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Is a heated chair really necessary?
Saturday September 4, 2010 - Email this article to a friend
One of our readers has emailed us asking this question after we reported on a new one being installed in Utah. It is located in Canyons ski resort.
In some ways he has a point as it is normally fingers, toes and faces that get cold on a chair lift and not backsides.
The lift will obviously cost more to manufacture and use up precious energy to keep warm.
And once off the lift then it won't be long before it all cools down pretty quickly. It might help though if you backside is wet.
The new lift, just outside the Grand Summit Hotel, will get people up the mountain in 9 minutes and will increase the uphill capacity from base to mountain by 47%.
Perhaps they signify luxury and so up-market resorts want to put them in to make a statement and get a bit of press coverage.
Certainly eye catching
The press release seems to indicate the resort is rather pleased by the lift.
"The new lift is a marvel of engineering and will be the first of its kind in North America. One of the most technologically advanced chairlifts in the world, the bubble-enclosed, quad lift offers unmatched visibility, safety, and design and includes sophisticated comforts such as heated seats.
The weather protecting orange bubble will evoke the feeling of being inside a pair of ski goggles as it transfers guests from the steps of the Grand Summit Hotel to the mid-mountain Lookout Peak before continuing uphill to an ending point just south of the current Sun Peak lift. The new lift will be a visually stunning addition to Canyons."
For some video of the lift see this short clip on Facebook.
So, what do you think of it?
If you have a view then do let us know.
For the spirit of the mountains
PlanetSKI reserves the right to edit any comments. In most cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below.
No, no way, totally unnecessary and a waste of energy. Buy good ski gear, Or, avoid Dec/Jan if it's too cold. All the gear no idea? A ski lift too far!
Xavier Adam, Tarragona, Catalunya, Spain
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