Topic

Not a bad turnout for a club trip with six of us in attendance, went in Providence and made our way thhough to Stal Corner where we had a short detour to go and look at the Upstream Sump in Dowbergill Passage. From there it was turn round and make our way through Dowbergill Passage, most of this was done at Stream Level as the water was so low,there were a few thrills and spills along the way. Once through this we came out into Dow Cave and then it was just a steady plod out to emerge into glorious sunshine.
trip time 6hrs30
Susan Blackburn, Nigel Steel, Gordon Aitken, Howard Whittaker, Stu Weston, Keith Mason
Plus guest appearance by Mr Ian Ball

So did you do the short sump?

In a word NO!!!!!!

Wow what a trip! An epic for me really.

I had been saying I would have to avoid this trip and do a ‘plan B’ trip - after reading all the reports of Cave rescue etc.

But late Friday a caving friend told me that "they had done it first time in 7 hours {getting lost} ; but when they went with an ‘expert guide’ & got it right, it only took two and a half hours.
“And there was n't too much crawling.”
“ And we could avoid the high traverses, tight squeezes by following the stream way".

“Go on you’ll enjoy it” . -Nigel thought it would be good too!

The trip was amazing really.

Just what I pictured when I first imagined what caving would be like.

There’s no let up in this cave. It just keeps coming at you. You are constantly going up and over boulders that are nearly blocking the stream way or going under them. Going sideways was a constant.

There’s wide – almost too wide!(phew survived) to straddle/put your back against. With massive drops below some of them.

There are of course crawly bits. Lots of getting wet etc.

There’s a couple of places you have to go up with only a knotted rope for assistance. Which proved quite challenging when you are a little bit weakened from the two mile assault course. And then just to add to the challenge there’s a climb up a really tight squeezy chimney on a slimy rope where you can’t get a foot grip but then when you get your knee in to something then there’s not enough room to then get your foot in after it.

Note to other people as fat as me……..There’s a (tighter than my chest) squeeze somewhere near the middle.
Only about 3m on my side about 1m up. Which was interesting.
I did n’t think I could get through it but Keith talked me through using a
“move your back first then your chest” movement, whilst tightly wedged in sideways, (helmet off, pockets emptied etc etc). Well I’m still alive but really would n’t want to do that again!. Got through to shouts of “see I knew you could do it!”

Definitely the worst bit for me of the otherwise brilliant trip.

Of course everyone else just breezed through it LOL.

Bit of extra rope came in useful couple of times.

Learnt my Italian hitch for good now- (sort of have to when you are at the top of the pitch wondering if you have got it right!) But there was always the other knotted rope to clip into just in case.

Didn’t have to do the duck as there is a by pass route. Nice to see Ian at the far end.

Had a little moment coming out, when I stupidly followed the stream thinking ‘I don’t care about getting wet now’….. But decided to climb out of it - when the water level was up to my neck in the canal. LOL.

Dow is beautiful. The cave and the gorge coming out.

Fantastic day. A big thank you to ALL the party! - as everyone played their part, stuck together and worked together as a great team.

Look forward to the next one! [With no tight squeezes LOL]

That's an honest post, if it makes you feel better, when Keith took me through the cave a few years ago we had to bypass that squeeze as I couldn't fit so everyone had to head up by 60' and again I was too useless to get up so was hauled up by Keith.

I met James, Holly and Jake Brooks at Park Rash and headed into Dow with them, they were in wetsuits so about boiled when I caught up with them at the entrance. The plan for all of us was just to sit around till the main party goers came up Dowbergill but sitting was getting cold so they headed for sunshine and me for Buddhas temple.

Talking of the ducks and sumps. There is a duck at the buddahs temple and then the sump is further on with an over the top bypass with fixed aids?

I spent 20 minutes or so trying to pluck up the courage to test the sump knowing it was low water but also I couldn't remember there being fixed aids last time I went in from Dow and knowing the passage has a little bit of a fluctuating nature I was a little unsure of it. Went feet first and got my ears wet and rapidly decided to see where the ropes went first, cold that water.

When passing back past it with the main party goers, Keith had a look from the PP side whilst I was at Dow side. It was less than a foot long and you'd need to less than a foot under
Funny how being on your own really makes caving seem dangerous!

iball wrote:

Talking of the ducks and sumps. There is a duck at the buddahs temple and then the sump is further on with an over the top bypass with fixed aids?

Yep.

When passing back past it with the main party goers, Keith had a look from the PP side whilst I was at Dow side. It was less than a foot long and you'd need to less than a foot under

So did you do it?

Funny how being on your own really makes caving seem dangerous!

... and exciting, fulfilling, satisfying...

Nice one everyone a really enjoyable and satisfying trip. Thanks Stu and Howard for helping out when i got stuck. A trip that left one with that satisfying glow (both mental and physical) of achievement. Cheers for taking point kieth, 'you are the man'