Where to Ski And Snowboard - Klosters installs laser-controlled chair

Klosters installs laser-controlled chair

8th July 2016, by Abi Butcher

The height beneath the chair will automatically rise and fall to help children

A ground-breaking new laser-controlled chairlift is being built this summer on Madrisa in Klosters-Davos.

The six-seater “Schaffürggli” chairlift is the first of its kind in Switzerland, featuring a laser scanner that assess the height of skiers and snowboarders using the lift, determining whether they are adult or children. A hydraulic control adjusts the level beneath the seat to ensure even small children can safely get onto the lift.

A spokesman for Klosters told Where to Ski and Snowboard that if children and adults are loading at the same time, the lift table will rise anyway. “So it’s a little more uncomfortable for adults but on the other hand it’s a huge advantage and relief for children.”

A rising bar ensures that smaller children can no longer slide out — and the lift features a hood that lowers automatically in bad weather to protect skiers from snow and cold. Klosters is notorious for its chilly lifts, and the new Schaffürggli chair will also have heated seats.

Klosters is home to Skiing for Hereos, and ski sledges, equipment for wheelchair users, can also be transported on the new lift. Although this is the first of its kind in Switzerland, Serfaus in Austria have one, too.

The Schaffürggli lift is 1,860m long and will transport 2,600 people per hour to an elevation of 510m.

For more information, visit madrisa.ch