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Marilyn Rigging Guide

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This series of articles is intended for the guidance of experienced cavers, who may not be familiar with the details of the best routes through the more complex systems in the Yorkshire Dales. To echo the sentiments in Northern Caves, it "is intended as guidance for the wise, not the obedience of fools"

Marilyn rigging  guide

Entrance Pitches

The entrance pitch is covered with a grill, which needs to be opened and secured by the pin at the back. This allows a Y-hang from scaffold poles to protect a single belay from the specially designed hook beneath the gate.

The second pitch starts with a fixed anchor, and slithers down to a tight section at the top of which is a spit.

The third pitch is a continuation of the second and has a spit followed by another spit from a lower ledge.

One 36 m rope suffices for the entrance pitches.

Niagara Pitch

This starts with a spit on the left hand wall a couple of metres back from the pitch, followed by another near the lip of the pitch. The Y-hang is out on the right hand side. The top 10 m is very loose, but two fixed deviations near two ledges help to keep the line away from the walls.

Tackle Required

Ropes: 36 m and 29 m. Maillons: 9. Hangers: 7.