Remember that old saying, I don’t like change. Well, you can be assured everyone will like the changes they see on Mount Perisher this year and more importantly in 2025 when the new Mt Perisher high speed detachable 6-seater chair is finished.
For the first time since 1961, Perisher will be minus the Mount Perisher Double Chair for a winter season. During the summer, the old towers and top station were removed to make way for extensive and important initial works on the new chair’s foundations.
After extensive rock removal and ground works, lift manufacturer Doppelmayr have laid foundations for the top station which will be visible this winter.
Exciting times lay ahead for 2025, but if we are honest, guests may feel some minor pain this season with only the Triple Chair operating on the full eastern face of Mount Perisher. The International and Eyre T-bars, plus Sun Valley will share the load for access to the Mount Perisher runs, but realistically there may be congestion on busy days.
Savvy skiers and snowboarders will judge their time to arrive and depart this area. And it’s not as if there isn’t plenty of other terrain to access across the resort.
Carving turns down Towers run, minus the double chair’s towers will really open up the terrain. Next year when the triple has departed and there are less towers for the new chair, Towers will seem like a whole new run.
Everyone has a story for the double chair, most would agree their encounter often started with the chair bashing into the back of your knees just to remind you that yes, the lifty may not have bumped it as well as they should. Plus, who else has reached the top and at the very last minute realised the safety rope was still across you.
How many people have lapped the top bullwheel…? A few for sure.
In this modern age everyone desires the comfort of a high-speed chair, with easy loading, fast times to the top and then lap as many runs as possible before your legs give out.
Not everyone would agree, but having a rickety old ride on the double often allowed the legs to recuperate. Plus, on those windy days you had extra bounce and sway at no extra charge, and blizzard days you were cold, very cold, with an added free facial if you forgot your neck warmer. Oh, those joyful memories.
In 1961 you could imagine this was state of the art equipment. And the excitement that must have endured to escape the T-bars and ride in the comfort of this brand-new chair. Remembering, this was still the very infancy of the snow industry where investment into resorts and development were just gaining momentum.
Ken Murray of KG Publishing was instrumental in this era of development. From 1959 when he built the Sundeck Hotel and No 1 T-bar, to building The Man From Snowy River Hotel and the No 2 T-bar in 1960 and then the high tech double chair in 1961. During the following decade Murray added another 10 lifts and in 1965 built the Valley Inn hotel, now the Perisher Manor.
2025 - The New Mt P 6
The new Doppelmayr chairlift will be the latest state of the art technology and has been specially designed to suit our Australian conditions. We all know when the weather is nasty it is accompanied with wind.
Perisher’s Operations Director Michael Fearnside said the new Doppelmayr D-line lift has a wider rope gauge, better wind performance and better performance for guests to load and unload.
“This new chairlift replacing these two existing lifts for 2025 season sees a 60 percent increase in chair lifting capacity on Mount Perisher,” said Mr Fearnside.
With the removal of large areas of rock above the existing chairlifts for the new top station, the chair will be the highest lifted point in Australia at 2042 metres above sea level. The unload will be at 90 degrees to the south.
“The height of the unload is purely so you can go right along that ridgeline to the south, and you can drop into every chute and make it back to this lift with a five and a half minute ride time versus the existing ten.”
The opening times in 2025 will be 8.30am for the new chair allowing guests extra time during the best part of the day for carving up the corduroy, or seeking fresh powder turns.
Discussing how the new chair will operate, Perisher’s Mountain Manager Andrew Kennedy said the chairs have automatic loading, and the way the breakover assembly is designed on the towers they hope to have less de-icing and be able to load the chairs quickly in the morning.
“Having the chair on Mt P will probably better distribute the guests over the whole of the mountain, take some of the pressure of the Blue Cow, Guthega side and bring a few back over to here,” said Mr Kennedy.
Be sure to take your souvenir photos of the triple chair this winter, as 2025 will be a new era.
Works Completed Pre 2024 Season
• Access road including creek culvert.
• Top station earthworks.
• Top station mast foundation.
• Both top station masts.
• Eyre T-bar return station relocation. Note that the unload point remains the same.
• Removal of Mt Perisher Double Chair.
• Bottom station preliminary works prepared and ready to commence at the first opportunity post the 2024 season.
You can find more updates on website.
PHOTOS: National Archives of Australia
