mikem said:No, they are locked due to every cave that's been left open having suffered unnecessary damage over many years,
mikem said:If you actually look around you'll see muddy handprints all over the place in regularly visited sites.
Apparently so. I've been told more, but that would likely reveal who told me so that's as much as I'm willing to say. Doesn't bother me a jot. The fact that a blacklist can actually exist as a thing is more worrying. Most cavers do not have my ability to open a lock without any damage, or even signs it's been opened, and should they get on the wrong side of the wrong person because the moon was waning or they support a different football team, or other equally asinine reasons, means they don't get access. Now if we're being open and honest, it's a thing that happens and eveybody knows it, despite protestations that such a blacklist does not exist.The Old Ruminator said:Hi Newstuff. Are you on a blacklist on Mendip ? If you are I am unaware of it particularly as I don't know who you are.
Mike Hopley said:When someone has a different opinion, you should be capable of disagreeing without telling them to f*** off.
Holding a strong opinion is a bad (and childish) excuse for rudeness. It's self-indulgent obnoxiousness disguised as "strong principles" and "speaking truth fearlessly".
I'd like to think I'm stating the obvious here.
My understanding is keys are not available at the moment with all club huts being effectively bared for non members. Could that be the reason for for OR's orignal post about "At least four Mendip caves have suffered attempts at a break-in recently"?mikem said:all local clubs have keys, which visiting cavers can easily borrow if they ask.
NewStuff said:If nasty tricks were not being played, I wouldn't need to express myself in this manner. But this is where we find ourselves, and this is how I'll be.
Although as Ali says, keys can be made available, you need to be in the know. My guess is there are a fair number of cavers who cave on Mendip but are not linked to the 12 or so clubs who hold keys. I also can't find any information on the CSCC web site on how to obtain them in the current circumstances. Is the CSCC system fit for purpose in the current situation which looks like going on for many months to come?Badlad said:What can be done to prevent repetition of the problem as it can get very expensive?
The Old Ruminator said:One of the sites with a vandalised lock was a very important archeological site. That in a cave not particularly long. I cant see cavers doing that in such a well-known cave.
Mike Hopley said:but by itself that doesn't achieve anything positive.
Oceanrower said:Avaline's Hole must, surely, hold some kind of world record as the shittiest hole with the most amount of unnecessary stainless steel fencing shoved inside it...