drainrat
Member
Who: Myself, Sam T (Eldon), Oggy (DCC)
Where: Giant's Hole, Peak district
When: Sunday 15th January 2012
Many moons ago, I was in discussion with Sam T about getting St. Valentine's sump open again. The drain hole in the dam blocked a long time ago making bailing impossible. Sam installed a pump and a couple of hoses and after initial success getting the sump emptied via the pump primed syphons, the pump was then broken by persons unknown and the project fell by the wayside.
Roll on 2012 and I thought it was high time to get the sump open again and try the filthy 5 round trip, which combined with the normal round trip makes the figure of 8 trip!
We all met in the car park on the Sunday morning, Sam cracked on alone down the Crabwalk whilst we faffed and eventually got ready. I wont bore you with the crabwalk, but that's the way we went and eventually met Sam at the sump. He's already got syphon 1 primed and was just priming syphon 2 which went without a hitch. We sat around for an hour or so before Oggy and I headed off down towards Geology. Sam was to get a brew on in his bothy bag and get stuck into a good book.
All the pitches down to the East canal were already rigged, however this was the same gear that I'd seen down here on 07/05/2007 so beware it's antiquity! Oggy took to the water and went for a swim, I wasn't neoprene clad so traversed around the right hand wall onto the muddy beach at the foot of the Filthy Five.
This was now new territory, so we cautiously ascended the fixed ropes of very dubious condition, tried to ignore the rusty tat that used to be bolts and in no time at all found the other end of the St Val's syphons. Some kind fool had coiled them up near the top of the '5 so we ran them further down the pitch to aid their syphoning power.
St Val's had by now deroofed, Sam managed to pass a third hose through which we quickly positioned next to it's brethren therefore reducing the syphoning time by a further third. Some jiggery pokery got the syphons in their optimum position and Sam installed baskets over the ends to prevent hoovering of stones. By now the sump was nearly empty so we squeezed through and made our way out via the Giant's Windpipe.
Summary:
Now St Valentine's sump can easily be syphoned (it should take about 1.5 hours if all 3 syphons are going), this is an absolutely classic trip. It is one of the best trips I have done in the Peak to date. Hats off to Sam T for his hard work getting the pump and hoses down there and set up in the first place.
Where: Giant's Hole, Peak district
When: Sunday 15th January 2012
Many moons ago, I was in discussion with Sam T about getting St. Valentine's sump open again. The drain hole in the dam blocked a long time ago making bailing impossible. Sam installed a pump and a couple of hoses and after initial success getting the sump emptied via the pump primed syphons, the pump was then broken by persons unknown and the project fell by the wayside.
Roll on 2012 and I thought it was high time to get the sump open again and try the filthy 5 round trip, which combined with the normal round trip makes the figure of 8 trip!
We all met in the car park on the Sunday morning, Sam cracked on alone down the Crabwalk whilst we faffed and eventually got ready. I wont bore you with the crabwalk, but that's the way we went and eventually met Sam at the sump. He's already got syphon 1 primed and was just priming syphon 2 which went without a hitch. We sat around for an hour or so before Oggy and I headed off down towards Geology. Sam was to get a brew on in his bothy bag and get stuck into a good book.
All the pitches down to the East canal were already rigged, however this was the same gear that I'd seen down here on 07/05/2007 so beware it's antiquity! Oggy took to the water and went for a swim, I wasn't neoprene clad so traversed around the right hand wall onto the muddy beach at the foot of the Filthy Five.
This was now new territory, so we cautiously ascended the fixed ropes of very dubious condition, tried to ignore the rusty tat that used to be bolts and in no time at all found the other end of the St Val's syphons. Some kind fool had coiled them up near the top of the '5 so we ran them further down the pitch to aid their syphoning power.
St Val's had by now deroofed, Sam managed to pass a third hose through which we quickly positioned next to it's brethren therefore reducing the syphoning time by a further third. Some jiggery pokery got the syphons in their optimum position and Sam installed baskets over the ends to prevent hoovering of stones. By now the sump was nearly empty so we squeezed through and made our way out via the Giant's Windpipe.
Summary:
Now St Valentine's sump can easily be syphoned (it should take about 1.5 hours if all 3 syphons are going), this is an absolutely classic trip. It is one of the best trips I have done in the Peak to date. Hats off to Sam T for his hard work getting the pump and hoses down there and set up in the first place.
