Anyone dropped Titan yet?

bubba

Administrator
I should say dropped or been up really.

Have you done the trip? What was it like?

A JH/Titan exchange would surely be a great day out.
 

underground

Active member
Well, someone metioned having done the first through trip at the weekend, on the 'Treasury Sump' thread on CDG's message board.
 

underground

Active member
John Cordingley said:



By the way, that shaft is absolutely awesome. Especially with people above and below you on the rope - and with a 500 watt light illuminating it. I'm sorry to have to admit this (as a Yorkshire caver) but by contrast GG looks like Calf Holes.

:shock:
 
S

starlessriver

Guest
Is there a rigging guide available does anyone know? :?:
 

dunc

New member
A JH/Titan exchange would surely be a great day out.

It most certainly is! We did it in early October and to be honest we had it easy due to having both ends pre-rigged - we were very kindly allowed to use the ropes already in place - thanks again if you're reading this!

It has to be said the dig from the surface is impressive in its own right.. they have done a grand job with it. From the bottom its a short shuffle and all I can say is what a view - I'll admit I was most impressed by the size of the place! :shock: :D

Never having been in the Stemple Highway area before made it even more of an interesting trip for me. All in all everyone thoroughly enjoyed it (apart from maybe one person who lost his wellies half way up Leviathan in some very muddy side passage!!! :LOL: )

Dunc
 

dunc

New member
Ooops, missed off the reply to the question.. doh!

We tried to find a rigging guide in October but there wasn't one at that time, don't know if there is one now or not.. best thing to do is ask what ropes (long ones!) are needed when you're booking a trip..

Dunc
 
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starlessriver

Guest
Thanks Dunc,

We (BPC) have it booked in late Jan so will ask nearer the time. How long did it take you to do the through trip? Presumably you also need key to exit via Peak?

Matthew
 

SamT

Moderator
You will need to do it on a sunday (you are only allowed access via the main entrance on sundays) - then you can exit via peak which is open during the day. All cavers must have valid 3PL insurance certificates with them other wise - :roll: - no access.

correct me if Im wrong
 

SamT

Moderator
Its John Beck.

contact address is

Glebe Cottage,The Hillock, Eyam, Hope Valley, S32 5RB.
eMail johnbeck@classicfm.net

I've confirmed and you will need valid 3pL certificates with you.
 
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starlessriver

Guest
We (BPC) have it booked on a Sunday, and are coming safe in the satisfaction that we switched our insurance to the DCA scheme.

....just not sure what rope lengths are required. Is it P-hung?

:roll:
 

dunc

New member
....just not sure what rope lengths are required. Is it P-hung?
Can't remember what the anchors were (apart from the entrance which was rigged off the metal frame for the lid - it might have changed by the time you do your trip), I was too busy looking around to notice if they were p's or not! :)

As for ropes, I finally found the bit of paper with the rope lengths scrawled on it.. Entrance 50m, Titan 90m & 70m.
 

SamT

Moderator
:D :D :D :D

Had a trip in yesterday with JonT whilst Moose and John Beck were surveying the entrance shaft. You have no idea how big this place is. The photos are great, but still dont/cant do the place justice. We had the 500 watt flood light on, and you can just make out the event horizon in distance below :shock: . Its hard to take it all in.

As for rigging - we had a 200m rope which went all the way - well in titan - entrance shaft is about 50m I guess, although we had the luxury of being winched in and out again on grums amazing hydrolic winch - much appricatied after jugging back up titan, cheers grum

There are ropes and bolts everywhere so simple rig is :-

approach belay bolt on left six feet back from breakthrough window, once on lip of window the worlds largest hanger is on the left looking out, get your short cows tail in this allowing you to reach up and rig a y hang off the two hangers above (not P bolts) This gives a fantastic free hang all the way to the event horizon. Here there is a traverse line bolted out to the right and left from a group of boulders. (care as there is still some loose rocks around this area). The next y hang is just out of sight over lip directly below (again not P bolts - but they do look rather substantial. Rigging this was quite exciting as your dangling on the lip of the event horizon with nothing to put your feet on and just a huge void below. It took us ages to find the way out through the boulder choke below. Essentaily - if your at the back/top of the slope looking towards the waterfall then near the bottom on the right is a large boulder, crawl flat out under this, then turn right, the rest is obvious.

Weirdly - going back up wasnt too bad, since you want to stop all the time and look around. Pretty wet yesterday though.

I now have new found respect for what moose and the lads have acheived -'good effort' doesnt even come close 8)
 
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starlessriver

Guest
:?

Just thought of something quite important in relation to our upcoming trip....err, where'e the entrance lads?

From the GPS on Hitch'n'Hikes web-site it appears to me that it's in roughly the same area as JH :idea: . If I am a right, do we park at Rowter Farm?

Ta.

Matthew
 

dunc

New member
When we did our trip we parked at Rowter Farm, we walked to JH and then carried on going past it over a wall (or two?) and then beared right and slightly uphill - the entrance isn't too hard to miss - surrounded by a fence with an obvious spoil heap (although that will probably change when the entrance is finished off properly)

Dunc
 
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starlessriver

Guest
:(

RE: our trip this w/e . Just received an e-mail:

Hi

Sorry but I have bad news, I have had a phone call from Robbie Shone this evening informing me that the Titan committee in the absence of Dave (Moose) Nixon have decided to close Titan until further notice because of the fiasco and resulting rescue last Sunday.

MAtthew
 

SamT

Moderator
From what I've heard - a party were booked in to do a trip - Down Titan, into the kingdom - then some out of Peak - some back out titan to de rig.

For one - there were more people on the trip than had been booked. One of these people was a beginner with little or no SRT experience :shock: :shock: :shock:

two - having been warned about not using any of the insitu ropes/bolts/gear/traverse lines (which has been used for exporing by the diggers and are not intended for general use) and only use the obvious huge bolts at the pitch head they proceeded to traverse round the north wall and back - then used some smaller old bolts because they 'couldnt reach' the big ones (I managed and Im 5'5").

three - the beginner then got hung up (either on the re-belay at event horizon or just below it.) Anyhow they couldnt move up or down.

After a couple of hours - a callout was made and the party managed to get the guy back off the pitch to the base of the first pitch by the time the rescuers arrived.

The decision to close the titan surface entrance shaft was made by all the diggers for various reasons.
Mainly that it is still an active dig in an unfinished state. Once work commences on the West passage dig - (scheduled for spring) it will be closed anyway as it will be being used for hauling etc.
Also, the diggers need to keep a good relationship going with the Landowners and the Peak Cavern owners.

Remeber Titan is still open - you just have to go in via JH or Peak entrance's abiding by the access agreements. 8)
 
A

Ann

Guest
SamT said:
Mainly that it is still an active dig in an unfinished state. Once work commences on the West passage dig - (scheduled for spring) it will be closed anyway as it will be being used for hauling etc.

Remeber Titan is still open - you just have to go in via JH or Peak entrance's abiding by the access agreements. 8)
Just a reminder that it's best not to stand at the bottom of the shaft. It's very loose at the top and you probably won't know if there is anyone up there that could dislodge something. :roll:
 

SamT

Moderator
Very true Ann - cheers

We were once told by moose not to go into titan as they would be blasting in the surface dig and there could well be stuff falling down the main shaft as a result.

Again - one of the reasons that whilst its still an active dig - titan should be a no go area.
 
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