Post by nickchu

This is a guest post by Ross Edgar.

Nevis Range Gondola. Image by Ross Edgar.

As has been discussed at length, gondolas have long been considered by many as residing exclusively in ski resorts with few, if any, further applications. Thanks to recent infrastructure projects and the efforts of entities such as the Gondola Project, this perception is beginning to change. However, do the applications of gondola technology end in ski resorts and public transit projects?

In recent years the owners of ski resorts have sought new and innovative methods to diversify and thereby increase their revenue during the off-season period. This in itself is nothing new as Alpine ski lifts have long operated in the summer to provide access to walkers and climbers alike. Moreover, a number of Alpine cable systems have been constructed to serve the summer tourist market exclusively. What is new, however, is the diverse range of activities that ski resorts are now promoting during the off-season period. These activities shall be considered by means of a two-part article focusing upon examples both in Scotland and in the Austrian/Swiss Alps.

Cairngorm Mountain Railway Car. Image by Ross Edgar.

Scotland boasts three ski regions which offer activities during the off-season period: Cairngorm Mountain, Glencoe Mountain and Nevis Range; a funicular, a chairlift and a gondola respectively. All three cable systems have for many years provided walkers and climbers with assisted access to some of the highest mountains in Britain, as well as summit restaurant facilities. However, as significant as this summer market may be, it is limited compared to the lucrative ski season. In order to remain viable, all three cable systems have diversified into additional off-season activities with mountain biking at the forefront of the activities on offer.

Mountain biker riding Glencoe Chairlift. Image by Ross Edgar.

To accommodate mountain biking, all three cable systems have been adapted to carry mountain bikes; the funicular internally and the gondola and chairlift externally. Simple mechanical attachments to both the gondola and the chairlift allow bikes to be clipped on to the cabin or chair as it transits through the base station. In addition, mountain bike courses have been constructed in the shadow of the cable systems. The cable systems, therefore, provide the required uplift for the mountain bikers so that they can enjoy an adrenaline-fuelled descent without the arduous task of cycling hundreds of metres uphill. This has proved to be a hit with mountain bikers who have flocked from across Britain to make use of the mountain biking facilities in the Scottish Highlands.

Bicycles on Nevis Range Gondola. Image by Ross Edgar.

The Nevis Range gondola has further diversified into other areas including paragliding and hangliding. The associated equipment is transported up the mountainside effortlessly by means of what is described as a ‘freight deck’; a goods cabin which replaces one of the passenger cabins on the cable. Again, the gondola provides valuable uplift, elevating the need to carry heavy equipment up the mountainside. Thus, both paragliders and hangliders are able to enjoy many more descents within a particular period of time.

Glencoe Chairlift. Image by Ross Edgar.

While the scope of the diversification of these Scottish cable systems is truly innovative, it is somewhat limited compared to the diversification seen in Alpine cable systems. However, the Scottish examples do aptly illustrate the potential of CPT outside the confines of both ski resorts and urban environments. The applications of CPT for recreational and sport usage are all but unlimited. This shall be discussed at greater length in the proceeding article.

However, it is interesting to note how equipment utilised on a daily basis by the Scottish cable systems could be applied to the urban environment. It has been observed that while CPT is valuable in its own right within an urban environment, connections for onward transport are essential. Would equipping urban gondolas with the capability to carry bikes externally alleviate this issue, as well as create an alternative to connecting to further public transit lines? Carrying bikes externally would not reduce passenger capacity and would allow those from a wider area to access the gondola quickly and to continue their journey speedily on alighting from the gondola.

Freight Deck Cabin. Image by Ross Edgar.

Moreover, the ‘freight deck’ used by the Nevis Range gondola, and many others for that matter, could also be used effectively within the urban environment. Dedicated freight cable systems have been discussed at length, but could ‘freight decks’ allow a passenger gondola system to be utilised for freight during off-peak hours? The ratio of ‘freight decks’ to passenger cabins could be adjusted throughout the day according to predicted demand. Furthermore, the transport of freight by gondola could not only be viable in its own right but could also render gondola operations viable through the night and thus create an enhanced, albeit reduced, passenger experience.

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