Arrived in Libya on 30 Nov. First impressions: Hot, and pretty much like any other developing country. Libyans are very friendly and we haven't been hassled at all. Accommodation is a rented villa, and thankfully we each have our own room - working and living with five blokes for two weeks is enough, a bit of privacy is great!
Went to look at the tower we are working on on Tuesday, and to be honest the pictures dont do it justice - ITS HUGE. Over 250m in fact, taller than 1 Canada Sq at Canary Wharf which is 235m (the tallest building in the UK) - yikes.
Started work on Tuesday night, and the first job was to set up safety lines on the ladders all the way up to the top. This took most of the night and we had a few twitchy moments when a lightning storm in the distance got a bit too close to comfort just as I was about 10m from the top. Made an executive decision and got the F out of dodge. Never climbed down 240m of ladder faster in my life - probably a record.
Anyway, the point of us being out here is to put aircraft warning lights on one of many towers dotted around Tripoli. Its been up for about 30 years but since the airport was reopened 5 years ago the aviation authority said that they need to comply with international standards or be shut down - hence the urgency of the job. Previously it was shut for about 10 years due to the political situation so the only way in was by road or sea. You actually have to be invited into Libya and without the proper stamps you wont be allowed in. We even need to get our passports stamped so we can leave!
We are out here for 16 days in all, and as I write have been here seven. Unfortunately its all night work, but fortunately not long nights. Basically we arrive on site for 10pm, and the theory is that the tower will be switched off at 11pm so we can get to work. Its got loads of services on it including two of the main islamic TV channels so it cant be switched off during the day, and if there is a speech on, then it wont be shut down until midnight. So far that has been the case most nights, so we dont take ownership of the tower until quite late. We then have until 5am to do what we can. The biggest problem (apart from being frazzled) is the wind. It can be calm on the ground but 100m up is blowing a hoolie! Strongest winds so far have been 29 mph at 160m. Technically we shouldn't work over 25 mph, but its not too bad. It does take it out of you though and when you come down you feel a bit battered.
My partner in crime over here is Karl (Squirrel) and we have basically been responsible for getting the biggest lights sorted on the tower. This involves setting up rigging systems to haul all the kit into place and then fix the brackets and lights onto the main structure. As the most experienced riggers we have to climb onto the outside of the tower so we can fix the brackets properly. We both haven't worked on towers before and its completely different than working on buildings. Initially the exposure gets to you a bit as there is nothing around you, and the damn thing moves. The tower itself is based on central pivot and secured with 9 wires. Its right next to the coast and so as you can imagine takes a battering. There are two platforms on it, one at 50m and the other at 100m and these seem to move the most. The only way up or down is through a hooped ladder. I must admit its a bit knackering going up and down, and when going to the top just doesn't seem to end , you seem to be climbing to the stars!!! I still haven't it to the top due to various reasons, but hopefully tonight is the night.
