Lift's start is delayed for de-icing", what it means:

Waimarino Bulletin, Issue 6, 26 August 1988, Page 21

Lift's start is delayed for de-icing", what it means:

It's 6.30am at RAL's Staff Quarters. Alarms are buzzing and there's a building urgency as the Lift Crews prepare for a 7.00am start.

The phone goes, its the Cat Crew Supervisor straight off his midnight to 6am shift grooming the upper TBars. There's been a storm overnight and there's a heavy i c e build-up on all lifts. Scotty Barrie takes the call, he's been up for an hour already. Scotty's done it all before - many times. "Nevan, Spinner, Dougie, Ross, Stuey and Glen, grab some toast, it's breakfast in the truck. There's work to do." 6.50am they're on their way up on the mountain road. It's cold, really cold and hang-overs clear a s they reach the Top O' the Bruce. First priority is the Centennial Chairlift. What a mess, four inches of ice rhime buildup over everything. There's a pile of pickaxe handles in the corner of the shed - no its

not the complaints department - its the deicing crew's only equipment. Affectionately called "Yeti Sticks". They make their way up the chairlift climbing each tower as they come to it. First, chipping the ice off the ladder rungs, slowly working their way to the top. It's leg-over time at the top of the tower and sitting astride the tower holding on with one hand they swing again and again beating the ice off the sheavetrains, wheels and cables. By 7.30 the lift's clean and the all-clear is given. The lift is run slowly at first to clear the remaining cable and at the same time the individual chairs are cleaned. There could be up to 10 tons of ice on a chairlift on heavy days, a fact obviously

noted by skilift builders. The process is repeated on the "Waterfall Express" but by now the guys are tired. Arms and back are aching and lungs are screaming in the rarefield air. It's 8.30am - the public's already at the base of the Centennial and the work's only half done. "Come-on, the Knoll's next." Customer Ser-

vices are informed: there'll be an hour delay on the Knoll and the Valley, "Tell the Ticket Saies office!" The Cat Crew pick up the guys. Crew one to the Valley, crew two to the Knoll. There's some macho pride on the line who's lift will be running first. Scotty had pre-empted the storm and the T's had been taken off the night before making the job a bit easier.

The Cat drops the guys off at the top of the Knoll, they work their way down de-icing towers as they go, one man stays at the top. It's 9.15 - the lifts clear for start-up. Stop. Two wheels on tower six are still jammed, the lift is stopped immediately. Any more than a couple of minutes and the tyres will go flat. $200.00 each and the wrath of Chief

Engineer Lorenz would be the result. All's clear, the Cat clears the ice off the track and the T's can be hung after the spring boxes are de-iced. It's 9.30 and the Knoll's going with the Valley about 10 minutes behind. The Ticket Office is informed and the snow reports updated. The first skiers arrive as the skies are clear-

ing, its going to be a great day. "Ten centimetres of new snow, the sun's out and I haven't had a run yet! Never mind, lunchtime's at noon."

Scott

Lee