Anyone out there tell me about any Derbyshire SRT Easyish trips that I can do on my own.

Maybe just a single pitch or 2 with easy rigging as have not done much for a while and all my Caving mates have been either married off or packed caving in.

Any info much appreciated.

intra@fsmail.net

Water Icicle is one 30m (ish) pitch with no need for rebelays or deviations.

Giants into Garlands Pot

P8 when it's dry (ie no recourse needed to P bolts on the right when facing down the 1st pitch)

Eyam dale shaft into carlswark

...or try and cadge a trip with one of this lot. Offer to be a diggers bitch for any of the Eldon lot!!

disclaimer: plz don't go solo caving *just* because your mates are no longer caving - try to find at least one other person to go with you..way safer.

...but anyway, Giant's Hole has the very small (but very DCRO familiar) Garland's Pot. Once down that, you've got a lot of quality cave to go at.

Stu, have the bad-air problems in Water Icicle been resolved?

That's right, solo trips are bad. Even the highly experienced can come a cropper and then it just goes horribly wrong.

Where are you based? there must be a club near you somewhere, if not then an appeal on this board will usually get some offers of trips.

Cavers are by nature friendly and welcoming, there is no need to go it alone..

You would be welcome to try a trip or two with our club (before we hound you for subs..) (and as long as you don't mind becoming a digging slave)

Bearing in mind the others' comments about solo caving, if its just SRT practice on an easy pitch you're after, one less risky option is the shaft entrance dropping into the adit entrance of Jug Holes.

It's about 7 metres or so, rigged from rings in the shaft lid frame (with a backup to a small tree nearby or the metal fence posts belonging to the fence around the shaft lid) and drops you into the adit some short distance from the entrance.

Providing you let somebody know where you've gone and when to be expected back PLUS you remember to undo the nut on the grill at the entrance to the adit, you can always exit via the adit if you need to.

Whalf Pipe Climbing Shaft is another good venue as it is straightforward with 3 easy rebelays. This leads you to another straight-forward short pitch. After 2 short free-climbable drops you are into Hillocks Mine.

Again I wouldn't recommend you go solo but echo the previous comments about joining a local Club.

bubba said:

disclaimer: plz don't go solo caving *just* because your mates are no longer caving - try to find at least one other person to go with you..way safer.

...but anyway, Giant's Hole has the very small (but very DCRO familiar) Garland's Pot. Once down that, you've got a lot of quality cave to go at.

Stu, have the bad-air problems in Water Icicle been resolved?

Click to expand...

Sorry, should have made my last statement with a little more intent re: finding more mates. Solo caving (although done) should perhaps be discouraged.

Re: bad air. I haven't been in some 14 months and we only bombed the shaft and laddered out (for fun!). Can't confirm one way or another.

stu said:

bubba said:

disclaimer: plz don't go solo caving *just* because your mates are no longer caving - try to find at least one other person to go with you..way safer.

...but anyway, Giant's Hole has the very small (but very DCRO familiar) Garland's Pot. Once down that, you've got a lot of quality cave to go at.

Stu, have the bad-air problems in Water Icicle been resolved?

Click to expand...

Sorry, should have made my last statement with a little more intent re: finding more mates. Solo caving (although done) should perhaps be discouraged.

Re: bad air. I haven't been in some 14 months and we only bombed the shaft and laddered out (for fun!). Can't confirm one way or another.

Click to expand...

Re Water Icicle. I was down there 3 weeks ago and the air was generally fine. A bit stuffy in one of the old digs though.

No ghosts or ghoulies, either!

outdoors said:

Anyone out there tell me about any Derbyshire SRT Easyish trips that I can do on my own.

Click to expand...

I think Suicide Cave (Winnats) has been bolted for novice SRT practice. Not been myself but may be suitable?

yes, but i think the biggish pitch is inaccessable due to a big loose boulder...the pitches you can get to are good enough if you just want to have a bit of practise though