Topic

Driving home from Kendal I was thinking
'the Mrs is on nights; the sun is shining again and it's the start of the weekend'.
Question was how's the best way to start it off?........ I know how about a caving trip!

So had Kentucky on way home, got kit together in 15 mins (Nigel) drove to Yordas. Ready to go at 7.

Whilst getting changed two hardened cavers drove up. I got chatting to them and surprise surprise they were some of the diggers who had dug Knotts II to Lost John's.!
-They knew Alan Speight. I'm useless with names perhaps they were called Andy Walsh? and Dave?

today they were trying to extend Yordas. 'Perhaps a missing 1km yet to find?'

I went in the side entrance. No problem with that. Second pitch was more challenging. Having a bolt in the middle of the roof??? I knew I could 'n't do the tempting thing and just rig to this and drop down. So I tried to rig off the far side.
I was n't happy with this.
So I rerigged to LHS (adjacent to traverse line). And managed to get a Y hang with three way loading so I was very happy with it in the end ......good job I was on my own though........ Knott time Approx 1 hour???!!

Had a look at final pitch -Is it Chapter House? decided there was n't enough time to do it and headed out.

No probs de rigging. By time I got to last fig of 8, Dave wot a gent! had come all the way back up in the dark to make sure I was ok.
and we walked back to the cars.

Trip time 2 half hours

Nice one Gordon, more successful than my first solo trip...

T'was a cancelled trip into Giants, but I was there and ready before everyone bailed so I decided to Plod down to Garlands, I followed some lights that weren't even there and only managed to make it as far as the 'cascades' before getting totally freaked out and making a rapid exit

my first solo trip was into county pot and down to platypus junction and back

The two guys were Andy Walsh & Bill Sherrington, from the Red Rose, They think they have found some new passage but Lugger & myself dug into this back in january 2010.
Well done Gordon :

I have yet to do a solo trip where rigging where involved. Though I have done some interesting solo horizontal trips, like beyond hobsons chase into the old mine workings in Dow cave.

Nice one Gordon, hope you did the sensible thing and left a call out

Hi Alan
Yes that was them. They seemed very nice guys.

Keith -Good point! Bit of advice needed......
I did leave a call out with Dawn.
Not really sure if that is the best thing to do to be honest. Probably better to leave it with a 'knowledgeable caving person' - Perhaps Pete and/or Paul?
I said 'I'm doing Yordas. I'll probably have got back to car by 9.'
'I'll be back in touch by 10'.
'If no contact by 11.= call 999 ask for cave rescue' - Is this right? or should I call a different 'official' number?

hand well slapped Gordon next time me or pete will do your callout, if im out with michelle i allways let pete know were and when

never be afraid to ask

999, ask for Police then Cave Rescue is the standard procedure.

'if im out with michelle i allways let pete know were and when'

Wot EVERY time U 'go out?' LOL


Cheers Paul

R U up 4 a trip Wed eve' - with Pete?

gordona wrote:

R U up 4 a trip Wed eve' - with Pete?

depends on the weather

dweare wrote:

999, ask for Police then Cave Rescue is the standard procedure.

That is quite correct Damien as the police co-ordinate all the deployment of voluntary Search and Rescue organisations, not the 999 call centre.

also as a call for cave rescue is a fairly rare occurrence there is a chance that the operator may go down the 'Fire and Rescue' route in the event of an emergency call (i.e. fetching help for an injured caver) meaning a unit has to be responding immediately even though they are not needed on scene, wasting there time and also delaying the actual folk who you need getting interrupted in the middle of there sunday lunch!

So been able to prompt the 999' operator in the right direction with a single word at the start of the call could be very advantageous!

Also, there are quite a few calls each year (particularly for injured climbers) where a casualty may be only half a mile from a road and the person who dials 999 simply asks for an ambulance, who after getting on scene then call out the local MRT who can evacuate the casualty using there specially designed stretchers and man power. wasting 15-30 mins that your buddy could be on the way to bright lights and cold steel. 2 paramedics simply cannot carry someone more than a few meters on a spinal board, and ambulance stretchers/chairs do not go off road.

Sorry for ranting on... the second one winds me up though with climbers, because its printed in the front of every climbing guide thats been published in the last 10 years to call for MR if there is an accident at a crag