OFD fixed aids updates

[andrewmcleod]

I did this a while ago, but went on expedition (and a week and a bit later got expedition plague). Another resin anchor installation in OFD from Ogofa Cymru/Caving Wales:

These are pitches that can be accessed from the top of the Skyhook (please take care on the route between the Skyhook and these pitches to protect vulnerable formations). The Skyhook is still a work in progress (resin anchoring is complete but a complete solution for an 'up' pitch is not yet finished). There was a fixed rope on the Skyhook last time I was there (which may or may not have been moved onto the newer set of resin anchors that were installed there).

As usual, rigging topos for OFD can be found here:
https://swcc.org.uk/joomla-swcc/rigging-topos

or (for resin anchor installations) on the Ogofa Cymru/Caving Wales website.

 

[andrewmcleod]

Another installation by Ogofa Cymru/Caving Wales, this time adding new resin anchors to the Crevasse. Note that this route incorporated existing 12mm stainless throughbolts that are not 'approved anchors'. Also note that the rope lengths for the Poached Egg climb are probably a little conservative, while you might need to rig efficiently to get all the way across the Crevasse with a 35m rope (but it definitely can be done).

 

[andrewmcleod]

And one more... These pitches are on the way to Northern Lights if you don't want to do the squeeze up into Vault Chamber at the end of Lavender Way. The short pitch up is not new (and neither is the abandoned rope currently on that pitch); many people choose to free-climb this pitch by going slightly beyond it, climbing up and then traversing back (and using the rope to help swing into the passage).
The anchors on the traverse are new (replacing very dubious single-spit anchors) and again there is a currently an abandoned rope on these anchors currently which many people use as just a handline while making the big step across.
Obviously any ropes you find on these routes are not approved and cavers using ropes they find in caves do so at their own risk blah blah blah...
(although you also use any 'approved' anchors at your own risk as well, so basically it's all at your own risk anyway so do your own inspections and dynamic risk assessments)

 

[andrewmcleod]

A few more updates:

As usual, all OFD/Tunnel Top rigging topos are on the SWCC website at https://swcc.org.uk/joomla-swcc/caving/rigging-topos and Caving Wales installations can also be found on their website.

Cwm Dwr 2 has been anchored. This previously has a ladder pitch with two ageing anchors that did not give a clean hang for SRT. There is now a protected out to a Y-hang giving a clean hang (this was surprisingly awkward to find without being too close to the water. This is a relatively short cave but well worth the trip down a pleasant streamway requiring only a brief wet crawl and this pitch to access.

Edwards Shortcut (both the chimney and the traverse) have been anchored. An existing drilled thread on the traverse (on the Gnome Passage side) was enlarged and used rather than placing an additional anchor so a thin sling or cord may be required (some parties may choose to start the rope here as the traverse is not that high at this point).

We also have a new topo for an existing pitch on spits, which gives an excellent clean hang from near Frozen River (hence the nickname 'Frozen River Pitch'). It does not provide a significant shortcut to the standard route down the rubble slope and towards the 'Elephant Trap' ladder, but is a very pleasant pitch.

A true OFD SRT aficionado could now do a bit of an SRT grand tour something like this:
Top Entrance
Bedding Chambers (pull-through into Gnome Passage)
Edwards Shortcut chimney (pull-through)
Edwards Shortcut traverse (rig/derig)
Frozen River pitch (cannot be pulled through as there are no in-situ hangers)
Midnight Chamber
Skyhook up pitch (currently in-situ fixed rope)
Great Oxbow p20 and p8 pitches (pull-through probably possible)
then either return via Marble Showers and the streamway/Cwm Dwr, or:
Mutiny Junction pitch up (fixed ropes, no topo at present)
Merthyr Vale p6/p5/p11 down (fixed ropes, no topo at present)
Return to Midnight Chamber via Haydn's Dig
(and then if required return via Frozen River pitch to derig)

 

[andrewmcleod]

 

[Babyhagrid]

Is it possible to use the new bolts in Edwards shortcut traverse to drop the pitch in the floor?

 

[Huge]

Just a note that two of the spits on the Frozen River Pitch aren't in great condition. Unless they've been cleaned out somehow?

 

[Huge]

I popped this image of the Frozen River Pitch on the Welsh Wezzit, last year

 

[andrewmcleod]

Just a note that two of the spits on the Frozen River Pitch aren't in great condition. Unless they've been cleaned out somehow?

They seemed OK for me? (as much as old spits ever are, of course). We did have some trouble with someone's slightly longer bolts that bottomed out.

If people wanted this pitch resin anchored, then they know which regional council to ask...

 

[andrewmcleod]

Is it possible to use the new bolts in Edwards shortcut traverse to drop the pitch in the floor?

It would definitely not be ideal, might require some fairly unpleasant angles and/or additional deviations etc. and you run the risk of landing on the wrong side of the tape at the bottom.

 

[me]

It would definitely not be ideal, might require some fairly unpleasant angles and/or additional deviations etc. and you run the risk of landing on the wrong side of the tape at the bottom.

Is there another way of getting there (to the bottom of the pitch under Edward's shortcut) ...?

... of course there is silly this IS OFD

... Okay I will go and look at the map

 

[tdobson]

Edwards Shortcut (both the chimney and the traverse) have been anchored. An existing drilled thread on the traverse (on the Gnome Passage side) was enlarged and used rather than placing an additional anchor so a thin sling or cord may be required (some parties may choose to start the rope here as the traverse is not that high at this point).

I only just read this thread, so didn't have an opportunity to join the voices beforehand, but I just wanted to express my personal gratitude to you, and any other installers and volunteers involved, for sorting this one out. I'm hugely in favour, and I wish it'd been in place about 8 years ago.

About 8 years ago, a much meeker, and milder version of myself was taken through Edwards Shortcut, and my memory of the trip is mainly still trauma from the climb, followed by the traverse. I've never been back to that passage - why would I want to repeat it?

At the time when I did it, I was vocalising angry frustration at essentially being committed to a greater risk acceptance than I wanted to accept at that point in my life. I couldn't understand (at least as a Northern caver) why there weren't aids on it.

Well now I've a reason to return, and it'll be nice to return to maybe one of the last locations someone's had to coach me through avoiding having a meltdown (on the traverse).

I actually think I'd find it fine now - and I suspect rigging it will be a breeze, but the rigging will allow me to share it with others whom I wouldn't want to traumatise in the same way I was traumatised.

 

[andrewmcleod]

A few OFD fixed aids updates:

• The Diver's pitch rope has been replaced. The top is now a stainless chain to reduce wear (I've made this slightly shorter than when first installed, at the cost of slightly more rub on the rope, due to user requests - hence the small loop of chain off the shackle).
• The Letterbox chain, which hung off a single rawl bolt, has been removed and replaced with a stainless chain with a Y-hang off two new resin anchors above the letterbox. There are also two new resin anchors just below the lip of the letterbox (suitable for attaching slings etc. for a footloop if required), and there is also a drilled thread in a floor feature on the far side of the letterbox crawl. Many user options are available including rigging a line through the crawl to protect exit (from the drilled thread), abseiling on exit (from a rope anchored above the letterbox), clipping a sling into the lower bolts and standing in it, clipping into the chain with a cowstail (avoid taking a fall onto this, just as you would clipping into a fixed anchor) or, in time-honoured tradition, just grabbing the chain and posting yourself in.
  Stainless is slipperier than rust, so take care - however, the links on the old chain were about 50% worn through at the top end, hence it was removed.
• The 'Mutiny Junction pitch' (which as someone pointed out to me the other day is really 'the pitch about 20m uphill of Mutiny Junction) has been resin anchored. Previously this was a single pitch on unapproved anchors followed by a somewhat loose and exposed chimney climb and then posting yourself through a hole in boulders. The new route adds a second pitch avoiding most of the looseness. At time of posting, there are abandoned ropes of unstated vintage and origin on the new anchors which of course we don't recommend you use to access this bit of cave which can only be accessed by climbing up ropes on one of two SRT routes... This pitch also forms part of a round trip from Midnight Chamber which has become more popular in recent years. Topo below (and in the usual place).
• The 'Missile Silo' pitch at the end of the mini traverses (well about 20m away again) has also been resin anchored, consisting of three pitches of around 6 m, 7 m and 15 m with good ledges at each rebelay (labelled p29 on the survey). The lower pitch is in a gully and there is some loose rock which has not yet been completely gardened. A topo will be produced in due course when I get a chance, but a ~47 m rope, 8 carabiners, plus two deviations from resin anchors of around 50 cm and 110 cm length are required (plus carabiners as required). 8 carabiners does not include carabiners for clipping e.g. deviation slings to the resin anchors. With 'efficient' rigging (e.g. alpine butterflies instead of loop knots) you could _probably_ get down on a 45 m rope but don't blame me if it doesn't reach!

The only SWCC official fixed aid for SRT/ladder and line that still relies on 'old'/unapproved anchors is the Fault Aven pull-up which is due for replacement with resin anchors.

 

[andrewmcleod]

Topo for the 'Missile Silo' pitch (go from the Big Chamber over the Mini Traverses, turn right, go for about 20m). I have been told the bottom pitch has been tidied up a bit to remove some loose rock but fundamentally it's a steep gully on a route that was extremely rarely used previously so care will continue to be needed. Also the '20m' is totally a rough guesstimate, as I suspect most distances in caving descriptions are

 

[andrewmcleod]

Regarding the Skyhook (which is technically not an SWCC Official Fixed Aid):
1) There is currently an abandoned fixed rope on the Skyhook (not in the best condition) but it will be removed at some point in the future!
2) The pull-up system has been reinstated on this pitch to allow you to use your own rope

Details:
I have installed a chain and ring (plus polyprop) on the Skyhook. You can now use this to pull up your own rope. The ring has an 80 mm internal diameter so you shouldn't have difficulty getting knots through it. The polyprop goes through some maillons at the bottom only so it stays put; please don't try and climb the polyprop (you'd be surprised). I haven't drawn a topo yet but the pitch is a bit less than 15 m so a 30 m rope should just about be sufficient to get up. Basically the topo is (horizontally at the top of the pitch)
chain and ring -> bolt -> bolt -> bolt -> drilled thread (currently blocked by the fixed rope but you can just clip a carabiner into its loop)
If you want to bring a separate bit of rope for the traverse at the top, you will want 10 m I think but it is also of course possible to tie off your pull-up rope in the middle and use one end for the traverse. Tying off your pull-up rope at the ring once the first person is up will also help reduce wear on the ring (if your rope is anchored at the bottom) due to the rope running over the ring with rope stretch as people prussik up.

As usual, you can either use a reverse pull-up system (my brain is not currently working as to the details of how to implement this but possibly you need 3 times the pitch length or do some shenanigans tying around the polyprop or untying the polyprop) or just tie the bottom of your rope off to the two stainless throughbolts at the bottom of the pitch. Please note that the throughbolts are not 'official' Caving Wales anchors, unlike the resin anchors at the top of the pitch, and the (chunky stainless) maillons are also not rated.

The fixed rope is still there (for now) but is fairly horrible, has a bit that is quite worn in the middle, and is apparently not in the best of condition at the Y-hang either, so I would recommend bringing your own rope (plus I haven't actually had a chance to try the pull-up yet so it would be good if people could confirm it works nicely as I needed to use the 25m rope I had to measure everything out, and it wouldn't have reached anyway).

 

[JackSherlock]

Used the new Skyhook pull‑up on Saturday and it worked perfectly.

We took a 25m rope based on the p11 on the survey, but both ends were about 6ft short (should consult UKC more often!). In the end we tied the cord in to use as the pull-down side of the pull through - you could get away with a 15m like this.