Post by nickchu

Sơn Đoòng Cave. Image by Flickr user Nguyen Tan Tin.

A quick look at some of the things that happened this week in the world of urban gondolas, cable cars and cable propelled transit:

• As part of their undergraduate studies, two students from ZHAW (Zurich University of Applied Sciences) have proposed an urban cable car for Zurich. The system appears to connect commuters from a parking garage to central station.

• Vietnam is seemingly en route to building some of the world’s most fascinating cable cars in the 21st century. Last year, the US$210 million, 7km Fansipan Sapa Cable Car was announced and is scheduled to become the world’s longest 3S ropeway system. This week, a US$212 million cable car is being planned for Sơn Đoòng Cave, the world’s largest cave (5000m long, 200m high and 150m wide).

• The NewStatesman posts an intriguing article on the merits of implementing urban cable cars in African cities. While the reporter makes a seemingly irrelevant argument for “fun” transit at the end of the article, we ourselves at the Gondola Project couldn’t agree more wholeheartedly!

• The Daily Mail presents their list of the world’s most breath-taking cable car rides. I, myself, would’ve added the Peak 2 Peak but what about you? What’s on your list?

• And lastly, an amusing look at some of the potential drawbacks of riding in a gondola from the perspective of a young, female traveler aboard the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.