Love a good behind the scenes lift ops video. Check out this Aussie crew at Perisher literally using a knife to cut away t-bars to make room for a new quad. The towers of the existing Leichhardt T-bar have been removed while snow is still on the ground to greatly reduce the environmental impact of heavy machinery on the slopes. Big things are happening at Perisher, full press release below:
Here’s the official press release from Perisher:
Farewell Leichhardt T-Bar! Construction of the new Leichhardt Quad Chairlift is underway! The $4.2 million development comes as the second new lift investment in 8 years! 2014 saw the construction of the Freedom Chairlift in Guthega and today saw the first steps in the construction for the new Leichhardt Quad Chairlift, with the removal of the existing T-Bar towers in Perisher Valley.
The Mountain Operations team have flicked the switch and went to work straight away. The removal of Leichhardt T-bar comes as snow remains on the ground, which protects the environment in the area and assists in the removal of the existing lift. The replacement of the Leichhardt T-bar with the new quad chairlift will bring great benefits to guests including;
- Increasing lifting capacity by a huge 75%, giving guests more time to ski and board popular runs including The Cleft, Powder Ridge, Snowy Trails and the Leichhardt Terrain Park.
- The replacement of the steep, advanced only Leichhardt T-bar with a chairlift will allow it to be used by children and beginners providing another option to the nearby Happy Valley T-bar.
- The new chairlift will have the same conveyor load system as the Freedom Quad Chairlift in Guthega, making the loading process easy for all guests.
Additionally, further investment into the Leichhardt area will see the installation of snowmaking extend from the base of Happy Valley to the base of the new Leichhardt Quad Chairlift. Improving snow conditions and accessibility on one of Perishers most popular runs for beginners, Snowy Trails.
It’s an exciting time here at Perisher! Since the build of the Freedom Chairlift in Guthega finished, we began focusing on the development in the Leichhardt area. The day has come, and the Leichhardt T-bar towers have been removed! We look forward to watching the transformation of one of the resorts most popular areas with the installation of the Leichhardt Quad Chairlift and snowmaking.” says Michael Fearnside, Operations Director.
Keep up to date with the construction of the NEW Leichhardt Quad Chairlift via the Perisher Blog. There is no better time to lock down your 2019 Epic Australia Pass. The Epic Australia Pass is the best value season pass for Australians and connects Perisher with Whistler Blackcomb, Hakuba Valley Japan and the Best of the U.S. with 28 mountain resorts in four countries, all on one incredible pass.
images from Perisher