Worst case senario ?

Stupot

Active member
What is the worst thing that could happen to you / a group underground, something that if it did happen you think to yourself "that's it game over" :(

And more importantly how would you deal with it, for example a rock fall trapping you in a narrow passage facing the wrong way ........................

These type of senarios interest me as without ever being put in that situation how do we know whether or not we could cope / deal with it in a rational fashion or would you just lose it ?

Any true storries out there .................

Stu.
 
M

MSD

Guest
I definitely thought my number was up diving in Gods Bridge risings in Chaple-le-Dale. The cave is a very low bedding plane and it is necessary to zig-zag about to find the way through. At the (then) limit of exploration there was a squeeze. I went into the squeeze and just as I was feeling "hmmm, I think I might be stuck here", my demand valve failed.

It just gave no air. I pressed the purge button, still no air. I checked the tap on the tank, it was still on. Time to change to my other valve I thought....unfortunately I was jammed in the squeeze and I couldn't turn my head round because the passage was too low. It was therefore not possible to reach the other valve.

It was at this moment that I thought my number was up. I had to go forward or backwards, so I chose forwards (easier to use your legs to push yourself if you are stuck). I breathed out, wriggled forward to where it looked a bit bigger and managed to turn my head round and get the other valve in. I rested maybe a minute to get calm again before attampting to get back through the squeeze. It was actually easier on the way out as is often the case with squeezes (once you know you can fit it's not so intimidating).

I'd say I stayed pretty calm. I went through the normal procedures of what to do if a valve is not working and when that failed I re-evaluated the situation in a logical way. And when the moment of crisis was over I took the time to re-establish calm and made my way carefully back out.

Mark
 

SamT

Moderator
I guess cave diving lends itself to those, "oops - Im a gonner" moments. Never really had one caving - I suppose the time I took a tumble somewhere towards the top of Maskhill mine - somewhere near a pitch head is about the closest I've come (touch wood).

Ive had a few whilst climbing over the years though.
 

AndyF

New member
Well, not quite me but once caving in Slovenia we had a slightly short rope. Long enought to get down a pitch, but no more. Problem was the pitch landed on the top of a rubble cone.

My mate came down (having been told) and walked back down the cone still on the rope, or at least till the rope ran out. He then sumersaulted down the slope (impressive!) and ended up with his head over the edge of a 90m pitch...

I think everyone in that party had a near-death experience in that cave...

And the moral is tie a knot in the bottom - always - (or take a long enough rope) !!
 

SamT

Moderator
SamT said:
I suppose the time I took a tumble somewhere towards the top of Maskhill mine - somewhere near a pitch head is about the closest I've come (touch wood).

Oh - and the time a PC monitor sized cubic block landed very neatly between me and dave whilst we were hanging about below the pull through pitches in Nettle. it was very close - about 2 inches to my left and it brushed daves right shoulder :shock: .

No time to react, but the morale of the story is - dont stand about under pitches when people are moving about above - choose to sit somewhere a little sheltered.
 
Worst Case Scenario...
Once spent longer than expected poking around underground in Hillocks one evening and didn't get out of Whalf Climbing shaft till about 10:50pm...
By the time we get back to the car and raced down the lane...we had nearly missed last orders!
It was a close call and we were all clearly shook up by the realisation of how it could so easily have ended differently for all concerned - but luckily we had learnt a valuable lesson for the future...
 

gus horsley

New member
Did a trip into OFD Top Entrance and decided to go "off the beaten track". Found myself doing a wall-of-death run around the top of a shaft and then couldn't reverse it. Ended up shimmying across a rotating scaffold pole over a 50ft drop and then climbing down the far wall, which was very tricky. And on a solo trip. Some people never learn eh? No, I don't need a lecture on being irresponsible.
 

Rachel

Active member
I had a very scary near miss with hypothermia once, going in and out of cosciousness as I went up the rope. I was always aware of coming back,but not of drfting off again, which was very frightening. At the same time, there was a part of my mind that was looking at me from a distance and telling me perfectly calmly that I had to stay awake. I was reciting nursery rhymes to myself, then when I couldn't remember the words any more I started counting out loud and gave myself a few good slaps as well. Although it's an experience I never want to repeat, it made me ralise just how strong the survival instinct is.
 

SamT

Moderator
Rachel said:
I had a very scary near miss with hypothermia once, going in and out of cosciousness as I went up the rope. I was always aware of coming back,but not of drfting off again, which was very frightening. At the same time, there was a part of my mind that was looking at me from a distance and telling me perfectly calmly that I had to stay awake. I was reciting nursery rhymes to myself, then when I couldn't remember the words any more I started counting out loud and gave myself a few good slaps as well. Although it's an experience I never want to repeat, it made me ralise just how strong the survival instinct is.

thats well scary :shock:

Ive only had one experience of someone with hypothermia (probably only stage 1). I thought he was just being a bit of a shed head - but I grew more worried about him (I hadn't really diagnosed hypothermia though). Luckily we were close to the exit (the Diau through trip) so once out he recovered quickly. I now have more of an idea of what to look out for.
 

Brains

Well-known member
My nearest death experience was at the age of about 10, playing by a swimming pool which had a rubber dinghy on it. For some reason I tried to jump into the dinghy, which promptly ran away and threw in the pool. With no sound effects I can remember laying on the bottom looking up at the surface with leaves floating on it. All very calm, no tunnels or lights, just a peaceful fade to black....

Until I was spewing my guts up on the side having been dragged out unconscious and given a healthy snog...

Guess what, I learnt to swim after that :roll:
 

gus horsley

New member
I had another brush with death when I was narrowly missed by a plummeting sheep whilst soloing a route on Tryfan. The thing soared past me, about a foot away, bounced repeatedly off ledges and ended up 300ft below with a dull thud. Even if I'd had a helmet on, it would have copped me big style if it had connected.
 
W

wallop

Guest
I had a bit of a moment coming back from mud sump in Swildon's once. The rest of my group decided to do the round trip at the last minute, so i had to make my own way out. Things were ok untill i got to the top of the 20 and managed to slip but just grabbed on to the ladder in time, could of been a nightmare. Funny thing was that about 10mins after there was a group from my club going to sump one!!!!! :oops: :oops:
 

Peter Burgess

New member
Swildons. Many years ago. Halfway down Blue Pencil. A clear sunny day. Suddenly, a stream of filthy brown water comes rushing into the passage. A cry of OUT goes up!!

Turns out it was another group bailing one of the ducks on the short round trip, and sending the water down a hole, reappearing in the passage just behind us.

It has us going for a while, though.
 

AndyF

New member
gus horsley said:
I had another brush with death when I was narrowly missed by a plummeting sheep whilst soloing a route on Tryfan. The thing soared past me, about a foot away, bounced repeatedly off ledges and ended up 300ft below with a dull thud. Even if I'd had a helmet on, it would have copped me big style if it had connected.

Now that would be BAD. Imagine the headlines..

"Climber and sheep in apparent suicide pact

His friends are quoted 'We thought we knew Gus, but never suspected anything like this was going on. I hope he's happy now' Social Services and the RSPCA are both calling for an enquiry... etc. etc." :shock:
 
W

wallop

Guest
The RSPCA said this is the first time a sheep has pulled the wool over there eyes, someones for the chop!!!! :LOL: :LOL:
 

gus horsley

New member
Thanks for all the terrible puns. All I can say is that I nearly cacked myself, and, in the same situation, so would ewe.

:?
 

gus horsley

New member
It was probably a woolly jumper. I'm sorry I can't take any more of this. Got to lie down in a darkened room (or cave).
 
W

wallop

Guest
Two guys are walking through the woods and come across this big deep
hole.
"Wow...that looks deep."

"Sure does... toss a few pebbles in there and see how deep it is."

They pick up a few pebbles and throw them in and wait... no noise.

"Jeeez. That is REALLY deep... here.. throw one of these great big rocks
down there. Those should make a noise."

They pick up a couple football-sized rocks and toss them into the hole
and wait... and wait. Nothing.

They look at each other in amazement. One gets a determined look on his
face and says, "Hey...over here in the weeds, there's a
railroad tie. Help me carry it over here. When we toss THAT sucker in,
it's GOTTA make some noise."

The two men drag the heavy tie over to the hole and heave it in. Not a
sound comes from the hole.

Suddenly, out of the nearby woods, a sheep appears, running like the
wind. It rushes toward the two men, then right past them,
running as fast as it's legs will carry it. Suddenly it leaps in the air
and into the hole.

The two men are astonished with what they've just seen...
Then, out of the woods comes a farmer who spots the men and ambles over.

Hey... you two guys seen my sheep out here?

You bet we did! Craziest thing I ever seen! It came running like crazy
and just jumped into this hole!

Nah, says the farmer, That couldn't have been MY sheep. My sheep was
chained to a railroad tie.
 
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