Author: James Benson

By James Benson In Uncategorised

Fairy Holes

Present Damian, Tom, Scott, James, Jasmine

 

It’s a bit of a drive but this cave is really worth it. Cavers can only visit on one day a month and for much of its discovered history its been part of a working quarry. In fact despite losing 600m of passageway through being quarried away its still one of the longest stream passageways in the country. 

 

So we parked in our allocated space and walked up to the quarry. First challenge was to find the cave. This place is huge! We wandered about eventually following a path up the side of the quarry to a stream flowing out of a grille. We had the key and unlocked this, followed by a mild wetting as we crawled through a big concrete and metal pipe. Then suddenly we were in a cave. Seemed surprising after the quarry environment. 

 

The cave itself is a long stream passageway where occasional rockfall has made things harder so you have to climb or go underneath. The stream way involves wading through water of varying depth. Despite wearing a wetsuit and wetsuit socks being constantly in this water it gets cold. So gradually we got a bit chilly. But despite this we got quite a long way until a constriction stopped Damian. It was a good effort but he turned round. So there were four of us left and we sloshed on. 

 

The walls of the cave are not so solid as there are amazing mud formations everywhere formed of thick layers of mud. This is a nice change from all that clean Yorkshire limestone. Eventually we got to a bit where Scott and Tom turned around. The cave seemed endless at this time, we all had cold feet apart from Jasmine who was pretty much 50% neoprene. BUT it was shortly after this point that the cave changed in character and me and Jasmine were in  higher level passages following white dots. Crawling along sweating buckets. The warmth got my enthusiasm going again and we pushed on. Many interesting formations were encountered and Easegillish type Chambers were passed. At last we got in the streamway again and followed it to the end where it seemed impassible and awkward and our map went no further.

 

We turned round and made a retreat for the next 3 hours. Caution was thrown away and we dived through ducks and wet bits with enthusiasm because we knew the others would be waiting and we’d been ages. I saw a blind cave fish, which i subsequently found the cave is famous for. Then eventually we emerged from the pipe into the freezing air and darkness. Chilly times on the walk out. Mercifully Tom had heated seats for the way home. Luxury.

 

A great trip but we found out later that it wasn’t the real end to the cave. In recent years the removal of some mud has allowed explorers to get even further. So a reason to return. 

 

Thanks Damian for sorting out the access and organizing the trip.

By James Benson In Uncategorised

Voldemort Hole

Present James, Jasmine

Wild and windy getting changed on Leck fell was a challenge but eventually we headed off to find the cave. Heading up the wall 200 yards and then looking from this 30 yards away to find the small shakehole from which Voldemort descends. This was a relief to find, welcome to cosy cave but hopefully not too cosy.  We slither through the entrance passages and down climbs, seeing some interesting scaffolding and then down a pitch. We were going for a pull through. It was my first time rigging one, but I knew the theory and what could possibly go wrong? Well reading the last KCC report was a mistake because last time the rope got stuck and they had to return the next day. Best not to know sometimes! I had no spare time or inclination for this to happen this time.

 

So after the first pitch we removed harnesses so we could look at all the amazing formations. Well worth it but being sporting cavers we both decided that they were beside the point of being here and we were much more interested in getting into some awkward cave passageway. 

 

The takeoff from the 2nd pitch was fun and we successfully pulled through taking the mid height passage through to the 3rd pitch. The rope nearly got stuck on this but we freed it all while water poured down on us. Wetter now we dragged ourselves and our 70 m and 50 rope bags through the wet canal section finally arriving at the top of the big one, ‘Oliver Lloyd Aven’. 35m of pull through potential problems. But we were very careful to let the rope untwist and so all was good. 

 

Now just the simple matter of dragging the bags and ourselves back out of Notts 2. I found some emergency chocolate and spirits were raised enough to get us out of there. In the end it was surprisingly late but time flies when you’re having fun!

By James Benson In Day Trips

Short Gill

Present: Scott, Jasmine, Ami, Jason, James, Tom (moral support pre trip)

The Wednesday evening trip to Short Gill in the steep-sided valley of Barbondale felt like stepping into an entirely different part of the country. The valley holds an air of mystery, as if it is still guarding many caving secrets yet to be revealed. Short Gill itself is a cave that beckons the “connoisseur” of a more developed palette; it is a place for those who appreciate tight, awkward maneuvers balanced by immense interest, stunning rock formations, and a labyrinth of crazy little nooks and unique geological features.

Before heading in, there was a small debate regarding gear—specifically whether we needed a rope. While Jason argued against it, we took one, but really it wasn’t necessary as nothing really needed it. As it turned out, we encountered a fixed rope on a slightly awkward chimney climb later on the cave 

The approach itself is a spectacle. Ascending the streamway toward the entrance, you feel as though you’ve entered a temperate rainforest. The canyon walls are steep and high, with trees bridging the gap above and a rock bridge spanning the water. Reaching the start of the cave—a hole in the floor at the base of a steep cliff face—marks the beginning of what is arguably the finest caving experience in Barbondale. We climbed down the entrance passage,  eventually reaching an inspiring ladder made of aluminium tubing and threaded bar. Not complaining as it was very useful and appreciated.

The trip took a turn for the “interesting” when we got belly-down in the water. Having left the survey in the car, I plowed on relentlessly, ignoring caution in favour of cave momentum. Jason remarked that things were about to get awkward just as I squeezed through a tight gap and found myself lulling about in a pool with no obvious exit. As I poked my feet around wondering if I’d hit a sump, Ami and Jason cursed the wrong turn as it was pretty awkward to reverse. The wiser members of the team—like Scott, who had been before—hung back and watched the mistakes unfold. We eventually found the bypass, a series of 90-degree passageways that led us into a streamway. This then led to a further bypass and again the streamway. This had some exposed positions but the rock remained incredibly grippy, providing a reassuring sense of security.

The journey ended at a terminal sump where the mysteries of Barbondale truly linger. We had been told by a local specialist that if you listen closely at the crack of the sump, you can hear falling water. Standing there, we wondered if it was the sound of a stream going over an edge or a new tributary joining the system; it’s clear that many secrets remain underground here. The trek out was uneventful, though those of us who took the wrong turns were feeling the wet and the cold by now. However it wasnt long down to the vehicles and the warmth of dry clothes and car blowers

Ultimately, it was a good two-to-three-hour evening trip. The key takeaway was to follow Jasmine’s example: she ignored the rumors of it being a dry cave and wore a wetsuit, proving correctly to ignore everyones advice and go with the gut feeling. Probably best for spring or summer but then youve got midges!

By James Benson In Uncategorised

Bull Pot of the Witches

Present: James, Tom, Paddy

The evening’s plan was Bull pot of the witches. Paying strict attention to the CNCC rigging topo I brought 5 kit bags full of rope. I think we only used 2 in the end!

The journey began rigging the initial chimney descent. Again this didn’t really seem necessary apart from bottom bells out slightly. We headed right, finding a massive chamber of Cavern 32 to the right; however, after looking in a few uninviting corners we returned to the main shaft to continue our descent. 

Down a couple of pitches we ended up at the Long Gallery. Heading right towards the streamway we ended up at the Trap. But we weren’t to be trapped this evening. Capitalizing on the drought-like conditions we managed to wade through with water levels barely rising above waist height. Pushing on further through a duck we ended up in the Upstream Passage. This continues all the way to the final upstream sump. Apparently the next stop for divers if they could find a route would be Aygill Caverns! 

Heading back through the duck we headed up the steep, muddy slope rigged with a hand-rope. Paddy took the lead, disappearing up the incline. Me and Tom followed, managing to squeeze up into the beautiful Gour Chamber. Well worth the effort. To get out we followed the bottom of this through a tight squeeze. I’m sure this would be harder the other way round so we were happy to find this chamber from our less usual direction.

Realising it was now late and our survey was smushed into pocket sludge we found our way up into the main Bull Pot Shaft. Tom volunteered to de-rig the entrance passages, much appreciated. 

By James Benson In Uncategorised

Aygill Caverns

Present; James, Sophie, Billy, Amy, and Jasmine 

After a quick walk in the opposite from usual caving direction we managed to find the entrance hole by the side of the (dry!) Aygill beck. Thus followed a bit of head scratching we found our way through to the first pitch. Although this section can be free-climbed, we opted to rig it for safety. The way on was through a rift in the floor to a narrow, squeezy passage that had caused a significant tangle on a previous trip, but this time we moved through smoothly, perhaps things are getting easier?

As the cave progressed, the environment became increasingly wet and fun. Reaching the cascading sections required careful bridging and scrambling down slick, steep walls. The navigation became more complex downstream where several routes intersect, requiring frequent reference to the survey description. Doing a complete 180-degree turn near the Sand Junction we eventually approached the sump. This involved a challenging “‘orrible bit”—a low crawl where the water level rose nearly to the roof, contrasting my earlier optimistic assessment that the trip would be a relatively dry one.

Demonstrating great bravery, Jasmine dived into the sump pool. Fortunately, she had the foresight to wear a wetsuit, wisely hedging her bets against my assessment of the conditions. Completely saturated but satisfied with reaching the sump, we began our return journey. The only interruption to this was near the entrance pitch by two resident bats that took exception to our presence. The bats became loud and screechy, flying directly at the team’s faces and prompting a hasty exit from the cave

Aygil Caverns is a high-quality system with much more to offer. The trip served as a good recce for future objectives, in already eyeing the Middle, Left hand, Red Rose and Precambian Series for next trip.

By James Benson In Day Trips

Hazel grove cave

Meeting in the woods in the relatively flat area of Hale Moss seemed an unlikely place for some caving. Picking an unknown cave seemed a risky proposition but the description seemed good and the length of the cave was promising for an evening’s adventure. The entrance had been found by numerous searches on the way back from work (just round the corner). 

So 6 of us (me, Tom, Josh, Pete, Maz and Nat) set off through the woods, across a little bridge and into a field. The ponies in this field seemed unusually frisky and galloped around. I wondered, are they trying to ward us off, but maybe it was the sight of these unusually dressed individuals in full ready for action caving. In the corner of the field, which borders an area of marshland there is a slight rise and very small rocky outcrop. A gryke in this is just big enough to slip down. I led the way, hoping that everyone else was going to fit after me! A few awkward movements took us into a 45 degree sloped passageway filled with massive spiders. Ii moved these carefully out the way as i didn’t want anyone freaking out! Part of the trepidation was a last minute warning email from Helen that they almost encountered a fox down a cave in the area. She couldn’t remember which cave but I certainly didn’t want to encounter one head first down a narrow passageway. Fortunately the passageway didn’t get any tighter and opened up into a head height chamber. Wow. I was amazed this was here. Things were looking up! 

To the left a passageway led to the sump. To the right the passageway led to another sump. Oh dear. According to the description this should be a crawl!! Oh but on the survey map there is a bypass. Acutely aware of having led all these enthusiastic cavers into this cave I decided in a moment of madness to throw myself into this obstacle with massive enthusiasm. So after much maneuvering I climbed up and then slid down this high level bypass which was very tight!! And downwards. And incredibly awkward. Is anyone else going to follow me? No way. 

I’d dropped into a pool of water almost waist deep. The tube I had come down had almost no footholds at the bottom of it. I could hear the others chatting on the other side of it but suddenly I felt like this was gonna be a problem. I could stand but the passageway ahead was flooded but passable with alot of wet ducks. I didn’t fancy it and would have to go on alone. There was apparently another entrance found in the 60’s when it was surveyed but subsequently there has been a whole caravan site built upon where this comes out. Who knows if this other entrance still exists! It could have been filled or come out under a caravan. Also there was a lot more cave to go and the water levels were a lot higher now than whenever the description was compiled. In my mind there were two possible ways to get out, back up the tube or to dive down through the stinking muddy waters through the sump. But that could be tight and very risky and maybe not even passable due to mud build up. I tried to see if it was passable by reaching down in desperation into the cold mucky stinking waters. This soaked me as I went head level deep feeling for the way back. I couldn’t find the way but found a bit of wood. This was a square cut plank of wood. Another mystery. I used this to probe the underwater passageway. I prodded the mud and found a way through. Josh and Tom could see the water moving on the other side of the sump. In fact the end of the wood could be felt but deep into the water. And the passageway was obviously tight and possibly even needing digging to pass. No chance as this would all have to happen whilst underwater!

So the only option was to pass up through the tube. I tried to squeeze up it. There was no room for leg movement apart from a slight desperate scrabble. Both arms had to be extended upwards in order to fit the shoulders through. Because they were held upwards this in itself was knackering. It was easy enough to start up the tube but any progress was next to impossible. It wasn’t possible to even see what the legs were doing as i could hardly move my head and the feet were still in the mirky depths of the pool. I had many tries but kept sliding back down. Finally I’ve gone too far!! I was meant to go on holiday early the next morning. Maybe i’d still be stuck down here then.

I reasoned with myself to stay calm. Logically I could fit through the hole as I had on the way down. If it had been horizontal, it would be awkward but doable but gravity was the main challenge here. If I had some way of pushing up it would help. I tried using the plank of wood which I now suspected was used by the last person who got trapped in here. Still no help. I briefly considered stripping off most of my clothes in order to fit easier but I was already soaked and didn’t think it would help with the trickiest problem which was upward force. Josh kindly offered to get a rope from the back of my pickup. Tom tried to help pull me up by the arms but the space above the tube was really awkward anyhow for serious pulling. After a few more tries Josh returned with the rope and a pulled system was devised. This allowed a foot loop to go down past me. Then by hauling on this and small leg movements everyone gradually hauled me up through the tube as I desperately tried to wriggle upwards. It was like removing a cork from inside a wine bottle. By a miracle this eventually succeeded and I was beyond relief in fact overjoyed by the apparently unlikely recovery. 

Surprisingly nobody else was up for this experience and we slithered out the cave. The trip was short but hopefully entertaining. Amazingly it was high water levels that really stopped us from getting further but we were in some of the driest levels for years outside. My theory is that when Hazel grove was originally explored the Hale mosses were a lot drier. They were much more intensively farmed back then. Now the value of wetlands is much more recognized and much of the drainage on the moss is intentionally left blocked in order to keep it marshy and flooded. Thus water levels are high. Or has the building of the caravan site on top has affected the drainage somehow? Anyhow i’d still really like to explore the cave and am currently considering ways to pump out the water. We’d barely started it so there is so much more to see down there! 

As a little aside we then went through neighboring Brackenthwaite Cave which is a short little through trip in a outcrop near Leighton beck. This was enjoyable and so at least a bit more caving was achieved! Many thanks to all that turned up.