Saturday 25 April 2009

Mildam Mine and Odin Mine, Derbyshire

Today a DCRO practice was scheduled for Eldon Hole. Bill Whitehouse had phoned yesterday asking if I would be attending and could I come to Great Hucklow first to go and have a look at Mildam Mine with he, Nick Williams and Ben Stevens. The owners were planning to re-open the mine to extract flourspar and were having an open day for locals and had asked DCRO to have a look. We arrived at the mine car park and met a manager from the mine who equipped us with helmet. lights and self-rescuers. We then were given a lift in a pick-up into the mine and had a short walk around finally visiting the foot of a 300 foot shaft near the old Ladywash Mine workings.
Just before we left, Ben received a text message saying that the plan was to relocate to Odin Mine for the Rescue Practice. So Ben and I drove there while Bill headed for Buxton to collect the Rescue Vehicle. When we arrived we found Mick Earl just having got changed with Ann Soulsby manning the entry log at the entrance and Larry Blanchard also there. There were another dozen or so already underground.
After changing, while the others headed for Sparrowpit Village Hall for a de-brief and later the AGM. Karen was busy at home finishing off the draught OCC 60th Anniversary document. In the evening was the OCC 60th Anniversary Dinner so we would be missing the DCRO AGM. I got home at around four o'clock and after a shower and change of clothing, we drove to the club cottages to meet Keith and Pete Collins and quite a few other OCC members from various times. We all walked up the the and of the track leading to the cottages and waited for a small coach from Lathkill Dale to take us to the Bull 'i th' Thorn where we were having the Dinner. After the Dinner - everybody dressed "normally" except for Steve White and Derek Freeman, who were dressed with suits and black bow-ties - although Steve had trainers on for the walk up the track - we all continued drinking beer and at around eleven PM we were collected again by the coach and dropped off at the end of the track. we walked the half-mile to the cottages and some of us headed for bed while others had a late night...

Monday 20 April 2009

Water Icicle Close Cavern, Derbyshire

As we had stayed at the OCC cottage overnight, we were up in the morning and had breakfast then spent some time sitting around then I washed my caving gear after yesterday's trip to Odin Mine. Boyd arrived from home at about 10:30 and once the partitioning was removed and the seats arranged (and Trish (Treasurer) had got out of bed!) the OCC AGM started. Surprisingly the Meeting finished at 12:20!
Keith wanted a quick trip down Water Icicle Close Cavern and Ashleigh (Ken's grandson) was going to join us. We set him up with SRT kit and headed for Monyash cafe for a quick snack and for Keith and Pete to have breakfast. As we were changing in Derby Lane near WICC, Simon arrived as expected and we headed in. Ashleigh, Keith ans Simon had a look at the dig (Pete had a bad back and hadn't brought his caving gear so waited on the surface) and while Keith and Simon shifted some rocks Karen and Ashleigh had a look at other parts of the cave and once I had tidied up the rope at the foot of the ladder up to the dig I headed off after them. I had a poke around both of the other two passages but didn't;t see the other two. On returning to the entrance chamber, I found the others kitting up with Simon looking for me in the other passage! Any way, Keith headed up first with me following. The plan was for Ashleigh to come up third while Keith and I waited on the surface with a spare rope in case he needed a hand but he coped with no problems. By now it was half past five so Keith and Pete headed for home while the rest of us got changed and headed back to the cottage.

Sunday 19 April 2009

Garden Path, Lathkill Dale, Derbyshire

This was a caving trip we had been wanting to do for some time as the Garden Path entrance to the Lathkill Cave system has special entrance requirements and we had to arrange a visit. In the morning, Karen, Keith and I met Boyd, Phil Walker, Jason Blackwell, Chris Jackson, Jess Eades and Dan Leyden. Jess and Dan weren't on the list of six for the trip (plus a leader, who was Boyd) and were planning to have a trip down the nearby Lathkill Cave Top Entrance. The trip was arranged to take photos and also to fill in a cave conservation form.
Keith, Karen and I picked up some of our gear left at the cottage from yesterday the headed for the Old Smith Cafe in Monyash for breakfast. Once that was completed we drove the short distance along the road to park at the head of Lathkill Dale and started to get changed into our caving gear. I found that I had left my wetsuit socks back in the drying room at the cottage and was luckily able to contact Phil Walker on his mobile phone as he was about to leave the cottage and asked him to bring them with him. Later I discovered I had also forgotten my gloves! Anyway, this wasn't so much of a problem and once we were ready, we headed down the Dale and then up along the diagonal path leading upwards from the Dale which leads you to both entrances. Boyd, Karen, Keith and I (with Keith again rigging) headed down the Garden Path entrance (which required no spanner but did have two padlocks which used the same key). Jason, Chris, Phil planned to descend the Top Entrance with Jess and Dan and then three of them would swap over and have a trip down the Garden Path.
We arrived in the large chamber below after passing three rebelays and two deviations with the last rebelay having a handy wooden platform spanning the rift as it broke into the larger chamber below.
Karen followed Keith down and asked me to hang around at the chamber's roof level while she took some photos. Then after I reached the floor of the chamber, Karen, at my suggestion, set her camera to "Night Shot" and after setting it on a rock and starting the self-timer, we shone our lights around the chamber using a technique called "light -painting".
Once Boyd had descended, we removed our SRT kit and crawled through a low, short section to the top of a short fixed iron ladder into a small chamber and the up another short ladder and another short, low crawl to the top of a third longer ladder which dropped us into yet another chamber with quite a lot of flowstone which was muddy, a large pile of boulders at one end and at the other a muddy floor. We took care not to tread on this floor as this was of scientific interest. After another look around the large chamber, Keith headed back up the rope followed by Karen and myself with Boyd bringing up the rear. We met the others on the surface and Jason, Phil and Chris, who made up the remaining three of our party of six, headed down the Garden Path using our rope which they were to de-rig. Meanwhile Keith, Boyd and myself headed for Top Entrance so that Keith could de-rig that. Jess and Dan sat on the surface in the sun while Karen headed back to the car to get changed. Once we had Top Entrance de-rigged, Karen, Keith, myself and Jess returned to the Monyash Cafe for ice creams, Dan had a look at the entrance of Cascade Cavern behind the public toilets at the head of Lathkill Dale and Boyd waited around for the others.

Saturday 18 April 2009

Odin Mine, Derbyshire

Keith, Karen and I drove down Winnats Pass and parked near the end of the main road near Odin Mine and Cave. It was a warm and sunny day so there were quite a few cars also parked there and also cars driving up to the end of the road and turning around. We got changed and headed along the path rising up to the gorge above the entrance to Odin Mine.
With Keith rigging, we followed in passing through the pile of composted leaves from the surrounding trees and into the muddy-floored entrance passage. At the greasy and slippery hand-line climb up, Keith clambered up and fixed on of our ropes so that we could follow easier. We dropped down the largest pitch then after passing through the low passage with stone slab ceiling holding up piles of deads above, we passed the interesting "Chippendale Rift" with its turned table leg stemples and the final short drop into the large rift chamber. This was and obviously worked-out stope with a ceiling high above of more stone slabs and a curving dry-stone wall of dressed stone along one side of the chamber up near the ceiling.
There was a low passage passing through this wall with an arch of stonework leading to the final pitch leading to the very bottom of the mine. This was some 4 or 5 metres above and reached by an in-situ hand-line. We had heard that the last pitch had collapsed some time ago but Keith had found the pitch intact on a previous trip with Pete Collins. In fact the passage leading off from the foot of the pitch had collapsed.
I didn't fancy descending this last pitch only to have to some straight back up again so followed the other two up the hand-line and shouted through to Karen to let them know and that I would wait for them in the rift chamber. After a short while the other two returned and we made our way back to the surface after around two hours and a quarter underground.
Karen and I washed our gear in the small stream near the mine entrance and then returned to the OCC cottage to wash the ropes and tackle bags. Later in the evening, we met Jenny and Boyd in the Miners Standard near home, for a meal.

Monday 13 April 2009

Cauldron Snout

Had a quick walk from Cow Green Reservoir to Cauldron Snout with Karen and Keith then headed for home at around midday.

Sunday 12 April 2009

Walk on Cross Fell

Walked a circular route with Mick Hogg via two bridleways up and down Cross Fell starting from the village of Kirkland. Sunny, cloudless sky and clear views of Lakeland Fells.

Saturday 11 April 2009

Rampgill Mine, Nenthead

Shorter trip into Rampgill again led by Steve Holding with Karen, Liz (one of Mole's lot) and Roy Fellows. Had a short tourist trip to see a complete Horse Gin although fallen over. After two hours underground Karen and I walked from the Outdoor Centre in fields above the River Tees part way to Alston and back via a higher level.

Friday 10 April 2009

Smallcleugh Mine, Nenthead

Easter in Northern Pennines. Drove up in morning arriving at "High Plains" Outdoor Centre just over 2 miles from Alston just before 10:00 after a two and three quarter hour journey. Visited Smallcleugh following Steve Holden of Shropshire Caving and Mining Club with Karen, Keith and Mick Hogg. Visited Ballroom Flats and lower level via short but solid ladders.

Monday 6 April 2009

Eldon Hole, Peak District

Martin had headed for home yesterday while Dan had stayed at the cottage overnight and after we all met up again this morning, Boyd was planning a trip to Hillocks Mine with another newcomer from Ashbourne who was new to caving and was also called Dan. Karen and Keith spent some time sorting out club SRT gear and then the three of us plus Dan Leyden and Doug Hobbs headed for Eldon Hole.
Keith rigged the North Gully route and he, Doug and Dan had a look up in Damocles rift, I just had a look around the Main Chamber and Karen rescued some toads and frogs from the bottom of the open shaft.
Again we spent around two hours altogether underground.

Saturday 4 April 2009

Caving in P8 (Jackpot), Peak District

Karen gad suggested a trip to P8 today so she could try out rigging and Jess Eades had e-mailed her earlier during the week so she planned to come along as well. Funnily enough, Boyd rang about something else and mentioned he was taking newcomer Martin Selfe to P8!. Keith was happy to tag along so we arranged to meet up as usual at the club hut. As we were driving there, we had a phone call from Jess saying that she just found out that Jim Alder and some others were caving in Knotlow Cavern and she decided to join them.
When we arrived at the club cottage we found Dan Leyden there with caving, climbing, walking and camping gear having arrived last night after a last-minute decision to travel up to Derbyshire. We invited him along as well and once everyone had arrived, we headed for the P8 car park and after changing into caving gear and walking across to the cave, we were at the entrance just after noon. Boyd rigged the first pitch and was followed by Dan and Karen while Keith rigged the alternative higher first pitch and was followed by Martin and myself. We met up in the chamber below and headed inwards. After the second pitch and a quick look at the downstream sump, which was quite high, Karen decided to start heading out towards the entrance while the rest of us had a look at the upstream sump. Despite the recent dry weather this sump was flowing well, surprisingly. Boyd and the rest followed the low tube heading back towards the second pitch while I returned via the route we had taken on the way in.
After meeting up again at the second pitch we all had a crawl around the lower passages below the second pitch, we returned back to the surface at 2 PM.
Dan and Keith joined us in Winster for a meal in the Miners Standard in the evening and afterwards we drove to the Royal Oak for the OCC Photo Competition where Karen won the Above Ground Projected Photo and Keith won the Print version - only beating Boyd because he voted for his own photo!