Around the turn of the century, Crewe Climbng and Potholing Club were heavily involved in the project to replace 8mm Spit expansion anchors in Peak District caves and mines
with stainless steel resin hangers. In 1994 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 caver's, or club's library. This guide book
went through many editions as new routes were added, or existing ones altered.
Time moves on and in 2020 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 and support the fine work they do:
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.
Once you've finished with the guide, feel free to browse the main Crewe CPC club web site.
The following information and links are provided:
HTML will display the guide page, or rigging topo as a web page in a new tab, where it can be scrolled, zoomed and panned.
PDF will download an A4 portrait formatted pdf document for easy printing.
Any landscape formatted topos will be rotated 90°.
The HTML links will display such topos in their landscape format.
Location and Access links will take you to the appropriate entries for that cave in the DCA's web site.
Check these for location and current access arrangements. We recommend you check this before each visit, even for sites you know well.
The situation can change at short notice, particularly for a safety risk and the DCA entry is most likely to show the current situation.
The provision of a rigging topo does not mean that access is currently allowed.
If there is no information on the DCA web site, or Caves of the Peak District, then location and access information is given here.
PDMHS Mining History Bulletin,
article links, or references are provided for some mines where the information is likely to be useful to visitors. QR Codes are on the topos.
These provide direct links to the DCA's web page for that entrance, allowing you to quickly find access and location information from a paper rigging guide by pointing your smartphone,
or tablet camera at the QR Code. Android 'phones and tablets from verson 9 (Pie) onwards will probably have QR code scanning built in,
but if not, a good, privacy friendly QR Code reading app for Android is
QR Scanner by SECUSO. Apple phones and ipads have
QR code scanning built in.
Caves of the Peak District Page Number will save you time looking up the cave in the 2010 edition of the guide book as it has no index within the book.
Not all sites are in the guide book. Some were only discovered after its publication.
A Front Cover, Contents and Key, so you can print and bind your own rigging guide, should you so desire. The edition number is also
given, so you can see if your copy is still up to date. Check the revision history to see which topos you need to add, or update.
Remember to print a new front cover with the new revision number when updating your guide. We suggest keeping any printed copy in clear plastic pockets in a ring binder to protect
the pages from muddy cavers paws and allow easy updating.
Between them, these sources of information should provide the knowledge you'll need to plan a successful trip. Happy Caving!
What trips can you do with the ropes that you have?
If you have only a limited number of ropes available, the "what can I rig?" tool below will help you find which trips you can do.
It was written by Ari Cooper-Davis,
following a discussion on the UKCaving forum.
The tool can also be found here.
The information for Derbyshire is from this guide.
Fill in the rope lengths in metres that you have. Click on + to add another rope. Tick the check box if you are happy joining ropes together mid pitch,
then click on "Go" to find the SRT trips you can do. If you have no ropes at all, click on "Go" to find trips with fixed ropes in place,
though see the warnings on using such ropes in the safety section. If you insist on caving
in lesser regions, like Yorkshire, then these are available from a drop down box.
Check on the actual rigging topos that the information is correct. If you find any errors, please let us know with the
feedback form.
If you have a new reel of rope and are contemplating how best to chop it to either maximise the number of SRT trips you can do, or minimise the excess rope you need to carry,
then Ari has written a companion app called how-should-I-cut-my-rope?.
This attempts to mathematically optimise the cut rope lengths against the rope lengths in the data used in "what-can-I-rig?".
Download the complete current edition of the rigging guide in pdf format to print out, or view. This is about 5MB in size. Alternatively, view, or download just the pages
you need below.
Deep Shaft also known as Day Shaft. Gentlewoman's Pipe Climbing Shaft
Deep Shaft (also known as Day Shaft).
The base of the shaft connects with
Ringing Rake Sough,
also known as Youds' level.
Also, Gentlewoman's Pipe Climbing Shaft.
This connects via a stope and a pipe with Old Jant Mine, then with Masson and Ringing Rake Soughs. See this
trip report
from the EPC for a good description of the route. See
Mining History Bulletin Vol,8, No,2 1981 pp.65-102 for descriptions and surveys of the mines in this area.
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?
Pitch depth (m)
Descent distance to deviation (m)
Rope length (m)
Rope length for entire route (m)
Natural and Drilled thread belays
Scaffold pole belay
8mm spit, rawl bolt, thunderbolt etc. Not stainless steel
Updated the Carlswark Cavern topo for the new anchors installed by The DCA. Added a topo for the cliff access rigging for visiting Sidetrack Cave in Eldon Quarry.
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 Statement.
Alternatively, you can email us at
. We try and check our email fairly often, but you might have to wait a couple of days for a reply.
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.
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Obligatory "You're Going To Die" Notice
Caving is a potentially dangerous activity. You must be aware of, and accept, the risks involved.
You are responsible for your own actions, and for your own and your companions safety. These rigging guides are provided for the use of experienced cavers only.
The provision of a guide does not mean that the route is safe, or that access is currently allowed. The caver must use her, or his own judgment when rigging and descending the cave.
Weather conditions, deterioration of the anchors, loose rock, the cavers skill level, fitness and many other factors can affect the safety of the route.
Read the Safety page of the guide.
Although we have made every effort to make the guides as accurate as possible Crewe Climbing and Potholing Club cannot accept any responsibility for any errors, or inaccuracies.
By closing this box and proceeding to the guides you acknowledge this.
