Iron Ladder in Alum Pot

langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
This photograph purports to be in Alum Pot. It was probably taken just after the war. It shows a lady climbing a substantial iron ladder up a pitch. The only possible candidate is Dolly Tubs, and I have never heard of there ever being an iron ladder on Dolly Tubs.

I think that the photograph may have been mislabelled, and that it could be the iron ladder on the Lancaster Hole entrance pitch (those of us longer in the tooth will remember the start of it leaning against the bottom of the pitch, and various fragments of it dotted round and about further up).

There are other photographs in the set from Lancaster Hole - in particular the Colonnades, so it is not out of the question, although it is adjacent to three from Long Churn and Alum.

Does anyone have any views, or remember the shape of the rock she is climbing past?
 
D

damian

Active member
Could it be the chamber above the short climb before the Dolly Tubs pitch (thus bypassing the ascending rift)?
 
langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
damian said:
Could it be the chamber above the short climb before the Dolly Tubs pitch (thus bypassing the ascending rift)?
Click to expand...

It could be - but it looks a little high for that.

Having had another look at the photograph, I was wondering whether the pale blob in the right lower corner could be the ledge system along one which one can approach the Lancaster Hole entrance shaft?
 
Pitlamp

Pitlamp

Well-known member
The caver looks fairly muddy, so unlikely to be in Alum Pot / Long Churn.
But there's something familiar about that spot; I'll ponder . . .
 
MarkS

MarkS

Moderator
FWIW, here are a few recent-ish photos of the bottom of the Lancaster entrance pitch for comparison. I'm not really sure if they help or not, but having dug them out then I thought I may as well post them!

PB190013edit.jpg
PB190018edit.jpg
P1230026.jpg
 
langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
MarkS said:
FWIW, here are a few recent-ish photos of the bottom of the Lancaster entrance pitch for comparison. I'm not really sure if they help or not, but having dug them out then I thought I may as well post them!
Click to expand...

I find the middle shot very convincing. The fluting on the right seems to me to be the same, and the general angles of the rock just above there, and to the right are similar as well. I'm now confident that it is Lancaster Hole, and a rarish shot of someone climbing the iron ladder. Interestingly, I can't see a lifeline on the caver, but then we used to shin up and down the iron ladders in Fall Pot without lifelines.

Thank you, MarkS.
 
G

grahams

Well-known member
I think you're right Lancliffe. My memory is that the Lancaster ladder was in a couple of sections with a slight bend at the joint. The joint can be seen 3 rungs above her hands.
 
F

Fulk

Well-known member
I agree, it's probably Lancaster Hole; I remember the scrappy bits of iron ladder at the bottom of the entrance pitch, which gave you a bit of a start to get to your own (electron) ladder ? made it a bit easier ? but I've never seen or heard of iron ladders in Alum Pot.
 
Redmire

Redmire

New member
John, here's one of the entrance pitch in Lancaster Hole from a slightly different angle. The photo was taken in the early 1970s.
 

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langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
Redmire said:
John, here's one of the entrance pitch in Lancaster Hole from a slightly different angle. The photo was taken in the early 1970s.
Click to expand...

That's how I remember it! The ladder is less steep in your photograph, but it is undoubtedly the same place. That first 20' on the iron ladder saved a lot of energy...
 
M

mikem

Well-known member
This is an interesting read, it mentions the ladders being fitted (from railway signal boxs) & the top sections removed, but doesn't tell us the years (& the first photo includes a lady in a skirt):
http://www.rrcpc.org.uk/easegill/text/Early_explore.htm

CRG Trans includes pic of those at Fall Pot:
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/first-edition/Lancaster-Hole-Ease-Gill-Caverns-Casterton/30128025911/bd
 
langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
mikem said:
This is an interesting read, it mentions the ladders being fitted (from railway signal boxs) & the top sections removed, but doesn't tell us the years
Click to expand...

The iron ladders were installed on the entrance shaft on 13th and 14th September 1947.

The lady in the picture of the Colonnades is Christine Rawling.

I think that the lady in the archive photograph may be Kathie Gilbert, who first identified Kath's Way as a possible route, but there is no way to be sure.
 
D

Duck ditch

New member
Great link to Kathie Gilbert.  I had heard that story before but not read anything before.

You used to climb up the iron ladder then clip into the lifeline when you reached the electrons.  Well I did anyway.
 
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