Showing posts with label Caves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Caves. Show all posts
Moss Chamber, Peak Cavern
Titan.
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| Diagram by Olly King |
Belgium - Ropes, Caving, and Brussels
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Yorkshire Bank Holiday Weekender
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| DCC Rock On! |
All but one managed the trip from Stream Passage Pot to Gaping Gill, and out of Bar Pot/Small Mammal, taking advantage of the Bradford Pothole Club's rigging during the Winch Meet.
Giant's Hole
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| Ladder on Comic Act Cascade by Tom Howard |
Derbyshire Caving Weekend
Saturday morning nice and early for the DCC Derbyshire weekend, myself and Oggy met Tom at Peveril Stores in Castleton, but not before a quick trip to Hitch and Hike who have aquired an extra sock courtesy of Owen lol. We were not sure if anybody else was going to turn up so had a butty and waited around, when it became clear nobody else was joining us the decision was made to do Oxlow Cavern. Kieran had lent Tom some rope and after a long time getting ready and faffing about with bags and stuff in the freezing wind, we set off with a bag each up the slightly snowy hill to find the entrance shaft to Oxlow.
Simpson Pot
Drinking cider and red wine the night before a caving trip is obviously never a smart idea. But I'm not really known for my smart ideas so I woke up with a headache and not much feeling like breakfast or caving if I am honest! And worse we did not end up going to Lancaster Hole as previously planned, instead myself, Tom, Damian, and Pete joined Simon and Kevin on their trip through Simpson's Pot. This had been sold to us novices at the New Inn the night before: "a classic Yorkshire trip" -Simon, "well I've always wanted to do it" -Tom, "Nah you won't have any problems in there" -Steve.
This turned out to be a fair step up in terms of the difficulty level of caving trips I have previously been on. When we were getting ready, I forgot to put my kneepads on, buried at the bottom of my bag somewhere. When I realised I wasn't wearing them I heard someone say "well you don't really need knee pads for this trip anyway". Which you don't, but I really should have worn them anyway...
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| Before the Trip |
As I mentioned earlier, much to my amusement Simpson Pot involves a fair bit of rift traversing. Now up to this point in my caving career, my size has mostly been a useful advantage. Being 5ft nowt is not so useful in the bigger sections of rifts. Trying to move through one section I was finding the going tricky, my left boot lost grip on the wall, and I slid a few feet until my right knee jammed in the gap and I could brace myself again. My first thought was "ah sh*t that felt bad", then "why the fuck do I not have knee pads on!" but I found upon moving it was not so bad and I could still walk and climb normally without any real pain. The next bit I remember was funny, a little duck through the Blasted Hole. We had become a little more spread out at this point waiting for everyone to descend the previous pitch and then Simon to pass the rope forwards. I found myself alone in a pool of water and shouted to Kevin and Tom for the route, after some confusion I found the duck where they were waiting on the other side. They shouted at me to go through feet first which seemed insane but thankfully I did as they told me. Unlike Damian who after several minutes of shouting located the hole and ignored or didn't understand feet first and so went through on his hands and knees only to find that the water on the other side is deeper and so his face went plunging in to our great amusement!
The rest of the trip was comprised of several more traverses and pitches of various heights. I gave up on one of the climbs as the earlier fall had knocked my confidence abit I reckon, but I could get down to the bottom of it, walk along and climb back up.
P8 Jackpot
I woke up an an hour late to Olly knocking on my door- not the best start to the day! I packed everything as quick as I could and we went to pick up Pete Whetham I think half an hour later than expected- sorry Pete :( The plan was to get a bacon butty in Castleton, but after speaking to Tom who had also woken up extremely late, we went to meet him at Hitch and Hike for brekky. Unfortunately nobody told Kieran, who had been waiting at the carpark near P8 for 40mins already. Oops again...
The entrance to P8 involves a fair bit of water through to Cascades Chamber, and avoiding a soaking is not an option. I half slid half fell down Idiots Leap in the waterfall! Watching Kieran rig and descend the First Pitch filled me with hope as to how I was going to manage it having only done a couple of rebelays before this trip. It was not too bad apart from initially trying to thread my stop upside down on the second bit :o We then moved up to the high level passage and over the Bold Step which seemed a much bolder step to me on the way back.
Kieran's Trip Report
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| Pre-trip photograph courtesy of Kieran Rooney |
Kieran's Trip Report
Bar Pot to Gaping Gill and Back
Olly came to pick me up in the morning, for once I was ready on time :) Nigel and Colin then picked us up from Olly's and off we went to the Yorkshire Dales, the original plan was to go caving in Ireby Fell Cavern. On the way up with Nigel and Colin Davidson fascinating us with stories about past DCC activity in Yorkshire, we noticed water lying on top of the fields everywhere. We had a lot of water in the week before doing this trip and were aware that Ireby Fell drains a large proportion of water in the locality, maybe not the best system to be caving in today... So we arrived at the bunkhouse in Clapham where Tony, Sue, Tom, Pete W and Pete C were waiting, some of them being much worse for wear after the previous nights drinking in the bunkhouse :) And so it was decided that it would be a better idea doing Bar Pot instead of Ireby Fell, so after some breakfast we were on our way up towards Ingleborough.
I wore just my paw print furry suit to stay cool during the 2 mile hike up, cue some odd looks from the many ramblers out on this lovely day. Upon arrival at the shake hole, funnel-like entrance to Bar Pot, we kitted up then Nigel and Tom went straight in to rig the ropes. Just as I was squeezing into the entrance, we realised that the cheap batteries I had nicked from my mum for the trip were not working at all. (I had lost my battery chargers) Thankfully Pete Whetham had some spares he kindly chucked my way, and we squeezed the short way along to the first pitch. After some fiddly maneuvers, we made the awkward descent through the boulder choke, and slid down a greasy slab with a handline in place to help. Being on my own at this point and with what looked like several ways on, I wandered to the bottom of the boulder chamber and spotted a hole in each side of the wall, then waited for the others to confirm the right way on. Through the hole and into another boulder strewn chamber with a short, slightly exposed traverse leading to the top of Big Pitch: a straight 120ft descent. As we were waiting for Tom and Nigel to rig the pitch and descend, another group of cavers were coming into the chamber behind us, one of them playing what I thought at the time sounded like a tin whistle but turned out to be a recorder. What a strange and nice thing to hear that music in a cave!
At the bottom of Big pitch, we took our gear off and left it there. I remember vaguely wondering about getting back out of Bar Pot again and what a long way up it seemed. Onwards to Gaping Gill through an easy little system of stooping to crawling passages with little to no water. On the way Tony showed us the Sand Caverns, some fair sized muddy chambers where the DCC once held tennis and golf tournaments during the open weekends. Moving through the passages towards the immense main chamber, a steady flow of air turning into a cold breeze picked up until we could hear the rumbling roar of the waterfall. Walking out into Gaping Gill main chamber was an awesome experience, the waterfall seemed to carry in natural light from the surprisingly small hole at the top, then the fall fanned out into several landing places in the rocky pool at the bottom. Olly was the first to brave standing right underneath the pounding water, I walked right around the pool edging closer until I finally found the guts to jump right underneath. Wow that woke me up, it was absolutely freezing and very powerful as Olly said, felt more like sand than water! Moving around and through the huge chamber, I had to keep looking back at the light and water, the spray from it still reached us right to the far end. On the other side, we climbed up the steep rocky bank and then down a ladder to have a quick look at the West Chamber.
We took a slightly different route back to Bar Pot, Tony leaving me and Olly to navigate our way and ending up in a low crawling passage full of rocks, squeezing past 2 other cavers coming in the opposite direction. Back at the bottom of what now looked like a very Big Pitch and the rest of us took a break while Tom and Peter Clewes flew up the rope. Me and Olly crawled our way back up, and a further climb up to where Olly dragged me by the arms up the greasy slab. I took another quick break, I needed it for the last bit out which was actually nowhere near as hard as I was expecting it to be. While we were waiting for Tony and Pete to get out, Pete C went to have a look at the top of Gaping Gill. Amazing how what looks like a calm babbling brook on the surface turns into a raging waterfall at the bottom. Back at Bar Pot and it was clear the effects of lastnight were taking their toll on Pete W who was yet to emerge. We stuck around for abit, eat the last of our food and watched the other cavers coming out of Flood Exit just across from us. After offering to help with their group shot, then Olly sabotaging it. I was getting quite cold, so we started to slowly walk back, with the others eventually catching up.
In the pub afterwards for an all too brief yet much needed pint, and then home and straight to a birthday party. Thanks to Nigel, Tony, Tom, Pete C and Pete W for a cracking days caving!
Olly's trip report
Gaping Gill Winch Weekends
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| Me and Olly messing around with batteries on the way in. Photographs courtesy of Tony Brocklebank. |
At the bottom of Big pitch, we took our gear off and left it there. I remember vaguely wondering about getting back out of Bar Pot again and what a long way up it seemed. Onwards to Gaping Gill through an easy little system of stooping to crawling passages with little to no water. On the way Tony showed us the Sand Caverns, some fair sized muddy chambers where the DCC once held tennis and golf tournaments during the open weekends. Moving through the passages towards the immense main chamber, a steady flow of air turning into a cold breeze picked up until we could hear the rumbling roar of the waterfall. Walking out into Gaping Gill main chamber was an awesome experience, the waterfall seemed to carry in natural light from the surprisingly small hole at the top, then the fall fanned out into several landing places in the rocky pool at the bottom. Olly was the first to brave standing right underneath the pounding water, I walked right around the pool edging closer until I finally found the guts to jump right underneath. Wow that woke me up, it was absolutely freezing and very powerful as Olly said, felt more like sand than water! Moving around and through the huge chamber, I had to keep looking back at the light and water, the spray from it still reached us right to the far end. On the other side, we climbed up the steep rocky bank and then down a ladder to have a quick look at the West Chamber.
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| Tony waiting for Pete |
In the pub afterwards for an all too brief yet much needed pint, and then home and straight to a birthday party. Thanks to Nigel, Tony, Tom, Pete C and Pete W for a cracking days caving!
Olly's trip report
Gaping Gill Winch Weekends
Bagshawe Cavern Birthday Trip
There was supposed to be a DCC trip to Gaping Gill on this date, also being the winch meet weekend but it was put off again for various reasons, and so I proposed another caving trip somewhere closer to home. It was my birthday on this weekend, and so I thought we could go caving then celebrate with a few drinks in the evening. Everyone seemed keen on doing Bagshawe Cavern and I had never been there before.
The wonderful Tom Howard picked up me and Gareth Goodall, then we drove to the car park at Bagshawe to meet Colin Shepherd, Angela Ward, Graham CaveUK and Bill Edge. Also met two new faces, Sarah and Gary who I think are also from Chesterfield Caving Club? We signed into the Bagshawe Hut for 11am, and began the descent down the 102 steps into the cavern. Bagshawe Cavern is a mostly natural cave system discovered by Lead miners in 1806, working what was then called the Mulespinner Mine. In the second half of the 20th century Bagshawe Cavern was used as a tourist attraction.
There is a junction at the bottom of the steps, with old fuse boxes and electric cable left from when the cavern was open to the public. We went straight into the cave system, no leader was really decided on for this trip but Graham seemed to know it better than anyone else who had been there before. We followed a passage which led to an aven with excellent formations. I started to freeclimb up as there seemed like an obvious route along at the top, about halfway up the tricky climb I could see the passage, but some were not so keen on climbing up there so it was left for a another trip. We continued down the main passage passing a short flight of stone steps next to a 5-6m pitch, being used at this point by caving instructors with some visitors. This high chamber is the Dungeon, which we intended to descend on Gareth's electron ladder later on in the trip.
Past the Dungeon, we saw some more good formations with cave pearls trapped in a calcite cascade. We stopped for snacks and a group shot in a fairly large boulder strewn chamber, climbed through then continued to follow the streamway, with Graham looking for the Hippodrome. Met two friendly chaps from a Welsh caving club who I think helped us to work out that the boulder chamber we had just come from was the Hippodrome as Graham had suspected. We went through a muddy passage to a small chamber that ended where the water was a couple of feet from the roof to continue on I think to a sump which Graham had a look at. A few of us turned right at some diving weights into a sloping crawl to peek over at a resurgence making an awesome noise for it's size just below us. We turned back at this point with no further to go unless you are a cave diver, and met the few who had not come through the water that were waiting for us in the muddy passage.
We tracked back to the Dungeon and whilst waiting for the instructor to de-rig his electron and lifeline, had an unsuccessful attempt at trying to find our way through the squeezes down to the lower series. I think there were a few too many of us to have done it comfortably anyway. At this point we should probably have paid more attention to how the instructor had rigged his lifeline as when it came to us rigging one we all had different ideas and ended up hopelessly confused about how to lifeline the last person safely down and up the pitch. I am not sure we had enough rope for this either. It was probably a good thing that we ended up leaving it for a return trip with SRT kit next time!
So we headed out back towards the junction at the bottom of the entry steps, where there is another large passage with a plank across and a "no entry" sign. Of course we ducked under this to have a look, and walked straight into a stope with some dodgy looking timbering, and bits and pieces of boulders still hanging on by fractions of rotten old wood at helmet bashing level. Some lovely calcite formations had developed over the walls of the old mine workings, creating the most beautiful stope I have ever seen. I was gutted I had left my camera back at the junction but I would very much like to organise a return trip here soon to descend into the lower series and see the rest of this fine mine/cave system.
Back up the steps out, pausing for breath and photographs along the way, then another group shot outside the hut, we were in the pub for around 3pm enjoying the first of my birthday drinks. Went out in Stockport that evening with Vicki, Paul, Gareth and Kate for a good few drinks then some 3am birthday cake. What a top day, thanks guys! :D
The wonderful Tom Howard picked up me and Gareth Goodall, then we drove to the car park at Bagshawe to meet Colin Shepherd, Angela Ward, Graham CaveUK and Bill Edge. Also met two new faces, Sarah and Gary who I think are also from Chesterfield Caving Club? We signed into the Bagshawe Hut for 11am, and began the descent down the 102 steps into the cavern. Bagshawe Cavern is a mostly natural cave system discovered by Lead miners in 1806, working what was then called the Mulespinner Mine. In the second half of the 20th century Bagshawe Cavern was used as a tourist attraction.
There is a junction at the bottom of the steps, with old fuse boxes and electric cable left from when the cavern was open to the public. We went straight into the cave system, no leader was really decided on for this trip but Graham seemed to know it better than anyone else who had been there before. We followed a passage which led to an aven with excellent formations. I started to freeclimb up as there seemed like an obvious route along at the top, about halfway up the tricky climb I could see the passage, but some were not so keen on climbing up there so it was left for a another trip. We continued down the main passage passing a short flight of stone steps next to a 5-6m pitch, being used at this point by caving instructors with some visitors. This high chamber is the Dungeon, which we intended to descend on Gareth's electron ladder later on in the trip.
Past the Dungeon, we saw some more good formations with cave pearls trapped in a calcite cascade. We stopped for snacks and a group shot in a fairly large boulder strewn chamber, climbed through then continued to follow the streamway, with Graham looking for the Hippodrome. Met two friendly chaps from a Welsh caving club who I think helped us to work out that the boulder chamber we had just come from was the Hippodrome as Graham had suspected. We went through a muddy passage to a small chamber that ended where the water was a couple of feet from the roof to continue on I think to a sump which Graham had a look at. A few of us turned right at some diving weights into a sloping crawl to peek over at a resurgence making an awesome noise for it's size just below us. We turned back at this point with no further to go unless you are a cave diver, and met the few who had not come through the water that were waiting for us in the muddy passage.
We tracked back to the Dungeon and whilst waiting for the instructor to de-rig his electron and lifeline, had an unsuccessful attempt at trying to find our way through the squeezes down to the lower series. I think there were a few too many of us to have done it comfortably anyway. At this point we should probably have paid more attention to how the instructor had rigged his lifeline as when it came to us rigging one we all had different ideas and ended up hopelessly confused about how to lifeline the last person safely down and up the pitch. I am not sure we had enough rope for this either. It was probably a good thing that we ended up leaving it for a return trip with SRT kit next time!
So we headed out back towards the junction at the bottom of the entry steps, where there is another large passage with a plank across and a "no entry" sign. Of course we ducked under this to have a look, and walked straight into a stope with some dodgy looking timbering, and bits and pieces of boulders still hanging on by fractions of rotten old wood at helmet bashing level. Some lovely calcite formations had developed over the walls of the old mine workings, creating the most beautiful stope I have ever seen. I was gutted I had left my camera back at the junction but I would very much like to organise a return trip here soon to descend into the lower series and see the rest of this fine mine/cave system.
Back up the steps out, pausing for breath and photographs along the way, then another group shot outside the hut, we were in the pub for around 3pm enjoying the first of my birthday drinks. Went out in Stockport that evening with Vicki, Paul, Gareth and Kate for a good few drinks then some 3am birthday cake. What a top day, thanks guys! :D
Giants Hole Speedy Round Trip
Very last minute trip suggested by Owen Thomas, as I have never been before and need to do more caving trips! Olly took some pursuading to do Giants again after his trouble at the Vice last year. Olly picked up myself, Owen and Gareth and we went straight to Castleton for Bacon Butties, trying to decide on the best time to avoid the hoardes of tourists that would inevitably be heading into Giants. There were a couple of minibuses in the car park god knows how they get down the track, many people kitting up in neat clean matching suits and helmets.
I think we got in for 11am, we had brought SRT kit to descend Garlands Pot, but had to wait what felt like ages (probably about 10 minutes) for the instructors to bring all their visitors back out from the top of Garlands, being lifelined on belts to go and have a look down the Pot then come back out again. When they had finished, Owen quickly rigged the 4-5m pitch and we were down and contemplating the Crabwalk. We left the bags at the bottom of Garlands and went for it at full speed! Owen blazed the trail with me just behind. Olly put in a valiant effort not far behind me at all considering he had to go under some of the tighter parts, including the Vice. The rest of the trip up to the Windpipe passed in a blur as we were going so quickly! I remember freeclimbing up a cascade with some rope already in place to help, and I vaguely remember pausing for breath at the Eating House. Then onto the infamous Giants Windpipe, 30ft or so of crawling through a fairly wide, but very low passage with water and a few boulders in the bottom. I was informed that the water level was quite low for this trip, there is a sign at the start: "Giants Windpipe Do not freedive this sump, it is in excess of 20 feet long."
Out of the Windpipe and back to the top of Crabwalk, to begin the long chimneyish climb down to the bottom. This was pretty hairy in places for me and Gareth, being the smaller members of our group! Gareth informed me a couple of weeks later at his wedding that he had dislocated his finger doing the Crabwalk climb! Back to our bags to put our kit back on for the prusik up Garlands, and we were out for 2.30pm. In The Wanted for 3pm, then in work for 5pm!
I think we got in for 11am, we had brought SRT kit to descend Garlands Pot, but had to wait what felt like ages (probably about 10 minutes) for the instructors to bring all their visitors back out from the top of Garlands, being lifelined on belts to go and have a look down the Pot then come back out again. When they had finished, Owen quickly rigged the 4-5m pitch and we were down and contemplating the Crabwalk. We left the bags at the bottom of Garlands and went for it at full speed! Owen blazed the trail with me just behind. Olly put in a valiant effort not far behind me at all considering he had to go under some of the tighter parts, including the Vice. The rest of the trip up to the Windpipe passed in a blur as we were going so quickly! I remember freeclimbing up a cascade with some rope already in place to help, and I vaguely remember pausing for breath at the Eating House. Then onto the infamous Giants Windpipe, 30ft or so of crawling through a fairly wide, but very low passage with water and a few boulders in the bottom. I was informed that the water level was quite low for this trip, there is a sign at the start: "Giants Windpipe Do not freedive this sump, it is in excess of 20 feet long."
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