Capanna Margherita: the challenge of operating at high altitude

CAE currently maintains more than 120 high-altitude installations, installed higher than 2,000 m above sea level. These sites require the use of specific products designed for high mountains, where the temperature range is high and ice is a constant factor. Working at these altitudes requires highly specialised and well-equipped personnel.

CAE personnel trained to be able to safely perform installations in extreme sites, even logistically very complex ones, attend courses on how to behave in such environments and on the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to prevent the risk of falling from heights during temporary work at height and with ropes. These sites cannot always be reached by land, so our technicians frequently have to reach them by helicopter, which is why they attend courses to learn the behaviour, opportunities and risks involved in using this method.

The video accompanying this article shows maintenance work that involves replacing the sensor block of the weather station installed at Capanna Margherita (the second highest in Europe). The pictures are spectacular, but it is worth remembering that an operational height difference of about 3500 m has to be tackled quickly, and to carry out a task like this you need:

• flexibility: to respect the weather conditions, they must be optimal for the helicopter to take off without risk;
• to be immune from altitude sickness and be used to high altitudes;
• to be accompanied by a mountain guide: weather conditions at high altitudes are extremely variable, so you must be prepared for any eventuality. At this particular site, you need to be prepared for a descent across the glacier on foot with crampons; 
• mountaineering clothing and equipment;
• the ability to work while roped.

Experience is also a central element in ensuring high service quality; it lets you deal with problems that are difficult to foresee. To give an idea of the experience our technicians have, the work at Capanna Margherita was carried out by CAE technician Marcello Alborghetti, who, while on a mission with the EVK2CNR organisation in 2014, installed a CAE technology station at the K2 base camp at almost 5,000 m above sea level. (click here for the video).





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