Saturday
Karen and I joined Keith and Pete Collins for a session at the Water Icicle Close Cavern dig after breakfast at Monyash cafe. The plan was to begin setting up some scaffolding in the end of North-East Passage. First we investigated a couple of ginged shafts in the adjoining field which are covered with rocks. These led nowhere. We then dropped down the entrance shaft and Keith climbed up the aluminium builders ladder which we left in place and hauled up the scaffold tubes and buckets of clips which I tied onto the rope. Pete joined him and they discovered that the two spanners they had brought with them were the wrong size!
So, Karen and I exited while the other two had a look at the top of the aven in the passage under the adjoining wood. They climbed up to the top and found tree roots sticking through so must have been near the surface. It was back to Monyash cafe!
Sunday
Karen was busy tidying up Hefford House and generously allowed me to join Keith and Pete underground again. I met them at the Orpheus cottage and while they set off to buy a couple of spanners, hopefully the right size this time, I had breakfast. Simon Wynne was around and decided to join me on a photographic trip down Water Icicle. Simon and I headed off for Monyash following Boyd in his van. We checked to see if Pete and Keith were back from their shopping run and at the cafe but they weren't. We left Boyd planning to get a cake and coffee and set off for Derby Lane.
We met Captain Cock-up and the Brown Mud Cowboy (Keith and Pete) coming back down Derby Lane. They had been checking to see if we were at Water Icicle and let us know that they had failed to buy any spanners! So we got the rope from them and Simon and I headed into Water Icicle to take some photos while Keith and Pete headed back to the Orpheus cottage. Simon and I spent an hour or so taking photos then headed back to the Orpheus cottage as well to clean up and then head for home.
Saturday
So, Karen and I exited while the other two had a look at the top of the aven in the passage under the adjoining wood. They climbed up to the top and found tree roots sticking through so must have been near the surface. It was back to Monyash cafe!
A nice sunny but cold day so Karen and I went for a walk not far from home starting at Earl Sterndale and traversing Chrome Hill. This and the other nearby hills are remnants of a coral reef many thousands of years ago and are formed from limestone. We started our walk near the pub in Earl Sterndale with the interesting name of "The Quiet Woman" and an even more interesting pub sign! On the way around we walked up part of Dowal Dale passing Owl Hole which is a cave I spent some months digging in with other members of the Orpheus Caving Club which lead to interesting and well-decorated extensions of the cave.
Karen and Keith at one of the entrances to Lower Long Churn Cave in the Yorkshire Dales. This is the one route which can be used to enter Alum Pot via the Dolly Tubs pitch.
