Team: Dylan, SamP, Rob
The date and objective of this trip was juggled about loads, with people dropping out and yankie tourists threatening to join us, but we eventually got a team together and made it happen, just! I’d not seen Dylan in over a year so was mega excited. Our objective today was to continue the bolt climb started last week and hopefully gain access to what looks to be a big passage in the roof.
The trip down was uneventful, apart from for Dylan who managed to go the wrong way and started descending into Impending Doom. Thankfully Sam spotted him. At Inglorious Bastards we spread our SRT kits between two bags and set off through the crawls. At first these were tedious but nowadays they are merely the well-trodden route and flash by without complaint. Although the last section of Vulgarious, past the last duck, is getting even sloppier such that we arrived at the Boil-up Sump 2 totally filthy.
I had GoPro on which I used as an excuse to go first so that I got some vis for the footage. Having done this freedive quite a few times now it really is smooth and enjoyable, certainly the best in the Peak, if you’re into that sort of thing. Dylan and Sam pop through behind me, all nice and clean now, and off we head.
Before the sump....
Lovely, clean and happy after the sump :-)
In awe we all head upstream, forever grateful that we get to push and enjoy a place like this. We lucky few. I hope more do come and enjoy this place before the winter waters likely prevent access.
We reach the aven in good time. I head up the rope first and give the others a big warning about the hanging death you have to prusik through. Once all safely above it we discuss the idea of dropping the boulders but agree that there is a definite chance that they could block the route down, which would potentially ruin the day, so we agree to not touch them!
Whilst the others do a good job of keeping warm I begin the 5m bolt climb. Faff was the main flavour of my technique today, but thankfully I was able to freeclimb on the flowstone quite a bit of it so got up with only two bolts. At the top I was presented not with a passage but instead a small traverse to a short climb into something small. I rig a Y-hang among beautiful stalactites and large, clean scallops, allowing the others to come up and join me.
The climb leads into a low chamber with a (far too) small passage at the back, but a few minutes digging a choke on the right leads up into a larger chamber, which is very well decorated. Dylan poked one way, up over a flowstone boss and into a small ascending tube which unfortunately closed up. Sam went the other way leading to a narrow section with a calcite bridge blocking the way on. Beyond is a tantalising view into another chamber but it’ll need more digging than we could do with only a bolting hammer.
Dylan at the breakthrough into the top chamber
Dylan inspecting a lead in the roof
With nothing else to do we head down, Sam stripping the climbing gear as we descend. The surveying and photographing of the place will need to wait until another trip, but it’ll definitely be worth it as it’s a lovely little find. Once at the bottom we sorted gear again then headed back sharpish as we were all pretty cold. The freedive back again lovely and easy. Sam had a theory that last week he got out and to the pub in less than 30 minutes, which I impolitely called bullshit on and set my stopwatch. I was at the back so couldn’t confirm his time. I was 45 minutes, but he was already fully changed, so maybe…..
Craziest of all Dylan smashed down one of Sam’s pasties then got in his car a drove to London! Ahh, the energy of the youth…..