P8

A group of four men had contact the Orpheus Caving Club as they were interested in giving caving a try.
We had arranged with Boyd to meet up at the hut around 10:00 and to bring along some extra gear, so after the three of us had breakfast as usual in Monyash, Karen, Keith and myself met Boyd and some others at the hut, where there were also a group from ULSA (University of Leeds Speleological Society) staying for the weekend.
As we were chatting, Boyd received a text message forwarded by Chris Jackson, the club secretary, from Sam, one of the four we were expecting. It turned out that the other three had let him down and he apologised and said he wouldn't be able to make it after all.
So, we four decided to continue with the planned trip to P8 anyway.
There were no other cars at the usual parking place as we got changed in the cold. After getting from permission from the farmer and paying our £1 trespassing fees, we walked across the fields to the cave entrance.
There was the usual amount of water in the stream sinking in P8 and most of the entrance was coated in a thick coating of ice. I spotted a pile of sheep droppings just inside, left over from the sheep which had been rescued recently from just inside the entrance.
The upstream sump was flowing well despite the dry weather for the past few days, and the downstream sump was quite high.
We returned to the surface after a quick but thoroughly enjoyable trip, as usual with this cave.
Afterwards, we returned to the cars and got changed then it was back to the café in Monyash to stock up on lost calories!

DCA AGM

Karen and I joined Keith at Monyash café for breakfast where we also met Alan B. who had cycled from home in Hayfield for the DCA AGM.
Afterwards, Keith headed off for the dig in The Tube in Water Icicle Close Cavern while the rest of us went to the DCA AGM in the Village Hall not far away.
Once the meeting had finished, we stopped off in Bakewell for a while to have lunch then went home.

Shining Tor

A lovely day for a walk up from the car park by Fernilee Reservoir in the Goyt Valley onto the top of Shining Tor with views across to Shutlingsloe hill and all around, if a bit hazy.
When we reached the top, there was a man with radio equipment and two large aerials using up the bench we sat on before, which wasn't a problem as the wind was blowing directly towards the bench today. So we went through the small gate in the wall by the trig point and then found a sheltered spot by some gritstone outcrops on the other side.
We continued onwards on the paved path up and over Cat Tor and then down to the minor road at Pym Chair on the way to Wingather Rocks.
After another short break to finish off our flasks of hot drinks, we followed down the road for a while and then through a gate to then follow the path up and over Foxlow Edge which brought us back down to the car park.
There seemed to be a lot more people around today, both walking the same route as us and also in all the car parking places we passed – probably because this weekend has been the best weatherwise since Christmas.

At the Top of the Climb from Fernilee Reservoir

Thr Path to the Top of Shining Tor

Shining Tor Summit

Shutlingsloe in the Distance

Kinder Scout

A lovely day with some sun and very little wind and dry all day. We passed through misty sections as we made our way to Edale where luckily above the valleys it was completely clear.
Leaving the car at the main car park in Edale, we made our way up Grindslow Knoll and had as short break for a hot drink on the top.
Then we made our way around the edge path with sections of snow left over from the heavy snow falls earlier in the week.
Looking across to Rushup edge we could see more than 20 paragliders flting enjoying the probably perfect conditions.
After a lunch break near some gritstone outcropping overlooking Grindsbrook Booth below in the Edale valley, we continued on to the top of Ringing Roger where again we had a short break on the eastern side of the rocky ridge in a nice little sheltered spot made by a hollowing in the rock with a grassy floor.
After dropping down the rest of Ringing Roger we returned back to Edale and the car.
We had the usual after-walk meal at Outside in Hathersage.

Kinder Scout on the Skyline

The Edale Valley with Lose Hill and Win Hill

Rushup Edge with more than 20 Paragliders above

Approaching the top of Grindslow Knoll

Near the top of Grinds Brook

Karen on Ringing Roger

DCRO Call-out for Sheep in P8

We had each received a SARCALL text message during the day about a DCRO call-out for this evening at 19:30 as some cavers had found a sheep in P8 not far from the entrance.
Karen and I drove to the RV point, a field further along the road from the usual parking layby for P8, Gautries Hole, etc. where Pete had already parked the DCRO vehicle with its blue lights flashing.
We found Alan also there and it had begun to snow a bit as we parked near the gate in the field.
Initially I thought the sheep was in Little Bull Pit as this had been mentioned in the message but that was just identifying the rendezvous point. I asked Alan where Little Bull Pit was as I knew it wasn't too far from the road and he pointed towards some small trees not far away.
I collected my head torch from my car, pulled up the hood on my jacket because of the snow and walked over towards the trees on the frozen ground.
I ducked under some small branches and then stepped forward and felt a painful scrape on the top of my head. “Ouch!” I thought, “That hurt!”.
I put my hand to my head and found it was bleeding and also could feel a split in my scalp. Rats. I must have caught the end of a small branch with my head.
I walked back to the DCO van with my palm pressing down on the wound and asked for a bandage. Soon one was found and I replaced the blood-soaked tissue I had been using, which Karen had given me and plonked the gauze pad on the would.
After asking where the nearest Accident and Emergency room would be, Chris, who had since arrived, suggested the Minor Injuries unit in Buxton which he thought was open until around 20:00. We had arrived early and it was just after 19:00 so we left the others to it as Alan had said there were plenty of others expected and with Karen driving my car, we headed back towards Buxton, which was on the way home anyway.
We were soon seen to and a nurse cleaned the wound, saying it looked clean anyway – probably as my hood had been between the end of the branch and my head – and then she applied medical adhesive (basically a form of “Super Glue”, which was originally designed for sticking wounds back together) to the wound to hold it. By now it had stopped bleeding anyway.
So, we were back home by 20:10 after an “exciting” evening.
And the rest of the DCRO members had quickly retrieved the caving sheep back to the surface where it quickly wandered off back to the pastureland.

White Edge and Curbar Edge

Back to normal winter weather with cold temperatures well above freezing and drizzle. We started at Curbar Gap and then made our way along White Edge keeping an eye out for any red deer on the moor.

We stopped for a moment at the trig point as we had seen red deer from that location on a previous trip and after Karen had a look using her binoculars, she soon spotted some deer. I had a look as well and we could see a herd of around thirty deer a few hundred yards away mostly lying in the heather. There were several large stags with their antlers easily visible and some were on their feet and slowly walking away.

We walked along the remainder of White Edge until we reached the road and on the opposite side, the white fields gate opening onto the Longshaw Estate.

We made good use of the National Trust café at the estate to have the best soup I have had for ages: a tomato and herb soup and a bread roll plus a scone with jam.

Afterwards we passed the large pond where there was still a little ice and the ducks were slipping and sliding on it.

After dropping down to Curbar village, we climbed back up to the top of Curbar Edge on a path through woods and then walked along the top of the edge where we were buffeted by the wind which had increased in strength. At least the rain had stopped.

Soon we were back at Curbar Gap and on our way to Outside at Calver Crossroads for a meal.

Karen spotting Red Deer on the moor from the Trig Point

The "Wooden Pole" gate onto the Longshaw Estate

Inventive use of logs!

Two Oak Trees

Pooh's Place!

One of the Locals

Coombs Moss

A lovely sunny day but very cold and with what some people call a “lazy” wind: instead of blowing around you, it feels like it blows straight through you!

We started below the crag of Castle Naze which is at the northern end of a moorland plateau called Coombs Moss. This end of the moor forms a point with steep rocky ground on two sides with the third side of the triangle forming a large wall and ditch and was an Iron Age Hill Fort.

We followed a route heading mostly southwards as the edge of the moor wove its way in and out overlooking the Coombs reservoir in the distance and the Goyt Valley below.

The air was unbelievably clear and we could see for miles in all directions.

Part of the way around there are a couple of buildings used when shooting parties are on the moor and we sat in the sun on one side of the larger locked building which sheltered us from the biting wind and had a hot drink from our flasks.

We set off again and soon spotted a kestrel which was hovering while it hunted for its lunch. There were also the usual grouse every now and then suddenly taking off and making their strange call.

We had lunch by sheltering on one side of a small buttress which was sticking out on the side of the moor overlooking the Goyt Valley.

Afterwards we continued on around the plateau with views of Buxton, Chapel en le Frith and Dove Holes as we made our way.

Eventually we arrived back at Castle Naze and we made or way carefully down the steep and frozen ground back to the road where we left the car.

Such a nice walk, only a few miles from a large town like Buxton, and we didn't see anyone else at all

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Walking up towards Castle Naze

The crag of Castle Naze

Shooting hut

Starting back down Castle Naze, Coombs Reservoir in the distance