LATEST ECO-ANCHOR RIGGING NOTES & INFORMATION

DCA has arranged for resin-mounted Eco-anchors (P-hangers) to be installed in certain caves and mines in the Peak District.

These have been placed by cavers trained to the NCA standard for installing these anchors so they should give long service. However, you are warned that, before you use it, you should always check every hanger. The physical test should be a twisting motion of the hanger using the fingers, while observing any movement. Slight flexing of the hanger may be noticed, this is acceptable.

The following points should be checked:

1. Grooves or abraded areas within the inside of the outer curvature of the hanger, (i.e. the inside contact area of the hanger).
2. Any rotation of the resin within the drilled hole, indicating that a breakdown of the resin-rock bond is occurring.
3. Rotation of the hanger within the resin, indicating that the resin has split or a breakdown of the resin-hanger bond has taken place.
4. Fracturing of the rock within 20cm. of the hanger.

Should any defects be noticed you should contact DCA as soon as possible.

The following information is required when reporting suspected defective hangers:

a. Name of cave/mine.
b. Route on which the defective hanger is.
c. Traverse or pitch no.
d. Hanger number, counting from the start of that group of hangers.

When Eco-anchors are used for ladder and line techniques it is essential that pulleys are used; the rope must not be pulled, when loaded, through the hanger.

On certain routes where hangers are regularly used with a doubled lifeline to safeguard a climb down, a steel maillon has been permanently attached to the hanger. (Giants Hole: the climb down from the Upper Series to the Crabwalk and the Wet Inlets.) To avoid undue wear on the hanger as the rope is pulled down after the last climber, please thread the rope through the maillon, not through the hanger itself. It is much easier to replace a worn maillon than to remove and replace a worn hanger!

Currently DCA has installed permanent Eco-anchors in 23 sites:

Carleswark Cavern
Devonshire Mine
Eldon Hole
Garden Path
Giants Hole
Hillocks Mine
James Hall Over Engine Mine
Knotlow Mine
Lathkill Head Upper Entrance
Layby Pot
Long Rake Mine (Bradwell Moor)
Maskhill Mine
Merlins Mine
Nettle Pot
Odin Mine
Old Tor Mine
Oxlow Cavern
P 8
Peak/Speedwell (Block Hall)
Robins Shaft Mine
Rowter Hole
Suicide Cave
Whalf Mine
Details of the siting of the Eco-anchors may be found in the Rigging Guides or Rigging cards published by Crewe C. P. C.

DCA has also installed a "pull thro" system using Eco-anchors on certain climbs up. (These allow cavers to rig their own SRT rope for the climb and then retrieve it afterwards.) The sites rigged in this way are:

Nettle Pot - the climb up to the Far Flats
Oxlow Cavern - the climb up from West Chamber to Pilgrim's Way
WARNING:

DCA does NOT install permanent rope handlines or fixed ropes for SRT in caves or mines in the region. Any such ropes in place, even if they are attached to DCA-installed Eco-anchors, have not been placed by DCA and are not subject to inspection by DCA.