Washfold Pot

Ray, Pete, Scott, Tom, James, Dave, Steve. Report by Steve

With Washfold Pot being a longer trip more suited to a weekend and the knowledge of rain due around midnight we opted to only a pack 55m rope for the first pitch and take a short 12m rope as back up, as suggested by the NCNCC notes. If we got as far as the third pitch we’d consider it a successful recce trip.

We managed to avoid talking each other out of it and headed up to the cave, probably not taking the ideal route over, rather than round, the limestone pavement to find the entrance around 30 mins from leaving the cars at Selside lane.

The first climb down into the cave was enough to tell us this cave was going to be a bit different.

Following the water downstream soon found us in a canyon passage, occasionally tight, awkward but manageable once we’d settled into it. We initially missed the climb up out of the stream but it was fairly obvious that you couldn’t follow the water so a quick back track found what we thought was the roof level bedding crawl and tight squeeze. After some selective expletives and a bit of thratching around we got through the squeezy bits to the tight squeezy bit. The way on being to remove the helmet and squeeze through the right hand side where the water could drip on your head straight down the back of your neck. I feel there’s something calming about being able move your head about even if your body is fairly stuck. It wasn’t the first time we’d removed the helmets for short tight bits but care was needed as on each occasion they could have easily been dropped down into somewhere inaccessible.

The passage opened up and dropped back into the streamway about 5m below. It was an awkward climb down but plenty of room for everyone. A quick look round the corner showed the stream falling away and some anchors in the roof, the sound of falling water confirming we were at the top of the first pitch.

Called ‘the depot’ it’s the suggested place for putting on SRT kit. Given what we’d just come through I think I’d have taken it off long ago if I had of set off with it on. We tied into an old rusty bolt in the roof (not shown on the topo) just because it was there. We had a 55m rope for the 48M pitch so thought why not. It was a good 2 – 3 M of traverse before the large flake where the rigging guide starts. You wouldn’t fall down the pitch but could end up well wedged. The traverse at roof height to the Y hang bolts takes the rigger right out above the pitch where a dim light is appreciated as it’s a long way down. Easy enough to get cows tails in but then awkward to get the Y hang sorted. The addition of a loop for getting off on the way out took another bit of extra rope but surely 55m would be enough.

On what we thought was a dry day following very little rain, there was a fair amount of water spraying and with the pitch dropping right through it was enough for my memory bank to kick in and remind me of the deviation about 6M down. There was some tat already tied round a chock stone in a horizontal joint about 6M down so it was soon clipped into. The descent was still wet and finished on a wet ledge full of spray with my descender hard up on the stopper knot at the end of the 55 M rope – longer legs would have been useful. A quick climb down and into the stream passage to avoid the spray and it soon warmed up.

The way on is obvious following the water and eventually climbing up into a false floor to where a large boulder had a bit of polypropylene rope tied round it. Fortunately it also had a 9mm static rope which on inspection looked fine, so we used it to descend the 9m back into the streamway. Its likely it could be climbed but was certainly easier with the rope. Downstream continued with a low crawl in water, plenty of airspace on this occasion but plenty of water to get into. Given the time (nothing to do with flat out crawls in water) we chose to turn around at this point eager to get out and cancel the midnight call out arrangement. The fixed rope was a bonus going back up the climb, its isn’t mentioned in the CNCC notes or the topo as the ‘second pitch’ with optional rope is after the wet crawl, so I’d be tempted to take TWO optional spare ropes in next time just in case.

At this stage the team was down to three, James, Dave and myself. I’m not sure exactly when others turned round but completely understandable as its certainly different type of Wednesday night fun. The pitch went on forever, and was a git to get off, after that I found the way out much more pleasant and achievable which will be partly psychological, partly survival mode and highly likely because I wasn’t de-rigging it ! So much so that I went straight past the entrance climb for quite a way before turning round and back tracking. Fortunately there was still some daylight for me so I dropped a rope down the climb just to indicate where it was for the others (worth noting for next time)

James and Dave got back to the road around 2300hrs after initially going underground around 1930hrs so a good 3 hours to get to the wet crawl on the way to pitch 2 and 3. I personally wouldn’t fancy the first pitch if it had more water on and as for the state of the cave if you got as far as the wet crawls to decide they had low air space, well…..

From the mixed comments by all after the trip we may not be rushing back, but who knows…