Month: January 2016

By Jason Clements In Day Trips

Lancaster Hole – 27th January 2016

Darren M, Gareth W, Jason

We went for a mainly unremarkable bimble down Wilf Taylor’s passage.  This was another area I hadn’t visited for some years and had forgotten how pleasant it was.

On leaving Montague West and entering Cross Passage (where you turn right for Wilf Taylor’s or left for Waterfall Passage), there is a nice patch of stal straws.  We realised that the dirt on them wasn’t from careless cavers, but was actually a tide mark – presumably before Christmas, the water had risen all the way up to here from the Main Drain!

A bit further, in Wilf Taylor’s, Gareth mentioned the foam on the walls.  “Blimey!” said I, looking at some fresh stuff a little above head height.  “No, up there” he said, pointing to some less fresh foam up in the rift roof, about 5m higher!  It had been very wet here some time ago….

Perhaps with thoughts of floods fresh in our minds, we didn’t spend long in the main streamway (which was sporting, but not frightening) and opted for a quick exit up Fall Pot.  I wasn’t entirely sorry – I remember making a spectacle of myself trying to get up Double Decker Pot on another club trip….

By Jason Clements In Day Trips

Notts II – 13th Jan 2016

13.01.2016 Notts II          Damian, Andy (Damian’s friend), Gareth, Tim D, Jason

After the recent weather I feared the we wouldn’t get far, but as my last trip was way back on Hallowe’en I signed up.  As it turned out, water levels in the stream were pretty much normal.

 

Heading upstream, I had to investigate Inlet 6.5¾. The stories were quite true – after about 10 metres the passage is completely blocked with sand. No doubt someone will take this on as a digging project – the sand looks very easy to move, but it’s impossible to tell how much there is of it, possibly many tons!

We continued to Curry Inlet (I think – I’m never quite sure which inlet is which), which was even prettier than I remembered, although a tide mark around head height is visible on some of the stal. There were plenty of photo opportunities for Gareth.

At the far end of the inlet, a dig seems to be in progress, in disgustingly gloopy mud.

Turning back, we had a quick look up inlet 2b (or not..?) giving Gareth another opportunity to photograph Damian up to his chest in the canal.  The accompanying artistic shot is in a drippy bit of streamway on the way back.

Good fun, and nice to be underground after the long break.