Dan said:
First of all Owl hole is a place that the public can't get to with out a good set of ladders, i think it is very selfish putting a gate down there, (I am told useing money from DCA) only cavers who know what they are doing go there. Giants will have been vandalised by the public as anyone with a torch can just walk in.
I'd like to see a non-caver with a torch get to where the recent vandalism happened in Giants.
It would be easier for them to get into Owl Hole. You can climb up to the entrance - it is a little exposed but not difficult. Owl Hole and Giants are a separate issues. The topic under discussion here is Water Icicle Close Cavern.
Cavers know where to walk in a cave they are now aware that people do not want them walking on mud formation. I do not think that that tape is required to stop people walking on mud formations. I personally do not care about mud formations but not to the extent that i would deliberatly walk on them when someone would like to preserve them. I think Tape in caves look digusting and wish people would not use it. But a gate down there is a totally out of order it should just be free access to those who can go there. It's not just me who thinks this there are loads of cavers who would agree with me.
Cavers patently do NOT always "know" where they are causing damage. I have seen many, many examples of damage underground, accidental or intentional in places where only a caver could get to.
As has already been stated multiple times above: the gate is NOT PERMANENT. There will be free access once the investigations are complete and, no, I don't know how long that will take as I am a caver not a cave scientist. The cave is a SSSI and the gating was requested by Natural England, as has already been stated.
The taping is not just for mud formations, In many places the whole of the floor has calcite formations and it would be nice if everyone kept to a single path rather than trash the lot: hence the taping.
I don't like tapes either. But they are infinitely better than trashed caves and formations, which I like a LOT less.