Timber work on a steep slope: use for special cable crane

A special cable crane technique is currently being used for timber work in the Ore Mountains. On a slope with an incline of almost 70 degrees near Eibenstock, previously felled tree trunks are being pulled up the mountain to a clear spot in rough terrain, as Sylvia Jobst-Hain from the Sachsenforst state enterprise said. There, the trunks are sawn up and collected by the timber contractor.

In the course of the work, which will continue until mid-October, a section of the B283 federal road will also be repeatedly closed. This is necessary for safety reasons because the rope could break and a log weighing up to two tons could hurtle down into the valley onto the road, Jobst-Hain emphasized. In addition, debris could also come loose when it is pulled up.

Sachsenforst has been restructuring the forest in the region for many years. In order to create a mixed forest with several tree species and different ages, numerous trunks have to be cut out again and again, the spokeswoman explained. As the site is not accessible by vehicle, the crane is used with a cable length of up to 800 meters.