Gary Wright: Two decades at the top

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• By Ingrid Sinclair
• 7 September 2010

Gary Wright is the assistant mechanical fitter for Table Mountain Cableway and, in his own words, “I check out the bearings, platforms, wheels, cables and basically all the moving parts, and make sure it stays maintained.”

This year marks the 20th year service for Gary at the Cableway – the same year that he turns 40.

Gary has therefore worked half his life for the Cableway! Now that’s impressive.

“Time goes so quickly!” says Gary. “When you look again it’s 20 years … ”

The highlight of his tenure is the upgrade of the Cableway in 1997.

“It was a nine-month upgrade and a busy, busy time. We worked non-stop and had to sleep at the top in containers. We stayed there for two weeks at a time, and I tell you it was extreme – the weather was cold and it was tough; but it was good.”

Speaking of his birthday on September 2, Gary laughs: “It’s just another day … You get older and older and that’s no joke!” But it’s not all bad. For Gary, the best thing about getting older is gaining wisdom.

He was very involved in recent annual maintenance. “We assisted the Swiss team with the rope change; there was a lot of rigging and we had to be on the mountain every day. There was a lot of technical work to be done,” says Gary.

Gary loves the outdoors – especially camping – and that’s part of the reason why the Cableway is such a good fit for him.

“And the view, I mean, the view is just great and the opportunity to work outside is great. I love looking down at Cape Town from the cable car, and the sunset and sunrise from the top on a clear day is beautiful.”