Dry weather trip

Alex

Alex

Well-known member
I am really struggling on a place to go in the Eastern Dales (Wharfdale, Littondale), or even Western dales this week to take advantage of the dry weather...

Anyone got any ideas?

Bare in mind I have done the classics such as Sleets Gill, Mossdale etc. (So not Black book trips, done all the ones I am capable of, the ones that remain would not make good solo trips!)

I am looking for somewhere I can solo, not a place that needs no stakes to hammered into the grass to get down the entrance (I don't own any) or more than 100m of rope required.

Anyone know some odd gems I may have missed or have been found since NC1?
 
Badlad

Badlad

Administrator
Staff member
Check out some of those old digs - Mustard Pot, Potts Beck, Old Bill Gill, Ammerdale, Cote Gill (if you can sneek down there).  Dowkabottom is great to.
 
Alex

Alex

Well-known member
Hmm, don't I need a permit for Stump cross/isn't the entrance locked, I plan to go in the evening so I can't ask the show cave for the key. Intriguing idea though.

Yes I did do the Wharfdale sump (well dry sandy crawl as it is now)
 
blackshiver

blackshiver

Member
One dale across is Wenslydale and you could have a look at Cliffe Force Cave. Firstly the Drain Queens Highway is absolutely splendid and secondly it would be good to check if any of the sumps have dried up. If you do go, take a survey as its easy to go round and round in a circle in the entrance series - especially on the way out.
 
F

Fulk

Well-known member
How about Bull Pot of the Witches to go through the sumps between the upstream end of the downstream cave and the downstream end of the upstream cave?
 
Alex

Alex

Well-known member
Cliff force is a good idea, bit too far for an evening trip though. Last time I was down there it was too wet to go all the way.. I have done that BPOTW trip before.
 
Pitlamp

Pitlamp

Well-known member
The first 26 m sump had plenty of airspace in mid May - we received a report from a Black Rose member who kindly gave some detail (and a brief note about this will appear shortly in the July 2018 CDG Newsletter). I'd like to bet there's even more airspace in that first sump now - and Blackshiver's point about the sumps drying up is a good one (and worth investigating).
 
T

topcat

Active member
Pitlamp said:
The first 26 m sump had plenty of airspace in mid May - we received a report from a Black Rose member who kindly gave some detail (and a brief note about this will appear shortly in the July 2018 CDG Newsletter). I'd like to bet there's even more airspace in that first sump now - and Blackshiver's point about the sumps drying up is a good one (and worth investigating).
Click to expand...

If you are referring to BPOTW the first three sumps  were wide open a couple of weeks ago for the Craven club trip.
 
J

JoW

Member
Alex said:
Yes I did do the Wharfdale sump (well dry sandy crawl as it is now)
Click to expand...

Did you go down the rest of Sleets Gill in the recent dry weather too? Wondering *how* dry or not it is at the moment?
 
Alex

Alex

Well-known member
Well Hyperthermia and Hydrophobia are still wet if that's what you mean. But I imagine Hyperthermia would have an inch or two less water then when I did it last year. I did not do Hypertherimia this time.

P.s. For those of interest I did Bown Scar cave. Right boring place, though. It's just crawling in water/dry passages until you reach an aven. Interestingly water is still flowing quite well in there, there was a little waterfall which seemed to pulse coming from one of the avens.



 
Badlad

Badlad

Administrator
Staff member
How about Hull Pot.  An old timer told me this week that it was left practically wide open after a trip during the drought of '76.
 
Alex

Alex

Well-known member
What about Bown Scar cave.
Click to expand...

I don't know, what about it?

See up two posts up I am ahead of you and I did it yesterday. I found it rather boring, however. Hull pot however, now that intrigues me.
 
N

NatD

New member

Did you go down the rest of Sleets Gill in the recent dry weather too? Wondering *how* dry or not it is at the moment?
[/quote]

I've not previously been in hypothermia but it's not particularly wet currently (didn't feel particularly intimidating) and fairly limited bits where you can merrily float along.
 
nobrotson

nobrotson

Active member
Kirk Bank cave in Wharfedale is an 80's ULSA esoterica, meant to have a quality stream passage if you get past the ducks in the entrance series. Might need to clear some silt out.

Others that spring to mind are Mill Beck Sink Cave and Flinter Gill Lower Cave, also ULSA extensions from the early 90s requiring dry weather.
 
nobrotson

nobrotson

Active member
Do the sumps at Dale Barn Cave on Scales Moor ever develop an airspace (or enough to facilitate safe free dives)? that would be a cool trip.
 
I

Ian Ball

Well-known member
I'm sure Alex would fancy a ree dive, but in this low water would it be easier on your kit diving the Old Ing to Dismal Hill free dives?  2m deep?
 
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