am hoping to get to the sump in skirwith at the end of jan but looking at the long range weather forecast it may only mean we get to the waterfall.I know that these forecasts are not set in stone but am looking for a couple of alternatives close by in case the predictions are right so we get at least a couple of hours underground. I was looking at long gour and bean pot/lost caverns.Can anyone tell me from experience how these places react to rain. I am aware lost caverns are entered via a roadside drain which probably makes it a no go in rain but any knowledge would help make a better assesment on the day.Cheers

Long Gour Cave might be damp in wet weather - there are gours, obviously, that will be full of water with a small stream running down the slope, stream enters below the traverse. You can only get as far as the choke, the later part (egg-timer/fig-8 shape passage) is no longer accessible.

Bean Pot (Lost Caverns) is entered by a shaft (ladder needed) just above the road but in all but dry spells the downstream portion is sumped due to a constricted downstream sump. In very wet weather it backs up even further and floods most of the cave. You can't get in via the road drain at all.

There is Storrs Cave nearby if you like muddy crawls. Unfortunately none of the caves are of any notable length so you won't be underground that long.

Even our very long term dig lowerarch floods in normal wet conditions so not much you can do there.

I guess you could always walk up the hill and do Quaking hehe. (Grade 5 cave)

thought this could be the case - thanks guys.may end up being a bimble round ribblehead in the drier stuff.lets just hope the weather takes up eh?

Anon said:

Long Gour Cave might be damp in wet weather - there are gours, obviously, that will be full of water with a small stream running down the slope, stream enters below the traverse. You can only get as far as the choke, the later part (egg-timer/fig-8 shape passage) is no longer accessible.

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Resurrecting a very old topic here - but - I've always wondered just how badly blocked the other part of Long Gour Cave actually is. I seem to remember being told it'd been blocked by the council; is there no chance at all of effecting access? Or do those who are far more familiar with this site than me (i.e. Black Rose folk) reckon it'd be inadvisable? Just thought it would be nice if it could be opened once more - might make a pleasant little summer evening midweek project to do it.

For those who don't know where you're on about: https://www.brcc.org.uk/trip-reports/conservation/

& some photos (amongst others going back to 1957) at: http://peacehavens.co.uk/blackrosepictures.htm

Thanks Mike,

Yes, that BRCC link is one of the first hits when you Google it. I note it includes the following words:

We then moved on to Long Gour Cave where two buckets full of rubbish were removed from near the entrance. The entrance was yet again covered over with a lump of wood and the remains of the large slate.

I think this is referring to the higher level entrance though, rather than the one which is blocked.

The excellent Black Rose Pothole Club Explorations Journal 1976-77 has a lot of information and a survey. (The cave is described in the current Northern Caves Volume 2 guide of course.)

I'm sure someone like Alex will be able to give a more up to date perspective on whether getting through that blockage into the rest of the cave would be feasible or not. (The new Black Rose Caving Club has remained active up at Storrs Common; they know it best.)

Yes that was the upper entrance, we the BRCC have not attempted the try and dig through into the lower cave. I think however, its under about 3m of gravel that sunk into the cave. So every bit you dig, the gravel floor above would sink down onto you. Needs and expert to stabilise it, and that is not me. Either that and radio locate it on the surface and dig down to it, but permission would of course be required.

Pitlamp - Why the interest?

It would be nice to see it open again, although the chances are probably very slim.
It's been a long time since I was last at the choke (so memory may be hazy) but I seem to recall seeing an unhealthy pile of rubble (which exists from the early days of discovery in the 70s) sat on top of that is many more metres (3+) of rubble/gravel tipped on top over the years.

The choke was originally passed by prodding the inside to cause collapse then digging from the surface to gain the continuation, something you wouldn't have the luxury of these days. It would seem a significant amount of engineering would be required to regain just a short length of passage.

Pie Muncher said:

Pitlamp - Why the interest?

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Now what was it that Mallory said, when asked about Everest . . . ? 

A slightly less tongue in cheek answer is that it's fairly nearby - and it's getting to the time of year (nights drawing out) where one's mind starts thinking about summer evenings. And Ged Dodd's mid 70s BRPC Journal has always been an interesting read.

Thanks to all those who have posted above.  I was wondering if it might be possible to "forepole" through it, rather than trying to dig over the top of what sounds like a fairly big run in of debris.  Just thought it might make a pleasant and sociable inter-club project, if there's enough folk interested to do it.