Bull Pot of the Witches

After yesterday's improvement in the weather, we were in for another wet day today. So again, we had a suitable location already decided on and again, somewhere none of us had been before: Bull Pot if the Witches.

Again it was quiet in Bernies at breakfast (where were all the cavers?).

Next was the trek to the Red Rose Cave and Pothole Club's hut at Bull Pot Farm to get changed.

One good thing about this cave: it's a short walk from the car and also a flat walk!

Again Keith was rigging and he started the route which follows a short muddy path at the top of the large open pot from some resined-in bolts and again a convenient overhanging tree.

After a short drop from the tree to a rebelay at a lip of rock the again a short drop to the floor of the large open pot near the waterfall stained with the peaty water from the surrounding bog.

Our route then followed a lowish passage to a sloping rift with a seemingly excess of resined in bolts to choose with a Y hang followed by two deviations to reach the floor.

This was followed almost immediately be the next pitch which was only about 4 or 5 or so metres high and looked climbable but we rigged it nevertheless.

Some more passageway then a clamber down to reach a lower passage with a small steam flowing followed by a lowering of the ceiling to form a crawl and another short pitch which had an in-situ rope.

Keith rigged our rope as well and there was no knowing the condition of the rope we had found already rigged.

The take-off for pitch was awkward and looked even worse when coming the other way when re-ascending. As I knew there was only a short section of cave remaining below, and my collar bone was still painful (a stone had fallen down Jingling Hole when I was at the bottom and made a direct hit on my left collar bone – luckily it had been a small stone), I decided to wait at the top while Karen and Keith continued.

They were back in around 15 or 20 minutes and we reversed our route back to the surface to find it raining again, exactly as forecasted.

After getting changed at the cars near Bull Pot Farm, we said good bye to Keith, who was going straight home to Rugby, while Karen and I returned to Bernies for a meal and then to return the key for Greenclose at the New Inn in Clapham before heading for home ourselves.