The PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola sky cabins were shipped from CWA’s factory in Olten, Switzerland on July 21. Stefan Huter, of Doppelmayr gave final approval of the sky cabins on July 18 and they were on their way by July 21. They were shipped in groups of six with each group departing on July 21, 23, 25 and 29. The final group of four, making up 28 sky cabins in total, will leave on July 31. It will take five to six weeks to get to Whistler and they are slated to arrive at the end of August.

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 When construction began on the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola, the track and haul rope line across Fitzsimmons Valley was identified on all aviation maps for the Whistler area and communicated through the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) service.

 

Brand-new technology developed in Norway called OCAS (Obstacle Collision Avoidance System) has been installed on the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola. This state-of-the-art system constantly scans the area surrounding the P2P line with radar.  If aircraft is detected, the radar alerts the system and immediately tracks the aircraft, calculates its speed, heading and altitude. If a collision hazard exists, the pilot is warned by flashing high intensity strobe lights and an audible warning transmitted over all aircraft radio frequencies.

 

OCAS’s Norwegian team was in Whistler the first week of July to install and test the P2P system. The system is now operational with track ropes strung across the valley.

 

The OCAS system is much safer than traditional marking systems and is less obtrusive because it only activates if an aircraft is in the area. In the event of failure, OCAS will automatically produce messages to NOTAM.

 

The PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola terminal buildings house the largest lift terminal hardware manufacturer Doppelmayr/Garaventa has ever built.  To create the concrete footings, lift platforms, masts and columns 4,000 cubic metres of concrete had to be trucked up the mountains.

 

Whistler P2P Terminal:

• 26m/85feet wide and 42m/138feet long
• 12,000 square feet
• 228 tons of steel used

 

Blackcomb P2P Terminal:

• 26m/85feet wide and 48m/158feet long
• 14,000 square feet
• 279 tons of steel

 

Summer is in full swing and everyone is buzzing about the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola.  Construction is moving along and the rope stringing process is nearly half done.  Two track ropes are completely across and tensioned, and the third rope is currently being pulled up the flank of Whistler Mountain.

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The delivery of five gargantuan reels of cable on June 17 was a huge milestone in this project’s construction journey and since that date each reel has made the slow journey up to the Blackcomb terminal station to await stringing.

 

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