Topic

Saturday morning began with 7 people sitting in the lounge sipping tea while listening to me droning on about things like ropes, fall factors, peak impact forces and different shaped krabs. Once everyone was well and truly asleep, we moved outside to the Helwith SRT Obstacle Course (TM). Everyone then got plenty of practice on traverse lines, pitch heads and deviations.

A quick lunch and we set off for Valley Entrance where we met Paul Geddes, who was to be the trip’s official photographer. Numerous circuits of the twin Valley Entrance pitches later and everyone was deemed to have passed their Cub Scout SRT Badge. A few minutes on how to assist a tired caver to prusik and some changeovers and we left in time to get bitten by midges while changing.

Sunday morning saw everyone outside for a quick recap on what we learned yesterday on the Helwith Bridge Obstacle Course (TM). We then had a look at rebelays and everyone got in some practice before we set off for Sunset Hole.

Rich and Fiona D had set off a few hours earlier to rig it for us, so you can imagine our surprise on arriving at the entrance to see them about to go underground. It seems they had decided to have a in-depth look at all the area’s shakeholes first!

After a few naughty people who had jumped down the first climb had been sent back up to do the monumentally over-the-top traverse line and abseil (we were there to practise SRT after all) we all reached the bottom of the final pitch ... all that is except me, who took the opportunity to sit at the top! A bit of knot-tying practice at the top while waiting for people to come up and a very quick introduction to pitch-head lowers for Rich, and we turned around and headed out.

Everyone coped really well and should be congratulated on an excellent weekend’s work.

“Where should we go next?” a few people asked me while walking back to the car.

Here are a few to keep you all busy:
Bull Pot of the Witches
Bull Pot (Kingsdale)
Jingling Pot
Heron & Yordas Pots
Sell Gill (Dry Route)
Tatham Wife Hole
Ireby Fell Cavern
County Pot
Pool Sink

Great weekend!!! - well organised and brilliant instructors. Thank you for your patience. Such a confidence boost to learn everything on the surface first - in the lovely sunshine before going underground.
Everyone seemed to thourghly enjoy it.
It's a great idea to teach people how to do it right before they start making thier own (casual/dangerous)routines up underground!
After Saturday morning practise, at the school, we were keen to try it out for real, so off we went to Valley Entrance.
All that practise worked a treat underground. Everyone knew what was expected of them and therefore did not have to strain too much to see what was going on at the pitch head. Presumably Damians supervising job was made easier too?!
Sunday we had a hot sunny walk up Ingleborough to Sunset. So we were desperate to get into the cool underground as soon as we got there.
Thanks to Richard and Fiona for rigging the mini SRT assault course. 3 pitches of good SRT practise, then the final pitch.
Halfway down I thought 'yep this really is a big 'un'. .... and then the next thought that we would also have to get back up it came on as I got to the bottom.
But no problem (he lied) with all the training, we got there eventually and thourghly enjoyed it.

I will need to get fitter and practise more on my technique; but at least I will be better equipped; know what to practise; have an idea of what I can do.
And thanks to Damian and Paul know which bits of SRT kit to buy. I think we are going to go for the complete kit at Inglesport for £190.

Can't wait until the next one!

For your info - I bought full kit from Inglesport a few weeks back, they did a good deal. £177 that was for everything minus cow tails and foot loop that we already had for training. Got a Petzl simple which Damian trained us on so that saves you a few quid over a stop. They even threw in free bag, well I had to push.

Produce your YSS card and insist on a discount!

PS did anyone find a green neoprene glove?- its twin is feeling lonely home alone!

Lesson 1: When leaving the cave, ensure you have all personal belongings with you.
Lesson 2: When leaving the car, ensure you have more than a rough idea where the cave is!

Lesson 3: to prove experience makek sure you leave something behind to maximise the faff factor.

Fantastic training weekend, even if I thought Damian was the official YSS trainer - doh...

Need to go shopping, do Inglesport give a discount?

Looking forward to the next trip.

Thanks to all, excellent weekend and fantastic crowd.

Pete