Electron Ladders and Safety

[Clive G]

If you leave electron ladders hanging in caves then some fail and others don't. In the early years in Daren Cilau the 65 ft (20 m) pitch up Welly Boy Aven had electron ladders rigged on it permanently and these broke twice whilst being used - fortunately with a lifeline on both occasions, as far as the climbers were concerned. This is what prompted the design and installation of the present stainless-steel replacement ladder.

However, ladders left elsewhere in the cave lasted much longer. I think the reason may be connected with the fact that a stream runs beneath the boulders in Preliminary Passage, directly under the pitch, so the air in the vicinity is much more humid than in the drier high-level fossil passages - where there is little or no water around and ladders lasted much longer.

When you know how good the ladders are, I used to regard 25 ft (7.6 m) as being my limit for climbing without a line, although I have done up to 30 ft (9 m) and perhaps even 35 ft (10.7 m) unlined on occasions. But, these days, when ladders are rarely used, I wouldn't recommend climbing any ladder without a lifeline unless you are fully aware of the ladder's history and proper maintenance.

On a return from Dweebland in Daren Cilau, I once decided to free climb the ladder pitch in Big Chamber (Further from the Entrance than You Care to Go) without a line. However, to speed things up as we were a fairly large party (and hungry for our evening meal) I left the drill in a tackle bag on my back. From the weight I think there must have been a battery or two inside, as well . . . Hmmm. It's quite interesting getting two thirds of the way up a 9 m pitch, without a lifeline, and then realising that you might not be able to reach the top with all that weight on your back! But, better to keep on going up (and finally make it) than try and climb back down again, and likely fall off.

On the return from discovering the Seventh Hour Sump in Daren Cilau, Rob Parker had to free climb the 70 ft (21 m) pitch in Daren Cilau. The last party in the cave earlier in the day (and I believe I know who they were) left the line hanging in a clump halfway down the pitch, in mid-air. Rob's opinion was that he was too tired to stop and untangle the mess, so climbed all the way up, and then pulled the line up to sort it out afterwards. Then he hauled the two tackle bags up and finally lined Ian Rolland, who joined him at the top.

Here's Ian's account: http://caving-library.org.uk/audio/selected.php?id=175

And the first half of the story from Rob: http://caving-library.org.uk/audio/selected.php?id=177

 

[cap n chris]

I wouldn't recommend climbing any ladder without a lifeline unless you are fully aware of the ladder's history and proper maintenance.

Even if it's less than a year old, in immaculate condition and stored as per manufacturer's instructions I wouldn't recommend climbing it without a lifeline.

Because I had one matching that description and it broke.

 

[graham]

No, the problem with that ladder is he hasn't bothered to wind the rungs up neatly, so it looks a mess.

A decent coiling-up job and then use a can of silver-colour spray paint to bring up the reddy-brown bits a treat. The buyer will never know the difference. Try asking ?35 or he/she might suspect there's a problem. But, make sure you sell it from a PO Box No. (or eBay) and then close the account once the transaction is done. I think you then say, "Job's a good 'un."

Why waste paint, when you can convince the customer that it was made with specially treated 'brown stainless' wire?

Well, that's what they told me, anyway ...

 

[Aubrey]

We used to soak ladders with hemp core wire in a big bucket of lanoline dissolved in white spirit to preserve the hemp. The ladders were never perfectly clean so after soaking a few, the mixture became mud colored. The result was the ladders become stained looked worst then the one pictured. We still used them and got interesting comments from other parties!

 

[Clive G]

I wouldn't recommend climbing any ladder without a lifeline unless you are fully aware of the ladder's history and proper maintenance.

Even if it's less than a year old, in immaculate condition and stored as per manufacturer's instructions I wouldn't recommend climbing it without a lifeline.

Because I had one matching that description and it broke.

Well, by 'history' I mean take into account how the ladder was made! If it was commercially produced then you need to know what degree of quality control was applied during its manufacture and whether the same supplier has previously had any of their ladders fail prematurely . . .

I'm talking about the days when caving clubs made their own electron ladders to a standard and you used lots of them and regularly checked them for damage and/or signs of ageing. These types of ladders generally used thicker wire and heavy-duty c-links. I reckon the safety margins were higher then, because there was little or no skimping on materials to meet a commercial cost/profit margin.

When you're regularly using the same ladders and they are properly, individually, tagged, you get to know any shortcomings in each one when cleaning them - and you do clean your ladders after each trip, don't you?! The odd worn strand can soon develop into several broken strands and then the strength of the ladder is compromised, especially if it is shock loaded for any reason, such as by becoming snagged up on a rocky projection and then suddenly swinging loose whilst being climbed by someone.

I won't go into the ramifications of people who might supply duff equipment accidentally (or deliberately), but imagine this could happen, too - so you need to keep your wits about you and examine the equipment you are going to use very carefully. I have been lent diving equipment which worked fine for the first couple of breaths and then just supplied water instead of air, once I was submerged headfirst down a steeply-inclined tube. Rob Palmer had all his diving equipment lost in transit en route to the Red Sea. Some people say he blacked out when he jumped into the sea and disappeared without a trace, but I think the buoyancy jacket he had loaned just didn't inflate, so he sank fast than he, or anyone else, could address.

So, yes, when using a ladder, use a lifeline!

 

[Cave_Troll]

of course the problems with club made ladders is when the ladders were made after a heavy pub session and the makers forgot to stop at 30 ft and accidentally made a 100ft ladder.
what else did they forget to do?

 

[Clive G]

12-inch spacing between the rungs instead of 10-inch?

 

[bograt]

Once did Eldon South side on a mixture of 10 & 12 inch spacing, An interesting climb!! 

 

[Bottlebank]

I've noticed a couple of shiny new ones around recently, very narrow, very thin wire, 12" spacings and presumably very cheap. They're a nightmare to climb and for my money I'd take a decent secondhand one off eBay any day.

There seem to be three main uses, caving, yachting and stage use. Most of the ones I've seen on eBay seem to come from stage work and should be fine.