Two New Quad Chairlifts

The $3M plus investment in the improvements marks the resort’s commitment to efficiency, and Grouse Mountain is now serviced entirely by quad chairlifts. Industry leaders Leitner Poma were recruited to build the chairs, and both infrastructure enhancements are scheduled for completion by the first week of December 2008. 

The first chairlift is intended as a time-saver, and will take three-minutes to cover the 188-metre distance from the bottom of Paradise – the resort’s learning terrain – to the top of Screaming Eagle, near the Peak Chalet. The new lift also serves a dual role, and will be the missing piece for Grouse Mountain Snow School’s state of the art learning zone.

“Finally, our tens of thousands of new skiers and snowboarders will have the most modern facilities for learning,” says Snow School Director Toby Barrett. “These facilities, coupled with a superb pool of accomplished instructors, solidify Grouse Mountain’s decade long reputation as the place to learn to ski or snowboard.” 

The quad chair, complete with North America's first ever child restraints, will provide easy access for children and beginners to take in more runs per session with significantly reduced wait times for passage to the top of the bowl. This chair is aptly named “Greenway”, in reference to the industry standard colour designation of terrain intended for beginner skiers and riders. It also has a subtle historical reference to the famous Headway graduated length ski teaching method of the 1960’s and 1970’s. The Greenway chair will also provide easy circulation from the base of the Peak ski run back to the Alpine Chalet. 

The second lift is intuitively named “Peak Chair” and will run 566 metres from the bottom of Paradise to the Peak of Grouse Mountain, with a ride time of four minutes. The advantage of this new trajectory is three-fold: 

Access to the Peak of the mountain means that the season can get underway earlier with the available colder temperatures and enhanced capacity for snowmaking. 

The new location allows unencumbered access to the entire Peak run. In addition the alignment ensures that riders will be protected by the tree line. 

The Peak Chair will also provide summertime access to the summit, which in turn has implications for the second phase of the Air Grouse Mountain Zipline experience, in addition to the scenic vantage point offered at 4,100 feet. The second phase of the zipline circuit- slated for launch in the spring of 2009- will take advantage of the steep terrain in and around the Peak area of the mountain. This year has witnessed significant investment at Grouse Mountain, with the $1.5M zipline experience debuting in June in addition to ongoing snowmaking upgrades.