Mountaincart Ā· Supplied in Norway by SPM Sport AS
Mountaincart is a three-wheeler with no engine, made for fun and controlled riding down the hill. The guest sets the speed with brakes on both rear wheels. For the resort it is a simple way to create activity in the lifts and trails, with or without snow.
What is a Mountaincart
The cart has wide off-road tyres, bicycle handlebars and brake levers just like a bike. No engine, no batteries, no fuel. The guest steers with their hands and brakes with their hands.
Because it sits low and carries its weight down near the ground, it is stable. Most people are riding after a short briefing, and anyone who can ride a bike will recognise both the steering and the brakes.
The barrier to entry is low at both ends of the age range. Small children can sit on an adult's lap, and the activity suits grandparents joining the grandchildren just as well.
For ski resorts, destination companies and tourism
The cart itself is the investment, not the infrastructure around it. The lift, the roads and the trails are already there.
Lifts, roads and trails are built and operated anyway. The cart is the investment, not everything around it.
From a child on an adult's lap to grandparents coming along. No prior experience needed, and most people master it on the first run.
No engine, no fuel, no charging and no engine servicing. Brakes, tyres and a regular inspection is largely all it takes.
A visible product that explains itself in ten seconds, and one that guests film and share without being asked.
Activity all year
The carts run on snow just as well as on gravel. That means the resort can offer them throughout the year, not only in the months without snow. In winter, trails can be used outside normal opening hours, or in parts of the resort that do not conflict with ski traffic.
It gives a broader range of activities across more seasons, and something new to show off for a resort that already has the infrastructure in place. The experience from the resorts that have taken it on is that the investment pays for itself well.
An activity that works for much of the year, on snow as well as on bare ground.
New experiences in the lift, the trails and the roads you already operate.
A product that is simple to explain, simple to sell and fun to watch.
Getting back up
There are several ways, depending on the type of lift, the infrastructure and how the resort wants to run the operation. The solution is adapted to each resort, so both small and large venues can make it work.
The cart hangs on a purpose-made bracket beside the chair, and the guest rides the lift as usual.
On T-bar and platter lifts the EasyLoop hooks onto the cart, and the guest is towed up sitting down. Hafjell has it installed.
The cart goes inside the cabin, or is fixed to the outside with a dedicated carrier.
Where there is no lift, the carts can be towed up with an ATV, a UTV or another vehicle the resort already has.
Many carts in one trip. Handy when the trail starts somewhere other than the lift, or when moving between areas.
On short climbs it is perfectly fine to pull the cart up by hand. It rolls easily and is light enough to make that work.
EasyLoop is a patented attachment system for surface lifts. The bar hooks onto the cart and the guest is towed up sitting down, without having to get off. The system works with most ski lifts on the market and is in use in more than twenty parks.
See how EasyLoop works ā
Three quarters of a minute of the briefing guests get before they ride: the brakes, the steering and how the cart is handled in the lift. The film is in Norwegian, but the handling speaks for itself.
46 seconds with sound. Hosted on our own server.
Choosing the right type
The carts come in two variants, and which one you need is decided by how they will be carried back up.
The cart is hung up or placed inside, and the wheels roll freely both ways. This is the standard version, and the cheaper of the two.
When the guest is towed up sitting in the cart, the wheels must not roll backwards. This version therefore has a lock in the rear wheels. It costs a little more, but it is a requirement for using a surface lift.
Tell us what kind of lift you have, and we will tell you which version fits and what sort of attachment is needed. There is often more than one route to the goal.
Safety
Even though the activity counts as low risk, it matters to set things up for safe riding with clear routines. We recommend the following:
Children below the height requirement can ride along with an adult. The limit is set by the resort running the activity, and usually falls between 120 and 140 cm depending on the trail and the guests.
Norwegian resorts
We have supplied carts to four Norwegian resorts. If you want to try one yourself, the resort is where you book.
Mosetertoppen, with a trail down from the Moseter lift. Has EasyLoop installed.
Supplied through Hemsedal Aktiv.
The largest ski resort in south-west Norway.
You set the pace
The video below shows experienced riders really going for it. It is fun to watch, and it says something about what the equipment can take. But it is the far end of the scale.
The speed is the guest's to control, with the brakes in their hands. Most runs go at a calm pace, on a marked trail with a guide in front and behind, and the vast majority of riders are families and school groups.
The video plays from YouTube. Nothing loads until you click.
Images
From resorts in operation. Scroll sideways to see more.
Frequently asked
Wherever the resort can set things up for safe riding with good separation from other activity.
In winter, existing ski trails can often be used outside normal opening hours, or in parts of the resort that do not conflict with ski traffic. Service roads and other suitable routes may also work.
In the summer months the cart can be used on ski trails, service roads, gravel roads, wide paths and other suitable areas. In some cases it makes sense to do simple work to create a good, clearly defined trail.
By chairlift with a purpose-made bracket, on a T-bar or platter lift with a dedicated attachment, inside a gondola or fixed to the outside, on a transport wagon or rack, with an ATV or another service vehicle, with a trailer, or with a simple hand tow where that suits.
For surface lifts there is EasyLoop, which lets the guest be towed up sitting in the cart. The solution is matched to your type of lift.
Carts for chairlifts and gondolas roll freely both ways. Carts for surface lifts have a lock in the rear wheels so they do not roll backwards while the guest is towed up. The latter costs a little more.
Yes. The carts run on snow just as well as on gravel, which makes it possible to offer the activity throughout the year.
The resort sets its own height requirement for riding alone, and it usually falls between 120 and 140 cm. Smaller children can ride along with an adult. Beyond that the barrier is low, and the activity suits grandparents as well as teenagers.
No. Mountaincart has no engine, no battery and no throttle. The hill provides the speed, and the brakes take it away again. That keeps operation simple: no fuel, no charging and no engine servicing.
Get in touch with Jon at SPM Sport. You go through how many carts suit your volume, which trail is suitable, what lift you have, and what equipment the guests will need.
The price depends on the quantity, which cart type you need and what equipment comes with it, so we put together a quote for each resort. Call or send an email, and you get the price and delivery time.
Contact
Most of our sales happen over the phone. Call or send us an email and tell us briefly what kind of resort you have, which lift you use and how many carts you have in mind, and we put together a quote with price and delivery time.
Call us directly
Sales and product manager, SPM. We are available by phone during normal working hours, and happy to call you back if you do not reach us straight away. Do tell us what kind of lift you have and how many carts you have in mind, and we are ready to help.
ā jon@spmsport.no