Girdwood, AK – Following a successful 2012-13 ski season, officials at Alyeska Resort embarked upon the replacement of the Alaska ski area’s existing Chair 6 with a new high-speed detachable quad. Construction and installation of the chairlift by Doppelmayr USA Inc. is expected to be completed by the end of October at an estimated cost of $6 million.
Servicing high volumes of skiers and riders, the currently existing Chair 6 provides primary lift access to the upper mountain trails at Alyeska Resort and is considered by many to be the heart and soul of Alyeska. It access the resort’s highest lift-served elevation. Popular skiing and snowboarding runs accessed by Chair 6 include Christmas Chute and the North Face, Silvertip, Trapline, Mighty Mite and High Traverse. The existing chairlift was originally installed in 1988.
“I am very excited for this new addition,” Di Hiibner, ski area general manager, said last spring. “We are committed to ensuring we have a reliable chairlift for our guests. With this new lift, Alyeska Resort will have invested over $14 million dollars in ski area improvements over the last two years. We are committed to continued improvement of the ski area for the enjoyment of our guests.”
The new chairlift is manufactured and installed by Doppelmayr USA Inc. Skiers and riders at Alyeska will notice that the new Chair 6 will be substantially identical to Ted’s Express, the high-speed quad installed last summer to replace the old Chair 4. Ride time will be reduced to five minutes from a former seven to eight minutes.
The new Chair 6 utilizes the existing alignment of the old Chair 6, and the ground work for the chairlift installation included terrain re-grading at both the top and bottom lift terminals, removal of existing lift towers, extensive electrical and utility work, as well as overall summer road improvements in order to accommodate the heavy machinery needed to install the new chairlift. The project also includes installing a new weather station at the top, upgrading utilities and installing natural gas. Water and sewer lines are being installed to someday possibly support public restrooms or a restaurant. Loading will take place at a 90-degree angle to the liftline.
Repairs of Alyeska’s tram cabin damaged in an accident last winter were completed by CWA Constructions of Switzerland in the spring, and the lift reopened with two fully operational cabins this past May.