Longwood Tomfoolery...

Gerbil007

Member
Bit of an odd one this. I went down Longwood this evening and someone attempted to ?lock? me in. They?d jammed a piece of timber between the metal lid and concrete lip of the blockhouse in such a way as to effectively prevent opening from within. Fortunately I was able to force exit, but disconcerting nonetheless.
 

Gerbil007

Member
Nah, shouldn?t have thought so. Just one to be aware of so as to not set an overly long Callout time I think.
 

alastairgott

Well-known member
Or is there much lighthearted (mild peril) ?banter? on the Mendip scene. Have you had the rock held above your helmet in swildons, bump, not through the sump yet, bump...?
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
I had the Swildons Sump 1 rock prank done to me when I was only 16. Fortunately I was already used to being underwater in caves so I surfaced grinning.
 

PeteHall

Moderator
Gerbil007 said:
They?d jammed a piece of timber between the metal lid and concrete lip of the blockhouse in such a way as to effectively prevent opening from within.

Is there anything that could be done to the entrance to prevent this from being possible? Appreciate that this might involve a bit of work and be quite low down the CSCC priority list, but might be worth thinking about?

That said, any door that opens outwards could suffer the same fate if anyone really wanted to...
 

alastairgott

Well-known member
Cap'n Chris said:
Only arseholes do that "trick".

https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=4519.msg64114#msg64114

Wow! I stared caving in 2008(9) so missed that thread, but wow, not cool.

I remember a caver I knew didn't like people even mentioning putting rocks in tacklebags.

There must be some happy medium between turning your lights out and shining one or two through a low crawl in st cuthberts rather than showing them the large passage next to it. Or sending people through lake sump in peak cavern, then just crawling round and staying dry.
 

cavemanmike

Active member
Pranks on experienced cavers is fair game but not inexperienced peeps, or experienced nervous cavers. Know your audience
 

Cantclimbtom

Well-known member
I'm all for as much jokes and tomfoolery as possible, but only on those who will take it. But jokes played on a nervous novice who will never see it as funny (especially who've had a previous scare) that's... bullying
 

Speleofish

Active member
The sump trick could be scary for an experienced caver who hadn't been through before (I'd have hated it). It must have been terrifying for a nervous novice.
 

Hunter

Member
As a slight twist on the Swindon?s sump tangent, we got a novice half way to the Wookey sign, not through any malice but by tapping him on the helmet to let him know he was through the sump.
However, he just ploughed on face down in the water each time.
After the third attempt he was grabbed by the scruff of his neck to everyone?s amusement as he lifted his head and realised he was laying in about a foot of water about ten feet from the sump.
 

Elaine

Active member
Cap'n Chris said:
Only arseholes do that "trick".

https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=4519.msg64114#msg64114

Or nice people who didn't think it through very well before they did it.
 

PeteHall

Moderator
Much as I disapprove of the Swildon's sump prank, it's a bit different to trapping someone in a cave, and leaving them to their fate.

What if someone had neglected to leave a callout? Or what if they were planning a long trip and had a long callout, but twisted their ankle at he first climb?

I can't quite picture how this was done, but it would seem sensible to at least consider how it could be prevented through better gate design for caves which are right by a public footpath.
 
It can happen by accident, my Mum shut and, presumably locked a gate in Smallcleugh or Rampgill some time in the 1970's, or so Redwinch alleges  :eek: , not something she would have done with any kind of malice intended, there was no bad outcome which is just as well.

Jim
 
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