Earlier on this year I went down Diccan to look at the anchors. I was disappointed to find a bunch drop-in anchors which seemed to have no purpose and which were very badly installed. Having given it some thought I decided to go and remove them which I did today.

They were about 10m back from the head of the first pitch. Between there and the pitch head is easy walking passage, there is a resin anchor about 2m before the pitch head and then a very easy stance to rig the main Y hang. Even if there was a need for belays 10m back up the passage there are two bomb proof natural belays within 1m of the drop-ins.

There was one stainless drop-in with a stainless bolt and ring hanger and about 2m to the left a group of 3 stainless drop-ins two of which had sheared off bolts in them and one which had a stainless plate hanger.



The first photo shows the ring hanger and two natural belays circled.



The second photo is taken after removal of the drop-ins and shows the single hole to the left and the group of three to the right with a sling and crab around the left hand of the two naturals.

The next photos show the drop-ins, the worst of which is the central one of the group which had over a third of its length protruding from the rock. They were all very easy to remove. When I came to the top one of the group, I put my drill in place but as soon as the drill touched the drop-in I saw it move in the rock. I got hold of it, gave it a waggle and it just pulled out with little effort from a finger and thumb.



The next two photos are after the holes had been filled with resin hybrid mortar. Sorry for the poor quality of the photos.



Finally, the metalwork after removal.

Good work Simon 

It begs the question, why?? and who??

I wonder if they were put in for high water conditions, but if so why would you even be in there in high water conditions. The other thing it could have been anchor placement practice?

Alex said:

The other thing it could have been anchor placement practice?

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Which is clearly an utterly in-appropriate place for such.

Yeh should be on a rock outside not inside the cave near a big drop.

Remains of a rescue ?

There was a rescue in 2010 and perhaps extra anchors were placed?

http://www.caverescue.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2010_Report.pdf

During a trip in a French cave earlier this year we noticed several drop ins in really strange places; For example on the beginning of a low and long horizontal crawl. Later we found out that these anchors were placed during a rescue exercise, to haul a stretcher through the crawl.

Leclused said:

Remains of a rescue ?

There was a rescue in 2010 and perhaps extra anchors were placed?

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I hope not! I'd be worried if the anchors shown in the pictures had been placed by a rescue team.

Would they be the remenants of when the BBC did some film work with the camera that traveled down the streamway and floated over the pitch head? I imagine that would have required some.kind of anchored cable system.

Cant remember which program off the top of my head.

I think you may have solved it Anton.

Hi Guys,

The BBC program was the original Planet Earth series which I filmed with my rigging crew of Tom Chapman and James Aldred.
Those bolts you found are certainly not anything to do with us or that shoot.  We did install some complex cable dolly systems for that shoot requiring extra bolts with the landowners knowledge and permission.  However the technique we always use is to over drill the through bolt holes and then at the end of the shoot we remove all the hardware, knock the remaining bolt into the hole and fill the hole with grout.  If anyones feeling really bored one day feel free to try and find our bolt holes...  I know where we put them and I've looked for them several times since and can't find them so good luck 

I obviously can't comment on what any other film crews may have done...  remember Bear Grylls went there so they probably had to install a water heater and escalator for him...   

gavinnewman said:

I obviously can't comment on what any other film crews may have done...  remember Bear Grylls went there so they probably had to install a water heater and escalator for him...   

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gavinnewman said:

Hi Guys,

The BBC program was the original Planet Earth series which I filmed with my rigging crew of Tom Chapman and James Aldred.
Those bolts you found are certainly not anything to do with us or that shoot.

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Excellent work on that bit of film, I had a near death expierience involving a harness undoing itself near the top of the pitch shortly before watching it, I relived every emotion during those final 4 seconds!

Shame I didnt solve the riddle though