Iced cable car: extreme example Are, Sweden. © FB-Screenshot/Are
Maintenance & Service, SI-Alpin
Iced cable cars: causes and countermeasures
Cable car operators often struggle with frozen cables, pulleys, and cabins. But when and how does ice form, and how can it be properly removed? We asked Bernhard Thoma from the Zugspitze cable car company in Germany for his insights and practical tips.
27. March 2025
Formation of ice
When moist air cools down, some of the water condenses, leading to phenomena like rain or fog. On cool surfaces such as buildings, windows, and cables, water also settles, and when temperatures drop below freezing, it forms ice.
The ice on cables can become large
