The two of us drove over to the Orpheus CC Cottage in the morning to meet Keith. We found some visiting cavers there but no Ken and Eileen because they are on holiday in Thailand. After breakfast at Monyash cafe, we drove up Derby Lane and I waited while Keith and Karen dropped down into Water Icicle Close Cavern to install a plastic box with a notepad and pen for cavers to record any problems with carbon dioxide.
Just after Keith returned to the surface, two cavers arrived having walked up from nearly in Monyash for most of Derby Lane and were planning on a trip down Water Icicle. Keith and Karen removed their wellies and oversuits and sat in the car on towels and we drove the short distance to Knotlow Triangle to find another car already there.
After getting changed back into caving gear, we headed for the adit entrance of Hillocks Mine and with Keith in the lead, down into the low coffin level leading to the first pitch. Keith met a group of five cavers in front (obviously it was their car we had seen parked) who were from Newcastle University Caving Club and were on their way into the mine.
We got to the little climb over a large lump of rock and fixed an electron ladder over it to make the awkward return journey easier and Karen and Keith dropped down the other side and waited for the others to descend the second pitch. I tried clambering down but found it needing some awkward moves with my weak shoulder so rather than risking injuring my shoulder I decided to wait for the short time it would take the other two to have a poke around the mine and return, which they soon did.
We retraced our route back to the surface and after washing ropes and tackle bags and hanging up wet caving gear to dry, returned to Winster for a meal at The Old Bowling Green and then home.
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