New haul rope for Sea to Sky Gondola manufactured at "record speed"
A new replacement haul rope for the Sea to Sky Gondola, completed earlier this month, arrived in Canada just before Christmas.
Wire rope manufacturing company Fatzer says it was able to make a new replacement rope for the gondola attraction in Squamish at “record speed.” It was the very last rope to leave their factory in Switzerland in 2020.
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The new rope has a diameter of 52 mm, reaches a length of 4.8 kms, and weighs 54 tonnes.
This was the second replacement rope to be manufactured for the Sea to Sky Gondola since 2019.
The first replacement rope was installed in late October 2019 — just over two months after the gondola’s first collapse on August 10, 2019, when a vandal cut the original rope built for the attraction.
Despite enhanced security measures, the same incident occurred again on September 14, 2020. In November, crews completed the process of cleaning up the damage, including removing the damaged cable, cabins, and other debris.
Helicopter line being dropped to lift a damaged Sea to Sky Gondola cabin, October 2020. (Sea to Sky Gondola)
Police have ramped up their investigation on the incidents, but the perpetrator is still at large. The operator is offering a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the incidents.
All of the cabins will be replaced again, and the company is aiming for a reopening in Spring 2021 with further layers of security.
Each one-way gondola ride is about 10 minutes, bringing visitors to a number of attractions with panoramic views of Howe Sound and the mountains that frame it, as well as access to provincial park trails. During a typical year, it records approximately 400,000 visitors.
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