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Crystal clear view: Interview with the window cleaner at Bergisel
Lea Hajner
02 January 2021
Post originally written in: Deutsch Information An automatic machine translation. Super fast and almost perfect.
When I carefully put one foot in front of the other for a video on the roof of the Bergisel ski jump at the end of November, there was someone whose feet were dangling loosely in the air. Behind the thick glass panes of the ski jump, an industrial climber was at work, concentrated move after move cleaning the windows. Wait a minute, a window cleaner at the Bergisel - you don't see that every day!
Strictly speaking, you only have time to spot him once a year for about a week. Because then the mountain guide Andreas Höller is hired by the Bergisel to make the ski jump shiny again. At the latest for the Four Hills Tournament you finally want to show yourself in all your glory and that includes clean glass. Since a drone was on the way for the video shoot, we also got great aerial shots that I do not want to withhold from you.

PERHAPS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WORKPLACE IN THE CITY

I was recently allowed to interview the native of Lower Austria. Andreas is actually a carpenter, but works mainly as a certified ski instructor, mountain and ski guide. As an industrial climber he usually works a few weeks in autumn. This autumn he set his sights on the ski jump for the third time... He tells us more about it himself in the interview!

The ski jump with a view of the Serles in the background. On the right side of the ski jump you can see the ropes. ©Innsbruck Tourism

INTERVIEW WITH INDUSTRIAL CLIMBER ANDREAS HÖLLERER

ANDREAS, WHAT KIND OF TRAINING DO YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ON THIS UNUSUAL JOB AT THE SKI JUMP?

In order to be able to cope with the technical rope requirements and to be able to carry out the work without incidents, training as an industrial climber or high-altitude mountaineer is very important in my opinion. There are various institutions that offer such training (IRATA, FISAT, the Austrian Mountain and Ski Guide Association, Höhenwerkstatt,...).
The cleaning of the glass surfaces then requires patience and accuracy and a certain perseverance. If cleaning is done too superficially or carelessly, the result is really not good - and anyone looking through the glass can see it. Reaching the work place involves a lot of preparation - so then it is not difficult to do an accurate job when cleaning.

AS A MOUNTAIN GUIDE YOU ARE PROBABLY USED TO GOOD VIEWS AT WORK, WHICH VIEW DO YOU PERSONALLY FIND THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FROM THE SKI JUMP?

The whole 360° panorama is very special for me. The combination of the view down into the city and into the different mountains around Innsbruck is unique.

6 to 7 hours a day Andreas hangs in the rope and cleans the glass panes. ©Innsbruck Tourism

From the visitor platform you can see him working behind the glass. ©Lea Hajner

WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME FOR THE ACTION? WHAT WEATHER FORECAST IS IDEAL AND WHEN IS IT DEFINITELY NOT POSSIBLE? HOW MANY HOURS A DAY ON AVERAGE DO YOU HANG ON THE ROPES DURING THE "CLEANING WEEK"?

Cool, windless and precipitation-free autumn weather is optimal. No chance in rain or snow. Dangerous with wind. Especially when the wind blows from the south! Six to seven hours I hang in the rope and clean - the rest of the 10- to 11-hour day is preparation like moving ropes, preparing the work equipment and my gear, cleaning the work equipment and follow-up, cordoning off the ground (if necessary).

WHAT DOES YOUR EQUIPMENT CONSIST OF FOR SUCH AN OPERATION?

  • PPE (personal protective equipment): work harness, helmet, 5-7 screwgate carabiners, 2-3 snap carabiners, 2 reef cords (3 m), 2 webbing slings (120 cm), a pulley with backstop, a pulley carabiner, ascender, "Grillon" positioning aid, "Ajust" self-securing sling, "ID" descender, "ASAP" fall arrest device, seat board, smartphone and a small 1st aid kit.
  • To set up the rope routes: semi-static industrial climbing ropes. These must reach to the ground in order to be able to leave the workplace quickly in an emergency by abseiling the rope down to the ground. In addition, various edge protection devices and webbing slings are necessary.

In 2003 the ski jump was rebuilt according to designs by Zaha Hadid. ©Innsbruck Tourism

Looking down - in an emergency Andreas would have to abseil a full 50 metres to the ground. ©Andreas Höller

DO YOU ALWAYS CLEAN WITH THE SAME AGENT OR ARE THERE TEMPERATURE-RELATED DIFFERENCES?

The cleaning equipment consists of a bucket with cleaning solution, several clean cotton cleaning cloths, glass washer including rubber peel-off lip, plastic friction sponge, small scraper with metal blade and glass cleaning concentrate in a small bottle.

  • At positive temperatures: conventional glass cleaner with a dash of all-purpose cleaner and a little rinse aid from the dishwasher, diluted with clear water.
  • At negative temperatures: commercially available windscreen antifreeze as used in the windscreen washer system in motor vehicles.

HOW DO YOU CLEAN SUCH A BUILDING LOGISTICALLY, IN HORIZONTAL LOOPS OR HORIZONTAL SECTIONS? WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART?

The ropes hang vertically downwards. Because of this, I can clean a width of about 180 cm per 1 x rappelling. First, the glass is washed with a conventional or commercially available glass cleaner, then the dirt-water film is removed with horizontal pulling movements with the puller. Due to the horizontal pulling process, the dirty water always flows away downwards. In this way, large smooth surfaces can be systematically cleaned relatively quickly and easily. Repolishing is only necessary at the edges. The large glass surface is dry and clean after the stripping step.
The most difficult area is the sloping panoramic windows facing the city. Reaching them is a bit more complex than with the horizontal glass surfaces. For positioning during cleaning, I need two vacuum suction handles with which I can "pull" myself up to the glass panes.

AT THE END OF NOVEMBER THERE WAS A VIDEO SHOOT FOR A DJ-SET ON THE ROOF. HOW WAS IT FOR YOU TO END THE DAY ON THE ROOF WITH MUSIC FOR A CHANGE?

The music sounded very relaxed, the volume was just right and it was a welcome acoustic change from the otherwise quite audible noise of the Brenner motorway.

Granted, that's not how the interview took place. But theoretically it could have. ©Innsbruck Tourism

As darkness falls, Andreas also ends his day. ©Lea Hajner

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE EXCITING INTERVIEW!

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Lea Hajner

Travel blogger & book author with a passion for hiking, wild herbs and alpine cuisine. #onlyinibk

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