langcliffe
Well-known member
On a trip down Lancaster Hole yesterday, we returned to find a smart blue10 mm rope accompanying ours down the shaft. Fair enough - within the guidelines. Unfortunately, when I got to the top of our rope, I discovered that it had been deliberately placed behind a flake to divert it away from theirs. It was close to the top, so rubbing was minimal and the only damage was a that the sheath had become fluffed up. I then continued up our rope towards the entrance to find that the other party had used a Y-hang in the chimney, completely trapping and entangling our rope in the process, necessitating a free-climb (albeit protected) from below the re-belay.
If the party involved reads this, may I respectfully ask that you be a little more considerate to your fellow cavers before there is an accident?
Personally speaking, I really don't think that a Y-hang in the chimney is necessary since it is just below the surface Y-hang, and that the two bolts are best used as alternative single re-belays. Additionally, if there is a rope on the main hang it is just as easy to go down the alternative route. In that way the ropes remain totally independent except for the surface belay.
If the party involved reads this, may I respectfully ask that you be a little more considerate to your fellow cavers before there is an accident?
Personally speaking, I really don't think that a Y-hang in the chimney is necessary since it is just below the surface Y-hang, and that the two bolts are best used as alternative single re-belays. Additionally, if there is a rope on the main hang it is just as easy to go down the alternative route. In that way the ropes remain totally independent except for the surface belay.