The Mt Perisher Double Chair Lift is being retired. Photo: Perisher Resort.
Up in the Snowy Mountains, the skiing community is mourning the loss of one its greats – and with it, many, many of the great stories of the slopes.
At a speed of two metres per second, and with an 11 minute transit time, it had the ability to move around 600 skiers per hour – but there was always enough time for a bit of a chat and giggle on the Mt Perisher Double Chair.
Now, at 63 years of age, it has been retired. With the linking towers removed by chopper last week, Perisher’s longest standing fixed-grip chairlift is currently being decommissioned and will not operate this winter.
Constructed in 1961, the lift dubbed ‘Mt P Double’ is now to be replaced with a brand-new high speed six-seater chairlift.
Affectionately dubbed the ‘Mt P 6’, the detachable chairlift will replace the existing Mt Perisher double and is expected to spin for the 2025 Australian snow season.
With a speed of 4.5 metres per second, ‘Mt P 6’ will reduce travel time up Mt Perisher to just 5.5 minutes and become Australia’s highest lifted point, literally taking guests further up the mountain to 2042 metres.
Faster load and unload times at each end will also facilitate greater circulation and flow of traffic around the mountain’s network of 48 lifts across four resort areas.
Reaching new heights in 2025 means a few things, but most importantly it means the choice of trails in all directions on Mt Perisher without needing to traverse.
Due to the location of the top station bull wheel, the demolition of the Mt P Double has been deemed essential to the construction of the top station of the new Mt P 6.
Demolition will begin in coming weeks with the removal of the old lift’s haul line.
But while Mt P Double may have seen its last winter, a special event is in the pipeline to commemorate its years of service.
The ‘Mt P 6’ project adds to the Freedom Quad Chair, Leichhardt Quad Chair and continued investment in snowmaking that the resort has implemented in the past 10 years, according to Nathan Butterworth, Vice President and General Manager of Perisher.
“This has been a desired infrastructure upgrade by our local ski community, and I’m thrilled we will be able to make this a reality for our guests,” said Mr Butterworth.
Trail maps and on-mountain directions will be updated to help guests navigate a slightly different-looking Mt Perisher this winter.
Original Article published by Edwina Mason on About Regional.
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