Peak District Rigging Guide

Welcome to the CCPC Peak District Rigging Guide

Around the turn of the century, Crewe Climbng and Potholing Club were heavily involved in the project to replace 8mm Spit expansion anchors in Peak District caves and mines with stainless steel resin hangers. In 1994 we compiled a guide book that gave rigging topos for all the worthwhile SRT trips in the Peak District and this rapidly became an essential item in any Peak District caver's, or club's library. This guide book went through many editions as new routes were added, or existing ones altered.

Time moves on and in 2020 we decided to transfer the rigging guide to our web site. This allows us to update the guide more quickly and gives cavers access to the latest version of each rigging topo. Derbyshire Caving Association publish rigging topos for caves that they have installed hangers in. These can be viewed and downloaded from the Peak District Caving web site. There are many more caves and routes than this and the CCPC rigging guide tries to cover as many as possible.

The complete guide and individual topos can be viewed, downloaded and printed by individual cavers, clubs and those carrying out caving on a professional basis. Copyright for the guides and rigging topos remains with Crewe Climbing and Potholing Club. Selling topos and guides downloaded from the web site is prohibited.


DCRO Logo

Any profit from sales of the paper version of the rigging guide used to go to Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation. If you've found the free on-line version useful, then please consider making a donation to DCRO, using the PayPal link below and support the fine work they do:


Using the Guide

The topos are divided in to regions based on Peak District geographical watersheds and then alphabetically by cave. The scheme is the same as that used in the Caves of the Peak District (2010) guide book (ISBN 978-0-9563473-2-9) and the DCA's Peak District Caving web site. If you are not sure what region a cave is in, there is an index, sorted alphabetically by cave name. Once you've finished with the guide, feel free to browse the main Crewe CPC club web site.

The following information and links are provided:

Between them, these sources of information should provide the knowledge you'll need to plan a successful trip. Happy Caving!


What trips can you do with the ropes that you have?

If you have only a limited number of ropes available, the "what can I rig?" tool below will help you find which trips you can do. It was written by Ari Cooper-Davis, following a discussion on the UKCaving forum. The tool can also be found here. The information for Derbyshire is from this guide.

Fill in the rope lengths in metres that you have. Click on + to add another rope. Tick the check box if you are happy joining ropes together mid pitch, then click on "Go" to find the SRT trips you can do. If you have no ropes at all, click on "Go" to find trips with fixed ropes in place, though see the warnings on using such ropes in the safety section. If you insist on caving in lesser regions, like Yorkshire, then these are available from a drop down box.

Check on the actual rigging topos that the information is correct. If you find any errors, please let us know with the feedback form.

If you have a new reel of rope and are contemplating how best to chop it to either maximise the number of SRT trips you can do, or minimise the excess rope you need to carry, then Ari has written a companion app called how-should-I-cut-my-rope?. This attempts to mathematically optimise the cut rope lengths against the rope lengths in the data used in "what-can-I-rig?".


The Guide

Latest Edition PDF The Complete Guide
Edition 16.8 19th March 2024 Gnome Printer Icon Download the complete current edition of the rigging guide in pdf format to print out, or view. This is about 5MB in size. Alternatively, view, or download just the pages you need below.
Preamble
HTML PDF Description
Front Cover Gnome Printer Icon Front cover.
Contents Gnome Printer Icon Contents page.
Index Gnome Printer Icon Index, alphabetical by cave.
Introduction Gnome Printer Icon Introduction.
Safety Gnome Printer Icon Important safety information.
Topo Key Gnome Printer Icon Topo key.
Regions and Caves
HTML PDF Location and Access CotPD Page No.
Bradwell
Bagshawe Cavern Gnome Printer Icon Bagshawe Cavern Page 47
Long Rake Mine Gnome Printer Icon Long Rake Mine Page 58
Castleton
Eldon Hole (two pages) Gnome Printer Icon Eldon Hole Page 88
Giant's Hole (three pages) Gnome Printer Icon Giants Hole Page 93
James Hall Over Engine Mine (JH Mine) (two pages) Gnome Printer Icon James Hall Over Engine Mine Page 98
Longcliffe Mine and Son of Longcliffe Gnome Printer Icon Longcliffe Mine Micro-guide and survey. The 2010 edition CotPD entry is now very out of date. Son of Longcliffe. Page 99
Maskhill Mine Gnome Printer Icon Maskhill Mine Page 100
Nettle Pot (two pages) Gnome Printer Icon Nettle Pot Page 101
Odin Mine (two pages) Gnome Printer Icon Odin Mine Page 105
Oxlow Cavern Gnome Printer Icon Oxlow Cavern Page 107
P8 / Jack Pot Gnome Printer Icon P8 / Jack Pot Page 111
Peak Cavern / Speedwell - Cliff Cavern Gnome Printer Icon Peak/Speedwell. Page 129
Peak Cavern / Speedwell - Far Sump Extensions Gnome Printer Icon Peak Cavern. Description in the Far Sump Extension microguide. Page 117
Peak Cavern / Speedwell - George Cooper's Aven Gnome Printer Icon Peak Cavern. Description in the Victoria Aven microguide. Not in the guide book
Peak Cavern / Speedwell - NCC Shafts Gnome Printer Icon Peak Cavern. Description in the Galena Chamber circuit and NCC Shafts microguide. Page 120
Peak Cavern / Speedwell - Victoria Aven Gnome Printer Icon Peak Cavern. Description in the Victoria Aven microguide. Page 115
Peak Cavern / Speedwell - White River Series Gnome Printer Icon Peak Cavern. Description in the White River Series microguide. Page 122
Pindale End Mine Gnome Printer Icon Upper Shaft, Lower Shaft. The entries also have route descriptions. Not in the guide book
Rowter Hole (two pages) Gnome Printer Icon Rowter Hole Page 126
Snelslow Swallet Gnome Printer Icon Snelslow Swallet Page 129
Suicide Cave Gnome Printer Icon Suicide Cave Page 133
Titan Gnome Printer Icon Titan Entrance Page 123
Winnats Head Cave Gnome Printer Icon Winnats Head Cave Page 134
Derwent South
Clatterway Levels Gnome Printer Icon Clatterway Levels Page 144
Deep Shaft also known as Day Shaft. Gentlewoman's Pipe Climbing Shaft Gnome Printer Icon Deep Shaft (also known as Day Shaft). The base of the shaft connects with Ringing Rake Sough, also known as Youds' level. Also, Gentlewoman's Pipe Climbing Shaft. This connects via a stope and a pipe with Old Jant Mine, then with Masson and Ringing Rake Soughs. See this trip report from the EPC for a good description of the route. See Mining History Bulletin Vol,8, No,2 1981 pp.65-102 for descriptions and surveys of the mines in this area. Page 165 See entries for Youds' Level & Day Shaft
Devonshire Cavern Gnome Printer Icon Devonshire Cavern Page 148
Snake Mine (two pages) Gnome Printer Icon Snake Mine. See Mining History Bulletin Vol,3 No,5 1968 pp 291-298 for description, history, geology and survey. The connection to make the "round trip" was made after publication, so is not on the PDMHS survey. Not in the guide book
Dove
Bottle Pot Gnome Printer Icon Bottle Pot Page 170
Robin's Shaft Mine Gnome Printer Icon Robin's Shaft Mine Page 184
Lathkill Dale & Monyash
Hillocks / Whalf Mine Gnome Printer Icon Hillocks Mine Adit Entrance, Whalf Climbing Shaft, Whalf Engine Shaft Page 233
Knotlow Cavern Gnome Printer Icon Chapel Dale Engine Shaft, Climbing Shaft, Engine Shaft, Fourways Shaft Page 234
Lathkill Head Cave Garden Path Gnome Printer Icon Lathkill Head Cave Garden Path Page 237
Lathkill Head Cave Top Entrance Gnome Printer Icon Lathkill Head Cave Top Entrance Page 237
Water Icicle Close Cavern Gnome Printer Icon Water Icicle Close Cavern Page 243
Stoney Middleton
Carlswark Cavern Gnome Printer Icon Carlswark Cavern, Eyam Dale Shaft, Flower Pot Entrance, Gin Entrance, Resurgence, Stub Scrin Shaft Page 258
Eyam Dale House Cave Gnome Printer Icon Eyam Dale House Cave Page 264
Hungerhill Swallet Gnome Printer Icon Swallet Entrance, Timbered Shaft Page 269
Lay-by Pot Gnome Printer Icon Mined Passage Entrance, Oil Drum Entrance Page 272
Merlin's Mine Gnome Printer Icon Main Entrance, Top Entrance Page 275
Middleton Dale Mine Level 7, Hope Shaft Gnome Printer Icon Middleton Dale Mine Level 7, Hope Shaft. Note that the grid reference for Middleton Dale Mine Hope Shaft in Caves of the Peak District is wrong! Page 276
Nickergrove Mine Gnome Printer Icon Adit Entrance, Didsbury Shaft, Pallet Shaft (Also known as Top Shaft), Hillside Entrance Page 278
Wye
Putwell Hill Mine Gnome Printer Icon Putwell Hill Mine Page 308

Topo Key

Important! Pitch and rope lengths are for guidance only. Rope lengths may need to be increased depending on your rigging techniques. Err on the side of caution. Are your ropes long enough? Have you tied a knot in the end?

7 Pitch depth (m) -3 Descent distance to deviation (m)
9 Rope length (m) 42 Rope length for entire route (m)
thread Natural and Drilled thread belays scaff pole Scaffold pole belay
spit 8mm spit, rawl bolt, thunderbolt etc. Not stainless steel stainless Stainless steel permanent anchor. IC, Eco, BP, DMM, Goujon, P38, Fixe etc.
spike Spike, or flake deviation Deviation
ladder Fixed ladder pull through Pull through, or pull up
fixed Fixed rope stake Belay stake
tree belay Tree belay QR code QR Code link to DCA access and location info.
Derbyshire key Derbyshire key required Locked Locked. Key, or code required. See peakdistrictcaving.info for details
Flowing water Flowing water (normal conditions)

Revision History

Updates to the guide are announced on the CCPC home page, the RSS feed and also on the UKCaving Forum.

Edition Date Changes
16.8 19/3/2024 The Moosetrap series in White River, Peak Cavern, has been updated following a recent visit to the top of the third pitch. The Ventilator series, down from the White River has been updated to reflect the recent rebolting work by the Peak Cavern Keyholders. Pull through and pull up ropes in the the following topos have been standardised to show the total length of rope required to pull through, or up. Only those routinely rigged as pull throughs, or pull ups are shown this way. Nickergrove Mine, for example, where pull through is an option some visitors take, is shown with rope lengths for regular rigging.
  • Eldon Hole: Pull up to Miller's Chamber.
  • Giant's Hole: Basecamp Chamber and Crabwalk pull throughs.
  • Nettle Pot: The Flats route pull ups to Derbyshire Hall.
  • Odin Mine: Entry and Exit pull throughs in the Gorge.
  • Oxlow Cavern: Pilgrim's Way pull up.
  • Peak Cavern: Ventilator Pitches pull throughs.
The pull down rope is shown as a dashed line for clarity, unless that rope is anchored at the base of the pitch and supporting a caver's weight, where it is shown as a solid line. Pull up cords are shown as a dotted line.

Earlier revisions can be found here.


Index - Alphabetical by Cave


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If you discover a problem with a rigging topo, or any of the links here, or have any suggestions, then please let us know by filling in the feedback form below. See our Privacy Statement.

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Maskhill Mine Bolting

Ralph Johnson hand drilling for a resin anchor in Maskhill Mine 28/8/1995. Photo © Steve Knox.

The photos in the banner at the top of the page are in Victoria Aven in Peak Cavern and were taken by Grace Chu 2/2/2020.