The published YSS club trips for Saturday were just not physically possible for me, “It’s not fat it’s relaxed muscle” .
Mike and Jane had a CCCC permit for Lancaster and Susan and I were happy to accept the invitation to join them. With Mike watching I rigged the entrance pitch with a Y hang from the rocking boulders at the top and then used the lower of the many re-belays to continue down the shaft. We had a poke around Bridge Cavern and went up to The Colonnades. We looked for the Graveyard, I had forgotten that there was a small pitch on the way there, so when we came to the fixed rope I convinced the others that we had come the wrong way. We went to Fall Pot Chamber and made our way down through the boulders to the stream, downstream to the sump which was clear enough for us to watch a frog which must have been washed in. We passed Tony’s dive bottles and had a look up waterfall passage as far as the waterfall and the tatty fixed rope. Reynard and Mark climbed the waterfall and a few minutes later Susan gave in to temptation and followed. Mike and I relaxed. After regrouping we went back along the streamway and up a side passage to Double Decker, Reynard, Mark and Susan once again took the energetic option and went up and down the fixed rope. We then had a pleasant walk up stream in ankle deep, crystal clear water in a fantastic clean passage that must rate as being one of the best in the UK. Susan stood on what she thought was a large black stone but it was actually a deep hole, It was a Laurel and Hardy moment as she sank chest deep into the stream. We came to the boulder pile near Stake Pot where we turned round and headed out. On the way back out through Fall Pot Chamber we saw another party way up in the roof preparing to descend from Cow Pot. Back up to the entrance / exit shaft and Mike, Susan and I had a chat with Tony Seddon who was heading in with some dive gear whilst Reynard and Mark soon found the Graveyard (probably because I wasn’t there to help!). The three rope tangle at the top of the shaft made the exit interesting. Another good trip. Thanks to all.
YSS.Alex and Susan CCCC. Mike Reynard and Mark
