New CNCC website (with cave descriptions and topos)

Cavematt

Well-known member
Hi everyone

After several months of development, the new CNCC website has been launched today.

www.cncc.org.uk

There are loads of changes and useful features.

General appearance:
This has been modernised and freshened up a little.

Mobile devices:
The website is now fully compatible with mobile devices (smartphones, tablets).

Social media integration:
For the past few years, the CNCC has had an active presence on Facebook and Twitter. The website has been more closely integrated into these social media sites. All those involved in northern caving are encouraged to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to receive news updates about access, conservation, training and any hazard warnings.

Cave descriptions:
http://cncc.org.uk/caving/descriptions
The cave descriptions that were written specifically for EuroSpeleo have been modified and made available on the CNCC website cave info pages to download as PDF documents.

For larger systems, such as Ease Gill and Gaping Gill, the description covers the entire system in one long document but has been broken down into subsections (by entrance or by route). Hopefully the way we have done this will allow you to pick just the pages relevant to your planned trip.

There is a reporting tool for any inaccuracies that you identify, and for caves where a description is absent, there is a button at the bottom of the cave information page to submit a description of your own. All submitted descriptions should be written in the style of the existing ones (some guidelines are included when you click this button) to help ensure consistency. 

Rigging topos:
http://cncc.org.uk/caving/topos
Thanks to the kind permission of the CNCC Technical Group, all the rigging topos featured in the former CNCC rigging guides (and more recent excellent book, Northern Caving) are now available on the website to download as a PDF and print. Furthermore, with thanks to the IC anchor team, their rigging topos and descriptions can now be downloaded via the CNCC website as well as their own website. As with the descriptions, there is a tool to report any topo inaccuracies or errors (e.g. if you find any of the rope lengths to be too short).

Cave information:
To access: Just search for any cave on the website homepage or caves list
The layout of each individual cave information page has been redesigned. This is partly to include the rigging topos and descriptions, but also to put greater emphasis on any warnings cavers should be aware of, which will now appear in a red box at the top of the page.

These warnings do not cover the kinds of normal hazards you would expect in caves; nor can they ever be fully comprehensive or a substitute for appropriate care and caution on a trip, but they will help to provide information of any unique hazard that the CNCC has been made aware of. Recent examples include the current state of the entrance to Penyghent Pot, some loose anchors in Bull Pot and a recent collapse of one of the pitch heads in Christmas Pot, all of which may necessitate additional care beyond what might normally be considered. There is also a function to submit a report of any such hazards you encounter to allow us to share these with other cavers.

Caves area map:
http://cncc.org.uk/caving/caves/map.php
The new map function in the cave info section will help you to search for caves by area; just click on any of the cave pegs to take you to information about that cave.

Conservation section:
http://cncc.org.uk/conservation
The conservation page was recently launched on the previous version of the website, but I am taking this opportunity to promote it again. There is a wealth of information including the BCA?s Minimal Impact Caving Code and the digging guidelines for SSSIs. There is also and information on how to get involved in CNCC-organised cave conservation initiatives (including lots of FAQs), and a function to report any conservation project that you feel we should be considering.

Fixed aids section:
http://cncc.org.uk/fixed-aids
The website now has a dedicated fixed aids section, which predominantly includes lots of information on anchors, including history, types and locations, as well as safety recommendations for when using anchors. There is a function to report any defective anchors which we would encourage you to use should you encounter any.

Elsewhere:
Lots of other content across the website has been updated and some historical content removed. The ?Get Involved? section has been rewritten and provides clear information to anyone looking to get more involved with the CNCC either as a club or an individual, including updated job descriptions for all the Officer roles and information about the new Individual Caver Representative role.

Any feedback or questions on specific website content is welcome; secretary@cncc.org.uk

Furthermore, if you find any bugs with the new website please email webmaster@cncc.org.uk

Matt Ewles
Secretary, Council of Northern Caving Clubs
 

MarkS

Moderator
What a superb resource you've made the CNCC site into. (y) It must've been a lot of work, but I suspect an awful lot of people will make use of it.
 

GT

New member
WOW!! What a fantastic resource and hats off to CNCC and all involved for making these resources openly available; clearly the results  of lots and lots of hard work. Can't praise you all enough...

Would love to know what software you're using to draw up the topo?
 

Cavematt

Well-known member
Thanks for the positive feedback  ;)

I'm afraid I have no idea what an 'api' or 'mashup' is but will mention this to our webmaster who is a million times more technical than me.  :-\

I don't think we have any specific concerns regarding loss of data control, although it is important that everything works from the same database so that when any details are updated (e.g. cave access details), this is propegated everywhere and we don't have to manually update details in multiple locations as this would inevitably lead to inconsistancies and errors.

The topos are basically redrawn (traced) using the CNCC Technical Group topos as a template (as the originals were not of quite the right technical quality to reproduce in PDF form) with some added standardisation in line thicknesses and other details. Again, I'll have to revert to our webmaster to confirm the software he used. For the IC anchor topos you'll have to check with Simon or one of the IC anchor team.

 

langcliffe

Well-known member
Excellent, Matt - congratulations to all concerned.

A couple of small points, as they say:

1. Lost Johns' Cave has a couple of IC hangers on the Dome Alternative put in by Sam.
2. Notts Pot has some IC anchors for Acrobat Pot and the Alternative Entrance.
3. There are some important routes missing from the rigging guides - in particularly, De Profundis and Bar Pot Alternative.
4. Should places like Echo Rift in the Far Country, and Stake Pot and the Magic Roundabout Series in Lancaster be listed as having CNCC P-bolts?
 

Badlad

Administrator
Staff member
Yes - congratulations to Matt and Gary on an excellent upgrade to the CNCC website.  It looks like an incredible amount of hard work.  Not only does it set a new standard for our regional caving bodies but reflects the progressive and welcoming attitude that the CNCC have embraced in recent times.  Well done  (y)
 

Cavematt

Well-known member
Hi Langcliffe;

Thanks for the comments. Here's a quick reply from me:

(1+2) We'll get the website updated to clarify that Lost John's and Notts Pot has a few IC anchors in the locations you specify - Cheers!

(3) The rigging guides on the CNCC website are the full complement from Northern Caving and Simon's website. If you have a rigging guide for the two routes you mentioned and don't mind it being made available in the same way as the others (drawn in the same style ideally) please email it through to me and we'll see what we can do.

(4) Yes; although it is a little more challenging to list just specific locations in a system as having anchors as our database works on cave names rather than parts of cave names. Leave this one with me and I'll chat to Gary (our webmaster) and see what might be done here.
 

JasonC

Well-known member
At risk of repetition, I agree this is a fantastic piece of work - hearty thanks to all involved !!!
 

GarDouth

Administrator
@RobinGriffiths (and Simon Wilson)
An API should be possible, or maybe just a read-only database user. I will look into it.

@GT
The topos have been re-drawn using Adobe Illustrator with the originals as a base image. When you open the PDF you will also see the walls and ropes are on separate layers so you can turn them off if you want a more simplistic topo.
 

ianball11

Active member
gardouth said:
@GT
The topos have been re-drawn using Adobe Illustrator with the originals as a base image. When you open the PDF you will also see the walls and ropes are on separate layers so you can turn them off if you want a more simplistic topo.

:clap:
 

GarDouth

Administrator
Thanks for the comments everyone, some interesting stats in just a couple of days...

1727 unique downloads of rigging topos.
636 unique downloads of cave descriptions.

Google Analytics has gone bonkers.
 

GT

New member
gardouth said:
@RobinGriffiths (and Simon Wilson)
An API should be possible, or maybe just a read-only database user. I will look into it.

@GT
The topos have been re-drawn using Adobe Illustrator with the originals as a base image. When you open the PDF you will also see the walls and ropes are on separate layers so you can turn them off if you want a more simplistic topo.

Thank you! And thanks again for publishing these
 

Mike Hopley

New member
Already said many times, but again: excellent work. :)

It's a perfect example of a good website. It's simple, and it provides something really useful.
 
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