attached tow bars, used to carry skiers to the top of a trail or slope. Also called ski tow.

Haul Rope A wire rope which moves the carrier up the hill. In modern monocable design, it also supports the weight of a carrier and its passengers.

In-Line Tower; Any lift tower which is not also a drive or return terminal. Towers are typically numbered, which makes them handy landmarks.

Lift Capacity: Number of persons or passengers a lift can transport per hour.

Lift lines, on ski lifts, is the number of sliders waiting in line at each lift. This is a function of the uphill hourly capacity of the lift and the assumed length of wait time at each lift. The number of guests on each lift is the product of the number of carriers on the uphill line and the capacity of the lift’s carriers.

Lift ticket is an identifier usually attached to a skier's outerwear that indicates they have paid and can ride on the ski lift up a mountain to ski. Lift tickets can be purchased for various periods of time ranging from a season pass to a daily ticket. Tickets may also be restricted to various types of lifts. Tickets can be subject to revocation for serious infractions of established rules.

Lift tower is any structure which either supports or compresses the haul rope. Most towers today are "tubes," or pipe. Towers on older lifts, and also very tall towers such as those used on trams, are typically constructed in lattice fashion. Towers are anchored to massive blocks of concrete, which are either buried in soil or pinned to rock. Lift manufacturers and ski areas also consider the terminals at either end of a lift to be towers.

Loading Area The area between the ski lift maze and the lift portal (the last stage of the load terminal before you're out on the line).

Maze The area, as part of the Loading Area, in which skiers and snowboarders gather while waiting to board a ski lift. Mazes are designed to optimize Chair Lift loading. Skiers and riders often call mazes lift lines.

Magic Carpet The Magic Carpet Ski Lift is a new conveyor lift product which provides a high capacity surface lift with a friendly design of virtually any length and for any rider. A magic carpet resembles a conveyor belt in which skiers board at the bottom with skis facing forwards, and are pulled uphill by the moving belt.

Midstation A structure somewhere on the line of the Ski lift, between the top and bottom terminals, which allows skiers to either load, unload or both.

Orography (from the Greek όρος, hill, γραφία, to write) is the study of the formation and relief of mountains and can more broadly include hills, and any part of a region's elevated terrain. Orography (also known as oreography, orology or oreology) falls within the broader discipline of geomorphology.

Prime mover is a machine, such as a engine or a motor, that receives and modifies energy as supplied by some natural source or fuel and transforms it into mechanical work.

Regional Mountain Resort The Regional Mountain Resort has the following criteria or features: Serves both local and regional populations. Is entirely focused on regional use and local needs. Has a limited number of beds,the majority of which are privately owned, low-key developments (i.e. cabins and cottages as compared to hotels and second homes.

Rope Tow A ski tow, also called rope tow or handle tow, is a mechanised system for pulling skiers and snowboarders uphill. In its most basic form, it consists of a long rope loop running through a pulley at the bottom and one at the top, powered by an engine at one end.

Ski area is a developed recreational facility, usually on a mountain or large hill, containing ski trails and vital supporting services. It is common for a ski area to have food, rental equipment, parking facilities and a ski lift system catering to the sports of skiing and snowboarding. Normally located in high mountain areas (or at least on well-built-up hills) for adequate snow coverage, they have become ubiquitous in areas where skiing is a popular pastime. The paths are usually marked and known as runs, trails or pistes.

Ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. Ski areas have marked paths for skiing known as runs, trails or pistes. Ski areas typically have one or more chairlifts for moving skiers rapidly to the top of hills, and to interconnect the various pistes. Rope tows can also be used on short slopes (usually beginner hills). Larger ski areas may use gondolas or aerial trams for transportation across longer distances within the ski area.

Trail means an alpine ski run, cross country ski trail, or other trail shown in or contemplated by the Resort Master Plan.

T-bar Lift The T-bar lift, is a mechanised system for transporting skiers, snowboarders, etc. uphill. It is only used in low capacity situations in large resorts and small local slopes servicing skiers numbered in the dozens rather than in the hundreds or thousands.

Trail System Each trail must have generally consistent grade within a given ability level to provide an interesting and challenging ski experience for the ability level for which the trail is designed. Optimum trail widths should vary depending upon topographic conditions and the caliber of the skier being served. The trail network must minimize cross-traffic and should provide the full range of ability levels consistent with market demand. The trails must be designed and constructed to minimize off fallline conditions and to avoid bottlenecks and convergence zones, which might produce skier congestion.

Terrain Pod A contiguous area of land deemed suitable for ski lift and trail development due to its slope gradients, exposure and fall line characteristics.

Terminal is is generally, the structures at the top and bottom of the lift, where skiers and riders load and disembark. Some lifts, such as multi-stage gondolas, also use in-line terminals or mid-stations.

Tillers are mounted on the rear of a grooming tractor and is driven hydrostatically. A tiller typically requires deep snow conditions and is used to break up compacted snow surface, to reduce snow and ice chunks, and to mix old and new snow.

Top Elevation This is the elevation at the top terminal of the ski lift.

Vertical Demand is the amount of vertical terrain that skiers/riders can be expected to ski over the course of a day (typically a six to seven hour period). This figure is calculated separately for each skill class. The average vertical demand has been increasing for all skill levels.

Wire rope is a type of rope which consists of several strands of metal wire laid (or 'twisted') into a helix. Initially wrought iron wires were used, but today steel is the main material used for wire ropes.