Topic

Despite my best efforts to bail from the long walk in to 5 ways, Andy was super keen for it. We bargained and I agreed that as long as I could get an inglesport breakfast first. 

I packed the bags up and was in inglesport ready to eat my breakfast cake at 9:15. By just gone ten we (Stephen, Becky, Andy and I) were all at the roadside at cold cotes ready to head up to the hill.

Despite having been involved in some of the digging, I had no recollection of any of the walk up to it and we ended up cutting across a big semi frozen bog with me getting submerged up to my thigh.

We arrived at the entrance at about 11:15 and I set off down the entrance going ahead rigging. And what a bastard the first pitch was to rig (and I was already dreading having to come back up it. The next 5 pitches went without a hitch with a steady pace going, me rigging, Stephen and Becky bringing up the rear and Andy acting as a go between.

The final pitch was lovely to rig, with the challenge of threading the needle, but if I say so myself I nailed it. Andy and I rattled down before deciding to head back up again so we weren’t all waiting at the bottom of the last pitch to re-ascend. My Christmas dinner (and breakfast cake) filled stomach struggled with the re-ascension. Stephen and Becky having witnessed my faffage and feeling slightly tired opted out of this pitch.

I rattled up first and was able to give some assistance from  the pitch heads to people with fading energy. And eventually we arrived at the surface with Andy derigging behind. 

I was not jealous of needing to de-rig the first pitch - I’d rigged it fucking awfully for going down so I dread to think how much of a bastard it was to derig (so big thank you to Andy).

We got back to the surface and spent 30 seconds looking for any obvious tracks and found a big beasting path that took us all the way back to the cars in a brisk wind giving an estimated -5 windchill. I was grateful to have left my belay jacket at the entrance!

Team: Andy P, Stephen A, Becky B, Josh W
Time to bottom: 2 hours
Time to eat jelly babies: 15 minutes 
Time to ascend: 2 hours 30
Total underground time 4h45