Topic

A return to the Bar Pot Alternatives trip Shezi and I tried to get around in January and failed.

The idea is the Bar Pot Alternative, Small Mammal or Stile Pot, into Flowstone Chamber, across the Bar Big Pitch to south East Aven. Then the Bar to Main Chamber Alternative going through New and Mud Henslers, before Booth-Parsons and Old Henslers back to SE Aven and up and out.

So a long trip at the speed I cave and we were prepared, spare lights, batteries, food, route info and perhaps a flask of weak lemon drink.

Stile Pot must have been horrendous, hanging doom all over, the diggers must have moved so much rock just to feel confident in there, before bringing in scaf tubes.

It starts with a disconcerting wriggle out over a 10' drop which once down you're into a descending rift full of wobbly rocks, don't think about it and keep on trucking was the advice and I took that tack . As we gingerly dragged our bags through we arrived at an insitu rope sliding off down a steep chute to another lot of inky blackness which you can't see till you're through it, fingers crossed it's not a 10' drop.
Shezi volunteered to go first and set off feet first and disappeared through the gap at the bottom. I didn't ask if she was all right, I suspected only one answer, but after slowing getting away from the 10' drop which is pretty much straight after the chute the call came to start lowering bags and follow on.

The chute is called the Molestrangler and I was strangled. Gravity shunted me through and I knew that I would be well acquainted with that awkward bit on the way out, but don't think of it now, just crack on, we've a Main chamber to get to.
Down the scaffolding, if someone had decided to make a tunnel out of drystone walling, it'd be only a little riskier than that passage felt. It's not as risky as it looks, but at the time I was very glad to pop out into Small Mammal House.

Across Flowstone Chamber, flat crawl over the top, down the climb and slide which pops out abruptly over the 15m rope pitch which Shezi got on with but good news, our rope didn't reach the floor! so re-rig and down we go to the small vertical rift which I remembered from last time it gripped my back in an awkward way, but again gravity is my ally. Down tpast Whitehall and left for the keyhole passage through to South East Aven and it's chockstone floor pitch. Slightly disconcertingly a rock fell on my helmet as I was going through the passage, I knocked it off a ledge above onto myself because I'm a clumsy oaf but what a shock! ripped off the strap for my back up lamp and left me doing a pretty poor impression of someone who wasn't shook up. Annoyingly the rock now blocked the passage and I couldn't lift it with one arm, so a little reshuffle and a bit of oomph and I got it around the corner out the way.
The second half of the pitch traverse is difficult for those of a lesser length of limb, the rigging guide suggests a step up loop, but I didn't consider it necessary, though I do now. Shezi tried to gee herself up to venture out across the large drop but it wasn't happening today, enough was enough and we'd go down Bar instead.

So derig back through to it and there we decided enough was really enough. So a gentle pace back out I once again had to get rid of all my srt kit to get up that little awkward vertical rift, then once up the flowstone chamber we hoisted the bags up and Shezi derigged whilst I sat about thinking about how many scallops I was going to have with my chips.

To cut an all ready long long story shorter, I tried every way I could think of to get up that Molestrangler, left side or right side on my front and my back, harness off, helmet off, boots off, but even with the handline in place there to help I was going nowhere, not strong enough to lift myself. Shezi gave me the words of motivation I enjoy, but I knew that whatever progress it appeared I was making, my feet were still on the floor and I had gone nowhere.

It's an angled slither up a chute with an initial squeeze which was proving the problem. In the end we went for a static rope over the dynamic handline which I was going to pruissik up and a second rope over a pulley to really get my bulk budging with Shezi acting as a human winch.
So there you have it, winched out by a girl half my mass, humbling to say the least.

Interestingly though the shape of the chute means that the sound of my heart beating furiously when stuck was amplified and Shezi could hear it 5m or so away. Best get my blood pressure checked out I think!

Once up, we could see the daylight, which confirmed my watch wasn't broken, I'd spent an hour at that blinking Molestrangler, just the matter of the dodgy entrance climb to get up which we had roped to be on the safe side and then the trudge back down to Clapham.

So I've still not got round the Bar to GG Alternative trip, Alex will be getting a further permit request at some point in the future, and everyone says third time lucky don't they?

Ian, it looks like that you like expeditions! ...with a chocolate bar in the pocket. Anyway, nice report!

Ian

What ropes lengths do you need for Stile? I presume it won't be rigged for the winch meet?

No ropes needed.

The entrance joins the system in Small Mammal House, the same entry point for Small Mammal Pot (19m descent, 30m rope) but all the vertical progression is done in a rift called 'Rambling Syd Rumpo' Some of the climbing is a little dicey but wouldn't be a problem for long legs or careful climbers.

We had ropes for the further pbolted pitches on the Bar Pot Alternative route:

Flowstone Chamber : 15m, 3 bolts
Bar Big Pitch Traverse : 8m, 2 bolts and a long sling for boulder natural
South East Aven : 55m, 8 bolts

I think you could also just head straight for Bar Pot Big Pitch once through into Small Mammal House, so with one 40m rope and a few bolts you can get to GG main chamber.

Rigging guide for BPA

Stile Pot Article


As for what will be rigged at the BPC meet, I'm afraid I've no idea, we always head for the control tent to sign in and see what is rigged and make a choice from there. The CPC have a white board in the tent with what has been rigged and by whom, not sure what BPC do, though I think Carol would be a good person to ask.

Very enjoyable read Ian

An excellent report Ian, one for the tick list.

Good read Ian. You certainly seem to have this one in your sights!

Another half a trip eh... hehe.

Flow stone chamber pitch can be avoided by going over the top, turning left and dropping down into a small chamber, crawl through the bottom and then look up. Your in the entrance pitch chamber for Bar pot. I have never actually done the Flowstone chamber pitch.

That sloping squeeze is hard getting out if your large and still difficult if your not. Best bet is to send the large people out first so the smaller people can push the larger people up. That's what we did.