Güdel transports teams and equipment safely up and down the mountain

6 Jan 2016

At the final competition of the Four Hills Tournament in the Austrian town of Bischofshofen, Güdel reliably transported all the athletes from the valley up to the ski jumpers' enclosure and then on to the take-off table for the jump, just as it did the previous year. At this elite event, 23-year-old Peter Prevc from Slovenia won not only that day's leg but also the overall competition.

With new snow having fallen before the competition and ideal weather conditions on the final day, the atmosphere in the ski jump area was electric. The skiers were jumping at speeds of up to 100 km/h from a height of 140 m.

In the second year since it came into operation, the Güdel cog railway provided reliable transport up the mountain and down again, where necessary, for all the athletes, teams, organizers, press representatives, fans and equipment. The passengers were impressed by the smooth ascent and the magnificent views of the jump, the stadium and the entire valley.

The special feature of the lift is the balancing function of its platform which can accommodate up to eight people. An intelligent control system raises or lowers the side of the platform facing the valley so that it is always horizontal and gives the passengers a comfortable ride. Traveling at speeds of up to 2 meters per second, the railway can not only climb inclines of more than 70%, but also negotiate curves. The railway, which is maintenance-free and has an automatic control function, can stop or change direction at any time. The platforms are available in a number of designs for a variety of different types of transport. The process of boarding and leaving the platforms can also be speeded up by fitting side entrances and exits. The system adjusts to the profile of the slope, takes up little space and operates sustainably, because energy is recovered every time it returns to the valley.

The ski jumpers can follow the remainder of the competition by travelling up on the cog railway next to the jump and the spectators can cheer the jumpers on. The cog railway, affectionately known as the "cabrio lift", travels from the stadium where the crowds gather to the ski jumpers' enclosure and the second smaller jump, where a second railway goes directly to the take-off table of the main jump. It negotiates inclines, drops and curves in style. The Güdel lift was in constant operation on the two days of competition. Each of the two lifts made more than 300 journeys over a period of more than ten hours on both of the days with absolutely no problems at all.

More than 25,000 fans visited the event to cheer the athletes on and millions of viewers watched the competition on television. A spectacular fireworks display after the presentation of the awards brought the ski event to a close.