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First hanger lift in the world

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90% ascent, 10% descent: An average beginner's lesson on the ski hill. That was until 1934, when the world's first stirrup lift began to take the strain out of the ascent at the Bolgen in Davos. Invented by the Zurich engineer Ernst Gustav Constam. Nostalgics still love them today: the T-shaped, orange-and-black ski lift hangers that for decades provided access to Switzerland's ski paradises.


Many of them still exist - but modern technology, the comfort demands of snow sports enthusiasts and more efficient spatial policies are decimating them more and more every year. What many people do not know: The first bow ski lift in the world and also the first ski lift in Switzerland ran at Bolgen in Davos. At the end of the 1920s, a study by the Davos Ski School showed that ski students spent only six minutes per lesson on skiing.


The rest of the time they needed to climb to the start. Engineer Ernst Gustav Constam wanted to remedy this problem. The passionate skier subsequently developed a tow rope system with a haul rope. In 1930 Constam registered his invention with the patent office, and four years later he found a sponsor in the local hotelier and farmer Leonhard Fopp, who was interested in building such a drag ropeway on his property.


On December 24, 1934, the Bolgen lift was finally put into operation. Its data sheet: 270 meters long, 60 meters difference in altitude, J-shaped single bar, bottom station with a 24 hp electric drive, five intermediate supports and an upper return station. After the first season, the Bolgen lift had already transported 70,000 skiers - a complete success. As a result, the transport capacity was doubled - the young ski instructor Jack Ettinger was the one who came up with the idea: He suggested replacing the J-shaped single bars with T-shaped double bars. Constam, who immediately liked this suggestion, had the Bolgen lift converted to double stirrups.

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