Some Trips from March/April 2010
7th March. Whalf Mine, Derbyshire. With Matt Smith. Dry caving trip.
We found the climbing shaft and the engine shaft of this Victorian lead
mine. We also hob-nobbed with Pete Wagstaff and others from the Orpheus CC,
who turned up at the same time and were going down the connected but
different mine, Knotlow Cavern. We went down the climbing shaft but
rigged the engine shaft as well, I had the intention of climbing out
that way; we explored some of the old mineworkings including finding
the bottom of the connecting shaft from yet another mine, Hillocks
mine. In the end, decided to be sociable and return together up the
climbing shaft - someone has to go back that way because the climbing
shaft has rebelays so you can't just pull the rope out from the top
like you can with the engine shaft.
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12th March. Whalf Mine, Derbyshire. Solo. Dry caving trip.
Decided
to come back and do the engine shaft. Rigged it, but since I had never
done a single pitch of length 58m before, rigged the climbing shaft too
and went down that way so I would have an emergency exit in case of
embarrassment on the longish freehang which is the engine shaft pitch.
Went up the engine shaft no problem, got to the top and confirmed that
you don't really need to rig a line to the nearby tree in order to pull
yourself off the pitch (I had rigged the tree just in case). Went back
down the engine shaft again, noting that you really have to go quite
slowly on a long dry pitch like that in order to avoid burning the
rope, and then retrieved my 80mx9mm from the climbing shaft. All in all
about 115m of assorted climbing, good Friday evening workout.
13th March. Notts Pot 2. With the Black Rose Caving Club, led by Mike Skyrme.
A very full workout with no SRT! Excellent complement to the more
vertical trip down Whalf. Down an endless sequence of rickety ladders
(I'm not surprised they gave up on the dig for a while, before the
cavedivers found the system at the bottom so they knew there was
something worth digging for - see Jim Eyre's book
for more details) to a wire-ladder climb down into this amazing system
with the big main streamway and who knows how many side passages off
it. Went downstream to the start of the cavediving guideline at the
sump where it all started; then upstream nearly to the upstream sump,
exploring just one or two of the many side passages. Some of the white
flowstone was the best I've seen since Mexico. Good trip. I spoiled it
slightly by leaving my helmet and lights behind on a drystone wall.
Went back and got them - plus a huge lunch - on Sunday. 18th March. Hardrawkin Pot. Solo evening trip - at least that's the way I planned it.
When I got to the parking area there were two groups of cavers (of
sizes 8 and 2) already there, both had already been planning to do
Hardrawkin Pot. The group of size 2 decided to do Sunset Hole instead;
I decided to still do Hardrawkin (because I'd done Sunset recently
& had nothing else planned as a backup). Maintained a fair time lag
behind the group of 8 until the first pitch where I found the first man
of the eight had just arrived back at the top of the pitch. He insisted
that I go down next, I take my hat off to his politeness but it was
perhaps not a good idea because I did my own rigging and this took a
fair while. The pitch was quite wet, snow melting up above we guessed.
Once on the pitch below the deviations I got in such a hurry (impatient
cavers waiting below) that - after warning them - I simply dropped my
rope bag, not a good idea because it still had a fair bit of rope in
it, there was still ca. 25m to go down the pitch, and the impact split
it at the bottom. Silly things one does when stressed. But then I got
myself together, went right down the second pitch to the sump - a first
for me - and started the return journey. Last man of the 8 was waiting
for number 7 to ascend pitch 1, and we climbed it together on our
respective ropes, him starting just after me, which was great for me
because I gently used his taut rope to keep me further away from all
that nasty cold water coming down the pitch. I hadn't placed my
deviations quite as smartly as he had, but in the event I got the
benefit of both pairs of deviations on the way back up the pitch.
Once the 8 had departed I took my time coiling some of the rope so it
didn't need to go in the split rope bag, but round my shoulders. Back
to Leeds ca. 00:30. 21 March. Streak's Pot, Stoney Middleton, Derbyshire.
Matt and I got to Hillocks Mine intending to do that but found a major
cave rescue training session underway there. So we went to Streak's Pot
instead, Matt assuring me he knew where the upper entrance was. Only
trouble was, we didn't have the details from Derbyshire caves with us,
nor the survey, so we didn't know what to expect. So we toodle in and
down the 40' pitch that we find 15 feet in (I estimated the needed rope
length as "not more than 35m", which was true but not optimal); at the
bottom we tried to find a way on down the abandoned dig at the very
bottom of the pitch, that was not a success; then we went the right
direction, a few feet up, and found first a rope leading back up the
pitch (for enthusiastic freeclimbers who first traverse over the
pitchhead) then a chamber with no apparent way on except a very narrow,
dodgy looking crawl in the top right hand corner. Later on, in
Derbyshire caves, we read its description: "feet first is best; with
caution, as the roof is supported by rotten stemples". More simply, we
gave up at that point, especially as (under cross examination from your
humble servant) Matt wasn't quite sure this was the right cave..... Possibly we will return. True Derbyshire mud nonetheless abundant in our clothing on exit.
27 March. Streak's Pot, Stoney Middleton, Derbyshire.
Went back (solo) and investigated Top Entrance further. That is a tight little hole. It'll be a while before I'm ready to do the through trip there. Got a little further.
28 March. Hillock's Mine, near Monyash, Derbyshire. With Matt.
We found our way into the other bit of the Whalf Mine/Hillocks Mine system and found the flat-out crawl (initially through a muddy puddle) to the coffin level and first pitch. Then down through an odd little nest of diggings to the top of the second pitch where we turned it at my request (I was getting short of breath, so was Matt, and the system is known for CO2 - and why mess with CO2). Next time open the Whalf Engine Shaft and get some air circulating I reckon.
April 4. Hillock's Mine, near Monyash, Derbyshire. With Matt.
This time we opened the Whalf Engine shaft before descending Hillocks; that and the breezier weather on the Bank Holiday monday meant we had no problems with CO2 this time. You could feel a cool breeze making a tailwind on your back all the way down Hillocks and into Whalf mine. Lots of nice fresh air. This way in to the Whalf/Knotlow system involves narrow passages, a muddy crawl in water, and some route finding difficulties around and half way down the second pitch (there are supposed to be three ways down it and into Whalf Mine; eventually after half an hour of crawling around in the rabbit warren that is the second pitch, I found just one of the three). Matt and I finally made it down to the main room below the Whalf Engine shaft, explored some more of the mined passages and found the connection passage to Knotlow - to be explored on a future trip.
April 11th. Tatham Wife Hole, Yorkshire. Solo.
I toodled up to Ingleton enjoying the nice weather, and bought a caving book (I like those anecdotes..) and a caving bag (I am heavy on gear....).
Left the parking at the Hill Inn (I prefer to park there for Tattie Wife; the walk in is 2.5 times as far, 2 miles instead of 0.8, but all slopes are very gentle so there's no chance of breaking a neck in the dark during the walk out) I'm not sure when, early afternoon, and wandered up the fell to Tattie Wife, where I proceeded down pitches 1-3, and this time (wearing wetsuit) went down into the low bit called the duck. On the far side, though, further progress was limited by an awkward bit of traversing in a narrow rift (I am not yet very good at traversing). If one slips off, one will get stuck, so since no one knew exactly where I was or when I was expected out I decided not to risk this. Even without further progress to pitch 4 this was a longish trip for me, every muscle felt as though it had been given a real workout by the time I got back to the car with all my gear. First idea was to go to a pub and drink a pint (I kid you not) of Coke. Sugar means more to you at moments like that. But in fact I drove home and pigged out there.
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April 17th approx. Solo. Bull Pot, W Kingsdale.
Weather had just begun to be nice so I took an evening off and, apart from enjoying the weather, toodled up the hillside to Bull Pot and did the first three pitches (entrance pitch, pitch 2 and slot pitch). Decided honour was satisfied at that point because it was getting late.... Back in leeds ca. 1AM
April 21st approx. New Rift Pot. Solo.
Went for an evening bimble & found my way to the head of the second pitch; decided not to do the big pitch because I got cold crawling through puddles between pitches 1 and 2. Will return with wetsuit.
April 28th. New Goyden Pot. Solo.
A more successful evening bimble, closer to Leeds and in some of the most beautiful countryside in Yorkshire. Gorgeous weather too, which is essential for NGP as it floods totally if the Scar House reservoir overflows in wet weather. I went down the entrance pitches (using just my 65m rope rather than 25+20 as recommended by the guide) to the very classy streamway (River Nidd, Underground Section) which, however, doesn't go very far downstream before it sumps. Went upstream to the point where you'll get seriously wet if you proceed further; explored an inlet side passage to the same extent. Returned to the surface with wet thighs but dry undies. A more serious trip with at least wetsuit and possibly scuba tanks ought to be made when one has a whole day rather than an evening.