Avoid the roof passage in Suicide Cave Derbyshire

cooleycr

Active member
All,

Please do NOT enter the passage above the Hanging Boulder in the roof passage of Suicide Cave (as re-opened by myself and DJ over the last couple of seasons.)

There is a major lump of rock that is in danger of relocating itself, with the aid of gravity, onto someone's head/foot/other.

It had previously come loose from the upper section of this passage (narrowly missing Dave!) and on a recent visit we had heard it moving!!!

I had intended to either
a: push it back against the "Mud Wall" or
b: with the aid of a wire loop, bring it down the passage in a "controlled" manner..

However, I discovered this week that it is now positioned right on the edge and one side is being held by a loop in our handline.

If the waters continue to erode the mud that it is currently supporting one side, i can envisage it coming free.

we plan to make this safe but it will take a while longer..
 

Pete K

Well-known member
The whole cave is a bit dodgy, I spent a couple of hours stabilising the lower entrance (left way in) last summer and that was thought of as a fairly safe bit!
I'm down there quite frequently with clients (not that bit!) so would be happy to lend a hand if needed. PM me.
 

bograt

Active member
Beware of leaving surface evidence, 'tis N.T. land, they don't mind what happens underground there but might object to spoil being seen on the surface.
 

Speleokitty

New member
Pete K said:
The whole cave is a bit dodgy.............................................................I'm down there quite frequently with clients..........

Classis quote. Can you say it one more time just to make sure its on record :clap:
 

Persephone

New member
Isit okay to still do the first pitch? Trying to visualize where the dodgy rock is? Its our little local SRT practice cave for us ::)
 

Pete K

Well-known member
It's the section around the far (3rd) pitch in the roof. Beyond where we were playing recently.
 

cooleycr

Active member
All,
many thanks for the replies and offers of help, i don't get to log on often (really!!!).  ::)
I returned to the site this week to discover that the rock that was precariously teetering on the precipice has now teetered!
It has relocated to just above the (non)propped boulder (in the roof tunnel up the unstable slope)and is currently wedged against the roof and one of the lengths of scaffolding I had installed to act as a brake (and it has done a splendid job).
So I guess it would now be OK for someone to climb up the passage again, should they desire, but i would advize removing the rock first as it would be a tight squeeze and easily dislodged onto the no-so-lucky so-and-so stood below!
The digging has resumed forward of the (non)propped boulder in the hope that we could progress underneath, though that might be fanciful without some serious scaffolding. 
If we ever get to that stage i will sound out the options.
There is no surface spoil as all we are doing is moving stuff from one part of the tunnel to another.
 

cooleycr

Active member
i spent an hour "digging" (shifting stone+mud) last night and will continue until i get to the stage where i can see if there is any hope of forward progress without getting squished!
removing the boulders would be great, however as the biggest one is around 5 feet high and 2 feet across (that is visible)that isn't an easy option.
we did consider blasting it to break it up, but we have no idea of what it is holding back in the tube above and as there is potential for the whole "roof passage" to be blocked, and bearing in mind the only way in and out is a person-sized tube to the traverse level in the main chamber, i don't want to go down that route if there is a viable alternative.

 
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