flashmonkey
New member
Swinsto Pull Through 15th July.
After a visit to the club on Thursday we learned it would just be me and Mark on the weekend, so we decided we wouldn't set off as early as we normally do.
So we set of at 9am and headed up north to kingsdale, we arrived just before 12pm to a slightly wet hillside. After all it is yorkshire.
Mark tells me we have to pop into Valley Entrance to rig the last pitch up and out first otherwise we won't be getting out, so in we head away from the cold wet weather or so I thought, after about 10 mins or so we are at the head of the pitch, Mark Riggs the pitch and leaves his camera box there as he wants to take some pictures on the way back out, so back out to the damp weather outside and we grab the two bags of kit we need and head of up the road and up the hill.
After we have climbed the hill which seemed to keep going and going and going but we finally get to the top and head through the gate on the left. And then we sort of wander around looking for the entrance to Swinsto after around 15 to 20 mins I found a hole in the ground that I thought may be the hole we are after, but after Mark had a look inside he decided it wasn't.
Mark then headed of away from the hole and returned about 5 mins later looking rather happy as he had found the correct hole, so off we go get our kit on and head underground into the unknown.
We got to the head of the first pitch and Mark exclaimed he recognized it so that was a good start
, he then starts to instruct me on how to rig pull throughs, and of he goes down the rope.
I'm at the top of the pitch repeating in my head what Mark has told me " Not the Knot " and down I went. No problem, and of to the next pitch again Mark rigged we both went down and carried on until half way down split pitch, we kind of got stuck for a little while, because when I descended the rope it got twisted and wrapped round itself.
So we are both trying to unravel the rope and pull it down so we can carry on, the rope finally came down after 10mins, I think due to how much water was coming.down the pitch it caused the rope to twist and that. But all is good as we head down the second bit of the split pitch. We continued further into the trip until we came to spout chamber where the water was just as impressive, so Mark took some footage on his point and click camera, after this we made our way to the short pitch to the connecting chamber and on to the linking crawl. ( which unknown to me at this point Mark is a little worried as he is trying to remember if the linkway ever sumps. I was glad to be unaware of this little potential issue )
We got to the streamway and immediately nearly got knocked off my feet which is when I started to think this isn't right, having never been in this cave I didn't no if it was supposed to be this bad. I questioned Mark and he said it's nothing to worry about, but at this point pointed out that he had been a little worried about the link being sumpped but didn't want to alarm me.
We arrive at the short pitch back up to the valley entrance and there appears to be more water than I remember, actually I couldn't remember there being any water when Mark rigged the pitch a few hours earlier, to which again I mentioned and we had a little laugh and Mark decided that he just had to get a photo, I couldn't object as I like him takin photos as it gives me a record of where I've been.
So he starts setting up the picture by placing his flash guns I get into position and so does he, he then drops something in the water and it's gone. Luckily it's only his lens cap and not the camera, after a few takes we decide we had better make a move as since we have been in the chamber the water level has rose, or at least it seems that way.
So we both climb the rope derig and head out to the outside world again.
After we had changed and started to head of we noticed that the dry river bed was becoming a wet river bed, we watched for a bit then headed to the pub for a couple pints with some friends.
Present Kayleigh Wood & Mark Burkey
After a visit to the club on Thursday we learned it would just be me and Mark on the weekend, so we decided we wouldn't set off as early as we normally do.
So we set of at 9am and headed up north to kingsdale, we arrived just before 12pm to a slightly wet hillside. After all it is yorkshire.
Mark tells me we have to pop into Valley Entrance to rig the last pitch up and out first otherwise we won't be getting out, so in we head away from the cold wet weather or so I thought, after about 10 mins or so we are at the head of the pitch, Mark Riggs the pitch and leaves his camera box there as he wants to take some pictures on the way back out, so back out to the damp weather outside and we grab the two bags of kit we need and head of up the road and up the hill.
After we have climbed the hill which seemed to keep going and going and going but we finally get to the top and head through the gate on the left. And then we sort of wander around looking for the entrance to Swinsto after around 15 to 20 mins I found a hole in the ground that I thought may be the hole we are after, but after Mark had a look inside he decided it wasn't.
Mark then headed of away from the hole and returned about 5 mins later looking rather happy as he had found the correct hole, so off we go get our kit on and head underground into the unknown.
We got to the head of the first pitch and Mark exclaimed he recognized it so that was a good start
, he then starts to instruct me on how to rig pull throughs, and of he goes down the rope. I'm at the top of the pitch repeating in my head what Mark has told me " Not the Knot " and down I went. No problem, and of to the next pitch again Mark rigged we both went down and carried on until half way down split pitch, we kind of got stuck for a little while, because when I descended the rope it got twisted and wrapped round itself.
So we are both trying to unravel the rope and pull it down so we can carry on, the rope finally came down after 10mins, I think due to how much water was coming.down the pitch it caused the rope to twist and that. But all is good as we head down the second bit of the split pitch. We continued further into the trip until we came to spout chamber where the water was just as impressive, so Mark took some footage on his point and click camera, after this we made our way to the short pitch to the connecting chamber and on to the linking crawl. ( which unknown to me at this point Mark is a little worried as he is trying to remember if the linkway ever sumps. I was glad to be unaware of this little potential issue )
We got to the streamway and immediately nearly got knocked off my feet which is when I started to think this isn't right, having never been in this cave I didn't no if it was supposed to be this bad. I questioned Mark and he said it's nothing to worry about, but at this point pointed out that he had been a little worried about the link being sumpped but didn't want to alarm me.
We arrive at the short pitch back up to the valley entrance and there appears to be more water than I remember, actually I couldn't remember there being any water when Mark rigged the pitch a few hours earlier, to which again I mentioned and we had a little laugh and Mark decided that he just had to get a photo, I couldn't object as I like him takin photos as it gives me a record of where I've been.
So he starts setting up the picture by placing his flash guns I get into position and so does he, he then drops something in the water and it's gone. Luckily it's only his lens cap and not the camera, after a few takes we decide we had better make a move as since we have been in the chamber the water level has rose, or at least it seems that way.
So we both climb the rope derig and head out to the outside world again.
After we had changed and started to head of we noticed that the dry river bed was becoming a wet river bed, we watched for a bit then headed to the pub for a couple pints with some friends.
Present Kayleigh Wood & Mark Burkey
