Conquering the Elements: Built for the Outdoors
Ever see one of these before? Over the past decades, residential and commercial property owners have increasingly relied on inclined elevators to easily scale up and down tricky slopes.
For an outdoor lift, each day is filled with uphill and downhill battles. Because it spends its life outside—away from all the comforts an indoor elevator enjoys—it needs to be exceptionally tough. At Hill Hiker®, we build our systems to endure any climate and weather: rain, snow, ice, heat, cold, UV rays, and corrosive salt water. Using hot-dipped galvanized steel, outdoor powder-coat painted steel, or high-grade stainless steel, our lifts hang tough against whatever the world throws at them.
Mastering the Toughest Terrains
With industrial-grade motors, NEMA 4X weatherproof electronic enclosures, and custom engineering, our systems are designed to conquer the most extreme landscapes.
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Steep Cliffs: Tides, winds, and rain slowly eat away at cliffs. Our engineers know how to overcome crumbling foundations like sandstone by digging down to a solid rock core. We hammer-drill and mount directly to the solid rock or concrete pads to ensure complete stability. We can even accommodate extreme grades, with some systems riding smoothly on an 80-degree incline! Check out some of the tricky cliff projects we have tackled over the years.
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Sandy Beaches: Shifting sands, high tides, and blowing sea salt are incredibly tough on machines. To create a stable foundation in loose soil, we dig deep to hit a hard surface or utilize helical screws. To fight off blowing sand and corrosive high tides, our beach systems feature water-tight wires, switches, push buttons, and fully sealed electronic enclosures.
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Fragile Shorelines & Shifting Banks: River and lake shorelines face similar challenges, with one major addition: vegetation. The slope leading down to the water has a fragile ecosystem. Without those plants and trees, the slope will quickly erode. Hill Hiker® systems are engineered to have a minimal environmental footprint, keeping the shoreline strong. Because banks naturally shift over time, our lifts are equipped with self-leveling systems that automatically adjust to angle changes.
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Shaky Ground: Just because you live in an earthquake-prone area doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy an outdoor elevator. We have completed a number of projects in California—particularly in Los Angeles—that meet strict Seismic Zone 4 regulations.
Unmatched Capabilities & Custom Engineering
Whether traversing a few feet or stretching across hundreds of feet of property (our longest track to date is a whopping 505 feet at an eco-resort in Belize), outdoor trams come in all sizes to fit the land.
Depending on your needs, our cars range from a compact 3×3 feet (carrying up to 700 lbs) to a massive 5×8 feet (carrying up to 4,100 lbs). That means moving anywhere from 3 to 25 people in a single trip. Despite this heavy-lifting power, they operate at a whisper-quiet 39.5 to 63 decibels—about the volume of a normal conversation. Learn more about our hillside tram system options, capabilities and elevator specs.
Every slope is unique, which is why every system we build is custom-made to meet strict National Elevator Codes (ASME A17.1 / CSA B44) and local building requirements. Check out a few of our past projects to see our unique solutions, or contact us today for a free cost estimate!
