Third Caving Trip

RobinGriffiths

Well-known member
Hi, am taking my son (13) caving to the Dales this weekend. We did Great Douk and the Churns last year, and am wondering what what would be a good third trip. I've been mulling Dow Cave vs Birkwith or Ribblehead, although apart from Calf Holes and Katnot I'm not familiar with Birkwith or Ribblehead.

Robin
 

ChrisJC

Well-known member
Calf Holes through to Browgill is a great little trip.

Valley Entrance into Kingsdale Master Cave.

Chris.
 

glyders

Member
On Birkwith:
Old Ing is a decent trip for novices. Some pretties and some nice passage shapes. Bit of fun with water.
Birthwith Cave (IIRC) has a lovely outdoor canyon below the entrance, complete with bolts, and the cave up to the canal is pretty simple.
If you don't want to ab into Calf Holes, a trip in and out through Browgill is still rather nice - the view back up the Holes is grand.
 

RobinGriffiths

Well-known member
Thanks all. Yes, the only downside with Dow is  distance from Ingleton. Mind, can always come back via Malham for a bonus walk.

I'll get abseiling on agenda for next year!!

I'd forgotten about Rowten/Jingling caves. Could be a Sunday option.

Currently leaning towards Birkwith, but shall see if any others are suggested.

Robin
 

TheBitterEnd

Well-known member
If the weather is dry, Sunset to the top of the last pitch is a good outing. A handline is a good idea and depending on size/ability you might want a short ladder for some of the climbs.

As suggested above, Valley Entrance to Kingsdale master cave and on to Swintso Aven makes a reasonable trip, you can do the passage past toyland as well for extra crawling.

Birkwith is quite a short trip but fun if you take an inflatable but in that area I would favour Browgill as IMO it has more variety and there is also the upstream part of Calf holes as an extra option. Also Redmoss is a good trip but a fair walk and would probably need gear on the climb.

Skirwith is worthwhile although quite a lot of crawling above the waterfall climb, you don't have to do the wet bit at the end.

It does depend on confidence/ability, obviously, but my 13 year-old has done most of the above and I would consider any of them suitable for him.
 

malcolm smith

New member
High Douk is good too. Little travelled I'd think, it's the upstream cave over the wall from Hardrawkin. In fact Hardrawkin to the pitch is nice, a handline needed for the short but very slippery waterfall climb at the entrance. Do those plus the Sunset stuff should tire him out 😀
 

RobinGriffiths

Well-known member
Went for Dow, and a good trip was had. There isn't half a cracking spring on the left on the walk in. And there was what appeared to be a level of some sort below the entrance that I'd not noticed before.
 
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