Crewe Climbing and Potholing Club have been producing the Peak District Rigging Guide as a booklet for some years. It has gone through eleven editions as new routes were added and existing ones changed. The most recent edition came out in 2012. Sales of the paper version have declined in recent years.

For edition twelve we have decided to move the guide to our web site and make it free to use by all cavers. You can still download and print your own paper copies if you wish, but the topos can also be viewed, zoomed and panned on a screen. The layout and information ties in with that supplied by the DCA, making use of the https://peakdistrictcaving.info/ web site for location and up to date access news and the Caves of the Peak District guide for more general cave info.

The guide can be found at http://www.ccpc.org.uk/rigging.html, or from a menu link on any page of the clubs web site https://www.ccpc.org.uk.

As the guide is updated with new, or altered topos you can keep your paper guide up to date by printing new pages and adding, or substituting them.

We hope you find the new guide useful. If/when you find any errors, or omissions there is a feedback form to let us know. The guide has been the product of much work by a lot of people over the years and the new version will hopefully make it useful for years to come.

Jen

The first update to the on-line rigging guide. It is now version 12.1. If you have a paper copy, then print a new Level 7 / Hope Shaft topo and a new front cover.

Working with Pwhole to add some entrances that are in the rigging guide to the DCA's database, we  discovered that the grid reference for Hope Shaft was out by over 100m. It has been like this in the rigging guide since at least 2005, though no one has ever noticed! Probably a typing mishtake at some point in the past. A better grid reference has been put on the DCA database, based on a survey of the area until someone can go up there with a GPS gadget for a full ten digit reference. The grid references on the rigging topo have been removed and the web site now links to the DCA for location information for this short, but fun through trip.

Jen

Another update. The version is now 12.2. We have added a topo for George Cooper's Aven in Peak Cavern. This is reached from the top of the left hand route in Victoria Aven. The Victoria Aven topo has also been updated. If you decide to visit here, be very careful not to touch the loose slab of rock below the traverse line, near the top of the left hand route of Victoria Aven. The consequences of this slab letting go would be disastrous. Echo Chamber has extensive mud formations. Take care not to damage these.

All the topos now have QR Codes linking to the appropriate entries in Peakdistrictcaving.info site for location and access information. Pointing a smart phone camera with an appropriate app at a printed topo will take you there.

If you have a printed copy of the guide you'll need to print a new version as all the pages have changed.

Thanks to the CCPC and TSG members who've helped with the new topos.

Jen

the Hope topo is still way wrong. There is no chain and just the one fixed hanger rebelay (using double crabs), 33m and 15m ropes) two optional single spit rebelays on the main shaft.

the grid ref for Hope Shaft is SK 21699 75878

Hope-Level 7  trip report and pics here: https://massoncaving.com/past-trip-reports/

PM me for an accurate topo

Thanks, We are aware that the Hope Shaft is inaccurate and the Hanger with chain isn't there. Our last trip down was a year ago and we didn't think to take notes for the guide at the time. Will pm you regarding your more up to date information and hopefully (see what I did there) get it on to the topo.

Jen

Thanks to Masson Caving Group for supplying up to date information on the rigging down Hope Shaft at Stoney Middleton. The topo has been updated and the guide is now version 12.3.

Jen

Another day, another update. The guide is now at version 12.4.
It was pointed out that Hungerhill Swallet is currently rigged on thunderbolts, put in during the original exploration of Deep Space and these have now been in place for many years. The topo has been altered to change the anchor symbol to the one we use for non-stainless steel artificial anchors. The cave is on the list for rebolting by DCA, but in the mean time, be aware of this. The warning in the topo on the state of the rigging has been altered and made stronger.

Jen

In the third Giant's Hole topo, http://www.ccpc.org.uk/rigging.html#giantsbasecampbosscarnival, the pull through descent from the Upper Streamway back in to Basecamp Chamber has been added. Needs a thin person to climb the rift to rig it, but a fun short trip. The Boss Aven rigging on the same page has been tidied up while moving it and the Carnival Aven rigging over to make room. Reprint this page and the front cover to bring any printed copy of the guide up to version 12.5.

Jen

The updates for version 12.6 are:
Rowter Hole. We've added the new to the CCPC rigging guide stuff from Gin Shaft (no gin there rather disappointingly), to Crystal Orechasm. We haven't drawn the fixed ropes up Hourglass Aven as we didn't take enough notes. The DCA publish a topo covering this for now. The Rowter topo is now split in to part 1 and part 2.

We have added a topo for Day Shaft, which connects in to Youd's Level in Matlock. There is plenty of blank space on this sheet to add in Gentlewoman's Shaft if/when that has access again.

A correction to the Knotlow topo. This error was pointed out by in a pm by forum member Mr Goose. It has been there at least ten years on various versions of the guide! The rope for Pearl Chamber should be 20m, as shown in the tackle list, not 29m as shown on the topo. This is now fixed. Thanks Mr Goose!

Jen

Back in the olden days, any profit from selling the paper versions of the Peak District Rigging Guide used to go to DCRO. Since moving it to the club web site that source of funds for cave rescue has ceased. I have had some twinges of conscience about that! I've been working with the DCRO fund raising officer and the rigging guide page now has a Paypal Donate button  in place and tested.

If you find the guide useful, please consider transferring some pennies over to Derbyshire Cave Rescue and support the fine work they do.

https://www.ccpc.org.uk/rigging.html#dcro-donate

Donations via the rigging guide will be identifiable by DCRO, so it will be interesting to see how much is raised.

Jen

The rope length for one of the pitches in Nickergrove Mine has been corrected. It said 4m, which is a conservative estimate of the pitch height. Actually, a 10m rope is more appropriate. Thanks to LarryFatcat for the info.

There are a couple of new rigging topos that have been in the works since March, when progress halted for some reason... Some further trips underground are planned to check them against reality before setting them loose.

The written description for rigging Eyam Dale House Cave has now been replaced with a proper topo. Had my first caving trip in four months down there on Sunday so as to take notes. The guide is now at version 12.8. https://www.ccpc.org.uk/rigging.html#eyamdalehouse

Jen

wellyjen said:

The written description for rigging Eyam Dale House Cave has now been replaced with a proper topo. Had my first caving trip in four months down there on Sunday so as to take notes. The guide is now at version 12.8. https://www.ccpc.org.uk/rigging.html#eyamdalehouse

Jen

Click to expand...

that's pretty much what I sent you but I thought that first hole inside was a "blind pit"? Is there something at the bottom of it worth going there for and are there spits or P hangers there for that?

Just spits, as per the topo. (You might occasionally find a spit equipped with a hanger, but it makes sense to assume that hangers are needed, and take some whenever you're going to be using spits.)

al said:

Just spits, as per the topo. (You might occasionally find a spit equipped with a hanger, but it makes sense to assume that hangers are needed, and take some whenever you're going to be using spits.)

Click to expand...

I didn't see any spits in there, but I didn't look at the blind pit, certainly no fixed hangers that I saw/
Is there something down the blind pit worth looking at???- (the guide seems to recommend not going down there)

I've been down there, doesn't (currently) go much further than the bottom of the pitch.

Just a pair of spits over the drop. No hangers left in place, as was usual practice during the olden days. An aluminium hanger with a steel bolt through it in to a spit can get corroded through in very little time in the presence of water. I did rig it and descend. Quite a bit of rope rub against one wall, so you'd want to modify the rigging if going down there regularly. I didn't push in to every single cavity down there. There is a good bit of air flow at the bottom and it smells fresh, so could be worth someones while taking a further look. It breaks out in to a rift the known extent of which you can see on the survey in CotPD.
Jen

Added the first of two topo sheets for Snake Mine https://www.ccpc.org.uk/rigging.html#snake in Hopton Wood. An excellent round trip is possible, but take care. The usual mine hazards are there. Make sure it is OK with the land owners before visiting. The second topo will go up once we've checked a few things on it, which will need another trip. Thanks to Dan Lay for the sketches and bolting the routes.
Jen

Edition 13.0 is now on the web site. The changes are:
Updated and corrected the JH Mine topo, between the surface and the Workshop. Leviathan will have to wait till the next trip. The only correction here was to the spelling of Leviathan!
Added the suggestion to use a deviation on the pull through pitch in Nickergrove Mine to prevent rope rub, if it is to be rigged for ascent.
Renumbered the guide pages to account for the additional topos added since version 12.0 at the start of the year. To update a printed version, you should reprint the entire guide.
Jen