Funitel
Encyclopedia
A funitel is a type of aerial lift
, generally used to transport skiers. The name funitel is a portmanteau between the French words funiculaire
and telepherique
. Funitels have not only been used as a means to transport skiers; there is one used to transport finished cars between different areas of a factory. Recently, more and more funitels have been added to ski areas.
When used to transport skiers, funitels are a fast way to get to a higher altitude. However, because skis or snowboard
have to be taken off and held during the trip, and because of the (usual) absence of seats, funitels can sometimes be uncomfortable for long trips, in the same way other large gondolas can be. Funitels combine a short time between successive cabins with a high capacity (20-30 people) per cabin. Funitels are able to tolerate higher wind speeds than classic gondola lifts because they are fastened to two steel cables instead of one.
The passenger cabins are connected to a pair of cables with four spring-loaded grips (two to each cable). Because the cable runs at a speed faster than that at which most people would care to board or disembark, the cabins must be slowed down while in the terminals to allow skiers to get on and off. This is accomplished by detaching the cabin from the cable and slowing it down with progressively slower rotating tires mounted on the ceiling of the terminal. Once the cabin has reached a speed at which it is safe to load or unload passengers, the cabin is moved about the end turnaround by tires mounted on the floor. The cabin is then accelerated to line speed with a second set of rotating tires.
, Canada, 1993.
Aerial lift
An aerial lift is a means of transportation in which cabins, cars, gondolas or open chairs are hauled above the ground by means of one or more cables.Types of aerial lifts include:...
, generally used to transport skiers. The name funitel is a portmanteau between the French words funiculaire
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
and telepherique
Gondola lift
A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
. Funitels have not only been used as a means to transport skiers; there is one used to transport finished cars between different areas of a factory. Recently, more and more funitels have been added to ski areas.
When used to transport skiers, funitels are a fast way to get to a higher altitude. However, because skis or snowboard
Snowboard
Snowboards are boards, usually with a width the length of one's foot, with the ability to glide on snow. Snowboards are differentiated from monoskis by the stance of the user...
have to be taken off and held during the trip, and because of the (usual) absence of seats, funitels can sometimes be uncomfortable for long trips, in the same way other large gondolas can be. Funitels combine a short time between successive cabins with a high capacity (20-30 people) per cabin. Funitels are able to tolerate higher wind speeds than classic gondola lifts because they are fastened to two steel cables instead of one.
Engineering
A funitel consists of one or two loops of cable strung between two terminals over intermediate towers. In order to maximize the stability of the passenger cabins, the cables are arranged in two pairs moving in separate directions. Although it might appear that there are four cables in total, most of the time they are all connected as a single, long loop.The passenger cabins are connected to a pair of cables with four spring-loaded grips (two to each cable). Because the cable runs at a speed faster than that at which most people would care to board or disembark, the cabins must be slowed down while in the terminals to allow skiers to get on and off. This is accomplished by detaching the cabin from the cable and slowing it down with progressively slower rotating tires mounted on the ceiling of the terminal. Once the cabin has reached a speed at which it is safe to load or unload passengers, the cabin is moved about the end turnaround by tires mounted on the floor. The cabin is then accelerated to line speed with a second set of rotating tires.
History
The first funitel was constructed in Val-Thorens, 1990, by Denis Creissel and enterprises Reel and Städeli-Lift. The first funitel constructed outside of Europe was the one in Montmorency FallsMontmorency Falls
The Montmorency Falls are a large waterfall on the Montmorency River in Quebec, Canada. The falls are located on the boundary between the borough of Beauport, Quebec City, and Boischatel, about 12 km from the heart of old Quebec City...
, Canada, 1993.
List of funitels
France
- Val-Thorens
- La PlagneLa PlagneLa Plagne is a French ski area in the alpine valley of the Tarentaise . Since 2003, La Plagne and the neighbouring resort of Les Arcs form Paradiski's ski area...
: Built by Doppelmayr it runs from Plagne Centre (1970m) up to La Grande Rochette (2505m). - L'Alpe d'Huez
- Super BesseSuper BesseSuper Besse is a winter sports resort in the Massif Central in France.-Geography:The winter sports resort of Super Besse is located in the commune of Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise in the Parc naturel régional des volcans d'Auvergne in the department of Puy de Dôme, in Auvergne...
Japan
- Hashikurasan RopewayHashikurasan RopewayThe is the name of Japanese aerial lift line in Ikeda, Tokushima, as well as its operator. The line climbs Mount Hashikura of Hashikura-dera, a famous temple....
, MiyoshiMiyoshi, Tokushimais a city located in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on March 1, 2006 as a result of the merger between the towns of Ikeda, Ikawa, Mino and Yamashiro, and the villages of Higashiiyayama and Nishiiyayama, all from Miyoshi District....
, TokushimaTokushima Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is the city of Tokushima.- Tokushima Prefecture and Myodo Prefecture :Long ago, Tokushima City belonged to a region known as Myōdō-gun... - Hakone RopewayHakone RopewayThe is the name of an aerial lift, as well as its operator. The funitel line links between Sōunzan and Tōgendai via Ōwakudani, all within Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan. The line became funitel in 2002, the second of its kind in the nation, after Hashikurasan Ropeway. It makes a part of the sightseeing...
, HakoneHakone, Kanagawais a town in Ashigarashimo District in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 13,339 and a density of 144 persons per km². The total area was 92.82 km².-Geography:...
, KanagawaKanagawa Prefectureis a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period... - Tanigawadake RopewayTanigawadake RopewayThe is Japanese aerial lift line, operated by Tanigawadake Ropeway Company. The Tōbu Group company also operates another aerial lift line, Harunasan Ropeway. Opened in 1960, the line climbs Mount Tanigawa Tenjindaira Ski Resort, Minakami, Gunma...
, TanigawadakeMount Tanigawais a 1977m mountain on the border of Gunma Prefecture and Niigata Prefecture in Japan.It is one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan.To date, since its initial exploration and route-finding in the early 1930s, a total of 781 people have died on Tanigawadake. is a 1977m mountain on the border of...
Tenjindaira Ski Resort, MinakamiMinakami, Gunmais a town located in Tone District, Gunma, Japan. It is the largest and northernmost town in the prefecture.The town was created on October 1, 2005, when the old Minakami merged with the town of Tsukiyono, and the village of Niiharu, all from Tone District....
, GunmaGunma Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the northwest corner of the Kantō region on Honshu island. Its capital is Maebashi.- History :The remains of a Paleolithic man were found at Iwajuku, Gunma Prefecture, in the early 20th century and there is a public museum there.Japan was without horses until... - Zaō RopewayZao RopewayThe is the name of Japanese aerial lift system, as well as its operator. The route, consisted of two lines, climbs Mount Zaō at Zaō Onsen, Yamagata, Yamagata. The lines transport skiers and rime spectators in winter, tourists and mountain climbers in summer....
, Yamagata Zaō OnsenZao Onsenis a famous hot spring area on Mount Zaō in the northern part of Honshū, the main island of Japan. Records date back as far as 110 A.D. A wounded warrior is said to have drawn an arrow out of his body and cleaned the wound at a spring only to find that the injury healed miraculously quickly and...
Ski Resort, YamagataYamagata, Yamagatais the capital city of Yamagata Prefecture in Japan.As of July 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 253,951 with 97,457 households and a population density of 665.94 persons per km². The total area is 381.34 km². The city was founded on April 1, 1889.-Culture:The , one of Tōhoku's...
, YamagataYamagata Prefecture-Fruit:Yamagata Prefecture is the largest producer of cherries and pears in Japan. A large quantity of other kinds of fruits such as grapes, apples, peaches, melons, persimmons and watermelons are also produced.- Demographics :...
Slovakia
- BratislavaBratislavaBratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
– used to transport cars in VolkswagenVolkswagenVolkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
factory - Jasna Ski Centre (under construction)
United States
- Squaw Valley Ski ResortSquaw Valley Ski ResortSquaw Valley Ski Resort in Olympic Valley, California, is one of the largest ski areas in the United States, and was the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. It is the second-largest ski area at Lake Tahoe , with 33 chairlifts, and has the only funitel lift in the U.S...
: The ski resort at Squaw Valley, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in the Lake TahoeLake TahoeLake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
basin, has a funitel called the Gold Coast Funitel. It holds 28 people and is capable of operating in extreme wind conditions. This is the only funitel in the United States.
See also
- List of aerial lift manufacturers
- Lift EngineeringLift EngineeringLift Engineering, more commonly known as Yan Lifts, was a major ski lift manufacturer in North America. Founded in 1965 and based in Carson City, Nevada, the firm came under scrutiny by state safety officials after a fatal accident in 1985, and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July...
(built the QMC funitel - a funitel that actually had four cables) - Skiing and Skiing TopicsSkiingSkiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....