And another weardale hole.

Wormy

Wormy

New member
Went back, to have a look at something we found last summer, last night to dig the entrance.  After shifting a lot of rock it looked a lot more promising. However its  still very tight and due to the angle you have to access at a lot of the stream flows into the legs of your over suit.  Slot in the floor leads to large chamber, approximately a 6m drop to the floor.  Plans are to go back and dam/divert the stream away from the sink and then try and break through the ledges in the bottom to see if its possible to drop straight into the pitch rather than climbing out over it.

When we got there:
17336808634_53929ff011_c.jpg


Overview showing the stream:
17773135149_8829419668_c.jpg


Looking into the entrance once we'd cleared it:
17771778730_df3063d6ab_c.jpg
 
PeteHall

PeteHall

Moderator
Just chanced upon this and appreciate I'm a few months late in replying...

We dug this site a few years ago on a summers evening.

After lighting the BBQ and cracking out the beer, we diverted the burn and set to work breaking up a large flake of rock to gain access to a narrow rift, straight ahead above a small chamber.

Once down, a nice water worn passage leads on for about a body length of two to a constriction which was too tight.

Water could be heard dropping away after the constriction and the resurgence is about 1/4 mile down the burn if I remember rightly.

I have some pictures somewhere, will have a dig...
 
PeteHall

PeteHall

Moderator
ChrisJC said:
PeteHall said:
I have some pictures somewhere, will have a dig...
Click to expand...

Is that a pun?  ;)  :LOL:
Click to expand...

Possibly just a deluded state of mind!


Anyhow, the pictures, slightly easier to dig out than a cave  :)

The team (with burgers), by the entrance as we started:
yuXzCdxH8gsSVxzOYBZ7vDVoVd-frsJ9n-PaD3ErQsKG7nIMiWaKVKzN5HJTQH3a6e0kJTnP_L7QogA=w1342-h547-rw


A large flake of limestone (in the foreground) was the main blockage when we dug it:
qmEWiJ-MQEpmhpGRP3HaqUvnwiIe7EHxrds-25TbS7LeLNpvie8efSImuOtaNjAAYmsH-5hWH9a3UF0=w1342-h547-rw


and the hole looked far too small!
24WFgELCBtcXSQjQH1jYTSP6uO9cKqeBW_PWTnx7Jncu8oCk0OtP6-SOY7KAiiOvjrW3nmBjX1-9D-M=w1342-h547-rw


But with the flake of rock removed, it was just about cave-able:
huXBhwL_uB20BPJpV0VPwhnNG4SWh7Mbswfwd9Rx8z2A4qzW3DRRENwaShIVL2hhjoL8x8iLho2eKhQ=w1342-h547-rw


And this is the ongoing passage, which was rather small:
OF4UOzwm0--iKwyZadP64CvTmxWpZ_bdoW1UAE_teuITD7c8RW5yCSHaTxIdy7VmwQwyxXPcaQ3aBIY=w1342-h547-rw


I didn't manage to get a good picture in the chamber as it was lashed with spray from the entrance. It's about 3-4m high I think and about 2m x 3m in plan.

I think this must have been 2010 some time, but I could be a year or two out...
 
Wormy

Wormy

New member
thanks pete, for some reason I cant see your pictures! i managed to knock up a video drone and dangled it down the hole so now know whats down there! haha! Currently have a much more promising dig going on elsewhere in weardale! Well several digs to be honest
 
PeteHall

PeteHall

Moderator
Wormy said:
for some reason I cant see your pictures!
Click to expand...

Neither can I... Seemed ok yesterday...

Not a lot to see really, just a small crack leading down to a small chamber leading to a small phreattic passage.

Still it was a good fun evening.

As Weardale goes, I'd still class this as pretty promising; there is the prospect of a 1/4 mile through trip!

If you've got a better dig, you've managed more than we ever did!  (y)
 
Wormy

Wormy

New member
I live just over in shotley bridge so im about in weardale almost every weekend and a couple of nights a week, and theres more than a quarter of a mile trip, theres a lot of water drops into that hillside, east harnishaburn sink is another sink with a 5m pitch running off it and approx 30m of passage at the bottom, the main resurgence for the whole thing is via Bollihope shield freehold cross level although there is another smaller resurgence from a limestone scar further up the hill from there as well. Ongoing digs are near frosterley, ireshopeburn and westgate. 
 
PeteHall

PeteHall

Moderator
Great stuff.

Are you recording your discoveries anywhere? I know the old "Northern Caves" are well out of date and no idea what the programme is for a new edition. The Weardale is riddled with holes, but there is virtually nothing published that I am aware of...  :confused:
 
Wormy

Wormy

New member
Im recording everything myself, have submitted some bits and bobs for something thats coming soon! Think im going to write my own books dale by dale haha!
 
Wormy

Wormy

New member
Well, I've been recording everything for the past three years or so, including new finds we've made, I keep thinking I should type it up cave guide style and stick in on here in a PDF with pictures of the entrances. Hopefully I'll get all the map references correct unlike the last set of guides which put Sally Grain cave about 20 miles away from its actual location!
 
Les W

Les W

Active member
Wormy said:
Well, I've been recording everything for the past three years or so, including new finds we've made, I keep thinking I should type it up cave guide style and stick in on here in a PDF with pictures of the entrances. Hopefully I'll get all the map references correct unlike the last set of guides which put Sally Grain cave about 20 miles away from its actual location!
Click to expand...

The Wiki would be a good place for this stuff  (y)
http://ukcaving.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
 
Wormy

Wormy

New member
It would be, could I upload a pdf straight to it? I don't own a computer so have to put bits and bobs together when I'm at work or if I pop into my parents house. Everything i have so far is in a couple of big hardback A4 notebooks with pictures and maps glued in!
 
Bottlebank

Bottlebank

New member
Wormy said:
It would be, could I upload a pdf straight to it? I don't own a computer so have to put bits and bobs together when I'm at work or if I pop into my parents house. Everything i have so far is in a couple of big hardback A4 notebooks with pictures and maps glued in!
Click to expand...

Looked after they'll last longer than any computer :)

Sorry, but no, you can't upload a pdf to the wiki.
 
bograt

bograt

Active member
Hmm, looks like you're going to need a scanner to JPG, anyone up there willing to help?
I would offer, but;
a, I'm too far away,
b, Both my scanners have gone tits up since I had to upgrade my OS.

Sorry.
 
PeteHall

PeteHall

Moderator
Wormy said:
I'll see what i can put together.
Click to expand...

I'd be pretty sure some of the DUSA guys would not only be willing to help scan/ type up what you've done, but would also be very interested in what you've been up to. They are only just up the road and nearby caves have a great appeal, even if they are small :)
 
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