Team: Luke, Joe, Jon, Jim, Chris
For me, Castleton has always been a quintessential Christmas village, and although with age, the scale of festive lights in general appears to have diminished, the warm and cosy feeling I get when Christmas approaches just stays the same, so I looked forward to a break from exploration and a proper social trip into Peak on what would be one of the clearest, coldest nights of the year. Driving in, the pubs were all packed and casting a warm glow into the frost-sparkled streets and all felt well with the world.
The team assembled by the church and were joined by Moose bearing gifts, namely the keys to the cave, and to let us into the TSG. Luxury changing facilities indeed given it was well into minus degrees outside.
Duly changed we strolled up to the cave, ice crystals reflecting lamp beams in every direction, a definite winter scene filling us with cheer.
It’s a long time since I was last in Peak. I’ve never been in there enough to ‘get to know it’ like some caves, nor could I really remember much. Moving through the showcave is quite impressive but feels somewhat strange when caves are not a novelty and don’t need to be made consumable, although I get a familiar sense, in spite of the 15 years since I was last here, of excitement at passing through the gate at the end. Out of bounds unless you’re special, competent and privileged. I’ll soon have a renewed appreciation at just how significant that privilege is…
A quick whizz down the slide brings us to the water and it’s ace to be stomping along in spacious, pretty passage. A bit of stooping under a series of arches reminds me that this is probably Five Arches, followed by the Mucky Ducks which are neither mucky nor a duck. Onwards up a canyon and there are various ways off this main drag, one of which I think I recognise as the way to Moss Chamber, but it’s been such a long time that I’m marvelling in the whole experience like it’s a first visit. It’s all really fun but so far a mere appetiser for the grandeur that awaits.
Luke and Joe leave us to revisit BOOM! And we continue to charge along the amazing streamway, climbing out of the vadose slot and balancing across the gap, and after a short while reach a hole at the top of which is a sturdy iron ladder. Looking out across this vantage points reveals the enormous expanse of Surprise View, Jon is hollering and being greeted by an incredible echo in this massive rift. We head upstream and I’m delighted by the sheer beauty of the place, pretty much skipping along until we reach the smooth silence of Far Sump.
The return downstream is swift and we meet Luke and Joe along the way, stopping for photos before continuing downstream at Surprise View. What starts as a large canyon eventually turns into an absolutely stunning phreatic tube.
It’s nothing short of incredible to be able to visit a place so amazing on a normal evening after work. Further on the water deepens and we reach the lovely Buxton Water Sump before turning round and finding our spot in the tube for a photo session. I stand as directed while Jon snaps away and feel excited at the outcome. Photographer satisfied, we shoot back up the ladder and make one final detour on the way out to visit Treasury Sump. So unlike the others, a bed of thick gravel drills down steeply to the water suggesting a challenging dive.
On the way out I vow to get to know this fantastic cave better, tonight has merely scraped the surface.