Rigging Manor Farm Swallet

[Justcantstop]

Hi folks,

Considering a trip to manor farm swallet. I will be the person rigging. I am quite inexperienced at rigging but have been taught the basics by good teachers, done some rigging under supervision, and am fairly confident in my knot tying and theory as long as i go slowly and carefully.

Just wanted to know if there are any unusual difficulties in rigging in this cave. As far as i know there are two main pitches, the 50 foot entrance pitch and another short pitch soon after. Are there any deviations or re-belays on either pitch? Any other details that i should know? (rigging guide would be good if anyone has one)

Cheers!

 

[Les W]

I assume you are rigging for SRT.
Unless you are doing this for practice then it is better to use ladder and lifeline as the only real pitch is the entrance. The 6m pitch further in the cave is free climbable with care or best tackled with a ladder. It is not bolted with a view to SRT and could be a real problem in high water where the hang will be in the direct flow of the water (not a good place to get hung up).

The entrance pitch is a bit greasy with algae in the daylight zone but apart from that it is very straight forward. A traverse line to protect the pitch might be a good idea, but from memory a cowstail directly into the knot of the main hang will suffice. My recollection is that you rig off of a bar across the entrance but I've not been down there for a couple of years so this may have changed (I doubt it though).

Hope this helps

 

[cap n chris]

Manor Farm Swallet:

Entrance pitch. You can use the "gate" and a short scaffold bar next to it as your primary belays with a traverse line to the main hang belay which is a loose scaffold bar suspended over the 50ft shaft. No rebelays/deviations but check the bar gives a straight drop with no rub points. You may wish to tie the rope around the scaffold bar at the bottom of the pitch so no theiving bastards nick it while you're down the cave. Beware broken glass at the bottom of the pitch. TIE A KNOT IN THE END OF YOUR ROPE BEFORE ABBING DOWN!

Next: September Rift. There is a loose scaffold bar above which may be used as a belay provided you don't put a cross load on it since it may jump out of its cup/stemples and fall on your head! Alternatively there are 8mm SD spits which you can take hangers for, two on LHS and at least one good one on the RHS as you approach the pitch. As Les says, September Rift is free climbable and/or may be done with a ladder; it's sufficiently narrow, especially where the rope hangs, for it to be difficult to prussik up - it would be wiser to climb perhaps using a jammer on a cowstails to protect you as you ascend if you feel the need to use the rope as a safety (probably wise).

Next: Broken Curtain Chamber/Waterfall pitch. There is a scaffold bar which can be used to rig a ladder/line (on RHS as you approach the pitch, wedged among rocks at ground level). This pitch is not suitable for SRT and may be bypassed by taking the route underneath the floor (approached up-chamber by following the stal on the LHS wall as you enter). If you do decide to do the pitch you may find it easiest just to abseil quickly down and free climb back up the ledges on the RHS (as you look up) with a jammer/cowstail protecting you as you ascend - it's an easy climb but a bit exposed as you make a step across at the top.

If I was going with you: I'd use SRT on the entrance pitch - abseil down, prussik up with a simple single 50' pitch. I'd then probably just put a rope on September Rift and use it as a handline/italian hitch (off a cowstail) and then similar for the Waterfall pitch - at the bottom I'd then stash my harness/kit and continue down the cave (it is often worth taking a short rope - 6m - for the awkward wet climb just past the false floors).

On the return I would free climb Waterfall & September Rift pitches using a cowstail/jammer for self-lining and then SRT ascent on the entrance pitch. Remember, you'll need a strategy to deal with any situations which arise i.e. slipping on climbs and being suspended on a single jammer (if you've got your SRT kit on this won't be a problem since you can self-rescue using your other jammer). Also, cavers have experienced poor air down here and problems with skin irritation from the water - check CSCC website Access page for further details or email canda@cscc.org.uk. Cars parked on the corner by the path have been broken into (including mine!) so don't leave valuables on display. There is a goodwill fee payable (£1.50 or £2 per caver, hmmm... can't remember!).

The cave is the 3rd deepest on Mendip (over 500' deep) so fatigue can make the return memorable.

 

[Hughie]

Ladder and lifeline for 50' entrance - plenty of solid belays. Possibly a handline for September Rift if you've doubts about any of your partys' climbing abilities, although it's much more fun without. The rest is fairly straightforward free climbing. You'll be off and away whilst the srt boys are still tying their knots and checking their maiillons Excellent cave - enjoy!

 

[whitelackington]

Also one of Mendip's best maypole trips.

Go down cave, when you have a choice, turn right up stream to an aven, in the water is a dismantled maypole, to hang your 10 metre ladder from
bring your own scaffold joining knuckles, it will probably take three of you to lift / errect the maypole up to the sloping floor of Fleet Street, and a fairly brave person to go up first and come down last, last time I did it there were no bolts up top, once the first man is up you tie slings round a natural and hang your ladder and life line. Then lower the maypole.
Then up a squeeze.
Then explore Boulder Fall Hall, with a further, very exciting climb up almost to the surface.
On the way back down, the last man lowers the ladder with the lifeline, then re-rig the lifeline around a natural, tie the ends of the rope together, feed the joined ends down to your mates, if you have any, then absail down the double rope (figure of eight device)

You WILL have found it exciting!

 

[Dave H]

Manor Farm Swallet:
There is a goodwill fee payable (£1.50 or £2 per caver, hmmm... can't remember!).

Nor can I, my mates just send me round with the money already sorted, 'cos the gorgeous farmers wife just sends me all gibberish

It's a good trip, but watch out for the possibility of bad air as CC pointed out.

 

[Justcantstop]

Hey folks, thanks for the advice - it was quite valuable. We rigged pitch one, which is a perfect SRT pitch, nice shaft and freehang all the way. We also rigged pitch 2 for SRT which was a mistake, it is definitley a ladder pitch. Although freeclimbing is possible it would've been a hard climb due to lack of footholds on the bottom few metres of the rift and narrow-ness. Possibly slight Co2 but not that noticible.

Great cave!



Cheers.

 

[whitelackington]

We s.r.t.'d Manor Farm, (done millions of times before on ladders but after reading this forum, thought we would give it a go yesterday),
it went swimmingly.
We used a much too long rope for the entrance, probably 27 metres, would do.
We tied it via a sling to the rounded handle of the not used gate, then two slings round the bar (was this a drive shaft in an earlier incarnation?)
and a Y hang.
September rift used a long sling round a flake, about four metres back up slope, then a Y hang off two spits on opposite walls, this gave a perfect hang down this narrow slit.
used a 27 metre rope for this.
Then in the very dry curtain chamber tied a sling round a flake and made a Y hang with the very old iron belay, we used a 30 metre rope.

Checked out the maypoles, all there including the top fitting (for your ladder) but no joing pieces.
On exiting the cave, one of us, me, had a panteon, it worked fantastically well, going up September rift.
A good trip :x

 

[cap n chris]

I've often wondered whether there is any need for a y-hang over the entrance pitch; since the load is being suspended by a large metal bar surely it makes no difference at all if the rope is fixed to it using a single sling - after all, aren't y-hangs (bowline on the bight) used to distribute load between fixed aid or across naturals (a) to reduce the overall load on any one anchor and (b) to enable quick adjustment of the hanging rope to ensure it doesn't have a rub point?

 

[Peter Burgess]

I suppose if the bar is strong enough to take a full load in the centre then a Y-hang makes no difference to the safety. If it isn't then a Y-hang shifts the load to either end of the bar, and reduces the bending moment on it. If the bar isn't strong enough to be loaded centrally, then perhaps it needs to be replaced?

 

[whitelackington]

Yes, you are correct, a single hang is all that was needed but my man was learning rigging and insisted on a y hang, incidently, he did not have a panteon, so found coming up September rift difficult.

Air beneath the climb up to Nahasa a little taxing but we pursued the lower streamway to its conclusion and in the final chamber (along this bit the air was fine.
We think it is cow shit coming down from Sarum Inlet, the wall here was black and very slimey, ie. bacteria.
Did not do Nahasa. 8)

 

[chriscastle46]

Why can't people free-climb September Rift and Curtain Chamber any more?

But then, I started caving with the BEC.

That's enough from me for tonight.

 

[whitelackington]

When I started caving, a few years ago now, I was told it was a free climb, I was already tired when we had got back up to the bottom of September Rift, as I started to free climb up, I slipped and was caught by my arm, this was trapped across the narrow rift betweem elbow and wrist, I had all my weight born by trapped arm while I squealed and my legs flailed about not sticking to the rift walls.
My mate Terry Jones had to climb up, brace himself, while I used my other arm to punch the trapped arm free.
Can't now remember which arm but I have never forgot that fucking rift :!:

 

[cap n chris]

Why can't people free-climb September Rift and Curtain Chamber any more?

They do (but often prefer not to).

 

[Roger W]

as I started to free climb up, I slipped and was caught by my arm....
My mate Terry Jones had to climb up....

Sounds most uncomfortable! :shock:

Supposing you had been on your own at the time....? :?

 

[cap n chris]

... you could have "done an Aron" :wink:

 

[whitelackington]

I do not know of him, is he still alive :?:

 

[badger]

Chriscastle wrote Why can't people free-climb September Rift and Curtain Chamber any more?

But then, I started caving with the BEC.

Its called Risk Assessement and hazards.

Risk possibility of falling
Option place a rope and wear a chest clogger and still free climb

safety and preservation not rocket science

 

[andymorgan]

Why can't people free-climb September Rift and Curtain Chamber any more?

because you are too old, I'm sure others still can :wink:

 

[cap n chris]

I do not know of him, is he still alive :?:

http://www.aralston.com/

Check it out - next time you get stuck in September rift you'll know what to do.... :wink: