Topic

It seemed like a good idea but it wasn't ... but that just goes to show how useful hindsight can be.

I met up with Damian at 6 in the hut and it immediately became apparent that there was no plan. However we start packing drilling equipment and bolt for Washfold in preparation for our trip. Well I say we were packing drilling equipment but we didn't actually have a drill at that stage and didn't know how we were going to get one . We corrected this later by calling Alan and then driving to Settle and collecting one off him.

Anyway drill in car we headed off to the lane for Alumn pot and got changed. It was at this point that Damian realised that he had forgotten to bring any metal work for the big pitch . We scraped together what we thought would be enough and were just leaving the car when Nigel, who was on his way to the hut, saw us and stopped for a chat. After some prompting Nigel lent us some crabs from his kit and we were on our way again. We made it halfway across the first field when Damian stopped and announced that he didn't know where the drill bit was - he searched the bag but it wasn't there . Convinced it was in his car he ran back while I camped out in the sunshine. He came back about 10 minutes later and we were on our way again.

After a little bit of route finding difficulty we arrived at the entrance and were sorting out the gear when Damian realised that he hadn't brought a spanner ... insert joke about feeling like a tool here. I suggested the end of his bolting hammer and although he thought his hammer didn't have that facility it did and we were off into the cave.

I think I was about 10 meters into the cave when the forgotten but suddenly familiar feeling of being hopeless slow while caving with Damian can rushing back. I trundeled along at my own speed and we were soon at the top of the first pitch (after me having to take off the SRT kit to fit through the squeezy bit). Damian rigged it as quickly as ever and I headed down after him once I managed to get off that damned traverse line.

In the rift at the bottom Damian would disappear into the distance every so often and while he was very nice about it I got the distinct feeling I was being lapped. We eventually arrived at where Damian had last been on his caving trip. He threw a rope around a flake (and I literally mean threw - like most of Damians rigging I think the knots tied themselves when I wasn't watching) and descended down to investigate. After 10 - 20 min he came back and announced we were too high and we would have to go around. But being nice (and desperately bored) I offered to throw the rope down to him and circle around on my own. I did this and headed off with Damian's two part instructions to finding the route - "head down when you can, when you see the stream go somewhere you don't want to follow you are in the right place". They were surprisingly accurate.

At the top of the final set of pitches I settled in. I did get to go down the first pirch but that was it. I think I sat at the top of the pitch for just over an hour while Damian drilled the 8 holes for the P bolts. When he arrived back up I tried to move and almost fell over - it is surprisingly energy sapping just sitting in a cave trying to stay warm.

With the holes drilled (the first three of which I expertly squirted water into so they are the best once) we started heading back and for the most part it went without incident. Two low lights for me were trying to get off the top of the pitch which I think took me as long as getting up the pitch and trying to carry the drill out the entrance ... that almost killed me. I think the furthest I got the bag without it getting stuck was 3 metres

It was really nice starry when we got out at about quarter to two in the morning.


Member: Damian, Brian
Time: ~5 hours

Needless to say that Brian deserves a medal!

Returned on Saturday morning (after returning to the hut to collect my helmet!) and finished the anchors, derigged and brought out the tackle before returning to the School to enjoy the sunshine and numerous cups of tea.

A further medal should be presented to Alan who not only lent me his drill at short notice, but also interrupted his fish and chips supper to do so.

Saturday's Trip - about 3.5hrs. Topo below. Please note rope lengths are the absolute minimum to reach to the floor. They are not rounded up like the CNCC topos.