Snowbird

Snowbird: Grand Opening of the Peruvian chair and Tunnel

Peruvian Express Details

By fall of 2006, Snowbird’s original Peruvian lift will be taken out and replaced with a new high-speed quad. While the base will stay near the original base shack, the top station will be located below the steepest Chip’s Run pitch, an approximately 2,408-vertical-foot rise. This 8,000- linear-foot lift transports 1,800 people per hour, providing an eight-minute ride. Should wind conditions prevent Tram operation, this lift will allow for continued skier access to Peruvian Gulch and Mineral Basin. At the top of the lift, a 600-foot tunnel with a conveyor lift will provide access to Mineral Basin. This lift makes Snowbird’s intermediate terrain more accessible to skiers and snowboarders.

CHAIRLIFT FACTS

Manufacturer: CTEC-Doppelmayer
Cost: $5.6 million
8000 linear feet
2408 vertical feet
1800 riders per hour
8 minute ride
29 lift towers
90 degree bottom- and top-load
Powered by a top vault drive
6000 square foot flat Base area

Peruvian Tunnel Details

The first of its kind in North America, Snowbird’s new nearly 600-foot tunnel houses a conveyor lift that will transport skiers and riders from Peruvian Gulch into Mineral Basin. Located at the top of the new Peruvian Express high-speed quad, the 12-foot high, 10-foot wide tunnel provides a four-minute ride to intermediate terrain in Mineral Basin. The new tunnel and lift makes intermediate terrain more accessible to skiers and riders by eliminating many switchbacks and the steepest pitch of Chip’s Run. It also provides an efficient way to reach Hidden Peak without the use of the Tram.

TUNNEL FACTS

Final approval granted August 10, 2005
Work began August 17, 2005
Mining contractor: Small Mine Development, LLC
Cost: Approximately $650,000
Dimensions: Approximately 600 feet long, 12 feet high and 10 feet wide
570-foot conveyor lift
1800 riders per hour
5-foot spacing between riders
Max speed of 160 feet/minute
7 percent grade
One-way access into Mineral Basin
325 feet below Gorilla Pass
ADA compliant

Why do it this way?

Many people have asked why Snowbird chose to construct a chair and tunnel rather than a chair that reached the top of the ridge. Here are the answers.

We minimize visual impact by avoiding a ridgetop lift terminal.
The tunnel significantly reduces the size and number of required retaining walls.
No ridgetop grading.
A lift that is not impacted by ridgetop winds can operate more often.
Provides easier access to intermediate terrain by eliminating many switchbacks and the steepest pitch of Chip’s Run.