Folks
Yesterday two of our Craven members went down Bar Pot with a couple of guys from NZ and Japan on a recce trip as they are planning to film at Gaping Gill during our winch meet.
Two things of great concern occurred that I have never seen in over 40 years of caving in the Dales.
1. Whilst in the main chamber and not far from the base of the main shaft and large millstone grit cobble hit the floor bounced and passed within 15m of me.
We had visited the entrance of GG prior to going down Bar Pot (where there is no water going down either the shaft or rat hole). Thus it was evidently thrown down the hole by a passing yob, unaware that people could be below them.
Needless to say I shouted rather loud and no other cobbles followed.
2. On our return to the top of Bar Pot. I noted that one of our Krabs (on the second P Hanger, the first being attached by a figure of eight knot), had been stolen and the rope attached with two overhand knots.

Perhaps the same yob was guilty of both acts of extreme stupidly?

Please, please be aware that this type of moron now sometimes get out on the hills and be very careful not to stand under surface shafts (Alum etc), and perhaps use maillon rapids close to surface?

John
Secretary of Craven Pothole Club.

Can't fix the falling/ thrown rocks, but a maillon nipped up tight with a spanner is unlikely to walk...

I swear the "**** %" of the general public is rising exponentially each year.

People have always been lobbing rocks down GG and it's fairly understandable if you don't know about caving, and most people have no idea and no reason to believe that people would be down there. A sign at the shaft would be a good idea. Somebody stealing the karb sounds bizzare and quite worrying.

Irresponsible opportunist behaviour to get a 'cool' key ring attachment occurs?

Look, I am a climber etc

Probably. I've always wanted to stand under the waterfall in GG but never done is as I've seen loads of rocks chucked down (and some massive ones go sailing past while I was on the dihedral ledge).

I'm waiting for the Petzl 12 Gauge.

Wasn't the first true British caving fatality when Mabel Binks was hit by a rock thrown down Alum Pot by a cyclist, some time before the war? It's always important to stay aware of the possibility of something big and ugly coming down a shaft at you. CPC John is absolutely right to flag up this incident, as a reminder to us all.