The helicopter is undertaking the unrolling of the cable. The Kevler reel is fixed underneath the helicopter and the Kevler cable has just been fixed to the shoe support of the return puller load-bearing cable

(Photo : ASCO-TP)

The helicopter undertakes the first crossing of the valley

(Photo : ASCO-TP)

The drawing of the cables :

The valley was crossed initially by a helicopter unrolling a 12.5mm diameter Kevler line as it flew. The 2150 metre reel weighed 260 kg. Once it was anchored, this wire permitted the first installation which would serve to pull the whole group of cables.

Once the first cables have been drawn, the installation of small trolleys permits:- the drawing of the other cables (especially the heaviest),- the installation of the support brackets of the puller cable and return cable

(Photo : ASCO-TP)

Small trolleys were used to pull the heaviest cables and to install on load-bearing cables, the support brackets of the puller cable.

The group of cables :

The apparatus has two parallel lines, each comprising :
 two 75mm load-bearing cables, almost 2km in length (weighing 30.1 kg/ml). These two cables carry the cabin and are also equipped with the running gear. Two cables 42mm in diameter (weighing 10.1kg/ml) carry the running gear for the return puller cable,
 a 45mm puller cable (weighing 12kg/ml) mounted on a loop, the total length of which is almost 4km.

Tensioning of the cables

The equipment is operational and the anchors can be seen : - on the bottom, the anchors of the 75mm cabin load-bearers; - at the top, the anchors for the 42mm return puller load-bearers

(Photo : ASCO-TP)

The tensioning of the cables. At the rear of the stations, cylinders pumps are in the process of tensioning the load-bearing cables: - the 75mm cabin load-bearers are tensioned to 130 tonnes per cable; - the 45mm return puller load-bearers are tensioned to 56 tonnes per cable

(Photo : ASCO-TP)

The tensioning of the load-bearing cables permits the adjustment of the profile along the line. This tension attains 260 tonnes for the 75mm cables and 112 tonnes for the 42mm cables. These cables are solidly anchored in the abutments constructed at the rear of the stations. The tension of the puller cable is obtained by the counterweight of G2 Station and each of them weighs 36 tonnes, which induces a tension of 18 tonnes for each strand of cable.