As part of efforts to repair the Washington Monument from damage caused last month's earthquake, engineers prepared to conduct a 'visual inspection' of the landmark tower. In order the finish that task, an aptly named Difficult Access Team attached ropes to the side of the obelisk and prepared to rapel down its face. The weather did not cooperate.

While the image reminded many of a scene from a Hollywood thriller, it is by far not the most uncommon method ever used by engineers working to repair a landmark monument. Here are ten other idiosyncratic, exotic, that is, crazy techniques used to repair other world landmarks.

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Engineers Prepare to Rapel Down Washington Monument
Engineers Prepare to Rapel Down Washington Monument Reuters
Statue of Liberty Scaffolding
Statue of Liberty Scaffolding Creative Commons
Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore crack repair National Park Service
Walk of Fame repair
Hollywood Walk of Fame Reuters
Stonehenge repair
Stonhenge repair Creative Commons
Tower of Pisa repair
Tower of Pisa repair Reuters
Christ the Redeemer repair
Christ the Redeemer repair Reuters
Giza refurbishment
Giza refurbishment Reuters
Hagia Sophia scaffold
Hagia Sophia scaffold Creative Commons
Taj Mahal repair
Taj Mahal repair Reuters
Eiffel Tower paint job
Eiffel Tower paint job Reuters
Earthquake Hollywood Earthquake Hollywood