Swiss resort Leukerbad is considering installing a new magic carpet conveyor lift to replace the lower stage of a two-series chairlift which formerly accessed its main Torrent ski area.
The 410m long lift, a record length to date for this type of lift, would mean that people who used to use the chairlifts to access the ski slopes could ski down from the top of the carpet lift to the base of the cable car – one of the two remaining access routes up to the ski area – rather than needing to take the ski bus as at present.
The chairlifts were decommissioned before last winter as part of a major upgrade of the Torrent’s ski slopes which saw drag lifts further up the mountain replaced with a fast new six-seater chairlift and a second easy blue run created on the mountain which is dominated by intermediate and advanced standard slopes. The other way up to the ski area, by a gondola, also remains in service.
In addition to accessing the main ski area, the magic carpet lift, which would potentially be enclosed by a weather protection tunnel over its entire length, would help create a small wind protected ski area near to the village.
It would also provide access for walkers (summer and winter), even with wheel chairs and children in buggies. It will also create a nice sledging/snowtubing run with the long term plan of offering summer tubing on an artificial surface slope.
Ideally, the magic carpet would be operational from December 2010, but there is still a lot to do and agreements have to be reached with the land owners,”
said resort spokesman David Kesterns, “The plans and project group are there but so far it is still a project, and nothing is definitive yet.”
www.leukerbad.ch/de/page.cfm/Bergbahnen_Transport/Obere_Maressen
www.leukerbad.ch/files/?id=19010
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