SWCC Fixed Aids
The Members of South Wales Caving Club can accept no responsibility for any loss or injury caused to any caver using a Fixed Aid in any cave administered by them.
Below is a list of Fixed Aids in the caves in this area. These are the only Fixed Aids approved and maintained by SWCC and are recognisable by the presence of a metal disc stamped SWCC, similar to the one shown here, which is attached to each approved Fixed Aid. All other aids within the caves are unauthorised. You are strongly advised not to use them, as they are mostly of uncertain age and origin. You are also asked not to leave ropes etc. in place, where they may be used by other cavers.
Fixed Aids should always be carefully inspected before use. The user is entirely responsible for assessing whether they are happy to use any fixed aid in the caves, whether official or otherwise. The use of additional safety measures such as lifelines or cow’s tails is strongly recommended wherever possible.
It is the responsibility of all leaders taking parties into the caves to ensure that all members of their party have read and understood this notice. If you discover any issue with a fixed aid in a cave controlled by SWCC, please report it to the Permit Secretary as soon as possible by phone or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Rigging Topos
Click here for OFD Rigging Topos
Current Fixed Aids issues
Tunnel Cave:
- Some of the 12mm through-bolts in Tunnel Cave are loose; bring a spanner.
- The in-situ ropes appear to be in good condition but are beyond the manufacturer's specified lifetime.
Official SWCC Fixed Aids
OFD I: Entrance gate; entrance ladders x 3; Pots 1 to 4 scaffold poles; Maypole chain; Maypole traverse wire; Low's Chain (steps); Bolt Traverse wires, ladder and bar; Airy Fairy traverse wire
Cwm Dwr: Entrance series
Cwm Dwr II: Entrance
OFD II: Entrance; Divers' Pitch line; Fault Aven bar; Streamway markers (Fault Aven, Marble Showers, Great Oxbow, Maypole Inlet), Brigadier Glennie's Ladder; Maypole Inlet foothold and ladder
OFD III: Maypole Bridge
Tunnel Cave: Top entrance
There are also a number of anchor installations throughout the caves, some of which are now very old. These are listed separately as, while they are SWCC Fixed Aids, they are in many cases life-expired and not up to modern standards. The user is strongly encouraged to use their own judgement as to whether they consider these anchors safe enough to use after careful inspection and judgement. These anchors may be replaced by resin anchors under the BCA/CCC anchor scheme in the future (see below).
OFD II: Letterbox bolt; Fault Aven bolts; Crevasse bolts x 5
Tunnel Cave: Entrance series bolts, Cascade Aven traverse, Cascade handline bolt
The following anchors have recently been removed from the Fixed Aids list; their stamped tags may not have been removed from the anchors yet; this will be done in due course. These anchors are life-expired and are no longer maintained or inspected.
OFD II: Midnight Passage P30 bolt; Maypole Inlet bolt; Arete climb bolts
Cambrian Caving Council Fixed Aids
A number of anchors in local caves are resin anchors placed under the BCA Anchor Scheme through Cambrian Caving Council (CCC). These anchors are not maintained by SWCC and do not undergo regular inspection. For further details please contact CCC. These anchors can be found (for example) in Pwll Dwfn and the entrance anchors in Pant Mawr.
In OFD these anchors can be found:
- on the Nave pitches
- on the Columns pitch
- at the top of Low's Chain (for lifelining)
- on the Bedding Chambers pitch
- on the Chasm pitches