Topic

The weather forecast for weekend was rather nice and I was planning to go cycling. But my current passion for caving is just botomless these days. I was looking for someone to go caving until...I found two chaps from ULSA: Mike and John, who had an idea to go and explore one of the most famous through trips in Dales.

The day starts with tee and breakfast in Kettlewell, not the cheapest and friendliest place ever. In about an hour we leave our car at the Dow cave entrance and walk back to the village where we take the 1 mile path towards Providence pot. It's a wonderful day and I'm quite surprised by a snowy strip flanking top of the surrounding hills. One by one disappears in the scaffolded entrance and we start to go ahead. Fortunately, John has been here before. It took them 8 hours to go through that time. We have also a description copied from ''50 Harder Caving Trips in Yorkshire" which will turn out to be brilliant. Trip goes very nicely until we arrive to Bridge Cavern. We have to climb over a bridge and get down from it. That's my moment. I struggle for maybe five minutes. It looks like I'm dancing on the bridge... Then we follow very nice passage in an aquatic meander with some occasional climbs. From 800 yards chamber we follow some narrower passages and a rope climb. In about 15 minutes we can sit down in Brew chamber (why the hell is it called a chamber?) and we decide to go rather for the 'snakes-only' passage than the bloody traverses. It takes me ages to get through this side-crawling bits. I have a feeling, when facing the water, that if I make a mistake, I'll drown myself... The passage enlarges and in a few minutes we are at the Rocky window. From here another fantastic passage begins - minutes and minutes of sideway walking in deeper water. Guys appreciate their wet suits...I'm a bit 'colder'. The cave is bizarre since it's formed by an illogical rift... Soon we pass the Gypsum traverse...the place I was scarred of the whole trip and which turned out to be just an easy traverse. Another awkward climb down to the stream passage and here we are! The junction with Dow cave. After a few minutes of pleasant walking we come to Dow Cave entrance. Sun is still shining so everyone is widely smiling. Just a perfect day out. We didn't get lost even once which allowed us to finish the trip in 3.5 hours (book says 4-6).

The cave became one of my favourite in Yorskhire, as the guide book promised. We finish with cheessy chips & pint in Blue Bell Inn in Kettlewell with a conversation above the 50 harder caving trips books...wink wink

Trip time: 3.5hours
Party: Mike B, John H (ULSA) & Ales H

Sounds like a great trip Ales

Can't have struggled that much Ales, you're weren't in the cave long enough to have struggled.
Impressive trip.

Ales wrote:

The weather forecast for weekend was rather nice...
The day starts with tee and breakfast in Kettlewell, not the cheapest and friendliest place ever.

When its warm (the only seating is outside), the best value 'cafe' in Kettlewell is kettlewellvillagestore.co.uk/

Ales wrote:

But my current passion for caving is just botomless these days.....
We didn't get lost even once which allowed us to finish the trip in 3.5 hours (book says 4-6).

Why didn't you explore Dow upstream then?

Next time I know where to go. The place we went was quite...bad. On the other hand The Blue Bell Inn was great!

To be honest I suggested to go to have a look to Dow cave but I was told that it's not worth...compare to what we had just done. I don't regret, I was quite happy anyway Rich, you should be able to do it in 2 hours I think!

Nice one Ales
Have done the trip several times and it still ticks the boxes

Excellent trip Ales, I always struggle on the rope climbs (up and down, but that's another story). I don't think we did the 'snake passage' although I believe we did the stream level route, not sure tho.

Sounds like it was fun, one I don't mind repeating. Glad you didnt drown yourself I would be one of the people pulling your body out of there.

Gypsum traverse is easy, the climbs are not so easy, i.e. the last one that drops you down to the steam again, thats NFTFH.

Are you a fully fledged UWFRA rescuer now Alex? Congratulations, and thanks in advance if you ever have to come to my aid

As for Dowbergill Passage, can't say it's my favourite place

Oddly I found the climbs the easy fun apart it' s the traversing I didn't enjoy.

Not full member yet but no longer pre-probationary, so am on call out list.

alexr wrote:

Not full member yet but no longer pre-probationary, so am on call out list.

Guess that means you've moved up to probationary? Does that mean you can rescue your dropped gear yourself?