Names for lifts

I have just got back from Les Arcs and noticed that the new high
capacity lift replacing the the plan bois in Vallandry is to be called
Le Derby. Is this the first lift to be named after an East Midlands town
(or is it a city?) famous as the home of Rolls Royce? Old names seem
to have some relationship to the area they serve, but how are new names
decided upon?

Incidently I also noticed a major amount of mountain restructuring going
on the Plan piste in 2000. They have had more large dump trucks on site
than the average major civil engineering project. I counted 17 on
Sunday. The sad bit is I cannot see what they can do to improve the run.
I cannot recall seeing it before, but I notice artificial snow making on
the Col de la Chal area.

On Tue, 07 Aug 2007 13:04:52 +0100, john elgy
wrote:

I have just got back from Les Arcs and noticed that the new high
capacity lift replacing the the plan bois in Vallandry is to be called
Le Derby. Is this the first lift to be named after an East Midlands town
(or is it a city?)

Yes. Granted city status in Jubilee Year 1977.

famous as the home of Rolls Royce? Old names seem
to have some relationship to the area they serve, but how are new names
decided upon?

No idea, TBH, but Derby is a massively popular name for Hotels, at
least in the Swiss resorts, so I suspect there's something more of a
history to the name than just a connection with the city.


--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

On Tue, 07 Aug 2007 13:04:52 +0100, john elgy
wrote:

I have just got back from Les Arcs and noticed that the new high
capacity lift replacing the the plan bois in Vallandry is to be called
Le Derby. Is this the first lift to be named after an East Midlands town
(or is it a city?) famous as the home of Rolls Royce?

I doubt very much if it was.

"Derby" is not just the name of a city in England. It is also (for
instance) the name of a horse race - and there are both French and
Swiss "Derby" horse races, not just the Epsom Derby (the result of
this year's Swiss Derby can be found here -
http://www.iena.ch/pdf/resultate/resultateturf_sgv100607.pdf ).

And there are Derby hotels in Grindewald, Davos, Interlaken, Zermatt,
Paris (at least two), Quimper, Sauze D'Oulx, St Malo, and many more
(but I don't think there is one in Les Arcs).

And in Les Arcs itself, they have a ski race called the "Robert Blanc
Derby". It starts currently from the top of the Transarc Gondola. Does
the new lift finish anywhere near that?
--
Alex Heney, Global Villager
Never argue with a woman when she's tired, or rested.
To reply by email, my address is alexATheneyDOTplusDOTcom

Hi

the word "Derby" in relation with sports is derived from medieval ball
games, which were played between villages in Derbyshire (explanation
given in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_derby). In the course of
time it became a synonyme for sport events of special interest

On the other hand the french language of sport is much stronger
influenced from the english language, than other parts of french. So the
wording of the sports orientated tourism managers may run a little bit
over the border... ;-)

Florian


Alex Heney wrote:

On Tue, 07 Aug 2007 13:04:52 +0100, john elgy
wrote:


I have just got back from Les Arcs and noticed that the new high
capacity lift replacing the the plan bois in Vallandry is to be called
Le Derby. Is this the first lift to be named after an East Midlands town
(or is it a city?) famous as the home of Rolls Royce?


I doubt very much if it was.

"Derby" is not just the name of a city in England. It is also (for
instance) the name of a horse race - and there are both French and
Swiss "Derby" horse races, not just the Epsom Derby (the result of
this year's Swiss Derby can be found here -
http://www.iena.ch/pdf/resultate/resultateturf_sgv100607.pdf ).

And there are Derby hotels in Grindewald, Davos, Interlaken, Zermatt,
Paris (at least two), Quimper, Sauze D'Oulx, St Malo, and many more
(but I don't think there is one in Les Arcs).

And in Les Arcs itself, they have a ski race called the "Robert Blanc
Derby". It starts currently from the top of the Transarc Gondola. Does
the new lift finish anywhere near that?

"Derby" is not just the name of a city in England. It is also (for
instance) the name of a horse race - and there are both French and
Swiss "Derby" horse races, not just the Epsom Derby (the result of
this year's Swiss Derby can be found here -
http://www.iena.ch/pdf/resultate/resultateturf_sgv100607.pdf ).


Alex is right and I don't think anyone in France knows there is
actually a city in the UK named Derby.
For anyone interested in trying one of those fun races on skis I
recommend Le Derby de la Meije which normally attracts over 1000
skiers in April
http://www.derbydelameije.com/
Looking forward to winter (over there - not here) so that we can talk
ski rather than semantic! Just back from the Southern Alps myself and
it was still pretty hot as one would expect.

Apart from that it was good to read John's report on Les Arcs.
John, did you see much going on the new site for Intrawest EdenArc
just above Arcs 1800?
See http://www.peakretreats.co.uk/EdenArc if you want a quick overview
on project

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
XS
Peak Retreats http://www.peakretreats.co.uk
Ski Collection http://www.skicollection.co.uk

Alex Heney wrote:
On Tue, 07 Aug 2007 13:04:52 +0100, john elgy
wrote:


I have just got back from Les Arcs and noticed that the new high
capacity lift replacing the the plan bois in Vallandry is to be called
Le Derby. Is this the first lift to be named after an East Midlands town
(or is it a city?) famous as the home of Rolls Royce?


I doubt very much if it was.

"Derby" is not just the name of a city in England. It is also (for
instance) the name of a horse race - and there are both French and
Swiss "Derby" horse races, not just the Epsom Derby (the result of
this year's Swiss Derby can be found here -
http://www.iena.ch/pdf/resultate/resultateturf_sgv100607.pdf ).


I always thought that the horse race name "Derby" came from its
orginator - the Earl of Derby. OK the Earl was named after the county,
Derbyshire, rather than the name of the (then)town. Are English counties
named after the county towns or was the shire named after him? The term
"local Derbys" may come from the games mentioned by Florian.

And there are Derby hotels in Grindewald, Davos, Interlaken, Zermatt,
Paris (at least two), Quimper, Sauze D'Oulx, St Malo, and many more
(but I don't think there is one in Les Arcs).

Once again, named after the Earl?


And in Les Arcs itself, they have a ski race called the "Robert Blanc
Derby". It starts currently from the top of the Transarc Gondola. Does
the new lift finish anywhere near that?

I think you have it.

It is possible to ski to the top, and indeed the bottom, of the new lift
from the top of the transarc (that is why it is so easy to get to the
vanoise express from arc 2000). In the past the race may well have
passed this way; a quick bit of research shows that on occaisions it may
have started at Plan Vert and finished at Peisey. Since any route was
permissible the optimum route would almost certainly go very close to
the line of the lift. It appears that the Robert Blanc Derby now goes
from Grand Col to Pre st. Espirit see
http://www.lesarcs.com/Events-2005-2006.

John

Excess wrote:

"Derby" is not just the name of a city in England. It is also (for
instance) the name of a horse race - and there are both French and
Swiss "Derby" horse races, not just the Epsom Derby (the result of
this year's Swiss Derby can be found here -
http://www.iena.ch/pdf/resultate/resultateturf_sgv100607.pdf ).



Alex is right and I don't think anyone in France knows there is
actually a city in the UK named Derby.
For anyone interested in trying one of those fun races on skis I
recommend Le Derby de la Meije which normally attracts over 1000
skiers in April
http://www.derbydelameije.com/
Looking forward to winter (over there - not here) so that we can talk
ski rather than semantic! Just back from the Southern Alps myself and
it was still pretty hot as one would expect.

The semantics is just entertainment between holidays. The weather is Les
Arcs was very good, but, fortunately not as hot as last summer. The
resort itself busy - as busy as a quiet week in the ski season. Mountan
biking, in particular, appears to have really taken off with what
appears to be organised tours from the UK. The funicular offers the VVT
riders an almost 2000m vertical ride from the top of the Varet lift
right down to BsM. I suppose it is because it is summer but car parking
is more of a problem.


Apart from that it was good to read John's report on Les Arcs.
John, did you see much going on the new site for Intrawest EdenArc
just above Arcs 1800?
See http://www.peakretreats.co.uk/EdenArc if you want a quick overview
on project

We stay in Arc 1600 and did not actually go into 1800 apart from
crossing it to get to the transarc and driving through to get to the
Landry valley, but I saw no construction there at all. There was
building work going on in Bourg, and Vallandry. They have actually
started work on the luxury apartments complex in Arc 1600, le roc
Belface. There is a huge excavation covered in plastic that can acutally
be seen from Moutier to Bourg road!

John


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
XS
Peak Retreats http://www.peakretreats.co.uk
Ski Collection http://www.skicollection.co.uk

On Wed, 08 Aug 2007 02:42:09 -0700, Excess wrote:


"Derby" is not just the name of a city in England. It is also (for
instance) the name of a horse race - and there are both French and
Swiss "Derby" horse races, not just the Epsom Derby (the result of
this year's Swiss Derby can be found here -
http://www.iena.ch/pdf/resultate/resultateturf_sgv100607.pdf ).


Alex is right and I don't think anyone in France knows there is
actually a city in the UK named Derby.

OI! I'm in France and was born in Derby.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

Ace wrote:
On Wed, 08 Aug 2007 02:42:09 -0700, Excess wrote:


"Derby" is not just the name of a city in England. It is also (for
instance) the name of a horse race - and there are both French and
Swiss "Derby" horse races, not just the Epsom Derby (the result of
this year's Swiss Derby can be found here -
http://www.iena.ch/pdf/resultate/resultateturf_sgv100607.pdf ).


Alex is right and I don't think anyone in France knows there is
actually a city in the UK named Derby.

OI! I'm in France and was born in Derby.

You didn't have to go all the way to france just to get away from Derby you
know my Sister in law escaped to Essex.


--
Chris *:-)

Rule 1 - Me first
Rule 2 - Downhill Good, Uphill BAD!
Rule 3 - Skis at the bottom, Head at the top!

www.suffolkvikings.org.uk

"john elgy" wrote in message
.. .
Excess wrote:
They have actually started work on the luxury apartments complex in Arc
1600, le roc Belface. There is a huge excavation covered in plastic that
can acutally be seen from Moutier to Bourg road!

John


Nice to see Arc 1600 getting some much-needed attention at last.

The direct funicular link up from the TGV terminal in Bourg makes this a
pretty sound bet environmentally - and most of the apartment architecture
was pretty ground-breaking when it was conceived.

Les Arcs is (are?) still a fun place...

RM
www.mountainpassions.com