Month: March 2025

By Jason Clements In Day Trips

Dry Gill Cave

 James, Jim, Jess, Ami, Jason

I’d come across this cave in the guide books some time ago, and thought it looked to have a lot going for it.  Ok, it’s a bit crawly and ducky, but the reward was supposed to be some fab formations.  Plus it’s a very short walk from the road and no SRT whatever is required.  Just my sort of cave!

It had been on the meets list before, but I’d been thwarted by bad weather – did I mention that it’s apt to flood?  But the forecast was dryish, so off we set.  And we found the (small!) entrance quite easily.  Ami nobly volunteered to go first, but quickly came out, doubting that it could possibly go.  So James stepped, well inched, in and his wellies soon disappeared so it was evident we’d have to follow.  It started small, tight and awkward, and remained so.  At one little climb, I managed to get up, but my wellie didn’t follow.  So we made gradual progress, with a lot of huffing, puffing and cursing.  At the next climb, I was convinced I wouldn’t make it, but with James’ and Ami’s encouragement and guidance, I did.

Now we were in the Obstacle Course, which continued in the same vein.  Surely we must be near the streamway now?  We were, but there was just one tight bit in the way.  This time, I really couldn’t fit through, despite strenuous efforts.  Worse – it took even more effort to back out, and then Jim and Jess whizzed through, making it look easy.

So I turned to retrace my ‘steps’ (if only!) and it was just as much fun on the way out, but it was a gorgeous moment when I finally popped out into the pleasantly cool (2° C) air to see Orion looking down on me.

I got changed and was guiltily wondering if it would be out of order to set off home, or should I wait to make sure the others got out, when I saw – much to my surprise – some torches coming down the hill.  It was Jim and Jess, and the others were not far behind.  Apparently the stream was so low, that it was hard to tell which was downstream.  They came to a duck and went through it, getting soaked, but – was it the right one?  And then there was a climb, but was it the right way or would it lead to an agonising crawl which just closed down?

In the end, they evidently decide enough fun was enough, so weren’t all that far behind me and I certainly hadn’t been rushing.

So a trip ticked off?  Yes and no – definitely one to return to and do properly, if you’re hard (and slim) enough!

By Scott In Day Trips

Ireby Fell Cavern

Chris A, Will, Scott

A warm Spring day saw three of us tackle the classic route to Duke Street. It was Chris’s first trip with the club, but he obviously knows his way around an SRT kit, and we made excellent time down the first pitches. Bell pitch was almost dry, making a mockery of my behooded rigging style. We had been told that Pussy, Well and Rope pitches were pre-rigged, but the rope was missing from the final drop of Pussy, and the rope on Rope was a sorry sight. We muddled through though, and soon were bounding down Duke Street. I obviously didn’t sell the muddy crawl to Ireby II very convincingly, and we made a return to the surface without further ado, with Will derigging. A very straightforward trip this time – no nipple-deep wading in icy water to find Ireby 23 – just a nice walk back across the fell in the sunshine.
Thanks to Chris and Will for an excellent day out!

By Ray McGarry In Day Trips

Rowten Pot

John, Will, Ray

This was a quick trip following my favourite route: In through the Eyehole, descend the main pitch from the 1st y-hang in the bottomless rift, swing over onto the wall for a few of the rebelays on the normal Gully route, all finished off via the Flyover.

Both John and I had done Rowten many times (although this precise route was new to John), but it was a bit of a step up for Will. Having done a few of the West Kingsdale potholes, he was suitably impressed by their “big brother”.

We were down at the bottom in no time. Will couldn’t be persuaded to dive the sump, which is just as well as he started by looking at the upstream sump. Neither John nor I had any intention of diving any sumps!

Will did an excellent job of derigging. All was going very well indeed until I started to prussic the entrance pitch. The tackle bag I was carrying became tangled round the rope, so I hauled it up and started passing it around to free it. Unfortunately, being a bit depleted these days, I ran out of energy & strength halfway through this manoeuvre and let the bag drop. This was enough to break the donkey’s d1ck attaching it to me and it fell back down the pitch. We had 2 bits of good fortune here: (1) it landed on the ledge without rolling off down the main pitch, (2) I was only 6 or 7m up, so could easily pop down to collect it.

Will finished off the derigging in no time and we exited to glorious sunshine. Will tells me the whole trip took 3 hours, 20 minutes from car to sump and back. Not bad for a couple of old duffers… and a young tiger.

Photos by Will.