Derbyshire Caving Association

Information Circular 2005/4, August / October 2005

NEXT DCA MEETING

DCA Annual General Meeting, 10am. 25 February 2006 at Monyash Village Hall

The Hall will be open from about 9.30am with tea, coffee and biscuits on tap. The Old Smithy Cafe, next to the Pub, does an excellent breakfast from about 9am.

EMAIL PROBLEMS

Apologies to those who have been unable to contact the DCA Secretary by email recently. The Secretary's email setup went down completely on 18th. October and all attempts to resurrect it have failed. Our thanks to DCA Editor Paul Lydon who has helped by downloading material and passing it to the Secretary on disc - hopefully no messages have been missed but it may take a while before you get a reply. The Secretary is finding an alternative ISP and should be back on line, albeit with a completely different system, some time after 7th. November. Please ensure that all emails to the DCA Secretary/Treasurer are sent to one of the invariant addresses: either dca @ theDCA.org.uk or secretary @ theDCA.org.uk, and NOT to a personal email address - that way the messages can be retrieved even if personal systems are down.

Nigel Atkins, Dave Cowley and Iain Barker also had their emails go down recently so we're all trying to catch up as fast as possible. Please, ALWAYS use the DCA invariant address for all DCA officers so that we can retrieve information in the event of a personal system failure: so use training @ ... , equipment @ ... , access-off @ ... , etc.

PL INSURANCE FOR CAVERS FOR 2006

At the 22 October DCA Council Meeting, following the advice of the DCA Insurance Manager (Pete Mellors), it was agreed that we would wait for the outcome of negotiations taking place between various insurance companies, DCA and the BCA Insurance Manager (Nick Williams) before making a final decision on whether to offer PL Insurance for cavers through DCA in 2006. DCA's aim eventually is to move to one national scheme - certainly DCA does not want to be in the business of running a separate insurance scheme for any longer than it has to. However, there are still some problems to be ironed out to ensure that those currently insured through DCA do not find themselves with a less good policy through a national scheme next year. The final decision will be made by the DCA Officers later this year, having regard to the advice of Pete Mellors, and we will ensure that all those insured through DCA this year will be informed as soon as the decision is made. Please note that the final rates for next year are not likely to be known before mid-December.

CONSERVATION & ACCESS

Putwell Hill Mine - all entrances now completely blocked off
A posting from a caver on ukcaving.com states: "Went there this evening (26th October 2005) and the stope entrance has been concreted over some time in the last couple if weeks. Big concrete slabs. They've left a gap bats can fly in but you can't fit a caver through. The adit entrance near the footpath has been sealed for some time." There was no formal access agreement re. the mine, which is on land belonging to Chatsworth Estates, and the local bailiff has always asked visiting cavers to leave when he has seen them. DCA did not know there was any plan to seal the mine and our advice has always been: "Trips undertaken without prior permission of Chatsworth Estates are unauthorised." (Unfortunately the mine figured in the recent edition of the Crewe C.P.C. Peak Rigging Guide without the warning about access, despite having no P-anchors in it.) DCA is looking into the possibility of getting the mine re-opened and an access agreement set up but, in the mean time, it would help if cavers stay away from the area and do nothing to attract the attention of the bailiff.

Darfar Ridge Cave Access Arrangements
Darfar Ridge Cave is owned by the National Trust. To get the key, please contact the South Peak Estate Office on 01335 350503 during office hours, or email ilampark @ nationaltrust.org.uk. No more than four people in the cave at any one time due to conservation reasons. Much conservation work has been carried out within the cave, so please respect the taping and avoid spreading mud on recently cleaned formations. Many thanks.

Shaft Tops of the Knotlow and Whalf Pipe systems
There have been several occasions recently when the nuts securing the grills on the shaft tops at Knotlow and Whalf Pipe have been found either missing, loose or only done up finger tight. PLEASE ensure that after your trip you do the nuts up tight with a spanner or adjustable so that they cannot be undone by fingers alone. This is important to prevent accidents to casual tourists or to local children who may be curious about what's under the lid.

KNOTLOW POLLUTION

Please publicise to all who may visit Knotlow.

Knotlow Pollution "Logger"
Following continuing and disturbing reports of pollution events and bad air in Knotlow Caverns, the Environment Agency has agreed to support our efforts to gain more precise information of these events by installing a water quality meter (known as a "Logger") in the stream-bed of the Coffin Level at the bottom of "Fourways Shaft". This will remain in situ for as long as it takes to obtain a satisfactory set of results and will be regularly checked for readings; meanwhile I would ask that you avoid disturbing the meter or the "static" water in the immediate vicinity as far as possible.

Knotlow Pollution Log Book Entries
Much of the momentum for this action has resulted from your detailed reports recovered periodically from the DCA Log Book placed at the bottom of Knotlow Climbing Shaft. The value of these entries cannot be overstated and since installation of the meter will become even more relevant. Please continue to record water and air conditions experienced during your visit, adverse or otherwise. The damaged hazard notices on the shaft lids have been replaced and the National Trust has installed a weather station at a nearby farm. We are doing all we can and hopefully this latest "push" will have the desired effect of eliminating this long-standing problem.

Dave Webb (DCA Conservation Officer)

Any comments and reports if you come across really bad conditions should go direct to Dave Webb at 0115-840-1109 or Email conservation-off @ theDCA.org.uk

Radon Underground (Publ. NCA 1996) - Update for 2005

Since Radon Underground was first published, the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1985 has been replaced by the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999. The principle impact on this document is that the values in table 2 for the annual dose limits under the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999 are now 20 mSv for employees and 1 mSv for any other person.

LOST GEAR

If anyone has come across a ladder & spreaders left in Gautries some time in May, please contact Peter Martin, 2 South Place, Daventry, Northants. NN11 5HR. T. 01327-311196.

An Evening of Extreme Mountains

with Andy Kirkpatrick and Ian Parnell

Buxton Opera House, Tuesday 22 November starting at 7.30 p.m.
Himalayas (Saf Minal and Everest), Patagonia, California, Alps etc. etc.
Fund raising event in aid of Buxton MRT - Tickets are £9 and £11
Bookable through the Opera House booking office on Tel. 0845.1272190 or Em. boxoffice @ buxtonopera.co.uk

FOR YOUR NEWSLETTER / NOTICEBOARD

www.theDCA.org.uk - dca @ theDCA.org.uk

2nd November 2005