I take part in cleaning the philharmonic hall in Hamburg, named Elbphilharmonie. More precisely, we are the team of 3KER RAS Group and ABO, clean the glass facade from outside via rope access technique. One round lasts three weeks, and it's done three times a year.
☝🏽 The North Face
This time is quite tough. The weather of the last two weeks gave us the full load of all four seasons. We got storm, sun, rain, snow, we had a blizzard which felt like being in a snow globe, and we got a Thunderstorm. You definitely do not want to be on a roof on one of the highest buildings around when lightnings hoovering above. I prefer to skip that BBQ before my bottom gets grilled. Fascinating wonder of nature, but very scary. Besides very deadly.
https://youtube.com/shorts/Q6tPWiZNtI0?feature=share
Sometimes I felt like a sailor on a sailing ship. Lying on my belly, upper body over the edge, looking into the depths of the abyss, tie knots, move ropes, all when the wind and rain whip my face.
Even without additional inappropriate weather and drastic events, this job requires a lot of concentration, focus, and stamina. Also, patience and empathy is requested on times like that. We all got soaked and were on the edge. It's working at risk of falling.
Another spicy ingredient is the roof of that building. And it loves to eat my shoes.
The roof is not even and has many slopes. Some slopes are that steep that you need to abseil down or climb up with the whole equipment.
The roof is made of round metal tiles and when wet it gets slippery. But we don't need rain for that. We clean windows, so, we work with water, and sometimes it is slippery even on sunny days without rain.
Altogether we are ten climbers. Eight are in the ropes and clean. Three of the eight are the first team and prepare, such as lowering ropes and hoses. Two, one of whom is me, have the tasks that take place on the roof. Since two descents, or abseils, are planned daily, moving the ropes is part of my job. As soon as the second round of cleaning is finished, we prepare everything for the next day. Pull up ropes and hoses, bring them into position, belay them and do a safety check of all equipment, carabiners, ropes, and knots.
Now, imagine, heavily loaded with a bunch of ropes, some carabiners, and slings balancing on the edge of the roof. Because it's a full body and mind workout, can I share this post on @actifit? 😜
But there are always things which make me see the beauty. A sunset and sunrise, happy teammates, a rainbow, a smile… life streams through me.
The third week has been usually a good week. This time we lag a bit behind and have to catch up. Wish us luck! I wish you luck, too ^_^
