Perisher commences construction of new chairlift

With less than 100 days until winter, Perisher’s new Leichhardt Quad Chairlift construction team welcomed the arrival of the new lift towers. The $4.2 million Leichhardt Quad Chairlift will increase lifting capacity in the area by 75% giving guests more time to ski and board popular runs including The Cleft, Powder Ridge, Snowy Trails and the Leichhardt Terrain Park.

The development is the second new lift investment in 8 years! 2014 saw the construction of the Freedom Chairlift in Guthega. The construction for the Leichhardt Quad Chairlift, involved the removal of the T-Bar towers in Perisher Valley last year. The replacement of the steep, advanced only Leichhardt T-bar with a chairlift will allow it to be used by children and beginners providing another option to the nearby Happy Valley T-bar.

The new chairlift will also have the same conveyor load system as the Freedom Quad Chairlift in Guthega, making the loading process easy for all guests. 

Extensive work on the Leichhardt Quad Chairlift has now commenced with Bull Wheels and other components having been made specifically to size and shipped directly to Perisher from Doppelmayr. 

With Foundations and Masts prepared, both crane and helicopter services have been used to install the 6 new lift towers. Towers 5 and 6 were transported to top station via truck and lifted into place by crane. Towers 1-4 were not accessible by crane, so a Helicopter was used to lift the towers directly from the storage area in the Perisher Car Park and transported to the Leichhardt site.

The construction team will now focus on station Masts and Bull Wheel installation, along with the construction of the operators (lifties) huts at both top and bottom stations. 

Image: Construction underway at Perisher's new ski lift.