Winter is making its presence felt at Perisher, and for avid snow enthusiasts, keeping a close eye on the snow cams and weather updates has become a daily ritual. While the lifts are temporarily closed in preparation for the upcoming season, behind the scenes, a flurry of activity is underway to ensure another enjoyable and safe skiing and riding experience at Perisher. As autumn sets in, the dedicated team at Perisher is hard at work, rallying all resources to ready the lifts for the winter ahead.

During the past week, a team of skilled lift maintenance staff, in collaboration with Doppelmayr, embarked on the formidable task of completely replacing the haul rope for the Ridge Quad Chair. 

The haul rope, an extensive looping steel cable that supports the lift chairs, stretches over a remarkable distance of 1.7 kilometers at Blue Cow. This meant removing, replacing, splicing, and meticulously threading nearly twice that length of heavy steel cable, weighing approximately 13 tonnes.

Replacing a haul rope is no small undertaking, requiring a rare set of skills possessed by only a handful of experts worldwide. Each stage of the replacement process demands intricate labor and meticulous attention to detail. However, it is the splicing phase that truly captivates observers. Surprisingly, the entire splicing process does not involve any welding, ensuring the continuity, strength, and integrity of the haul rope. The end result is a seamless, continuous loop of rope that gracefully suspends the Ridge Quad Chairs, ready to transport thrill-seekers 1.7 kilometers up the hill, unlocking unforgettable skiing experiences.

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