Peak District Rigging Guide

Please check the current access situation before your trip. Some landowners are not allowing access. Others are waiving trespass fees. This situation is changing all the time.

Around the turn of the century, Crewe CPC were heavily involved in the project to replace 8mm Spit expansion anchors in Peak District caves and mines with stainless steel resin hangers. 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 cavers, or clubs library. This guide book went through many editions as new routes were added, or existing ones altered.

Time moves on and 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.

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:

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. The CCPC Home navigation button takes you to the main Crewe CPC site.

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

The Guide

Topo Key

Latest Edition	Download PDF	The Complete Guide
Edition 13.8 18^th May 2021		Download the complete current edition of the rigging guide in pdf format to print out, or view. This is about 4MB in size. Alternatively, view, or download just the pages you need below.
Cover, Contents, Index & Key
Page	Download PDF	Description
Rigging Guide Front Cover		Front cover to make your own paper copy rigging guide.
Rigging Guide Contents		Contents page for your old fashioned book style rigging guide.
Rigging Guide Index		Index for your dead tree format rigging guide. Alphabetical by cave.
Rigging Guide Introduction		Introduction for your home made rigging guide.
Rigging Guide Topo Key		A key to the rigging topos for your wood pulp rigging guide.
Region and Rigging Topo	Download PDF	Location and Access	Caves of the Peak District Page Number
Bradwell
Bagshawe Cavern		Bagshawe Cavern	Page 47
Long Rake Mine		Long Rake Mine	Page 58
Castleton
Eldon Hole		Eldon Hole	Page 88
Giant's Hole Part 1 - Entrance to Plug Hole		Giants Hole	Page 93
Giant's Hole Part 2 - Geology Pot to East Canal
Giant's Hole - Basecamp Chamber, Boss Aven & Carnival Aven
Maskhill Mine		Maskhill Mine	Page 100
Nettle Pot topo 1		Nettle Pot	Page 101
Nettle Pot topo 2
Odin Mine Part 1		Odin Mine	Page 105
Odin Mine Part 2
Oxlow Cavern		Oxlow Cavern	Page 107
P8 / Jack Pot		P8 / Jack Pot	Page 111
Peak Cavern / Speedwell - Cliff Cavern		Peak/Speedwell.	Page 129
Peak Cavern / Speedwell - Far Sump Extensions		Peak Cavern. Description in the Far Sump Extension microguide.	Page 117
Peak Cavern / Speedwell - George Cooper's Aven		Peak Cavern. Description in the Victoria Aven microguide.	Not in the guide book
Peak Cavern / Speedwell - James Hall Over Engine Mine (JH)		James Hall Over Engine Mine	Page 98
Peak Cavern / Speedwell - NCC Shafts		Peak Cavern. Description in the Galena Chamber circuit and NCC Shafts microguide.	Page 120
Peak Cavern / Speedwell - Titan		Titan Entrance	Page 123
Peak Cavern / Speedwell - Victoria Aven		Peak Cavern. Description in the Victoria Aven microguide.	Page 115
Peak Cavern / Speedwell - White River Series		Peak Cavern. Description in the White River Series microguide.	Page 122
Rowter Hole Part 1		Rowter Hole	Page 126
Rowter Hole Part 2			Not in the guide book
Snelslow Swallet		Snelslow Swallet	Page 129
Suicide Cave		Suicide Cave	Page 133
Winnats Head Cave		Winnats Head Cave	Page 134
Derwent South
Clatterway Levels		Clatterway Levels	Page 144
Deep Shaft also known as Day Shaft		Deep Shaft (also known as Day Shaft). The base of the shaft connects with Ringing Rake Sough, also known as Youds' level. See Mining History Bulletin Vol,8, No,2 1981 pp.65-102 for description and surveys of the mines in this area.	Page 165 See entries for Youds' Level & Day Shaft
Devonshire Cavern		Devonshire Cavern	Page 148
Snake Mine - Part 1		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
Snake Mine - Part 2
Dove
Robin's Shaft Mine		Robin's Shaft Mine	Page 184
Lathkill Dale & Monyash
Hillocks / Whalf Mine		Hillocks Mine Adit Entrance, Whalf Climbing Shaft, Whalf Engine Shaft	Page 233
Knotlow Cavern		Chapel Dale Engine Shaft, Climbing Shaft, Engine Shaft, Fourways Shaft	Page 234
Lathkill Head Cave Garden Path		Lathkill Head Cave Garden Path	Page 237
Lathkill Head Cave Upper Entrance		Lathkill Head Cave Top Entrance	Page 237
Water Icicle Close Cavern		Water Icicle Close Cavern	Page 243
Stoney Middleton
Carlswark Cavern		Carlswark Cavern, Eyam Dale Shaft, Flower Pot Entrance, Gin Entrance, Resurgence, Stub Scrin Shaft	Page 258
Eyam Dale House Cave		Eyam Dale House Cave	Page 264
Hungerhill Swallet		Swallet Entrance, Timbered Shaft	Page 269
Lay-by Pot		Mined Passage Entrance, Oil Drum Entrance	Page 272
Merlin's Mine		Main Entrance, Top Entrance	Page 275
Middleton Dale Mine Level 7, Hope Shaft		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		Adit Entrance, Didsbury Shaft, Pallet Shaft (Also known as Top Shaft), Hillside Entrance	Page 278
Wye
Putwell Hill Mine		Putwell Hill Mine	Page 308

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?

Revision History

Edition	Date	Changes
13.8	18-5-2021	Removed the direct hyperlinks and QR code links from the web site and the topos to the appropriate DCA microguides for Far Sump Extensions, George Cooper's Aven, NCC Shafts, Victoria Aven and the White River Series. The direct links no longer work, but the guides can still be accessed from the peakdistrictcaving.info Peak Cavern entry links shown on the web site.

Edition	Date	Changes
13.7	10-5-2021	Replaced Odin Mine topo. This has been updated after the reopening and extensive work carried out by DCA on the anchors. The mine rigging is now split across two sheets. To update a printed guide, replace the Odin topo with the new ones, plus the front cover, contents and index pages.
13.6	4-5-2021	Removed the Odin Mine topo temporarily. Odin Mine has been closed to visitors for over a decade, following a major collapse on the "trade route". The mine has now been rebolted and reopened, but has changed quite a bit. The old topo will be misleading and we need to visit the mine to prepare a replacement.
13.5	26-4-2021	Added Snake Mine part 2 topo, covering Chain Ladder Pitch, Old Man's Steps Climbing Shaft and the Lowest Pitch. Reprint the cover, contents, index and insert the new topo to update a printed guide.
13.4	19-4-2021	Descriptions for Lay-by Pot and the Eyam Dale Shaft and Flower Pot entrances to Carlswark Cavern replaced by drawn topos. Layby renamed to Lay-by to match the names used in DCA publications. To update, replace the cover, contents, index, key, Lay-by Pot and Carlswark Cavern sheets.
13.3	1-4-2021	Changed the name of Day Shaft to the historically accurate name of Deep Shaft. This matches the change in the DCA cave registry database. Similarly, Youds' Level is now known as Ringing Rake Sough. Changed the position in the guide so that the new name is alphabetically sorted in the region. You will need to print this topo, the Devonshire Cavern and the Snake Mine topo, plus the front cover, contents and index pages to update a printed guide from version 13.2
13.2	31-3-2021	Added a topo for The Dungeon in Bagshawe Cavern. Other pitches in Bagshawe will follow, but this is the most often descended. The DCA access links for some of the caves were broken, so the links on the site and the QR codes on the topos have been corrected. All caves now use peakdistrictcaving.info links, rather than a mix of these and DCA Cave Registry links. Since many topos have new QR codes, the opportunity has been taken to renumbered the pages to take account of the two new topos since the last renumbering. The Level 7 / Hope Shaft topo is now called Middleton Dale Mine - Level 7 / Hope Shaft to match the naming in CotPD. Various minor corrections. A printed guide will need printing again to bring it up to date.
13.1	10-12-2020	Added a topo for Clatterway Levels. To update a printed version, you should print the new topo and reprint the cover, contents and index.
13.0	14-10-2020	Updated and corrected the JH Mine topo, between the surface and the Workshop. Added the option to use a deviation on the pull through pitch in Nickergrove Mine, if it is to be rigged for ascent. Renumbered the guide pages to account for the additional topos since version 12.0. To update a printed version, you should reprint the entire guide.
12.9	5-8-2020	Added Snake Mine topo. Just the round trip route for now. Print the new topo, front cover, contents and index to update your guide.
12.8	20-7-2020	Replaced the Eyam Dale House Cave description with a proper topo. To update the guide reprint the page and the front cover.
12.7	6-7-2020	Corrected a rope length in Nickergrove Mine, following a report from Larry Blanchard. To update your guide from version 12.6, reprint the Nickergrove Mine topo and reprint the Cover, Contents and Index.
12.6	14-3-2020	The Rowter Hole topo has been replaced with two topos and now includes the route from the Gin Shaft to Crystal Orechasm. A topo has been added for Day Shaft that drops down to Youds' Level in the Derwent South region. A minor correction has been made to the Knotlow survey with the rope length in to Pearl Chamber, shown as 29m being changed to the correct 20m. To update your guide replace the front cover, Contents and Index and the Knotlow topo. Replace the Rowter topo with the two new ones and add the Youds' Level - Day Shaft topo.
12.5	8-3-2020	Added the pull through pitch back in to Basecamp Chamber to the third Giant's Hole topo. This has been renamed Giant's Hole - Basecamp Chamber, Boss Aven & Carnival Aven. To update your guide reprint the third Giant's Hole topo and the front cover.
12.4	25-2-2020	The Hungerhill Swallet topo has been updated. The route uses Thunderbolt non-stainless steel anchors and these have been in situ for many years. Their safety is unknown. The anchor symbols have been changed to the non-stainless type and the safety warning made stonger. This cave is on the list for rebolting by DCA, but in the mean time, if you do visit, be aware of the risk. To update your guide reprint the Hungerhill Swallet topo and the front cover.
12.3	23-2-2020	Update of the Level 7 and Hope Shaft topo. Replace the front cover and the Level 7 / Hope Shaft topo to bring your guide up to date from version 12.2. Thank you to Masson Caving Group for supplying up to date information for this system from their recent trip.
12.2	16-2-2020	Addition of George Cooper's Aven rigging topo. Update to Victoria Aven topo. QR Codes added to all the topos. These provide direct links to the peakdistrictcaving.info web page for that entrance. Allows you to quickly find access and location information from a paper rigging guide by pointing your smartphone camera at the QR Code. Print the entire guide to update from any previous issue.
12.1	12-1-2020	Level 7 / Hope Shaft topo grid references removed. Hope Shaft reference was incorrect. More accurate locations are now in peakdistrictcaving.info. Replace topo (page 40) and front cover.
12.0	8-1-2020	The first edition to be published on-line

Index - Alphabetical by Cave

Feedback

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 Policy.

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.

Welcome	Using Guide	The Guide
The Caves!	Topo Key	Revision History
Cave Index	Feedback Form	CCPC Home

	Pitch length (m)		Descent distance to deviation (m)
	Rope length to that point (m)		Rope length for entire route (m)
	Natural thread belay, or scaffold bar		8mm spit, rawl bolt, thunderbolt etc. Not stainless steel
	Stainless steel permanent anchor. DMM, Goujon, P38, Fixe etc.		Spike, or flake
	Deviation		Fixed ladder
	Pull through		Fixed rope
	Belay stake		Tree belay
	QR Code link to DCA access and location info.

Welcome to the CCPC Peak District Rigging Guide

COVID-19

Using the Guide

The Guide

Topo Key

Revision History

Index - Alphabetical by Cave

Feedback

Welcome to the CCPC Peak District Rigging Guide

COVID-19

Using the Guide

The Guide

Topo Key

Revision History

Index - Alphabetical by Cave

Feedback

Obligatory "You're Going To Die" Notice