Details

Written by: Rob Eavis

Published: 12 April 2013

Hits: 3805

Report by Jules Barrett
Cavers: Jules Barrett (EPC), Shaun Puckering, Keith Joule

Marcus Crabbe and I had originally planned a look at Lu Blue Sump the previous Sunday evening and carried cylinders, lead and a set of diving kit down with the intention of diving. Marcus has dived the sump before but we wondered whether things at the bottom had changed in the intervening years. The carry in took longer than expected and since we both had work the following morning we decided to leave the dive for another day. Since Marcus was going to be busy for a while he offered me the dive if I could find someone to support. Shaun, Keith and I met mid-afternoon in Castleton and assembled the kit. Once at the top entrance we rigged the pitch for SRT and abseiled in; tying the SRT kits on to the bottom of the rope. With only a bag each between us we made good progress through the cave to Lu Blue Sump. The water level was very low today with the water about 3m below the lip of the pot. Keith and Shaun rigged a ladder down to the water whilst I got kitted up. Climbed down the ladder and Shaun base-fed the line to me from the reel. Had two dives exploring the sides and bottom of the pot reaching the bottom at 7m on my gauge. Although the water is crystal clear initially, it soon goes to a foot or so after the sediment on the walls has been disturbed. It looks as though the way on is under the south-west wall of the pot where the wall is undercut at the bottom but ends in soupy fine silt. Under here visibility was very poor. After a probe underneath I surfaced and climbed back out of the pot. Kit got packed and after a quick look at the West Choke we headed back to the streamway with dive kit etc. Keith led out through Nervous Breakdown, past the Donkey Dongs, through Route 66 and out of the lower entrance. Lu Blue Sump has obviously provided a large input of water to the Stoney Middleton system at some time and these places are always worth a look.

Details

Written by: Rob Eavis

Published: 12 April 2013

Hits: 3971

Report by Jules Barrett
Cavers: Jules Barrett (EPC), Ann Soulsby (TSG), Wayne Sheldon (TSG)

I'm continuing my tour of bits of Derbyshire caves that I've not been in and had arranged to meet up with Ann Soulsby and Wayne Sheldon at short notice. We met at the TSG hut in the morning with no firm plans and a number of options were discussed. We settled on Nettle Pot since Ann likes it (you'll have to ask her!!) and Wayne hadn't been in there for a while. I've still got lots to do in Nettle Pot as I'd only been in there once before today and that was a solo trip along the Flats. I was keen to have a look at the very bottom (Fin Pot, Eyes Down, Red River Passage etc.) but we were hampered by the fact that I'd been unable to find my copy of Caves of the Peak District and we had to be out fairly early. I had arrived at the Chapel with about 300m of dirty rope so a busy half an hour was spent washing rope and then packing for the trip. After paying at Oxlow House Farm we walked up the hill to the Nettle entrance. I set off rigging down the entrance shaft and in the few years since I was last in here I'd forgotten just how awkward the Narrows are (especially when you're rigging I reckon!). Eventually I found myself standing at the double-bolt rebelay at the top of Bottle Pitch and things were a bit easier/more roomy from here. I'd not been any deeper than the Flats so the lower section was all new to me. An easy traverse leads to a pleasant pitch to land on a broad ledge at the top of Elizabeth Pitch. We traversed past the top of Elizabeth Pitch and continued to the head of Crumble Pot. This has a tight section just below the pitch head and then continues down a pleasant rift. A couple of rebelays mark the start of Beza Shaft which is tight in places and has a few deviations to stop the rope from rubbing. The bottom half of Beza doesn't have any rebelays or deviations and there's quite a lot of rubbing going on. Fortunately the rock around here is pretty smooth and the ropes didn't seem to suffer too much. We landed at the foot of Beza Shaft and then followed an in-situ handline down a slope to The Shakes - a chamber at the bottom. We spent a bit of time investigating what turned out to be a blind pot at the end of The Shakes. We then found a body-sized arch on the right-hand side (if you're facing down coming down the handline from the bottom of Beza) and crawled through that. This led to a short pitch with an in-situ rope on it. Abseiled down that to a small chamber. At this point I really didn't know whether I was on the way to Red River Passage or in someone's abandoned dig. We also needed to be out fairly sharpish so I came back to The Shakes and we set off back up the ropes. Wayne and Ann de-rigged (thanks for that!) and we exited the cave about 4:00 p.m. Back to the Chapel for another rope-washing session and home.

A very enjoyable trip. Will go back now that I've figured out what's what at the bottom and have a proper look around the lower stuff.

Details

Written by: Rob Eavis

Published: 12 April 2013

Hits: 3854

Report by Jules Barrett
Cavers: Jules Barrett (EPC), George Taylor (TSG)

I'd been in Far Sump Extension recently doing the Ride of the Valkyries pitch and had since heard about the impressive silt-filled tube of 'Western Highway'. I'd also got a bit of an errand to run up at the top of the Ride so thought it would be good to combine this with a nice dry wander down Western Highway. Since work means that spare weekend days are rare at the moment I thought I'd see if anyone fancied joining me for a trip one long evening. Most people sensibly declined but George Taylor replied to let me know he was keen. Unfortunately on the only night that we could both do he'd got a French lesson which finished at 8.30 p.m. in Sheffield. George is possibly the only person that I know who wouldn't necessarily see this as a barrier to getting out so it was arranged on the basis that we would have to get going tout suite. At some stage during the previous week I realised that I'd not got enough rope so Ann Soulsby kindly lent me some of hers. George had mislaid his wellies but I'd got some to lend him. I've no doubt he'd have been perfectly happy in his winter climbing boots - he's good like that George! Packed the rope for the Leviathan Normale during the day and picked George up from his house apres le French lesson. We drove straight to Rowter Farm and walked over to the entrance. The lid got opened and the entrance shaft rigged. I abseiled in at 9:30 p.m. and George followed. From there we headed along the Cartgate with a couple of bags to the top of Bitch Pitch. Water still very low in the holes along the Cartgate and you can see right down into them. I'd got the bag for the Bitch Pitch and upper Leviathan so set off rigging. Soon we were at the top of Leviathan so went straight across the Workshop and rigged the top part of Leviathan to land next to the eyehole. I'd run out of rope about here so waited for George to pass me and we handlined our way down through the eyehole and along the traverse to the head of the second part of Leviathan. George rigged the main hang from the alcove and we were stood at the bottom of Leviathan after an hour of caving. Down the short slope that leads to the old Stemple Highway Inlet sumps (which seemed particularly grim this evening) and through to the junction with Stemple Highway. Went left here to Calcite Aven and up the ropes to Fingernail Chamber. This was George's first time up here so we both had a good look around. I think I'm right in saying that it was during the initial upward (solo) exploration of Calcite Aven that John Cordingley's drill packed up and he free climbed the top bit. We both agreed that this was a 'good effort'. From Fingernail Chamber I went down Fingernail Chamber pitch to the top of the Ride whilst George prussiked up into Western Highway over some very poised-looking boulders. I joined George in Western Highway and we had a walk along. Quite unusual place this being a large, dry, phreatic passage filled with silt. SUSS have been digging it and looks like they've been making steady progress. On the way out George de-rigged the lower part of Leviathan and I did the rest. Back on the surface around 1:45 a.m. to drop the key through the farmer's letterbox. Missed the pub! Arrived home around 3.00 a.m. Tried not to wake her up, failing as usual when I fell over a rucksack in the dark.

An excellent trip in an outstanding cave/mine. J.H. is a great way in and the Far Sump Extension and Western Highway are impressive places. One of the most enjoyable evening trips that I've done recently.