Ramcharger 8: North America’s Most Technologically Advanced Ski Lift
The arduous construction and details of the Ramcharger 8
Recently, Big Sky MT added a new ski lift: The Ramcharger 8. With heated seats, a bubble, and an ergonomic design, the Ramcharger 8 might just be North America’s most technologically advanced ski lift. This 8 person chairlift transports 3,600 skiers to the top of Andesite mountain per hour, and it is one of Big Sky’s main attractions.
It all started on May 21, 2018, when a crane assisted in the removal of the bottom terminal of the Ramcharger high speed quad. Slowly, the Ramcharger high speed quad was completely gone, and primary construction started to undergo on the brand new Ramcharger 8. The top terminal was slowly coming into shape, and the massive haul rope that was transported from Switzerland arrived. Just a few days later, the tower bases arrived, and a Ramcharger barn that was going to house the bubble chairs was finished. Finally, the lift towers were being placed, and other lift equipment was being ordered. Black Hawk helicopters were coming every day to place the lift towers, and finally, the Doppelmayr direct drive was placed at the top terminal, which made the lift ride as quiet as a mouse. Then, the rope spindle arrived, weighing as much as seven adult male elephants, in addition to the lift gates, which will assist skiers and riders to move forward when boarding the lift. The lift house assembly finished, which is home to various electronics and control panels. This is where the lift operator will sit, with a remote stop button to control the flow of exiting skiers and riders.
Finally, after all the construction, 64 new Ramcharger 8 chairs arrived at the resort, with each chair being 15 feet wide, 13 feet tall, and weighing the equivalent of 4 adult male grizzly bears. Then, a large LED screen arrived, with 40 separate panels linking together to display videos, user-generated content, and up-to-date weather conditions. Finally, on December 15, 2018, at approximately 10:30 AM, the Ramcharger 8 chair opened to the public. This major upgrade marked new beginnings for many of the upcoming mountain zone upgrades, and indeed, this moment will always be remembered by Big Sky locals.
Related stories:
https://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/big-sky-resort/ski-lifts/l104048/
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/take-a-ride-on-the-most-high-tech-ski-lift/
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