Boris De Karabiner
New member
Hi CRTT team,
I have just completed the Croesor Through Trip with my fellows in our group.
I'm extremely grateful to those who have bolted the mine and rigged up the zip lines, the ropes et cetera and maintian this free resource for us all to use. I gather that the zip line is very new and it has the potential to be a fun addition.
I don't want to come across as "that new guy who files his first post as a complaint" - but I'm sure we all want to pursue our sport in the safest way possible, so that we can continue to do so in the future. So I will attempt to describe the problem and offer a couple of possible fixes.
The zip line runs extremely fast and terminates at a wall that is quite spiky and has very little landing platform for your feet, even if you somehow get the timing right.
As the first person who went across I was surprised at the speed with which I traversed - and could see that I was approaching the wall at great speed - I put my leg out ahead of me to stop myself at the end and am presently nursing a sprained ankle as a result. Had I impacted with my body instead I would have received a much worse injury.
i caught the next person down the line, luckily she was quite small, and rigged up a stop for the one after that hoping that neither of us would be injured in my attempt to catch her - but the sudden stop at that speed caused her to pendulum violently and she bashed her head on the wire. Luckily she was wearing her helmet.
There is a rope next to the zip line, as the fourth and further people to descend the line they were able to use the rope to control their speed - but it was a little sketchy, if you let go of the rope you very quickly gain speed again.
Can I recommend therefore that, in the first place, some very clear signage be placed highlighting the danger of impacting the wall at the end and explaining the use of the rope as a braking device? The line could also do with some form of device to slow you gradually as you reach the end of the line, some form of deformable concertina tube on the wire, such that you come to a stop on the step but cannot impact the wall?
Secondly, it might improve safety somewhat if the termination wall had some form of thick, durable rubber bolted over it, such that a user will not impact the rock directly. If that could incorporate some form of padding then so much the better - but a thick rubber sheet would at least prevent anyone whacking any pointy bits / sharp edges at high speed.
Further thought: it is necessary to climb a ladder to clip onto the zip line - clearly the start is higher than the end, as you might expect on a zip line. Perhaps the start point could be lowered a little, to slow the line? Or maybe slacken the tension somewhat, such that the droop in the line will slow the user somewhat, hopefully the droop could be set such that the line effectively goes flat as one approaches the termination point?
Thanks again, - please keep up the good work, CTT team.
I have just completed the Croesor Through Trip with my fellows in our group.
I'm extremely grateful to those who have bolted the mine and rigged up the zip lines, the ropes et cetera and maintian this free resource for us all to use. I gather that the zip line is very new and it has the potential to be a fun addition.
I don't want to come across as "that new guy who files his first post as a complaint" - but I'm sure we all want to pursue our sport in the safest way possible, so that we can continue to do so in the future. So I will attempt to describe the problem and offer a couple of possible fixes.
The zip line runs extremely fast and terminates at a wall that is quite spiky and has very little landing platform for your feet, even if you somehow get the timing right.
As the first person who went across I was surprised at the speed with which I traversed - and could see that I was approaching the wall at great speed - I put my leg out ahead of me to stop myself at the end and am presently nursing a sprained ankle as a result. Had I impacted with my body instead I would have received a much worse injury.
i caught the next person down the line, luckily she was quite small, and rigged up a stop for the one after that hoping that neither of us would be injured in my attempt to catch her - but the sudden stop at that speed caused her to pendulum violently and she bashed her head on the wire. Luckily she was wearing her helmet.
There is a rope next to the zip line, as the fourth and further people to descend the line they were able to use the rope to control their speed - but it was a little sketchy, if you let go of the rope you very quickly gain speed again.
Can I recommend therefore that, in the first place, some very clear signage be placed highlighting the danger of impacting the wall at the end and explaining the use of the rope as a braking device? The line could also do with some form of device to slow you gradually as you reach the end of the line, some form of deformable concertina tube on the wire, such that you come to a stop on the step but cannot impact the wall?
Secondly, it might improve safety somewhat if the termination wall had some form of thick, durable rubber bolted over it, such that a user will not impact the rock directly. If that could incorporate some form of padding then so much the better - but a thick rubber sheet would at least prevent anyone whacking any pointy bits / sharp edges at high speed.
Further thought: it is necessary to climb a ladder to clip onto the zip line - clearly the start is higher than the end, as you might expect on a zip line. Perhaps the start point could be lowered a little, to slow the line? Or maybe slacken the tension somewhat, such that the droop in the line will slow the user somewhat, hopefully the droop could be set such that the line effectively goes flat as one approaches the termination point?
Thanks again, - please keep up the good work, CTT team.