Counterclockwise Lifts

[shortydude]

Do all lifts run counterclockwise? Do countries that drive on the left side of road have clockwise lifts?

[Ruben]

In the French (and Austrian as well) alps there are both clockwise and counterclockwise lifts in the ski areas (often even both in the same ski area), so I guess it's just a matter of what design fits nicely into the hill...

[newbie2011]

Do all lifts run counterclockwise? Do countries that drive on the left side of road have clockwise lifts?

I think in every (or at least most) French resorts I've run into at least one left-side-up lift, and in Alpe d'Huez I'm pretty sure there were several of this kind. I imagine it's more about the physical elements surrounding the bottom/top stations - like unloading at the top might fit better one specific direction because of big rocks, slope direction or such.

[ysb33r]

You got me thinking. First two local resorts I thought of, have circulations both ways.

I cannot remember about the US, but here some seats have either an additional pin on the bar that comes down between the legs or a magnetic back in order to protect small children. So thinking more about the original question, in all of those cases it seems to affect which side the child seat is. It seems to be on the side that is on the outside of the swing.

[Baldybob]

Chair 1 at Mt. Baldy is clockwise. Chair 2 is anti-clockwise. Chair 3 is anti. Chair 4 is clockwise. These are also some of the oldest chairs in the USA.

Chair 1 takes you up to the Notch at just under 7000 feet. Each stantion is made looking like the Eiffel Tower. Welded square frames from long ago.

Mountain High West has the Blue Ridge Express counter clockwise. East has the Mtn High Express running clockwise.

You can watch both lifts run both ways on their webcams https://www.mthigh.com/site/mountain...-info/livecams

[Ruben]

You got me thinking. First two local resorts I thought of, have circulations both ways.

I cannot remember about the US, but here some seats have either an additional pin on the bar that comes down between the legs or a magnetic back in order to protect small children. So thinking more about the original question, in all of those cases it seems to affect which side the child seat is. It seems to be on the side that is on the outside of the swing.

I think that is because of the unloading process. Last week a friend of mine and I got whacked by a non-detachable chair lift (in different carriers), because we didn't give ourself a big enough push while unloading. We were both on the inside of the lift, so we got a whack from the outside seat-part. If you're on the outside of a carrier, this will almost never happen. It is also most of the time the place where there is a liftie to help the youngest kids unload.

[shortydude]

I think that is because of the unloading process. Last week a friend of mine and I got whacked by a non-detachable chair lift (in different carriers), because we didn't give ourself a big enough push while unloading. We were both on the inside of the lift, so we got a whack from the outside seat-part. If you're on the outside of a carrier, this will almost never happen. It is also most of the time the place where there is a liftie to help the youngest kids unload.

The only time I fell at Whitefish a couple weeks ago was getting off a lift. It was a 4 seater single speed lift and I was in the far inside seat. I usually just stand up, let gravity do the work and ski away. That didn't work out so well in this situation. The single speed chair whipped around, clipped me, spun me completely around before I knew what happened and down I went.