Bad air / pollution / bad bolts / etc

[al]

Paper in the ammo box is damp and the biros wont write, suggest pencils or crayons?

What was the date of your trip? I replaced the biros with divers' waterproof pencils two weeks ago on 13/08/19. Was the air OK??

If you have comments on the air quality in Knotlow/Hillocks and you can't write it in the log for whatever reason - or it really needs reporting urgently - please email gasman@thedca.org.uk

 

[Brains]

Hi Alan,
It would heve been before you changed them, so I gave up trying to update on subsequent visits... I will endeavour to check every time and add an update
No bad air (other than decaying lemmings!) since at least Christmas 2018

 

[Scud]

If a place is in need of P bolts, you need to email the details to Bob Dearman, who is currently DCA equipment officer, with all the information and he will do what he needs to do, to get them potentially installed. Contact details on DCA website.

Wayne

 

[Brains]

Thanks, message sent

 

[Brains]

Masson Cavern
Be aware that on a recent discrete visit on which we encountered no access issues, we went in through the crawls to the coffin level into the bigger workings. We passed over the head of a small internal shaft that has P bolts for a traverse line and hand lines down the hand dug shaft itself. I am told this is called "Pasture Shaft." There is a thick "gym" rope rigged down the shaft belayed to a bolt in the lip of the shaft. The bolt appears good, as does the shackle on the spliced eye. However, the two are joined by what resembles a paper clip, albeit a sturdy one, but still a paper clip! Should be OK for skinnies and children... 
Incidentally the crawls were quite wet - half full in places, including a flat out crawl that involved a soaking, and streams were running through the passages in places

 

[DCA]

ELDON HOLE
It has been reported to DCA that the fixed ropes on the up pitches in Eldon Hole are in a poor state with a number of damaged sections.
A group that was in there today have managed to isolate the damage and re-rigged the pitch as best they could with the original rope to remove the immediate danger, but a new rope will be needed here as soon as possible.
The DCA does not install and maintain any fixed ropes, so we would not be in a position to offer any rope for this. If anyone knows the length of rope that would be required to replace the in-situ one, then that would be good information to have though.

We are contacting the team of DCA anchor installers to see if we can review the anchor placements in this area and potentially install further resin anchors to remove the rub points if possible.

Visits to this area of Eldon Hole should be undertaken with extreme caution in the short term and with great care for the formations in this area at all times.
Please use another thread if you wish to discuss this notification.
Pete K, DCA Projects Officer.

 

[Pete K]

ELDON HOLE
It has been reported to DCA that the fixed ropes on the up pitches in Eldon Hole are in a poor state with a number of damaged sections.
A group that was in there today have managed to isolate the damage and re-rigged the pitch as best they could with the original rope to remove the immediate danger, but a new rope will be needed here as soon as possible.
The DCA does not install and maintain any fixed ropes, so we would not be in a position to offer any rope for this. If anyone knows the length of rope that would be required to replace the in-situ one, then that would be good information to have though.

We are contacting the team of DCA anchor installers to see if we can review the anchor placements in this area and potentially install further resin anchors to remove the rub points if possible.

Visits to this area of Eldon Hole should be undertaken with extreme caution in the short term and with great care for the formations in this area at all times.
Please use another thread if you wish to discuss this notification.
Pete K, DCA Projects Officer.

I'm am reliably informed that the rigging in this area has been adjusted and another rope has been installed. For reference, the anchors in the upper rift section are not DCA installed ones. It is reported that the pull through cord from the main chamber is beginning to wear, so cavers might need to look at taking a replacement in the coming months.

 

[DCA]

WARNING - Oxlow Cavern, Pilgrim's Way 'up' pitch
We have just received a report stating the 'pull-up' system at the entrance to Pilgrim's Way in Oxlow has become damaged and is unsafe to use. This is a wire and ring setup that allows a rope to be installed by being pulled up from the base of the pitch. The wire 'Y-hang' has become damaged at the centre point, so each arm is potentially in danger of failing as it degrades further.
Cavers are advised not to use this system. If it fails with you on it, you could fall up to 6m. DCA will take action when we have replacement equipment to install and volunteers to do it.

 

[DCA]

WARNING - Oxlow Cavern, Pilgrim's Way 'up' pitch
We have just received a report stating the 'pull-up' system at the entrance to Pilgrim's Way in Oxlow has become damaged and is unsafe to use. This is a wire and ring setup that allows a rope to be installed by being pulled up from the base of the pitch. The wire 'Y-hang' has become damaged at the centre point, so each arm is potentially in danger of failing as it degrades further.
Cavers are advised not to use this system. If it fails with you on it, you could fall up to 6m. DCA will take action when we have replacement equipment to install and volunteers to do it.

The defective wire Y hang and a nearby wobbly P anchor have now been replaced. The Y hang is now stainless steel chain and an extra anchor has been added so that cavers are protected by more than one anchor when getting on or off the pitch head. Cavers are reminded to inspect all anchors, and any fixed rigging that might be attached to it, prior to use and report any concerns to DCA.

 

[Pete K]

Warning - OXLOW
The DCA have been sent the following picture by Simon Mee. The optional deviation on the 2nd pitch has worn to the point of imminent detachment and would be very unwise to use! This is a very old hanger plate, not a resin anchor. The deviations on the 2nd and 3rd pitches have now been jumped to the very top of the anchor installation jobs list as you may imagine. Obviously these anchors take time to get like this, so do check your anchors and report anything of concern to DCA so we can take early action and ideally remove things before they get this bad.
Info about our work with anchors, and how to inspect them yourself, can be seen on the DCA website here:
https://www.thedca.org.uk/equipment

 

[MarkS]

A significant amount of loose rock fell from the head of the 2nd pitch of "2 Left Wellies" in Rowter Hole yesterday.

This has left the massive boulder (that is unavoidably stood on) looking very precarious. It would be wise for any visitors to keep to the left wall at this point, and avoid moving around here when people are on the pitch below.

Please also try and avoid standing on the pipes that have been installed in this section of the cave. They are part of a fairly long-term project to pass the main Rowter Hole Sump (I'll post a separate report elsewhere at some point).

 

[blakey]

Warning - OXLOW
The DCA have been sent the following picture by Simon Mee. The optional deviation on the 2nd pitch has worn to the point of imminent detachment and would be very unwise to use! This is a very old hanger plate, not a resin anchor. The deviations on the 2nd and 3rd pitches have now been jumped to the very top of the anchor installation jobs list as you may imagine. Obviously these anchors take time to get like this, so do check your anchors and report anything of concern to DCA so we can take early action and ideally remove things before they get this bad.
Info about our work with anchors, and how to inspect them yourself, can be seen on the DCA website here:
https://www.thedca.org.uk/equipment

 

[blakey]

This has been resolved today

 

[DCA]

There was a new report of bad air for Whalf Climbing Shaft (Hillocks) received today. We've put it up on the DCA website.

Bad Air Reports

Have you experienced symptoms of exposure to CO2, H2S or CO underground in our area? If so let DCA know!

thedca.org.uk

Second bad air report in that system this year, so do take care and let DCA know if you experience any issues here or anywhere else so that we can add it to the webpage. PK

 

[DCA]

Another one from the DCA inbox this week.

20/12/2023 - The "Owls Bottom Entrance" shaft which is right in the base of the shakehole has collapsed. The scaffolding has moved under the weight of the boulders closing the shaft and way on. The collapse is approximately 10 metres down, where the knotted handline starts. Looking at the state of the dig shoring, some of the materials used have reached their life expectancy. The remaining timber that is holding parts of the spoil back is in a very poor state. The choke seems to take quite a bit of water and this has most probably aided the slumping in of the dig.

It is likely that the shaft will need completely re-digging and shoring for access to be regained. This is beyond the resources of DCA and so it would fall to cavers to establish safe access here again in future. A warning note has been placed on the Owl Hole listing on PDCi.

Dove : Owl Hole : Details

Locations: Peak District, Location: Derbyshire, Location: Staffordshire, Caves, Mines, Potholes, Caving, Potholing, Guides, Surveys, Speleology, Hydrology

www.peakdistrictcaving.info

It is also worth noting that there is a significantly sized hollow sounding flake of rock on the cliff a few metres above the shaft. This cannot be removed from below, so any future digging team may wish to bring this down from above before commencing any work in the Bottom Entrance.

 

[i think it goes]

Image of collapse in owl bottom hole. Looks as though there are smaller bits of rock that have fallen behind the large one as well. Can confirm lots of the scaf is very rusty and shoring needs replacing too. Honestly the whole section could do with some love.

If anyone already has plans in motion to work here please can you pm me. Thanks

 

[DCA]

Wobbly Anchors Reported - Giants Hole
Both resin anchors on the pull through assembly at the top of the Crabwalk on the 'Round Trip' route have been reported as loose. Video sent to DCA shows movement consistent with resin shrink. These anchors are DMMs installed in 1997 and many other anchors of this age have been replaced following similar issues in the last few years. We'll add the replacement of these to the bolting jobs list, in the mean time please exercise your own judgment on whether to use them in their current state.

 

[cavemanmike]

Seeing bubba’s avatar on this thread gave me a moment of nostalgia

 

[DCA]

Wobbly Anchors Reported - Giants Hole
Both resin anchors on the pull through assembly at the top of the Crabwalk on the 'Round Trip' route have been reported as loose. Video sent to DCA shows movement consistent with resin shrink. These anchors are DMMs installed in 1997 and many other anchors of this age have been replaced following similar issues in the last few years. We'll add the replacement of these to the bolting jobs list, in the mean time please exercise your own judgment on whether to use them in their current state.

These anchors will be replaced tomorrow (Sat 20th Jan) and tested next weekend. The wire & ring pull through will be out of action for the next week.

 

[DCA]

These anchors will be replaced tomorrow (Sat 20th Jan) and tested next weekend. The wire & ring pull through will be out of action for the next week.

These anchors have been replaced and tested and the pull through ring re-installed. Crack on caving again. PK