Topic

''Hi guys, shall we do Notts Pot on Friday evening?''

A sentence about which I wasn't convinced about at all...but the answer was surprisingly positive from Keith and Rich, so obviously I was wrong and the trip is rather straightforward and doable on Friday evening....

The trip starts with a delay due to a traffic jam on the motorway so Keith picks me up at Keighley station about an hour later than we thought. I nearly went on a different trip since I put my bag to a different car which I considered as Keith's. ''Keith wasn't Keith and I wasn't Adam''.

We quickly prepare the ropes at YSS and meet Rich below Leck Fell in full enthusiasm. Despite the fact that it's half past seven, it's dark, Friday evening, a holly time for beer. Quick change at the car and three shadows in moonlight are heading towards nowhere. It took us some while to find the entrance in the darkness so the enthusiasm started to fall down and I had to listen some phrases about ''a brilliant idea'' and ''crazy Czechs''. All after all, Keith riggs the entrance pitch and one by one hug the doorkeeper of the cave. We decided to rig the Central Route but since it's still quite a way to the bottom, we leave the third tacklebag inside the cave and the project opened for the following days... Back at Hellwith Bridge for a couple of cheeky beers.

.....

Everyone is totally soaked after quitting Death's head and I'm quite shivering outside since I have to wait for Rich to derig the main pitch. But we are still determined. Especially since Keith already ran to Notts Pot to rig it and bottom it in order to catch up with the committee in the evening. Me and Rich take a biscuit and follow Keithmeister. The descend is very straightforward...I think that it's doable in 15 minutes! It's the first time I see a smoke coming from my descender. Do to an error during the descend I manage to land on the wrong side of the duck...which gives me at least an opportunity to cool my descender I meet Keith almost on the bottom of the cave on the way out. It's Rich who derigs again on the way out so it's my pleasure to carry the tackle bag with 150 meters of soaked ropes out from the cave. I leave the other two tackle bags to Rich Even like this I struggle to climb the final free-climb of the cave and I'm absolutely destroyed on the surface. Everything is done before the sunset...and it's a time for Helwith Bridge Bitter Ale

Party: Keith, Ales & Rich
Trip Time: 1:30 + 1:30 (?)

Also it does help on the way out Ales when you have a jammer and foot loop

Oh yeah, I forgot bout that bit Cheers Keith