Cableway shut for yearly service

IF YOU’RE planning a trip up Table Mountain, from Monday you’ll have to do some climbing because the Cableway will be closed for annual maintenance until August 7.

The top station generator will be replaced during the scheduled shutdown, while other work will include maintenance of the 11kV electricity line, cleaning of the ropes and slack rope tests, renewing switches and bearings where necessary, servicing of the main gearbox, generators and backup generators, as well as general electronic component changes and control checks.

“Annual maintenance is carried out in order to meet the highest global cableway standards set by the Swiss Governing Body for Cableways (BAV),” said Gaziem du Toit, the cableway’s technical manager.

“Not only do we want to ensure that safety standards are maintained, but we also aim to improve our cableway offering,” he added.

Some infrastructure refurbishment would also be done, including resurfacing of the top station pathways, refurbishing of the toilets and retiling of the departure and arrivals platforms at the lower station.

Of particular interest to those used to queuing at the top to come down is the news that measures are also being put in place to introduce a virtual queuing system at the top station later this year.

For the foodies, the Table Mountain Café is also revamping its menu with authentic South African cuisine. The new menu, said Du Toit, would be available as soon as the cableway reopened.

There is still a little time to go up this weekend, and visitors can still take advantage of specials.

These include a free return ticket for adults on their birthday on presentation of a South African ID and the Kidz Season special that offers two children younger than 18 a free return trip if they are accompanied by a full paying adult.

Should your birthday fall within the annual maintenance closure period, you are entitled to redeem your complimentary cableway birthday ticket this weekend, or in the week following the reopening, from August 8 to 14.

For information, call 021 424 8181 or see www.tablemountain.net.