The email link on the website header has been fixed now, thanks for pointing it out Mark and sorry that you got stuck in Rowter. I'm not aware of any reason the lid needs to be locked in this way, but it's not one of my past projects. If the latch is removed and we get any contact from Mark at...

Locking the track gate won't eliminate the problem. A significant proportion of the 'non-caver' visitors walk down from Mam Nick over the fields. 2xw is a bit out of date on his led party visitor numbers too. With the radon levels in there, Giants gets more like tens of kids a week for most of...

Thank you sir!

DCA are aware and I have a local chap intending to swap it to a new lock with the correct code. Would love to hear from anyone local willing to help DCA get this converted to a Derbyshire Key like the lower door.

Stolen from Google images..... The Salewa one in your pic looks to be keylock/notchless as there is no pin at the top of the gate to catch in a hook, but you'd have to check via the retailer or Salewa website to be sure. Salewa are a good brand, but make sure it comes from a trusted retailer so...

For my personal ropes I use orange gear tape as my identifier, then use a white wrap of tape next to that to write the length and date of manufacture on. 12mm heat shrink over the top. They last really well, especially if you swell the end of the rope when you melt it to create a bit of a...

If a call comes in directly to a team member then of course that gets dealt with if they are able, but that it not the way the system is designed to work. There will be rare situations like the one described above that might benefit from a bit of calling around after the 999 call has been made...

We have a couple of fans similar to these ones on eBay. They certainly help push the hot air out of the recessed fireplace before it all shoots up the chimney. A quick internet search shows me the prices seem to have rocketed above the £15 or so we paid per fan a few years ago. I'm sure there...

Yeah, that's me saying that not DCA! Main thing is not to piss off the locals, or we all suffer. Park sensibly as if you had a million quid motor and your paintwork and mirrors depended on an HGV getting up the lane and turning into the farm. This'll hopefully all calm down soon enough, but we...

Fair enough if that's what it says. I don't for one minute think the insurers would actually pay out for an anchor related claim unless we can demonstrate it was installed competently and correctly (via the approved scheme or otherwise), but that is for a real claim to test in future. Anyway...

I always thought that for the BCA approved ones, the anchors and installer who placed them were covered under the BCA policy. This is not something that the average caver themselves may benefit from, but was a layer of protection for the installing organisation and authorised installer should...

I'm not actually saying Regional Caving Councils should not publish the locations of other bolts on their topos. I was just saying why that might be the case here. Showing a bolt exists on a guide or topo does not make us liable for it. DCA generally only list their anchors on their topos...

I should point out that even as a caving instructor, until I moved into work at height training as well a few years ago, I had no idea how complex and fudged some of the helmet standards were. It's not clear at all to most people what a particular helmet may be appropriate for. In simple terms...

If the demand is there then I'm sure it can contain more mine sites. This is also something I'd like to see in the next edition, but someone needs to volunteer to write them up for a new book.

Yep, although that one may only really be appropriate for walking explores. An EN397 helmet with a chin strap (optional under the standard) is required to release from the head at 250N (25kg) of force, so the user does not get caught up or strangled when moving around a site. The helmet in that...

EN 12492 certified helmets around £30 here. Seems to be a good deal on a Petzl PIXA 2 here. These Dunlop Acifort boots are superbly grippy. All three of the above items will probably cost less in total than one out of date used Ecrin Roc on eBay. I can also only echo the other main point of...

Posts originally in the 'Bull Pot of the Witches' thread in the Dales section moved here. Just as we do at DCA, I suspect CNCC topos are only intended to show the location of the CNCC installed BCA approved anchors. We do this because these are the only anchors we have tested and which are...

Really sorry, but I have to chip in on some of that advice. 2) Do not buy a used and out of date helmet like an Ecrin Roc on ebay. They are discontinued because they don't meet modern standards. You could go into Decathalon and buy a new Simond climbing helmet for about £30. Even if you don't...

I know we've chatted via DM about this already, but for everyone else, I don't think a topo exists. I can get one drawn up if needed, but it is a natural backup and 2 resin P anchors in the roof. Drop is about 7m, so a 20m rope will do it all.

We're going to produce a new sign on plastic and bolt it to the wall. The old one went after about a month, so not really worth a new laminate as it'll probably only get torn down again. Sorry if no one emailed you back about it. Pete K DCA Projects Officer