Summary of the Peak to Peak Gondola Construction
This video details the incredible engineering feat behind the Whistler Blackcomb Peak to Peak Gondola, a 2-mile long gondola connecting two mountain peaks in British Columbia. It highlights the challenges faced during its construction, from the unique design requirements to the logistical nightmares of transporting massive cables across continents and up mountains.
The Challenge: Connecting Two Mountains
- Problem: Whistler Blackcomb, North America’s largest ski resort, needed efficient transportation between its two mountain peaks. Traditional gondolas would be too slow, requiring descents into the valley.
- Innovative Solution: A direct gondola spanning almost 2 miles without support towers, capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds. This type of gondola had never been built before.
Engineering Marvels and Construction Hurdles
- Cable Design: Instead of a single cable, the Peak to Peak uses a “3S” system with two track cables and one haul rope in each direction. This provides stability against strong winds and allows for long unsupported spans.
- Logistical Nightmare: The massive 97-ton, 15,000-foot long cables were manufactured in Switzerland and transported via cargo ship, train, and a specialized 48-wheel heavy-haul trailer across North America.
- Mountain Transport: Moving the spools up the mountain involved multiple trucks, pushing and pulling, over unpaved ski runs, at a painstaking 1 mph.
- Cable Installation: Smaller pilot cables were first threaded across the towers by helicopter, then used to pull the main cables, a process that took 12 weeks of continuous effort.
- Cable Splicing: The haul rope, which forms a continuous loop, required a specialized splicing technique to join its ends without compromising strength or creating uneven surfaces. This intricate task was performed by one of only a handful of experts in the world.
Impact and Legacy
- Time Saved: The Peak to Peak Gondola reduced an hour-long journey between the two mountains to just 11 minutes.
- Overcoming Nature: The project allowed skiers to easily access both mountains in a single day, a feat previously hindered by natural barriers.
Vocabulary Table
| Term | Pronunciation | Definition | Used in sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| indisputably | /ˌɪndɪˈspjuːtəbli/ | Beyond question or doubt; without dispute. | it is indisputably the largest ski resort in North America. |
| facilitate | /fəˈsɪlɪteɪt/ | To make an action or process easy or easier. | but also has to facilitate easy transportation for visitors. |
| traditional | /trəˈdɪʃənəl/ | Existing in or as part of a tradition; long-established. | but a traditional Gondola wouldn’t save much time at all. |
| conceptually | /kənˈsɛptʃuəli/ | In terms of concepts or general ideas. | the main problem that needed to be solved here was conceptually a simple one. |
| aforementioned | /əˈfɔːrmɛnʃənd/ | Denoting a thing or person previously mentioned. | the aforementioned hurricane level winds would turn an otherwise peaceful ride. |
| reliable | /rɪˈlaɪəbl/ | Consistently good in quality or performance; able to be trusted. | and you’ve got yourself a pretty reliable to Railway in the sky. |
| unprecedentedly | /ʌnˈprɛsɪdɛntɪdli/ | In a way that has never happened or existed before. | unprecedentedly long Gondola cable store. |
| hurdle | /ˈhɜːrdl/ | A problem or difficulty that must be overcome. | had a different hurdle. |
| splicing | /ˈsplaɪsɪŋ/ | Joining (ropes or cables) by interweaving strands. | so instead you have to splice it. |
| vanquished | /ˈvæŋkwɪʃt/ | Defeat thoroughly. | had once again been vanquished. |
Vocabulary Flashcards
Embedded Video:
Fill in the Blanks Exercise
1. Whistler Blackcomb is indisputably the ski resort in North America.
2. The resort needed to easy transportation between its two mountain peaks.
3. A gondola would not save much time.
4. The main problem was simple: a single gondola cable is not designed for such long unsupported spans.
5. The hurricane-level winds posed a significant challenge.
6. The 3S system creates a pretty two-railway in the sky.
7. The cables were of long length and weight.
8. The Canadian National Railway presented a different for transportation.
9. The process of joining the cable ends without compromising strength is called .
10. Mother nature had once again been by this engineering feat.
Vocabulary Quiz
Fact or Fiction Quiz
.
