21st May - A celebration of 50 years of the Giants - Oxlow connection

Katie

Active member
Date for your diaries!
On Saturday the 21st of May there will be a small celebration of the 50 year anniversary of the Giants- Oxlow connection.
Oxlow and Maskill will be pre-rigged and morning/ early afternoon trips all throughout the system will be encouraged! Late afternoon there will be talks by Clive Westlake about the dig and early days of the connection, John Gunn about the hydrology of the system and Rob Eavis about current projects in the system and maybe even a video of the Chamber of Horrors connection for those who have not seen.
There will be a small charge for the talks and hopefully a raffle with all profits to DCRO. The talks will finish early evening to allow eating/ socialising around the TSG or the pubs of Castleton.
For those wishing to stay overnight the TSG is booked for this event.
Please comment below if you think you may make it so I can get some idea of numbers....
 

moorebooks

Active member
Katie said:
Date for your diaries!
On Saturday the 21st of May there will be a small celebration of the 50 year anniversary of the Giants- Oxlow connection.
Oxlow and Maskill will be pre-rigged and morning/ early afternoon trips all throughout the system will be encouraged! Late afternoon there will be talks by Clive Westlake about the dig and early days of the connection, John Gunn about the hydrology of the system and Rob Eavis about current projects in the system and maybe even a video of the Chamber of Horrors connection for those who have not seen.
There will be a small charge for the talks and hopefully a raffle with all profits to DCRO. The talks will finish early evening to allow eating/ socialising around the TSG or the pubs of Castleton.
For those wishing to stay overnight the TSG is booked for this event.
Please comment below if you think you may make it so I can get some idea of numbers....

I'm interested in attending you didn't say where the talks will be held?

MIke
 

Katie

Active member
I will let you know - I was only asked to organize this on Thursday and haven't got that far yet.....
Just wanted to get the date out there so people knew about it :)
 

paul

Moderator
I'd be interested. There is also a DCRO street collection in Buxton on the 21st May.
 

Madness

New member
David Rose said:
Why is the connection squeeze called the Chamber of Horrors when it is anything but a chamber?

'The fairly tight passage of horror' doesn't quite have the same ring  ;)
 

Rob

Well-known member
My understanding was the official "Chamber of Horrors" is the twin chamber section roughly 20m before the ducks (from the Oxlow side). But i've no idea what that snippet of information is based on...

David Rose said:
As a matter of interest, how tight is it?
Not particularly tight, more awkward and very committing considering the smallest bit has VERY limited airspace.
 

skippy

Active member
Last person I know who went through it was Andy Stuart. He reckoned it was sumped but took the leap of faith and dive through. I also recall he freeclimb'd out of Garlands rather than face the return the journey.
 

Lukecaff-89

New member
Andy did indeed free climb out of garlands, I was on that trip with him. I nearly drowned trying to get through, ended up turning around and struggling back out of oxlow with the onset of mild hypothermia. It's a God awful bit of cave and one that I won't be rushing back to! Nothing but respect for the people who first pushed it.
 

Alex

Well-known member
I keep hearing about this and one day I am going to have to at least take a look at it. Although I will fit, I don't fancy drowning is it anything like the Ireby connection at the end of Temple of doom?
 

Katie

Active member
Meet at Castleton village hall at 15:30 for talks by Clive Westlake (history of the connection), John Gunn (Hydrology) and Rob Eavis (current projects in the system). Aiming to be all done by 19:00 so everyone can head to the TSG/ pubs of Castleton for eating and drinking. TSG is booked for overnight accommodation.
Tea and coffee will be provided - if you like to bake please feel free to bring cakes/ sausage rolls etc for everyone to enjoy!
There will be an entrance fee which is yet to be decided and hopefully a raffle.

Details of planned trips will be added soon :)
 

AR

Well-known member
Don't think I'd be able to make the talks but I'd like to come and do the through trip if I can get over in time.
 

bograt

Active member
Apologies for absence, prior appointment,
Though I would like to add that my last trip through there was with a guy called Tony Edmonds who wanted a "Classic Derbyshire Trip" before buggering off to Canada, -- Maskill - Giants pull through, free climb Garlands - mid 70's !!.
 

bograt

Active member
David Rose said:
As a matter of interest, how tight is it?

Think of the old 'Blue Pencil' at the crux, take off two inches vertical, then add 4 inches depth of muddy water, extend it a few feet --- 
 

Katie

Active member
More details!

50 years of Horror!

It is 50 years ago this month that Giants and Oxlow were first connected via the Chamber of Horrors. The two were connected via an Eldon PC dig and at the time became the deepest system in the UK.
To mark this important connection there will be a small celebration of Giants- Oxlow on Saturday the 21st May. All are welcome for the whole day, or just the parts you fancy!

Caving
Giants, Oxlow and Maskill will all be rigged so come and enjoy a trip. You are welcome to arrange your own trips in the system that day (and use the rigged ropes) or meet at the TSG in Castleton at 9am to join with other cavers and get underground. The usual entrance fees will apply.

Talks
Meet at Castleton village hall (How Ln, Castleton, Hope Valley S33 8WJ) at 3:30pm. Clive Westlake will talk about the dig and early days of the connection, John Gunn about the hydrology of the system and Rob Eavis about current projects in the system and show a video of the Chamber of Horrors connection for those who have not seen it.
There will be a small entrance fee and hopefully a small raffle with all profits to DCRO.
Tea and coffee will be provided and if you are a keen baker (or even a novice one) please feel free to bring cakes/ sausage rolls etc to share!
The talks will finish by 7pm to allow cavers to disperse into Castleton for eating, drinking and socialising around the TSG or the pubs of Castleton.

Overnight
The TSG is booked for this event if you would like to stay overnight.

Sunday
Giants, Oxlow and Maskill will all be left rigged on the Sunday for use by any cavers who wish to.

Any questions please get in touch with Katie on dentkate@yahoo.co.uk


 

Rob Kidd

New member
In the Easter of 1971, Watkins, farmer of Giants hole was being an arse and would not allow access. We did the East canal via Oxlow and out again. That was me (Rob Kidd), Worm, and John Bowden from Wirksworth. We were were 15 hours. Yes, the connection is an interesting place! Are we still to this day the only people to have done the connection twice in one day?
 
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