Cableway ready to roll after overhaul
THE Table Mountain Aerial Cableway will reopen on Monday after a fiveweek shutdown for maintenance.
The major maintenance operation takes place every six years, and is part of the necessary maintenance according to the requirements and standards set by the Swiss governing body for cableways.
The cableway’s technical manager, Emile Streicher, said: “The heel and haul ropes that pull the cable car up and down the mountain have been replaced, and it was also mandatory to replace other load-bearing components.”
There was testing and replacement of the load-bearing components on the cabin, overhaul maintenance on the rotating floors and doors of the cabin car, and maintenance of the hydraulic and brake system.
“The cars require overhauls every six years because they carry load at high altitude. Similarly, the heel and haul ropes have a limited lifespan,” he said.
Streicher said the heel and haul ropes are 2.4km long and together weigh 10 tons, so a lot of manpower was needed to manoeuvre it. The biggest challenge this year was navigating the unpredictable winter weather.
The Cableway’s managing director, Wahida Parker, said: “Every six years the cabin is taken apart and the machinery is serviced and replaced. We also stress test our ropes, and this year replacement was required.”
Parker said the maintenance operation was complicated this year compared with its yearly two-week closure, when the cable car also gets a maintenance check-up.
The internal and local technical staff have been working with equipment experts from Switzerland, and 20 individuals were needed to get the task done. They will perform the final checks and clean up by this weekend.
Parker acknowledged the recent deaths on the mountain, and said they usually took place on the hiking trails.
“We are vigilant and care about people’s safety, therefore we want them to be aware that it is a mountain and can be dangerous. People must take proper care when ascending the mountain. We also commend our technical team, our support staff and all partners that contributed to making this a successful shutdown…”
South Africans 18 years and older who celebrated birthdays within the closure period may redeem their complimentary Cableway ticket until August 18.