The SUI Bolting policy is available as a pdf here .

SUI Bolting Policy

Bolting Policy
V1.0
April 2025

Document Control

Version & Date	Author(s)	Reviewed by
V1 01 April 2025	Alasdair Kennedy	Les Brown Tim Fogg Eoghan Lynch

Contents

1. Bolting policy background and scope
2. Policy on cave conservation and bolts
3. Policy on cave bolts for specific uses
4. SUI bolting policy administration
5. General guidance for all anchor users
6. General guidance for anchor installers
7. Supporting Information

1 Bolting policy background and scope

The Speleological Union of Ireland (SUI) seeks to promote the development of safe and sustainable
caving among its membership and the wider caving community within Northern Ireland and the
Republic of Ireland. The SUI, its membership, and all other cavers have a collective responsibility to
protect the unique and fragile environment of caves from unnecessary alteration or damage. The
installation of anchors and other fixed aids in caves is one aspect of caving which, whilst necessary for
safe and sustainable access, does impact on the cave environment.
In order to maintain safe vertical caving without the damaging proliferation of anchors, the SUI
established a programme in the 1990s to install long-term resin bolts on popular Single Rope Technique
(SRT) routes in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This was conducted in line with guidance
from the British Caving Association (BCA) and its regional councils. Following requests from within the
caving community, the SUI published its own bolting policy in 2013. In 2023 it was decided to refresh
the SUI’s bolting policy to ensure that the development and renewal of high-quality, vertical caving
routes continues in a safe and sustainable way which best fits the needs of all those who cave in
Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Primarily this document sets out the policy of the SUI with regard to the installation of anchor bolts, and
by extension other fixed progression aids, within caves in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland¹.
The SUI’s bolting policy is designed to protect our fragile and unique cave environments and assist in
our safe enjoyment of the underground world. Secondarily, this document is concerned with the
installation of resin (also known as chemical or glue-in) bolts, which continue to be considered to be
the most suitable long-term bolt for equipping vertical sections of cave passage which require the use
of ropes or ladders for sport caving progression.
As the National Governing Body for caving in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland the SUI
encourages all cavers to adhere to the principles set out in this policy and engage with the caving
community and other stakeholders regarding the development and maintenance of access to our
caves.

1. An anchor is the link between the progression system and the terrain, and can be natural or artificial; a bolt is an anchor device which is fixed mechanically or chemically into a hole drilled into the rock; and a fixed aid is any device or structure installed in a cave for the purpose of assisting cavers with their progress. ↩︎

2 Policy on cave conservation and bolts

• Bolts should be introduced only when they are demonstrably necessary and where a suitable
  natural anchor is not available.
• Bolts should be used sparingly, avoiding any suggestion of over proliferation, while following the
  principles of safe rigging.
• Bolts should be well placed with both safety and conservation in mind; consideration should
  also be given to their potential use in a rescue situation.
• All bolt placements should consider the expected user, and the aim should be to use the
  minimum number of bolts to suit the maximum number of users.
• All bolts should be of a suitable quality for their envisaged use and lifetime and installed by a
  competent person.
• The retrospective installation of bolts for sporting caving, or to ease access to sensitive cave
  areas, is strongly discouraged, and any proposals for such bolts should be discussed with the
  SUI, its membership, and other relevant stakeholders. Proposals for new bolts may be made:
  • where old bolts are in need of replacement or where substandard rigging is in need of
    improvement;
  • where the original route is no longer safely passable;
  • where the original bolts are no longer fit for purpose due to changes in technique; and
  • where a new, high-quality route may be feasibly developed.
• In some limited situations it may be advisable to install additional progression aids for
  conservation reasons.
• All bolting proposals should be discussed with the SUI, its membership, and other relevant
  stakeholders.
• The SUI committee will designate a Bolting Group of suitably experienced members to manage
  their bolting policy, and the maintenance and development of bolted sport caving routes (see
  the SUI bolting policy administration section below). The Bolting Group will:
  • maintain existing SUI approved bolted sport caving routes;
  • address the caving community’s comments, concerns, and notifications of degraded,
    missing or inappropriate anchors; and
  • undertake suitable development of new bolted sport caving routes.
• The Bolting Group may be contacted by email – bolting@caving.ie.
• The SUI welcomes engagement with the caving community. Proposals for the development of
  new vertical caving routes or the installation of new resin bolts should be made to the Bolting
  Group.
  • An SUI member or club may submit a request to the Bolting Group for resin bolt installation,
    with details on why resin bolting is considered necessary, what type of caving it will be used
    for, and show that they have engaged with other stakeholders regarding the proposed
    development with regard to access and environmental concerns. Requests for bolting shall
    include an indicative rigging topo and description.
  • The Bolting Group will review the proposal and make a recommendation, based on a simple
    majority vote. Their review shall consider the requirement, access and conservation
    concerns.
  • The Bolting Group’s recommendation on the proposal, with their reasoning, shall be
    published on caving.ie and the SUI membership shall be invited to comment on the
    recommendation.
  • Any individual caver or club may email the Bolting Group with their comments on the bolting
    proposal and the Bolting Group’s recommendation and reasoning. All comments should
    have clear reasoning. Email feedback shall be accepted for two weeks following publication
    of the recommendation.
  • The Bolting Group will appoint an approved SUI installer to carry out an approved
    installation, or engage with the proposing member or club, to carry out an authorised
    installation.
• Authorised bolting shall be funded by the SUI.
• Authorised resin bolts shall be adopted by the SUI following their installation by an approved
  installer and their inspection by an independent competent person.
  • The inspecting person shall not have been involved in the installation of the resin bolts.
  • The inspecting person shall be an SUI member and active, experienced caver, and meet at
    least one of these criteria:
    • hold a current Cave Instructor Certificate (CIC) which is recognised by the SUI for at
      least five years;
    • be an Irish Cave Rescue Organisation (ICRO) Warden for at least five years;
    • be an Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA) level 3 rope access supervisor
      for at least five years; or
    • be a chartered geologist with suitable experience in a relevant field, such as rock
      mechanics or limestone geology.
• Pull-testing, decommissioning and removal of SUI authorised bolts shall only be carried out by
  the Bolting Group or by a person appointed to do so by the Bolting Group.
• Unauthorised bolts shall be removed by the Bolting Group or by a person appointed to do so by
  the Bolting Group.

3 Policy on cave bolts for specific uses

Exploration caving

The installation of anchors during the exploration of a cave should proceed in line with the
conservation best practice as above, and at the discretion of the exploring group. On completion of
their exploration, the exploring group should remove anchors which are no longer necessary. If the
cave is likely to be of interest to sporting cavers, the exploring group should give consideration to
installing anchors suited to long-term use, in coordination with the SUI’s Bolting Group and other
relevant stakeholders.

Sport caving

The SUI shall support the creation and maintenance of high-quality SRT or ladder and lifeline routes for
vertical caving. In line with current best practice, new vertical routes or upgrades of existing vertical
routes should be equipped with resin bolts where necessary. All bolting for sport caving shall adhere to
the principles of safe rigging. In some limited situations relating to cave conservation or caver safety it
may be advisable to install anchors in areas not previously rigged by the cave explorers; in such cases
the Bolting Group, the SUI membership and other stakeholders should be engaged with to decide the
best outcome from an environmental conservation and ethical caving standpoint. In general, the
guiding principle of ethical caving is to not reduce the difficulty of any cave obstacle below the difficulty
accepted by the original explorers.

Novice caving and caving training

The SUI supports the principle of sport caving whereby the caver strives to improve their skill to
overcome particular cave obstacles, and does not seek to reduce the challenge presented by the cave
through the use of artificial means. Any installations of anchors or other fixed aids solely for novice
caving is discouraged, and any proposals for such should be discussed with the Bolting Group, the SUI
membership and other relevant stakeholders.

Professional and commercial cave access

The SUI encourages those accessing caves for professional and commercial reasons such as scientific
and historical study, film making, education, caving skills training, and adventure tourism to respect
both the delicate cave environment and other cave users, and to limit the installation of anchors or other
fixed aids in line with this policy. The Bolting Group and all relevant stakeholders should be consulted
and their agreement obtained before the installation of anchors. The SUI shall not support the
installation of anchors or other fixed aids for professional or commercial caving use without
engagement with, and the agreement of the Bolting Group, the SUI membership and other relevant
stakeholders. Where the required access is temporary, anchors with a low environmental impact and
that are easily removeable should be used.

Cave rescue

During a cave rescue the installation of anchors or other fixed aids may be required but should only be
carried out to prioritise the casualty and safety of the rescue team rather than for mere convenience.
Where possible removeable anchors should be employed, and any permanent anchors placed should
be of a high quality such that they may serve in the future. The SUI does not support the pre-emptive
bolting of caves in anticipation of rescue.

Cave rescue training

The SUI recommends that generally anchors are not placed during rescue practices. Practical training
in the installation of anchors suitable for cave rescue should be carried out in less sensitive sites.

4 SUI bolting policy administration

• The SUI’s bolting policy and resin bolt anchor scheme shall be managed by the SUI’s Bolting
  Group.
• The Bolting Group shall be coordinated by the SUI’s Bolting Officer, who shall be co-opted to the
  role by the SUI’s committee. The Bolting Group shall consist of the Bolting Officer, the Access
  and Conservation Officer, the Equipment Officer, and Regional Bolting Coordinators.
• The Bolting Officer and Regional Bolting Coordinators shall be SUI members and active,
  experienced cavers and meet at least one of these criteria:
  • hold a current CIC which is recognised by the SUI for at least five years;
  • be an ICRO Warden for at least five years;
  • be an IRATA rope access supervisor for at least five years; or
  • be a chartered geologist with suitable experience in a relevant field, such as rock mechanics
    or limestone geology.
• The Regional Bolting Coordinators shall assist the Bolting Officer with the management of the
  bolting policy and be the principal contact for bolting issues in their appointed regions. The
  Bolting Officer may also fulfil the role of a Regional Bolting Coordinator. Additionally, ICRO may
  appoint a Warden as a Coordinator for rescue related bolting issues, who may also fulfil the role
  of a Regional Bolting Coordinator. The Bolting Group may be contacted by email –
  bolting@caving.ie.
• The Bolting Group shall:
  • maintain records of all anchors placed under the SUI’s anchor scheme;
  • maintain the list of approved SUI resin bolt installers, and ensure that all approved installers
    are current individual members of the SUI, and have sufficient recent training or experience
    in resin bolt installation;
  • undertake the collection of reports of defective, unsuitable or unapproved anchors;
  • inspect and as necessary decommission or remediate reported anchors in a timely manner;
  • update rigging guidance for bolted caves;
  • manage the process for approval of new bolted sport caving routes as outlined in the Policy
    on cave conservation and bolts section above;
  • monitor ongoing developments in the sport and update this policy, recommended best
    practices, guidelines and training requirements as necessary; and
  • maintain contacts with other caving access and conservation bodies to learn and share best
    practice.
• The Bolting Group shall maintain a training and mentoring scheme for approving SUI resin bolt
  installers. All candidate, trainee, and approved SUI resin bolt installers shall be individual
  members of the SUI and active, experienced cavers.
  • Candidates for SUI resin bolt installation approval shall be experienced exploratory cave
    riggers, and have a thorough theoretical and practical understanding of the principles of safe
    rigging.
  • Candidates should have a specific rigging project in mind to justify the mentoring.
  • Trainee SUI resin bolt installers shall receive theoretical and practical training and mentoring
    by approved SUI resin bolt installers.
  • Trainee SUI resin bolt installers shall assist SUI approved resin bolt installers as a means to
    gain experience.
  • Trainee SUI resin bolt installers shall be approved by the Bolting Group on the basis of their
    demonstration of suitable competency.
• A record of all resin bolts installed under this scheme shall be submitted to the Bolting Officer,
  and a rigging topo shall be produced for publication (see the General guidance for anchor
  installers section below).

5 General guidance for all anchor users

• The selection and use of any anchor, whether natural or artificial, is done at the discretion of all
  users. All anchors and substrates are subject to degradation and may fail at any time.
• Cavers using anchors shall be responsible for checking each anchor on each occasion it is used.
  Cavers shall be familiar with the type of anchor they intend to use, and its possible degradation
  process.
• The visual and physical pre-use checks of resin bolts should look for:
  • the fracturing of, loosening of, or obvious damage to, the substrate in which the bolt is
    placed;
  • grooving greater than 10% of the diameter of the anchor bar in the eye of the bolt;
  • deformation or corrosion of the bolt;
  • loosening or rotation of the anchor and resin within the hole or loosening or rotation of the
    anchor within the resin; and
  • egress of the anchor and resin from the hole, or egress of the anchor from the resin.
• Natural anchors or drilled thread anchors may form part of the rigging and shall also be checked
  before each use by:
  • ensuring that trees are healthy and securely rooted (protect trees from abrasion);
  • checking for loosening or fracturing of the substrate around and within natural thread
    anchors, spike anchors and drilled thread anchors;
  • checking the condition of installed slings and tethers; and
  • checking the stability of any boulders.
• Do not use any anchor which pre-use checks indicate may be defective and in which you do not
  have confidence.
• Rigging should allow for the failure of a single anchor without significant injury to the user:
  anchors should not be disregarded as this may decrease the safety of the rigging. It should be
  accepted that anchors could fail and the rigger should proceed with this mind – always rig with
  consideration for potential points of failure.
• Do not assume that the rigging indicates a descent free from hazards such as rope rub or water,
  it is for the rigger to use the anchors appropriately to ensure the party’s safety.
• Do not leave rigging equipment in situ for a lengthy period of time where it may become damaged
  by cave conditions, cause damage to anchors, or impede other users. Where repeated trips are
  being made it is recommended that the installed rigging is labelled with the user’s details (name,
  relevant club and date of installation).
• Information and updates on anchors shall be posted on the SUI website and cavers are advised
  to check this regularly.
• Please report defective anchors of any type to the Bolting Group (bolting@caving.ie). Such
  reports should include the location of the anchor, the defect observed, the type of anchor if
  known and if possible a photograph of the defective anchor.
  • Please report any anchor which has held a significant fall and so may need to be inspected.
  • Please report any unauthorised bolts.

6 General guidance for anchor installers

• The installation of anchors shall accord with the SUI’s bolting policy in Sections 1 to 4.
• The SUI recommends that at least two anchor installers with suitable competency work together
  to design the route and agree on appropriate placements. Factors to consider when planning a
  route include:
  ◦ the safety of the chosen route and environmental factors which may impact the route, such
  as flooding and rockfall;
  ◦ the safety of rigging and the time that will be taken to rig;
  ◦ the comfort and ease of use of the rigging; and,
  ◦ the typical progression technique used on the route.
• The design and use of anchors shall allow for a single anchor failure without significant injury.
  ◦ A caver shall pass two anchors before there is a significant risk of falling.
  ◦ Where the failure of an anchor would lead to a caver suffering a significant fall or result in
  the caver or rope straying into a hazardous area, a second anchor shall be installed.
• Rigging should not, as far as is practical within the constraints of the cave, expose users to a fall
  factor of greater than 1. Please report any bolts that have had a significant fall on to them to the
  Bolting Group.
• Please report any unauthorised bolting or any other bolting about which you have concerns.
• Suitable natural anchors may be incorporated into the design of the rigging, and drilled thread
  anchors may be created where possible.
• Resin bolts shall conform to the EN 959 and/or UIAA 123 standards for rock anchors, and shall
  be installed using appropriate resin by competent riggers in accordance with the manufacturer’s
  installation guidelines.
• The Bolting Group shall approve the installer’s choice of bolt and resin.
• Natural anchors (trees, boulders, threads, and spikes) should be employed where they are
  available and drilled thread anchors may be created.
• All resin bolts placed under the SUI’s resin bolt anchor scheme shall be recorded and, along
  with a rigging topo these details shall be submitted to the SUI Bolting Officer for publication.
  ◦ A resin bolt record shall include the cave name, the location of the resin bolt, the installation
  date, the installer and assistant(s), the type of bolt and resin used, bolt and resin batch/serial
  number and manufacturing date, the expiry date of the resin and the date on which it was
  opened.
  • The complete record of the rigging shall include the details of all other anchors used
    alongside resin bolts, such as natural anchors and drilled threads.
  • The rigging topo shall show the location of each anchor in relation to a cross-section of the
    pitch or pitches. Rope lengths and any other relevant rigging details shall be included.

7 Supporting Information

British Caving Association, 2020 ‘Essential safety information for cavers using resin bonded anchors’,
online, British Caving Association. Available at: https://british-caving.org.uk/documents/safety-
information-on-resin-bonded-anchors/
British Caving Association, 2021, ‘Association Scheme for the Placement of Designated Anchors’,
online, British Caving Association. Available at: https://british-caving.org.uk/documents/bca-anchor-
policy/
Cazes, G., Cazot, E. and Clément, N., 2012, Caving Technical Guide, Challes-les-Eaux, Éditions GAP.
Council for the Northern Caving Community, 2019, ‘CNCC anchor scheme’, online, Council for the
Northern Caving Community. Available at: https://cncc.org.uk/file/56106123-833d-3e69-ba63-
caa070eddfbf
Marbach, G. and Tourte, B., 2002, Alpine Caving Techniques: a complete guide to safe and efficient
caving, Allschwil, Speleo Projects