“The flattened dome of the summit gave rise to the idea of building a tower in Śnieżnik, i.e. an observation tower, which would allow better landscapes after reaching the summit. In the years 1895-99, the Kłodzkie Mountain Society build a 33.5-meter stone tower on the top. The building, designed by the Wrocław architect Felix Henry, and builded by the builder Emil Giesser, actually consisted of two connected pseudo-defense towers, lower and higher. They were to symbolize the friendship and brotherhood of arms between Germany and Austria-Hungary. (…)
The tower on Śnieżnik was named after Emperor Frederick William II. A small wooden building was builded next to the tower, which housed a buffet and a small shelter. After the war, the tower did not have a user, which caused its destruction and devastation. In 1973 it was blown up, and in the 90s it was loud about building a new one. However, the initiative has not been implemented until today. “
In 2021, a contractor for the construction of an observation tower on the top of Śnieżnik was selected. The metal structure is already at the top. At the moment it is glased and this is the last stage of this construction.
The difference between the construction of the first and second towers is colossal. Mainly in the type of available materials and construction technology, but also in the type of transport used.
In a situation where there is no possibility of road transport due to the difficult-to-access terrain, the most economically and time-wise choice is transport by air.
The use of a helicopter allows you to significantly reduce the time needed for transport and assembly of individual elements. Importantly, the cost of such a works often does not exceed the cost of road transport and the rental of cranes and their transport in hostile terrain. Importantly, it allows the individual stages of work to be performed much more efficiently, precisely and in a shorter time.
When it comes to transporting the metal parts of the tower, the biggest challenge was the weight of the individual parts. The Airbus Helicopters (Eurocopter) AS350B3e helicopter used for this work was able to handle elements weighing over 1200 kg. Moving such heavy elements requires high pilot efficiency and the maximum leanness of the helicopter. It is deprived of all unnecessary elements of seat equipment, and is filled with the minimum amount of fuel needed to perform a given task.
The next stage of work, i.e. the transport of glass elements, required much more precision and attention. Even the mounting and securing itself was quite a challenge due to the possibility of cracking the windows. The work of moving the panes to the top of Śnieżnik 1,425 meters above sea level lasted half a day and was carried out by the Airbus Helicopters AS350B2 helicopter.
Source: klodzko.naszemiasto.pl
Foto: Bartłomiej Sidorczuk, Marek Ogrodzki