Sunset Hole, quick query

[christine]

Hi folks, not been down sunset and quite fancied it this weekend as my OH only likes small pitches 
Anyway, with all this rain about is there a measure of when not to go down?
Description was a bit vague from what I recall.
Thanks in advance
Chris

 

[Benfool]

Sunset is pretty high up on Inglebough, so its gonna react very quickly to weather - that is water levels will go up and come down pretty fast. However the ground is pretty water logged at the minute, so it'll react to small amounts of rain.

The forecast is a bit iffy for friday night and saturday morning and Inglebough tends to have its own crazy weather system, so its going to be difficult to guess if its gonna be okay or not. Best to keep an eye on things and see whats happening on the morning your planning on going.

Having said that, Sunset is pretty straight forward, so as long as its not raining when you go and you rig the small climbs and run away if its deathy you'll most likely be okay.

I'd most definitely have a back up plan though. For small pitches and weatherproof, Sell Gill is probably your best bet.

B

 

[christine]

Roger that, thanks Ben 

 

[HardenClimber3]

Well, last Saturday four of us went down Sell Gill (two each way). Bit of water running in wet way, but ok. Slight drizzle but some rain forecast. When we emerged it had stopped raining.
The Wet way was 'interesting'.
The Dry Way was really quite wet (and with the new hang, if it is wet, you really do need to use the deviation on the bottom pitch).
The ground is very wet and Sunset can get very wet..

 

[HardenClimber3]

And, for reference, that is what Brant's Gill looked like at the same time...

 

[Benfool]

I went down Sell Gill on Sunday! Dry Way was dry and Wet Way was damp, but perfectly doable.

Like I said, fast reacting

B

 

[Fulk]

I remember once going down Sell Gill dry way as far as the top of the second pitch, and getting thoroughly soaked just going down and up the entrance pitch, even though the 'catchment area' for this pitch is small.

It looks, HardenClimber3, from your picture of the wet entrance as though there was a risk of being knocked off your feet and down the pitch ? ?

 

[Fjell]

If this pans out, I think you can assume something will happen on Sat, and with bracing rapidity too.

 

[topcat]

I remember once going down Sell Gill dry way as far as the top of the second pitch, and getting thoroughly soaked just going down and up the entrance pitch, even though the 'catchment area' for this pitch is small.

It looks, HardenClimber3, from your picture of the wet entrance as though there was a risk of being knocked off your feet and down the pitch ? ?

I have often thought that the Wet Way would benefit from a high level traverse from the entrance to the pitch head, something like the Valley Entrance escape route.
A Selgill traverse would be quite a bit harder  though, i.e., Fun

 

[skippy]

My Expectations for this weekend are not that Great....or maybe they are????
Sorry, any CPC members out there will understand

 

[HardenClimber3]

I remember once going down Sell Gill dry way as far as the top of the second pitch, and getting thoroughly soaked just going down and up the entrance pitch, even though the 'catchment area' for this pitch is small.

It looks, HardenClimber3, from your picture of the wet entrance as though there was a risk of being knocked off your feet and down the pitch ? ?

The passage between the oxbow and daylight was not too bad - you could get well up in it. If you did FB  you could see  a video of me losing my footing on the final climb (but obviously was 'on' a rope)

 

[mikem]

If this pans out, I think you can assume something will happen on Sat, and with bracing rapidity too.

I hope the waves won't hit there! (Currently some impressive storm surges in Ireland & elsewhere on west coast)

 

[Fjell]

We are throughly lined up in the northern UK. This is the 500mb chart. Lows generally track a few hundred miles north of the 564 line.

I blame La Nina. Gotta blame someone for being stuck indoors.

 

[Pitlamp]

If this pans out, I think you can assume something will happen on Sat, and with bracing rapidity too.

I hope the waves won't hit there! (Currently some impressive storm surges in Ireland & elsewhere on west coast)

There are plenty of large standing waves on Clapham Beck as I type (Thursday evening) due to a big flood going through the GG system this afternoon.

Chris - I wouldn't bother hauling your tanks all the way up here this coming weekend; there should be at least some conventional caving to do though.

 

[MJenkinson]

If its gonna be this wet I might be tempted to go and see GG main chamber giving it some.

 

[Pitlamp]

Could be worth it - but time it right (probably ion Saturday) for best effect.

 

[Andy Walsh]

in 1982 i was on a rescue to Sunset Hole to my surprise parts of the entrance passage had flood debris +foam on the roof even the semi standing up bits where narrow(so small cross section) A surprise to most at the time but it was very wet indeed

 

[Ian P]

Could be worth it - but time it right (probably ion Saturday) for best effect.

We have ? booked? Bar Pot for Saturday on this hope.
Large light and camera packed.

 

[andrewmcleod]

River outside my house (confluence of the Twiss and the Doe forming the Greta in Ingleton) was very high earlier this evening; falling now.