Yesterday was again wet and windy but I was on holiday from work
and at home so it was a day spent indoors. Today Karen decided to
also have a rest day so I had a walk on Kinder Scout. Up via
Grindslow Knoll and down via Ringing Roger.
It was still showery and very windy and I suppose with the bad
weather together with it being New Years Eve, I only saw half a dozen
other people out walking.
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
Sunday, 29 December 2013
Travel Back Home
As the weather was still wet and windy, we had breakfast and
settled up with the B&B owner (£35 each per night). As the
parking outside was restricted to certain hours, once we had packed
the car we relocated I to the main town car park and then had a
wander around various gear shops as well as have a snack in a café.
After this, we set off for home around lunch time.
After this, we set off for home around lunch time.
Saturday, 28 December 2013
Dow Crag from Walna Scar Track Car Park
An improvement in the weather luckily with a lot less wind and no
rain despite a misty start on the tops. We drove to Coniston and at
first tried two road turnings before choosing the right on leading up
a steep lane ending at a metal field gate.
Through the gate is a rough car parking area at the start of the Walna Scar track and we parked here and got our walking boots on at the same time as several other walkers.
While the crowds made for the track leading northwards presumably all intent on the summit of the Old Man of Coniston, we followed the Walna Scar Road track westwards.
As we gradually gained height, we could see more and more of Coniston Water behind us and also into the far distance where the sun was glinting off the sea. The tops of the surrounding mountains were mostly hidden in mist and there were occasional breaks in the cloud allowing the sun to light up the cwm between the Old Man and Dow Crag highlighting the old quarries on both sides.
We paused to take photos and crossed a small packhorse bridge over a stream before starting up a steeper section of path.
Although there was a lot less wind than yesterday, there was still quite a bit of cold wind so we made use of a small abandoned quarry next to the path to sit sheltered from the wind and have a hot drink from our flasks.
Continuing afterwards, we reached a shallow col and a crossroads formed by two paths. Taking the right-hand choice brought us up towards the summit of Brown Pike and the start of a ridge geading towards the top of Dow Crag.
As the ridge bore the full force of the wind and there was some shelter offered by a small circular wall and again we sat in the lee of this rough and low wall to have another bit of hot drink while we saw the mist move around the side of the Old Man opposite us.
We continued along the ridge wearing extra insulation as the wind was very cold and quite a bit stronger at this height being careful to not approach the edge too closely as the wind was blowing in that direction and below were very high cliffs and gullies.
We passed another summit at Buck Pike and after a similar distance reached the highest point of the ridge and the more rocky summit of Dow Crag.
After balancing across boulders and rocky slabs the path continued northwards and then north-east dropping down to the col at Goat's Hawse. We found a well-sheltered spot next to the path part way down and sat there to eat our lunch.
As we were eating lunch the mist gradually lifted revealing the whole of the Old Man opposite Goat's Hawse.
After lunch we dropped down to the col and then made our way down the rocky steps forming the start of the path descending to pass close to Goat's Water and views of the large and dark cliffs on the side of Dow Crag.
As we were walking towards the lake of Goat's Water we noticed that every now and then the string wind would blow some of the water from the surface of the lake and then whip a cloud of water across the surface.
After passing the lake, the path eventually rejoined the Walna Track Road and we retraced our route back to the car park.
Through the gate is a rough car parking area at the start of the Walna Scar track and we parked here and got our walking boots on at the same time as several other walkers.
While the crowds made for the track leading northwards presumably all intent on the summit of the Old Man of Coniston, we followed the Walna Scar Road track westwards.
As we gradually gained height, we could see more and more of Coniston Water behind us and also into the far distance where the sun was glinting off the sea. The tops of the surrounding mountains were mostly hidden in mist and there were occasional breaks in the cloud allowing the sun to light up the cwm between the Old Man and Dow Crag highlighting the old quarries on both sides.
We paused to take photos and crossed a small packhorse bridge over a stream before starting up a steeper section of path.
Although there was a lot less wind than yesterday, there was still quite a bit of cold wind so we made use of a small abandoned quarry next to the path to sit sheltered from the wind and have a hot drink from our flasks.
Continuing afterwards, we reached a shallow col and a crossroads formed by two paths. Taking the right-hand choice brought us up towards the summit of Brown Pike and the start of a ridge geading towards the top of Dow Crag.
As the ridge bore the full force of the wind and there was some shelter offered by a small circular wall and again we sat in the lee of this rough and low wall to have another bit of hot drink while we saw the mist move around the side of the Old Man opposite us.
We continued along the ridge wearing extra insulation as the wind was very cold and quite a bit stronger at this height being careful to not approach the edge too closely as the wind was blowing in that direction and below were very high cliffs and gullies.
We passed another summit at Buck Pike and after a similar distance reached the highest point of the ridge and the more rocky summit of Dow Crag.
After balancing across boulders and rocky slabs the path continued northwards and then north-east dropping down to the col at Goat's Hawse. We found a well-sheltered spot next to the path part way down and sat there to eat our lunch.
As we were eating lunch the mist gradually lifted revealing the whole of the Old Man opposite Goat's Hawse.
After lunch we dropped down to the col and then made our way down the rocky steps forming the start of the path descending to pass close to Goat's Water and views of the large and dark cliffs on the side of Dow Crag.
As we were walking towards the lake of Goat's Water we noticed that every now and then the string wind would blow some of the water from the surface of the lake and then whip a cloud of water across the surface.
After passing the lake, the path eventually rejoined the Walna Track Road and we retraced our route back to the car park.
 |
| Walna Scar Road heading towards Brown Pike |
 |
| Tiny shelter |
 |
| Summit of Brown Pike |
 |
| Summit of Buck Pike |
 |
| Summit of Dow Crag |
 |
| Old Man of Coniston from Dow Crag |
 |
| Cliffs on Dow Crag |
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| Goat's Water |
Friday, 27 December 2013
Easdale Tarn from Grasmere
As we were both taking a break from work between Christmas and the
New Year, Karen and I decided to spend a couple if days in the Lake
District.
We had done this twice before in recent years, only we were joined by Keith and Pete Collins on those occasions. Pete and Keith were staying in the Peak District at the same time to go digging in Water Icicle Close Cavern.
As on those previous trips we stayed at Claremont House, a bed and breakfast accommodation in the centre of Ambleside. Unlike those previous trip, the weather wasn't very good.
Anyway, we set off from home in the morning and after 2 and three quarter hours parked in the village of Grasmere. The weather was extremely windy with frequent showers so the route would remain at low level and make use of the landscape to gain shelter from the south-westerly wind.
Leaving the car parked in a small car park belonging tot he church which had an honesty box for payment of car parking fees, which we did, particularly as it was cheaper than the main “pay and display” car park in the village, we followed Easedale Road bringing us to the start of a bridleway. The bridleway brought us along Easedale Beck which flows out of Easedale Tarn, which was our destination for the walk.
It was a very easy and pleasant walk (if you ignored the rain showers!) and largely sheltered from the fierce winds. The picturesque waterfall called Sour Milk Gill soon was in view and our route took us close by.
Sections of the path were paved with steps made from rough rock as the ground steepened and as we neared the tarn, we were exposed to the full force of the wind which wasn't only very strong, but was gusting quite a lot.
As we paused in the shelter of a large boulder by the outlet of the tarn we saw a couple out walking with a dog on the opposite side of the beck. They were looking at trying to cross the beck using large stones in the beck's bed but appeared to be hesitating.
They saw us and waited for us to cross, probably to see what would happen! We waited for a lull in the wind between gusts and Karen started stepping across the 4 metres or so of beck while I hurried across behind wishing I had me walking poles like Karen!
Luckily we made it without falling in and set off back towards Grasmere on another path on this side of the beck.
After a few hundred metres we found a good sheltered spot by a large boulder as had a short break to have some hot drinks from flasks and then continued onwards.
We met a bridleway which the path joined at a T-junction and followed this back to join another small road joining Easedale Road back in the village and on the way passed some miserable looking Herdwick sheep sheltering by some drystone walls.
Back in Grasmere the first thing we did after changing out of our boots was find a café to warm up and have a coffee!
We had done this twice before in recent years, only we were joined by Keith and Pete Collins on those occasions. Pete and Keith were staying in the Peak District at the same time to go digging in Water Icicle Close Cavern.
As on those previous trips we stayed at Claremont House, a bed and breakfast accommodation in the centre of Ambleside. Unlike those previous trip, the weather wasn't very good.
Anyway, we set off from home in the morning and after 2 and three quarter hours parked in the village of Grasmere. The weather was extremely windy with frequent showers so the route would remain at low level and make use of the landscape to gain shelter from the south-westerly wind.
Leaving the car parked in a small car park belonging tot he church which had an honesty box for payment of car parking fees, which we did, particularly as it was cheaper than the main “pay and display” car park in the village, we followed Easedale Road bringing us to the start of a bridleway. The bridleway brought us along Easedale Beck which flows out of Easedale Tarn, which was our destination for the walk.
It was a very easy and pleasant walk (if you ignored the rain showers!) and largely sheltered from the fierce winds. The picturesque waterfall called Sour Milk Gill soon was in view and our route took us close by.
Sections of the path were paved with steps made from rough rock as the ground steepened and as we neared the tarn, we were exposed to the full force of the wind which wasn't only very strong, but was gusting quite a lot.
As we paused in the shelter of a large boulder by the outlet of the tarn we saw a couple out walking with a dog on the opposite side of the beck. They were looking at trying to cross the beck using large stones in the beck's bed but appeared to be hesitating.
They saw us and waited for us to cross, probably to see what would happen! We waited for a lull in the wind between gusts and Karen started stepping across the 4 metres or so of beck while I hurried across behind wishing I had me walking poles like Karen!
Luckily we made it without falling in and set off back towards Grasmere on another path on this side of the beck.
After a few hundred metres we found a good sheltered spot by a large boulder as had a short break to have some hot drinks from flasks and then continued onwards.
We met a bridleway which the path joined at a T-junction and followed this back to join another small road joining Easedale Road back in the village and on the way passed some miserable looking Herdwick sheep sheltering by some drystone walls.
Back in Grasmere the first thing we did after changing out of our boots was find a café to warm up and have a coffee!
Sunday, 22 December 2013
A Walk from Grangemill
We joined a group of about a dozen people on a Peak District Mines
Historical Society walk led by Tony Wood starting at the Holly Bush
pub in the hamlet of Grangemill at the crossroads at the top of the
Via Gellia.
Leaving the pub we started on the bridleway leading from the crossroads through fields above Grange Mill Quarry, which is part of the Limestone Way. We could see the full extent of the huge limestone quarry which is still a working quarry and mostly not seen from nearby roads. Continuing on the Limestone Way route, Tony pointed out the small rectangular building on the skyline ahead which was a Royal Observer Corps lookout location from World War II. This was used to spot German bombers heading towards Manchester and when they had been spotted, they could inform anti-aircraft guns further along the flight path.
After crossing a muddy recently ploughed field, we crossed the High Peak Trail and arrived at Manystones Lane after crossing another field and following a farm track.
We walked along Manystones Lane towards Harborough Rocks and after a short diversion into the field with a Public Footpath to see some old mine workings and a large mine shaft covered with concrete railway sleepers, we returned to the road and walked as far as the track leading through the works again back onto the High Peak Trail opposite Harborough Rocks.
We followed the old railway track which carries the High Peak Trail, pausing to view the collection of four new wind turbines recently installed on Carsington Pasture. These were in view for a large proportion of the walk and raised a bit of discussion amongst the group mainly along the lines of the unwanted visual intrusion so that some individuals can make a lot of money and not make any real contribution to saving carbon dioxide emissions.
We next followed the access road for the works next to the trail which are sited by one of the shafts into Golconda Mine. As the works are running throughout the week we weren't allowed to approach the shaft top but we could look at the old winding wheel which was displayed on a plinth outside a small office building.
After leaving the works we found ourselves on a wide vehicle track which led northwards and after walking along the track for a short distance, we left it for a footpath through a field gate leading us down a small muddy and wooded dale known as Marks Dale which leads to the the road in the Via Gellia.
On the way we had a look at an old ruined coe (the small building located by mine shafts where the miners used to store their tools and get changed into work clothes) and further along, another coe which was larger and next to a small adit with a corresponding adit on the opposite side of the small dale. Some had a look a short way into the adit, but the adit on the opposite side had been blocked by a collapse of surface soil not very far in.
Further down Marks Dale we reached the minor road going through the Via Gellia next to a layby and from here we walked up the road for a bit and then turned off on the small road leading through the hamlet of Ible and then down again back to our starting point for a quick drink and a bit of cottage pie at the Holly Bush. It was nice in the snug bar with a warm fire burning to warm up on a cold and windy day.
Leaving the pub we started on the bridleway leading from the crossroads through fields above Grange Mill Quarry, which is part of the Limestone Way. We could see the full extent of the huge limestone quarry which is still a working quarry and mostly not seen from nearby roads. Continuing on the Limestone Way route, Tony pointed out the small rectangular building on the skyline ahead which was a Royal Observer Corps lookout location from World War II. This was used to spot German bombers heading towards Manchester and when they had been spotted, they could inform anti-aircraft guns further along the flight path.
After crossing a muddy recently ploughed field, we crossed the High Peak Trail and arrived at Manystones Lane after crossing another field and following a farm track.
We walked along Manystones Lane towards Harborough Rocks and after a short diversion into the field with a Public Footpath to see some old mine workings and a large mine shaft covered with concrete railway sleepers, we returned to the road and walked as far as the track leading through the works again back onto the High Peak Trail opposite Harborough Rocks.
We followed the old railway track which carries the High Peak Trail, pausing to view the collection of four new wind turbines recently installed on Carsington Pasture. These were in view for a large proportion of the walk and raised a bit of discussion amongst the group mainly along the lines of the unwanted visual intrusion so that some individuals can make a lot of money and not make any real contribution to saving carbon dioxide emissions.
We next followed the access road for the works next to the trail which are sited by one of the shafts into Golconda Mine. As the works are running throughout the week we weren't allowed to approach the shaft top but we could look at the old winding wheel which was displayed on a plinth outside a small office building.
After leaving the works we found ourselves on a wide vehicle track which led northwards and after walking along the track for a short distance, we left it for a footpath through a field gate leading us down a small muddy and wooded dale known as Marks Dale which leads to the the road in the Via Gellia.
On the way we had a look at an old ruined coe (the small building located by mine shafts where the miners used to store their tools and get changed into work clothes) and further along, another coe which was larger and next to a small adit with a corresponding adit on the opposite side of the small dale. Some had a look a short way into the adit, but the adit on the opposite side had been blocked by a collapse of surface soil not very far in.
Further down Marks Dale we reached the minor road going through the Via Gellia next to a layby and from here we walked up the road for a bit and then turned off on the small road leading through the hamlet of Ible and then down again back to our starting point for a quick drink and a bit of cottage pie at the Holly Bush. It was nice in the snug bar with a warm fire burning to warm up on a cold and windy day.
Saturday, 21 December 2013
Maskhill Mine
Karen wanted to have a bit of SRT rigging practice and I suggested
Maskhill Mine as we had to be in the Castleton area in the morning. I
was going to meet Tony Seddon of StarlessRiver.com at the TSG hut to
buy a new furry suit.
After our visit to see Tony, we returned up the Winnats Pass to park at Oxlow Farm again for the third time in as many weeks and got changed into caving gear.
We met Jo and her companion at the layby leading to the caves and had already met them earlier at the TSG hut as they were also meeting Tony about caving gear,
Jo and the other caver were heading for Oxlow Cavern and we left them en route to take the steep uphill route to the entrance shaft of Maskhill Mine.
As we only wanted to carry a single tackle bag of rope each, we had enough rope to reach the top of the vertical section called Murmuring Churn as Karen set off down the entrance shaft.
I followed after hearing her shout up “Rope free” after she had passed the first rebelay and I was glad to get into the shaft out of the cold wind which was blowing on the surface.
There were a couple of awkward places where the resined in bolts made it obvious you were supposed to tie the rope to them but it wasn't always obvious which was the best way and I rearranged a couple of the belay points.
Karen dropped down the final section of rope above Murmuring Churn and I followed and was just at the final rebelay when Karen shouted up she had run out of rope and was ready to start coming up again so I also started up again ahead of Karen as she followed de-rigging the ropes as she went.
We were back on the surface after around three and a half hours at 16:00 and were soon back at the farm and changed out of caving gear.
A quick return to the Orpheus hut to wash and put the ropes away and then home.
After our visit to see Tony, we returned up the Winnats Pass to park at Oxlow Farm again for the third time in as many weeks and got changed into caving gear.
We met Jo and her companion at the layby leading to the caves and had already met them earlier at the TSG hut as they were also meeting Tony about caving gear,
Jo and the other caver were heading for Oxlow Cavern and we left them en route to take the steep uphill route to the entrance shaft of Maskhill Mine.
As we only wanted to carry a single tackle bag of rope each, we had enough rope to reach the top of the vertical section called Murmuring Churn as Karen set off down the entrance shaft.
I followed after hearing her shout up “Rope free” after she had passed the first rebelay and I was glad to get into the shaft out of the cold wind which was blowing on the surface.
There were a couple of awkward places where the resined in bolts made it obvious you were supposed to tie the rope to them but it wasn't always obvious which was the best way and I rearranged a couple of the belay points.
Karen dropped down the final section of rope above Murmuring Churn and I followed and was just at the final rebelay when Karen shouted up she had run out of rope and was ready to start coming up again so I also started up again ahead of Karen as she followed de-rigging the ropes as she went.
We were back on the surface after around three and a half hours at 16:00 and were soon back at the farm and changed out of caving gear.
A quick return to the Orpheus hut to wash and put the ropes away and then home.
Sunday, 15 December 2013
A Short Walk
Since I had to visit Hitch 'n' Hike near Bamford to get a replacement Petzl
SRT harness which I ordered last week plus the forecast was for a
very wet afternoon, we decided on a short walk.
After leaving the car at the top of Padley Gorge we crossed the road to enter a gate leading to Longshaw Lodge. Tempted by the National Trust café, we were planning to have a quick brew and snack but found it was very busy so we continued on our way.
We left the Lodge by the drive to the Sheffield road and left the drive to follow a path by the brook bringing us back to the top of Padley Gorge.
After leaving the car at the top of Padley Gorge we crossed the road to enter a gate leading to Longshaw Lodge. Tempted by the National Trust café, we were planning to have a quick brew and snack but found it was very busy so we continued on our way.
We left the Lodge by the drive to the Sheffield road and left the drive to follow a path by the brook bringing us back to the top of Padley Gorge.
Saturday, 14 December 2013
Oxlow Cavern
Last
week, Boyd had told us he was arranging a trip down Oxlow Cavern with
Jack who is a new prospective member. We decided to join them as
although we had been in Oxlow Cavern last week with Keith (who was
staying at home this weekend), a trip in Oxlow Cavern or nearby
Maskhill Mine is always enjoyable.
Karen
and I had the usual start at the café in Monyash for breakfast and
then headed for the Orpheus cottage. Boyd and Jack hadn't yet arrived
so we got the appropriate ropes and tackle bags out of the store and
packed the ropes in the bags.
Boyd
and Jack arrived and we spent a little time setting up Jack's brand
new cowstails and footloop/safety link in the comfort of the cottage
rather on the side of the hill by the cave entrance.
We
drove to Oxlow Farm where I parked off the road in front of the barn
while Boyd parked on the verge across the road. We sorted out our
courtesy payments to access the cave via private farmland and while
Boyd and Jack started getting changed in Boyd's van, Karen and I made
use of the barn as usual. It was a welcome shelter while getting
changed as there was a strong and cold wind blowing.
As
we were getting changed, another car arrived and parked next to mine.
Jess and Ann (two other caver we know) got out and joined us in the barn to get
their caving gear on. They were planning on a trip down Maskhill Mine
to practice SRT rigging.
We
were all ready at the same time and as Jess and Ann walked down the
road to the stile access point to the caves, we followed behind and
parted as they started up the steep slope towards Maskhill while we
continued on the lower route to Oxlow.
I
took up rigging duty as Keith wasn't around and set off down the
entrance shaft first. Jack was coping well with the SRT technical
bits (he had some previous practice and shorter trips).
I
was rigging the wide “Y hang” at the top if the last pitch to
bring us towards the impressive West Chamber and couldn't understand
why a thin stream of cold water was running down my left leg and into
my welly as I wasn't standing under any water or drips until I
realised that water was running down the rope above the pitch and
then dropping of my descender and then into the crotch section of my
oversuit! As I held onto the rope while clipping in the deviation
sling at the top of the pitch, now the water ran down my arm, round
my lower back and down my leg, again into my welly!
Soon
we were all at the foot of the last pitch (we weren't planning on
dropping down the last pitch of Maskhill Mine to the sump where Oxlow
Cavern and Maskhill Mine connect.
We
had a look at the very wet vertical section above the Maskhill Mine
sump from the small tube from Oxlow Cavern and then sat on some
boulders in the West Chamber and munched on Mars bars.
We
headed back to the surface in the reverse order with my taking up the
rear de-rigging the ropes as we went.
Back
on the surface it was beginning to get dark as it was nearly four in
the afternoon.
After getting changed from caving gear, we returned to the club cottage to wash the ropes and tackle bags and return them to the tackle store.
Sunday, 8 December 2013
Ashford Black Marble Mine
Another short trip underground today, this time a wander around
Ashford Black Marble Mine near Ahford in the Water. It has a locked
gate on the entrance but it is possible to arrange trips to see the
mine.
This is an interesting small mine (I suppose it's technically and underground quarry as it was the rock which was being extracted for itself rather than as an ore for metal or mineral) and was used to supply a black marble.
From Wikipedia “Ashford Black Marble is the name given to a dark limestone, quarried from mines near Ashford-in-the-Water, in Derbyshire, England. Once cut, turned and polished, its shiny black surface is highly decorative. Ashford Black Marble is a very fine-grained sedimentary rock, and is not a true marble in the geological sense. It can be cut and inlaid with other decorative stones and minerals, using a technique known as pietra dura. Derby Museum has a diagram of Ecton Hill made from Ashford Black Marble and other minerals”.
Some parts were marked with read and white plastic tape to warn of dangerous sections but most of the mine was accessible and except for a few feet as you entered through the locked gate into the mine, it was all easy walking with more than enough head room.There were a few places where some calcite formations had grown which were impressive and an area where there was a lot of graffiti, some from the 19th Century.
This is an interesting small mine (I suppose it's technically and underground quarry as it was the rock which was being extracted for itself rather than as an ore for metal or mineral) and was used to supply a black marble.
From Wikipedia “Ashford Black Marble is the name given to a dark limestone, quarried from mines near Ashford-in-the-Water, in Derbyshire, England. Once cut, turned and polished, its shiny black surface is highly decorative. Ashford Black Marble is a very fine-grained sedimentary rock, and is not a true marble in the geological sense. It can be cut and inlaid with other decorative stones and minerals, using a technique known as pietra dura. Derby Museum has a diagram of Ecton Hill made from Ashford Black Marble and other minerals”.
Some parts were marked with read and white plastic tape to warn of dangerous sections but most of the mine was accessible and except for a few feet as you entered through the locked gate into the mine, it was all easy walking with more than enough head room.There were a few places where some calcite formations had grown which were impressive and an area where there was a lot of graffiti, some from the 19th Century.
Saturday, 7 December 2013
Oxlow Cavern
Again, the Orpheus Caving Club Christmas Dinner weekend rolls
around. Last year we had a pre-dinner trip down Oxlow Cavern so this
year we did the same!
As we were changing into our caving gear in the shelter of the barn at Oxlow Farm, another group of cavers stopped by to get permission and pay the courtesy fee of £2 each and one of them told us they were de-rigging Maskhill Mine and Oxlow Cavern after they had been left rigged for the Council of Higher Education Caving Clubs event a fortnight ago in the Peak District. They kindly offered us to use the ropes in Oxlow Cavern, and as we were planning on a relatively short trip to the East Chamber we only had to take a single rope for the drop down from the col between West Swirl Passage and the East Chamber, which wouldn't have been rigged.
We passed the rest of the group, including the caving instructor Simon Mee, getting into their caving gear at the roadside by the style used to access the caves and made our way to the shaft entrance.
It was of course a rapid trip to the East Chamber following mostly the ropes already rigged and as we were having a look around the chamber and the dig in the floor, we could see and hear some of the others as they dropped down to the col above and disappeared down West Swirl Passage.
We had a Mars bar or Snickers bar and then I set off back to the surface followed by Karen and Keith.
I arrived back at the surface after an hour and a half underground soon followed by the others.
After changing out of caving gear and a trip to Hitch 'n' Hike so that Keith could buy a tackle bag, we stopped at Outside in Hathersage for a small meal for lunch.
Later in the evening Karen drove us to Biggin where we attended the club Christmas Dinner in the Waterloo Inn.
As we were changing into our caving gear in the shelter of the barn at Oxlow Farm, another group of cavers stopped by to get permission and pay the courtesy fee of £2 each and one of them told us they were de-rigging Maskhill Mine and Oxlow Cavern after they had been left rigged for the Council of Higher Education Caving Clubs event a fortnight ago in the Peak District. They kindly offered us to use the ropes in Oxlow Cavern, and as we were planning on a relatively short trip to the East Chamber we only had to take a single rope for the drop down from the col between West Swirl Passage and the East Chamber, which wouldn't have been rigged.
We passed the rest of the group, including the caving instructor Simon Mee, getting into their caving gear at the roadside by the style used to access the caves and made our way to the shaft entrance.
It was of course a rapid trip to the East Chamber following mostly the ropes already rigged and as we were having a look around the chamber and the dig in the floor, we could see and hear some of the others as they dropped down to the col above and disappeared down West Swirl Passage.
We had a Mars bar or Snickers bar and then I set off back to the surface followed by Karen and Keith.
I arrived back at the surface after an hour and a half underground soon followed by the others.
After changing out of caving gear and a trip to Hitch 'n' Hike so that Keith could buy a tackle bag, we stopped at Outside in Hathersage for a small meal for lunch.
Later in the evening Karen drove us to Biggin where we attended the club Christmas Dinner in the Waterloo Inn.
Sunday, 1 December 2013
Water Icicle Close Cavern
Keith wanted to do a bit of work in the dig at the bottom of the
Elevator and also we needed to sort out the lock on the gate which I
hadn't been able to unlock on my last trip due to dirt and grit in
the lock.
We drove to the end of Derby Lane where the farmer had blocked the field gate with large boulders probably to stop the off-roaders getting through.
Soon we had changed into caving gear and following Keith down the entrance shaft and onwards to the gate in North West Passage.
Luckily Keith was able to get the lock open after a generous application of spray oil and we made our way to Three Way Aven. We picked up a few small slabby pieces of rock and placed them on a particularly muddy section of the taped-off route as we made our way to the top of The Elevator pitch down to the current dig site.
It was impressive the work Keith and Pete had done in a few trips. They have made their way down around 10 meters into the blocked shaft at the bottom of the very shattered rift chamber.
After Keith had split a couple of boulders and move them out of the way, we started back up again but each waited out of the firing line until the person ahead was completely off the rope and back in Urchin Passage due to the large quantity of loose rock around this pitch.
We made our way to the bottom of the 30 metre entrance shaft and prusiked back to a day which had started as sunny but had turned cloudy.
A return visit back to the café beckoned.
We drove to the end of Derby Lane where the farmer had blocked the field gate with large boulders probably to stop the off-roaders getting through.
Soon we had changed into caving gear and following Keith down the entrance shaft and onwards to the gate in North West Passage.
Luckily Keith was able to get the lock open after a generous application of spray oil and we made our way to Three Way Aven. We picked up a few small slabby pieces of rock and placed them on a particularly muddy section of the taped-off route as we made our way to the top of The Elevator pitch down to the current dig site.
It was impressive the work Keith and Pete had done in a few trips. They have made their way down around 10 meters into the blocked shaft at the bottom of the very shattered rift chamber.
After Keith had split a couple of boulders and move them out of the way, we started back up again but each waited out of the firing line until the person ahead was completely off the rope and back in Urchin Passage due to the large quantity of loose rock around this pitch.
We made our way to the bottom of the 30 metre entrance shaft and prusiked back to a day which had started as sunny but had turned cloudy.
A return visit back to the café beckoned.
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