Cresswell Crags

Karen's parents Bob and Pat were visiting for the weekend and Karen had planned on a visit to Cresswell Crags. It took some time to drive there as they are located on the Derbyshire /Nottinghamshire border. Because some prehistoric rock engravings were found a few years ago and prehistoric art is very rare in the UK, Creswell Crags and their caves have been in the news rather a lot recently. There is a brand new visitors centre and car park, where we parked and walked the short distance to the Crags.
These are limestone and form a short valley with walls 25 or so metres high, with a lake in between them and very picturesque. We walked around the lake looking at the various caves named Boathouse Cave, Church Hole Cave, Robin Hoods Cave, Pinhead Cave and others. Because of the archarologocal interest - they have been excavated and studied for many decades - all the entrances were well closed with metal railings and locked gates.
There were a family of swans at the near end of the lake and when an elderly gentleman came past in an electric wheelchair, he was chased by the male swan who took exception to the wheelchair and pecked at the rear wheels!
We had a quick sandwich and drink in the cafe before heading howewards and stopping off at Cromford Wharf and having a walk along the Cromford Canal to High Peak Junction and back. We saw quite a lot of Little Grebes and also Moorhens, Coots and Mallard Ducks as well as a fleeting glance of a couple of water voles at High Peak Junction.

Whalf Pipe Climbing Shaft, Monyash

After tea or coffee for all of us (Keith and Pete had stayed overnight with us) and cereal or porridge for me and Karen, we drove to the Orpheus cottage as we had arranged to meet two prospective members: Jonathan Reeves and Helen Jenkins, for a caving trip. Jonathan had been caving before but had a seven year break after moving to London and back to Belper and had no real SRT experience. Helen was a SWCC member and had done some SRT. So we decided to give Jonathan a session on the cottage gable end to practice passing rebelays and changing from prusik to abseil and vice versa. Of course we also had to have breakfast at Monyash Cafe and had decided on a trip in Whalf Pipe Mine as that was local and had several straight-forward rebelays.
After breakfast, Pete, Keith, Boyd, Karen and I took Jonathan and Helen down Whalf Pipe Climbing Shaft with Keith rigging and Karen following Boyd with Jonathan behind Karen and me bringing up the rear. Jonathan was a bit slow, as expected, but we were soon all collected near the bottom of the Engine Shaft. Keith had earlier dropped a rope down this as he and Pete planned to exit via that route. After giving Jonathan a quick tour of the local parts of the mine while Boyd did the same with Helen, we headed back to the surface with Karen going last as she wanted to de-rig. Again it took quite a while for Jonathan to prusik up and pass the rebelays but we were back on the surface by 5:00pm - not too bad as we had very late start! After washing ropes etc. back at the cottage (Keith and Pete had already headed home) we chatted to Jenny, Eileen and Dick Marley, etc then headed for home at around 7:00pm.

DCRO Rescue Practice, Matlock Bath

Karen and I parked at the car park next to the New Bath Hotel along with some other DCRO members as we waited for the search exercise to start at 10:00am. We were briefed by the Training Officer, Ben Stevens. The scenario was that a 55 year old caver had asked for the key to Youd's Level which was unavailable due to pollution. He had told Mining Museum staff that he would just go caving somewhere else. He hadn't arrived home and his wife reported him missing. He was dressed in a green oversuit, was very quiet and his head was loose: that is, the rescue dummy!
There were four members of Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team (who were camping at the Miners Standard in Winster for the planned BBQ later in the evening) joining in. Each joined a team of four made up if DCRO members and I lead a team including Nigel of WMRT plus Ron Price and Mick (can't remember his last name). We were asked to search Devonshire Mine, SO we headed along the footpath and alleyway leading up to the path passing the entrance, When we got there there was a led group of children waiting at the entrance and I spoke to the instructor who said the door was locked and there were no bags or rucksacks around. We reported back to Control that we were at the entrance and were asked to check the other entrances. I had been in the mine once before (with Karen) a few years ago and no one else in the group knew it either. So we decided to head in this way and find the other entrance and shafts from inside. This we did and had a thorough poke around the top half of the mine. I thought that Control would be looking for information so after a quick search we headed back to the surface and I reported back that we found no evidence of someone having gone in any of the entrances.
We were asked to wait for a second group including Mick Earl and Alan Berry, who had finished searching an other location, to arrive and then search the top half and bottom half between us. After a short time the second group arrived and after a quick discussion, we decided to do a more thorough search of the top half while the other team covered the bottom as one of them was more familiar with the mine.
We had another god poke around anywhere we found and found no sign of any dummies. Lee Langdon had given us information on the radio that there was a part of the cave above the main chamber involving a climb and traversing some holes and some ladder which led to an old quarry entrance, but we never found it!
After an hour my team headed for the surface and met the WMRT members waiting their (the had quickly searched the locality while we were underground and also had nothing to report. I reported back and was told to wait for the other team to return. After some time the second team re-surfaced and they asked me to report back that they had thoroughly searched the lower section and also found nothing. Control asked us to return to base.
Once reported back we had lunch and it seemed that one of the teams on the High Tor side of the valley had reported nothing found in a small cave or mine were told to try again - a heavy hint that the dummy was there somewhere and they had either searched the wrong hole or had missed it. There was a report back that the dummy had been found. Ben retrieved it along with some team members in his Land Rover. After changing and a quick debrief, we dispersed.
Tony Seddon was set up at the Orpheus cottage with his new caving gear business "Starless River" so we decided to drop by to have a look. I was interested in an Adventrure Verticale oversuit but he hadn't any with him in my size (he though XXL due to my height). Karen tried out a MTDE harness and I bought a new Petzl Croll and a Raumer stainless steel krab to use as a braking krab. We met Jonathan Reeves who was a prospective new member and had contacted Karen about joining earlier in the week and was planning to come tomorrow for a caving trip.
Afterwards we headed for home for an evening meal and waited for Keith and Pete, who had spent the day digging in Water Icicle Close Cavern, to join us at the Miners Standard for the DCRO BBQ. When there was no sign of them by 7:30pm, Karen and I walk up to the pub and found them already there having eaten a meal. There was poor turnout at the BBQ with only Rick Lewthwaite and his wife, Julie Hardy and Nikki and Mat Adlam-Styles who had come for a short time as Nikki was suffering with a bad cold. After saying "hello" to Rick, etc. (there were the members of WMRT an their families as well) we returned back indoors to join Keith and Pete.

Engine Vein Mine and The Cobalt Mine, Alderley Edge

As one of the organised underground trips being run as part of the NAMHO Conference (being run in Matlock this year), Karen and I joined a group for a guided trip down Engine Vein Mine and The Cobalt Mine. These are two of the mines in Alderley Edge. We started with a trip down Engine Vein mine entering via Hough Level. After having a look around various parts of the mine, we climbed a fixed iron ladder at Blue Shaft leading to a higher area in the mine. The ladder passed close to a formation of various shades of blue due to the copper content (this being a copper mine - see the Derbyshire Cave Club's web page) and was very spectacular. At the top of the ladder was another short ladder leading past an opening into another shaft called the Bear Pit. After looking around the upper section of the mine we ended up below the original entrance via a large gash on the surface which was originally due to a fault and was gradually widened over the centuries.
After lunch at the Tea Shop next to the nearby "The Wizard" pub we walked a short distance towards the car park and after the shaft lid was opened we climbed down a short fixed iron ladder into The Cobalt Mine. This was a smaller mine with mostly crawling-sized passages with much evidence of the Cobalt which was mined there, as black areas in the sandstone. Once we had seen most parts of the mine we reascended to the surface and while some were taken on another short visit to a third mine, Karen and I headed back to the Orpheus Club cottage for the OCC BBQ.

Walk in Dovedale

A lovely sunny day in contrast to last Sunday's rain. Karen joined me in a circular walk along the River Dove which I did on 31st March. This time starting from Milldale so that the walk uphill to Alstonefield was at the start of the walk instead of the end. We parked up at the free car park in Milldale just after 10 in the morning so there were still plenty of spaces and after getting our boots on, headed up the quiet road leading uphill to Alsonefield.
As we reached the village of Alstonefield we couldn't help but notice that there was a "Hope Farm", a "Hope View", a "Hope Cottage" all close together. I looked for a "Hopeless" something but could see none!
Leaving the road by a small car park in the village centre, we headed across fields via stiles built into the walls and gradually gained height with views of Alstonefield and the surrounding area opening out behind. At a large Dew Pond we turned up slope and reached a stile by a mound where we disturbed sheep who were lying in the shade on such a warm day. We had to have a look at the guidebook to work out where to go next even though we could see our next target, Narrowdale, but soon found the way..
At the head of Narrowdale, it was tricky to find the route as according to the map it involved following a track between two drystone walls but the entrance to the track had a locked gate with a sign saying "No Public Right of Way Through Gate". There was a footpath sign pointing away from our route next to a wall with a second set of footpath signs a short way along. Following this route there was a stile leading across the track to an obvious route through a field which was parallel with our intended route if not the same. Following this it lead along one side of Narrowdale when we should have been on the path along the bottom. We worked our way down the steep grassy side to the bottom and could see where we had gone wrong earlier. Never mind, we were now on the correct route.
Following down Narrowdale passing an old "Lister" engine-powered pump, we soon reached a larger track leading to a lovely house all alone in a lovely position. Continuing down the large track, we eventually reached a junction and after turning right were soon at a foot bridge across the Dove next to Frank i'th' Rocks cliff with its small cave entrance. This is Frank i'th' Rocks Cave and is only a small chamber with a narrow passage leading to another smaller entrance a few metres away. It is up a slope and we sat at the entrance having a sandwich with the river below.
After our stop, we continued along the river seeing several herons fishing, until we reached the road back into Milldale by an old mill and a large house by a small bridge over the river Dove. We turned left away from Milldale and crossed the road to gain a path on the other side of the wall along the road and followed this as it gradually gained in height. After about a quarter of a mile we headed at right angles to the road up a steeper grassy slope and were soon at the top of the Dale with the road and the river quite a long way down below us.
We followed along the Dale side with views back along the way we had come and into the distance until after crossing a wall via a stile, we saw Dovedale continuing down away from Milldale. We followed down the short zig-zag path to the small Viator's Bridge in Milldale village which we crossed and after buying some sausage rolls and drinks at the small shop, we sat by the water and ate these as the ducks preened themselves nearby. Once the food was finished we walked the short distance to the car park and headed for home.

Aygill Caverns, Yorkshire

Today we planned on a trip into Aygill Caverns. I thought I remembered a trip there many years ago with the Saint Albans Caving Club but later on after reaching the entrance I realised I had remembered incorrectly and I hadn't been there before. Anyway, Pete, Dave, Phil, Keith, Karen and I arrived at Bull Pot Farm to get changed into caving gear while Boyd planned to accompany us to the entrance and then go for a short walk. We walked the short distance to the cave entrance - unusual for the Yorkshire Dales, and arrived at the smallish hole beneath a small crag next to the small beck flowing past. There was a bit of a barrier made from rocks which appeared to divert some of the water from the entrance in high water conditions. I dropped the tackle bag I had been carrying and after Boyd and Dave had taken some photos of us standing by the entrance, Pete and Phil clambered down the short climb into the small chamber below. Keith had injured the end of one of his fingers while moving a rock in Water Icicle Cavern back in Derbyshire last weekend and with the nail coming off and the finger tip swollen and painful, he decided not to go underground and give it a chance to heal. SO we said good bye and Karen dropped down the entrance next only to find that her Stenlight wouldn't work! She handed her helmet to me and since Dave also had a Stenlight, we plugged Karen's light into Dave's battery and it worked fine, so Karen's battery must have been flat.
Karen decided rather than totally abort the trip, she would go at least as far as the first pitch using her back-up light attached to her helmet. So we let Dave overtake us and then followed him inwards. After the small entrance chamber, the cave continued as a low crawl and after a junction and a short climb, we reached one of those annoying sections of passage which is too narrow at the bottom so you have to traverse along in a wider section, still not very wide, and not very tall either, using slippery footholds and bracing yourself with your arms and shoulders and hips. After a short bit of this, I decided to give up as we were only planning to go a short way due to Karen's light problems and as I didn't wan to wrench my shoulder, just in case anyway, we decided to turn around and exit. We were soon back on the surface after spending an even shorter time underground than yesterday! As we told Dave that we were heading out we heard Pete's voice saying "Paul's not allowed to have more cake as h hasn't done enough!".
We were heading for County Clare in a fortnight and as Keith was arriving a week later by flying to Shannon, we agreed to take his caving gear and had arranged for him to stick his tackle bag full of gear under Karen's car after he head headed back earlier. When we returned to where the cars were parked, we found Keith still there waiting in his car. He realised that his bag was too big to hide underneath Karen's car and not wanting to leave it somewhere else in an also inconspicuous place in case we didn't see it and assume it had been taken, he decided to wait until Boyd had returned from his short walk and ask him to look after it and then pass it onto us later.
Soon after we had changed form caving gear, Boyd arrived and we all decided on another trip to Bernies before heading for home despite the next day being Spring Bank Holiday as Karen and I had already planned to do this as my car was off the road and I planned to go to work on the Bank Holiday and take the next day off instead, while all the others were also going home for one reason or another - plus the weather forecast for the next day was quite bad,

Ireby Fell Cavern, Yorkshire

Bank Holiday weekend and the two of us arrived at the YSS Old Schoolhouse last night to find a large group from Holland who had been staying there all week and a few others. In the morning we headed for Bernies as usual where we met Keith, Boyd, Mark Silo, Dave Phillips, Phil Wall and Pete Wagstaff. The plan was for Boyd, Dave and Pete to have a trip in the Easegill system, as per the Trip List while the rest of us planned on the Shadow Route in Ireby Fell Cavern.
After breakfast we all headed for Masongill or Bull Pot Farm. When Karen got out of her car near the water treatment building on Masongill Lane, she spotted a ten pound note and picked it up. It had been there for a while as it had mud splashes. She shouted to Keith what she found. I the started waving a twenty pound note and Keith came running over shouting excitedly "Where did you find that?" I told him "in my wallet!" which had Karen laughing. Anyway, we got changed and headed for the cave with the plan to do the Shadow Route, which I hadn't done before, with Mark doing the rigging.
Someone has made a stepped path down into the shakehole and also quite a lot of work stabilising boulders in the entrance passage. Another party were in front of us, it seemed, as the usual "Ding", "Dong" and "Dell" (the first three pitches which unite at the same position as the bottom of the Shadow Route) route were already rigged. Mark set off on the initial traverse section followed by Keith and the rest of us. At the end of the traverse, it seemed getting onto the "Y" hang would be a little tricky as it didn't seem to have a lot in the way of footholds and on closer inspection I thought it might be even more tricky to get off again on the way up. Since my injured shoulder is still not back at full strength, I decided not to risk having problems so I returned along the short traverse and let Karen and Phil through. I thought I would have a try at getting past the traverse but wait until I was the last so that I could take some time over it. Karen made it look straightforward by clipping her footloop onto the top of the "Y" hang.
A short way down this first bit, the Shadow Route is parallel to the rope on "Ding" pitch, but part way down, you swing through a hole into a parallel shaft. Karen swing across and soon shouted "Rope free" and Phil followed down. Karen soon returned before Phil had reached the hole saying she was having trouble getting past a rebelay beyond the hole and was coming back up. So Phil pulled the other party's rope over so that Karen could use it to prusik back up to the traverse, where I was waiting. She was unhappy that she had had to give up and we both returned the short way to the surface.
We walked back across the moorland and down Masongill Lane to where we had parked the car and started to get changed out of our caving gear. Karen spotted Keith's car keys in her boot and didn't remember him saying he was leaving them there. We would have to be there when the others came back so that Keith could get his keys and get changed as his clothes were locked in his care, plus also be able to drive his car back to Ingleton! Estimating that we would have to wait at least an hour and a half for them to return, we decided to return to Ingleton for a coffee and then come back. This we did, but we parked in a different place behind Mark's car instead of behind Keith's, where he wouldn't be able to see it as he returned down the lane, leading him to think we had gone off with his keys...
We waited a while and sure enough the others arrived and Keith started hunting around his car to see if we had left his keys anywhere without any luck. We saw him then borrow Phil's mobile phone and guessed he was phoning Karen so she quickly set her phone to silent mode before it started to ring. She answered say "Hello Phil!" and Keith started saying that we had his keys and where were we? Karen couldn't prevent herself from giggling thus giving the game away!
Once the rest were changed out of caving gear we mounted the top of the small covered reservoir to see the distant view of the sea and Morecambe Bay in the distance with the sun glinting off the water - than back to Bernies!