Snowboarding on a drag lift. Snowboard and chair lift. Why use a ski lift

To enjoy snowboarding or skiing ah, it’s not enough to master only the descent. A successful climb back to the top is just as important. A drag lift is one of the most popular types of lifts on small or fairly gentle slopes. It is he who causes the most problems for beginners to use.

The yoke is a cable stretched in a circle through special supports, which moves due to the operation of a motor installed at the upper or lower stations. Skiers and snowboarders who want to climb to the top of the mountain cling to the cable, and the tow bar tows them up the slope.

Types of ski lifts

Depending on how you can hook on the main tow rope, drag lifts are divided into several types.

Baby lift - is a slowly moving cable with plastic handles or loops, holding on to which you climb to the top of the slope. It is usually stretched at a height of about a meter. Most often used on children's and training slopes. It is worth starting your acquaintance with drag lifts with it.

T-yoke - the shape of the device that will pull you up, resembles an inverted letter T, it is called a barbell. This type of yoke is also called an anchor, or a mop. Snowboarders, in order to lift, insert the bar between their legs, and the emphasis is on inner part thighs of the front leg. And skiers just lightly lean on the crossbar with their bodies. The launch takes place from a flat platform, which facilitates the landing process. Most often, the bar is equipped with an inertial mechanism that saves from a strong jerk at the start. On the T-shaped yoke, you can climb both singly and together.

Tow bar, or Poma (after the name of the inventor) - a small plastic plate is attached to the end of each tow bar. At the beginning of the movement, it is clamped between the legs. This type of drag lift is for single use only. It also uses a mechanism that protects against a jerk at the start.

Yoke without fasteners. This type of drag lift is the progenitor of all the others. This is a cable stretched on a slope, moving due to a motor located below. At the top is a mast with a roller (pulley). To climb, you need to hook onto the cable with a special carabiner, to which a piece of canvas cable (halyard) is tied, about one and a half meters long, with a stick fixed at the end. This carabiner is just called the "yoke", which gave the name to all towing-type lifts. When creating a load, the yoke clings to the cable, and when loosened, it easily flies off it.

To learn how to use such a lift, experience and skill are required. With a lack of experience, climbing can be simply dangerous. The cable is covered with oil, in addition, there are notches on it. In case of careless handling, clothes and gloves are torn and dirty. In addition, if a special striker for carbines does not work, you can get your clothes or, worse, your hand into a rotating drum.

If you are not confident in your abilities, drag lifts without attachments are best avoided. When there is still a need, such a lift can be made by hand. It is convenient to use on small unequipped slopes. A self-made drag lift is easily transported in the trunk of a car and assembled on site within a maximum of an hour.

Learning to climb on the yoke

The use of rope tow lifts of different types has its own characteristics. There are also differences in landing for skiers and snowboarders. Here are a few general rules which are mandatory for everyone:

do not try to sit on the yoke bar (T-shaped or poppet), this will lead to an inevitable fall. The bar is designed only for emphasis, it simply pulls a person up the slope;
when falling, you must immediately release the yoke and crawl to the side so as not to interfere with the rising trail. If skis are unfastened or sticks fall out of your hands, you should also try to quickly remove them;
you can not move out of the way of the ascent;
do not try to "catch" the yoke in the middle of the lift. You are unlikely to be able to do this correctly, and there is a high probability of injury;
do not drop the yoke in front of the support. This may cause the main cable to stop;
for the first time, choose a lift with special staff who will help with landing;
relax your muscles, bend your knees. Do not shift your body weight forward or backward. This will help to maintain balance, and make the ascent as comfortable as possible;
when using a drag lift without fastening devices, in no case wrap the halyard around your hand.

It is easier for beginner skiers to learn how to use the ski lift than it is for snowboarders. But even on a snowboard, this is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. Here are some tips to help beginner snowboarders master the tow bar:

it is better to unfasten the back leg before lifting. In the process of movement on the yoke, it is placed in front of the rear mount;
hold the yoke bar with your front hand;
do not actively use edging, it is better to go straight, on a sliding board;
even if the yoke type is T-shaped, use it alone;
try to keep the body straight, look in the direction of movement.

Even if you don't succeed the first time, don't be afraid to try again. Subject to simple rules, the yoke will quickly become your friend.

It is a well-known fact that going uphill is harder than going down it. The man figured out how to facilitate this process. One of the types of devices for lifting skiers up the slope of the track is a drag lift.

It looks like a cable, closed in a ring system and stretched at a distance of about two meters from the ground between the support columns.

An engine is installed at the top or bottom of the track, which sets it in motion. To climb the mountain, the skier clings to the tow bar attached to the cable in one of the ways provided by the feature of this mechanism.

Lifting modifications

Tow bars, they were also called Poma lifts earlier, differ in the names of towing bars, which are of two types.

Anchor or colloquially a mop. In this case, it is clear what this device looks like: at the end of the bar there is a crossbar designed to pull two people at once.
A plate, as another type of rod is called, with a limiter in the form of a round die at the end, is designed to tow one person. Based on the description, one can imagine the outlines of this fruit of engineering.

And one cannot fail to mention the Baby Elevator - this is also a type of lifting mechanism, the cable of which is stretched low from the surface of the earth, does not have intermediate supports and moves at low speed.

It is usually used by children and beginners who have no skiing experience at all.

In order to use it, you just need to grab the cable with your hands or with special plastic brackets.

Safety regulations

In order to use the drag lift effectively, you should remember a few rules:

Before climbing, see how more experienced skiers do it.
Catching a yoke, especially at first, is worth it with the help of special assistants, they are usually nearby.
For a stable position, you need to hold on to the bar with both hands.
If the balance is lost, and the fall nevertheless occurred, it is necessary to release the yoke and roll away from the line of rise.
No need to fuss, rush and interfere with other people with your actions, this can lead to a collision and injury.

With development skiing, All more people visits mountain resorts by ski lifts. They come in different modifications, have different names, but still, they all remain a source of danger, which should always be remembered! Holidays in the mountains should bring joy and satisfaction.

A chair lift is the best way for a snowboarder to get uphill. The legs rest, the snowboard does not interfere, the main thing is to dress warmly and enjoy the views.

Landing

Go through the turnstile, determine if you can carry a snowboard in your hands (most often yes) or if you need to fasten one leg (usually in such places employees do not let people in without a snowboard on), wait for your turn and line up with those who are going to sit on the lift together with you (depending on the capacity of the lift). Usually one chair is designed for 2 to 6 people. sit down on chairlift everyone needs it at the same time, so everyone should be on the same line. Do not run into this line if you do not have time for a chair. Wait for the next one and sit down like a human.

When the chair approaches, carefully sit on it, immediately putting your legs forward and straightening them so that they do not sink under the chair and break. Place the board edgewise between your legs so that it does not interfere with the lowering of the safety bar and does not hit your knee. Gently, smoothly and slowly lower the safety bar, after informing the others about it. Put your feet on the step (if you get it), check that the snowboard does not fall down, usually they look for this so that in any case it catches on the mount on the frame. It's best to keep it all the way.

disembarkation

When the chair approaches the upper station, you need to raise the safety frame in advance (usually this place is marked with a corresponding sign), take the snowboard to right hand and determine which direction you will run. It is best to sit on the outside of the lift, and run away there. However, if you are sitting inside, then you should not rush through all the chairs, you still won’t have time. Run back to the inner support, and go right behind the chair to go outside. The main thing is not to stand in the way of the chair, it will sweep away instantly.

If you have one leg strapped to the snowboard, then you will have to leave clearly ahead, as skiers do. Get ready, stand on the supporting leg, push off from the chair, put the other foot on the board and gently steer away from the lift. It is important not to fall, because there may be other people behind you, for whom your fall will be an absolute surprise.

Chair lift features

Dress warmly - the wind is much stronger on the lift than below. The lift can be stopped, so no one knows how long you will spend there.

Do not drop your snowboard, mittens, phones and other things down - it will be almost impossible to find them. It is better to wait until you arrive at the top, and there devote a few extra minutes to all the necessary manipulations.

Be sure to lower the safety frame. All the coolness of riding a chairlift without a safety frame eventually leads to tragedy. Falling onto rocks from a height of 5 meters is no longer cool, so think with your head.

If you are riding a chair not in splendid isolation, but with someone else, it doesn’t matter if they have skis or a board on their feet, be sure to coordinate your actions for everyone’s safety. This is especially true for lowering and raising the safety frame - you can seriously injure a gaping lover of mountain slopes.

Snowboard lift? No, I'm better on foot, I need strong legs!

Well, as you wish ..., and I will sit in an armchair, and I will look from above as you puff up the slope ...

Armchair?! Why didn't you say before?! Sitting on a chair is not for you to fight with a yoke ...

(a conversation between two beginner snowboarders)

In this article, we will talk about how to learn to use the lift when snowboarding. We will tell you what types of lifts are, and why you need to unfasten one leg when using them. We will also share our personal experience that will be useful to any snowboarder.

Part one. Theoretical.

Why do you need a lift?

The goal of most mechanisms and machines is to make life easier for a person, free up time and energy for more interesting, important and useful things, and the lift is no exception. It allows you to save energy for those extreme descents for which people get up on alpine skis and snowboards. The invention of ski lifts provoked a rapid growth in the technical skills of athletes and the popularization of skiing and snowboarding.

When can I start using the lift on my snowboard?

If this is your first time getting on a snowboard, then don't bother with lifts, walk up the slope until you get the hang of it. side slip, and even better weight transfer turns(you don’t want to get stuck at the very height, or even worse - fly head over heels from it?). Well, when you can freely change the direction of movement and at least somehow turn, be prepared for the fact that the first five ascents will force you to show everything best qualities =).

What is the best way to use the lift on a snowboard?

On ski resorts The three most common rates are:

The “hourly” rate is when you can go through the turnstile as many times as you like in the allotted time (no, the cunning plan of passing the card to a friend for free skiing is doomed to failure, because the delay between passes is from 4 to 7 minutes). Such subscriptions are valid only on the day of purchase and are activated either at the first pass, or 10-15 minutes after purchase (it is better to check immediately at the checkout). The cost depends on the time (at peak times it is more expensive) and the duration of skiing (discounts for bulk purchases).

One-time tariff - when you can go through the turnstile a paid number of times for an unlimited time (such subscriptions, most often, are valid not only on the day of purchase, but for the rest of the season). There is no delay between passes, while the cost depends on the number of lifts: opt is opt =). (Exception GLK "Uktus" - there the price is fixed)

The “free” tariff is when only the strength of one’s legs is used as a lift, and the employees of the GLC stop the lift with special perseverance and drive you away from the lonely flying drags. You can ride this tariff for as long as you like (and even when the GLC is not working), and climb as many times as you have enough strength and energy.

For more information on when it is more profitable to use each of the above "tariffs", see the table.

Use the "Hourly" rate	Use the "Per-time" tariff	Use the "Free" tariff
If you don’t want to practice anything, but you want fun and fun descents with maximum effort	If you learn and hone your skills throughout the descent	If you are studying and do not know how to use the lift
If you ride during the hours when peace and solitude reign on the mountain (on weekdays, early in the morning or late in the evening, or in frost, on the verge of closing the slopes at -20-25ºС)	If you come to the mountain during peak hours (usually this is a weekend from 12 to 17)	If the line for the lift starts right from the ticket office and even your angelic patience is not enough to endure this hell
If you prefer to tirelessly ride all the available time, ignoring lunch, toilet and other distractions from skiing	If you prefer relaxed and measured skiing with barbecue breaks and unhurried conversations with friends	If you prefer to combine extreme sensations with a program to get rid of excess weight and endurance training (with regular skating, you start to watch how not to lose weight - energy for heating and lifting takes a lot)

largest snowboarding progress achieved by combining all three "tariffs".

With fun descents, the necessary roll is acquired and personal experience. Lots of personal experience.
During one-time descents, a correct technique(provided that you do not burn the slope with napalm, but purposefully do the exercises).
When climbing on foot, you have time to think over your mistakes and see the others, and at the same time learn to rationally use the slope and get the most out of each descent (then crawl uphill a lot).

If you not warming up before snowboarding using a lift, then be prepared to “creak” during the first three descents (about as much work you need to do to warm up your muscles and get into the right rhythm). The easiest way is to warm up directly during the ascent (on foot or on the lift), when there is a lot of free time and you can vigorously wave your arms, twist your body, and perform vertical work (squat). So you will be well protected from stupid sprains and injuries.

Types of lifts

Rope (dish and T-shaped) - stood on the board, squeezed the yoke between your legs and roll yourself slowly. (Uktus, Deciduous, Wolf, Saw, Warm, Stack, Hedgehog, White)

ravolator or tape - stand on the tape with a board in your hands or on your foot and watch how pedestrians overtake you (Rosa Khutor)

Chairlifts - sat on a bench, relaxed and you sit so contented while lifting up (Ezhovaya, Belaya)

Gondola - went into the booth, sat on a bench, and you sit, you look at the beauties of the mountains, protected from wind and cold (Bath)

At the same time, chairlifts and gondola lifts do not cause practically any problems for snowboarders, what's so difficult about it - you unfasten the board and you sit, like in a bus or tram. But with rope tows, especially at first, there are certain difficulties.

And there is a simple explanation for this - using ski lift on a snowboard it is impossible without placing the board on the entire sliding surface as a whole, and this position is very unstable. With random fluctuations in weight, the edges will definitely want to bite into the snow and drop the snowboarder, especially when the track under the lift is so broken that it is more suitable for a bobsleigh championship than for snowboarding and skiing.

To make life easier, we unfasten the back leg

The release of the back leg not only makes it easier to get on/off the lift, but also helps the muscles to relax and rest during the lift.

For comparison, remember how much strength it takes to stand still on the board, and the lightness that you experience after unfastening the mounts.

The same thing happens when using the lift on a snowboard: as soon as the hind leg gains freedom, a person immediately has remarkable abilities for movement and stability. Standing and moving with one unfastened leg is very easy!

When using the lift with one leg strapped on, you can:	When using the lift with two legs strapped on, you can:
Make it easier to wait in line	Get tired of jumping and spend a lot of extra energy, but save 30 seconds of your time (for buckling your legs on top)
Easily approach and depart from drop-off/drop-off points	Climb short distances to descend through the snow park and a series of jumps
Rest and relax while climbing
It is easy to jump away from an obstacle that suddenly jumped out (squirrel, calf, little boy)
Move on a flat slope (for example, on the Belaya slope during a headwind)
It is easy to restore balance by pushing off with the back foot, and when falling, quickly crawl away and not get edging on the ear
Learn carving turns with one leg strapped =)

Often, on the way to the lift, a kind of motley company of jumping hares gathers. They squeak, grunt, roll into pits and collapse on the unevenness of the slope, scratch equipment, and wave their arms in the hope of maintaining balance ... in response, they receive sidelong glances of indignation from more stable brothers. When they cling to the yoke, they strain with all their might instead of relaxing and resting before the next reckless descent.

Why is all this necessary? I don't understand... =)

Part two. Practical.

When using a drag lift, there are a number of basic rules, due to the violation of which falls occur:

The starting point should be convenient (it is difficult to grab the lift when you roll towards it or crash into a hill at the start)

The lift is not a chair, and you should not sit on it =) (the yoke pulls forward, not up, so you have to stand on your feet)

Weight should be evenly distributed across the legs

The head and shoulders should not collapse and tilt - keep them level, knees slightly bend to absorb bumps

To learn how to use the lift, you will need to go through several stages:

Scooter

Attention: the fastened leg always rolls forward first (both on the lift and when driving on a slope)

Find a flat and gently sloping section of the slope where you will not disturb anyone.

Buckle up your front foot and get used to the board a little: roll from side to side, step your free foot over the snowboard, lift and spin around on your axis.

Now start pushing off with the back, as if you are rolling on a scooter or skateboard. First ride in a straight line, and then in a circle (clockwise and counterclockwise).

Once you feel confident, find a small incline with enough rollout to stop and move on to the next step.

Descent in a straight line with one unfastened leg

Turn the snowboard down the slope and place your back foot on it (near the binding), then roll into the main stance. There is no need to twitch and try to control the board, let it slide down the slope on its own and stop (you didn’t climb Everest to practice this exercise, right?).

Get up using the scooter skill and make it harder for yourself: squat, lift your back leg, reach the nose and tail of the board during the descent, turn your head.

Choice of starting point

Watch where most snowboarders/skiers start. Most likely, the largest and deepest hole has been rolled out in this place, which will try to stop and cause a lot of inconvenience. To make your life easier (especially on initial stage) choose a place that is even (slightly higher or lower on the slope).

You need to get up closer to the flying yokes (the length of the arms should be enough so as not to reach for them with your whole body and not lean forward).

Please note that the yokes should fly in front, you will catch them behind your back next season =).

Start

For maximum efficiency, try to choose a time when no one will push you from behind (this way you can safely skip the skids flying by).

Approach the starting point and turn with your front foot up the slope

Grab the yoke and stick the plate under the fifth point.

During the start, tighten your muscles a little to compensate for the jerk of the spring in the yoke and

- unhook back hand so that the snowboard does not turn across the slope due to a shift in the center of gravity.

Driving on a lift

Distribute your weight evenly across your legs

Bend your knees slightly to absorb bumps, but do not tilt your head and body (keep them level), otherwise you will crash!

Finish

Pull the yoke stick towards you and jump to the side

Roll away from the landing site (if you sit right there, you will create a huge plug of jumping hares) and calmly fasten your back leg

Lifts are wagon, capsule, chair, towing (rope). The first two types are cabs of various sizes suspended on a cable. If you have problems with them - say "no" to alcohol and drugs.

A little more difficult is the chair lift, where the most difficult is the approach and departure. As a rule, landing in a chair causes less problems than disembarking. This is where “scooter” riding with the back leg unfastened comes in handy. When landing, keep in mind that getting off the chair, you will need to roll to the side. Goofy is easier to go to the left, regulars - to the right.

The biggest problem for beginner snowboarders is drag lifts, the so-called “mops” and “plates” (there is also a cable with a hook that needs to be hooked by hand, but there is no theory here - only practice). When using the yoke, you have to climb on a flat board for a long time, which is quite difficult and unpleasant. In addition, due to the fact that there are more skiers on the slope (and, accordingly, on the lift), you have to climb along two ski tracks, which do not always go the way you want. A skier will easily go around a protruding stump or a block of ice, passing it between the skis, or moving far to the side, but it is impossible to perform such maneuvers on the board, so even experienced snowboarders sometimes do not reach the top of the lift. However, if the lift track is monitored, and this is increasingly common in our country, the yoke does not cause any particular problems.

It is better to learn how to use the drag lift in the “paddling pools” - there the slope is more gentle, and the speed is less.

With your rear leg unfastened, approach the landing site, which should ideally be flat and not sloping. Set the board with your nose in the direction of travel, put your back foot in front of the back mount on a special rubber stand, it is called “pads”, making sure that the toe or heel of the boot does not protrude beyond the edge of the board, turn the body half-turn back and wait for the approaching “mop” or "plate". When she's in the distance outstretched hand, grab it and shove it under your front leg. Goofy is easier to do with his left hand, regulars - with his right. Wait for the jerk, trying to soften it with your hand and moving the body forward. After that, shift your weight to your front foot and try to relax and enjoy yourself.

When moving on the yoke, almost all of your weight should be on your front foot. As soon as you try to load the rear foot, the board will turn tail forward and, having hooked the snow with the front edge, will stop. Your "plate", meanwhile, will move on, leaving you to wallow in the snow.
The biggest problems when climbing on the yoke are caused by the board not falling into the ski rut, if it is clearly expressed, bypassing obstacles, and moving along convex sections (bridges). All this happens because with a flat board, it is almost impossible to control it, and you will chat from side to side, following the board, repeating all the curves of the terrain. You can significantly alleviate your fate if you climb the “mop” not alone, but by someone else. It can be your brother - a snowboarder, and even better if it is a skier or a skier - whoever is lucky. There is such a subtlety: if two people rise at the same time on the “mop”, the jerk is stronger, so at this moment hold on to the neighbor’s waist. Just keep in mind that until you gain experience, your board may accidentally run into his skis or board, so it’s better to choose someone you know as partners ... It’s easier for two snowboarders to climb if one of them is goofy (rides on the right), and the second - regular (left).

The easiest way to climb is on “cymbals” with a curved handle. The straight handle turns you around all the time, as it comes out from under your feet not straight forward, but at an angle. The smaller the angle of installation of the mounts, the harder it is to climb on a “plate” with a straight handle.

If you lose your balance during the lift, you can regain it with your free back foot (again “scooter”!), but keep in mind that the slowest lift moves at a speed that you can develop only by running, so putting your back foot on the snow, you will have to make a lot of effort later to get it back on the board.

If you fall on an incline, crawl to the side as quickly as possible without trying to get up. You will stand aside, calmly, slowly and without worrying that someone will run over you.

When you reach the top, pull yourself forward by the handle of the “mop” or “plate” with your hand and get off the lift. Immediately step aside so as not to interfere with those who rise after you. Please note: unlike the chair lift, it is easier for goofies to go to the right on the yoke, and to the left for regulars.

You can also climb on the yoke with your hind leg fastened, for some it even seems easier. You can save a lot of time on fastening fasteners.

Additionally