Climate change is a major social challenge.
The fact that the polar ice caps and glaciers are melting is an indisputable fact that will not be stopped any time soon. This means that you have to adapt to this situation and try to make the best of it. In order to be able to support mountain railroads in this challenge, Sunkid's products are constantly being developed and adapted to the new conditions.
The global phenomenon of glacier melt is not sparing the Tsanfleuron glacier in Switzerland. The glacier is melting at an average rate of 5 meters per year at its edges and 50 centimeters at its center. These and other melting values and speeds forced the managers of the ski resort Glacier 3000 to act, because hollows are formed, making access to slopes difficult - the installation of a new Ski Lift became necessary.
Control line between valley and mountain: fiber optic cable
The ideal partner for this solution was found by the Glacier 3000 ropeways in Borer Lift AG, which is part of Sunkidworld.
A demountable Sunkid Mega Comfort Star was installed so that guests of the ski area can again reach the starting point of the Combe-d'Audon slope effortlessly and then carve down the 7-kilometer black run. A mobile metal foundation allows the temporary use of the small ski lift. This special steel construction, replaces the conventional anchored concrete foundation. It is buried in the snow and can be removed at the end of the ski season without leaving any residue or causing irreversible damage to the terrain. The metal foundation is quickly installed, mobile and reusable. This ensures time and cost savings for the Glacier 3000 ropeways.
The flexible installation and removal is necessary because no lift would be able to withstand the flow of the glacier, the periodic snowfalls in summer, etc.
The small ski lift from Sunkid ensures a high level of comfort for customers, which is a priority for the director of the Glacier 3000 cable cars, Bernhard Tschannen.
For Borer Lift AG, this project was something very special, as it was the first Mega Comfort Star to be installed directly on a glacier. This type of lift was chosen because it features numerous technical innovations that are ideally suited for use on a glacier. One example is that the new generation of the tried-and-tested Sunkid small ski lift is infinitely height-adjustable from 1.0 to 5.0 meters. This feature allows the lift to be raised in the evening so that an optimal track can be prepared overnight.
"The construction of this lift presented Borer Lift AG with previously unimagined challenges. A construction site at 2729 m above sea level is not comparable to one near the valley. For example, there is no electricity from the grid, and the parts of the lift cannot be delivered by truck. This requires a helicopter, and not just any helicopter, it requires a "strong guy". The weather kept throwing a spanner in the works. Heavy snowfall, wind, restricted visibility, etc. affected the construction work. In addition, huge amounts of snow had to be moved at the installation site on the glacier in order to create a suitable route. All of this demanded a high degree of flexibility from the team and presented major challenges, but we were able to overcome them with flying colors. We are very proud that we were able to realize this exciting project. It is the first Sunkid Mega Comfort Star with flexible and seasonal use on a glacier," sums up Axel Halder, Managing Director of Borer Lift AG.
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