December 19, 2008

Upper Line Of Excalibur Gondola Re-Opens Saturday

Five points of access to mountains; full upload capacity of 12,000 guests per hour available as holiday season gets underway

The BC Safety Authority has reinstated the operating permit for the upper line of Blackcomb Mountain's Excalibur Gondola following inspections this week. Repair work has commenced on the lower line and crews are working to get this section of the line open as quickly as possible.

Whistler Blackcomb opens Saturday morning with five points of access, and a full upload capacity of just over 12,000 guests per hour. The upper line of the Excalibur Gondola will re-open tomorrow, just in time for the holiday season to kick into gear.

The Excalibur Gondola consists of an upper and lower line, separated by a terminal at Base 2. Guests will be able to access the upper line of the Gondola via Base 2. Parking lots 6 and 7 are directly adjacent to Base 2, providing access to Blackcomb Mountain. Other access is via The Wizard Express at the base of Blackcomb Mountain, the Fitzsimmons Express and the Whistler Village Gondola from Whistler Village, and the Creekside Gondola at the Creekside base. Access between Whistler and Blackcomb is also available via the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola.

Tickets will be available at all bases including Base 2 and ski outs will be available to Creekside, Whistler Village from Whistler Mountain, and the Blackcomb base. The Village Run from Blackcomb's Base 2 to the village, is expected to open next week.

The extended weather forecast from Environment Canada calls for periods of snow Sunday with accumulation of five to 10 centimetres, a mix of sun and cloud with scattered flurries on Monday, and snowfall accumulation of 10 to 15 centimetres on Tuesday.

Updated information about Tuesday's incident on the lower line of the Excalibur Gondola will continue to be available for guests and media from the homepage at www.whistlerblackcomb.com. The web site also includes further information about Whistler Blackcomb's operating plan, open lifts, snow conditions, grooming and open terrain.
 

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