Topic

With Damian and Rich intent on breaking some sore of underground land speed record on a trip from top sink to link the rest of us mere mortals were left in a quandary about what to do. After some consideration (and liberal applications of alcohol) we decided to go in Country and make our way out top sink which Damian said he would be more than happy to leave rigged for us. The only problem with this plan was the none of us knew the way or even how to find top sink on the surface - but surely this wouldn't cause a problem!

So full of enthusiasm the five of us (Alex, Nigel, Ruth, Warren, Brian) set off from the hut at about 8:15. That's right a before nine o'clock start - that's how serious we were! Getting through County went easily enough although not all of us managed to get up poetic justice without a rope (you know who you are!). As we had pulled through we made sure that we spotted the way to wretched rabbit just before Eureka junction as this was now our only escape route.

To be honest the trip to stop pot, on to Holbeck Junction and then the Assembly Hall was really without incident. I had my nose buried in the survey for most of the way trying to make sure that we didn't go wrong but in retrospect there wasn't much that could have gone wrong in that section. Once in the Assembly Hall we scurried up the roped climbs (with varying degrees of elegance) until we arrived in Easter Grotto.

Nigel has obviously been reading a dictionary recently and I think he had set him self a challenge to use as many different superlatives as possible to describe the area (although the word superb won by a long shot) Leaving Easter grotto we started a small traverse which also caused a number of adjectives to be blurted out (although these weren't as wholesome!). The route through the next section of chambers was easy enough to follow and we arrived at the Rock of Ages. I remembered this from a previous trip (over 10 years ago) and it reassured me (sort of) that we were on the right track. Once we passed that we did a few more traverses including crossing the Bridge of Sighs before arriving at Limerick junction.

This is where things went completely pear shaped! Our map stopped at this point so all we had to go on was a written description which, unfortunately, described the route in the other direction. Struggling as best we could myself and Warren tried to decipher the text and so ended up going up to the top of a high but narrow canyon. There we find ourselves traversing over drops of at least 10 - 15 meters but we were reasonably convinced we were on the right path and it did look well traveled...

With Warren up front and me close behind we continued to push the traverse as the slides got slicker and slicker. Ales, Nigel and Ruth stopped so that we could scout ahead and a little while later Warren suggested I should go on alone - I think this was a hint of some sort! I went around an extremely slick corner and decided to climb down. When I did I found we could walk along the bottom and it did look well traveled...

I went back to help find the others an easier way down an we pushed on. We went through a small chamber or two and were still convinced we were going the right way as it did look well traveled... Eventually we hit a small chamber with a cairn and an arrow where we could get into the stream - we were almost there... or so we thought

Up the stream went into a little crawl where part of the roof decided to detach and lie gently on my back - not really reassuring - and no matter where we looked we couldn't find a way through despite there being cairns all over the place. Eventually with time running out we turned back and started our way back to Wretched Rabbit.

The trip back was slow but relatively uneventful. We broke out the rope once or twice to help people on climbs etc but that was about it. One particular thing I'll remember is Ales offering to carry the bag when we reached stop pot. I briefly considered reminding him we were about to enter a flat out crawl but then my teacher training kicked in and I remember that it's better to learn by doing! So in reality me giving him the bag was an unselfish act designed to help him ... honest!

We did manage to go up the wrong rope in wretched rabbit however and this I'm blaming on Ruth. We were looking at the rope and she swore blind that Stuart had her use the loops in the rope as foot holds the last time she was there but alas I don't think this was the case.

We got out of Wretched Rabbit at about 7:20 and it was both dark and lightly raining. We had two problems... one was our callout which was 9:00 and the other was Top Sink which was still rigged. In the end Alex offered to go with me to derig and the rest headed off to the cars to cancel the callout.

Not knowing where top sink was but knowing that Damian had said he would mark it with a tackle bag we started walking up the bank. We walked for at least 15 minutes before, well, walking some more. To be blunt we (by which I mean I while trying to pass some of the blame off on Ales ) walked for about 45 min and I think I climbed two or three waterfalls. Eventually with Ales refusing to go any further, the weather getting increasingly cold and the deadline I had set myself passing we turned around and started back.

I was a bit annoyed but kept my eyes open in case we had passed the entrance and we were most of the way back when I found it ! Ales wan't as enthusiastic or happy as I was at this but I quietly explained that there was no way in hell I was going back up the next day and he was coming whether he liked it or not. As it happened he came to the top of the first pitch which I dropped and ran/crawled on to the second alone. Unfortunately the bag at the bottom of the second pitch was stuck so I had to drop that one too but even so I was back to Ales in around 25 min and once all the ropes were bagged we headed out.

The way back was a little bit like a death march and once we were up on the fell the wind was quite strong and cold. However we made it back to the Red Rose by about half ten to find Nigel standing in front of a lit cooker - not cooking anything he was just staying warm. A quick change later we (apart from Nigel) were drinking beers in the car (thanks Ales) and on our way back to the hut. We arrived at about 11:20 meaning that from leaving to getting back our trip was 15 hours long Which is probably about as long as it took you to read all of this....

Party: Brian Cullen, Nigel Steel, Ales, Ruth, Warren
Length (complete guesses):

1. County and back out Wretched Rabbit about 8 hours
2. Finding Top sink and derigging about 2 and a half hours
3. Recriminations about getting lost while looking at the survey about half an hour

I thought this trip report might be entertaining, and it sure is! Thanks for making me smile several times while reading it, Brian.

top report Brian one for the news letter

Brilliant! And thanks for your kind lecture of carrying bag

Brill trip report Brian, thank you so much everyone for your patience and help with me yesterday, although it was a bit of an epic trip easter grotto was beautiful and i got some pretty pictures Oops sorry about the rope climbs...

love it , almost felt like being there ( apart from being nice n warm on the sofa ).

Great report, Im jealous, sounded like a great day

Top effort guys, well done

Well done everyone!!!! !

It just reinforces my fear of getting lost in there though. I still think there should be a coded signpost marker system - so you I could check where I am if you/ I wanted to, but not if you don't. Would n't this help with safety?

Brian/someone can you help- your gonna have to go through with me one of those drawing/ sketchy things, with me.-as I can't make head nor tail of those surveys. LOL

No wonder everyone was looking so knackered on Sunday and looking for excuses not to cave!
(Worst one was 'my furry is wet)