Knotlow Cavern

Karen and I drove to Monyash Cafe, again and found Keith and Pete Collins there waiting for breakfast. I had arranged to meet Dave Webb there for a trip down Knotlow cavern so that he could have a look at several locations where it had been suggested some repair work is carried out before recommending the mine for led caving trips. Dave was looking at the locations with a view to cave conservation. Alan Keen of Masson CG was with Dave and he joined us for the trip. Another group of cavers, including Dennis Jump was also in the cafe and knew Dave. They had a trip down the Engine Shaft and over towards the Fourways Shaft area.

Morrisons Bag Pack for DCRO

In the morning I went to Ashbourne to get my hair cut and then after a quick lunch at home I joined Karen and the others at Morrisons supermarket in Buxton to help out packing bags for customers in return for donations to DCRO. We knocked of at 2:00 pm and went to Monyash Cafe for something to eat.

Walk from Hartington along Biggin, Wolfescote and Beresford Dales, Peak District

Karen was tied up with writing up Minutes for various minutes and other tasks so I decided to go for a walk despite the weather forecast of rain - at least the temperature was supposed to be a few degrees warmer than yesterday! First I called at the Orpheus Caving Club hut to pick up some stuff I had left behind yesterday and found a visiting group trying to get their mini-bus out of the car park after last night's icy conditions with Keith and Pete Collins (who had arrived yesterday evening) waiting in Pete's car for them to get out of the way. They were heading for breakfast at Monyash cafe before a digging session at Water Icicle Close Cavern.
I picked up my stuff and followed Keith and Pete to join them for some food at the cafe, Afterwards they headed for the mine while I headed for Hartington. I parked in the village centre and got my boots on. I headed uphill on a minor road which led past Hartington Hall which is a Youth Hostel and then across the fields following a Public Footpath to a track which brought me to the start of Biggin Dale after a mile or two. Part way along this track the first of several showers started so I stopped to get my overtrousers on. There was a small flood on the very short section of minor road between the end of the track and the start of Biggin Dale so I stopped and waited for a van to pass in order to avoid a splashing.
I followed down Biggin Dale which was quiet - so far I only saw two people since leaving Hartington. I followed along the dale, which was quite wet underfoot after the overnight snow, which had since melted, and today's rain showers. Soon I reached the picturesque junction of Biggin and Wolfescote Dales where you meet the upstream end of the River Dove. Here the rain got heavier and the river was flowing well with the water fairly muddy. I followed along Wolfescote Dale until after passing over a lane with footbridge over the river I entered Beresford Dale. This started as a wide area of pasture which was very waterlogged but soon narrowed into a path. I followed this until I ended up in fields with the sun breaking though the clouds with the rain stopping. Soon I was back in the village of Hartington and after changing out of boots, I drove the short distance back to Winster and home.

Knotlow Cavern, Peak District

During the week Jess Eades had asked if there was any caving planned for today so we arranged to meet at the Orpheus hut in the morning. Keith also planned to come along so once he had arrived we decided on a trip to Knotlow Cavern because a) Jess wanted some SRT practice and b) Keith wanted to go to the cafe in Monyash...
So, it was off to the cafe and once we had finished, we drove up the lane and track to Knotlow Triangle. It was dry but cold so most of us had changed into furry suits before leaving the hut. Just as we were heading for the shafts, two more cars arrived with a group of students - there was a CHECC (Council of Higher Education Clubs) gathering in Castleton this weekend.
Keith attached our 80 metre rope to Knotlow Engine Shaft and lowered it down the 210 foot shaft while I headed for the nearby Climbing Shaft which I found already rigged (in fact one of the students had told Karen that this was so). I headed onwards down the mine rigging our own rope as well until Jess, Keith and Karen arrived in Pearl Chamber at the bottom of the second pitch. We continued on down the several short climbs and passageways until arriving at the top of the last pitch: Waterfall Pitch. I soon had this rigged and waited at the bottom until the others had descended. I managed to get hold of the 80 metre rope which was hanging down the Engine Shaft and pulled it to the side as the rope and tackle bag were floating in the deep pool at the foot of the shaft.
Karen set off up the 210 foot prusik to the surface and Jess and Keith were to follow while I returned the way we had come in order to de-rig our rope. At the top of the second pitch I found a group of three cavers on their way down. They were another 3 University club cavers. Once they had descended this pitch I de-rigged out and back up the Climbing Shaft to find Karen on the surface at the Engine Shaft in the cold air - it was hovering just above freezing on the surface whereas underground it was noticeably warmer.
After I had hauled the tackle bags and rope to the surface and tidied away the rope into a bag, Jess had arrived. We went back to our cars and while Jess and Karen started to change out of caving gear, I took off my SRT stuff and walked back to the Engine Shaft to meet Keith when he surfaced so that I could help haul up the 80 metre rope. We also got changed and then headed back to the nice warm cafe.

DCRO Induction Day

I spent the day at the Whitehall Centre near Buxton with this year's Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation Induction Day.

Water Icicle Close Cavern, Peak District

I met Keith in the morning at the Orpheus hut, leaving Karen with her parents. We headed for the Old Smithy Cafe in Monyash for breakfast and then drove up Derby Lane and got changed, sheltering from the drizzle at the back of my car.
Keith rigged down the entrance pitch and I followed down. We were planning to do a rough survey to check where the current dig (the end of "North-West" Passage) lies in relation to the surface. We measured with a 5 metre household tape and Silva compass so it wasn't going to be a highly accurate survey, but it should be good enough to do a rough check.
Once we had the underground survey, we prusiked back up the entrance pitch and then measured out the lengths and directions on the surface. This indicated that the dig was roughly below a shakehole in a nearby field which has a line of blind trial shafts.
We got changed again and had a quick brew in the cafe and then back to the Orpheus hut.

Yordas Cave Roof Traverse, Yorkshire Dales

After a bit of a noisy night (a group celebrating someone's 21st birthday was staying in the adjoining bunkhouse) we were all up at about half past eight. After a bit of breakfast, Karen, Pete and I moved on to Bernies for a second course (!) while Boyd went walking, Jenny caught up with some work at the bunkhouse and Dave headed off for a day of DIY involving a shed roof. We had a break from Bernies by driving around to Kingsdale with the plan of following the Roof Traverse route in Yordas Pot. Karen and I were in my car and we followed after Pete and found him parked in a layby which we though was not the right one for Yordas Cave so we asked him what was he parking there for and continued on down the road. After 100 yards, we realised that Pete was in the right layby after all, so I sheepishly did a three point turn and parked in front of his car. We were at least now pointing in the correct direction so that we could shelter from the rain at the back of the car!
We were soon changed and made our way up to the two middle entrances in the gully which soon join a short distance inside and join the route part way between the foot of Yordas Pot and the streamway leading to the top of Chapter House Waterfall in Yordas cave,
When we reached the point where the stream cascades down the two large steps of the Waterfall, Pete started rigging following the line of resin bolts leading along the roof and Karen and I followed behind. After a short traverse, Pete abseiled down 3 or so metres to join the bolts continuing at a lower level and again made another short abseil to swing across to a line of bolts on the opposite wall. We could see a group of cavers below looking up at the waterfall, having entered the large impressive chamber of Yordas Cave. There was then another short traverse leading to a Y hang and then a final, longer abseil with a long reach needed to get to the deviation, which dropped down to the pool at the bottom of the Waterfall and the narrow connection with Yordas Cave. Karen headed out via Yordas Cave to the surface while I headed back up from the final traverse followed by Pete who began de-rigging. Once the rope (45 metres is about right for this route) was dealt with, we headed back to the two short pitched leading back to the middle entrance, where we met a small group of cavers who were on their way in to have a look at the route we had just followed.
We returned to the car, thankfully with a break in the rain, and after changing returned to Bernies for more delights.

Alum Pot, Yorkshire Dales

We arrived last night at Clapham to meet Boy in the New Inn. Afterwards, Karen and I followed Boyd back to where we were staying for the weekend which was a bunkhouse at the Dalesbridge Centre near Austwick. Jenny was there as well.
In the morning, the weather forecast for a wet day proved true and Karen opted to join Jenny to go bird-watching on the coast near Morecambe Bay. But first, she wanted to buy some new wellies, so the two of us headed for Bernies to get them while Boyd waited at the bunkhouse for Pete Wagstaff and James Hamilton who were due to arrive this morning. Dave Phillips was also arriving this morning but was to meet us at Bernies.
Jenny arrived a little while later and picked up Karen while I waited for the others. Once we were all ready, we drove out of Ingleton to the hamlet Selside via the road past Ribblehead Viaduct. The road leading to Horton-in-Ribblesdale via Selside had a "Road Closed" sign but I carried on hoping that the closure was beyond Selside and luckily it was.
We parked in Alum Pot Lane and statred getting changed. The plan was for Pete and Dave to abseil down the shorter of the two routes from a tree at the top of the Pot while Boyd, James and I went as far as The Bridge (a convenient large slab which lies at an angle of 50 degrees or so from one side of the Pot to the other part way down) via Lower Long Churn Cave, and I was then to continue to the bottom of Alum Pot with Pete and Dave.
We met a large party of cavers at the climb down near the Cheese Press, and Boyd suggested that I could return back a short distance through the cave and follow the alternative climb down to the same place and he could pass down our gear to me so that I could head onwards to start rigging Dolly Tubs Pitch. By the time I had done this, the other cavers had passed the climb down and so had Boyd and James! Anyway, the other group were luckily only looking at the top of Dolly Tubs pitch and then left us to continue on our way.
I rigged the pitch and Boyd dropped down the remaining two tackle bags. This is a very pleasant route and arriving at the large ledge overlooking the impressive opening of Alum Pot is always impressive. Continuing down the short descent of the Greasy Slab, we continued on across the easy ledge leading to the top of The Bridge. The ledge is easy but a slip would be almost certainly fatal, so it is usually rigged with a protective traverse line.
We continued on down the large, sloping ledge of The Bridge and I started rigging the long drop from underneath the slab while Boyd and James (who is a newcomer to all this Single Rope Technique stuff) started making their way back towards Lower Long Churn Cave. I dropped down the pitch. While abseiling, I looked down and could see Pete and Dave at the bottom in a corner sheltering from the wind and spray of the waterfall waiting for me. Their route was almost direct to where the were from the tree above, so they had arrived long before we did.
Anyway, the 45 metre was only just long enough to reach a large step at the bottom near Pete and Dave and I handed them the tackle bag with the short rope for the final pitch leading to the bottom of Diccan Pot where Alum Pot and Diccan Pot join. I headed back up the rope as Boyd and James would be waiting, and arranged with Pete for he and Dave to de-rig the rope leading up to underneath The Bridge as they continued back the way they had come. I headed after the other two and de-rigged as I went. There was yet another group if cavers at the ledge below Dolly Tubs pitch with more ascending their caving ladder which they had rigged on the alternative hang on the pitch.
I found James part way up Dolly Tubs and started following him and Boyd. Once Dolly Tubs was de-rigged, we started making our way out via the very nice Lower Long Churn Cave with no one falling Plank Pool or Double Shuffle Pool, as happened on the way in...
Once back at the entrance to Lower Long Churn, we found the weather had improved and was a bit brighter with some blue patches in the clouds. Despite the wet weather, including overnight rain, water levels had been as about expected for a normal winter day.
We got changed back into our non-caving clothing and it was back to Bernies for chip butties. Afterwards we returned to the bunkhouse and met Jenny and Karen soon afterwards once they had returned from their trip.

Lathkill Head Cave Top Entrance, Peak District

After spending the morning at a DCA Meeting in Monyash Village Hall, Karen and I had lunch in Monyash Cafe and waited for Jess E. to arrive as arranged. After she had arrived, we drove the short distance up the road to the lay-by near the end of Lathkill Dale.
After changing into caving gear, we walked along the Dale and for a short distance and then followed a track through fields to the entrance to Lathkill Head Cave 's Top Entrance. We dropped down the entrance pitch and then the next main pitch into The Waiting Room. Once all three of us were down, Karen and Jess clambered down to Lathkiller Hall and had a look at the stream which was high as expected at this time of the the year - in fact you could hear the roar of the water from The Waiting Room above. I didn't bother clambering down to the bottom as I knew we wouldn't be able to get any further due to the high water levels.
Once the other two had returned, Karen prusiked up the rope followed by Jess. When it was my turn, I looked up and could see tat the rope was rubbing at the large hole above despite the deviation. I shouted up to Karen and asked her to drop back down and add an extra karabiner to sort the problem out (it had been fine on the way down but it seemed the angle of the deviation had made it too short and left the rope too close to the lip of the hole. Once Karen had done this I followed up and de0rigged the rope, Karen waited in the small chamber just below the short entrance shaft as I usually find returning through the restricted connection vet awkward unless there is someone beneath to give one of my legs a shove. I stripped off my SRT kit, shoved it through the constriction a,d with a shove on my leg from Karen I was through and soon followed by Karen.
By now it was dark as it was about half past five (we had started at about three in the afternoon. We got everything sorted and and closed the lid then walked back to the car and got changed. Then we returned to the Orpheus CC Cottage for Bonfire Night fireworks, the barrel of Pedigree and jacket potatoes with chilli.