Fixed aids in CUCC caves

At various points of the cave, passages have been reached by climbs up which would have to be repeated unless a rope was left on from year to year. A few pitches were explored from the top, but form potentially important routes of access when approached from below - for instance the bottom of the Left Hand Routes in Kaninchenhöhle can be reached without rigging many pitches by means of two short up-pitches in Ambidextrous. Such permanently rigged verticals are mentioned in the descriptions, but are also gathered together here to help those needing to keep track of and maintain these ropes.

As an area may not be visited for some years, it is important to keep a record of when a rope was last changed or inspected, so that some idea may be formed of its likely state. There are currently around 700m of ropes in various places, as much as ten years old, and in place for up to seven years. Current thinking is that if static ropes are not subject to disturbance causing abrasion (eg. by flowing water) or rockfall, they probably deteriorate a lot more slowly in the cave than in the tackle store. (This may not be true of dynamic ropes).

In all these cases, it is the users' responsibility to convince himself of the safety of the rope before using it. If in any doubt, take climbing and protection gear (dynamic rope) and repeat the climb, or use dynamic rope to protect the first person on a traverse and replace the fixed rope.

CUCC expeditions have placed these ropes for their own use, often not expecting them to remain in place for more than a year or two. Neither CUCC nor any individual expedition member, past or present, makes any representation as to the safety of this equipment, nor can be held in any way responsible for any mishap arising from its use!

Fixed aids in Gemsehöhle

Fixed aids in Steinbrückenhöhle

Fixed aids in Kaninchenhöhle

Fixed aids in Eishöhle

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