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Written by: Victoria Kocher

Published: 05 January 2023

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Shaft L near Mouldridge Mine

Hal, Brendan, Allan and Victoria

Unfortunately Katie was missing this evening as it was a rare opportunity for her to go along on a trip she hasn’t actually done! On our previous trip out to Mouldridge Hal and Allan had spotted the nearby covered shaft in the hillside and rather than joining us decided to have a look. Tonight, we went back again as it was reported to be an excellent example of hand picked mine. It did not disappoint.

After unlocking the lid we had placed a scaff bar across and descended down into the mine shaft. It is a really stable and large shaft. The account from Hal and Allan was that the shaft does not go anywhere at the bottom but rather the interesting mine workings were on the shaft halfway down. With a small swing you can land on a nice ledge (don’t lose the rope) and start your way through all hand picked passages.

Some are quite large and with four in the party we all had enough space. There were numerous places to do some crawling which usually lead to dead ends. Some walls were very loose with stacked deads but they were fairly obvious. We saw several nice dogtooth crystals and some very old mining remnants. On the previous trip down Hal and Allan had dropped a gas meter and the readings were acceptable. We did find some remnants of a suspected gas mask left behind by some miners of long ago.

Regrouping at the shaft, Allan decided to check out another level that was accessed by a short prussik up and a climb. You could see an old mine cart and it led through to a short walkable passage. Allan said there were some more nice calcite formations. It was a quick trip up and out and back into some clear skies. We had a great view of what appeared to be satellites tracing across the night sky…..We had time to make games night in the Miners Arms for one. Bonus ! they serve free grub as well.

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Written by: Jim Thompson

Published: 20 December 2022

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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.

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Written by: Jim Thompson

Published: 04 December 2022

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Team:  Jim T, Sam P, Jon P, Dave G

With a free weekend on our collective hands, and an offer of driving from Sam, hasty plans were made for a quick overnighter. Sam, Jon and I headed to Horton after work on Friday night, stopping briefly in Settle where the chip shop was closing and the mushy peas were off the menu.

We met a perpetually available Dave at the Craven PC cottage where it appeared we had the place to ourselves, selected bunks in the fantastic wood-clad bunk room, and settled down for an obligatory brew and chat about the plan for the morning. Being right next door to the Crown, we nipped over for a pint, whereupon we bumped into a couple of cavers walking down from the Sell Gill track.

On entering the pub, the distinctly unwelcoming atmosphere was heightened by the entry of a friendly couple accompanied by two massive fluffy dogs. With no time wasted on mere pleasantries, the landlord simply uttered ‘no dogs’. They attempted to clarify – no dogs in this room or just no dogs. No dogs. Amazingly they reappeared a few moments later minus dogs. We’d felt warmer outside so quickly drained our beers and chose not to spend another 20 quid and retired to the warmth of the cottage. The cavers from earlier appeared so we had a nice chat before hitting the bunks ready for a dawn start and return home the same day.

It was still dark when the alarm went. I hit the snooze and hoped no one else had heard it. A futile exercise as I knew I wouldn’t sleep any more but I was just not quite ready to get out of the cosy cocoon of down yet. Jon settled matters asking if we were in fact getting up to go caving, and without further ado we were dressed, kettle on and Sam did the business with his homegrown sausage butties. Suitably fortified and dawn just lighting up the morning sky, we got ourselves sorted and headed up the track onto the Allotment towards our designated target for the day, the Thornber entrance to Nick Pot.

Such a diminutive entrance to a massive underground chasm, we got on with rigging the first pitch whilst Dave tussled with a harness that appeared to have taken on Escher-esque characteristics. Whichever way he held it, was the wrong and opposite way to the right way for donning. Eventually he had it about his person but I wasn’t convinced. He seemed happy enough and with more cave under his belt than the rest of put together I suspected, would probably be OK.

Sliding into the entrance was a welcome relief from the biting wind on surface. The first awkward pitch head gave way to a nice shaft, landing in a wide bedding full of cobbles and a tiny stream trickling along and guiding us on.

A miniature canyon plunged into a black void, whilst on the left a rigged handline along a ledge appearing to be a mere body width revealed the ‘traverse in the gods’, the exposed way on to the big pitch and looking rather committing at first glance. Once on it, it’s actually massive and not really feeling exposed at all; although I was very grateful to be working along the rope with two cowstails and not having to rig on the sharp end.

It was so exciting to be perched at the next pitch head, this huge shaft top yawning out from the ledge with the stream crashing down into it and no real indication of what awaited in the depths. Jon was already off on the rig and with a rebelay only a few metres below, I was soon following Sam over the edge. Once the first rebelay was passed and the pitch head had faded above, I made my way down in a bubble of darkness and crashing water. 40m of descent, and in spite of the cooling water I could feel the heat radiating off my rack. A wide flaring of the shaft revealed a big Y hang seemingly miles away, although the transfer wasn’t a problem. Soon at the bottom and calling rope free to Dave, we marvelled at the size of the place and did a couple of photos before the warnings in the CNCC guide came true; it was pretty cold!

Jon gave instructions before my ascent, I was to get past the Y hang and ascend until he told me to stop and await Dave’s arrival. Once in position I hung in space observing the pin pricks of light below and watched Dave fly up the rope. Once he was in position Jon bellowed instructions through the spray and I could barely tell what they were but managed to get a few metres higher and illuminate Dave on full power. The flash flashed and flashed again, and after a while Jon was happy and I made tracks to the top. No sooner was I off the rope and a short way along the traverse, Dave appeared behind me so I continued on to the bedding, expecting a quick exit… I hadn’t accounted for Dave being a total racing snake and the rigours of a de-rig however, so I sat for an age in total darkness as my backside got colder. Eventually however we all regrouped and Jon wanted some more photos so Sam and Dave hastened for surface while I hung around on the rope posing. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I love the fact that photos now seem to be a standard memento of the trips we do and am always a willing subject.

We surfaced to chilly sunset, and for a fleeting moment the clouds had parted, painting Pen Y Ghent in an amazing, warm light, a band of cloud above shining orange, beneath a bright, huge moon whilst off in the distance a rainbow slit the leaden sky. Utter winter perfection being the crowning glory to what had been an amazing, exhilarating, fun day on the rope from start to finish and made the drive and early start so worthwhile. In minutes the clouds returned and we trudged down the hill as the light faded…