Caving in the Yorkshire Dales, Sell Gill Holes

There was an Orpheus CC limited trip to South Wales (one day as far as we could tell!) and as Keith was still supposed to be recuperating from his shoulder operation, we decided to spend the May Bank Holiday weekend caving in the Dales.

Karen and I drove up last night and staked some bunks in Grenclose House, the Northern Pennine Club's cottage near Clapham, which we had booked already. Once this was done, the two of us drove to Clapham for a drink at the New Inn where we met Tim and Thelma Nixon, who were also up for the weekend and staying at Greenclose, but not caving.

In the morning, after a bit of cereal, Karen and I left for Ingleton to have the rest of breakfast at Bernies where we met Keith, who had driven up in the morning.

We settled on a trip to Sell Gill Holes and after breakfast was complete, we drove to Horton in Ribblesdale while Keith, who was going to follow us, followed the wrong Nissan X-trail from Ingleton for a while before he realised it wasn't my car!

Anyway, we parked on the verge of the small lane leading North from the hamlet of New Houses and were a bit dismayed to see a couple of vehicles already parked there on the small layby meaning there were probably some other cavers intent on the same cave. A couple then walked past wearing caving gear as we were getting changed, so there were bound to be some others at Sell Gill Holes!

Anyway, we changed into caving gear and then walked back to New Houses and then followed the green lane heading East from the hamlet which led to a public footpath crossing sloping fields uphill to join the rough track which is the route followed by the Pennine Way and soon brought us to Sell Gill Holes after about a kilometre.

We found a group of four cavers just beginning to descend the Entrance Pitch of the Fossil Route so we took our time to don our SRT kit and then sat in the cool sunshine chatting until the pitch was free.

I set off rigging the entrance pitch and found that there were already two ropes rigged, so another party must already be in the cave.

Anyway, we caught the others up at the traverse to the second pitch and after they had descended and then the other party arrived. They were a couple of cavers who were part of another group who had also rigged the Goblin Route.

We had a bit of a wait until the other cavers had gone but it soon passed and at least there was just one rope now to get in the way on this pitch and the third further down.

I soon had the traverse rigged and a sling in place for the deviation and dropped down to the bottom and called “rope free”.

As the other party were still descending the third and final pitch we had a look around the chamber and rift leading off between the second and third pitches.

Soon we set off down the last pitch and and met the other lot who were looking at the cave shrimps in a pool of water.

The three of us followed down the large chamber then crawled through the lower section at the bottom. We got as far as a low and wet section and decided to forgo the pleasure of a soaking and made our way back to the third pitch and after the other party had cleared the pitch, Karen began to prusik up followed by myself with Keith bringing up the rear de-rigging.

Soon we were back at the surface and walking back down to the cars to get changed then return to Bernies for chip butties or egg, ships and beans, in my case.