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Written by: Victoria Kocher

Published: 04 March 2023

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Katie, Hal, Bernie, Dylan, Mark and Victoria

Katie had organized the Titan through to Peak trip on the day of the EPC AGM. There is not much of a better day to be had and also to know that you will be with the rest of the club later on. After my trouble on a long pitch in Yorkshire recently, I knew it was time to jump back on the horse. Katie sent me a text on Friday night to confirm we were all coming…I had some hesitation but just needed the extra nudge. We met up at the TSG for a welcome cuppa and some banter with friends. Since there were six, we decided we could do the trip in one group and still make it to the Anchor at five.

You can’t be in Derbyshire for very long without hearing about Titan and it’s not a trip to be missed. Hal had worked with the original gang on the entrance shaft all those years ago and still had never been in. Once we drove up to the top we figured out our order and headed in. None of it disappoints, from the engineering of the entrance shaft until that first glimpse of Titan itself. Dylan listened to half the directions as usual and found himself on the traverse line heading to Titan Steamway. That was fine, he just had to wait. Katie waited at the rebelay and quelled any hesitation I might have had. Time to turn all the lights on to take a good look at this giant. Once Katie, Dylan, Mark and I were at the boulders we noticed it was taking a longer time for Caver number five to make it over the ledge…we waited.  We knew they both were very experienced…it was too big to shout…just a huge echo of unintelligible noise. We did the usual chatting until Katie started to think of a long prussik up…after about 40 minutes we saw a light make its way over the ledge and down. Caver five had found himself in a “bit of a bother” with the rebelay and was looking for another way to release his cowstail. Using his hand jammer, it had become entangled around his foot. The rope had a lot of play so he had to use his knife to cut it free (oh this is familiar) and sent it sailing up past Hal’s head. Hal again had to navigate down the rope to get the jammer off so he could descend (oh yeah this is wayyyy familiar).

Once we all were safely down we took off our SRT kits and set off on the long crawl and twisting routes through boulders to find Peak. This trip has it all-waist deep water in beautiful streamways- a swirling whirlpool and great traverses-climbing and the unforgettable mud of colostomy crawl. Once we arrived at the junction for JH I could see the incredible pipe system. Nothing in here is short of stupendous engineering and determination. The large stemples through the roof left from long ago were imposing over our heads. Up and down all the ladders and laying in pools as we crawled along took a lot out of me but it was a wonderful adventure at every turn.

The final push and here were the muddy ducks. Time to scrub up and head out. You do my back and I’ll do yours. We made it out in the daylight and headed back to the TSG for a warm brew. Time to wipe our names off the board as out and head to our AGM. I won an award later in the evening for my epic F**k up previously but really it means more that when we all cave together we help one another, every step and every climb…epic. Thanks guys!

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Written by: Jim Thompson

Published: 25 February 2023

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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

Hits: 1612

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.