The Plaine Morte Glacier (lit.: Dead Plain Glacier; French : glacier de la Plaine Morte ) is a glacier located at an elevation of 2,750 m (9,020 ft), in the canton of Bern above Lenk and in the Valais above Crans-Montana in Switzerland . The ice field , which covers 7.88 square kilometres (3.04 sq mi), is located below the mountain of Wildstrubel in the Bernese Alps . Its largest tongue is also called in German Rezligletscher or Rätzligletscher .
31-552: The area of Plaine Morte is easily accessible from Crans-Montana by cable car and the practice of cross-country skiing is possible throughout the year. The summit of the Pointe de la Plaine Morte offers impressive views of the Valais Alps . A large lake formed at the eastern base of the glacier, south of the Schneehorn , at a height of 2,752 metres above sea level. The surface area of
62-493: A lever on the roof or on the undercarriage that is pushed up or down. Cabins are driven through the terminals either by rotating tires , or by a chain system. To be accelerated to and decelerated from line speed, cabins are driven along by progressively swifter (or slower) rotating tires until they reach line or terminal speed. On older installations, gondolas are accelerated manually by an operator. Gondola lifts can have intermediate stops that allow for uploading and downloading on
93-652: A bridge connection between the adjacent cabins. The main advantage of the funifor system is its stability in high wind conditions owing to the horizontal distance between the two support ropes. Chairlifts are continuously circulating systems carrying chairs, which usually enable skiers to board without removing skis. They are a common type of lift at most ski areas and in mountainous areas. They can also be found at some amusement parks and tourist attractions. Detachable chairlifts usually move far faster than fixed-grip chairlifts, typically 5 m/s (16.4 ft/s) compared with 2 to 2.5 m/s (6.6 to 8.2 ft/s). Because
124-644: A gondola lift will differ dramatically depending on the combination of cables used for support and haulage and the type of grip (detachable or fixed). Because of the proliferation of such systems in the Alps , the Italian : Cabinovia and French : Télécabine are also used in English-language texts. The systems may also be referred to as cable cars . The Kohlerer-Bahn opened on June 29, 1908, in Bolzano , South Tyrol ,
155-597: A separate moving rope provides propulsion. The grip of an aerial tramway is permanently fixed onto the propulsion rope. Aerial trams used for urban transport include the Roosevelt Island Tramway in New York City , as well as the Portland Aerial Tram . A gondola lift consists of a continuously circulating cable that is strung between two or more stations, over intermediate supporting towers. The cable
186-403: A single haul cable is looped round twice. Funitels combine a short time between successive cabins with a high capacity (20 to 30 people) per cabin. A funifor is a type of cable car with two support ropes and a haul rope, looped around. Each system is composed of a single cabin shuttling back-and-forth. Many installations are built with two parallel, but independent, lines. The funifor design
217-738: A ski resort was at the Wildcat Mountain Ski Area . It was a two-person gondola built in 1957 and serviced skiers until 1999. The lift was later demolished in 2004. The lift and its cabins were manufactured by a former Italian lift company: Carlevaro-Savio. One of the longest gondola rides in the world, Gondelbahn Grindelwald-Männlichen , is in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland and connects Grindelwald with Männlichen . In recent years, gondola lifts are finding increased usage in urban environments. Cable cars used for urban transit include
248-464: Is a fusion of a gondola lift and a chair lift. The company Leitner refers to it as telemix , while Doppelmayr uses the term combination lift . An example is Ski Arlberg 's Weibermahd lift in Vorarlberg ( Austria ) which alternates between 8-person chairlifts and 10-person gondolas. In undeveloped areas with rough terrain, simple hand-powered cable-cars may be used for crossing rivers, such as
279-419: Is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal, which is connected to an engine or electric motor . Multiple gondola cabins are attached to the cable, usually with detachable grips, enabling them to slow down in the stations to facilitate safe boarding. Fixed grip variants exist, although these are considerably less common. Lifts with a single cable are sometimes referred to as "mono-cable" gondola lifts. Depending on
310-411: Is particularly common in mountainous mining concerns, and directly employed; the weight of loaded down-going containers pulling the returning empties back up the slope. Gravity can also be used indirectly, where running water is available; a waterwheel is powered by gravity acting on water, and is used to power the cable. Conventional systems where a single cable provides both support and propulsion of
341-513: Is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal, which is typically connected to an engine or electric motor . It is often considered a continuous system since it features a haul rope which continuously moves and circulates around two terminal stations. In contrast, an aerial tramway operates solely with fixed grips and simply shuttles back and forth between two end terminals. The capacity, cost, and functionality of
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#1732858788358372-985: The Metrocable in Medellín , Colombia and the TransMiCable in Bogotá , Colombia ; Aerovia in Guayaquil , Ecuador ; Portland Aerial Tram in Portland, Oregon , United States ; Roosevelt Island Tramway in New York City, New York, United States; Metrocable in Caracas , Venezuela ; Trolcable in Mérida , Venezuela; Cable Aéreo in Manizales , Colombia; Mi Teleférico in La Paz , Bolivia ; Mexicable in
403-535: The Peak 2 Peak Gondola (Canada). A funitel differs from a standard gondola lift through the use of two overhead arms, attached to two parallel haul cables, providing more stability in high winds. The name funitel is a blend of the French words funiculaire and telepherique . Systems may sometimes be referred to as "double monocable" (DMC), where two separate haul cables are used, or "double loop monocable" (DLM) where
434-836: The Republic of the Congo , was over 75 kilometers (47 mi) in length. The Kristineberg-Boliden ropeway in Sweden had a length of 96 kilometers (60 mi). In Eritrea , the Italians built the Asmara-Massawa Cableway in 1936, which was 75 kilometers (47 mi) long. The Manizales - Mariquita Cableway (1922) in Colombia was 73 km long. Conveyors can be powered by a wide variety of forms of power sources: electric motors , internal combustion engines , steam engines , or gravity . Gravity
465-406: The Republic of the Congo , was over 75 km in length. The Norsjö aerial tramway in Sweden had a length of 96 kilometers. The following abbreviations are frequently used in the industry: Gondola lift A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that
496-649: The State of Mexico , Mexico ; Teleférico de Santo Domingo ; Yenimahalle-Şentepe teleferik in Ankara , Turkey ; Maçka and Eyüp Gondolas in Istanbul ; the London cable car in London , England; Nizhny Novgorod Cableway , Russia. The Metrocable systems in Medellin and Caracas are fully integrated with the public transit network which provides passengers the ability to seamlessly transfer to
527-543: The Sulphur Mountain Gondola in Banff , Canada. This system has the advantage that the stationary cable's strength and properties can be tailored to each span, which reduces costs. They differ from aerial tramways , as these consist only of one or two usually larger cabins moving back and forth, rather than circulating. Bicable and tricable systems provide greater lateral stability compared with monocable systems, allowing
558-499: The tuin used in Nepal. A material ropeway or ropeway conveyor is an aerial lift from which containers for goods rather than passenger cars are suspended. These are usually monocable or bicable gondola lifts . Material ropeways are typically found around large mining concerns, and can be of considerable length. The COMILOG Cableway , which ran from Moanda in Gabon to Mbinda in
589-785: The Mediterranean, the historical Jounieh Bay and the pine forest at the 80% slope which this gondola lift goes over. Such a system is called pulse cabin and usually several cabins are loaded simultaneously. Open-air gondolas, or cabriolets as commonly called, are fairly uncommon and are quite primitive because they are exposed to the elements. Their cabins are usually hollow cylinders, open from chest height up, with floors and roof covers. They are usually used as village gondolas and for short distances. Examples are at Mont Tremblant Resort in Quebec , Canada, and at Blue Mountain Ski Resort (summer only, in
620-566: The cabins are often called monocable gondola lifts. Gondola lifts which feature one stationary cable (known as the 'support' rope), and one haul rope are known as bicable gondola lifts, while lifts that feature two support ropes and one haul rope are known as tricable gondola lifts. Famous examples of bicable gondola lifts include the Ngong Ping 360 in Hong Kong , the Singapore Cable Car , and
651-441: The cable moves faster than most passengers could safely disembark and load, each chair is connected to the cable by a powerful spring-loaded cable grip which detaches at terminals, allowing the chair to slow considerably for convenient loading and unloading at a typical speed of 0.75 m/s (2.5 ft/s), a speed slower even than fixed-grip. Chairs may be fitted with a "bubble" canopy to offer weather protection. A hybrid lift
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#1732858788358682-854: The design of the individual lift, the capacity, cost, and functionality of a gondola lift will differ dramatically. Because of the proliferation of such systems in the Alpine regions of Europe , the French language name of télécabine is also used in an English language context. Gondola lifts are also used for urban transportation. Examples include the Singapore Cable Car , Metrocable (Medellín) , Metrocable (Caracas) , Mi Teleférico ( La Paz ), and London Cable Car . Gondola lifts which feature one stationary 'support' rope and one haul rope are known as bi-cable gondola lifts, while lifts that feature two support ropes and one haul rope are known as tri-cable gondola lifts. Examples include Ngong Ping Skyrail ( Hong Kong ) and
713-413: The first modern aerial enclosed cable car solely for passenger service. In some systems the passenger cabins, which can hold between two and fifteen people, are connected to the cable by means of spring–loaded grips. These grips allow the cabin to be detached from the moving cable and slowed in the terminals, to allow passengers to board and disembark. Doors are almost always automatic and controlled by
744-509: The future, TransLink in Metro Vancouver has proposed to build a gondola up Burnaby Mountain to Simon Fraser University in an announcement in September 2010. The project was sidelined in 2014, but was revived in 2017. In late 2012, a widespread aerial gondola system was proposed for Austin, Texas , in an effort to expand mass transit options in the rapidly growing city. The proposal
775-624: The ground by means of one or more cables . Aerial lift systems are frequently employed in a mountainous territory where roads are relatively difficult to build and use, and have seen extensive use in mining. Aerial lift systems are relatively easy to move and have been used to cross rivers and ravines. In more recent times, the cost-effectiveness and flexibility of aerial lifts have seen an increase of gondola lift being integrated into urban public transport systems. A cable car ( British English ) or an aerial tramway , aerial tram ( American English ), uses one or two stationary ropes for support while
806-486: The lake is 0.11 km². This article about a glacier in the canton of Bern is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a glacier in Valais is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Aerial lift An aerial lift , also known as a cable car or ropeway , is a means of cable transport in which cabins , cars , gondolas , or open chairs are hauled above
837-613: The lift. Examples of a lift with three stops instead of the standard two are the Village Gondola, the Excalibur Gondolas at Whistler Blackcomb and the Skyride at Alton Towers . In other systems the cable is slowed intermittently to allow passengers to disembark and embark the cabins at stations, and to allow people in the cars along the route to take photographs , such as Lebanon 's Téléférique which offers an exceptional view to
868-542: The local metro lines, whereas the network in La Paz, the largest in the world, forms the backbone of the city's public transit system itself. Disney Skyliner is a gondola-lift service, which opened on September 29, 2019, at Walt Disney World in central Florida. The system uses multiple lines and has five stations, and it connects Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios with one another and with several Disney-owned and -operated resort hotels. In terms of urban gondola systems for
899-668: The winter it is converted to a six person high-speed chairlift.) in Ontario , Canada, The Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah, Mountain Creek , and the new Village Cabriolet at Winter Park Resort in Colorado. Open-air gondolas can also come in a style similar to that of pulse gondolas, like the Village Gondola at Panorama Ski Resort , British Columbia . The first gondola built in the United States for
930-559: Was developed by the Italian manufacturer, Hölzl, which later merged with Doppelmayr Italia. Today, the design is therefore patented by Doppelmayr Garaventa Group . At the top of each track, the haul rope loops back to the bottom instead of looping over to serve the other track, as would occur with a normal aerial tramway . This is shown in the diagram below. This feature allows for a single cabin operation when traffic warrants. The independent drive also allows for evacuations to occur by means of
961-591: Was rejected by the local transit agency in 2017. A proposed gondola system in Montreal was ultimately rejected by the Old Port of Montreal . A ropeway conveyor or material ropeway is essentially a subtype of gondola lift, from which containers for goods rather than passenger cars are suspended. Ropeway conveyors are typically found around large mining concerns, and can be of considerable length. The COMILOG Cableway , which ran from Moanda in Gabon to Mbinda in