Hello everyone

I am pleased to announce that a new CNCC access agreement is in place for Fairy Holes, which enables clubs and (for the first time) individual BCA members to obtain access to this excellent Weardale cave. For more details please see our news page:

https://cncc.org.uk/news/new-fairy-holes-access-details

Currently all dates for next year (the first Saturday of each month) are available.

Matt Ewles, Secretary, Council of Northern Caving Clubs

Request sent! Cheers

What's Fairy Holes like? Good trip, worth the effort to get to the pretties?

Depends what sort of cave you enjoy.

Fairy Holes is a long northern Dales stream cave developed along various right angled cross joints. Its a good few hours of very enjoyable stomping and at times crab-walking and crawling (in the water) along a good stream which is characteristically different from most that you will see in the more conventional Dales area (Three Peaks etc). There's a few climbs up into overhead chambers where the way on at stream level is blocked.

I really enjoy this kind of caving personally.

The Sarcophagus is a nice chamber with some good straws. It is dramatic both as a chamber and for the formations. Unfortunately, the last 20 minutes of the route to it is in some old abandoned high level fossil tubes above the stream which are a little bit thrutchy (especially if you have a wetsuit on) but well worth it.

Overall I think it's a cracking trip. You can get to the Sarcophagus and back in about four hours.

I personally prefer to do it in an undersuit or neofleece. Many descriptions will say wetsuit is essential, but in reasonably low water you spend most of the trip little more than knee deep. The first time I did it I wore a 5mm wetsuit and roasted. But this is all personal preference.

Definitely not one for very wet weather!

It'll be interesting to see what other people think.

Thanks for the update Matt and thanks to all those who have put the time into sorting this! 

I'll have to book in a visit next time I'm back in the area