The backpack hangs heavy on her shoulders. With an oversized socket wrench set, a 1" torque wrench plus cable grease she ascends pylon no. 11 of the Urdenfürggli chairlift. Focused on her task, Denise Wey appears to dance while working on the 10-meter tall steel structure. But a closer look reveals how carefully the 26-year-old general mechanic places her hands with every move. The young woman is a member of the Lenzerheide Bergbahnen AG maintenance team, responsible for keeping a total of 22 cableways operating smoothly. 

METICULOUSLY PREPARED FOR THE WINTER SEASON

Today is a good day – weather conditions are ideal for the work planned on the six-seat chairlift. The trek into the mountains begins with the morning dew at 7:00 a.m. The materials needed were assembled the previous evening. The workers meet at the Scharmoin midstation's maintenance shop. From there the journey continues in a nimble 4 × 4 followed by a climb to 2545 meters on the same lift the team will perform maintenance on. The ascent is the team members' first chance to use all their senses to assess how well the equipment is functioning. “If there are unwanted vibrations, noises, or even if the chair swings too much as we pass the pylons, we notice right away,” Denise explains adeptly at the beginning of the trip. In the past few weeks her team of three has followed a precisely defined maintenance plan, inspecting and maintaining countless assemblies such as the sheave trains on the pylons. The work is done from a maintenance gondola. At the moment the task at hand is to retest the tightening torque of the transverse bolts and properly treat the cable before the winter season. Together with a colleague, Denise starts on foot from the top station down to the uppermost pylon. She remains in radio contact with the station, which advances the cables for lubrication precisely according to Denise's instructions.

RESPECT YES – FEAR NO

An apprenticeship with Ems-Chemie and a general mechanic's Federal Proficiency Certificate were the basic requirements for Denise's dream job in the mountains – but by themselves not enough. The needed qualifications also included physical and mental fitness, good skiing or snowboarding skills, and no reluctance to work outdoors in all weathers. Not to mention climbing ability: depending on the equipment, cable pylons are anywhere from five (on a T-bar lift) to 50 (on a gondola lift) meters tall! Asked if she's not afraid of heights, Denise replies, “There's no room in my head for fear while I'm working. For respect and considered action, yes.” In general, everyone on the team has to be dependable. Now and then a helicopter is also used, making easy work of upkeep tasks involving heavy loads. That's when a well-practiced team is a must and, wanted or otherwise, adrenaline spurts are guaranteed.

LUNCH FROM THE BACKPACK

During the winter season, one member of the maintenance team is assigned to each facility on a rotating basis. “That way we can be sure that someone is there right away in the event of a malfunction.” On peak days there may be several thousand winter sport enthusiasts on the slopes. Our motto then is 'always prepared' and we have to act promptly and expertly.” If a hanger on a t-bar lift gets caught at an exposed spot, for example, Denise skis right to the location to assist the guest and readjust the equipment. And there are always lubrication points under heavy loads to be regreased. A grease gun and heavy-duty grease such as MOTOREX FETT 2000 are standard equipment. Often there's little time left for lunch, which almost always comes from a backpack to keep things simple, but still tastes good.

NATURAL SPECTACLES INCLUDEDDenise has always considered it a privilege to work in this fascinating mountain landscape. “Every day is different, if only because of the seasons. The intense winter season is followed by spring and the first overhaul jobs. Next comes the summer season with a completely different kind of tourism and transport needs. The technical circumstances on the lines are different in every season – that impacts a lot of different things. I also appreciate the shift toward more sustainable solutions for technical applications. A good example is readily biodegradable CABLE PROTECT cable lubricant from MOTOREX. Humanity should do more to apply its knowledge and skill for environmentally friendly solutions.” It's an opinion that Denise doesn't just assert at work. And when the day's work is done, Denise's efforts are often rewarded on the journey back down with an unforgettable natural spectacle: “Sunsets in winter are out of this world!”

INDISPENSIBLE CABLE CARE

There is no lack of lubrication points on the Lenzerheide cableways. Many of them are lubricated and sealed for life. The lubrication points that require maintenance are listed on a lubrication schedule for each facility. Lubrication schedules, incidentally, are a service provided by MOTOREX to make work easier and prevent costly lubrication outages. On all cableways, steel ropes are particularly exposed to high mechanical and weather-related loads. Cableway cables can be kilometers long and weigh several tonnes. Regular regreasing with CABLE PROTECT is essential to keep them operating reliably. Regularly relubricated cables show markedly lower signs of wear, and their quieter functioning is key to a more pleasant ride for passengers. A heavy-duty cable with compacted braiding for longer life.

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