We set of with directions to the cave “turn left from wall shortly after the turning for Notts Pot”. It was misty, murky and damp. Unfortunately we missed the Notts Pot turning and went 90 yards away from the wall after what turned out to be the turning to F’ing Hopeless. We found a pot with hangers.
Damian thought it didn’t quite match the description, but as it had hangers we went down. After the pitch was a long section of what I described as tortuous passage, though Damian just slithered through it all (with a bag too). TC and I struggled through, squirming, writhing and wriggling making slow progress. We realised after a while that this really was not the right cave, but Damian wanted to see where it went. TC had the good fortune to lose his pantin down a crevice, so stopped to retrieve it.
Damian and I stopped a short while afterwards deciding we either turn round and go out or go on and give up on doing F’ing Hopeless. We decided Damian could go on for a bit, but I would turn round, collect TC and make our way out. I came across a smiling TC who had constructed a fishing line and managed to retrieve his pantin. Not long after Damian joined us having got to another pitch. He had left the bag behind at the point I left him so could go no further. We proceeded down the hill a short way and soon found the cave we wanted.
This one fitted the description much better! We went down the pitches, through a VERY muddy section (I nearly lost a welly) and found the rigged up pitch. I had a bit of a struggle near the top but otherwise all went well. Damian could not make sense of the description. I just remembered David saying take SRT kit off after coming down that pitch and go down the tube near the bottom of it. Damian thought it best to take some kit off from the top as we approached some pretty bits, so we took off varying amount of our kit and went on.
It was certainly well decorated. We took our time admiring the helictites etc, then remantled our SRT kits and went down the pitch to the tube. SRT kit off again (I’m not sure Damian ever put it all back on). TC had been that far in the cave before, so decided to start making his way out. After a very short wriggle we came to calcite formations which Damian decided was on a parr with the pretties in Fairy Quarry. Stunning calcite flowstone with patches of very long straws dangling above. We stood entranced for a while, then went on. I decided I was calcited out at the point you double back left on yourself, so I turned round and started out. Damian went on to the bitter end, but still caught up with TC and myself very soon.
Back through the mud and up and out to much improved weather and views of Morecambe Bay.
A really well-worthwhile trip, but I was pleased there were only 3 of us as there is a lot of loose stuff around the pitches. We took care and stayed away from the pitches when anyone was on them.
Thanks to Damian for carrying the bag and putting up with 2 snails not attempting to keep up with him.
The cave we went in first was AKA Hole, a way into Ireby Fell Cavern, but a long way and far from easy!
