SkadiSkiGrrl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
A button lift? I have to google that....
Oh, I've used one those in Cortina. They look like baboon bottoms. It's hard to look cool on one of those.
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Mishap: Hanging from the chairlift
- Thread starter SkiGAP
- Start date
Oh, I've used one those in Cortina. They look like baboon bottoms. It's hard to look cool on one of those.
alicie
Angel Diva
It's just a different name for a platter lift or Poma. They're better than t bars.
SkiGAP
Angel Diva
Hey you know, interesting - it was only recently that I found out the button lifts (as I unpleasantly call butt plug lifts) are called POMA lifts in the US.
To me, POMA is just the brand. St Lary, where I was on Saturday, is completely outfitted with lifts by POMA, so the name is everywhere and you wouldn't differentiate between a drag lift and a chair lift etc by using that name.
In any case, I like those better than T-bars.
I was a young kid when I learned skiing and gymnastics, so I thought a poma lift and a pommel horse were derived from the same word. Actually, I called them both "poma" and didn't realize until waaaaaay later in life that (1) they were not the same and (2) POMA was a brand. 
alicie
Angel Diva
I think the detachable ones are usually called pomas because the company first made the detachable ones.
SkiGAP
Angel Diva
In any case two POMA drag lifts at St Lary start you out with a really violent yank - which if you are not careful can even cause you to catch air. Really tough for the weak or unwary - and the snowboarders. Plus, the shorter of the two lifts is 1.65km long. There are some pretty knarly drag lifts out there.
patoswiss
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
When I first saw a Tbar here I was in shock. I hated them when I was 10 and I knew I would hate them 30 years later and I do hate them. We avoid them at all costs, DH won't even go to an area where you must use them. And around here, they are everywhere! There are many smaller ski areas that the locals have been skiing at their whole life that are 100% T bars. We get invited to go and often make an excuse to not go.
I hate them especially with kids. And ESPECIALLY when my son, aged 6, riding with his little friend, makes them 'fall off' the Tbar in the middle of a wooded area because they are fooling around. And then your only option is to either walk up or down because the trees are not passable. With the 6 yr old's skis and yours. Grrrr….
and I do hate them. We avoid them at all costs, DH won't even go to an area where you must use them. And around here, they are everywhere! There are many smaller ski areas that the locals have been skiing at their whole life that are 100% T bars. We get invited to go and often make an excuse to not go.I hate them especially with kids. And ESPECIALLY when my son, aged 6, riding with his little friend, makes them 'fall off' the Tbar in the middle of a wooded area because they are fooling around. And then your only option is to either walk up or down because the trees are not passable. With the 6 yr old's skis and yours. Grrrr….
RhodySkiBum
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
https://www.telegram.com/article/20150310/NEWS/303109566/0/SEARCH
So this happened when we were skiing last Sunday - we were in the lift line and saw this kid hanging on. So scary! My palms were sweating in my gloves just watching......really hope he is ok!
So this happened when we were skiing last Sunday - we were in the lift line and saw this kid hanging on. So scary! My palms were sweating in my gloves just watching......really hope he is ok!
grlacey
Certified Ski Diva
I have nightmares about this happening. A couple years ago DH and I had a complete miscommunication at the lift. I was ready, he was not. Then he hurried to catch the chair leaving me to scramble as well! once i was at the line, i turned to see where the chair was and got hit square in the face. Knocked me into the seat and out cold at the same time! Hubby had to hang on to me most of the way up! Had the swollen face and black eye for the rest of that week.
Ringrat
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Last week at Bridger Bowl I encountered the loading conveyors for the first time. And for the first time in over 20 years, I fell trying to get onto the chairlift. Thankfully I got an arm up before the oncoming chair clocked me in the head. You just can't adjust once you're on the thing! A little off and you're stuck there and can't slide things around! I was so glad to see that Big Sky didn't have them.
Ursula
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
well, these conveyor belts are pretty much the standard in Europe where they have a lot of 8-seaters! And, in my opinion, a necessity! If you ever have watched 8 folks trying to get on the chairlift together on a slippery platform, you know why resorts install the conveyors. 
They times the lifties have to stop the lifts because folks got tangled up is A LOT less on chairlifts with the belts. Yes, the first time, it's sort of strange to use them, but they really work.
They times the lifties have to stop the lifts because folks got tangled up is A LOT less on chairlifts with the belts. Yes, the first time, it's sort of strange to use them, but they really work.
SkiGAP
Angel Diva
Today during my second day at the "resort where Poma lifts reign supreme", I got bored and started sideslipping, kneeling down (on the tele skis), fake jogging, etc while being dragged up for the umpteenth time. Then I saw another skier do a 180 and allow himself to be dragged backwards, another hopping about in a manner I still haven't figured out (think snow ballet) and a snowboarder holding on with his hands and jumping 180s - the snowboarder also did managed some strange on-snow 360s with the Poma between his legs the entire time. I guess that if you are a local and spend half of your season on these things, you have to fill the time somehow. Anyway, food for thought if you need a challenge.
skishred42
Diva in Training
This is a silly question, but is there some reason that you can't just stay on the lift and ride it down, if you miss getting off? This would seem safer than jumping from several feet. At Loveland there is a midway point at chair 2 where you can unload and load. Last season, I moved over so a man and his teenage daughter could load, and dad missed the mark and fell about 6 feet. I was really worried about him, but his daughter was like "he'll be fine" like he does it all the time!
cheerrabbit
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I have seen this on Lift 6 once when a teenage girl missed getting off and the liftie couldn't reach her well enough to assist. I think they prefer to get you off though.
MaineSkiLady
Angel Diva
Yes. It's all in how the lift was constructed and/or retrofitted. Downloading requires that cable tensioning, even cable diameter, and sheave trains be different than if the lift won't be doing any downloading. In some cases, especially with detachables not entirely built for downloading, it can be done every few chairs (usually 3 or 5). But if not really designed for this at the outset (or retrofitted, as mentioned), it's not happening.
I almost bit it, too, because I tried to adjust or something.
I also bruised myself on a gate thing because I didn't know if they were flexy/released under pressure or opened completely on their own, and I decided to figure out which by, uh, thrusting myself into one of them. It took getting used to the idea that not everyone needs to be lined up to be picked up by the same chair!
