Pete K
Well-known member
Over the last few months, the Derbyshire Caving Association has been negotiating with the landowner at Peakshill Farm to reopen access to Snelslow Swallet. One of the tasks we are required to do before any open access can return is to clear out all the digging gear and old timber platforms that remain in the cave. There is quite a large volume of rotten wood in the form of ladders and platforms that is at risk of falling down on top of visiting cavers. Following on from Nige Atkins? negotiations with the owner, DCA now has permission to undertake this clear up operation and we are hoping to get it done before winter really sets in.
There will be 3 days of work happening at the cave in the coming weeks. DCA need your help!
Nov 8th ? Prep day. Rigging and cutting down the old platforms. No volunteers currently required as this will have to be a small team. Speak to the Projects Officer if you are desperate to help and have a high level of skill on a rope and experience with using cutting tools only.
Nov 9th & 10th ? Hauling. We?ll need as many cavers as possible to help us haul the rubbish out of the cave from the surface shaft on the hill above. Once this is complete, we will need to carry the stuff over 2 fields to the usual car park area where we will have arranged for a skip to be delivered.
If you can help, please get in touch with the Projects Officer at projects@thedca.org.uk stating if you can do the Saturday, Sunday or both. Please do email as well as comment here as it makes it a hundred times easier to deal with everyone. We will need around a dozen folk on each of the weekend days to make this viable. If we can?t get enough, we?ll have to postpone until the spring, so please help if you can. You will need a harness and helmet and your own gloves. About half of the volunteers will need to be underground, so caving kit is required. The cave is not tight, wet or muddy. SRT kit essential for underground work. More details will be sent out to those who register to help. We could also do with a good supply of builders? 1-tonne bags, the kind gravel gets delivered in. If you have any at home, please bring them along.
Please remember that the cave is not open access yet and we need to complete all the things that the landowner asks of us. Please do not consider sporting trips down there until DCA have announced that access is open again or you risk jeopardising 6 months of work. The cave has been off limits for a long time, a few more weeks won?t hurt. There are several dangerous platforms and constructions that need to be removed before it is safe for cavers to have general access. If we accomplish this together, we will have Snelslow reopen this year and hopefully follow that with Christmas Swallet in 2020.
https://peakdistrictcaving.info/home/the-caves/castleton/snelslow-swallet
Pete Knight
DCA Projects Officer
There will be 3 days of work happening at the cave in the coming weeks. DCA need your help!
Nov 8th ? Prep day. Rigging and cutting down the old platforms. No volunteers currently required as this will have to be a small team. Speak to the Projects Officer if you are desperate to help and have a high level of skill on a rope and experience with using cutting tools only.
Nov 9th & 10th ? Hauling. We?ll need as many cavers as possible to help us haul the rubbish out of the cave from the surface shaft on the hill above. Once this is complete, we will need to carry the stuff over 2 fields to the usual car park area where we will have arranged for a skip to be delivered.
If you can help, please get in touch with the Projects Officer at projects@thedca.org.uk stating if you can do the Saturday, Sunday or both. Please do email as well as comment here as it makes it a hundred times easier to deal with everyone. We will need around a dozen folk on each of the weekend days to make this viable. If we can?t get enough, we?ll have to postpone until the spring, so please help if you can. You will need a harness and helmet and your own gloves. About half of the volunteers will need to be underground, so caving kit is required. The cave is not tight, wet or muddy. SRT kit essential for underground work. More details will be sent out to those who register to help. We could also do with a good supply of builders? 1-tonne bags, the kind gravel gets delivered in. If you have any at home, please bring them along.
Please remember that the cave is not open access yet and we need to complete all the things that the landowner asks of us. Please do not consider sporting trips down there until DCA have announced that access is open again or you risk jeopardising 6 months of work. The cave has been off limits for a long time, a few more weeks won?t hurt. There are several dangerous platforms and constructions that need to be removed before it is safe for cavers to have general access. If we accomplish this together, we will have Snelslow reopen this year and hopefully follow that with Christmas Swallet in 2020.
https://peakdistrictcaving.info/home/the-caves/castleton/snelslow-swallet
Pete Knight
DCA Projects Officer