Drakensberg Cable Car
15 May 2012 16:14 #53886
by Raat83
Replied by Raat83 on topic Re: Drakensberg Cable Car
Maybe we should put a foofy slide up first, just to spite them LOL 
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15 May 2012 16:30 #53888
by Smurfatefrog
Replied by Smurfatefrog on topic Re: Drakensberg Cable Car
I can imagine the cable car breaking midday & leaving a bunch of people stranded on the escarpment...
But as others have said, it's just not viable from a financial point of view to start with
But as others have said, it's just not viable from a financial point of view to start with
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16 May 2012 08:04 #53897
by mountain bear
Replied by mountain bear on topic Re: Drakensberg Cable Car
the very idea makes me shake - my thoughts turn to litter and lost people as well as roads been built for acess to the cable car - i hope this blows over and is not viable - the berg is stunning and realy could do without any crazy ideas like this !
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16 May 2012 08:31 #53898
by ghaznavid
Replied by ghaznavid on topic Re: Drakensberg Cable Car
On the GT I was joking about a cable car in the region of South Didima/Monks Cowl - it would definitely make a resupply easier! But jokes aside, we already have the chain ladders from which Witsieshoek Resort collected some ridiculously high number of bags of rubbish after the easter weekend, there is Sani where litter is also an issue, and quite frankly the valley/swamp area is so covered in old rusted fences (and that eye sore of a water collection pipe) that you wonder why tourists would actually want to see that.
Mnweni is the worst possible recommendation for an area to do this, but considering the fact that this is likely to be the reason the proposal dies, I say its a good suggestion... Although the area already has an eyesore of a mine, is about to have wind turbines and since they seem adamant on destroying this area, rather do this here than at a place like Vergelegen or Lotheni where there is almost no infrastructure/eyesores in sight.
Realistically (and I hope that no one takes this idea as I would hate this to happen), Giant's Castle, Rhino Peak, maybe even Thaba Ngwangwe are really the places they should be looking at, you need a massive rock face to do something like this, cable cars seem to run at 45 degree angles (more or less) and at Mnweni they will never get this right, it will be more like a 15 degree slope unless they destroy the small berg to get the starting point closer.
Mnweni is the worst possible recommendation for an area to do this, but considering the fact that this is likely to be the reason the proposal dies, I say its a good suggestion... Although the area already has an eyesore of a mine, is about to have wind turbines and since they seem adamant on destroying this area, rather do this here than at a place like Vergelegen or Lotheni where there is almost no infrastructure/eyesores in sight.
Realistically (and I hope that no one takes this idea as I would hate this to happen), Giant's Castle, Rhino Peak, maybe even Thaba Ngwangwe are really the places they should be looking at, you need a massive rock face to do something like this, cable cars seem to run at 45 degree angles (more or less) and at Mnweni they will never get this right, it will be more like a 15 degree slope unless they destroy the small berg to get the starting point closer.
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16 May 2012 08:36 #53899
by intrepid
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
Replied by intrepid on topic Re: Drakensberg Cable Car
The media is starting to buzz with this issue.
I think the best way of countering this is legally. Wilderness Areas: the most stringent of conservation measures. The upper parts of the Mnweni must continue along the course it is on and there must be proclamation of new Wilderness Area. Of course there are other parts of the Berg that are vulnerable too. In the very long term we simply need more parts of the Berg being formally conserved, and we need more of a buffer zone around the Berg (the KZN Wildlife Stewardship Programme is a key to this I believe). The Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Project also needs some new life and a fresh emphasis on preservation. This will protect more than just the escarpment. These are very long term ideals but I believe that ideas like the cable car will continue to emerge and this is the only way to keep them away.
I have created a poll on the Maloti-Drakensberg Facebook page on whether or not there should be a cable car. I believe this poll will create much more of a stir on Facebook than on VE. So cast your vote here:
www.facebook.com/questions/10150859039659118/?qa_ref=ssp
Taking the Gauteng eToll issue as an example, we can learn that there is definitely something which the public can do. And we should. However, among the Berg-loving community there needs to be a lot more unity and numbers before we can be effective in this. And we'd need to ally with other groups and parties. We'd need to have a lot more facts on the table countering the viability, and we'd need to be proactive in highlighting better ways to boost tourism in the province.abdavies wrote: Is there not something we as a Berg community and forum can do to stop this?
I think the best way of countering this is legally. Wilderness Areas: the most stringent of conservation measures. The upper parts of the Mnweni must continue along the course it is on and there must be proclamation of new Wilderness Area. Of course there are other parts of the Berg that are vulnerable too. In the very long term we simply need more parts of the Berg being formally conserved, and we need more of a buffer zone around the Berg (the KZN Wildlife Stewardship Programme is a key to this I believe). The Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Project also needs some new life and a fresh emphasis on preservation. This will protect more than just the escarpment. These are very long term ideals but I believe that ideas like the cable car will continue to emerge and this is the only way to keep them away.
I have created a poll on the Maloti-Drakensberg Facebook page on whether or not there should be a cable car. I believe this poll will create much more of a stir on Facebook than on VE. So cast your vote here:
www.facebook.com/questions/10150859039659118/?qa_ref=ssp
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
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16 May 2012 09:32 #53901
by tiska
We shouldn't overlook the possibility that a cable car could be built to run to the top of the Little Berg - its cheaper, less exposed to weather, esp wind and doesn't have the cross-border hassle. All that makes the business case easier.
Replied by tiska on topic Re: Drakensberg Cable Car
ghaznavid wrote: looking at, you need a massive rock face to do something like this, cable cars seem to run at 45 degree angles (more or less) and at Mnweni they will never get this right, it will be more like a 15 degree slope unless they destroy the small berg to get the starting point closer.
We shouldn't overlook the possibility that a cable car could be built to run to the top of the Little Berg - its cheaper, less exposed to weather, esp wind and doesn't have the cross-border hassle. All that makes the business case easier.
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17 May 2012 11:38 #53931
by Toko
Hi everyone
I agree with all the above posts here and would like to invite you to join our forum Africa Wild and spread the word there as well
aikona.forumup.com/index.php?mforum=aikona
Replied by Toko on topic Re: Drakensberg Cable Car
intrepid wrote: And we'd need to ally with other groups and parties. We'd need to have a lot more facts on the table countering the viability, and we'd need to be proactive in highlighting better ways to boost tourism in the province.
Hi everyone
I agree with all the above posts here and would like to invite you to join our forum Africa Wild and spread the word there as well
aikona.forumup.com/index.php?mforum=aikona
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21 May 2012 18:29 #53974
by intrepid
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
Replied by intrepid on topic Re: Drakensberg Cable Car
Welcome to this forum Toko and thanks for alerting us to the discussion on your forum.
For the benefit of the readers here, this is the specific link to that discussion:
aikona.forumup.com/about1488-0-asc-0-aikona.html
Let us definitely keep in touch and alert each other of any developments.
For the benefit of the readers here, this is the specific link to that discussion:
aikona.forumup.com/about1488-0-asc-0-aikona.html
Let us definitely keep in touch and alert each other of any developments.
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
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22 May 2012 10:42 #53997
by intrepid
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
Replied by intrepid on topic Re: Drakensberg Cable Car
Some balanced comments in this article:
www.iol.co.za/dailynews/opinion/boon-or-bane-for-the-berg-1.1300597
www.iol.co.za/dailynews/opinion/boon-or-bane-for-the-berg-1.1300597
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
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29 May 2012 10:58 #54117
by intrepid
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
Replied by intrepid on topic Re: Drakensberg Cable Car
The poll on
Facebook
stands at 30 saying No and 4 saying Yes. Remember to cast your vote if you haven't done so yet.
Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
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