Topic

An easier trip for the Sunday, one more suitable for novices.
We lost Phil & Andy but gained another Andy, Val, Damian, Sophie & Ros. Making a total of eleven!
Phil, Ros & I want over to meet Damian & Sophie at the parking spot with the ladder, lifeline & some rigging tatt. The rest followed a little later accompanied by the President.
Nigel had originally offered to lead the trip, but had dropped out due to a leg injury but he still managed to guide the second group to the cave.
Approaching the shakehole, we disturbed an owl which went and hid at the opposite end of the shakehole while we rigged and descended the entrance pitch.
At the bottom of the pitch, we spilt into two groups.
The first group, lead by Damian, went directly to the streamway and headed downstream going as far as the climb up to the roof where the grim section starts.
We then turned round and went back to the junction, where we met the second group, who had had a bit of a faff in North Stream Passage. They headed downstream and we headed up.
The character was different heading upstream from the junction, much less breakdown & more pleasant streamway.
We soon got to the climb with low level bypass. After a little faff, Andy & I went over the top & the rest went underneath. We then continued up to the waterfall climb, decided that we were going to get drenched if we went up (it was sub-zero outside and would have made for an unpleasant walk back to the cars).
We turned round at the point and headed out.

Group 1: Damian, Sophie, Val, Andy, Ros & Dave.
Group 2: Paul, Dave, Lukasz, Matt & Robin.
Group 1 time: About 3 hours