Ain’t no mountain high enough

The ropeway enables the transportation of loads up to 20t a distance of 3km up to the construction site during winter, when the only other access route - the Silvretta High Alpine Road - is closed due to snowy conditions. The site is located at an altitude of 1,700m.

The pumped storage plant, called Obervermuntwerk II, is being constructed by Austrian power company Vorarlberger Illwerke AG. The project began in the first half of 2014.

The system uses a double track rope system, using two track ropes 50cm apart that distribute the weight of the carriage or crane unit, supplied by Austrian company Gantner Seilbahnbau. The ropeway is powered by a rotary drive, using a total of 800kW to provide a maximum speed of more than four metres a second with a full load, and more than six metres a second with a partial load.

Construction of the ropeway took five months and began operation in late 2014. Each tower was connected by two 31mm-diameter ropes along the length of the ropeway, eliminating the need for guy anchors in areas threatened by avalanches and falling rocks. For the towers installed in inaccessible terrain, a Kamov KA 32 A12 civil helicopter was used.

Christoph Ludescher, chief executive at LCS Cable Cranes, said: "We are proud to build a heavy duty material ropeway in Austria." The ropeway will continue to be used until 2018.