On Monday 5th September a trial blast will happen at 14.30 approximately in an area close to Ogof Nant Rhin. So Ogof Pant Gam and Ogof Nant Rhin will be shut all day with notices placed in them warning of the activity. Please abide by these notices.
The test blast is being monitored in Ogof Nant Rhin at the closest point, and an inspection will be done afterwards to see if the cave is the same as it was before the test.


John Stevens

Thanks for the info John. Do you know if Cambrian club secs are being emailed about this? I'll pass the info on to my clubs. Someone was asking about Nant Rhin only a couple of days ago.

Costain did not contact me directly about the blasting trial next Monday 5th September.  I have only heard about it today through third parties who are doing ecology work along the A465 for Costain.  The plan to put an explosives warning notice up only by 0930 on the day of the blasting also seems to me to present risks as cavers are occasionally known to get up and go earlier, even on a Monday.  I will take this up with Costain.

On the subject of notices placed further down the Clydach Gorge:  cavers recently brought to my attention some notices at the entrance to Ogof Capel / Gelynnen to the effect that the cave was closed.  This has also been reported in the current issue of Descent in the Wales section.  I have been and taken a look, and these notices were somewhat old and tatty then.  Costain have since admitted to me that these notices were indeed theirs and that they should have been taken down following some temporary works nearby and assured me that these caves are open again for visits.  No more works are planned in the Capel locality during 2016.  Again, no notice was given by Costain to CCC about any temporary Ogof Capel closure or concerning the notices they had placed.

It is an unsatisfactory state of affairs and Costain will have to do better than this in terms of public liaison and site safety management.

Stuart France
Access / Conservation Officer
Cambrian Caving Council

As this is a public forum, I think it best to state that, we will be doing more than just placing notices from 8.30am on the day to ensure that the cave system does not have anyone in it. The post was just to try and stop anyone having a wasted trip to the caves on the day.

From our inspection last week, the cave is not being used very much during the road scheme works. The old path down from the lay-by hasn't been used in months due to the works, so anyone entering/exiting Ogof Nant Rhin must be using a different route now.

John

I've obtained all the relevant documentation from Costain now, and I am meeting them later in the week to discuss. The output from this process should be an agreed protocol for handling and publicising temporary cave access closures and along pedestrian approach routes to caves as major road works enter the karst area.

Costain's road works are now just touching the upper boundary of the limestone in the Clydach Gorge near to Ogof Nant Rhin for explosives tests.  Much later on the substantive road works will reach into the lower Ogof Capel area.  So now is the moment that all this starts to affect the caves and caving.

My point is that nobody should have an opportunity to get into or exit a cave onto the surface nearby during any engineering operation that poses a potential risk for the duration of that risk, or to be underground and experience what might seem like an earthquake, or be at risk from rockfall due to thin roof of uncertain qualities, with heavy machinery moving on top or vibrations within the ground.  Vibration propagation is partly what the coming week's test will quantify.

This implies closing off a cave at the latest on the day before any test or production blasting begins, having already given as much public notice as possible through all appropriate channels.

One can appreciate that there are many matters for engineers to consider, and stakeholders such as NRW who need to be satisfied, so the clearance from all concerned to go ahead in a particular way on a particular date might all come together quite close to the intended event, thus limiting the notice period available whilst not excusing establishment of safety systems with sufficient reach.

Stuart France
Cambrian Caving Council