Whalf Climbing Shaft blocked

[DCA]

DCA has just received a report that the Whalf Climbing shaft has been filled with rubble from the adjacent wall. This obviously makes the shaft impossible to descend at the current time and possible damage to the ginging and anchors in the shaft will have to be investigated once the blockage is removed. This lid has been the site of many issues with missing nuts and being left open in recent years, so we'll have to come up with a new solution for the lid. DCA are on it, and we'll no doubt be asking here for helpers to clear the shaft when the time comes.
Pete Knight, DCA Equipment Officer

Thanks to Tim Webber for the photos.

 

[shotlighter]

Some turd has put quite a bit of effort into that. Quite a bit of the coe was cemented together, especially round the door area.
Hopefully the ginging has held up, as its mortared, not dry stone.. It's on an RSJ, where it crosses the vein and on a concrete sill cast and pinned into the vein cheek with 20mm SS pins. the other 2 sides are on bedrock (IIRC).
Not one of my lids, though it is a CCPC one (made by Paul Nixon if memory serves).

EDIT On that last photo. it looks like its gone on the side away from the photographer. I think that's the side on the RSJ too!

 

[alastairgott]

Some turd

It was turd last time, this time rocks, probably worse being rocks.

If you are watching, miscreant, challenge accepted.

I’ll help with the clear out on this one if it’s October onwards.

 

[Pete K]

Does anyone know if this little wood is National Trust like a lot of the land up there? It has no right of way in it. I think one of the issues with this site is the welcoming stone stile off the track into the wood and the relative seclusion of the shaft top lends itself to miscreants. I wonder if we could fence it all off on the lane side and then put a stile up on the far corner by the Engine Shaft away from public line of sight (where cavers already climb over the fence). Only slightly longer to walk in for cavers, but it should block access for anyone off the lane into the woods and that will help keep it more secure.
The shaft lid can be redesigned with some structure protecting the nuts from being knocked, and perhaps some other clever mechanism that allows it to be shut from inside and locked while people are down there. Suggestions welcome!

 

[shotlighter]

Does anyone know if this little wood is National Trust like a lot of the land up there? It has no right of way in it. I think one of the issues with this site is the welcoming stone stile off the track into the wood and the relative seclusion of the shaft top lends itself to miscreants. I wonder if we could fence it all off on the lane side and then put a stile up on the far corner by the Engine Shaft away from public line of sight (where cavers already climb over the fence). Only slightly longer to walk in for cavers, but it should block access for anyone off the lane into the woods and that will help keep it more secure.
The shaft lid can be redesigned with some structure protecting the nuts from being knocked, and perhaps some other clever mechanism that allows it to be shut from inside and locked while people are down there. Suggestions welcome!

We (CCPC) put the stile in as a condition of access but I can't be sure who requested it. I've feeling it was "the farmer".

 

[Chash]

Prior to this we have found used BBQ, fire lighters & shit thrown down this shaft, we assume by wild campers of the order of twats, maybe them taking their merryment a step further? Masson members all up for helping DCA with reinstatement.

 

[wellyjen]

We (CCPC) put the stile in as a condition of access but I can't be sure who requested it. I've feeling it was "the farmer".

There is a comprehensive article in CCPC Newsletter 57 on the exploration, which also says The Farmer. Steve Knox (the author) may remember which one, but I think he is still out the country.
https://www.ccpc.org.uk/newsletters/CCPCNewsletter57.pdf
There is a short report on the shaft capping in Newsletter 58.
https://www.ccpc.org.uk/newsletters/CCPCNewsletter58.pdf
Also some photos of the cap construction.
https://www.ccpc.org.uk/projects-gallery.html

 

[Pete K]

Brilliant reading those articles, thanks for that. If someone can give Steve a poke towards this thread when he gets back home that would be great. If anyone from the CCPC team wants to be involved or help out with this then please get in touch.

(Some interesting stuff on Cascade Cavern that @pwhole might want to check out in Newsletter 58)

 

[owd git]

Brilliant reading those articles, thanks for that. If someone can give Steve a poke towards this thread when he gets back home that would be great. If anyone from the CCPC team wants to be involved or help out with this then please get in touch.

(Some interesting stuff on Cascade Cavern that @pwhole might want to check out in Newsletter 58)

Gis a shout Pete, If you need a 'this day' result. you have my No'. x Ric'.

 

[wellyjen]

If someone can give Steve a poke towards this thread when he gets back home

Done.

 

[AR]

Does anyone know if this little wood is National Trust like a lot of the land up there? It has no right of way in it. I think one of the issues with this site is the welcoming stone stile off the track into the wood and the relative seclusion of the shaft top lends itself to miscreants. I wonder if we could fence it all off on the lane side and then put a stile up on the far corner by the Engine Shaft away from public line of sight (where cavers already climb over the fence). Only slightly longer to walk in for cavers, but it should block access for anyone off the lane into the woods and that will help keep it more secure.
The shaft lid can be redesigned with some structure protecting the nuts from being knocked, and perhaps some other clever mechanism that allows it to be shut from inside and locked while people are down there. Suggestions welcome!

Paul Mortimer did once say in a UCF meeting that the Trust didn't own the copse, but I thought they did own all the surrounding fields in which case they do own it unless it was sold separately at some point in the past. I agree getting rid of the way in from the roadside would help discourage idiot visits, I'd also suggest at least roughly rebuilding the wall so that there's not an obvious way in. Maybe plant some anti-personnel shrubs too!
As for a different way of securing the shaft, I have had a cunning plan for some time now but not had the chance to put it into practice. If you want a site meeting to discuss possibilities, let me know.

 

[Pete K]

That would be good Adam. I have a bit of spare time in the next couple of weeks so happy to meet you over there.

 

[Gritstone]

This afternoon my daughter and I unblocked the shaft. The filling was about one to one and a half meters deep and supported by a chockstone that was either a lucky drop or preplaced and way too big for kids to have dropped in. All the rocks were taken from the Coe wall next to the shaft. The lid had no nut and so as of 4pm this afternoon the shaft is effectively open. I'm going back tomorrow to check all the hangers and make safe any blocks that have dropped into the shaft.

 

[Pete K]

Brilliant. I'll get over tomorrow with some spare M12 nuts to secure the lid again.
@AR are you free tomorrow for a chat over the lid? No worries if not, we'll go another time.

 

[AR]

Brilliant. I'll get over tomorrow with some spare M12 nuts to secure the lid again.
@AR are you free tomorrow for a chat over the lid? No worries if not, we'll go another time.

Should be OK for tomorrow.

 

[paul]

This afternoon my daughter and I unblocked the shaft. The filling was about one to one and a half meters deep and supported by a chockstone that was either a lucky drop or preplaced and way too big for kids to have dropped in. All the rocks were taken from the Coe wall next to the shaft. The lid had no nut and so as of 4pm this afternoon the shaft is effectively open. I'm going back tomorrow to check all the hangers and make safe any blocks that have dropped into the shaft.

Are you still able to get through into the mine from the bottom of the shaft though? At the end of May there were quite a few rocks at the foot of the shaft which had been dropped down from the coe (still had fresh green moss) and partially blocked the way on. A gap big enough to get through was made by moving some of the rocks. I was on another trip with my club a couple of weeks or so later and the lid was bolted down and it was obvious someone had been bashing the lid with rocks to try and open it but failed. After our trip the nut replaced with the "wired on" one and again bolted down securely. I moved a lot more rocks from the bottom of the shaft to make it easier to gain access, so hopefully the way is still open.

 

[Gritstone]

I've dropped the shaft this morning to clear any loose blocks and check the anchors the shaft is clear however the first pack of deads has had a chunk knocked out of it so should be treated as suspect. Sadly all the anchor points seem to have been hit the first is slightly loose and the ring has an impact mark, the second and third are very loose and the second can be pulled out by hand.
As you mention the bottom is indeed filled to above the passage and will need clearing down the passage and into Hillocks mine workings. I'll make arrangements to do this on my next four off but in the meantime time use the engine shaft to access the mine.

 

[pwhole]

Funny how often this shaft is the target of vandalism, when most other shafts near public footpaths aren't. It's not that long ago it was being used as a toilet, cleaned out again by cavers.

 

[Gritstone]

Funny how often this shaft is the target of vandalism, when most other shafts near public footpaths aren't. It's not that long ago it was being used as a toilet, cleaned out again by cavers.

Trees! The c**ts can hide while they carry out their worthless stupidity. Shut the gate and they will walk on by.

 

[Pete K]

Myself and @AR made a visit today (but not as early as @Gritstone!) and fitted a new M12 nut to the lid. We have discussed some options for increasing the resilience of the lid and potentially changing the access route which would allow us to fence off the lane side of the wooded area. Nothing can happen about a lid or fence until the various stakeholders have been spoken to, and DCA are on with that. It is not my intention to replace the anchors just yet, but of course they will be done in due course. If there is a risk of a recurring issue here, we'd rather sort the lid and public access restrictions first before putting more anchors in that could also be damaged by repeat vandalism.
For now, please consider the shaft closed for general caving and note that the anchors are unsafe to use.
Warning notices have been put in place. Clearance work at the shaft base will likely remain ongoing while we await permission for surface works. Our thanks to Gaz for the work he was done already and the valuable information he has been passing on to DCA.
Pete Knight, DCA Equipment Officer