Telemix

The Telemix, also called a hybrid lift or chondola (portmanteau of chair and gondola), is a relatively new innovation in the world of ski lifts. The lift was first introduced by Poma, a French lift manufacturer. The lift is based around a detachable chairlift, where chairs are disconnected from the lift cable in stations to allow a high line speed, but safe loading and unloading in stations. Telemix lifts have both gondola cabins and detachable chairs operating on the same circuit. This allows beginners, children and non-skiing visitors to enjoy the benefits of the lift without the hassle of embarking and disembarking from moving chairs, while skiers can avoid removing their skis by using the chairs instead of the gondolas.

To allow safe loading and unloading, stations have separate areas for the different carrier types. The station resembles a gondola station followed by a chairlift station, or vice versa. Both carrier types first pass through a long loading deck, where they move along at a walking pace. This is where the gondolas are loaded, and the chairs that move by are ignored. Then, both carrier types turn around and go through a standard chairlift station, where people move in front of oncoming chairs and sit down as they pass by. Small gates open when a chair is about to go by and close when a gondola goes by, preventing people from moving in front of a gondola.

See also

* Ski lifts
* List of aerial lift manufacturers
* Poma (Pomagalski SA)

External links

* [http://www.poma.net/english/produits/sporthiver/telemix/main.htm Poma - Telemix]
* Lift-Database: [http://www.lift-world.info Lift-World]