07/12/2008 - Moorfurlong Mine - Ladder is Knackered!
The ladder on the Moorfurlong entrance pitch is now completely knackered and not safe to use. It's completely detached at the top, the mid-point join is broken on one side and the bottom has buckled. If you want a trip down there take a scaff bar, sling and and SRT rope or wire ladder. A 20m rope or 15m ladder will see you to the bottom.
Sam Townsend
09/11/2008 - Flower Pot entrance to Carlswark Cavern re-opened
The Flower Pot entrance to Carlswark Cavern was initially dug from the surface in the 1990s by members of the Keyhole Caving Club. The entrance leads into the Dynamite Series and was opened to bypass the rest of the Cavern, making it easier to reach a dig at the end of Picnic Passage. In 2008 the entrance suffered a collapse and Eldon members Jon Pemberton, Sam Pemberton and James Wood have led the effort to re-open it. The new entrance should last for many years and provides an interesting route into this part of the Cavern. Click [here] for Jon Pemberton's full report on the re-opening of the Flower Pot entrance.
Jules Barrett
13/10/2008 - Bagshawe Resurgence Connected to Bagshawe Cavern.
On Saturday 11th October Bagshawe Resurgence was connected to Bagshawe Cavern. Simon Cornhill and John Taylor broke through the dig in the resurgence by levering and breaking boulders at a depth of three metres forty metres into sump two. As soon as open passage was gained a line reel was found three metres ahead. The reel was Simon Brooks’ who had reeled a line into the sump from the Windy Passage end of Bagshawe Cavern in 1998. This discovery not only proves the connection to Bagshawe but also eases the exploration of an upstream continuation of the sump. The breakthrough is a culmination of thirty years of exploration in this sump by many divers including Jerry Murland, Steve Tucker, Russell Carter, John Cordingley, Andy Morrison, Simon Brooks and Jim Lister. The next task is to locate the main underwater passage and the way on upstream.
John Taylor
02/10/2008 - Bad Air at the bottom of Nettle Pot, Derbyshire.
On a trip down Nettle Pot, Dan Hibberts and Bob Toogood encountered bad air (most likely raised CO2 levels) in the area of Red River Passage. Be careful down there! Jules Barrett
19/09/2008 - Flower Pot entrance to Carlswark run-in.
The Flower Pot entrance to Carlswark Cavern has run-in. Plans are afoot to re-open the entrance. Contact Sam Pemberton, John Pemberton or James Wood for more information. Jules Barrett
07/09/2008 - New door and lock for the Coe at Bagshawe Cavern.
A new door and pushbutton combination lock has been fitted to the Coe at Bagshawe Cavern. The door and lock have been provided by the Peak Instructed Caving Affiliation (PICA). Jules Barrett
31/07/2008 - Sam's Dig in Bagshawe Cavern has 'gone'.
On July 31st 2008, after 4 years of digging, Sam Townsend and Bog Bergmann, accompanied by Dave Cowley, John Taylor, Jules Barrett, Sam Pemberton and Jon Pemberton pushed up through the choke in 'Sams Dig' into a large rift chamber. Named "Paternity's Fault" after the fact that nearly all the diggers have had children during the course of the dig, which has been a bit of a hindrance. Sam and Jules free climbed an estimated 50 metres up the rift (a bit like the West Swirl Passage in Oxlow, but steeper). Unbelievably - the rift looks to be blind at the top. There looks to be a floor level continuation that draughts but it's going to require some serious digging. Since the discovery work has been done to stabilise the choke which was in danger of running in. Anchors and fixed ropes have been installed to the top of the aven and the next job is to survey the new find. Sam Townsend
01/06/2008 - Roof of Coe at Bagshawe Cavern.
Andy Norman and John Taylor have begun work to replace the roof on the Coe at Bagshawe Cavern. On Saturday 31st May the roof was removed and the old timbers replaced. New timbers were installed and work began on fixing new slates. Jules Barrett
01/06/2008 - WARNING - Carbon Monoxide at Long Rake Mine, Bradwell Moor.
On the weekend of 24/25 May 2008 two cavers were taken seriously ill with Carbon monoxide poisoning in Long Rake Mine on Bradwell Moor. The source of the Carbon Monoxide is not known and DCA are advising that cavers should not descend Long Rake until further notice. Jules Barrett
01/05/2008 - Bagshawe Cavern Entrance Stope Project complete.
The work that members of the Eldon Pothole Club have been doing at Bagshawe Cavern to address the issues raised by the PICA inspection of October 2007 is now finished. The concrete slabs are in place and Martyn Grayson has installed a mesh grille over the hole in the steps. A series of photgraphs of the work has been send to PICA for distribution to members. Jules Barrett
28/04/2008 - Work at Bagshawe continues apace.
A working evening is being planned for Thursday 1st May 08 in the Bagshawe Cavern entrance stope and we need your help! With the final shuttering complete we plan to mix concrete and cast the third of the five concrete slabs that are needed to finish the job in the stope. To make this happen we need around nine cavers to mix concrete, man the zipwires which will be used to transport the concrete down the steps and pour the concrete into the shuttering. Preparatory work will begin at 5:30 p.m. and we hope to have the zipwires humming by 7:30 p.m. Bring lightweight caving gear and gloves. The Eldon MGM will be held in the White Hart after work has finished. Sam Townsend
26/02/2008 - Collapse of Stemples in Carlswark Cavern
Some stemples have collapsed in Carlswark Cavern. Click [here] for a survey showing the site of the collapse. Some old wooden stemples that were put in to support poised boulders in the roof have fallen out. There has been a small rock fall but that has been cleared and the route into the Lower Streamway/John Smith's Passage is still open. Four wooden stemples have fallen out and the only one that remains is a weedy piece of angle iron that isn't doing anything useful. There are three large poised blocks around 1.5m above the floor of the passage as you exit the pool on the bend in the Big Dig. The route to the Lower Streamway and John Smith's Passage goes right underneath these blocks. I wouldn't be surprised if there was more movement as the whole thing settles and you certainly wouldn't want to disturb any of it by accident!
The DCA Projects Officer is aware; it looks as though some propping will be needed. Jules Barrett.
18/02/2008 - Conservation work in Bradwell Dale and Bagshawe Cavern
On the 9th and 10th of February 2008 Eldon members organised a clean-up of the Bradwell Dale caves and Bagshawe Cavern. A skip was provided by Natural England and over twenty cavers from a variety of Derbyshire clubs were involved in tidying up the outside and inside Bradwell Parish Cave, Walker's Grotto and Bagshawe Cavern. Click [here] for a full report from the weekend. Jules Barrett.
03/01/2008 - Eldon members working to make Nickergrove Mine safer for use by groups
The Nickergrove Through-trip is an excellent little trip which involves a couple of interesting vertical sections combined with a bit of stooping and crawling passage. Cavers enter through the adit entrance and exit a short distance away by climbing out of a shaft entrance. The Peak Instructed Caving Affiliation (PICA) have been keen to make the trip safer for some time and the vertical sections have recently been P-bolted by DCA. Some suspect rock at the top of one of the climbs was causing concern and Eldon members Jules Barrett and Sam Townsend have now gardened it away from the edge. Recent work in Nickergrove is an excellent example of PICA, DCA, Natural England and local cavers working together. Jules Barrett.
20/12/2007 - Improving access through a choke in Hungerhill Swallet
Eldon members have been working to improve access through the choke at the top of the 12m rift climb after the Bag o' Worms in Hungerhill Swallet. The squeeze under poised boulders into the chamber above has been removed and some shoring done. Despite the work there's still a good deal of loose rock here. Jules Barrett.
15/12/2007 - Contact Details
If anyone's contact details (postal address, email address, phone number) have changed please make sure you let the Secretary know so that we can make sure that you get club information/newsletters etc. A club contact/address list will go out with the next newsletter. Stik.
09/12/2007 - Newsletter (October - December 2007)
The October to December 2007 Newsletter is now available and all members should have received it by email or post. Jules Barrett.
09/12/2007 - Newsletter (July - September 2007)
The July to September 2007 Newsletter is now available and all members should have received it by email or post. Jules Barrett.
13/11/2007 - Congratulations Sam and Hazel
Congratulations to Sam and Hazel on the birth of their second boy who they've named Toby. Jules Barrett.
04/11/2007 - Eldon subs for 2008
It's important that everyone pays their subs by 6th December 2007 (the date of the next Eldon monthly meeting) at the latest otherwise you won't be insured from January 2008.
Full Member: £24.00 (Eldon subs) + £16.00 (insurance) = £40.00
Aspirant Member: £12.00 (Eldon subs) + £16.00 (insurance) = £28.00
Non-caving Full Subscriber: £12.00 (Eldon subs) = £12.00
Please bring your cheque book or some cash along to the meeting in December! Stik.
04/11/2007 - Eldon Christmas pub crawl - Buxton
The Eldon Christmas pub crawl will be held on Saturday 22nd December 2007 in Buxton. For details contact the Social Secretary. Jase Rider.
26/10/2007 - Eldon Vercors 2008 Expedition
An Eldon expedition to the Vercors is being planned for next summer to coincide with the Vercors 2008 European Conference of Speleology. The dates are Saturday 16th to Saturday 30th August 2008 and more information is available [here]. Jules Barrett.
22/10/2007 - Bradwell Dale Cave Conservation Monitoring
Dave Webb (DCA Conservation Officer) is looking for someone to co-ordinate cave conservation monitoring in Bradwell Dale. Apart from taking a general interest in the conservation of the Bradwell Dale caves this will involve:
• encouraging cavers to fill in cave conservation monitoring forms for the Bradwell Dale caves
• supplying Bradwell Dale information to the SSSI Cave Monitoring website
• attending a couple of meetings a year in Bakewell to let Natural England know what's going on in the Bradwell area
If anyone would like to take this on please let me know and I'll send over Dave's contact details. Jules Barrett.
30/09/2007 - Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation Induction Course
Bryan Woodall has asked me to see if there is any interest in DCRO amongst club members. Anyone interested in getting involved should come to the induction course being held at the Whitehall Centre on Saturday 10th November 2007 (meet at 9:30 a.m.). The day is a good chance to see how DCRO operates, have a play with some of the equipment and meet team members. You have to attend one of these Whitehall days before being accepted onto the team so even if you're only thinking of joining, it's probably worth coming along otherwise you'll have to wait another year to get involved. Bring warm and waterproof clothing for hanging in trees and an SRT kit. Jules Barrett.
26/09/2007 - Eldon 50th Anniversary Celebrations - Giants Hole Trip
Pete Pollard is organising a club Giants Hole trip for Sunday 21st October to celebrate 50 years of the EPC. The intention is to get regular, occasional and armchair cavers out for a good days caving followed by drinking in the Wanted Inn. More information is available [here]. Jase Rider.
19/09/2007 - SRT Notes
Whilst doing some SRT training recently I've put together some illustrated SRT notes which can be made available to future Eldon trainees. They cover the basics of SRT progression (equipment setup, traversing, up, down, changeovers, rebelays, deviations and knot passing) and a draft version can be found at http://www.eldon.org.uk/cavertraining.html. Just click on the file named srt.pdf. You need a password which can be found [here] if you have access to EPC Private on ukcaving.com. If not, just send me an email and I'll send the password over. I'll be using them as the basis for any training for new members so am keen to get views from as many people as possible; a lot of you have been swinging around on rope underground longer than I have! I know everyone's busy but if you get chance to have a look and perhaps suggest changes/additions/tips that would be great. Please send your comments to me before the end of October 07 when I'm going to have some time to finalise them. Jules Barrett.
03/09/2007 - Eldon Library
Now that a more permanent home has been found for the Eldon library Dan Hibberts is looking for volunteers to help sort and record the journals etc. Please get in touch with Dan Hibberts if you are able to help. Jules Barrett.
21/08/2007 - Eldon Tackle Store
First steps have been taken towards building a small Eldon tackle store in the Hope Valley. This will be a place to store digging materials etc. and it is expected that work will be finished soon. Contact The Tackle Master for details. Jules Barrett.
21/08/2007 - Meets list 07/08
Pete Pollard is currently putting together the meets list for 07/08 and is keen to get ideas about caves throughout the UK that people would like to visit as a club trip. We had a good chat in France and drew up a list of 12 or so spread across all four major caving regions but if anyone else has suggestions please contact The Meets Secretary. Similarly, if anyone has a suggestion for the 2008 Eldon expedition please let Pete know. Jules Barrett.
20/08/2007 - Successful Eldon expedition to the Pyrenees Atlantiques for the PSM Traverse
The summer 2007 trip to the Pyrenees for the PSM Traverse went very well with a sociable team of twelve traversing from the Gouffre du Beffroi (SC3) entrance to the EDF tunnel. There's an expedition report [here]. Jules Barrett.
06/08/2007 - New project - Buxton Water Aven, Peak Cavern
After a certain amount of sitting on the fence I've decided to have a proper go at the top of Buxton Water Aven. In fact the aim is to progress a climb begun by Mark Wright up the steep gully/rift at the north west end of the aven. Mark's ropes are still in there and I'll be making use of those in the first instance before (hopefully) pushing on up. The main issue with the climb is that the rope goes over some very loose rock that makes up the bottom of the gully and if this falls it falls right into the sump pool. First job will be to organise somewhere safe to stash dive gear whilst working. Second job will be to try to secure the exit in case something does get knocked down and finally climbing the aven itself. Jim Lister will be trying to find a little time away from Doom's Retreat to assist. See the Current Projects page for more information. Jules Barrett.
02/08/2007 - Congratulations Jim and Sadie
Jim and Sadie have had another young 'un; so Jim's now a dad of two. Congratulations to you both! Jules Barrett.
21/07/2007 - Photo-scanning day
Following the Eldon 50th celebrations a photo-scanning day was held at Nick Williams' place where all the old photos made available by various members and ex-members were scanned. This means that the originals can now be returned to their owners and we will have copies for the 60th and subsequent celebrations. The day went very well and with three computers and scanners going we were finished by early afternoon. Many thanks to Nick for use of his premises. Jules Barrett
26/06/2007 - PSM pre-trip meeting
The main meeting before this August's PSM trip will be held before the next club meeting at 8:00 pm on Thursday 5th July 2007 in the White Lion, Buxton. Please bring your £30.00 for the permit if you haven't already paid. Pete Pollard.
26/06/2007 - Photos wanted for new edition of 'Caves of the Peak District'
Work on the new edition of Caves of the Peak District has reached the stage where photographs are needed. If you have photos that you think are worth including please contact me at
01/06/2007 - "Not for the Faint Hearted" by Mike Cooper
Mike Cooper has published a book titled "Not for the Faint Hearted" which should be of interest. It's a guidebook to 50 'harder' Yorkshire potholes covering famous nasties like Brown Hill Pot, Quaking Pot and Mossdale Caverns. I used the guidebook for a short trip to Yorkshire and easily found and followed the descriptions through Trapdoor Pot and Grange Rigg Pot. There really are some tremendous and demanding trips in here and many are well off the beaten track. Many of the caves combine tight sections with good sized SRT pitches and P-bolts are scarce. Take your 8mm bolts, hangers and pretend you're in France! It's an impressive looking hardback and the layout is such that it photocopies well. All profits go to cave conservation. Available from caving shops including Hitch and Hike and priced around £20.00. Jules Barrett
01/06/2007 - Eldon SRT rescues/problem solving day
An SRT Rescues/Problem Solving day will be held on Saturday 28th July 2007at Pindale Farm near Hope. The day is open to all members and will be a good refresher prior to the PSM trip. Pindale Farm have kindly offered us free use of their training facilities so it's not going to cost anything. Meet at 10:00 a.m. and we plan to be in the pub by 5:00 p.m. Details of venue here: http://www.pindale.fsbusiness.co.uk/
Please bring:
• SRT kit and any slings/pulleys/spare krabs etc. that you'd normally have with you
• helmet
• lunch
It would be useful to have an idea of numbers beforehand so please let Jules Barrett know if you are coming along.
12/05/2007 - 2007 Hidden Earth venue and dates announced
The annual caving event Hidden Earth will this year be held 21 -23 September at Tewkesbury School, Gloucestershire. This is in easy reach of S. Wales, Forest of Dean and Mendip. An Eldon contingent will be attending. More information on the Hidden Earth website and event flyer.
11/05/2007 - Eldon 50th Anniversary Newsletter
Sam Townsend is currently compiling the EPC 50th Anniversary Newsletter. Please send articles, trip reports etc. to Sam by the end of May 2007.
Sad loss of Peter Revell
The club is mourning the passing of Peter Revell, owner of Bagshawe Cavern, who's generous support has made EPC exploration of Bagshawe Cavern possible over many years. Peter was a kind man with a great enthusiasm for caves and caving. Our deepest sympathies go to his family and friends.
09/01/2007 - 50th Anniversary Dinner + Stomp
The 50th Anniversary dinner will take place on Saturday 21st April 2007 at The Pavillion Gardens, Buxton. For further information or to reserve tickets please contact Jase Rider (Telephone 07855886521). The AGM will take place on the afternoon of the 21st at The White Lion, Spring Gardens, Buxton.
15/12/2006 - Slop Moll restoration work.
Eldon members have been helping to rebuild a collapsed wall on the north side of Slop Moll near to the entrance to Peak Cavern. There was some concern that the path used by visitors to the cave was being undermined. John Taylor (EPC) led the project and worked alongside members of the Eldon, TSG, SUSS and Yorkshire's BPC. The Peak Cavern management are very pleased with the outcome and hopefully it will be some years before this particular wall needs attention.
AGM and Stomp 2006
This years AGM will take place on Saturday 22nd April starting at 1.30pm at The White Lion, Spring Gardens, Buxton. The Stomp, as last year, will be held at Sterndale Moor Club, A515 Nr Buxton. Entertainment will be provided by the up and coming 'Freshwater Only'. Camping available in adjoining field, Free Car Parking. Tickets£5 on the door. 8.00pm 'till late.
12/12/2005 - Bagshawe Cavern steps re-built by EPC team
A team of EPC cavers have re-built the rotten wooden steps leading down the stope into Bagshawe Cavern. A number of weekend days were spent concreting, sawing, drilling and bolting and access to the Cavern is now much better.
AGM and Stomp 2005
This years AGM will take place on Saturday 16th April at 1.30pm at The White Lion, Spring Gardens, Buxton. There will be a STOMP Featuring live band 'White Knuckle Ride'. 8.00pm 'till late. Sterndale Moor Club, A515 Nr Buxton. Camping available in adjoining field, Free Car Parking. Tickets £5 on the door.
Eldon Christmas Do 2004
This years Christmas pub crawl has been arranged for Saturday 18th December. Meeting place is, as usual, the Cheshire Cheese. The official start time is 8.00pm - hope to see you all there!
AGM and Stomp 2004 - new venue!
The 2004 AGM will take place on Saturday 17th April at 1.30pm at, as usual, The White Lion, Spring Gardens, Buxton.
However, there's a change in venue for this years stomp. After being held at The Bull i'th Thorn for the last few years, this year it returns to Buxton at Buxton FC Social Club, Silverlands. The stomp starts at 8.00pm with the live band yet to be announced. Admission price is £3.50 (payable on the door). If you require further information please contact the Social Secretary. Camping is available at Lime Tree Park, Buxton. Tel 01298 22988
AGM and Stomp 2003
This years AGM will take place on Saturday 5th April at 1.30pm at The White Lion, Spring Gardens, Buxton.
The evening stomp will be held, as usual, at The Bull i'th Thorn, starting at 8.00pm. The main attraction are 'The Thin Men' who everyone agreed were excellent when they played at last years' stomp. Admission price is £3.50 (payable on the door). If you require further information please contact the Social Secretary.
Eldon Christmas Do 2002
This years Christmas pub crawl has been arranged for Saturday 14th December. Meeting place is the Cheshire Cheese, Buxton market place at 7.00pm. The drunken rabble will then proceed to a variety of different hostelries before going for a curry. Hardier souls are expected to move on to one of the local nightclubs (probably Level1).
Son Of Nettle - New Fence
Much work has been put in at S.O.N. in the past few weeks (June 2002), a third fence has been erected as the other two got flattened by the farmers cattle. This one is sure to do the job! We hope so anyway because we seem to be spending more time fence building than digging. If it does fail, then we may have to degrade ourselves and shamefully creep to the Crewe Climbing and DIY Projects Club to ask for their advice.
The shaft itself looks very similar to Nettle Pot but does have two loose walls, so if you go for a visit - you have been warned!
Digging will commence shortly - anyone wanting to join the dig team should get in touch with Mike or Jase.
DCRO Challenge& Stomp - CANCELLED
The DCRO are holding a 12 mile Treasure Hunt and Orienteering Challenge on Saturday 13th July 9:30am at The Bull i'th Thorn. The challenge will be followed by a BBQ and Stomp to a live band. Free camping available in the next field.
A packed lunch and footwear / clothing suitable for a day in the Peak District are required. A White Peak OS Map and compass are also required per team.
The Eldon can enter teams of four (free entry). Please let Steve Rider (01538 383722) know if you are interested. More information regarding the event can be gained from any DCRO member.
NOTE: THIS EVENT HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED
AGM 2002 - Appointment of Officers
The following appointments were made at the AGM on Saturday (13th April):
Chairman: Rob Wallis
Secretary: Steve Rider
Treasurer: Paz Vale
Meets Secretary: Rob Wallis
Social Secretary: Steve Rider
Tackle Master: John Taylor
Newsletter Editor: Mike Salt
Training Officer: Mick Starr
Librarian: Bob Dearman
Webmaster: Jase Rider
DCA Reps: Dunka, Gary Bode, Jase Rider, Sam Townsend
AGM and Stomp 2002
This years AGM will take place on Saturday 13th April at 1.30pm at The White Lion, Spring Gardens, Buxton.
The evening stomp will be held at The Bull i'th Thorn, starting at 8.00pm. The main attraction are 'The Thin Men' who were excellent when they played at The Braida Stomp recently. Admission price is £3.50 which is payable on the door. If you require further information please contact the Social Secretary.
Eldon Christmas Do
A curry and pub crawl has been organised for Saturday 15th December in Buxton. The meal is at the Taj Mahal Indian restaurant in the Market Square at 6.00pm. Those who don't fancy a curry can meet in the Cheshire Cheese (next door) at 7.30pm. If you require further details or to book a place, please contact The Social Secretary.
Tony Revell
The club is in mourning following the sad loss of one of it's finest cavers. Tony died tragically on the evening of Sunday 11th November and our deepest sympathy goes out to his friends and family. The funeral is to be held on Tuesday 20th November at Bradwell Parish Church.
Hidden Earth 2001
The weekend of 13th and 14th October saw Buxton host this years BCRA Hidden Earth conference. The event took place at Buxton Community School which proved itself to be an excellent venue. The exhibition was very well attended and, although we didn’t make any money, the Eldon stand received plenty of interest and proved much of a focal point throughout the weekend.
Thanks to all those who helped out with either building the stand on the Friday evening or running the stand during the weekend. Special thanks also to Paz and Jase who created the photograph displays and presentations.
A stomp was held at the school on the Saturday night where a strong Eldon contingent were among the crowd. Entertainment was provided by the band 'Long in the Tooth' as well as some of the Eldon lads who took part in the dustbin racing competition!