Nothing is stopping The Legend’s revitalization of The Pallavicini Lift.
Arapahoe Basin announced earlier this year of their intention to replace the long-standing Pallavicini Lift (nicknamed Pali) with a newer fixed-grip double.
Some doubts were cast about how COVID-19 and other factors could effect the installation of the new lift, but it appears that things are moving along just fine at The Legend.
For context, The Pallavicini Lift is known for providing access to some of the best terrain at Arapahoe Basin. The majority of the runs are Double-Black rated glades with excellent snow retention. You can also access A-Basin’s Steep Gullies from the Pali lift.
A-Basin’s Director of Mountain Operations Louis Skowyra had this to say last week about the project:
I’m happy that A-Basin is keeping the fixed-grip double. I love a high-speed lift as much as the next guy, but Pali feels like it should always be a fixed-gripper.
Here’s some more information released by A-Basin’s Communication Manager Katherine Fuller on the project.
“We retired Pali this summer after 42 years of service and are replacing it with another fixed-grip double. The Pali terrain and Pali chair are a big part of what makes A-Basin special and no one here ever had any interest in tinkering with that perfect pairing. (And if there’s any doubt about how much people love Pali, the first chair that we auctioned online for charity raised $16,000!)”
“We’re really proud of limiting our environmental impact with this project. The use of a helicopter and “spider excavators” means we can do this work without cutting roads across the terrain or disturbing large chunks of the landscape. (Forty-plus years ago the original towers were dug by hand!)“
Kudos to A-Basin for keeping tradition, and minimizing their environmental impact. Stay here for all updates on A-Basin and the Pallavicini Chair.
