Caving in the dry

Charles Read ("solocavediver") reckons he needs to learn some dry caving skills,....
.....so I have joined the Chesterfield Caving Club (Derbyshire UK) and the Yorkshire Subterranean Society. The CCC has a very softly-softly approach to single rope technique, being very careful not to put novices like me in situations they can't handle. The YSS by contrast first took me down Rift Pot (Grade IV), from which I needed rescue when my mis-configured frog system chest ascender started slipping on the "wet" rope on the last pitch out. (and I started getting hypothermia because "wet" was a bit of an understatement, I was trying to climb a modest waterfall at that point... remarkable how the weather can change). My next YSS invite was to do Titan (the deepest pitch in England), so much as I love Rob Dalby and the guys, most of my caving has been done with the Chesterfield. Just because I am a reasonably proficient cavediver doesn't mean I am a "cave god" also expert at SRT! 'Fraid life's not that simple.... So I go out with the CCC and when I want more excitement, explore here and there on my own. (that's right, "solocavediver" still lives up to the "solo" bit even in the dry.) We (the Chesterfield) did a tiny (miniscule!) bit of the Easegill system (in the Yorkshire dales) last weekend. The photos are of our trip down County Pot on the Saturday. Click on any photo to get the full sized version.
  • Matt Smith, cave and dive buddy, about to set off for the Yorkshire Dales.
  • this is very pretty but there's a long walk in to do.
  • team leader and club chairman Bob Smith - tireless caver but not so keen on the walk in!
  • the water has done some scouring....
  • in this area.
  • I think that's Matt arriving.
  • the wooden bridge
  • approaching the target area now...
  • Frank, club treasurer and mine of information
  • first pitch
  • Frank determined to get through a tight spot - or is he just cursing the photographer?
  • it's easy, feet first and you just climb down out of the slot!!!
  • "Lazarus, come forth!!!" Frank directs operations.
  • "Well OK Boss greet my bum!" Matt emerges.
  • "Did you say feet first??" JoAnn hesitates....
  • "I'm not at all sure about this.."
  • "I have my own strategy, mateys"
  • Meanwhile, Matt has (I think) a snack attack after the little climb down.
  • a nicely sculpted passage
  • My chums try to climb the crack on the right (which is the entrance to Poetic Justice Crawl), while I admire the stalactites.
  • Jo - the other armed-and-dangerous photographer - looks round the chamber, below some interesting looking boulders.
  • hanging death with steam rising from sweaty cavers
  • back at the rock pool in the late afternoon