Eldon hole dangerous in-situ rope

[lukerobinson516@googlemai]

Don't climb the in-situ rope after the pull up in Miller's Chamber/ Damocles Rift in Eldon Hole. It's not looking very healthy at the deviation!

 

[Pete K]

Thankyou. Passed this info on to DCA.

 

[ChrisB]

The deviation looks likely to cause rope rub, as the sling is too short to allow significant vertical movement of the krab as the rope stretches. If it could be anchored further back (to the left in the photo) it would improve the longevity of any replacement rope.

 

[mikem]

It would be better longer, but is the krab rusting actually the problem?

 

[lukerobinson516@googlemai]

Thankyou. Passed this info on to DCA.

Thanks I appreciate it!

 

[lukerobinson516@googlemai]

It would be better longer, but is the krab rusting actually the problem?

I turned around and went back before testing the krab but it didn't look brilliant either! It is hard to tell the condition of the rope from the bottom though.

 

[lukerobinson516@googlemai]

The deviation looks likely to cause rope rub, as the sling is too short to allow significant vertical movement of the krab as the rope stretches. If it could be anchored further back (to the left in the photo) it would improve the longevity of any replacement rope.

I think the krab might be past it's best too haha. The whole thing probably needs some love

 

[Brains]

The peg is probably past its best as well

 

[Babyhagrid]

The peg is probably past its best as well

The rust holds it into the wall

 

[Mark Wright]

Mark Richardson and me installed that 'nearly new' rope on 5th January 2018 so it hasn't done too badly.

I reckon the peg has got at least another 50 years in it.

The rusty steel deviation carabiner is probably what caused the damage. There would probably have been less
damage to the rope if we hadn't bothered with the deviation at all.

 

[lukerobinson516@googlemai]

Mark Richardson and me installed that 'nearly new' rope on 5th January 2018 so it hasn't done too badly.

I reckon the peg has got at least another 50 years in it.

The rusty steel deviation carabiner is probably what caused the damage. There would probably have been less
damage to the rope if we hadn't bothered with the deviation at all.

I'd say it's had a pretty good run then! Appreciate what you do

 

[Cantclimbtom]

Would something like a DMM revolver help?

 

[mikem]

Doubt that a revolver would still be useable after 7 years underground

 

[wellyjen]

Would something like a DMM revolver help?

Stainless steel carbine hooks have been used in the past for in situ deviations on fixed ropes. Tricky for an "official" route as they didn't have all the certification bells and whistles proper carabiners have. Wear on the sheath is still an issue, given enough time. The first deviation descending Longcliffe mine has a stainless krab on a wire rope "cord", so maybe things have changed.

 

[pwhole]

As that deviation in Longcliffe isn't 'permanent', but essential, we felt it was better to always have it there, and the swages on that would hold a small car, so it wasn't really a worry. The 'rope' is stainless Latchways cable, holds a captive stainless snapgate at the business end, and is swaged into the resin anchor at the wall end. It would seem sensible to install something similar in Eldon, given it's fixed rigging upwards.

 

[wellyjen]

As that deviation in Longcliffe isn't 'permanent', but essential, we felt it was better to always have it there, and the swages on that would hold a small car, so it wasn't really a worry. The 'rope' is stainless Latchways cable, holds a captive stainless snapgate at the business end, and is swaged into the resin anchor at the wall end. It would seem sensible to install something similar in Eldon, given it's fixed rigging upwards.

Or see if there is sound enough rock nearby for a rebelay instead.

 

[Cantclimbtom]

If there's a deviation with a mild angle, is captive Krab certification relevant because it's not life supporting?

 

[Pete K]

DCA have this in hand. Avoid the route for now but we have new rope ready to install and will purchase some new hardware for the deviation.

 

[mikem]

If there's a deviation with a mild angle, is captive Krab certification relevant because it's not life supporting?

Certification isn't important, but it's vital that it doesn't fall apart - the best way to guarantee that is using a certified product!

 

[Loki]

One thing to remember in all this is the sheath on a kernmantel rope is all that’s holding you when using toothed ascenders. In the vast majority of ropes the sheath is not woven to the core . If the sheath fails just above you, you will slide down the core bunching up the sheath til the bunch stops you. I know because it happened to me at the top of leviathan on a ‘fixed rope’.
Testing at work proved to me that the strength of the sheath is only something like 20%of the strength of the rope when new. I’m saying this partly because people have clearly been using that rope for a time when it was visibly banjaxed and either been ignorant of the fact or just left it as someone else’s problem.
If a rope has gone all furry over a stretch longer than a couple of cm ALL the fibres of the sheath visible on the outside have been cut. DO NOT USE IT.