Installation of the final roof section on the main part of Hafod Eryri was completed ahead of schedule early this afternoon. This was despite being unable to fit any roofing for three days last week owing to high wind speeds: 22mph is the highest wind speed in which the crane is allowed to operate. The roof was expected to take two weeks to get in to place but took only five days. Thirty one sections of the Kalzip roofing system were fitted.


Hafod Eryri now with a roof.


Sterling Building have installed the Kalzip roofing.

The guttering still needs to be added and there is lots of work bolting the sections together to do. Stone slabs will also cover the roof to ensure it is sympathetic with the landscape. While the roof has been going on, digging out for the service-wing foundation units has continued.


Looking down and along the length of where the service-wing will be built.

The best day's weather at the summit in weeks, but not totally precipitation free as low cloud drifted across during the afternoon, leading to a brief shower. The completed metal framework of Hafod Eryri that comes into view just before the top as you approach along the railway line is very striking.


The roof of Hafod Eryri with the summit cairn behind.

It is now obvious that the the angle of the roof has been designed to follow the slope of the ground above. Although at the moment the shiny and starkly curved steel structure gives a futuristic feel to the building, it'll look very different faced with stone.


The steel framework of Hafod Eryri's main body highlighted by a break in
the clouds.


Looking across the roof to the station end of the building.

The cutting-out of the ledge running along the back wall of the site has been finished and the horizontal concrete beam on it will act as support for the first floor. After a dry-run in Caernarfon involving taking apart and reassembling the 20 ton crane supplied by the hire company, Bob Francis, its component parts have started to arrive on site by train. In the post on July 4th we highlighted the problems posed by getting such a heavy piece of equipment up the mountain. This crane will have the reach to enable the roof to start being fitted on Monday if everything goes to plan.


Lifting a two and-a-half ton component of the big
crane off the flat-bed.

The media, invited by Snowdonia National Park to view the progress of constructing Hafod Eryri, got a first-hand feel of what it has recently been like to work on the highest building site in Wales and England. The cloud level was down to around Half-way House and a chilly insidious soaking mist greeted the journalists and film crews when they alighted from the train at the summit. The newly erected steel framework of the building was barely discernible through the greyness. Fortunately for them there was only a slight breeze. The BBC web-site later carried the headline "Weather Dampens Summit Bid".

 
A damp welcome for the media visiting Snowdon's summit.

Carillion's Regional Director, Meirion Evans, said a few words on top of Snowdon, praising the hard work of the men there despite the difficult conditions and explained how with April's good weather they had raced ahead of schedule, but that advantage had now gone because of wind and rain, leaving them a week behind. He added that yesterday (Monday): "they should have been starting to put the roof on". Instead, by the end of work today, Northwest Site Erections will have finished bolting together the steelwork of the main body of the building in readiness for the roof.


Peter Trumper, Snowdonia National Park, addressing journalists and local
councillors.

The main steel contractor, Rhyl based Evadx, is providing more than 100 tonnes of steel for the building, all held together by more than 2,500 bolts. Perhaps summer sun will arrive in time for the start of the fast approaching school holidays?


Looking back at the building before boarding the train.

If you think rain stopping play poses problems for the Wimbledon schedule then spare a thought for the workers competing against the unseasonable weather to try and finish the £8.3 million Snowdon summit building on time.

The dramatic turn in the weather seems like a payback for the gloriously sunny and mild conditions enjoyed during the spring. All a distant memory now. It has officially, according to the Met Office today, been the wettest June on record in the UK and the wettest in Wales since 1998. Apparently, it's all the fault of the La Nina system and warm water developing in the western Pacific - probably not much comfort for the guys grafting on top of Wales' highest peak.


The rain soaked Llanberis yard at the foot of the Snowdon Mountain Railway.

In the two weeks since June 20th, five days work has been lost at the top of the mountain and high winds on a further two days has prevented any steel-work being erected. The summit has rarely been out of the cloud. During the 28th June the wind speed quickly picked up, turning a reasonable working day into a struggle against gusts over 50mph, meaning an early finish.

As Carillion Site Manager Chris Hogan said: "On most jobs you can get into a routine. But with this one there is always something that can come along and knock you off your perch."

Despite the inclement conditions of late, only three pieces of steel are required to complete the framework on the main part of the building and scaffolding is just starting to go up around the perimeter of the steelwork in preparation for adding the roof. On Saturday it is hoped to install a large net between the steel stanchions to safeguard workers when they are fitting the roof.

The eight ton Crawler Crane currently at the summit hasn't got the necessary reach for installing the roof. However, getting the 20 ton crane up the mountain, bought by the company Bob Francis for this purpose, has proved problematic.

It is too heavy to track up the railway line and the Health & Safety Executive are against flying it up. So the solution has proved to be splitting it in half and dismantling it further so it fits on the flat-bed to be taken by train up Yr Wyddfa and reassembled on site.