“Scenic views as you ascend”, this is one of the most fascinating moments in our travelling life and also this might be also one of the most frightening.
The cable cars are the used transportation nowadays which is mostly used to travel from mountain to mountain, from plain ground to a mountain’s peak and even below sea level up to the mountain top. The first cable car was built in 1644 which functions as a transport of soil from a higher distance.
In the 19th century, the system was used to transport ore mining and the first time it was used as means of public transport is in the 1920s. Who would have thought that a steel box which was suspended by a cable will become a public transport and will give way for lots of tourism opportunities?
As you read this article you will be fascinated with the distances, heights and even the awesome features of different cable cars this world has.
Here’s top 10 lists of the World’s Longest and Fascinating Cable Cars.
1 – The Ba Na System of Vietnam
This is hailed by Guinness World Record as the longest nonstop cable car ride which has a length of 16,500 feet and this also has the greatest height differential between two cable terminals which is 4,230 feet.
This system links Vong Nguyet Hill and Ba Na Mountain. The whole cable car trip lasts for fifteen (15) minutes.
2 – Tianmen Chan Cable Car of China
Tianmen Chan also known as Heaven’s Gate Mountain is located in the northern province of Hunan, eight (8) kilometers south of Zhangjiajie City.
It covers the distance of 7455 meters and a height of 1279 meters.
If you did not want to take the cable car, you still have one option.
It is to walk 999 steps to the top of the mountains without platforms for stopping.
3 – Masada Cableway in Israel
Found in Masada, Israel (obviously), this is the world’s lowest cable car ride.
Why? The Masada Cableway’s bottom station is located 257 meters below sea level.
The top on the other hand is 33 meters above sea level. One great feature of riding this cable car is you can see the ruins of ancient fortress.
4 – The téléphérique de l’Aiguille du Midi
This construction was built in 1955 and until now, it holds the record for the world’s highest vertical ascent cable car. It has 2,800 meters of height gap, from 1,035 meters to 3,842 meters.
This 20-minute heart-pumping cable car ride is located at the Mont Blanc Massif of the French Alps.
Thrill seekers should prepare EUR 41 to experience riding one of the cable cars.
5 – The Gulmarg Gondola
Named as the ‘meadow of flowers’, the valley of Gulmarg has the height of 8,958 feet.
The cable car rises vertically, travelling 13,058 feet and as you travel, you can see lots of Himalayan peaks.
6 – Table Mountain Cableway
This cableway is located at Cape Town, South Africa. The cableway measures 3,560 feet, equivalent to 1,085 meters. One of the great features this cableway has is its unique cable cars.
The cable car’s floor rotates 360 degrees, making passengers to view every direction they want to see as they journey to the summit.
Upon arrival at the summit, they can explore the mountain or take a picnic.
7 – Grindelwald-Männlichen Cableway
This cableway is located in Switzerland. It links the Grindelwald-Grund (3,094 feet) and Männlichen (3560 feet) in the Swiss Alps.
The thirty-minute travel will also make passengers as they witness two known mountains as they ascend, the Jungfrau and Eiger.
8 – Genting Skyway
This cableway is Malaysia’s pride. Why? Because it is Southeast Asia’s longest cableway.
It is also has the fastest cable cars that travels to Genting Highlands Resort which is 6,650 feet above sea level.
The Genting Highlands Resort has theme parks, hotels, shops and even a casino.
9 – Sugarloaf Mountain’s Cableway
This is located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Before you reach the top you have to ride two cable cars.
The first one is to Moro de Açúca at 20 m and the other one to Pão de Açúcar which is 396 m (1,299 ft) above the harbour.
As you travel the cableway, you can see in a distance Rio de Janeiro’s famous statue, the “Christ the Redeemer” on Corcovado Mountain.
10 – Andes’ Teleférico
This is the highest and longest teleférico in the world which takes a travel time of an hour to ascend from a plateau in the Andes 10,250 feet (3,125 meters) to the top of Pico Espejo.
There are four stations as you ascend the top, you can even have a stopover if you want to.
The surprise does not end there, once you reach the top, it is time to admire the top of Pico Bolivar.
