OG 4 BBD evices een weir Swe seer fee: EDITED BY KEVIN MOUNTFORD. TYPED (AND CORRECTED) BY ALISON DUROSE, Welcome to another Newsletter. We're sorry it's a little late, but as you may know Cliff has started to work for Phil Brown at Caving Supplies. We all wish him the best of luck in his new job even though we have had to look around for a new typist, That's where we owe our thanks to Alison for filling this vacancy even though Cliff sabotaged the typewriter and it hasn't worked properly since, ALLOY KARABINERS . As people are starting to buy more allow Krabs be warned - alloy is less resistant to battery electrolyte and spent carbide than steel. ‘TWO IMPORTANT POINTS REGARDING CARE OF EQUIPMENT, A. Ropes and electrolyte from batteries don't mix! Avoid getting them even near to each other - particularly in your car boot. Serious damage can result and will not necessarily be apparent until loaded - the result could be disasterous, perhaps for YOU! B, Ladders and water don't mix} No-one in their right mind would leave unprotected metal in wet conditions but lack of thought can cause damage to wire ladders particularly when the galvanizing has been damaged (by caving for example) Condensation can occur if ladders are stored in cold, damp conditions but more importantly don't store them wet in tackle bags particular! if wet ropes are in the same beg. Just e couple of days can do a lot of damage. For the more conscientious it is better to wash (yes wash!) ledders before returning them to the store, (I Jmow you all wash your ropes!) Farmers use nitrogenous fertiliser and these nitrates can attack wire ladders. A 10mm, ladder now costs in the region of £40! RALPH. Are you fed up with life? Would you like to be a super stud, aman of the world? Do you have trouble chatting women up? Do you need charisma, good looks, style? If so, get in touch with Mel Bratt. NEW MEMBERS, George Crane......+04 Ian Freeman,... Martin Soloman, Alison Durose. Redacted Roger Perguson....+++ Russell Carter.....++ Congratulations to Paul and ann Holdcroft on the birth of their beautiful baby girl Julie Ann. Welcome to Ziggy number two, Ryan Thomas. CONTINUING THE SAGA OF THE GIANT'S DIC, I hadn't been coming to the club very long when I was asked by Ralph to give him a hand one Saturday at the olub dig in Giant's. I felt very honoured, me, a mere new comer, to be approached personally by the club secretary to help him - imagine ay pride when he said there would only be the two of us, "Wetsuit trip?” I asked. “Naturally,” said Ralph, Saturday arrived and I collected Ralph. Arriving at Giant's I was a bit put out to see Relph changing into dry gear. He said he hed been given a new waterproof oversuit that he wanted to try out - fair enough, I noticed that he was wearing two oversuits and plenty of clothes underneath - he looked a bit like the Michelin Man, Off we set down the streamway - I found myself carrying a great heavy tackle bag. "Drilling gear and flask," emit Imiph, "also a camera and some other odds and ends." After all Ralph was carrying the ladder to Garland's, I don't know why but everytime I cave with Ralph I seem to end up carrying a great heavy tackle bag - I bet a few others could say the same thing!! Anyway back to the story. Ralph had a struggle through the ‘vice’, eventually we reached the climb to the dig. Ralph muttered something about bailing sone water - what he meant was moving a few gallon of liquid mud. This done we slithered up small tube and eventually reached a side passage. “It's up there," says Ralph, I'll start the drilling and then you have a go." He went a yard up the passage, got stuck, came back and complained that he haa too much clothing on - but he would show me what to do. I won't tell you any more in case Ralph asks you to go along one day. P.S, He drank most of the coffee while I was drilling because he was getting cold, and he didn't take the camera out because it would end up filthy!! P.P.S. We came all the way back via Crab Walk - because Ralph said as he hadn't got a wetsuit on he didn't want to go through the Giant's Windpipe. GEOFF MILLINGTON, THE USE MISUSE OF HANGERS. The club now has a small number of Clown Ring and Bollard hangers in addition to the Petsl bent twisted and Troll angle. ‘The diagram included with this article (pinched from the Inglesport elf explanatory so even a caver of normal intelligence should catalogue) is have no problems. The new additions should be perticularly useful in a roof or overhanging wall where the other hengers should not be used, There is a problem with the Clown in that it is particularly difficult to thread a stiff 11mm, Blue Water rope. yon Ladders who import these agree but can offer no solutions. The French cavers tend to favour a more flexible 10,5mm, rope such as Beal, but this has not found favour in ¢.C.P.C. mainly due to its poor resistance to abrasion, Beal have started to import « more abrasion resistant rope which is being sold at an attractive price and we will have to see how C.C.P.C. members favour this new rope. ‘The problem with the Bollard is that it is impossible (or almost) to clip a con's tail into the loop when passing a bolt whilst prusiking. When absailing the cow's tail can be clipped in but you try removing it}! Paul Seddon of Troll suggests putting a loop of Super Blue tape (made by Troll) into one of the two loops to facilitate the use of a cow's tail, Diag.1. Clipping into one side of the loop is 50% 0.K! Clipping over both sides of the loop as in Diag.2. is 0.K. but if bolt B comes out you're dead. If bolt A comes out your chances of surviving are a little higher but you would still probably end up dead!! DIAG.1, DIAG.2, See i Oe ¢ Cowsae yy Paul also printed another advantage of the Clown (don't forget that he nakes TROLL) is that it holds the rope including the knot clean of the rock, He is not happy about using Bollards when the load angle is greater than 15° stating that the hanger will bend but not break. Diag.3. DIAG.3. eit. ae +++-Continued - The Use and Misuse of Hangers.... He also doubts the suitability of Cloms under these circumstances suggesting that a Ring hanger (Petz1) is the answer, A small problem with Clowns is that once the bolt is tightened no further adjustment of the rope is possible. This means that the loading night not be the same on both sides of a loop. Bollards allow the rope to take up the correct angle even when fully tight since they do not trap the rope. (A little thought will overcome most problems) RALPH. WHICH To CHOOSE? anton afte rick anchor H >a Yet another mention must go to that intrepid adventurer Kevin Mountford who, in my opinion, deserves a medel for bravery above and beyond the call of duty. ‘The day after the barbecue Kev set off on a solitary, perilous mission to retrieve a ladder that had been left down Giant's. Armed only with a lamp and a pair of plimsoles he was totally unprepared for the sudden and vicious onslaught of an irate farmer, brandishing an evil looking shotgun, who descended rapidly upon him, Showing tremendous control over leg muscles that threatened mutiny, Kev stood his ground, trembling so slightly that I could only just see him shaking from uy coward's-eye view (peeping out of my car thirty feet away). Kevin can only be commended for the great skill and ease with which he despatched the eneay who had demanded to be paid twice, It must, however, be mentioned that he had practised his ‘consoling angry fermer' techniques the day before. Mr, Mountford is shortly to becone a member of the National Union of Reverential Diplomats and should hereafter be addressed Kevin Mountford N,U.R.D. AN EYEWITNESS. CID ON ROPE CAN BE FATAL. Recently a number of members have been seen carrying coils of rope over their shoulders with the lower end of the coils resting on their hip. This would be 0.K, if they were not wearing Lead-ACID lamps, Please DO NOT. You never know = YOU could be next to use the rop THE MYSTERY OF RALPH'S CRABS! Ralph has been complaining lately about his lack of crabs. (Whoops shouldn't that read Krabs.) If anyone can help him in this matter - and you know who you are, you pilfering little wretch - could you please return them. Don't go sneaking any nasty little alloy ones in either ~ he'd rather heve his good old fashioned steel ones back please!! PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION. The following suggestions have been received regarding the format of this year's photo competition: Separate slide and print competition, Print competition only, Minimum size of prints 6"x10", Maximum nuaber of entries per person, All photos to have been taken during the previous twelve months. Shield for winner/winners to be returned after twelve months plus photo/photos displayed in the Bleeding Wolf. W/ Use of display boards - as supplied by Ralph for the sport's week display 8/ ee for each photo entered.