Pwll Dwfn rope damage

[Mike Hopley]

One of the fixed ropes in Pwll Dwfn is severely damaged.

It's the rope on the third pitch. The damage was on the left ear of the Y-hang, just where the rope enters the knot.

I pulled through a few metres of slack, so that the damaged part is now on the traverse line and isolated within a knot. I also attached a warning to it, so it should be pretty obvious.

The loss of slack at the bottom may make swinging into the tunnel impossible, or at least create a lot of rub. This rope looks a bit shagged anyway, so I would suggest bringing your own rope at least for the third pitch (i.e. you need a 20 metre rope).

 

[ah147]

I know the diggers (who fixed the ropes) are not keen on people taking the alternate route due to easily damaged digging activities. But have forwarded them the link to this message as I don't believe they are active on UKcaving.


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[Mike Hopley]

I know the diggers (who fixed the ropes) are not keen on people taking the alternate route due to easily damaged digging activities.

Yes, but we were using the standard route as shown on the topo. The diggers have fixed ropes on that route too, and one of those ropes is damaged.

There was no damage last time I was there. The damage occurred -- or the rope was swapped -- sometime between 22 February and 18 April.

I'm pretty sure the rope was swapped, because I can't imagine how it could get damaged at the Y-knot like that.

 

[ah147]

Yeah all routes are fixed. Just mentioned the diggers gently advising against using the other routes on a public forum to get the message out.

I was down on 29th March and can't say I noticed anything. But the ropes have been in there coming up on 6/7 months I seem to remember.

Message back from diggers that they were going to replace them soon, but are now replacing them on their next trip. I don't have an indication of when that'll be though!


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[Mike Hopley]

I was down on 29th March and can't say I noticed anything. But the ropes have been in there coming up on 6/7 months I seem to remember.

You could see this damage from several metres away (start of the traverse line), because the shape of the Y-hang looked "wrong". It was obvious.

Perhaps a rock fell out the ceiling and grazed the Y-hang!

 

[Reeve]

All the ropes in Pwll Dwfn belong to myself or my fellow diggers. We'll be removing them shortly until next winter.