I do not know where these people come from or what they do the rest of the year, but when the snow comes they remove it from the top of roofs. This is a fairly common sight in Stockholm in February and it serves two purposes, avoid collapsed roofs and avoid icicle buildup that could potentially result in 20 lbs. of ice falling on someone's head.

The only thing between them and a fast trip 5 floors down is a thin rope they have wrapped around them mountaineer style. Considering they are on a slanted roof covered with ice and snow it amazes me that there aren't about 100 near-fatal incidents a year. On the contrary I've never heard of a single incident. Regardless, I am glad that this is something I can be content to watch from a warm office and not take part in.

Permalink    Labels: Stockholm, Snow, Weather, 1 Minute Video