To spread the word about Whistler Blackcomb’s new record-setting Peak 2 Peak gondola, the resort is touring one of the gondola cabins across the country, stopping off at iconic tourism destinations. After four days at the Toronto Ski, Snowboard and Travel Show, the gondola was on display below Toronto’s CN Tower for a media event on Monday, October 20th. Push.ca stopped by for a visit, and caught up with gondola tour manager Michelle Leroux. 

“We realized that the Peak 2 Peak gondola, considering all of the records it will break, will become a major tourism destination in Canada. While the gondola will totally change the way you ski and ride in the winter, the engineering feat and the views and experience it will provide will make it a tourism draw. So we wanted to actually take the Peak 2 Peak gondola across Canada to other significant tourist spots.”

With a ride time of only 11 minutes, the gondola will transport 2050 snowboarders (and skiers, of course) per hour at a speed of 7.5 meters per second, with a total of 28 cabins, each of which holds 28 passengers. The lift spans the peaks of Whistler and Blackcomb’s mountains, spanning a total distance of 4.4 km. Only four towers are used to support the gondola, with a distance of 3.024 km between the two towers that are furthest apart. The gondola will travel 436 meters above Fitzsimmons Creek, the valley between Whistler and Blackcomb.

The gondola is a marvel of modern engineering, and was manufactured and installed by the Dopplemayr/Garaventa Group from Austria. In fact, the first ride across was taken by a member of the Dopplemayr/Garaventa team.

“Mathias Zudrell, one of the engineers, was the first person to go across on the first gondola cabin. Although he wasn’t inside the cabin, he was riding outside the cabin on the carriage; that’s how he went across,” explained Leroux. “I had no idea they would send someone across on the first ride.”

Whistler and Blackcomb already offer the highest vertical of any ski resorts in North America, 5,020 meters and 5,280 meters, respectively. Previously, if you wanted to switch mountains during a riding day, you’d have to ride all the way back down one of the mountains to the valley and then go up the other mountain. When the Peak 2 Peak gondola opens on December 12th, all of this will change.

You can catch the Peak 2 Peak gondola in other Canadian cities through the rest of October before it returns to Whistler on November 2nd. All the tour information and blog updates can be found on the Whistler Blackcomb Peak 2 Peak site.

Peak 2 Peak Tour Schedule:

• Tuesday October 21 – Ottawa
  • PEAK 2 PEAK Party at Heart & Crown hosted by Kokanee Beer
• Wednesday, October 22 - Montreal
• Thursday, October 23 - Sudbury
• Friday, October 24 – Sault Ste. Marie
• Saturday, October 25 – Thunder Bay
• Sunday, October 26 – Winnipeg
  • Media event at The Forks – 11AM TO 1PM
• Monday, October 27 – Regina
• Wednesday, October 29 – Calgary
  • PEAK 2 PEAK Party at Earl’s Tin Palace
  • Media event at Canada Olympic Park – NOON TO 3PM
• Thursday, October 30 – Kelowna
  • PEAK 2 PEAK Party at Tonics Pub hosted by Kokanee Beer
• Friday, October 31 – Vancouver
  • Media event at Vancouver Aquarium – NOON TO 3PM
• Saturday, November 1 – Vancouver
  • PEAK 2 PEAK Party at Darby’s Pub hosted by Kokanee Beer
• Sunday, November 2 – Homecoming in Whistler