Vertigo

You shouldn't have a fear of heights if you wanted to dare a ride with Vertigo. This was the first delivery of the Mountain Glider, developed by a subsidiary firm of Doppelmayr, a well known company for alpinists, normally producing chair lifts and other systems for ski resorts. After the Sky Glider for the German amusement park Fort Fun, the Mountain Glider was the next generation of amusement park engineering from funicular specialists. Newest technology had been used with Vertigo such as W-LAN for the breaking system of the vehicles so that no separate block brakes had to be used on the whole track. But aside from technology, this attraction also delivered sheer fun. Sadly, the ride was dismantled after the 2008 season due to numerous technical problems. Read on for our former review.

The impressive steel towers can already be clearly seen from the parking lot. With their very futuristic silver look they form the new skyline of Walibi Belgium. Thin steel pipes hang between the towers like a loosely attached rope. It is frightening and fascinating at the same time when the small vehicles float over the park 55 meters above the ground.

Futuristic is also the look of the station. The facade with its' different blue colour tones sits on a small hill, shimmering in the sunlight. A spacious created path goes around the small hill. The queue leads to a small footbridge that goes slightly upwards inside the station. In this separated area water mist is sprayed from beneath, intended to create the illusion of a walk through the clouds. Heroic and pretentious music as well as soft sounds provide the musical backdrop during the wait in this area. Afterwards the loading area comes in sight. Shortly before boarding the friendly employees ask for all bags and rucksacks of the soon-to-be Vertigonauts. They take them to a collection point near the exit or store them inside a locker, if desired. Now the adventure can begin.

The vehicles are being transported upwards with a vertical lift. At the tower behind the station, two similar arms with a piece of track run upwards or downwards on steel tracks. The arm going upwards, carrying the vehicle with the riders, rotates horizontally thereby to align the vehicle to the proper direction. Meanwhile, the arm going downwards flips completely to the side and rotates horizontally into the other direction. That way the two lifts evade from each other during their ride up- and downwards very elegantly. With the flowing movement of the lift this steely ballet resembles the fascination of a lava lamp. Friction wheels are pushing the vehicle from the station to the short piece of track on the lift arm. In the top lift position these friction wheels push the vehicles out of the lift on the main track where gravity takes over.

The chassis does not differ much from one of a roller coaster car. Apart from the normal wheels on top of the track, there are guide wheels underneath the track that run alongside a steel plate and therefore roughly determine the banking of the vehicles in the turns. The set of the four seats is freely suspended under the chassis and can swing from side to side. Inside the station the whole vehicle runs on wheels attached at both sides of the chassis through the unload and load area. During that passage, the main chassis is freely in the air with no contact to the track.

You will not find any brakes on the whole track circuit. Each of the eight vehicles has its' own braking system on board. The distances and positions of the vehicles are transmitted to the system and monitored via W-Lan. In case of a malfunction the vehicle then can brake itself to a full stop. This happens at certain declined points on the track so that the vehicle can continue the trip and return to the station by its' own with no need to power it from outside.

The vehicles are being transported through the station at a constant speed without stops. They can be boarded via a synchronized conveyor belt on the ground. We take a seat in one of the comfortable vehicles for four persons. Employees are taking care that the free swinging vehicle is correctly balanced. The lap bar is being closed and checked while our vehicle continues moving towards the end of the station. Depending on the proximity to the vehicle before us we glide directly onto the lift or are being stopped for a moment. Silently and very smooth we float up in the sky. The following view on the park is breathtaking, the view to the front is frightening. The track is suspended at a thin steel cable and bridges an enormous area of landscape until the next tower. We are floating almost free under the track. After a quiet clicking noise of the safety bolt our vehicle already rolls away from the lift and our flight begins. Quickly we reach a remarkable speed and the air stream blows into our faces. With a faint buzz noise of the wheels we are now gliding from tower to tower, circling them one time and continue our flight into another direction. The ride is very fast but offers enough time to enjoy the beautiful view on the park area and the surroundings. Shortly before the station our vehicle is slowed down very smooth thanks to magnetic brakes and enters the conveyor belt in the load and unload area without a stop. The lap bar opens itself and we can touch the ground again.

With Vertigo, the Austrian cable car specialist Doppelmayr managed to create a magnificent and innovative attraction. Although Vertigo is a prototype, it seems to be sophisticated and thought-through up to the last detail. The ride makes addictive like some good roller coaster even when the thrill may not be as strong. However it is just that fact that makes the attraction interesting for a broader audience. You can only hope for other rides of this type to appear as not only amusement parks but also mountain regions will provide a great setting for an experience of this kind.