On last weekend?s trip to the REU, Daren Cilau, the Fat Belly Boys discovered that a large section of the roof had collapsed in Acupuncture. The collapse was over 5ft in length with over 1m in thickness of the roof collapsing. It was not possible to pass the collapse. Thankfully, no one was under the collapse or trapped beyond.
After a long session on Saturday, the collapse was partially removed, but the roof is still in a highly unstable state. The passage has now been left to settle and remedial work will be undertaken in due course to stabilise this area. Due to the tight nature and size of blocks that fell it would have not been possible to have cleared this collapse from the far side.
Furthermore, the group has been aware that an area towards the exit of Acupuncture (near the Micron) was very dubious in nature, with blocks having fallen on members and blocks often being discovered in the floor on the way into camps. It was initially thought that it was this area that had collapsed. On partial removal, however, it was apparent that it was an area of the crawl previously thought stable, much earlier in the passage. No one (including me) was prepared to squeeze past the collapse and see if the exit of acupuncture was clear or had also collapsed.
Acupuncture is currently moving, and is still highly unstable. It is requested that people to do not go past Western Union and DO NOT enter Acupuncture until the group report that the passage has been stabilised. A rescue from such a collapse and being so far in to the cave would not be pretty!!.
It has left members somewhat spooked that a previously assumed stable passage, one in which we have travel through many times and one that has seen a significant amount of traffic over the years has been the site of a significant collapsed!!
Please Take Heed
Madphil
After a long session on Saturday, the collapse was partially removed, but the roof is still in a highly unstable state. The passage has now been left to settle and remedial work will be undertaken in due course to stabilise this area. Due to the tight nature and size of blocks that fell it would have not been possible to have cleared this collapse from the far side.
Furthermore, the group has been aware that an area towards the exit of Acupuncture (near the Micron) was very dubious in nature, with blocks having fallen on members and blocks often being discovered in the floor on the way into camps. It was initially thought that it was this area that had collapsed. On partial removal, however, it was apparent that it was an area of the crawl previously thought stable, much earlier in the passage. No one (including me) was prepared to squeeze past the collapse and see if the exit of acupuncture was clear or had also collapsed.
Acupuncture is currently moving, and is still highly unstable. It is requested that people to do not go past Western Union and DO NOT enter Acupuncture until the group report that the passage has been stabilised. A rescue from such a collapse and being so far in to the cave would not be pretty!!.
It has left members somewhat spooked that a previously assumed stable passage, one in which we have travel through many times and one that has seen a significant amount of traffic over the years has been the site of a significant collapsed!!
Please Take Heed
Madphil
