New Rift Pot
Will, Scott
Excellent trip into New Rift today. The weather was dry, but not sadly dry enough to expunge the puddle that gets you wet in the flat out crawl after the entrance pitch. There follows a climb down, and then the next one is best tackled backwards on your front. One more climb down in a smooth tube leads to the top of Route 66.
The first drop goes to a good ledge, where the routes diverge. We opted for the right hand traverse over a blank wall, the better to do battle with a filthy in situ rope. A hang leads to a pendulum to some new IC anchors, then a deviation pulls you towards the opposite wall before the rift opens out into the immensity of Coates Cavern.
We spent a bit of time looking at the various routes leading off (as long as they remained spacious and comfortable, which wasn’t for long). All Fools Passage is well decorated, and apparently leads on eventually to Low Douk and Ireby Fell Caverns. Another way from Coates Cavern leads to the Eldon Extension in Large Pot. We also had a look into Crosspatch Inlet, which had a traverse rope in place and contained a fine dry crystal pool.
Will valiantly offered to derig while I borrowed his phone to document his labours. Forcing a bag of wet rope back through the awkward entrance series inspired us both to some creative swearing, but it didn’t take too long to reach the surface.
Another grand day out, will no doubt be back to explore more soon!
