Loose boulder in Rods Pot

[Les W]

I have received a report of a loose boulder at the top of Rods Pot:

Close to the start of Rod?s there is a choice of a tight rift to the left or a high level route to the right.  The right hand route has an exposed step down over a rift in the floor.  When I went back to collect the rope from Purple Pot
I took the high right route and used the same hand-hold in the roof as I did on our first descent.  This time it moved!

It looks like a block of the ceiling has come away but is trapped by the surrounding rock.  The hand-hold is on one end of the block and, when used, causes the whole block to pivot.  When it moved, I was already committed and had most of my weight on it.  When I let it go, it shot back up accompanied by an almighty bang ? which I think may have caused the block to crack.  I?d estimate the block probably weighs about 5 tonne and it would certainly cause a fatal injury to anyone underneath it should it fall.

It is very easy to spot as it is the rock immediately in front of you as you come out over the drop.  It has a sort of Y-shape protrusion pointing at you that looks like a perfect hand-hold.

Please take extra care if you visit this cave until we can get it checked.

 

[whitelackington]

I have received a report of a loose boulder at the top of Rods Pot:

Close to the start of Rod?s there is a choice of a tight rift to the left or a high level route to the right.  The right hand route has an exposed step down over a rift in the floor.  When I went back to collect the rope from Purple Pot
I took the high right route and used the same hand-hold in the roof as I did on our first descent.  This time it moved!

It looks like a block of the ceiling has come away but is trapped by the surrounding rock.  The hand-hold is on one end of the block and, when used, causes the whole block to pivot.  When it moved, I was already committed and had most of my weight on it.  When I let it go, it shot back up accompanied by an almighty bang ? which I think may have caused the block to crack.  I?d estimate the block probably weighs about 5 tonne and it would certainly cause a fatal injury to anyone underneath it should it fall.

It is very easy to spot as it is the rock immediately in front of you as you come out over the drop.  It has a sort of Y-shape protrusion pointing at you that looks like a perfect hand-hold.

Please take extra care if you visit this cave until we can get it checked.

Already been reported Les

Hi Ian.
Nice meeting you in Bath Swallet the other day. Did you go down Sunday in the end?
Really enjoyed the through trip.
Just one thing to those who may be concerned, when climbing out of Rods Pot I shifted a bloody great rock about 1m diameter that seemed quit dagerously balancing between 2 walls. Its on the climb just before the 2 pots.
We were using it a hand hold thinking it was solid. I tried it and it moved as its right over head it would have squashed me.

Giles had never been in Rod's before, but on further questioning
we admitted it is just in from the entrance,
in roof of highest route.

 

[Les W]

Yes, but clearly nobody has done anything and it is still loose.  :-\

 

[graham]

Ah, this takes me back. Many's the time, when Linda was CSCC chair, we received loose boulder reports.

Never found any, even though we did a lot of very fast early evening caving trips.

Swan mine was the other place that used to generate reports.

 

[cap n chris]

Yes, but clearly nobody has done anything and it is still loose. :-\

This is a re-report of a previous report.

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php/topic,4639.40.html

Something was done; a site inspection which resulted in a thread on this forum (which I shall look up shortly); photos were taken. The conclusion was that the boulder cannot be made safe by removal without a domino effect being likely; it should be possible to cement in the edges to some extent, however. The best plan by far is for people to enter and exit Rod's Pot by the conventional/normal route (i.e. the inclined rift/bold step) and avoid using loose slabs in the roof as hand holds.

It's perhaps also worth reiterating the hanging death at the top of Shower Pot on the left of the bolts at the pitch head. This area should not be used as hand or foot holds.

 

[Elaine]

It is true. I remember reading that.

 

[Mr Cosmic]

The best plan by far is for people to enter and exit Rod's Pot by the conventional/normal route (i.e. the inclined rift/bold step) and avoid using loose slabs in the roof as hand holds.

To be fair the route with the dodgy boulder is the conventional route for the larger caver wishing to avoid the snug confines of the said inclined rift.  Also the dodgy boulder does look like solid bedrock when approached from the entrance - until it moves . 

Did you find the thread that reported the results of the inspection?

 

[Les W]

Something was done; a site inspection which resulted in a thread on this forum

Sorry Cap'n, I didn't mean to imply that you had done nothing, just that the problem was still there and clearly still a problem (for some).
It is clear that we cannot rely on cavers, some who don't read these reports, to avoid it, so I am going over on Wednesday eve to asses further action (if any).
Cement might be an option, or, more controversially perhaps, blocking the other route.  :-\

 

[whitelackington]

Hello Les, might I suggest
banging this boulder.

 

[Les W]

It is an option Mick, but having seen the Cap'n's reply it might make the situation worse. I will have a better idea after wednesday.

 

[Hatstand]

until it moves . 

You did look quite subdued on exiting the cave...

...fortunately you seemed to perk up quite quickly when Stu tried to run you over! 

 

[cap n chris]

Now that Rod's Pot is accessible from Bath Swallet you can bang the boulder in the roof of Rod's Pot entrance if you like (and/or are brave/stupid enough - although from observations made previously, removing the boulder wouldn't solve the problem, it would just create many more... if you doubt this then make a visit and look at what's above the scary boulder!!!) `cos if the whole shebang collapses and becomes a Boulder Ruckle of Impossibility then it's not the end of the world*.


* But would be treated as though it was.


While plans are afoot to render a wobbly boulder less wobbly can we draw up some volumes of other loose boulders which will need attention?

 

[cap n chris]

It's an ever-so-well visually inspected piece of rock, that.

 

[Les W]

Following yet another report of the loose boulder in Rods, I paid it yet another visit this evening with a short bar.
After ensuring that nobody was in the cave, and from a safe vantage point, I pushed onto the end (at the obvious hand hold) with the bar.
The boulder pivoted on its axis and promptly fell the 2.5 meters to the floor with a large crash. 

Whilst everything else around the area now appears to be safe and secure, it obviously goes without saying (although I am saying it) that you should take care here.

It is apparent to me that the next person that pulled on that rock to aid their climb up, would have had approximately 1 tonne of limestone drop on them. It would probably have hurt.  :-\

 

[cap n chris]

:-\

So, can it be banged now?  :-\

 

[Hatstand]

It is apparent to me that the next person that pulled on that rock to aid their climb up, would have had approximately 1 tonne of limestone drop on them. It would probably have hurt.  :-\

I did say that Wayne was rather quiet when he came out!  :blink:

 

[whitelackington]

Following yet another report of the loose boulder in Rods, I paid it yet another visit this evening with a short bar.
After ensuring that nobody was in the cave, and from a safe vantage point, I pushed onto the end (at the obvious hand hold) with the bar.
The boulder pivoted on its axis and promptly fell the 2.5 meters to the floor with a large crash. 

Whilst everything else around the area now appears to be safe and secure, it obviously goes without saying (although I am saying it) that you should take care here.

It is apparent to me that the next person that pulled on that rock to aid their climb up, would have had approximately 1 tonne of limestone drop on them. It would probably have hurt.  :-\

A good job jobbed Les

 

[pete h]

While plans are afoot to render a wobbly boulder less wobbly can we draw up some volumes of other loose boulders which will need attention?

  :chair: :chair: :chair: 

 

[cap n chris]

It was sarcasm, Pete.

 

[Les W]

:-\

So, can it be banged now?  :-\

Yes, if it's a problem where it is now.