Water Icicle Close Cavern

I accompanied a group of four cavers who were part of a group from Southsea Speleological Society staying at the Orpheus cottage, on a trip into Cherty-Two passage and Urchin Passage in the North-west Passage Extensions in Water Icicle Close Cavern. It was a lovely spring day and as well as the usual skylark singing, we heard the song of a curlew as well as we got changed into caving gear.

Offerton Moor from Leadmills

It was noticeably warmer this morning as we set off from the bridge over the Derwent at Leadmills next to The Plough pub.
After a short walk next to the Hathersage road, we left it to follow a small lane and soon left that as well to follow a public footpath across a grassy field to a small stone-built bridge which crosses a small stream to another field which slopes upwards passing the large farm buildings at Hog Hall.
Leaving the trio of rams with curly horns which had been laying in the shade of a tree but then came over to see if we had anything interesting to eat, we passed through a gate and followed the tarmaced farm drive uphill soon reaching a small lane contouring along the hill.
From here we turned right to follow an unmettaled track passing another very nice farm house and outbuildings and continued onwards on the now flat and grassy track through more fields above a wood and after passing a small spring, we went through a metal field gate to arrive at a mucky path through the woods leading between two fences which led to a small ford and the junction of two streams with two wooden footbridges at Hazel Ford.
There is a stony track leading uphill from the ford and we followed this to arrive at open moorland and the track brought us down to a crossing of a small brook at Bretton Clough. Crossing the brook, by stepping over it, we had to navigate a series of parallel muddy narrow tracks and then dropped down a track with firmer ground bringing us to Stoke Ford and the junction of several paths.
We crossed the short wooden footbridge which is slumping on one side due to a crack in the wood, and had a short break nearby, having a drink of coffee from our flasks.
From there we chose the path rising through the woods signposted “Offerton” and after breaking out into a field at a stile, we crossed the field to another stile leading onto a minor road,
Crossing the road we started to follow the unsurfaced vehicle track leading to a farmhouse and then at a footpath sign left the track to follow more grassy field edge and had a short lunch break sitting on the grassy bank next to the footpath and looked out across the valley on our previous route below Bretton Clough and down to Stoke Ford.
After lunch, we continued on the footpath and after going through another field gate, we skirted around the boundary wall of the farmhouse and then followed the greener track which was the public right of way across this section of Offerton Moor, with much of the rest of the moor having had its heather and bracken cover burnt away.
The route across the moor reached a path junction and our route lay to the right and headed up the slope before dropping down the the short muddy section and wooden footbridge crossing Siney Sitch, the small stream which crossed the moor at this point. We paused for a moment to look at frog spawn. Some of the frog spawn had died, probably from a recent frost, but there seems to be plenty of small clumps of viable spawn left over.
Leaving the stream and its frog spawn we continued on the narrow footpath crossing the remainder of the moor. Usually from this point there are excellent views across Bamford Edge and the Hope Valley but today was very hazy after a misty start.
The path then led down at an angle from the moor to a small lane and after following that for a short distance, we stepped over a stile at the roadside fence and followed the narrow path which brought us to another farmhouse and other buildings and the public right of way passes across part of the farmyard and then follows a steeply-sloping field to a small gate in a drystone-wall and a path through woods.
The path left the woods at more grassy fields and then another small lane and after walking uphill along the lane we arrived at another farmhouse and across the lane was a gat leading in another section of field.

Following the route through the field and arriving at a stone stile in the high stone-built wall, the path led steeply down in a short distance to arrive at scrubby land following the River Derwent. This left a few hundred metres following parallel to the river to arrive at the squeeze stile next to Leadmills Bridge and we were back where we started.

Kinder Scout

Today Karen joined me for a walk. Where else but: Kinder Scout! Up Crowden Clough and down Grindslow Knoll. Windy and cold with temp at 600m around 3 degrees.

Mam Tor from Castleton

Karen was on holiday today to make up for having to be in work yesterday. We started off in Castleton and then made our way along the lane which leads past the Hollowford Centre where we could hear and see a group of kids enjoying themselves on the outdoor rope apparatus.
When we reached the start of the path leading to Hollins Cross, we followed that and had a short, light rain shower as we were walking up the stone steps on the path higher up.
Soon we reached the small col at Hollins Cross and I was telling Karen about my memories of having walked up to there before many years ago when on an attempt at the Pennine Way with a school friend, Dave. Dave had planned everything and we had got a bus to Castleton the evening before to stay at the Youth Hostel. It was when we got to Hollins Cross and looked down into the Edale valley and across to the village of Edale laying below Kinder Scout. Dave pointed out that was where the Pennine Way started! I wasn't impressed when I realised we hadn't even reached the start! I was even less impressed when we reached Crowden Youth Hostel (eventually!) and found it was fully booked and had to sleep in some polythene bivvy bags, we had brought in case of emergency, behind a drystone-wall!!
Anyway, this time our target was the summit of Mam Tor further along the ridge.
We walked along the stone slabbed path and were soon at the trig point on the summit. We could see more showers moving in behind us and even though there wasn't too much wind, we found a sheltered spot with some convenient stone blocks to sit on just below the summit where we sat for a few minutes to eat the rolls we bought in Castleton earlier.
Luckily there was hardly any rain by the tome the clouds reached us and we continued down from the top of Mam Tor to the small pass at Mam Nick, then down towards the Chapel-en-le-Frith road which we crossed and made our way to the small cave with a large entrance know as Windy Knoll.
We had a quick look at the entrance, noting the large rocks which had fallen from the roof a few years ago and then made our way to the road from the top of Winnats Pass, near Oxlow Farm, which we crossed and then followed the tarmac road passing Rowter Farm.
Continuing on the now non-metalled track until we reached the crossroads where the route of the Limestone Way went through a field gate then across fields to reach the top of Cave Dale.

We found a sheltered hollow to have a quick sit and finish our lunch before following the remainder of the route down Cave Dale to arrive back in the village square in Castleton.

Kinder Scout

For a change, after parking in the Edale car park, I walked up Ringing Roger then followed the edge path right around to below Edale Rocks and then down via Jacobs Ladder. I stopped twice for a coffee break: first at the top of Ringing Roger and then in a sheltered rocky bay on The Pagoda. As I was there a short sleety squall blew past. I had lunch at top of Grindsbrook Clough, again in a sheltered spot overlooking Grindsbrook Clough. There was some wind, and it was mostly cloudy with a couple of short snow showers. It was around 1 degrees at 600m, and around 6 degrees back in Edale afterwards.

Kinder Scout

With a week's holiday left to use up, I spent the first day walking on Kinder Scout. Up Grindslow Knoll down Ringing Roger. Lovely sunny day but around 3 degrees at 600m and a strong wind so quite a wind chill. Around 9 or 10 degrees back in Edale afterwards.

Longshaw Estate with Karen's Parents

With Keith and Karen we brought Karen's parents Bob and Pat for a short walk around the Longshaw Estate. We parked near Wooden Pole in the car park and walked to the National Trust café for lunch then returned via a different but nearby route.

Water Icicle Close Cavern

I spent most of the day with Keith helping him install scaffolding at the top of The Elevator while Karen was entertaining her parent who were visiting for the weekend.

Lathkill Head Cave Top Entrance

Karen and I had a quick trip into Lathkill Head Cave via the Top Entrance to do some annual checks as required by the landowner. We only needed to go as far as the large chamber called The Waiting Room to do these and didn't bother going further on this occasion.

Getting back out through the short constriction at the entrance was as much of a pain as usual!

White Edge and Curbar Edge

We left the car at the Surprise View car park and walked along White Edge in a strong and cold wind hoping to catch a glimpse of the red deer which live in the area, but saw none.
After lunch at the Longshaw Lodge café, we returned along the top of Curbar Edge.

DCRO Training at Stoney Middleton

We were split into three groups and I was with a group including Karen recovering a “casualty” played by Brendan Sloan in Merlin’s Mine with spinal injuries and left upper arm injury after a fall.

Afterwards we set up a Tyrolean Traverse between two trees on the opposite side of the path in Cucklet Delf.

Kinder Downfall

As Karen was having a luxurious day visiting the spa she went to with workmates before, I had the day to entertain myself and decided on a walk on Kinder again!
I parked at Upper Booth layby and set off along the Pennine Way route from Upper Booth Farm before veering off left to follow Crowden Clough to reach the plateau after that short bit of nice scrambling at the top. The top was very misty but the weather forecast was for the mist to clear arounf Noon.
I followed the path along the edge of the plateau in the mist as far as the prominent rocky feature known as Noe Stool. While making my way through the Woolpacks I met a trio of walkers who had stopped on the path for a minute. We were chatting about the weather, as you do, and one of them mentioned he had been on Kinder some years ago on a similar misty day and had got lost for 10 hours! This time he brought a guidebook and was keeping a careful eye on their progress to make sure they didn't get lost this time.
I decided to take a short cut across to Kinder Low as I wanted to have a look at Kinder Downfall as there was still quite a lot of surface water about and it was quite windy so the Downfall should be putting on a good show.
I set a route using the map and compass to aim for the Trig Point at Kinder Low and soon found a vague path heading in the right direction. As the forecast predicted, the mist suddenly cleared just after Noon and there looming out of the mist straight ahead was the white painted Trig Point set on a large gritstone boulder.
Form there I followed the path on the opposite edge heading towards the Downfall passing the obvious small gully and valley formed by Red Brook and when I was around 1 kilometre away from the Downfall I saw some smoke in that direction and wondered whether there was a fire. Suddenly I realised it wasn't smoke at all: it was the water from the Downfall being blasted up in the air by the wind!
I soon reached some of the rocks near the waterfall and took some photos and started looking for a place sheltered from the wind to sit and have lunch. The ideal spot was already taken by a couple so I walked on further towards the Downfall for a closer look.
I then retraced my steps back the way I came and saw that the ideal spot I had seen before was no unoccupied, so I made myself comfortable and sat and had lunch.

Once I had finished lunch, I again retraced my previous route and then continued along the path passing the Trig Point at Kinder Low heading for Edale Rocks. From there I followed the slabbed path from Edale Rocks down the Jacobs Ladder route and then soon was back at my starting point.

Visit to Boulby Potash Mine

As we were on an early start (and a day off from work), Keith had driven up from Rugby yesterday evening to spend the night with us. After he had arrived, he set off to drive to Buxton followed by Karen in her car so that he could park his car there as Karen and I had tickets to see Andy Kirkpatrick giving a talk in Buxton Opera House tonight at 19:30. This way we could drop Keith and Nikki Adlam-Styles off in Buxton (who was going to come with us) on our return in order to save time, which would be very tight as it would take a three hour drive to get back from Boulby. The talk was originally for a February date but it had been postponed for March and just happened to all on today's date. They also stopped off at a supermarket and bought some sandwiches to bring with us tomorrow.
Nikki arrived in the morning as arranged and we set off at 06:30 in Karen's car. We travelled north mainly on the A1and luckily had no hold ups or problems and when we were near the mine with about half an hour to spare, we parked up in a layby to eat our sandwiches for breakfast.
Continuing on to the entrance to the mine site, we called in at the reception area and then parked up to find Mick Hog had arrived already and was waiting for others to arrive. Not long after this Brian Potts arrived and joined us in the small pull-in by the reception building. The only others left to come were Boyd Potts and Mark Silo, who were travelling together.
After waiting for ten minutes or so, we learned that Boy and Mark had arrived some time ago and were parked in the main car park!
Oh well, we move on and found some spaces to park up and then walked to the office building where we were met by on the the managerial staff who brought us into the building.
We were led into a conference room and had an interesting session on the history of the mine and its workings. There were also teas and coffees and even better, very delicious bacon butties!
Around lunchtime, we dropped bags and things off in a smaller office room and then walked to another building where the men were shown into a visitors' changing room and Karen and Nikki were brought to a separate location to get changed.
We were each allocated a locker with a key labelled with our name. Dave Phillips had been sent a form for us to fill in with shoe size, chest size and height and we found each of our allocated lockers had appropriately sized cloth to wear on our trip underground.
We had been asked to bring thick socks, but everything else was provided. We had some natty light-weight high-visibility shirts and shorts, boots, shin pads, high-visibility vests and site helmets with attached ear defenders. In addition, we were also given disposable dust face masks and plastic safety glasses.
Once changed, we moved on to where the mining lamps and “self-rescuers” (a small breathing apparatus to filter out carbon monoxide for a couple of hours in case of fire) and after being allocated a number, we took the mining lamp and “self-rescuer” badged up with the same number off the charging rack. The lamps were Oldhams made with LED headsets and small waist-mounted Li-ion cells.
Next we moved on to a large hatch where we were issued with belts to mount the “self-rescuers” and lamp cells plus a small holster to carry a small bottle of water. We were also allocated small metal tags, one triangular and one circular.
Once we were all kitted up, we went through a series of metal doors forming an air-lock to arrive at the large gated lift-shaft. There are two lift-shafts: one for moving miners up and down into and from the mine and a second for moving the potash or salt to the surface. There was a forced air ventilation system with air being blown down one shaft then circulated around the mine and back up the second shaft, so it was quite noisy as we were waiting for the lift to arrive.
The lift had two sections of different sizes and we travelled down in the smaller, each of us handing over one of the metal tags to the “banksman” as we got into the lift cage. Its one kilometre down and took six minutes to travel from the surface! You could see a lot as the lift cage walls were covered in opaque plastic sheets.
When we arrived at the bottom of the shaft and the lift cage shuttering was removed, we walked out into the dusty, salty and hot, dry atmosphere which prevails underground. We were led a short distance around the side of the shaft, kicking up dust from the floor as we went, with the temperature getting hotter (it was around 30 degrees C in the sections of the mine we would visit with up to 45 degrees in deeper sections) as the air was on its way back from hotter sections of the mine. This was so we could have a look at a conveyor belt travelling along the previously-mined potash on its way to the surface.
Heading back the way we came, we walked back past the shaft and after a short distance arrived at several vehicles parked up for use underground. As with all these vehicles (various small trucks, Land Rovers, vans and a pink-coloured buggy called the “Pink Panther”) plus the large mining machinery, they had all arrived underground after being lowered down one of the mine shafts. Because fires underground cause so much danger with gasses given off, all the vehicles are stripped of unnecessary electrical equipment and wiring leaving only lights and the bare essentials.
Our guide got in the drivers seat of a small open-backed truck with Karen and Nikki joining him in the cab, while the rest of us climbed on the back to sit on cushioned benches mounted low on the load platform.
We drove around 6 or 7 miles, apparently, ending up beneath the North Sea near one of the working areas. We were travelling probably round 25 mph for most of it but it seemed quite quick with the distance to the side walls and roof not very far. We started off in a section of salt (Sodium Chloride) and then reached an an area of Potassium Chloride (or Potash). The Potash is the main product of the mine (for fertiliser) but some Sodium Chloride is also mined as Road Salt for spreading on the roads during icy periods. They prefer to mine the potash as its price is about 10 times higher than the salt!
As the mine's roof is always gradually dropping, we passed side sections with towers of wood sections arranged like a Jenga game. Karen spotted on of these that had greatly reduced in height since her last visit with Wirksworth Mine Research Group a couple of years ago. The roofs of the areas where the salt or potash had been removed gradually lower due to the layers of mineral and rock above.
After stopping the vehicle we walked along the large passageway and were brought to a face where the potash was being extracted by one of the large mining machines. These have a large rotating section with loads of small teeth mad of tungsten or another similar hard metal and the machine is controlled by on of the men standing to one side and using a control box connected by a cable.
At another location we watched a pair of men drilling and setting the long bolts used to stabilise the roof. First a long hole, around on and a half metres was drilled in the potash roof and then a tube if epoxy glue in a plastic case was inserted into the hole. Finally the bolt was screwed into the resin in the hole and left to dry. During the pre-underground talk the technique was illustrated using a telephone directory. When the directory was placed with its edges on two supports, it sagged in the middle and collapsed. When a second telephone directory with a large number of bolts connected through the pages was placed on the supports. It remained in place and was relatively rigid. This was because the bolts prevented the directory's pages from sliding over each other and causing the directory to sag. The bolts in the potash were doing the same job and prevented layers of potash sliding over each other and made the roof layer more rigid.
Then we moved onto another nearby section of the mine which was no longer being worked and also had bolts placed in the side walls. As the guide was talking there was a loud “POP” and we saw that the small metal plate on one of the bolts in the wall had gone and a section of the bolt was now sticking out of the wall! Obviously the wall had moved a little and it was suggested we move onwards!
We made our way back to the same vehicle we had travelled in previously and all got in the back or in the cab and started the drive back to where we had started.
After parking up we walked the short distance back to near the bottom of the shaft and waited for the cage to arrive around a corner in a large side passage so that we would be out of the strong wind caused by the mine ventilation. We were joined by two of the scientists working on the Dark Matter project which has a lab in the mine which isolated it from a lot of the background interference and radiation while they attempted to detect the dark Matter. They were travelling back to the surface as well.
Soon there was a signal that the cage was ready and we all joined a few miners also heading out and we all got into the lift cage (the larger one this time) and were soon heading back up the shaft to the surface.
Once back at ground level, we exited the lift, handing over the second metal tag as we did so and then walked back to the lamp charging area and replaced our lamps and self rescuers and the also handed over the other items we had borrowed.
After this we returned to the changing room to have a shower and change back into our clothes and then waited for Karen and Nikki to turn up after they had also showered and changed.
We returned to one of the offices, the one where we had dropped of our stuff earlier, and had a hot drink and Kit Kats while a large survey of the mine was spread on the table and we traced out where we had been.
Soon we were ready to go home and after saying “good bye” to everyone, Karen, myself, Keith and Nikki headed back to Buxton hoping we would be back on time for the talk by Andy Kirkpatrick at Buxton Opera House which Karen and I had tickets for, which was starting at 19:30.

We arrived in Buxton with minutes to spare, stopped near where Keith had parked his car in the morning and “kicked” Keith and Nikki out, said “good-bye” and drove quickly to our usual parking place at the top of The Slopes, then walking quickly or running, we arrived ta the doors of the Opera House at 19:31. Just made it! And as expected, Andy's talk “Unreasonable Climbing”, mainly about his recent climb in Ulvetanna in the Antartic, was excellent.

Lost John's Cave

Initially we thought the weather forecast meant a curtailed trip into Lost John's Cave as yesterday's forecast was for a wet afternoon but while eating breakfast in Bernies and talking to Jack Pickup he looked up the weather radar map on his Nexus tablet and we saw that it was very wet on the west coast of Ireland but where we were in the Dales would be alright for a while today.
Due to both the original forecast and because it was Sunday an most didn't want to get away too late, we had a very early (for an Orpheus trip!) start and had been at Bernies just before 09:00 as Steve Round had pointed out when the church clock bell was ringing while ordering breakfast.
Some who were not planning on breakfast in Bernies had headed straight onwards to Leck Fell and we followed after the usual session of leaving some cars at Cowan Bridge village car park.
It was milder yesterday as we parked up at the usual car park and started getting into caving gear. Pete Wagstaff, Charles Bailey, Boyd Potts and Alan Hatton were with the early party and were going to rig and descend the cave via what is called Centipede Route and we found them still getting themselves sorted at the car park.
Karen, Keith, myself and Mark Silo were to rig and descend Dome Route, then after meeting the other party at Battleaxe Traverse, some would continue further down the cave at this point while the remainder would exit the cave as they wanted a shorter trip.
Things went very smoothly and after dropping the various pitches in Dome Route, I was at the back of our group and as I was leaving the foot of the final pitch, I followed Karen and Keith and met Boyd making his way out closely followed by Mark.
Meanwhile I started prusiking up the last pitch of Centipede Route followed by Karen and Keith and we three made our way back to the surface de-rigging Centipede Route as we went.

We reached the surface and again got changed and after saying good-bye to Keith we joined Boyd and Mark in Bernies for a post-caving chip butty after an excellent trip.

Deaths Head Hole (Nearly!)

We drove up to the Dales yesterday evening as usual and arrived at the Yorkshire Speleological Society's hut “The Old Schoolhouse” to find Pete Wagstaff, Boyd Potts, Alan Hatton and Charles Bailey (a very experienced caver) on his first away trip with Orpheus Caving Club. There was also a large party from Manchester University there and a face I recognised, Alex, who had been with a group of cavers I had accompanied into the gated extensions in Water Icicle Close cavern a while ago.
In the morning we had a bit of cereal and then headed for Bernies to meet up with others who were travelling up this morning: Keith, Mark Silo and Dave Phillips.
After breakfast at Bernies, we relocated to the village hall car park at Cowan Bridge and shuffled bodies and cars so that we could travel up to the car park on Leck Fell with as few cars as possible and leave the rest at Cowan Bridge.
Once parked up on Leck Fell, we got our caving gear on making as much use of the vehicles as possible to shelter from the biting cold wind and then walked to the pothole entrance which luckily wasn't too far away.
Deaths Head Hole is a large open pot surrounded by a barbed wire fence held by wooden posts. We spotted a convenient tree overhanging the pot near a stile in the fence which looked up to the job as a belay point and with Mark taking up rigging duties, we tied the rope to a sling around one fence post and to a slightly wobbly piece of rebar about 4 metres outside the fence.
It was very cold but thankfully mostly dry with the odd spot of rain as Mark set off down the pot followed by Keith and the others.
Eventually three of us were left waiting on the surface: myself, Pete and Dave. We were all feeling cold so I let Dave go first followed by Pete. By now my feet were becoming numb despite walking and running around near the pot so I decided to forgo the trip which was relatively short and make my way back to the car to get changed and warm up.
Despite a walk upslope through heather, when I got back to the car, I was still cold!
I quickly got changed out of my caving gear and got my warm Montane Extreme jacket on and sat inside to get warm.
After an hour and a bit I heard voices and it was Karen and Keith returning from their trip. Once they were also changed we were off back to Bernies for chip butties.

It was a pity we had booked Deaths Head Hole, a relatively short trip for today and Lost Johns Cave for tomorrow, but that's the way the cookie crumbles, as they say.