Tag: Nidderdale

A day trip exploring the Goyden System.

Its not often we get to cave over in the Eastern dales so I had added this to the meets list on a few occasions but finally the weather permitted us a long awaited trip.

Ami, Jason and I met at the Goyden pot car park at 0930 on Saturday morning. We all geared up and I delivered the plan to what I hoped to be a good day out. Starting at Manchester hole we would follow the stream through into the bypass via Bax pot then into Goyden, then explore the reaches of the deeper system, we would exit, then shuttle down to New Goyden for a bit of SRT and a shorter round trip (It would be rude not to).

We made good tracks and quickly arriving at the dry stream way entrance of Manchester hole, a little slide down via a well polished slab and we were in. Following the stream way, we passed many large ceiling decorations, until arriving at Mud hall. At the top was a short handline traverse to follow the route along at ceiling level until dropping down a short mud slope back into the streamway. We soon arrived at the first Stoop/duck and we were into the impressive Fossil Hall. This is probably (IMO) some of the best exposed fossils in Yorkshire, the hall is decorated with probably over 100 individual, 350 million year old Brachiopods shells. After a good look about we pushed on and soon arrived at the next duck, I lead through wondering how I used to stay dry when doing this with groups and making to the other side fully soaked, Ami soon followed behind and Jason taking the brave option to crawl through (respect). This brought us into Bax pot to which was the start of an awkward boulder choke traverse to bring us into the main streamway of Goyden, no matter how many times you do this section it for one never looks the same and two, longer than you anticipate. 

Finally in Goyden I presented the route plan which would take us to the deeper sections. On route I pointed out all alternative ways and recalled previous experiences over the years in Goyden and how its nature and environment can be a serious beast pointing out all the flood debris hanging about in the roof. Following downstream we met the T-junction to head into the Labrinth passage, follow this, passing the blue tubes passage first, then A-junction after, then finally reaching 5 ways chamber. From here we headed uphill to meet the Alloy ladder and into Sand caverns which is another very round but well decorated passage with large amount of flowstone and and curtains. Given the conditions we were able to explore down into the Maypole passage which I had never done before. This includes a series of short muddy crawls, normally there is a little muddy duck to pass through but this was dry today (result) then a climb up a steep extended ladder next to the rusty Maypole and into a short decorated passage after an unconvincing call back that there wasn’t a great deal to see, I was surprised to meet Ami at the ladder who expressed she had come this far so might as well take a look, but was a little concerned about the climb back down. We returned to the sand cavern and made tracks to 20ft climb this involves a short climb up a doglegged churt passage or the alternative a short puddle crawl. Jason followed me and Ami took puddle which we I only found out by meeting her at the other time telling us to get a move on and that it all looked a bit ‘faffy’. She wasn’t wrong. A climb down 20ft and we made tracks to the deeper reaches Ami was keen to give the squeeze a go at the bottom so of course, when in Rome, we did it. At the other side follow downstream left and you arrive at a Terminal sump, which again we found something extra I had never done before, here there is an awkward climb straight up above the pool then another tricky climb into a narrow rift. This then brings you back to the top of the other side right before a climb down to the previous squeeze we had just done. This was a great little extra and was grateful for giving it a go. Once regrouping we headed back to five ways and pressed on to the exit via Pyridine passage which involves a wade through water, a climb up into a rift with the use of in-situ ropes then a traverse over another pool. With a bit of team work we were up and across, we pressed on made progress towards the exit and soon enough we were back in day light.

A little breather and a snack we geared back up after a short shuttle and headed into New Goyden. Both pitches rigged and we were once again in the main stream way    but a good few hundred meters and 3-4 diving sumps from earlier. A stomp down the main stream, we arrived at another climb up into the planetarium, a chamber with lots of round pockets a glittery formation in the ceiling. We wanted to make it to the further sump, this involved a little slide down into a larger mud floored passage then a return to the streamway. Here we were amazed to see loads of little fish in the stream around the rocks, so we carefully carried on make sure not to harm the little cave dwellers. (I found out that these are Bullhead fish)

After finding the sump we spun around and headed back and alternative way and I had a little explore up an Aven that was on route. Before heading out we had a quick walk up to the upstream sump then return back up the ropes then headed up to the exit. A nice little trip to wrap up the day.

Hope to return again some time in the next year. 

Having visited the jewel of Nidderdale (aka “Stinky Goyden”) on a number of occasions, I was interested to try out John Gardner’s new route at https://www.braemoor.co.uk/caving/route29.shtml which promised to show off some of the more esoteric parts of the system.  Ray hadn’t been before, but said he didn’t mind where we went, which he may have regretted before the end of the day.

From the entrance, we headed towards Cap Left crawl, to find the entrance well-blocked with timber, but the guide assured us there was an easy bypass up a rift on the right, and indeed there was.  We visited Pillar Pot, just to look at the sump at the bottom, then returned to Cap Left Crawl, Cap Left Tunnel and a “cosy” crawl leading to the ladder at 10’ climb.  But no ladder for us, more crawling via Pool and Boulder and Carbide Tin passages through the Labyrinth, the way marked by a helpful high-vis jacket someone had left.  “Navigation is now straightforward” says the guide, and it might have been had we spotted the step up to the bottom of the 20’ pitch.  Despite it being “elegant”, we managed to crawl past it twice before Ray spotted it.

After luxuriating in being upright for a moment, we headed off to Mud Pot, thence to a climb up to a “wriggly” passage. The guide says “enter this with difficulty”, and it wasn’t kidding!  I adopted my usual thrutch and flail technique, which eventually worked, then you have to perch on a rock flake and post yourself into the wriggly passage, without slipping head-first down the 5m drop below.  Ray looked at this and sensibly decided he didn’t fancy it, so after a bit of wriggling, I turned round and had no option but to dive down the climb.  Fortunately Ray did a good bit of catching, so I landed safely.

Now what? I thought it would be fun to climb up the 20’ pitch (it was) and then there’s some pleasant walking passage and we arrived at the top of the 10’ climb, which is only a few metres from 5-ways chamber, and an easy way out to the main chamber via Labyrinth passage.  However, despite having a survey (albeit now sodden and disintegrating), I’d got disorientated and confidently led off in the wrong direction, arriving back at the 10’ climb after more flat-out crawling.  Fortunately Ray had a cooler head and correctly deduced the right way (basically, the only one we hadn’t tried yet), and we were soon heading for the sound of the main stream.

Then it was a fun romp up the river (still low) and the climb back out to the entrance, and the welcome sight of daylight!  It turned out we hadn’t been underground as long as it felt, so we treated ourselves to a pint in The Crown in Lofthouse, which was most welcome!

Thanks to Ray for the photos.

 Manchester Hole – Goyden Pot       Chris H, Jason

I’d been keen to have a club trip to Goyden for a while as it’s relatively close to me in Harrogate.  So much so, that I’d been on a route-finding trip with my daughter Rosa at Easter.  We followed the route at http://www.braemoor.co.uk/caving/route17.shtml – although any number of variations are possible, this being a fairly complex system, Braemoor’s route is a good tour of much of the cave with plenty of interest and variety.

So, it would have been nice to have had a better turnout, but at least Chris came so I could see how much of the route I could remember.  It was a fine day, with low water and no rain forecast, so we entered Manchester Hole cheerfully.  There’s not a lot to this and we soon found ourselves facing the forbidding ‘false sump’, which you ignore and take a sharp right into an uninviting duck (not too bad at all in these conditions).  Passing by the dive line of the real sump, you come to the beginning of the connection to Goyden dug out by the Black Sheep Diggers from the other end.  This is an entertaining mix of bedding plane crawls, wet boulder chokes and at one point, so Chris informed me, a squeeze.

Before too long, we emerged into the impressive main streamway of Goyden, from where Braemoor takes you on a romp around the system.  The caving is very varied, a lot of walking, some crawling, a little canal section and a surprisingly awkward 4-foot climb!  There’s no SRT required, though there is a 20-foot climb provided with a bit of knotted tat when we were there (it was removed soon after as being ‘too dodgy’ !).  There’s little in the way of calcite formations, though there is a lot of chert, often bulging out of walls in bands, giving the appearance of bin liners stuffed into crevices.

We came eventually to the main entrance of Goyden,  where Chris took some nice photos, we spent a few moments in the warm sunshine before somewhat reluctantly turning back to take the quick route back to the streamway and out via Gaskell’s passage to Church Pot.  Before we exited, we decided to have a look at Sump 2.  It turns out that you get there via Pinnacle Climb, which is partially roped, but the bit that isn’t looked highly exposed, with a tight passage at the top, so we wimped out and turned back for Church Pot.  On the way, Chris decided to investigate to investigate a narrow, grotty little dig, I’m not sure why…

Shortly after, we found the right way out, which is hinted at by several excellent fixed ladders taking you up the rift – but not all the way, the final few meters is a sweaty vertical thrutch which emerges from a capped concrete pipe in the bed of the Nidd (which was completely dry here).

So – 3 hours or so of fine and varied caving – much to be recommended!