Topic

After not being needed for Black Shiver dive carrying trip and much deliberation we opted for a Magnetometer trip as Damian and Lionel had not done it before and I had not been past Caton Hall. After getting changed and a brisk walk up, we soon found ourselves at the entrance and once rigged, we were on our way, pretty soon we arrived at the shortcut which dropped us down to the start of the Low wet crawl, followed by the low dry crawl which soon brought us to Styx junction and the start of another wet section After that it was fairly easy going along a mixture of big passage, low stooping, traversing and climbs until we eventually reached Caton Hall.
Once down this, we dropped down through the slot into the start of a low streamway for a looksie, as we hadn't got a guide or survey we were flying blind, so to speak but we did a fair bit although most of it crawling with a little bit of stood up to make it bearable. After deciding to turn around and head out, we then headed back to the school for a well earned cuppa and a read of NFTFH to see what we had done, although we had covered some of it there is still plenty to go at, so a return trip may be on the cards.......watch this space
Trip time 5hrs15
Damian Weare, Alex Wallman, Susan Blackburn, Alex Ritchie, Keith Mason

An excellent cave that deserves to be more widely visited. It's definitely one for settled weather, but has a huge variety of passage types and quite a few nice pretty sections.

After a bit of research, Keith & I first went to the downstream sump in the aptly named Rough Crawl. (Keith, the passage I noticed and said "I wonder if anyone's been up there" appears to be "Hell", one of the two options for the end of the Puratory round trip).

We then went to the start of Kamikazee (sp?) Passage, but I decided to turn around before a near drowning in what, to us, could have been a sump. In reality it goes, but doesn't sound very worthwhile.

If we go back at some point Damian, I think I might take the Heaven option

I think looking the survey of Magotometer Damian you were heading to the rougth crawl sump not Hell. I think the turn off was earlier probably the one I went down thinking it was a dead end, as the water got deep, but there was suppose to be a climb up.

Also according to the survay we were near the end of the cave as far as distance covered. The last bit is although not that large is suppose to be quite nasty, though the round trip looks interesting though hehe.

Alex,

I did indeed go to Rough Crawl Sump (no wonder I had my nose in the roof!). It was on the way back from that on the left that I pointed out an obvious miserable passage to Keith. From the survey, it was absolutely when "Hell" is. Didn't notice "Heaven".

The one you went down was the start of the Purgatory round trip.

Sounds like a grand trip, chaps, i am envious

I am willing to go back some time Nigel and take you down, just I don't think you will like rougth crawl. May attempt the round trip instead but that is suppose to have some tight bits in it.

alexr wrote:

I am willing to go back some time Nigel and take you down, just I don't think you will like rougth crawl.

What??? Nigel (allegedly) loves pain!

May attempt the round trip instead but that is suppose to have some tight bits in it.

Except that that includes about 2/3 of Rough Crawl on the return leg.

Yes but No Pain No Gain

Cheers Alex, good of you. keith and Damian are quite right, and i have heard that there are some digging opportunities at the extremities which may bode well for a club dig