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Sychryd Gorge Assessment Day – 4th December 2008
Objectives

  • To develop an OPC operating standard for working in the Sychryd Gorge
  • To review the safety of the structures
  • To review the safety of the pools
  • To review adequate equipment offered to clients
  • To review staff ratios and group sizes

    The day

    We walked through the lower section of the Sychryd Gorge discussing safe water levels for the start of any session, recent accidents and incidents and issues arising from the activities that we run. We discussed the left and right hand side of the waterfall just beyond ‘the wormhole’ and then walked over the top to review the pools and pool jumping from ‘ivy pool’ to the footbridge by the mine exit. We then walked over to ‘loonies leap’ on the Mellte and discussed safe water levels at this location as well as best practice when running pool jumping. We also discussed environmental impacts and the occasional pollution found in the Sychryd.

    Outcomes

    UPON ARRIVAL at the car park we will look at the water levels just downstream of the roots problem. If the smallest client crossing at this point has water over the knee then the gorge walk is effectively cancelled, the water being too high for a safe session. We agreed that there are still activities that can be undertaken in the area but that making our way upstream in the normal manner would be placing clients at risk. We noted that a good weather forecast for the day and knowledge of when it last rained could mean that a gorge walk might well take place later on in the day, if water levels are falling and rain is not expected.

    THE WET START either at the bridge or at the confluence of the Sychryd and the Mellte was discussed and it was agreed that in high water levels, above the knee at the roots, these activities would not be undertaken. The scramble from river to the crawl in the Sychryd was discussed as a possible danger and that this must be dynamically marked by an instructor.

    CORNFLAKE CORNER was surveyed and we found the structure to be currently stable but in danger of a future collapse. We decided that this problem should be led by the lead instructor who will check for instability and changes. No one is to be allowed to clamber up the loose section before the corner itself. Marking of a client can be from the bottom by spotting or from the top with a sling. It was agreed that a fall from here was into a couple of feet of water and given adequate advice about jumping in when peeling off a traverse, the activity posed no danger to the client.

    THE BLUE STAL MINE is to be led by cave leaders who have been assessed by a technical advisor to enter the mine and that those of us using the mine are members of the mines inspection scheme.

    PATH OR RIVER – Some members remain in the river profile, others use the path. It was agreed that best environmental practice is to remain in the river but that the NP had not advised on ingress/egress points. The newly placed boulders from the path to the bridge traverse were discussed as being dangerous and if used would lead to further bank erosion. Clients are avoiding the boulders and using the bank beside the boulders to make their way down. OPC members should either remain in the river or if descending to the bridge traverse ensure clients are carefully spotted and climb down the boulders.

    THE BRIDGE TRAVERSE will at some stage become unusable. The end section is becoming loose and as mortar continues to be removed there is the possibility of some large blocks falling away under a clients weight. This should be led by the lead instructor who will check for instability and changes. Spotting of clients from the middle section to the end of the traverse was agreed.

    TIMOTEI is safe although noted as being slippery.

    HIGH WATER RIVER CROSSING – On days when the river is too high for a standard gorge walk there is the possibility of crossing the river, above ‘timotei,’ to head for the ‘black hole.’ The route is diagonal from the small beach and upstream. The rule of not above the knee should be adhered to here.

    WALK VIA BLACK HOLE TO UPPER POOLS – The scramble should be marked and spotted, with best practice being an instructor at the top to protect the drop down the gulley and to keep an eye on the group to ensure they don’t go into the mine, an instructor half way up to direct a climber right and an instructor at the bottom spotting climbers.

    THE WORMHOLE is not used by OPC members due to the danger of falling rocks in the area.

    THE WATERFALL should be approached with consideration to the provider’s risk assessment for this activity, with different providers wishing that this be approached in different ways. THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE WATERFALL should not be used as an ascent route due to slippery ground and the consequences of a fall. THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE WATERFALL is a safer ascent route. The exit from the boulder must be well protected by an instructor who will spot each client. There should be no crossing of the river from the top of the left hand side climb to the entrance to the boulder climb.

    IVY POOL is safe in most conditions. The exit to the path just beyond ivy pool is regarded as the safest way in and out on this part of the river.

    THE FOOTPATH ABOVE IVY POOL has eroded and is now a bad step. This needs protecting and OPC members discussed the different ways in which they achieve this. Where the group’s ability dictates a handline should be used.

    THE WATERFALL CLIMB POOL is usually run as a swim through and climb. Depth of the pool is good but knowledge of industrial detritus at the bottom of the pool requires the pool to be dived in spring 2009 if jumping by members is to take place. There is a ledge to be avoided when jumping and an undercut making the pool dangerous when water levels are high.

    THE WATERFALL CRAWL POOL is not jumped by members of the OPC. Some use the crawl and clients step in, some have clients climb out on a mountain leader style short rope. The pool is not deep. This pool is also significantly undercut and should not be used at higher levels. Significant boils form which feed push under the undercut. When assessing if activities should take place at both pools it was agreed that members use different assessments, for some it is the nature of the boils for others the level of water against the ‘v’ shaped rock marker in the top pool, this being out of the water for activities to be safe.

    SLIPPERY SLAB should be protected by a simple rope belay around a tree on the far side of the path or by a simple haulage of the client by group members. The rock spike at the top of the slab is now too unstable to be a safe belay point.

    LOONIES LEAP should only be used when it is safe to cross the weir unaided. Safe level was agreed as when there is only a minor flow from the tunnel adjacent to the weir and water is not above the pale rock, one step down from the weir where water flows to the pool alongside the weir. Clients should wait at the fence and be called one at a time to the jump. The lead instructor should be at water level (bottom of ‘steps’), throw-line in hand, and the client should jump out and towards the lead instructor. Due to huge differences in size and ability of young people an arbitrary age of 14 years was regarded as a minimum age for the larger of the two pool jumps. Best practice is to have two staff on hand, with one at the top of the jump advising clients. The only exit that OPC members use is the steps up and onto the platform. OPC members do not use the largest, running jump. Due to reports of some people touching something with their foot when jumping this pool also will be dived in spring 2009.

    EQUIPMENT – We discussed equipment on the day and differing methods of running the gorge mean that we use different kit. We agreed that when running a pool jumping gorge walk buoyancy was to be issued to clients and that clients should have full body clothing, either full wetsuits or long sleeve tops and trousers. Footwear was agreed to be boots or Wellington boots.

    STAFF RATIOS/GROUP SIZES – 1:8 is regarded as a good ratio for group work in the Sychryd Gorge. There was some discussion regarding the car park problems at the site. We discussed setting a maximum of 20 people, inclusive of instructors, per OPC member per day at the gorge. Where numbers rise above this we agreed to employ OPC members to help with the larger booking, in effect tying up this second business quota and reducing pressure on the location. We agreed to direct clients to the community hall café to improve relations between community and providers as well as to hope to improve future parking arrangements.

    TO DO…

    Dive the pools in the Sychryd and at loonies leap in Spring 2009. Re bad step above ivy pool - bolt it for a handline.