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Written by: Jim Thompson

Published: 25 February 2023

Hits: 1372

Team: Jon, Jim, Chris, Sam, Joe

A sizeable team assembled on the inky black moor for tonight’s jaunt. All gathered in Jon’s van for a quick chat about the differences between, and merits of, scarification and aeration and of course the obligatory prebeers, I got the abuse/banter started immediately by pouring half my Guinness Zero via my crotch onto the luxury white carpet he has installed on the floor…

Quick change and off on the long trek towards the objective. Just as I felt like the end was approaching, I had to turn back to fetch my descender…

By the time I returned various bods were still wandering about looking for the shaft. Duly located, Jon set to tying knots and loudly exclaiming his prowess at rigging. We were rigging two ropes on the shaft to speed up egress, so with the first one sorted I chucked the free end down the hole. Cue a spluttering diatribe of further abuse from the Peak’s leading authority on rope handling.

Jon, Joe, Sam headed down restoring peace and I got on the rope, abbed down a few metres and waited for Chris who hadn’t been on a rope for a while consequently was shaking and on the verge of tears. I talked to him gently about how the nonchalance of the other bellends created tension and other such pearls.. Sam heard me and thought I was being rude, but of course I’d never do such a thing.

As predicted Chris was fine as soon as he weighted his Stop and wondered what all the fuss was about, and just to prove it kicked a big bit of ginging out that glanced my helmet and missiled down the shaft, exploding just where Sam was poised…

Anyway, we all reached the window at the mid-shaft platform and got off the rope ready for a poke about. I’d never been in this place and was really looking forward to seeing the spiral staircase it’s known for… it didn’t disappoint, complete with in-situ t’owd man’s wheelbarrow at the top for good measure.

Some fairly awkward looking but really fun thrutchy climbing followed, a bit of up and down before reaching a lovely narrow, but tall and deep rift with in situ handline and some more nice climbing/traversing to enjoy. This opened out into a much bigger mined out bit full of, it looked like at least, bright pink fluorspar.

After this with the three ahead of us all perched in a shaft, the whole place crumbling to bits as they stood still, we all decided it would be really nice to have a debrief in The Anchor afterwards so Chris and I made a quick exit and were joined by Sam whereupon we abandoned Jon and Joe to derig and went to the pub. The deriggers met us shortly afterwards and Jon obviously felt guilty for his mistreatment of me earlier and toned by presenting me with a lovely spar crystal.

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Written by: Jon Pemberton

Published: 16 January 2023

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Easy Sunday trip down Notts II featuring Rob, Jim, Chris, the other Kris, Myself, Hal & the SRT dildo!

Managed to get underground before lunch which was a bonus. I'd been wanting to descend this hoyle for some time having read the breakthrough in Descent in my early years. The incredible 50m scaffolded entrance shaft is an awesome feet on engineering which really has to be witnessed or climbed down to appreciate in full.

We steadily made our descent, hands freezing to the scaffold as we sank lower and lower to the depths below. Finally rid of shoring we reached solidness and regrouped before the other Kris took charge and led the way. Dropping down a few small, scratty climbs with comedically attached insitu ladders we reached a large drippy chamber where Hal left his snack drum, poor life choices had led him to don a wetsuit for a remarkably dry trip - he was melting. An obvious scaffold shaft led down a few metres followed by a short passage and climb which dropped us into the main streamway.

We raced downstream shouting and whooping, the passage not too dissimilar to SMMC, a short cascade was negotiated depending on how hot cavers were. this soon led to a crawl in water and the downstream sump.

We returned and headed upstream from the junction stopping to marvel at the humongous stal boss which and various formations which lay above the stream canyon. Continuing upstream we eventually med a muddy dig at the end of a chamber where we had a good 10min conversation on subjects which I shall not mention here...

The other Kris and Hal headed through a canal here to try and cool off whilst everyone else headed out via some photogay.

We were thoroughly frozen by the time we got back to surface and the wind chill up top was grim but all in all an awesome Sunday trip if only to marvel at the entrance shaft.

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Written by: Jim Thompson

Published: 15 January 2023

Hits: 1277

Team: Chris, Jim, Rob, Jon, Kristian, Victoria, Hal

Following a year in which I visited Yorkshire caves more often in 6 months than I had in the previous 20 years, I almost didn’t know what to do when Kristian, without recourse to discussion or anything, took it upon himself to organise a trip only 2 weeks into the year, but acceptance was the only real option, particularly when Chris so readily agreed to pick me up on route, taking care of the hardest part of Yorkshire caving, the hassle of getting up there from Derbyshire.

We arrived at a chilly and dark Greenclose early in the afternoon, spending some time trying to work out why no lights or heating would work. Problem resolved, fire lit, we settled in to await the arrival of the others.

Various NPC members began to arrive in the early evening, and not long after dinner the remaining EPC gang turned up, loaded as always with food, drink and other goodies, and a very pleasant evening was spent chatting and discussing our wet weather options for the weekend with those in the know over a very well stocked and kindly shared cheeseboard.

After an evening of much deliberation and far too much Brazilian whisky the decision was made, due to the amount of rain over the previous few days the planned trip down Dihedral was probably not a good choice and the decision of an exchange trip between Flood passage (Wade’s) and Bar pot seemed a much more palatable option.

At a surprisingly early hour for an EPC weekend, and full up on Bacon, Sausage and Booths bins finest eggs we all made our way to Clapham for the hour walk up to the Bar pot and Flood entrances. The hour soon passed, we decided it would be a good idea to have a look at Gaping Gill to reaffirm the decision that Dihedral was as predicted too wet. Confirmed. A few of us also took the opportunity to add a little extra to the impressive Waterfall thundering into the opening.

Back to the two chosen entrances, the two teams consisted of Hal, Victoria, Kris and Chris rigging Wade’s and Rob, Jim and Jon rigging the Bar Pot pitches.

The team in Bar made quick and uneventful progress and were soon marvelling at the amazing main chamber, taking photographs and bathing in spray, and made a quick detour into the mud caverns before turning back to look for the others, who seemed to be taking too long.

We’d soon discover why, as Chris explains:

“Kris went off first down Flood rigging the first pitch within a couple of minutes and through the rebelay in a similar time. With the shout of rope free I was up next. I knew if I could get past the first squeeze I would be fine for the rest of the trip, after much puffing and panting I was through and the descent from here was fine passing the rebelay and reaching Kris at the bottom of the pitch. Vic followed and Hal wasn’t far behind. Re-grouping we head through some nice small passage including a small amount of crawling, to the head of the shorter second pitch. This was dropped by all four with no issue, a similar amount of walking, stooping and crawling lead us onto the third pitch. Again passed by all with no issues. Kris took the opportunity to get some GoPro footage of these pitches with some slightly sketchy commentary at times. On the approach to the fifth and final pitch, during a slightly tricky climb down we realised that this was in fact the short fourth pitch but being committed and halfway down decided that it was in fact free climbable so left the rope at the top of the pitch head.

Fifth and final pitch was at the top of a beautiful pot with waterfall cascading down the left-hand wall. Kris rigged the top of the pitch and soon disappeared to rig the rebelay and, what we later realised should have been two deviations. Past the first rebelay Kris gave the shout of rope free and I started my descent the 9mm rope made quick work of reaching the rebelay which was quickly passed. I gave the shout and Vic soon followed. Coming down the final stretch of the pitch the 9mm rope now started to give me a slight problem as my stop did not hold up to its name and I shot past the deviation slightly. After again much puffing, panting and swearing I finally managed to pass and get the rope clipped back into deviation and descended to the bottom of the pitch to meet Kris. I gave the shout and Vic set off. She too had the same issue as I, shooting past the deviation although much further this time. After some deliberation she decided that the best cause of action would be to go back up above the deviation, unfortunately during the change over from down to up she ended up in even more of a tangle and unclipping the deviation meant that all this was now going on under the torrent of the water fall on the left-hand wall, at this point it’s safe to say Vic was considerably moist….. Kris decided that it would be best if he went up to help and I set off to see if the other group had made it down the other entrance and if so, offer some assistance. I could see their tackle bags and SRT kits but they must have set off to main chamber as we had planned. Getting back to the ordeal under the waterfall Vic had not managed to correct the tangle of ropes and decided the only option was to cut he lifeline on her hand Jammer which was stopping her from descending. This done Kris descended and Vic followed. Hal Watching this from the rebelay was then give the all clear to descend and advised to watch out for Vic’s ascender on the way down.”

Heading down the ladder from mud caverns we observed headlamps just appearing in the chamber… and on closer inspection a rather wet, cold and shaken Vic accompanied by Chris. I administered bear hugs, Jon administered his dry balaclava and gloves, and we got moving.

The Flood team would be exiting from Bar and myself, Rob and Jon from Flood, this being an exchange trip and all, so once all of us were reunited we went our separate ways again.

The bottom pitch of Flood, minus any deviation, had the rope hanging directly under the waterfall, and I drew the short straw (OK was pressganged on account of being the only one in a yellow suit) as first man up. Armed with a variety of slings, I bravely headed upwards, Jon pulling the rope to keep me away from the water, which worked for all of about 3 feet but made the rope come out of my chest ascender at an alarming angle. Looking up was not an option, looking down was pretty grim as the water shot down my neck and took my breath away. I passed a fuzzy bit on the rope but wasn’t hanging round to investigate. Eventually I reached the deviation sling and swung over to it, got the rope clipped but of course it made bugger all difference so I carried on up. I was still getting the full drowning experience so having somehow spotted an eroded eyehole in the rock away from the water, kicked my way over to it and hooked a finger in. This made it hard to get the sling sorted, so I spent a few minutes kicking, sorting, drowning, kicking etc until I’d got a deviation in. After that it was a quick prusik to the top. I shouted rope free and just carried on. The next pitch was fine and I was much warmer so hung around in the dark waiting for Jon who emerged with tales of a shockingly coreshot rope he’d decided need an alpine butterfly to isolate… that was the furry bit!

The last bit of cave before entrance pitch was amazing, and after main chamber possibly my favourite part of the whole day, sinuous crawling and sideways walking. Like a Yorkshire version of the crabwalk and really lovely.

Last pitch and out, just in time to see the other team appearing out of their hole. It was freezing up top and Vic had a lonely walk down to Clapham:

“briefly heard Rob and John say they were going to keep up their fitness and try not freeze to death by running back down the Dale…I knew Hal and Kristian were right behind  me de -rigging so I kept walking. I thought the only saving grace was there wasn’t any rain. Oh wait…yep that is hail and rain on my head. Once I saw the lights of the village I knew it wasn’t far. There they all were…changed and dry..and just noticing my absence. Oh did I mention it was my birthday as well? Once I peeled the wet gear off we headed back to a nice warm hut to enjoy some spectacular Costco Victoria Sponge cake and dry off…….Kristian was a star (one for the quick rescue and another for making a spicy hot vegetarian chili)  We took a look at Jim’s new 100 metre rope which had bore the brunt of my sightseeing and decided it was now two good ropes. Thanks everyone for the laughs, rescue and bear hugs.”