Hi all

So as a club we have decided to run some more beginner friendly trips to maintain interest amongst newer members, as too often a core group arrange trips themselves as we don't hear anything from newer members, but they don't ask for trips as they are worried everything will be complicated.

So...disregarding the possibilities of Easegill which is a goldmine of options...what other caves in the Dales are good for either less confident SRT cavers (single drop, no rebelays maybe?) or good for developing confidence underground whilst seeing some cool stuff! Obviously other regions might be better suited to this, but we cave mainly int Dales.

We've done the ladder route down Alum via Dolly Tubs, Calf Holes, The Churns, County Round Trip, Great Douk etc and want something that's maybe a little more challenging without it being too much....a complicated request I am sure.

Something like the Giant's short round but in the Dales.  Not a novice cave, but not something from NFTFH!

Hoping you can help with some suggestions.

Notts II

Red Moss Pot, Cherry Tree, and  Magnetometer to Caton Hall all spring to mind.

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Heron Pot would probably fit the bill.

Sunset, Sell Gill, KMC/Valley Entrance, Heron (again), maybe Aygill (?), Short Gill Cave (a bit of a connoisseur's trip), Ibbeth Peril (weather permitting), Dow Cave (an easy option, but fun), Dowkerbottom (another easy one, but quite interesting)

I've been slowly getting my son Daniel into caving for a few years now, starting when he was 5 or 6. Now he's about to be 13 and has done mutli-pitch trips such as Rumbling Hole, Lost Johns and Ireby Fell. He started on SRT last Easter: that obviously widened the scope enormously. Pretty soon he went from a first trip down Lower Long Churn to being able to get to the bottom of Lost Johns.

There aren't very many trips in the Dales with just a pitch or two without any rebelays or deviations, to be honest. But the first time we went down Lost Johns we only went to the bottom of Centipede, and the first time down Ireby we only did the first three pitches. So that is one approach.

Otherwise, Wales and the Mendips do offer more scope. Craig ar Fynnon, Swildons, OFD, Aggie and (for easy SRT) Thrupe Lane Swallet all get you to some cool places, involve plenty of caving, and very few pitches.

I suppose Bar Pot can be on your list.

Currently on a train so am amusing myself by mentally going through the dales for suitable caves so here's a couple more...

Hagg Gill (assuming they are experienced enough to be careful)

You can get a long way with one ladder in Birks Fell - might be a bit harder but something to build up to

In and back out of Providence Pot?

Long Kin East to the top of the big pitch.

Short Drop

Sleets Gill

Ibbeth Peril

Goyden

Crackpot and another one nearby that I can't remember the name of?

Smelt Mill Beck

Steve


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steviet_scg said:

Red Moss Pot, Cherry Tree, and  Magnetometer to Caton Hall all spring to mind.

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Cracking selection. 

Few more:  Out Sleets Beck, Gavel

Gavel (along with Short Drop). When they've had a bit more experience, Tatham Wife

I don't think Illusion has been mentioned, assume you have done BPoW

Having read the first post I concocted a brief list in my head then expanded it, some already mentioned, so I apologise for that.

Ibbeth Peril - obviously dry weather needed. Nettle Pot not too far away provides a short fun through trip (or in-out if you want) with a short pitch.
Short Gill Cave - gets good at the end.
Bucket on the Head (downstream with a pitch and upstream if they like it wet)
Aygill Caverns - two relatively easy pitches.
Easegill/Link/Mistral - you've mentioned but handy for wet days.
Short Drop and/or Gavel (excluding the big pitches at the end).
Notts II.
Ireby - if they're up to a few pitches without too much complication.
Valley Entrance - detour up to Toyland (and beyond) for extra interest.
Illusion - not overly long unless you drag them up Boottrapper and other side passages.
Skirwith Cave - to the upstream sump provides a reasonable trip.
Bar Pot - fairly simple srt, plenty of choice at the bottom.
The Churns, but mix it up with Gilgarth, Borrins through trip etc or November Hole as a more challenging way in to known ground.
Red Moss Pot.
Bracken Bottom Pot.
Cherry Tree, upstream and downstream both provide interest.
Sleets Gill Cave and/or Dowkabottom Cave - no pitches but nice.
Manchester/Goyden/New Goyden - plenty of options (inc. through/round trips), with or without srt.
Cliff Force Cave - no pitches but some nice caving.
Smeltmill Beck Cave - no srt, lengthy trudge but take in Stenkrith Park for the fun factor on a warm day.

Hey Inferus, is Stenkrith Park just outside Kirkby Stephen, with The Angels' Drainpipe and so on? We had an excellent half-day out there, but I wouldn't want to go there on a cold winter's day, especially if it was wet ? as you say, one for a nice summer's day. I also wouldn't want to go there without a wetsuit. (I also remember ending up with a piece of rusty old iron sticking right through the sole of my welly into my foot from one of the caves in the gorge).

But then, you could combine it with some 'daylight caving' at Cautley Spout in the Howgills (best on a warm summer's day as well).

Fulk said:

Hey Inferus, is Stenkrith Park just outside Kirkby Stephen, with The Angels' Drainpipe and so on

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That's the one. Warm day, dry weather, wetsuit = a short but enjoyable outing.

Crikey.... well that's a damn good selection to have a look at! Cheers all.

Just one to add, the Dismal Hill to Old Ings through trip - short but with plenty of variety and a few challenges for the less experienced, though the Mick's End squeeze is not for the stout!

Mongo Gill and Cherry Tree Hole are good trips.

Another good trip near Sell gill is Haytime hole. The entrance pitch is an easy free climb. The second pitch is also climbable though the bottom 6ft is a little difficult. Its a fun trip with climbs, boulder obstacles and a nice final chamber to make it all worth it. Be aware of loose rock after the second "pitch" chamber.

Mistral is a nice easy way into the bottom of Pippikin and only needs a handline

Dismal Hill Old Entrance to Old Ing gets my vote, consider a handline for the entrance climb and cowstails for the traversing if you've novices.

How tight is the crawl between the two? A couple of the members possess "comfortable" frames?