Steve Angus reckons the 3000 drag lift, near the Glacier chairlift, is planned for restoration by next year.
Opens up the enticing possibility of the Tunnel across to La Fornet being used again. One of the great character building pistes in the area on the La Fornet side of the tunnel.
I guess it is about 10 years since the 3000 drag lift was in use.
Looks awesome. A must do for the ticklisters. Anyone who prefers skiing maybe not.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
When I last did the tunnel it was very icy. The first section of piste wasn't wide enough for a turn. I was still on 195cms straight skis. There were rocks either side of the narrow piste. Have I sold it to you yet?
It makes the much maligned Santons look like a picnic.
By contrast, the runs either side of the 3000 drag lift are usually very enjoyable. Nice steep pitch but plenty wide enough.
It makes the much maligned Santons look like a picnic.
Santons is a Blue whist the Tunnel is a black piste. Lots of difference
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@stewart woodward, you're right, Santons is graded blue. Also the Verte is, what else, a green. But those cunning Val D piste graders aren't fooling me! Tunnel deserved a black grading for sure.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Not much headroom in the tunnel - helmet compulsory
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@AB Ski, Especially if some blighter left the door open, last time I did it I was on my knees!
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If memory serves, people used to jump off the "Up and Over" chair near the crest, to ski that off-piste.....until they raised it!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Old Fartbag, that would have needed impeccable timing and a clamber along a rocky knife edge ridge carrying skis. Show offs!
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
intermediate wrote:
@Old Fartbag, that would have needed impeccable timing and a clamber along a rocky knife edge ridge carrying skis. Show offs!
I witnessed it. You had to wait until the gap to the snow was at it's smallest (IIRC about 7 or 8 feet)....and if you wimped out, the opportunity was missed and you had to ride down in shame, while your mates enjoyed the off-piste.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@Old Fartbag, oh I see, they skied the off piste near the line of the up 'n' over chairlift. Impressive but can't compare with crouching through a corrugated steel tunnel, then tackling a steep piste about 2m wide eh?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
intermediate wrote:
@Old Fartbag, oh I see, they skied the off piste near the line of the up 'n' over chairlift. Impressive but can't compare with crouching through a corrugated steel tunnel, then tackling a steep piste about 2m wide eh?
No, but you had to have the balls to jump off the chair....which is academic, as the chair is now too high.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
That looks like heather peacock stood outside the tunnel. Is the video by Damon ? Sounds like it might be him
EDIT: yes it is Damon Peacock - keen Yad Moss members !
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Mon 27-03-17 13:18; edited 2 times in total
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
It's not 10 years since the Teleski 3000 spun, I skied the Tunnel in either 2010 or 2011.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Old Fartbag, yes, balls or plenty alcohol first to jump off on the ridge.
I've seen a few first timers on that chair lift the bar, ready to dismount at the top. Some great shrieks as the chair continues over and down the other side.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@DidierCouch, OK, I thought it was longer ago than that. Perhaps 3000 lift operating intermittently around then, depending on conditions?
The lift has looked semi dismantled to me for several years. Surprised it is being refurbished, given bad press steep drag lifts get these days.
Had a close look at it last April. its a bit of a heritage Poma. It has an open lattice construction so probably dates from the 1950s. Its also triangular with the line returning to the base at an oblique rather than parallel angle. There were no hangers in the rack, but that is standard practice at the end of the season. It should be easier to piste the tow track and perhaps the exit run with a winch cat ?
I can only assume the reason they are reinstating it is to improve resilliance on high wind days between Solaise and Fornet ? Does anyone know if the up and over chair is often closed because of wind ? The fact that it wasn't removed when the new chair opened may suggest that they were keeping their options open. Obviously once through there is no way back on a windy day, unless they build a poma on the other side !
Alternatively they may just think that they need a tunnel run !
Does anyone know if the up and over chair is often closed because of wind ?
I don't think so. I've still been able to take it when retreating from a gale at the top of the Vallon.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Peter S, last place I'd want to be on a high wind day is emerging from the tunnel, onto that piste, and the exposed high altitude mountains above La Fornet.
Maybe they want to boast to other big area rivals that they're the only resort with a corrugated metal tunnel? It could start a mad scramble for replicas across the Alps.
After all it is free
After all it is free
intermediate wrote:
@Peter S, last place I'd want to be on a high wind day is emerging from the tunnel, onto that piste, and the exposed high altitude mountains above La Fornet.
Maybe they want to boast to other big area rivals that they're the only resort with a corrugated metal tunnel? It could start a mad scramble for replicas across the Alps.
We already have a piste tunnel just above the Trifollet restaurant, in La Daille.
La Plagne also has a tunnel, stangely on a piste called Tunnel.
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@bar shaker,
Mmmm...I'd describe the Triffolet one as a concrete subway. Half expect to see a busker under there. The La Plagne one has a music and coloured light show inside doesn't it?
Not grim enough.
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Only ever used the one at Alpe D'Huez and it wasn't an experience I'd want to repeat again (on a snowboard at least) any time soon.
Has anyone used the one at Snowbird? I've not been back since it was built but it looks very refined and almost pleasurable to stand on the magic carpet they've got in it.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I seem to recall a project to link the skiing at Zermatt to Sass fee by tunnel and travelator, about 20 years ago ?
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Quote:
Steve Angus reckons the 3000 drag lift, near the Glacier chairlift, is planned for restoration by next year.
Opens up the enticing possibility of the Tunnel across to La Fornet being used again. One of the great character building pistes in the area on the La Fornet side of the tunnel.
I guess it is about 10 years since the 3000 drag lift was in use.
It would be a shame to have it restored as a piste; we skinned up to the tunnel from the Solaise side of the up&over in mid December 2016 and had a great untracked descent on the Fornet side - unlike those moguls!
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
There is also a tunnel on one of the routes back to Samoëns from Morillon (or at least there was last year - might be different now with the new lift). It's short, but there's no brakes available in the tunnel itself, so you shoot out the end onto a nice flat area. Where there are inevitably groups of previous victims looking back in wonder. Character building!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@inspark, I agree, better if the La Fornet side of tunnel unpisted. Maybe more likely to deter chancers tackling the black piste and getting into difficulties, or worse. It is the only piste in EK that I'd NEVER do again.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@DidierCouch, Yeah pretty sure I skied it in 2011 via the 3000 lift.
The door was actually closed but there was enough room to go through anyway. No problems with moguls on the other side as not that many people had been skiing it!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
that's just silly...
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
[quote="Peter S"]Had a close look at it last April. its a bit of a heritage Poma. /quote]
Built by MONTAZ MAUTINO in 1962, finished operation in 2012, due to be replaced by the Claret drag from Tignes.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Thanks for that David. Not a lattice poma as I thought, which explains the slightly later date of 1962.
If its not being reinstated because of wind problems on the Lessiers chair, perhaps its just to tick the 3000m 'marketing' box and to provide a few more black runs and a fun tunnel option? Its perhaps a pity they are replacing it, seems to be of some historic interest. Should provide some future interest to the connoisseur.
Does anyone know if the former 'Claret' lift is an autostacking Poma or a retractable button lift ?
@moosepig, thanks, don't recall ever having ridden it. Good to see they're recycling lifts instead of scrapping them.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
The Claret drag was very short, just the nursery slope near the Tufs as @moosepig, said. Something does not quite stack up here as I don't think it would be anywhere near long enough to cover the old 3000 uplift. If t was the Almes Poma from Le Lac (which was decommissioned in summer 16) the I could understand it, as it was long enough and also relatively modern as I think it was installed for the 92 Olympics. But these are just my musings - not based on verifiable documents (but I will ask!).
After all it is free
After all it is free
They've taken out the two Millonex drags too, so there's a lot of draglift hardware knocking about.
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Forget the open top Tignes cable car or the La Dialle Gondola, this is the news of the season and will no doubt become the must tick lift and run ! I can only think it is to reach the mythical 3000m (even though it doesn't) or to provide a bit of a heritage and back country experience.
How long until they start reinstalling other Pomas
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