CPC Newsletter No24 April 1990 MASKHILL, NETTLE AND OXLOW CLOSED No, unfortunately this is not an April Fool's joke, it's true! Mec Rowland, the landowner, has finally had enough of people abusing his good nature and has closed all access to the caves and mines on his land. The circumstances, likely effects on cavers and possible solutions were discussed at an Extaordinary General Meeting of the Derbyshire Caving Assosiation held at the Railway Hotel, Buxton on Saturday 10th March 1990. Mr P Mellors (DCA Conservation Access Officer) explained that he had first heard of the problem two weeks before the meeting and had gone to see Mr Rowland in the morning. Mr Rowland had told him that he was sick of cavers (both local and visitors) climbing over walls, breaking gateposts, leaving gates open, refusing to pay etc, The straw that broke the camels back was on Sat. 24th Feb when a group from Worcester told him to "fuck off" when he asked them for the fee for Nettle. Bob Dearman (who chaired the meeting) and Ben had been to see Mr Rowland the week before and had been told that DCA and others had not done repair work as had been promised to his property. Mr Mellors said that DCA had no record of such prowises. The meeting continued in this vein for most of the afternoon. Anyone who wants to know the details should buy me a pint. The outcome of all this nastiness is that all three caverns are now closed. Anyone with any sense will keep well clear of Mr Rowland. He says that if anyone attempts to pirate the caves, he will fill them in (does he mean the caves or the cavers?) He has a large pile of railway sleepers and concrete in his farmyard and is quite capable of sealing all three entrances perminently. He doesn't want to even discuss the matter until June, and even then he might decide that he likes the arrangement. If he does decide to regrant access, fees will be made “comparable with those charged by Mr Watson" (ie £1. He says that he spends around £1000 a year repairing damage done by cavers and recoups around £200 from those good enough to pay the fee!) He also wants repair work doing by DCA including a new style (he doesn't like the Crewe one!) All dealings with Mr Watson should be through Ben (who is the new DCA Access Conservation Officer following a vote). It was agreed that Mr Watson (Giant's Hole) should not be antagonised in case he decides to follow suit. DCA recomend that no one should consider a through trip as a rescue using Oxlow as the way out (as happened 4 couple of weeks ago) would be disasterous for caver/farmer relationship. | Bob (who replaces Mr Sefton as DCA chairman, following a vote) will review the possibility of organising working parties to do repair work to Mr Rowland's property. PS This is not the first time that Mr Rowlands has banned cavers from his land; he did it in 1965 and it vas 6 months before he relinquished! NCA EQUIPMENT COMMITTEE EQUIPMENT INFORMATION REPORT JAMMING OF ROPE IN CIEST-MUUNTED CRULL There has bean a case of a caver getting a Oma. rope jammed between the side ef the cam and the main body of a Croll ascender. This uccurred vis tranoferring from lover, to upper rope on a re-belay. The loop on the up rope being short, the caver clipped into the base of the loop but on puttin his weight onto the Croll the rope went up the side of the cam instead of the Proper pagition, This left him ina difficult pusition. 4. The design of the Croll has for the past year been modified so thal current godels have a tighter bend on the groove which accomaudates the rope, making this occurrence even leus likely. 2. The incident happened on a Oem. rupo. It would have been Impossible wilh a thicker rope. All Petz! cammed ascenders curry a recusmendalion that they be used with a rope of mitiimum diaseter 1Uea. (Uocouse of danger of sheath dowage In u shock fond tall, This applies to any make of ascendur.) Cavers using Jangere with thinner ropes should be avdre Lhut Uiey aust use special care. 3. The incident was a direct result of transferring to a too-shart rope tied at its base. 4. It may be worth observing that a more common problem is getting one's foot-loop stuck In the side of the cam of a chest-aounted jasacr. This is particularly easy to do with a tape foot-loop and aay provide an argument for using a ropa loop. A. Rope si lpe up cal [ Wope squasnod Strapped. Tor view PEAK CAVERN 1959 : A PERSONAL VIEW PART II, THE RECOVERY ATTEMPT It was Easter weekend and we had decided to spend the holiday at Rowter Farm. Needless to say this involved a fair walk from Chapel with extremely heavy packs - no Lightweight tents or gear in those days (remember men were men; we hadn't even allowed women into the club!) No one had transport other than bycicles. Good Friday was spent getting there and Saturday caving. On Sunday morning, two of us walked down into Castleton and went directly to Peak Cavern. A fair number of other cavers were present including two Frenchmen (I later learned that one of these was Jo Breger). It appeared that I was the only person present who had reached Neil Moss on the previous occasion and since 1 had my gear with me I joined the group descending the cave and my companion returned to Rowter Farm (on foot!) to fetch the others. The trip to Moss Chamber went eithout incident but seemed to take ages. It was assumed that Jo Berger intended to descend the tube and help with the body recovery but his understanding of everyones French seemed to deteriorate once he saw the acyual hole and it was decided that 2 language problem added to the other existing problems was more than enough. Yours truely seemed to be at the front of the queue again but this time Les Salmon (who was in charge of the operation) instructed me to take no risks whatsoever so I didn't even bother to remove my bulky outer garment and “goon suit". I climbed about half way down the tube with a small hand winch, the idea being to try to pull up the électron ladder on which Moss was standing. I clipped one end to a rung at about face level and the other to a rung about 18" below my feet. The small winch pulledup about 3' of ladder before it began to slip - the idea wasn't going to work! A junior hacksaw was passed down to me - hopefully if the ladder was cut Moss would drop through the constriction - a good idea but once again destined for failure. Unfortunately I had cut the ladder at face level - how the hell was I tio clinb back out? A small p@int that had not previously occured to anyone!! An attempt was made to pull me up - remember they had tried to pull Moss up two weeks previously and I was only 4 half way down (and 4 his weight). This too failed. Only one thing for it - brute force and ignorance. Back in the chamber, Jo Berger asked if he could take some photographs and he was given permission on the understanding that they be handed to the police for use at the inquest. (His understanding of pidgeon French seemed to have improved by this point). A number of shots were taken including one of Les Saluon in the tube and one of an attempt to pull up the body. As we were just out of bodies I was assigned to go back into the tube while a group of cavers ‘demonstrated’ a recovery attempt. By the time we had finished the chamber looked decidedly empty and much of the debris from the rescue had been removed. We collected what we could then set off for the entrance which was reached at about 11 pm, Jo Berger handed his camera to the police. The cave entrance and village, previously a hive of activity was like a ghost town. Feeling deserted and dejected I changed and set off on the lonely walk back up Winnats Pass to the camp site. I found the pass eeire in the cloudy moonlight and was glad of a short lift in a Land Rover as I neared the top I approached the camp site to find it not only silent but totally deserted. 1 found out later that the others were being treated as lords by the villagers. They turned up with stories of hot baths, hotter meals and cold beers - I was not impressed! To add insult to injury I learned later that Jo Berger had removed the film from the camera handed to the police - the prints appeared in "Paris Match" a few days later. Ralph 2 Ss 2 GHRISTMAS COMPETITION < 2 ANSWERS: s 2 Ss 2 DEADIDIOBBIN < Dear Marje > 0 clolr < 2 GAPI(NIGGILL <_ I have spent the last couple of decades or so z GIAN|TISHOLE < perfecting the technique of getting other > LON|GIRAKE < cavers to carry all the gear (including mine) bs PIE|AK S when. all of “2 sudden a young upstart who = s|tlo P S hasn't been caving more than five minutes 2 Ec|TION S uses the old “self detaching karabiner" trick > LOSTJIOjHNS < to abandon his gear in order to save > EL pjoln S prusiking up the 210. Not satisfied with 2 Cc O|PIPER < leaving his gear behind, he shouts to his > ERII[C < companions to recover it then promptly chucks = LANCASITER < it into 30° of water!! 2 PR UiS|I K s > AB S|BIT L < As though this wasn't enough he persuades > Lajp[DER < —'t'owd man' to HELP him recover it then times > CEN|TIIPEDE < his arrival to avoid actually going 2 MALIBJAM S underground! Surely anyone with any moral > DEVIIILSARSES fibre whatsoever should spend some time > SUPRI|S|E < perfecting these techniques which should be > O|X|L ow S used with great subtlety and not treated in « > ALU le oT S Light-hearted manner which can only bring > BlAJRPOT disrepute on exponents of this art form. ZDRIACK|S|ONS S > < Can I suggest that our Training Officer Peoreaenn een < arranges instruction for new members in order to avoid repetition of this incident! Dissatisfied EEEEESEEESEEEEEEEESEEESEEESSEEESEEESEES. (Name and adress withheld) & & & USEFUL TIPS FOR CAVERS No2 & Marje says & (Phil) & & If you go on a trip to & This lad has obviously learned from & Derbyshire eg. Nettle Pot, & your example and you should be very & remenber to take not only your & proud of this enterprising technique. & SRT gear, but a rope and your & You do not say in your letter whether & bloody helmet as well! & he was late getting to. the mine because & & he was lost, but I suspect that if he's SESEEEESESESASISESESEASSSSSESESGSSESSS trying to emulate you, he probably was! Anyone who believes the myth that the water level in the ‘Giant's Windpipe' doesn't fluctuate should have been down on Thursday 26th January - it was completely sumpe BCRA CONFERENCE & & & USEFUL TIPS FOR CAVERS No3 = & ~—‘This year's National Caving Conference & (Phil) & will be at UMIST on 23/24th September. & If you attempt Nettle Pot AGAIN & & a week later and forget your & ++000---0- & helmet AGAIN, don't get drunk in & & the Three Stags Heads instead & A CONFERENCE ON RADON IN BRITISH CAVES & and p*ss against my car door & is being organised by the BCRA/NCA Cave & AGAINIT! & Radon Working Party for Saturday, 19th & & May. It will be held at Manchester Polytechnic and registration is likely to cost about £4, There will be talks = . detailing the situation in Peak District caves 0 1 following measurements and monitoring during this ’ iS 1 winter and a representative from the National " 1 Radiological Protection Board will discus radon's " relationship to health. There will also be time N OVERSUITS For sale. | set aside for discussion, Further particulars I Available most sizes I from: Jehn Gunn, Limestone Research Group, l'with a variety of 1 Manchester Polytechnic, Chester St, Manchester Ml i fastenings. Green f SGD. only. Around £12 1 ll depending on design,