CavingPig
Member
Video documentation of the trip:
! No longer available
This lesser-frequented gem of the Yorkshire underworld hides in plain sight just a croll's throw from the front door of Bullpot Farm. I had heard tales whispered around the fire of the challenges it presented ? someone got halfway only to find the ceiling collapsed and had to somehow reverse out; another got trapped completely and had to be dug out after several hours' wait for a JCB... A glance down the passage from the gear pool end revealed no daylight. But my curiosity was piqued. I had to give it a go.
The trip begins with an easy approach over level ground before a short climb down to a verdant streamway reveals the inverted-L-shaped entrance. Desirous of avoiding a sodden furry, I had decided that the best course of action would be to do the trip in just my oversuit. This initially turned out to be a huge mistake, as the water was absolutely baltic. However, given that my kneepads immediately ended up around my ankles upon entering the system and I couldn't reach back far enough to pull them up, the anaesthetic effect of the cold proved a blessing in disguise.
I would not describe the dimensions of this cavern as measureless, but once past the entrance I discovered a plurality of inches of space. There was a refreshing moment when the ceiling dipped down and my chest was forced to meet the water, but the further I travelled, the larger the whole space became and by the end I could get right up onto my elbows. This excellent trip was everything I had hoped for and more ? all traces of hangover were banished and my oversuit was the cleanest it had been in months.
T/U 2 minutes
! No longer available
This lesser-frequented gem of the Yorkshire underworld hides in plain sight just a croll's throw from the front door of Bullpot Farm. I had heard tales whispered around the fire of the challenges it presented ? someone got halfway only to find the ceiling collapsed and had to somehow reverse out; another got trapped completely and had to be dug out after several hours' wait for a JCB... A glance down the passage from the gear pool end revealed no daylight. But my curiosity was piqued. I had to give it a go.
The trip begins with an easy approach over level ground before a short climb down to a verdant streamway reveals the inverted-L-shaped entrance. Desirous of avoiding a sodden furry, I had decided that the best course of action would be to do the trip in just my oversuit. This initially turned out to be a huge mistake, as the water was absolutely baltic. However, given that my kneepads immediately ended up around my ankles upon entering the system and I couldn't reach back far enough to pull them up, the anaesthetic effect of the cold proved a blessing in disguise.
I would not describe the dimensions of this cavern as measureless, but once past the entrance I discovered a plurality of inches of space. There was a refreshing moment when the ceiling dipped down and my chest was forced to meet the water, but the further I travelled, the larger the whole space became and by the end I could get right up onto my elbows. This excellent trip was everything I had hoped for and more ? all traces of hangover were banished and my oversuit was the cleanest it had been in months.
T/U 2 minutes
