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 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, Cwm Dwr 2 and Tunnel Cave Rigging Topos
Current Fixed Aids issues and updates
- OFD I: The old Letterbox bolt has been removed. The chain (which is not an official fixed aid) has been replaced with a stainless chain attached to a pair of Caving Wales anchors. There are therefore no 'official' fixed aids left at the Letterbox. Please note that stainless chains will be more slippery than rusty chain; however, the old chain links were ~50% worn through at the bolt end.
- Cwm Dwr: the Fault Aven pull-up system is still on old anchors at the current time.
- OFD II: The Skyhook (which is _not_ an official fixed aid) currently has an abandoned rope on it, but this will in due course be replaced with a pull-up system.
- OFD II: New anchors have been installed on the pitch near Mutiny Junction. A topo will be released in due course.
- OFD II: New anchors have been installed on the pitch at the end of the Mini Traverses; rigging topos will be produced in due course. This currently has some loose rock on the final pitch.
Abandoned ropes
Some pitches may have abandoned ropes on them. Any such ropes are not placed there by SWCC and are not the responsibility of SWCC. We do not encourage you to use these ropes. Any use of these ropes is, as for all fixed aids in the cave, entirely at your own risk and you must satisfy yourself that the rope is in a safe condition and accept any resulting consequences.
You may encounter abandoned ropes in the following locations:
- the Skyhook
- the second Chasm pitch
- the Mutiny Junction pitch
- the three small pitches down from Merthyr Vale on unapproved anchors
Official 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
- 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
- Cwm Dwr 2: Entrance
- 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: Fault Aven bolts
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
Caving Wales/Ogofa Cymru Fixed Aids
A number of anchors in local caves are resin anchors placed under the BCA Anchor Scheme through Caving Wales/Ogofa Cymru. These anchors are not maintained by SWCC and do not undergo regular inspection. For further details please contact Caving Wales/Ogofa Cymru. 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 Letterbox
- on the 'Missile Silo' pitch at the end of the mini traverses
- on the Bedding Chambers pitch
- on the Chasm pitches
- on the Swamp Creek pitch
- above the Skyhook pitch
- on the p20 and p8 pitches in the upper Great Oxbow series
- on the pitch next to Mutiny Junction
- on a pitch on the bypass to Lavender Way on the route to Northern Lights
- on the Crevasse
In Tunnel Cave these anchors can be found on the entrance pitches.
In Cwm Dwr 2 these anchors can be found at the pitch down to the streamway.