CSCC Webmaster, Cookie, puts the Wiki-style CSCC Website online for a test run. Posted 20-5-08, CSCC Chairman.

The following was issued by the CSCC on the 18th April:

UPDATE ON PROBLEMS WITH ECO-HANGERS (P-BOLTS) ON MENDIP

Update: Wednesday 18 April

A posting to this list [UKForum] on April 9 explained that Eco-anchors in Rhino Rift and Hunters Hole had failed axial pull tests and that other caves would need to be tested.

Three more caves have now been tested:

GB Cave: where 2 of the 4 anchors at the Ladder Dig Extension FAILED but the testers recommend all 4 be replaced;

Thrupe Lane: where 3 of the 5 anchors on the Entrance Pitch FAILED; (there are 7 anchors in the High Atlas area that have not been re-tested since 2001 for which testing is overdue)

Swildons: where ALL 3 of the anchors at the Twenty Pitch PASSED. (but the 14 anchors in the Cowsh Avens area mention in the April 9 posting have not yet been re-tested)

Failed anchors have been tagged and put beyond use. Please do not interfere with the measures taken to put these bolts beyond use.

The CCC will advise its members about the access situation with regard to GB, but it is hopeful - as is CSCC - that sufficient of the presently approved anchors and resin can be sourced from other regions to allow the 4 anchors to be replaced sooner rather than later.

Thrupe Lane remains open since creative rigging of the entrance, or other methods, still permit ingress/egress.

The failed anchor in Rhino Rift that sparked the present problems has now been removed - along with some of the surrounding rock - by stitch drilling for closer examination. The hole left has been filled.

The CSCC and members of the BCA Equipment & Techniques Committee continue to work hard on the issue. To date over 30 man hours has been spent underground, along with a considerable amount of above ground technical discussion, record checking, etc. All those involved are unpaid volunteers.

Steve King
Hon. Secretary
Council of Southern Caving Clubs
secretary@cscc.org.uk

Posted 3/5/2007

The following was issued by the CSCC on the 8th April:

PROBLEMS WITH ECO-HANGERS (P-BOLTS) ON MENDIP

Update: Sunday 8 April

Many CSCC Members will, by now, be aware that there was an incident in Rhino Rift on 25 March (reported the following day) whereby a sizeable piece of resin motar came away from one of the Y-hang anchors on the first pitch whilst a caver was on rope. Fortunately the caver was unharmed, and the anchor remained in place.

At the request of the Charterhouse Caving Company the CSCC immediately launched an investigation. In this they have had the full support of the BCA Equipment & Techniques Committee.

The anchor in question was subjected to an approved load test (6 kN axial pull which must be sustained for 15 seconds) and it failed. This was highly significant, because it was the first known failure of an eco-anchor placed under the NCA (now BCA) national bolt placement scheme. The ramifications are wide-ranging and will impact cavers acrosss the country. It is consequently essential that the ensuing investigation is both thorough and taken seriously.

The intitial investigations have generated some 'working hypotheses' as to the mode of failure of the anchor. By correlating these with the CSCC anchor installation records it became apparent that there were several other sites on Mendip where the anchors might also give cause for concern. These sites are: Hunters Hole, the Cowsh Avens in Swildons, the Ladder Dig Extension in GB Cave, and Split Rock Quarry. All these sites will need to be tested. Other Mendip caves with eco-anchors will also be tested for comparison. There is thus a lot of work to do in the coming months.

At the time of writing Hunters Hole has been tested. Of the 21 installed anchors, the location of 5 prevented the mechanical pull tester from being applied. Of the remaining 16 anchors, 8 passed the test (though the resin on 2 of these cracked), and 8 failed. The failed anchors have been tagged and notices have been placed in the cave. Roger Dors has been informed. Until remedial work can be undertaken it would be best if cavers do not visit Hunters Hole. Please check with Roger before descending.

To discourage through trips into Swildons 4 from using the untested eco-anchors in Cowsh Avens, the CSCC has today changed the lock and put a notice on Priddy Green Sink. If you really, really, want to do PGS then you will need to get the new key from either Alison Moody or Brian Prewer (Wessex CC). Until further notice cavers should also refrain from climbing Cowsh Avens from the Swildons 4 streamway and then using the untested eco-hangers to return.

The CCC will be placing their own controls on GB Cave.

Until further notice the CSCC advises against the use of any eco-hangers in Split Rock Quarry.

For a number of reasons it will probably be some months before the failed anchors can be replaced. The CSCC understands the frustration that this will cause cavers and asks for their understanding. The CSCC is also aware that some will view our actions/recommendations as an 'over-the-top' reaction. All we can say in response is that we are acting on the best collective advice at our disposal. Cavers should also be wary of ill-informed speculation and gossip as to the possible causes of the anchor problems. At present only a very small group of people are in possesion of ALL the facts.

Further information will be disseminated through this email list, the CSCC website (though please note, the webmaster is in Matienzo for another week!), and the BCA website.

This message was posted to the UKCaving Forum last night.

Steve King, CSCC Secretary
Chris Binding, CSCC Conservation & Access Officer
Alan Gray, CSCC Chairman

Posted 3/5/2007

The following has been received from the Charterhouse Caving Company on the 31st March:

FAILURE OF AN ECO ANCHOR ON RHINO RIFT FIRST PITCH

A defect anchor report in Rhino Rift was made on UKCaving forum at 1 am 26 March. The report stated that a piece of resin from the final anchor in the series for rigging the first pitch had come away into the hand of a person on the pitch. Andrew Atkinson responded to the report by visiting the cave that evening at around 5 pm 26 March and inspecting Eco Anchor RR-FP-06.

His inspection of the rock surrounding the anchor found a new crack radiating away from the anchor to the right. He started to subject the anchor to an axial pull out test (sustain for 15 seconds a 6 kN force) as recommended by British Standard. It became clear to Andrew that on subjecting the anchor to a 6 kN force, the anchor started to move outwards. He therefore decided to increase the force on the anchor to 10 kN (the maximum force which the puller can apply). The anchor then moved out a full 5 mm under this force, stopped and then withstood the 10 kN force for far more than 15 seconds. Further attempts to pull the anchor out using a scaffold pole and clip failed to move the anchor. He rightly reported the anchor as failed since it initially did not sustain the 6 kN force; even though after the 5 mm movement it subsequently was able to withstand a 10 kN force.

Andrew Atkinson (as CSCC bolting coordinator), Chris Binding (as CSCC C&A Officer), Graham Mullan (as Company Secretary of CCC Ltd who control access to the cave), Linda Wilson (as CCC Conservation Officer and CCC Ltd's and BCA's pro bono Legal Advisor), Les Sykes (as the creator of the NCA now BCA Eco Anchor scheme), Andy Pryke (as chairman of BCA Equipment committee) and Nick Williams (as BCA Insurance Manager) have been discussing the information which Andrew brought back and consulting with other people, including one of those who installed the Eco Anchors and other experts. As a preliminary step, they decided to restrict access to the cave whilst this work went on.

Whilst this has taken a little while (and some effort), the following points can now be stated.

1. The new crack means that the anchor location cannot be reused. The orientation of the crack is on the right hand side of the anchor and is away from the near by location of anchor RR-FP-05. However, both anchors lie on the same bedding line. A judgement has yet to made on whether anchor RR-FP-05 is unaffected by the new crack.

2. Photographic evidence has been obtained of the Eco Anchor state before and after the event. It clearly shows that some resin has come away which was not only that on the surface, but also down into the hole for a distance of 5 to 10 mm.

3. The mode of failure of the Eco Anchor is unusual and has not been experienced before within the BCA Anchor Scheme. It is emphasised that whilst Eco Anchors normally fail by being pulled out of the resin, this occurs well above 40 kN force. (Information on what loads Eco Anchors can sustain is shown in Annex 5 of the document “Anchors and Installation Regime” downloadable from the BCA web site at http://british-caving.org.uk/?page=129 .) Although various possible causes can be put forward to explain the findings, further work is scheduled to take place to see if any more information can be obtained from the failed anchor, including possibly extracting the anchor and its surrounding rock.

4. All of the 16 Eco Anchors within Rhino Rift were placed by one team using one batch of resin on one day. There has been anecdotal comment about movement in the Eco Anchors installed in Rhino Rift. In response to such a claim in January 2007, all of the Eco Anchors were subjected to the 6 kN axial pull out test. They all passed the test without any problems.

5. There is no clear understanding of why this anchor recently failed, even though it passed the test only 2 months ago. The view of the group is that it cannot state with confidence that the other Eco Anchors might not also be similarly affected. Although the group notes that the failed anchor did eventually sustain a 10 kN force, it remains of the view that access to the cave should remain restricted until either an explanation can be obtained so as to enable the affected anchors to be replaced or that all of the Eco Anchors are replaced.

6. The loss of the anchor location RR-FP-06 on the pitch creates a number of problems in placing a replacement. The possible loss of the adjacent anchor location RR-FP-05 could substantially affect the rigging of the first pitch.

7. Comment has been made by some persons that perhaps repeated testing of the Eco Anchors might have weakened them. It is noted that the 6 kN test would not have been adopted by the British Standard (BS 7883:2005) if there was any possibility of such a weakness occurring. The group has consulted with an expert who is of the opinion that such anchors should easily sustain a 10 kN force without causing damage. The group has therefore concluded that there is no basis for such a comment.

G Mullan
CCC Ltd Company Secretary
Saturday 31 March 2007

Posted 3/5/2007

The message below was issued by the Charterhouse Caving Company on the 28th March:

The background to the decision is that last weekend a caver experienced an alarming incident whilst rigging the first pitch; some of the resin mortar fixing one of the P-bolts came away in a chunk. The individual involved was unharmed, and the bolt is still in place. However, it failed a subsequent load test. A crack in the resin affixing one of the other bolts was also reported.

These bolts were last tested on January 15th and passed.

In the meantime the CCC and CSCC will be looking to ascertain whether this is an unfortunate one-off occurrence, something symptomatic of a wider problem (eg, with the resin), or the result of other actions. In this we are being supported by BCA technical experts.

It cannot be stressed how unusual this incident is and it is for this reason that we must try and ensure that any lessons that can be learnt, are learnt.

From: Graham Mullan

Dear CCC Club Reps

Having discussed the matter of the unsafe bolt in Rhino Rift with Nick Williams, in his role as BCA Insurance Officer, it is his recommendation that we should effectively shut the cave whilst the situation is evaluated.

This will take a matter of a few weeks. Hopefully no longer. I have relayed this to Linda, our legal adviser, and she concurs with Nick's advice.

I shall therefore arrange for a replacement padlock to go on the cave tomorrow morning. Anyone with a strong wish to go down the cave during this period would then need to come to me for a key and a detailed description of the problems inherent in undertaking a trip.

Nick agreed that this was the best compromise that we could put in place immediately.

Please ensure that anybody within your club who issues keys is aware of this, so that no-one has a wasted trip over to the cave.

Graham
CCC Secretary

Posted 3/5/2007

The CSCC undertook a major project to cap Star Shaft Mine which was rediscovered when the farmers tractor fell through the old timber capping.

To read more about it see Star Shaft Mine Capping.

Posted 3/5/2007

Specially-fabricated bat grilles have been installed at Box Mine SSSI, funded by English Nature, in order to help protect rare bat species that use the sites for roosting. The increasing disturbance of hibernating bats by people passing through the mine systems has necessitated the installation of the grilles. In particular, the risk of a one-off catastrophic event caused by lighting fires or spraying canned paint has increased, and this could wipe out the entire bat population.

English Nature’s Conservation Officer, Katie Lloyd said “It has taken two years to come up with proposals and consult with all the known users of the mines in order to work out the best approach to installing the grilles. We are delighted that the work is finally coming to fruition and that the bats will be better protected in future.”

Back Door and Jack's Workings entrances have been gated, accessible by allen key. The Lady Hamilton's entrance has been permanently grilled for safety reasons and access is no longer possible. Keys are held by the major Mendip Clubs.

Please contact the C & A Officer here for further details.

Posted 2/9/2006

The C & A Officer reports that the combination lock on the caver's car park has been replaced with the CSCC padlock. You now need a key to use the car park, so please don't forget to collect one before travelling to East Mendip. Keys are held by the major Mendip Clubs. These are the ACG, BEC, CSS, MCG, MNRC, SMCC and WCC.

Posted 2/9/2006

The BCA has setup some Discussion Forums on its website. A Forum is a place where a discussion can held on topics of interest and importance. Recent topics have been access to Brown's Folly and a discussion on the geology of Sally's Rift. The CSCC's Forum is here. The BCA Forums can be seen here.

Anyone can read the Forum, but you will need to register if you wish to contribute your own musings.

Posted 13/7/2006

The second bolt of the first Y-hang has previously been reported loose - See old news items 5 & 12th December 2005 here.

The bolt has been tested with the recently purchased regional lateral pull testing equipment. This places a lateral load of 10KN on the bolt for twenty seconds. The bolt and has been passed as fit for use. So, although it wobbles we can be sure it won't leave the rock. The remaining bolts in Rhino Rift have also been passed fit for use.

Posted 13/7/2006

After a visit on the 9th July the C & A Officer reports that the Spits on Lateral Pitch are in a poor state with one of them having a stripped thread meaning that rigging here is compromised. It is intended to place eco-hangers here. The installation should be done by this Autumn. Further details will be posted when the work is complete.

The schedual of works also include putting bolts at the head of Perseverence Pot, bolting of new route(s) in old Atlas and replacing spits wherever it is considered wise to do so.

Posted 13/7/2006

This year fourteen clubs didn't renew their membership with the CSCC. This is the greatest drop in membership the CSCC has ever experienced and is very worrying. With the creation of BCA and the new insurance scheme there have been considerable changes in the way the subs. are collected, no doubt leading to considerable confusion. If you are one of the missing clubs, we would like to know why? Please let the Secretary know so that the problems can be addressed in the future.

Please note that it is still possible to rejoin the CSCC (but not the BCA) in the traditional way. Simply send a cheque for £15 with a covering letter to CSCC Treasurer, Chris Whale, 247 Coronation Road, Southville, Bristol, BS3 1RL.

The missing clubs are: Avon & Somerset Constabulary Club (Caving Section), Avon Outdoors Activities Club, Barnet Caving Group, Combined Services Caving Association, Cotham Speleological Society, Exeter University Speleological Society, Forest Caving Group, Hewlett Packard Caving Club, Kingsdown and Outs, Slough Mountaineering Club (Caving Section), South London Speleo, Surrey Youth Caving Group, Thurrock Adventure Club and University of Portsmouth Caving Club.

Although much of the work of the CSCC isn't particularly visible or tangible, it is important. For that work to continue the CSCC needs the support of the caving community, which means a healthy rather than a declining membership.

Posted 2/12/2005

After many years the CSCC Handbook and Access Guide has been reprinted. It runs to 36 A5 pages, has been fully revised and contains all the latest access information. Copies can be obtained from Bat Products or by post from David Cooke, 3 Starrs Close, Axbridge, Somerset, BS26 2BZ. Please enclose a cheque for £2.50 made payable to the 'CSCC'.

Posted 2/12/2005

This information has been received from the Wealden Cave and Mine Society.

“All caving access rights have been removed by the landowners for Football Field also known as No4 and Quarry Dean Farm also known as No2 . Any person found on site will be prosecuted by the land agents”

For further information contact the WCMS Surrey Mines Agent via the committee page of www.wcms.org.uk.

Posted 8/3/2005

The costs of BCA Membership and BCA Insurance for 2005 is now known and that subscriptions and premiums are due. The insurance premiums have remained at the 2004 level, and it is no longer necessary for individuals who are members of more than one BCA Member Club to pay multiple premiums because of their additional memberships. Club subscriptions to the BCA are now banded based on the number of members in the club.

The necessary forms may be found on the BCA Website

IMPORTANT NOTICE

The attention of Clubs that were CSCC Members in 2004 is drawn to the following points:

Your BCA Insurance for 2004 expired on January 31st 2005.

Although the CSCC will continue to honour your existing affiliation until the CSCC AGM on May 7th 2005, if your Club wishes to continue to affiliate to the CSCC it must either:

a. Join the BCA and stipulate the CSCC as its “Primary Region”. There will be no additional charge as BCA funds your membership. Or

b. Join the BCA but write to the CSCC Secretary stating that it wishes to affiliate to the CSCC as a “Secondary Region”. There will be a charge of £3 payable to CSCC to cover the cost of minutes etc., the rest is funded by BCA. Or

c. Not join the BCA but write to the CSCC Secretary stating that it wishes to affiliate directly to the CSCC. There will be a charge of £15 payable to CSCC to cover your cost of membership as it is not funded by BCA.

All three options above give your club the full benefits of CSCC membership including a vote at CSCC meetings. Only options 2(a) and 2(b) give your club the full benefits of BCA membership including a vote at BCA meetings

It is not necessary for BCA Member Clubs to affiliate to the CSCC in order to gain access to CSCC-controlled caves since the CSCC recognises all bona-fide caving clubs, BCA members or not. But they will need to affiliate to the CSCC if they wish to have or retain “a voice” in the region. Conversely, Clubs that choose not to join the BCA may wish to affiliate to the CSCC in order to keep themselves appraised of regional policies and access changes.

NB The above charge for options 2(b) and 2© are to be ratified by the AGM in May.

Posted 19/2/2005

Avon Wildlife Trust have CLOSED the mine until further notice, pending a Mines Inspectors report.

Posted 19/2/2005

An engraving that is possibly 10,000 years or more old has been discovered in Aveline's Hole. Aveline's is famous as being the site of the earliest known cemetery in the British Isles.

A gate has been installed in the back of the cave to protect the engraving. This was after consultations between English Heritage and other interested parties, including the landowner, English Nature and the CSCC. No visits will be possible until bat hibernation season is over. Access is controlled by the UBSS.

Full details can be found on the UBSS website here.

Posted 19/2/2005

The duty to manage asbestos came into force on 21 May 2004. It applies to non-domestic premises, which includes caving huts. So if your club has a club hut and you are a committee member you should read the leaflet 'Managing Asbestos in Premises'. Further information is available on the HSE website here.

The regulations are not as scary as one might initially assume. For example there is no need to remove asbestos that is in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed. But you will need to systematically identify and record any asbestos in your hut. Also you need to make that information available to workmen and also to the emergency services.

Posted 19/2/2005

The 20+ year old rusty metal bolt belays at the 7m pitch have been superceded by the installation of four eco-hangers on the right hand wall as you approach the pitch head - a traverse line can be installed from the initial two hangers and a y-hang can be put in over the clear hang to the water below for a ladder or SRT if you want to use this venue for practice - mind you the dams are now nice and full for winter so it's a bit of a cold swim to get there! The work was done while killing two birds with one stone, so to speak/write; the bolts were part of a training session for the new CSCC bolting trainees to learn how to place eco-hangers.

Posted 16/12/2004. Report from the Cheddar Caving Club.

A considerable amount of work has been going on at Fairy Cave Quarry.

The new car park is now finished. You are asked to make use of this facility rather than parking on the road since the road is narrow and despite its appearance, takes a lot of 38ton lorry traffic. The car park has a combination lock. The number is available from the major Mendip Clubs.

Balch's Cave is a well known bat hibernacula and has been grilled to protect the resident bat colony. Padlocks have been placed on the three low entrances of Balch's Cave. Conning Tower Cave also has a new entrance and padlock. Keys are held by the major Mendip Clubs. These are the ACG, BEC, CSS, MCG, MNRC, SMCC and WCC.

Posted 17/5/2004

The situation at Ariel Hole, Portland has deteriorated. The landowner has denied access to the cave. Negotiations are continuing , so please respect the landowners wishes.

A fuller explanation can be found in the letters column of Descent issues 170 and 171.

Posted 12/5/2003

GB Cavern was shut from the 12/10/2002 to 6/11/2002 due to high CO2 levels. Readings from the Bridge and on down to Ladder Dig were 4% or greater. CO2 levels seem to be an increasing problem in Mendip Caves. Dr Tony Boycott has provided a short article outlining the effects of CO2 and the treatment for CO2 poisoning here.

Further information can be found here.

Posted 16/11/2002