DCRO Call-out at Bagshawe Cavern

We had been home for a short while after the day's caving. Karen had put her caving clothes in the washing machine and just after 17:00 we were getting ready to see Mike Harding at Buxton Opera House. Just after Karen had finished in the shower and I was going to have a bath, I answered the phone. A call-out. Typical!

A 14 year old girl, a member of a led party from Edale Youth Hostel, had slipped in The Hippodrome in Bagshawe Cavern and hurt her back.

We drove to Bradwell and joined the other vehicles in the Bagshawe Cavern car park and Karen was asked to help out with the base radio, etc. while I got changed into my caving gear.

A group had already been sent down to see what was happening with a crash bag, etc. and Anne, Claire and myself had a look at how we might rig ropes to assist getting the stretcher up the concrete steps at the entrance.

In the end, Ben, one of the Controllers, decided it would be best to use a single length of rope, even though the steps weren't straight and there was a roof-lowering. 

At first we were told the girl was packaged up in a stretcher and we would be hauling up the stairs in half an hour – which didn't seem likely. Then we were told to join the others underground.

We moved the stretcher through the easy passage after The Hippodrome towards the entrance but as it was mostly narrow it made it very slow and difficult.

By keeping the stretcher on the move, supporting it on our legs as we squatted in narrowings and moved the stretcher along and taking advantage of any slight widenings in the passage to get Team Members to try and get passed from the rear of the stretcher to the front, we soon arrived near the foot of the steps.

I had been tasked to sort out the hauling up the steps and along with Brendan, Simon and three others, we climbed back up the stairs to get ready to help move the stretcher up the steps. Basically we were supporting some of the weight and preventing the stretcher from slipping back down while others on the steps manoeuvred the stretcher.

Just after 21:00, the girl was being loaded into the waiting ambulance and after loading the dirty kit into the vehicle and a quick debrief in the car park, we headed for home grateful that it hadn't taken too long.

It was a pity about missing the Mike Harding show, though.

Water Icicle Close Cavern

Phil Walker and Rich had been digging by the Great Rift in Water Icicle Close Cavern recently and last week they had a major breakthrough! They had been underground until 02:00 running around excitedly exploring around 100 metres of large phreatic passage similar to the North-West Passage.

Today, they had invited several members of Orpheus Caving Club to see their new discovery so Karen and I met up with Phil and Rich along with Chris Jackson, Boyd Potts, Alan Hatton and Pete Wagstaff at the Orpheus hut, along with Keith who was out of underground action for the present as a result of a shoulder operation. Leaving Keith at the hut to carry out various little jobs in his role as Tackle Master, the rest of us made our way to Monyash to drive up Derby Lane and get our caving gear on.

We dropped down the entrance shaft and left our SRT kit there and made our way tot he break-through point which was to the left at the “T-junction” at the end of the North Passage.

They had only to dig a short distance through mainly small rocks and boulders and after a short low section, they found large phreatic passage.

Phil had dropped by our house during the week to pick up some warning tape and stainless steel pegs to tape a path through the floor which has interesting sediments and a bit of formation.

There was a short climb up which Rich and Phil had climbed and bolted and left a rope in-situ but it pitched off higher up so we weren't worried about having left our SRT kits by the entrance shaft.

We had a look at the continuation of the passage which was a cross-rift blocked with mud where they had started digging.

Just before this point, Waggy had investigated a very low and very narrow passage going of to the left and was soon followed by Phil and Rich.

I tried to follow and at first thought I had missed something as the way seemed awfully small and was partially blocked by a small boulder. Phil poked his head back through the passage and explained that you had to squeeze up and past the boulder.

I took another look and there was no way I could get through. Rats.

Boyd had a look and came to the same decision. Alan might have got past but as he hadn't been caving for very long, he was a bit worried about the return journey.

Karen had a look and thought she may be able to get passed but there was another low awkward bit immediately afterwards and didn't think she would get back even if she managed to get through.

So, we had a poke around, Karen replaced some of the red and white plastic tape which Phil had to use with the thinner and stronger orange conservation tape we had got from Dave Webb of the DCA and then took some photos.

An hour and a half went since the three had disappeared and we were getting a little concerned when we heard shuffling and groaning and Rich arrived back. They had found around 60 metres of small passage! We had to help move a small rock so that he could rejoin us in the main passage/

Shortly afterwards, a very muddy Waggy was back, followed by Phil soon afterwards.

By now it was after 15:00, so we decided to call it a day and head for the surface.

After getting changed, and a meal in the café, Karen and I dropped back at the Orpheus hut to pick up the tea and coffee stuff we had left in the morning then headed for home.

Derbyshire Caving Association AGM

Karen and I were at the DCA AGM from 10:00 to just after 15:00 and although we had planned on a short walk, we decided to just have a meal in the café and head for home due to the time of day.

Casualty Care Exam at EMRT's base in Hope Valley

I spent the morning and part of the afternoon at Edale Mountain Rescue Team's base in Hope taking the exam for the Casualty Care course.

Myself and four others from DCRO were there on the day for the exam along with quite a few from Edale and some other Mountain Rescue Teams.

Everyone took and passed the written part of the exam but things didn't go to well on the two practical scenarios: a Trauma scenario and a Medical one.

Some failed on of their scenarios but were able to re-take and passed. One failed both Trauma and Medical so that was it for him as you are only allowed to fail one scenario and re-take on the day. I passed both mine OK (Trauma was a caver who had fallen with abdominal injuries and broken or dislocated shoulder, Medical was a woman at a fund-raising event with a diabetic hypoglycaemia).

A Walk Up Shining Tor

A wet start today but at least the forecast was for an improvement later with dry but colder conditions as Karen and I started with breakfast in the café in Monyash. While we were there several walkers and back-packers arrived looking very wet.

We left Monyash in light rain after there had been a heavy shower while we were eating breakfast and drove through Buxton and onwards to the Goyt Valley, parking at the car park near Errwood Reservoir.

As we were getting out of the car, the rain stopped! What perfect timing!

We got our boots on and walked a gradually-rising path on slippery grass near and to the east of Shooters Clough and after passing through a stile next to a gate, continued up a broad grassy ridge next to a drystone wall which was providing excellent shelter from the strong and cold wind.

Although we were out of the mist and cloud, it looked like the cloud base wasn't much higher and we would soon loose the views across to the reservoir and to the open moorland to the east but after we reached a junction with another drystone wall heading towards Shining Tor to the north-west, the cloud base began to rise.

After following the path to the summit of Shining Tor, we found another couple just leaving after they had stopped at the two wooden benches built at the corner of two walls which provided perfect shelter from the wind, so we took advantage of the seat and the shelter to have a short break and a bit of hot drink from our flasks.

As we were sitting there, the cloud above began to break up with bits of blue sky breaking through. I popped through a small gate in the wall next to the trig point just the other side of the wall to have a look at the view to the west and as I approached a small crag, I found the wind was even stronger there as it was diverted upwards by the rocky crag.

I returned back the few yards to the gate and then we headed off to the north towards Cats Tor. Again we had quite a bit of shelter from the wall we were following near and were grateful for the large stone slabs which formed a drier path through the damp and boggy ground,

We rose up and over the broad summit of Cats Tor ad dropped down the opposite side continuing onwards until we arrived at Pym Chair where the wall meets a wooden fence and minor road with views to Windgather Rocks in the near distance to the north and the Cheshire Plain to the west.

We made use of a hollow in the corner of the wall and fence where, although we were sheltered from the strong cold wind, we could still hear and feel it blowing through gaps between the rocks in the wall. In the bottom of this shallow dip grew a small clump of snowdrops.

After a short break and again, another hot drink, we set off again to follow the minor road dropping down to the south east until we reached a stile through the wooden fence on the south side of the road.

The stile led to a path crossing Foxlow Edge and after reaching the highest point, we dropped down the other side soon arriving at a path dropping down through the woods to arrive at Shooters Clough Bridge crossing a stream which flows into the very full Errwood Reservoir.

From here, we walked a few hundred metres back to the car park.

Errwood Reservoir

Nearing the Summit of Shining Tor

Shining Tor Summit

The Sun's Out and Heading Towards Cats Tor

A Walk from Calver

As we were starting today's walk from the village of Calver, it made sense to have breakfast again at the Outside café at Calver Crossroads.

Afterwards, we walked along the Bakewell road towards Hassop and after then walking down a side road, we followed a public footpath passing some houses and gardens to arrive in pasture land.

The route than led across the slightly muddy fields due to the melting snow and above freezing temperatures until we crossed a stile and began the steep and slippery walk up the slope leading to the ridge following above the Bakewell road with views over the adjacent Bramley Wood with views across Calver village below to the north and Baslow further away to the south-east.

There is a path along the top of the ridge passing the edge of the steeply-banked wood on one side and a gritstone drystone-wall on the other with a short section of low arched passage through thisk rhododendron bushes.

Continuing along the ridge, we dropped a short distance to cross Bramley Lane, then again along the ridge-top path now passing Bank Wood.

We had a brief stop to have a hot drink here then continued onwards to another lane, this time School Lane, then along the Bakewell road again to arrive at Hassop where we passed the entrance to Hassop Hall and walked up a rising lane for about 750 metres before leaving the lane to cross a field planted with a crop looking like brussels sprouts or something very similar, following a very muddy route where a public footpath crossed the field until we arrived at the hamlet of Rowland.

After following s short section of minor road we arrived at a rough land rover track which led us towards Deep Rake quarry, taking avoiding action as a group of trial bikes roared past, until we arrived eventually at a path leading down slope across a field back near where we started.

The Great Ridge, Edale

As forecasted, it was a lovely day with dry and sunny weather but cold.

We parked in the village of Hope and followed the route leaving next to the school and onwards over the railway bridge to the summit of Lose Hill. We stopped along the way when the icy conditions made us decide to put on our Kahtoola Microspikes which made progress much easier.

There were lovely views across the Hope and Edale Valleys and it was surprisingly warm with the sun and little wind despite the freezing weather.

We followed the path along the top of the great ridge with icy sections making us graeful for the Microspikes, then after passing Back Tor and the top of Mam Tor, we dropped down from Mam Nick to Windy Knoll where we stopped for a snack.

Afterwards, we crossed the road and then followed the tarmaced track passing Rowter Farm then onto the unsurfaced track which follows where there was more snow and ice, making sure we got out of the way as a small convoy of four-wheel drives with their “One Life Live It” stickers trundled past.

Leaving the track at the signpost for The Limestone Way, our route crossed some fields then down a very icy Cave Dale to the village of Castleton where we sat on the seat around a tree in the Market Square and had another snack and hot drink.

From Castleton we followed the riverside path back to where we started in Hope.

A Walk Near Winster

Last night it had snowed and we woke up to find several inches of snow had settled so rather then drive somewhere we had a walk from home.

After walking down most of Main Street towards Wensley, we followed the public footpath at Painters Lane then across farmland and through a section of Clough Wood to again cross some pastureland where a number of ponies were trying to find grazing beneath the layer of snow.

After crossing a style in a barbed wire fence where there were loads of animal tracks in the snow: mainly rabbit and deer, the path led steeply up a wooded slope then contoured along a further section of Clough Wood in a large arc arriving at an unsurfaced track of Clough Lane.

Following Clough Lane westwards passing some farm buildings where there were surprisingly old lambs for the time of year, we arrived at the narrow minor road leading from the nearby village of Birchover where there are an old set of stocks interestingly by the side of the road by a house wall.

Our route now followed across more fields near Birchover then at a path junction turned southwards crossing more fields to arrive again at Birchover Lane near the the road from Wensley to Winster.

All that remained we to follow the road back to Winster and after passing through the churchyard, we were back in Main Street.

Keeping the Lawn Short

Looking across to Winster

Birchover

Stocks outside a house near Birchover

Biggin Dale, Wolfescote Dale and Beresford Dale from Hartington

The morning temperature was well below zero degrees centigrade as I left Karen at home with things to do and drove to the nearby village of Hartington.

As I was earlyish at 09:30, there were plenty of places to park in the village centre car park and after getting my boots on, I left the village centre with its frozen duck pond to walk up the hill past the very old and impressive Hartington Hall, which is a Youth Hostel, then passed through a gate into some fields.

The ground was frozen rock-hard as I followed the marked path through squeeze stiles then onto the unsurfaced track called Highfield Lane.

I passed a large flock of fieldfares in the field the other side of the bordering drystone wall and after walking along the lane for about 2 kilometres the lane joins a minor road very near to the top end of Biggin Dale.

My route was through a gate from the minor road and then down Biggin Dale where I stopped in the shelter of a small branching dale as there was a very cold wind blowing, to have lunch.

Afterwards I continued along Biggin Dale to join the larger Wolfescote Dale where the two dales join.

Wolfescote Dale has part of the River Dove flowing along it and I turned to the north-west to follow the river and the dale to where the dale runs out at a large flat field.

The route followed a public right of way across the field with the often wet and muddy sections frozen.

After crossing a short footbridge I arrived at the start of the smaller Beresford Dale which leads to another section of pastureland and then back to Hartington.