April/May 2014 No. 193 • 39th Year

La Toussuire in the French Alps is a popular destination for winter sports enthusiasts. It is also the birthplace of Jean-Pierre Vidal, slalom winner at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City (2002). p.4

Skiers’ paradise Orelle boosts its appeal World record: The 3S Psekhako in the Olympic 6-CLD enthralls families and attracts experienced sports enthusiasts. p.2 region of Sochi is the longest (5.4 km) and the Sainte Foy Tarentaise: nature conservation and comfort fastest (8.5 m/s) lift of its kind in the world. Variable loading speeds for skiers and foot passengers. p.6 Regional building style for in Bregenzerwald Wood is the local material in Mellau. p.8 Grimentz-Zinal enlarges area Spectators line the way for delivery of giant ropes. p.14 Ski villages in Val des Bagnes grow together A fifth valley is added to the 4 Vallées ski region. p.16 Power plant high in the Swiss Alps The world‘s heaviest reversible aerial tramway. p.18 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group

Skiers’ paradise Orelle boosts comfort and capacity

Orelle in the Département he chairlift provides access to a very Savoien describes itself as a popular blue ski run; experienced ski- Ters can also use it as a connecting top-comfort skiers’ paradise lift to get to the highest peak in the Trois in the large Trois Vallées Vallées region. Up to now, they often avoid- ed this route due to the waiting times on ski circuit. This paradise the old lift. Guests will also take the new lift also boasts an impressive to reach the planned zip line which will be equipped with sit harnesses and enable us- offering of modern ski lifts. ers to “fly“ along the wire and down to the Last winter saw the opening base at a speed of 100 kilometers an hour. The immediate ski area of Val Thorens/ of a new detachable 6-seater Orelle covers an impressively large area chairlift from Doppelmayr. with 67 trails and 26 lifts. It belongs to the Trois Vallées, which is one of the biggest ski regions in the world and offers a choice ranging from chic winter sports resorts to small homey villages. The picturesque Orelle is located at an altitude of 900 m and ideally situated in the El Dorado for ski trails; from here, guests can reach the highest point accessible by lift in the Trois Vallées (3,230 m) within fifteen minutes.

Robert Guillermet, CEO of Société des Téléphériques d‘Orelle: “Doppelmayr did a great job – both in terms of delivering on time and the quality of the product. The wind stability of the lift installation is just what we needed because of the rough conditions we sometimes experience in our region. We can even run this lift in high wind speeds!“

6-CLD Peyron Transport capacity 2,400 PPH Trip time 5.2 min Speed 5.3 m/s Chairs 64 Interval 9.0 s Inclined length 1,520 m Top station altitude 2,790 m Vertical rise 436 m Towers 12 Drive Bottom Tensioning To p

No. 193 • April/May 2014 Olympic challenge brilliantly mastered

he Winter Olympics in Sochi/ Krasnaya Polyana are now history. TFrom our perspective, the Games were an outstanding achievement. Apart from completing 35 ropeway installations on schedule in and around Krasnaya Polyana in the run-up to the Olympics, Doppelmayr also had a 17-per- son team on site during the Games to as- sist our Russian ropeway colleagues. To- gether they ensured that our installations ran smoothly. Over a grand total of 4,554 operating hours, the new lifts achieved 99.98 percent availability! While a lot of the operations were rou- tine, we also gained new experience in Krasnaya Polyana which will benefit other projects. One example is the organization- al handling of large crowds of pedestrians (with no previous experience of riding on ropeways) flowing through entrance and exit areas; another is the need to pass on information not just to the drive operators but also to ropeway users who are familiar with the location and the language. The Winter Olympics yet again proved that we are on the right track. We successful- ly implemented new technical develop- ments, honed our logistics capabilities and confirmed the importance of a training program for lift operators and their crews which is carefully adapted in line with the needs of the customer. The insights we have gained from the major event of the Winter Olympics 2014 will expand our expertise and ultimately be of benefit to all our customers.

Michael Doppelmayr

No. 193 • April/May 2014 La Toussuire: New 6-seater chairlift – 50 percent more passengers

In the La Toussuire in the French Alps, the fixed- he new 6-CLD Ravières ranks among grip quad chairlift Ravières has been replaced by a modern the most frequently used lifts in the Tarea. It starts from the edge of the vil- detachable 6-seater installation from Doppelmayr. lage and leads up to the expansive slopes of the Tète de Bellarde (2,225 m) which are particularly appealing for leisurely skiers and ski schools. Laurent Deléglise, CEO of the La Toussuire-Les Sybelles ski area, had this to say: “Our guests couldn’t wait to see the opening of the new chairlift. As well as speed and safety, it offers high ca- pacity. The fact that we’ve seen a 50 per-

No. 193 • April/May 2014 Laurent Deléglise, CEO of the La Toussuire-Les Sybelles ski area: “From my perspective, the key benefits of the new lift are the restraining bar locking system and the individual footrests. The other features we rate highly are already familiar to us from the three other detachable Doppelmayr in La Toussuire.” He was also more than pleased with the way the construction was handled: “Construction started at the end of the winter season 2013. The lift was handed over at the end of October. This time frame enabled everybody to work without time pressure and in compliance with the safety regulations.”

cent increase in passenger numbers since matic restraining bar locking and individual 6-CLD Ravières the lift went into service only goes to prove foot rests. Transport capacity 2,400 PPH that our decision was absolutely the right The mountain village of La Toussuire Trip time 4.3 min one! There can be no doubt that the new derives its name from the word “tochière” Speed 5.0 m/s installation has given a huge boost to the meaning “stump”. This refers to the stump Chairs 67 attractiveness of our ski area.” in the copse from which wooden sticks Interval 8.0 s would be carved and were used by the Inclined length 1,218 m Focus on comfort and family-friendliness herdsmen to guide their animals. The vil- Top station altitude 1,981 m lage has long since developed into an afflu- Vertical rise 265 m Everything is designed for comfort and ent tourist resort. With its 21 lifts and 50 ki- Towers 12 family-friendliness: the new lift alignment as lometers of ski trails, La Toussuire is today Drive Bottom well as the choice of chair model with auto- the gateway to the Les Sybelles ski region. Tensioning Bottom

No. 193 • April/May 2014 6 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group

Sainte Foy Tarentaise: Nature conservation as a key objective

The fixed-grip quad chairlift he ski area was created in the 1960s the Office National des Forêts (O.N.F.), the Grand Plan in the Sainte Foy in an attempt to stem the flight of pop- national forestry authority. Insiders sing the Tulation from the land. This solution praises of the wide powder snow descents Tarentaise ski area was built proved to be a success. Today, Tarentaise through the ravines of the Vallon du Clou in 1990 and has now been is a flourishing year-round tourist region. to Le Monal and the 1,700 m long straight From the perspective of the village, downhill run from the Pointe de la Fogliettaz replaced by a detachable the new 4-CLD Grand Plan is the first in at almost 2,930 m; to reach the entry point, 4-CLD from Doppelmayr. Not a three-part chain of lifts extending as far skiers have to climb up from the top station as the 2,620 m Col de l’Aiguille. From the on the Col de l’Aiguille. only is the new lift much faster top, visitors not only get to enjoy a mag- but also offers far greater ride nificent panoramic view, but also reach the Also very comfortable for foot passengers Natur’ Grand Bois conservation area. It is comfort than its predecessor. open to both hikers and off- skiers, The new lift has automatic restraining bar and was developed in collaboration with locking. When foot passengers want to load 7 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group

or unload, the transit speed is automatically 4-CLD Grand Plan Christian halved. Downhill capacity is adapted to suit Transport capacity 2,000 PPH Blanc-Gonnet, demand: at 1,000 PPH, it is only half the ca- Trip time 3.3 min operations director pacity for uphill trips. of Sainte Foy Speed 5.0 m/s Tarentaise Loisirs Bird flight diverters and noise protection Chairs 55 Développement: Interval 36.0 s “Doppelmayr France Special attention is focused on protecting Inclined length 800 m performed the nature. Measures adopted include span- Top station altitude 1,775 m installation work with great professionalism.” ning a rope with red aerial marker balls Vertical rise 259 m which alerts birds to an upcoming obstruc- The 4-CLD Grand Plan operates all Towers 8 tion and helps to prevent collisions. The year round and is the first in a chain of drive machinery is specially insulated to Drive To p lifts up to the 2,620 m Col de l’Aiguille, reduce noise emissions. Tensioning To p the highest point in the ski area. 8-seater chairlift The 8-seater chairlift on for the traditional ski resort Mellau the Mellauer Rossstelle in Bregenzerwald (Vorarlberg/ Austria) went into service at the start of the winter season 2013/14. In the design world, the bottom station has been praised as an architectural gem because of its wooden construction.

No. 193 • April/May 2014 9

Herbert Frick, managing shareholder of Bergbahnen Mellau is delighted with the new lift and with Doppelmayr: “Throughout the Mellau ski area we now have detachable lifts only – and all of them are from Doppelmayr. That means modern design and comfort, which our winter guests have come to expect.” The company is also planning further investments: The Mellaubahn, which acts as a feeder from the base, is to be replaced. The high capacity of the new Rossstellebahn has been designed with this development in mind. “We also attach great importance to top-quality lift design. Combining the professional ropeway technology from Doppelmayr with the visionary architectural style of the bottom station building was a great decision. The entire project has been a success story. The lift installation was built in the shortest possible time with the best possible quality. It produced an instant wow effect among our guests.”

he new 8-CLD Rossstelle replaces been modernized, has special significance 8-CLD Rossstelle two parallel T-bar surface lifts dating for Doppelmayr as it was the company’s Transport capacity 3,400 PPH back to 1972. first ever detachable . T Trip time 2.6 min The chairs are fitted with clear glass- The Mellau and Damüls ski areas Speed 5.0 m/s type bubbles, heated seats and individual were linked up in 2009 by the Gipfelbahn, footrests. The wooden construction of the an 8-MGD from Doppelmayr. This lift also Chairs 36 bottom station is not just visually striking starts from the Rossstelle and crosses the Interval 8.5 s but also sound absorbing, making the drive mountain crest between the Damüls and Inclined length 641 m machinery barely audible. Mellau sections of the ski area. The number Top station altitude 1,570 m The bottom station is on the Rossstelle, of lifts totals 29. The area ranges in altitude Vertical rise 170 m a high plateau in the heart of the ski area. from 700 m to 2,000 m. This can be reached from the base by tak- The Rossstelle also accommodates the Towers 7 ing the 4-MGD Mellaubahn. This lift, which bottom stations of two other lifts as well as Drive Bottom first opened in 1972 and has long since two restaurants and a sports shop. Tensioning Bottom

No. 193 • April/May 2014 No. 193 • April/May 2014 11 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group

10-MGD in the Kreischberg El Dorado for skiers and boarders

The new 10-passenger he Kreischberg ski area lies not far from the town of Murau in Austria’s Riegleralm gondola lift is TCentral Alps and has altitudes ranging symbolic of the dynamic from 800 m to 2,120 m. The area attracts a high percentage of snowboarders. The in- development that the frastructure is also extensively geared to the Murau-Kreischberg region practitioners of this winter sport. The new 10-MGD is a huge asset for the has experienced in recent resort. The top station benefits from a cen- years. This was the view tral location on the mountain crest between the ski area’s main lifts. The bottom station expressed by Styria’s Deputy is reached via the 6-MGD Kreischbergbahn. Provincial Governor Hermann At the same time as the new gondola lift, an- other 4 kilometers of ski trails complete with Schützenhöfer, who is installations were built. The responsible for the province’s Kreischberg ski area has a total of 40 km of ski trails which are served by 14 lifts (includ- tourism policy, at the opening ing the tubing lift) with an hourly capacity of of the winter season 2013/14. 18,400 passengers.

10-MGD Riegleralm Transport capacity 3,000 PPH Trip time 6.3 min Speed 6.0 m/s Gondolas 65 Interval 12.0 s Inclined length 2,000 m Top station altitude 2,030 m Vertical rise 386 m Towers 11 Drive To p Tensioning Bottom

MD Karl Schmid- Deputy Provincial hofer, Murtal Governor Seilbahnen: “With Schützenhöfer at this investment we the opening of the have been able to gondola lift to the significantly boost Riegleralm: “This quality in our core lift is symbolic of ski area. Kreisch- the dynamism of berg is now even the tourism sector more competitive!” in this province.”

No. 193 • April/May 2014 Since the winter of 2013, two modern chairlifts have been carrying passengers up to the peak of the Gernkogel in the Austrian ski area St. Johann/ Pongau-Alpendorf (Salzburg).

No. 193 • April/May 2014 Wolfgang Hettegger, board member of Quality drive in Alpendorf Alpendorf Bergbahnen AG: “We opted for control and drive systems that we are already familiar with from the 8-MGD he two lifts replace a 25-year-old de- adventure park. The energy yield is impres- Buchau and the 6-CLD Gernkogel. That tachable quad chairlift as well as a sive: enough to meet the requirements of simplifies spare parts management, double chairlift built in 1977. eight single-family homes! T operation and maintenance.” The Obergassalmbahn is a detachable World’s first 8-seater chair in FM-V version 6-seater chairlift with heated seats and blue bubbles. It incorporates a particularly For space reasons, the bottom station The Strassalmbahn is equipped with or- child-friendly loading carpet which auto- of the Obergassalmbahn features an un- ange bubbles and individual footrests. It matically adjusts to the body height of the derground parking facility. The station is is the first 8-seater chairlift in the FM-V ver- passengers. All the chairs are fitted with built on top of it. sion. The key features are: fold-out bicycle racks. • Manually operated restraining bars • Automatic engaging of the locking 8-CLD-B Strassalmbahn 6-CLD-B Obergassalmbahn mechanism as soon as the bar is closed Transport capacity 3,200 PPH Transport capacity 2,800 PPH • Deactivation of the locking mechanism in the top station. Trip time 3.2 min Trip time 3.6 min A photovoltaic installation is integrated Speed 5.0 m/s Speed 5.0 m/s into the standard roofing on the top sta- Chairs 42 Chairs 55 tion. This produces the power required to Interval 9.0 s Interval 7.7 s operate the lift and the Geisterberg family Inclined length 753 m Inclined length 898 m Top station altitude 1,788 m Top station altitude 1,754 m Vertical rise 243 m Vertical rise 210 m Towers 9 Towers 9 Drive To p Drive To p Tensioning Bottom Tensioning Bottom

No. 193 • April/May 2014 Aerial tramway Grimentz-Zinal creates large ski area

January 2014 saw the opening he new aerial tram has two 125-pas- 173 t in weight, 3 m in width and over 4 m in senger cabins. It can also operate in height. On the first trip, the convoy was joined of the reversible aerial tramway Tstrong winds of up to 80 km/h. The in- by a low-loader carrying tools and equipment Grimentz-Zinal. At 3,500 m, it is tegrated recovery concept ensures that the as the third vehicle. The vehicles just man- cabins can be safely run to a station in any aged to wend their way along the winding the second longest installation rescue situation. approach roads and over narrow bridges. of its kind in Switzerland. On each occasion, the roads were lined with “Like scenes from the Tour de France!” onlookers. It was such an impressive sight that the regional media compared the level of Delivery of the giant rope drums took place interest to the Tour de France! over four days with four transport operations involving two trucks hitched together. A mo- 5,000 helicopter flights torcycle outrider headed up the heavy trans- port for traffic control purposes. Behind him Five thousand helicopter flights were re- came the trucks with a total length of 39 m, quired for laying the foundations and in-

No. 193 • April/May 2014 15

stalling the towers. Delivering the concrete 125-ATW Grimentz-Zinal proved to be something of a logistical chal- Transport capacity 825 PPH lenge as the arrival of the concrete mixer Trip time 7.5 min trucks had to be timed to coincide with suit- Max. speed 10.0 m/s able flying weather. The tram provides a direct connection 125-passenger cabins 2 between the Grimentz and Zinal ski areas, Inclined length 3,531 m which up to now had been separated by Top station 2,693 m the 2,900 m Corne de Sorebois. (The road Vertical rise 1,096 m is eight and a half kilometers long.) Togeth- Towers 3 er, the two ski areas offer 120 km of down- hill runs, 17 km of cross-country tracks and Drive 1.050/2.200 kW To p Haul rope counterweight 19 ropeways. In the summer, guests can Bottom enjoy extensive hiking routes and long 14.2 t mountain bike tours. Fixed track rope anchoring Top +bottom

No. 193 • April/May 2014 More guests for mountain communities in Valais

The new 8-passenger gondola lift he new gondola lift replaces a dou- have also been relocated. It is now easier ble chairlift which was built in 1988 to to reach the ski area from the top station. Le Châble – Mayens de Bruson Tsupersede a double chairlift installed Previously, guests had to take the narrow in the ski area Verbier/ in 1962. The latest lift is designed for both mountain road from Le Châble up to the uphill and downhill transport and operates little hamlet of Bruson and from there take 4 Vallées went into service all year round. An interesting feature is the the chairlift which has since been disman- in mid-December 2013. The service cabin which is used to transport tled. There is now a convenient link from Le freight as well as for maintenance work. A Châble directly to the Mayens de Bruson villages of Le Châble and Bruson parking facility for the gondolas is provided ski area. The bottom station has been inte- hope to see visitor numbers in the bottom station. grated into the base station building of the The gondola lift is more than twice the 4-passenger gondola lift Le Châble-Verbi- double in the medium term. length of the old chairlift and both stations er-Ruinettes (Garaventa; built in 2001).

No. 193 • April/May 2014 Eric-A. Balet, CEO of 8-MGD Le Châble - Mayens de Bruson Téléverbier SA: Transport capacity 1,600 PPH “We’re very pleased with the ropeway: it Trip time 8.2 min runs smoothly, the Speed 6.0 m Good connection to Verbier design is excellent and so is the Gondolas 54 Verbier lies on the opposite side of the transport capacity. Interval 18.8 s valley. “Today, we could actually call our We foresee a ski area ‘5 Vallées’ instead of ‘4 Vallées’,” doubling of the Inclined length 2,592 m says Eric-A. Balet, CEO of Téléverbier SA, passenger numbers we had on the old Top station altitude 1,654 m “because our guests now have a straight- lift in four years at the most.” forward means of traveling from one side of Vertical rise 823 m the valley to the other.” Towers 15 The Mayens (May pasture) de Bruson pastureland for their cattle before they take Drive To p lies 500 m above the village. In the spring it them to the pastures higher up the moun- provides the alpine farmers with temporary tain. Tensioning Bottom

No. 193 • April/May 2014 18 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group

Funicular for 215 tons

The 215-ton railway he completion of the funicular marks The funicular is designed to carry the the end of phase two in the Linthal 2015 four transformers to the underground con- ZS1 belonging to the Limmern Tropeway project. The two heavy-duty trol center. Each of these can only be trans- hydropower plant in the Swiss ropeway installations, “Construction Rope- ported in one piece and weighs 215 tons. way 1” and “Construction Ropeway 2” went The track runs through a tunnel which is al- canton of Glarus was ready to into service back at the start of 2010. The first most 4 km in length with a width of 8 m and go into service at the end of can transport loads of up to 40 tons and the a 24 percent gradient. second up to 30 tons. Once the construction September 2013. It is designed work has been completed, both installations Freight and passenger transport to carry freight as well as will be removed. The ropeways are being used during the The trains can consist of various vehicle for passenger transport. construction of the Limmern pumped stor- types. The standard configuration uses age hydropower plant and the expansion of cabins which can carry 30 passengers and the Lake Mutt reservoir. When it is finished, freight weighing up to a total of 40 tons. the power plant will produce 1,000 MW of Freight is loaded either by crane or forklift electricity. It forms the heart of a group of truck, or the construction vehicles drive five power plants which from 2015 will de- straight up to the funicular cabins. liver a total of 1,480 MW of electricity. This In the case of the transformers, flat is the equivalent of the power requirements wagons are used which are coupled to a for 366,000 households. brake trolley at the uphill end fitted with 14

Loading an 80-ton stay ring section for the turbine in the lower terminal and transporting it through the tunnel.

No. 193 • April/May 2014 19 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group

Heavy load 2 Heavy load 1 120 t, Transformer Normal load 40 t 80 t, no passengers (with mounted no passengers additional bogie cabin including loading ramp 30 passengers) lowered Heavy load 215 t, no passengers horizontal loading flat wagon / brake trolley on the ramp

Garaventa was the general contractor wagon at any time. In upper terminal, the responsible for the ropeway engineering for track brakes. But that is not sufficient: the transformers are lifted onto a special vehi- the funicular as well as the internal construc- counterbalancing car is also loaded with cle and driven to the transformer hall. tion of the 4 km long tunnel and the track. concrete blocks with a total weight of 120 The transformers were manufactured The two heavy-duty ropeways – which are tons. The transformer transport is accom- in and shipped down the River unique worldwide – were also supplied by panied by a man on foot. He carries a con- , then transported by rail and finally Garaventa (WIR 182, September 2010). trol panel with him so that he can stop the delivered by special truck.

No. 193 • April/May 2014 20 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group

Winterpark has a new 6-CLD

The German ski resort Willlingen illingen in the state of Hessen is a The chairlift replaces a built municipality in what is known as in 1963. The old lift itself has been short- has its first detachable chairlift, Wthe , the northeastern sec- ened and retained for the summer tobog- the new 6-seater Ritzhagen lift, tion of the Rothaargebirge mountain range gan run. (The riders are pulled uphill seated with altitudes of up to 843 m. The town in their toboggans which are then automati- which has been operating lives almost exclusively from tourism, with cally detached in the top station.) The chair- since December 2013. 1 million overnight stays per annum and lift provides access to the northern part of 8,000 beds. the Willingen ski area. The resort has 16 km of interlinked ski trails. Child-friendly chairs 6-CLD Ritzhagenlift Thanks to its chairs incorporating slip- Transport capacity 3,000 PPH through protection with automatic restrain- Trip time 2.6 min ing bar locking and individual footrests, the Speed 5.0 m/s Ritzhagen lift is suitable for carrying chil- dren with a body height of 90 cm and above Chairs 43 with just one accompanying adult per chair. Interval 7.2 s When not in use, the chairs are parked in Inclined length 631 m the stations. Top station altitude 697 m Vertical rise 112 m Towers 6 Drive To p Tensioning Bottom

The operators of the Ritzhagen lift (from left to right): Gerhard Bender, Herbert Rummel and Christian Rummel all agree: “The chairlift has met with a great response and all operations run smoothly.”

No. 193 • April/May 2014 21 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group

World first: A detachable chairlift for skiers and bikers

A 6-seater chairlift with a he ski circuit encompass- have been connected by the Doppelmayr difference has gone into service es 22 lifts, 11 of which are chairlifts. 6-CLD “Schneewittchen” (Snow White). TThe lifts have a total transport capac- There has been a sharp rise in the number in the German ski resort of ity of 37,000 PPH and a combined length of of skiers on the Kappe since this link went Winterberg in . nine kilometers. into service. The ski circuit essentially consists of As a result, the old double chairlift be- As well as carrying skiers two core areas. The larger of these is on the came hopelessly overcrowded at peak and foot passengers, it ; the other lies opposite on the times. The operators therefore took the de- mountain ridge known as the Kappe. Since cision to replace it with a 6-seater chairlift features new technology for winter 2012/13, these two ski mountains offering significantly higher capacity. At the transporting mountain bikes. same time, the top station was moved 60 m 6-CLD Kappe uphill to allow convenient access to the ski Capacity winter/summer 2,700/1,600 PPH trails. Prior to this, skiers had to remove Trip time winter/summer 2.7/3.1 min their and walk uphill. It is now possible to ski straight to three trails. Speed winter/summer 4.5/4.0 m/s Downhill bikers in the summer Chairs 40 Interval winter/summer 8.0/9.0 s In the summer, the chairs are used first and Inclined length 562 m foremost by downhill bikers. The mountain Top station altitude 782 m bike transport system is a world first. The Vertical rise 179 m riders place their bikes in special racks on the chair in front of them and then take Towers 7 up their seats on the next chair. In the top Drive To p station they then remove their bikes them- Tensioning Bottom selves.

Winterberg has a new 6-CLD. It provides access to the Kappe ridge for skiers in the winter and for hikers and, in particular, mountain bikers in the summer. The Kappe bike park is the biggest in Germany and the third biggest in Europe.

No. 193 • April/May 2014 22 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group

Neuastenberg “village ski resort” as star innovator

The ski village of he restraining bars are closed by the Meinolf Pape, managing director of the passengers and lock automatically as operating company Postwiesen-Lift­ in the Hochsauerland ski region Tsoon as they reach the bottommost gesellschaft: “The new chairlift has become has Germany’s first fixed-grip position. Pretensioned spring packs on the the visual centerpiece of the ski area. chair enable the restraining bar to open au- Thanks to the chairlift, we no longer have to quad chairlift with individual tomatically by a third on entry into the top perform the laborious task of snowmaking footrests and manually station; final opening is performed by the for the surface lift tow passengers. Neuastenberg is one of the tracks. And the steep operated restraining bars. “Höhendörfer” (highland villages) on the uphill section has It replaces the 40-year-old Kahler Asten, the most well-known moun- also been removed.” tain in northwestern Germany, in the east of Neuastenberg has Osthang surface lifts I + II. the Rothaargebirge mountain range which remained true to its rises up to more than 800 m. The region tradition as a star enjoys abundant snowfall. In contrast with innovator among the most resorts, the ski trails lie below rather village ski resorts than above the village. in Sauerland.

No. 193 • April/May 2014 23 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group

The parking facility for the chairs was integrated below the top station as this meant it was possible to dispense with part of the fill for the building. The chairs are parked using a crane on the service platform for moving the grips, which is installed next to the station. On this lift, the chairs are removed from the rope, lowered through an opening in the roof of the parking facility and positioned on a hy- draulic lift platform. The carriers are then transported to the respective parking rail. Doppelmayr delivered special adapters for grip maintenance. These are used in place of the grips if necessary.

4-CLF Osthangbahn Transport capacity 2,411 PPH Trip time 4.0 min Speed 2.4 m/s Chairs 82 Interval 6.0 s Inclined length 575 m Bottom station altitude 608 m Top station altitude 731 m Vertical rise 123 m Towers 8 Drive To p Tensioning To p

The Osthang lift provides access to the four existing ski trails on the Osthang (eastern slope), the new “Dorfabfahrt” (village run) from the top to the bottom station and to the freeski terrain in the Funpark. A large part of the ski trails and the Funpark are equipped with floodlighting.

No. 193 • April/May 2014 24 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group

Fitness check for ropeways

Doppelmayr has made ondition monitoring is a maintenance Michael Körber, concept based on regular observa- operations manag- conditioning monitoring part of Ction of the condition of machinery. er, Schultz Group/ its advanced course for ropeway Physical parameters such as vibrations on Hochzillertal: ball bearings, signs of abrasion in gearbox “The courses personnel. Condition monitoring oil, the condition of hydraulic fluids, ropes, are well structured. involves checking the fitness etc. are measured and analyzed. The ob- The instructors know jective is to identify weak points at an early what they’re talking of ropeway components. That stage and to then eliminate them. about. I’ve also had helps to increase the lifetime Doppelmayr offers in-depth training on positive feedback key aspects of condition monitoring as part from employees regarding the courses at of parts and equipment as of the courses RS24, OG25 and EM26. Op- Doppelmayr. In particular, they praise the well as improving safety. erations managers report here on their ex- practical implementation.” He goes on to periences with the respective Doppelmayr say that the courses are “a good building courses. block, part of the big picture which consists of the various training modules, personal ex- perience on a ropeway installation and with fault elimination as well as conversations with colleagues”.

No. 193 • April/May 2014 25 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group

Reinhard Kurz, Reinhard Per- Vladimir Vlásek is Silvrettaseilbahn wein, Zauchensee the head of rope- AG, general opera- Liftgesellschaft, is way operations at tions manager: currently respon- VW Bratislava: “The courses are sible for general “Our ropeway very much oriented operations within runs seven days a toward practice and the company: week. That makes it you get good an- “The training is essential for all our swers to any ques- very good and prac- employees to be up tions you raise. I like tical in orientation. to speed in terms of the fact that external experts such as rope The questions of the participants are always skills and know-how. If there’s a fault, they manufacturers, motor manufacturers, etc. al- addressed. The way the courses are split in- have to be able to react correctly straight so get involved in the courses. What you learn to focus areas is excellent in my view!” He is away.” In his view, the courses provided by in the training session can be readily applied able to apply what he has learned to inspec- Doppelmayr are a great help toward achiev- in practice.” tion work and fault elimination as well as in- ing that goal and he knows of nothing com- corporating his newly acquired know-how parable elsewhere. “Our experience shows for training his own employees. that the more people who attend the Dop- pelmayr courses, the better the level of avail- ability we achieve with our ropeway. Right now it’s virtually fault-free – 99.6% availabil- ity!” What Vladimir Vlásek values in particu- lar is the practical relevance of the Doppel- mayr training: “In Slovakia, we have a good saying: ‘It’s better to look once than to listen twice’.” This motto applies to the substance of the courses at Doppelmayr. Employees from his department will continue to attend these courses across all areas. He is also considering sending ma- chine operators on the electrical courses and electricians on the machine operator courses.

No. 193 • April/May 2014 26 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group

Winter Olympics have given a lasting boost to the region’s economy

Prof. Yury P. Stetsenko, head of Question: How have the Winter 2013, the employment rate in the admin- the Russian Federation’s trade Olympic Games affected the region’s istrative district of Krasnodar (population economy? 5 million), where the Olympic venues are mission in Austria, took part in Olympic Games are not just a sport- located, was 94.4 percent. In Sochi, there’s an interview for WIR Magazine. ing event. They can also lead to import- full employment. ant social and economic changes. What has been the impact of linking up In Sochi, more than 1,500 km of new the ski mountains around Krasnaya Poly- utility networks and communications lines ana? as well as 360 km of roads and bridges That has had huge positive impacts on were laid or modernized, and 42 hotels Sochi and Krasnodar. built. The amount of electricity generated Sochi is now not just a famous spa but has been increased by 1,208 MW. We’ve also a winter sports center. We expect to built hundreds of installations for educa- see a significant rise in tourist numbers. In tion, health, culture and sport. 2013, we recorded 3.8 million tourists for Needless to say, all these facilities the whole year. This year, that figure is likely will continue to be used after the Winter to double. Olympics, which means that a lot of new The winter season will make a major permanent jobs have been created. In contribution to that rise. Experts predict 27 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group

that the number of winter vacationers will operation and high performance. increase by 30 percent to 650,000. I would What would be your statement on the already rate Sochi in third place among the Doppelmayr lifts? most attractively priced winter sports re- The lift installations have been very well gions in Europe. Right now, domestic tour- received. That was already evident last ists are in the majority, but Sochi is attract- summer. While not all the lifts had been ing more and more foreign guests who are completed back then, those that were in looking for rest and relaxation. operation were used by thousands of peo- Will the Winter Olympics also have an ple at the weekends, who wanted to take in effect on other ski resorts in Russia? the mountain air and enjoy the view of the We don’t have any concrete calcula- Olympic venues. tions at the present time, but I consider that to be a possibility. What in your view are the most import- ant criteria that a ropeway has to meet? The region around Krasnaya Polyana If you want to ensure top quality for both has become a sophisticated ski des- skiers and foot passengers, the main crite- tination that stands up to international ria are simple use, modern equipment, safe comparisons with the best addresses! 28 Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group

Photo shoot for Olympic athlete Football fans on Doppelmayr chairs Portland Aerial Tram: 10 m passengers

Susanne Moll from Vorarlberg/Austria (left The Hochkönig ski region is giving away Since it opened in January 2007, the Port- in photo; occupation policewoman) has seats on two Doppelmayr 6-seater chairs land Aerial Tram, a twin-tracked 78-ATW, been taking part in World Cup races for ten for every home match of the football club has carried 10 million people. The tram is years. At the Winter Olympics in Sochi, she Fortuna Düsseldorf. The chairs are po- integrated into the urban transport ticketing reached the boardercross semifinal. Pho- sitioned at the edge of the field. “You ex- network. It climbs 152 vertical meters along tographer Matthias Weissengruber used perience the game in a similar way to the a route connecting a large parking lot with the presentation hall at Doppelmayr’s Wol- players,” say Austrian soccer stars Erwin the university campus. The upper terminal furt-Rickenbach plant for the photo shoot “Jimmy” Hoffer, Stürmer (seated) and Chris- is located on the ninth floor of the 14-story for her autograph card. tian “Garti” Gartner (central midfielder). main building. The tram is owned by the City of Portland and operated by the Oregon Health & Science University. The distance Erratum. The last issue of Wir Magazine (No. 192) contained an error regarding the length covered by the tram during its 23,988 hours of the rope span on the 3S Peak 2 Peak in Whistler, which we would like to correct: The rope in operation is the equivalent of a trip to the span on this lift is 3,024 m long and not 4.4 km as stated. The total length of the installation moon. At the same time, 2 million car miles is 4,407 m. It is nonetheless correct that the P2P has the longest rope span worldwide for a (3.2 million km) and 1,000 t of fuel emis- lift of this type. sions have been avoided.

Hi kids! It’s me again, Skippy! Fun with The snow and winter have now gone, and the mountain forests and pastures are once again a lush green. Just the right time for a great Skippy mountain bike trip!

Mountain biking is awesome! But I like No problem! Wow! That’s really cool! being up in the bike park better than We just take the chairlift! On goes the bike... and before you spending hours struggling up the mountain know it, you’re up in the bike park! to get there.

Proprietor, editor and publisher: Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH, 6922 Wolfurt / Austria • www.doppelmayr.com • Editing, graphics and layout: WIR Public Relations Wolfgang Wagenleitner, Weißacherg. 19, 6850 Dornbirn / Austria • www.wirpr.at • [email protected]

No. 193 • April/May 2014