Fixed aids

[rich]

There's been a bit of an epidemic recently across South Wales of people making caves easier. Off the top of my head:

The Daren through trip is now festooned with metal plates and ladders (including one comedy one that wouldn't look out of place in an Oompa Loompa's toolshed), not to mention the enlarged Price's Dig.

The Draenen short round trip is currently liberally sprinkled with cairns and the only interesting climb has now gained a handline.

Craig Y Ffynnon apparently now has a fixed ladder to get up the pitch (the only challenging bit of caving on the way to Hall of the Mountain Kings!)

The floor beneath the bottom rope climb in Daren has been raised so the climb is only a step down (actually I kind of like that one, but still...)



Boo and so on. None of these are super-hard obstacles. If cavers can't manage a climb, they should take tackle with them. If they can't manage to carry a rope they should eat less pies or go down Bridge or take up playing the bagpipes (or something). Frustrated engineers who want to mess around putting up metalwork should check if their Nan needs a new shelf rather than annoying people who like a minimum level of challenge in their caving!

 

[hoehlenforscher]

Definitely in agreement (though my hard caving days are behind me). But here's betting you have just opened a large can of wriggly things

 

[damian]

Personally I agree. Maybe it's worth raising the point with the various Management Committees (or Cambrian who I think funded a lot of what you mention).

 

[graham]

us cripples won't be happy until we can get our wheelchairs all the way to the bottom of every cave.

 

[shortscotsman]

I kind of agree however with the Daren through trip its worth remembering the connection is artificial so the "natural state" is simply impossible.

I was at at the Cave Management Meeting (as a spectator) when the decision to install some of the ladders were made.  It seemed to be driven by the worry about increased numbers attempting the (very tempting) through trip and the difficulty of rescue. [I was on the rescue practice where the casualty got stuck..]  The ladder at the connection to Busman's was replacing  a really crap rope which I personally didn't rely upon.  One of the original discoverers to Busmans was at the meeting and seemed happy with the installation.

 

[Jopo]

Just to be clear the S&MWCRT have made no comment about modifying caves in advance of a possible rescue.
It is a long standing principle of the team that it makes no recommendations or comments with regards to improving egress, in spite of very heavy pressure from some quarters in the past.
Fixed telephone lines in a couple of crawls and the odd rescue dump is the extent of 'preparedness' the team is involved with (both largely historical).

The team did of course discuss what would be required in the event of a rescue via Prices (as with other 'problem' caves) but the enlargement was undertaken completely outside of the team and without reference.

Jopo

 

[shortscotsman]

Yup - nothing at the meeting originated from the rescue team. 

The first time I visited after the "enlargement" I did wistfully recall the fun wiggle to get in.  However, I can also remember Prices
before the connection was made.  I suspect most of us welcome enlargements which are *just* big enough for ourselves.

I guess its in the general nature of things that access gets improved with time - "tourists" can climb everest now.

 

[bograt]

Bear in mind that easing access though problem sections can be an advantage and lead to new cave, I dare say that the majority of "recent" discoveries made in the Peak / Speedwell area would still be waiting if folks still had to crawl up Windtunnel or dive Treasury sump.

 

[JohnMCooper]

The Darren fixed aids at least confirm you are on the correct route for the through trip. Even so there have been 3 overdue callouts and one broken collar bone in the past couple of years.