Team: Chris H, Vic, Hal, Archie, Jim T, Jon P, Luke C
The night starts off meeting the team at the artist’s corner carpark where we changed into our suits before barely fitting into Hal’s truck and driving up to the great Masson quarry.
With Luke and Jon leading the way we descended 35 metres down the rather tight Gentlewoman’s shaft. At the bottom we left our SRT kit behind and made a steady approach towards the pipe caverns of old Jant mine. Following some technical climbing, we made it as we observed the beautiful dog tooth crystals that had formed in little crevices all up the walls of the caverns.
Luke and Jon guide us towards the first tight squeeze which required a fair bit of digging as the team gradually moved through, with me and Vic communicating the plan to get through. Jon and Luke were the first to squeeze through the passage and immediately began shovelling and scraping the silt and gravel for Chris to squeeze through. Chris made a good effort to get through to passage which unfortunately had too much sand built up preventing him from freeing his waist out of the squeeze, where i contributed by providing myself for Chris to push off with his legs to make it through. Thanks to Luke and Jon’s digging me and Vic slipped through with no problems.
Following a couple more tight passages me, Chris, Luke and Vic had been split up from Jim, Hal and Jon who i believe struggled to fit through the second squeeze. However we soon regrouped where we saw engravings of old miners on the walls of the cavern dating as old as the 18th century.
We were relieved to see the pathway to the Coffin level was not blocked off this time, which provided an easy and relaxed crawl through a long winding passage dug out by the old miners. We had a quick detour to the miner’s jigging box before entering the coffin level (Ringing Rake Sough). At this point I went ahead along the passage which led to the exit out of the ground right at the carpark where we left off.
An amazing through trip which really provided a mental challenge at times and a satisfaction I think all cavers should achieve.
Luke in the coffin level, by Jon Pemberton
Chris the Legend