Australia — Vail Resorts has quite the project going on in the Land Down Under.
This offseason, Perisher Ski Resort has been working on removing and replacing two chairlifts (the Mt. Perisher Triple Chair & Mt. Perisher Double Chair). They are being replaced by a new Doppelmayr detachable high-speed six-pack chairlift.
The Mt. Perisher 6 will have a ride time of around 5.5 minutes, a drastic improvement over the Triple Chair’s 10-minute journey. Compared to prior seasons, this will increase the uphill capacity on Mt. Perisher (the peak, not the whole ski resort) by 60%. They’ve also designed it to have better protection against the wind compared to other lifts at the ski resort. When it opens, the new chairlift’s top terminal elevation will be the highest lifted point in Australia at 2042 meters (approximately 6700 feet). This chairlift will service intermediate terrain.
The first part of the construction occurred during the 2023-24 offseason. This work included removing the old Mt. Perisher Double Chairlift, conducting earthwork, and installing the mast for the top terminal.
This offseason has seen the majority of the work occur. The terminals were built, the towers were installed, the haul rope was spliced, and now the chairs have been installed as the lift begins to go through testing.
Last week, Perisher held a test ride with six individuals riding one of the chairs. Four of the riders were Perisher employees, while the other two were from Doppelmayr. While filling water buckets is one way of testing the lift, having employees ride it allows them to see and hear if anything seems out of place.
Next up is the last steps of testing, which is followed by the official certification that will allow them to open the lift to the public.
Perisher’s projected opening date is June 7th.
Image/Video Credits: Perisher Ski Resort
