Any suggestions for easy vertical day trips in smallcleugh and rampsgill. Going up for the first time in a few weeks and looking for ideas and any tips. Thanks in advance

A through trip from Smallcleugh to Rampgill involves a couple of pull-through pitches and is generally a nice simple trip, that can be extended in any direction if you want a longer day out.

vaisey said:

Any suggestions for easy vertical day trips in smallcleugh and rampsgill. Going up for the first time in a few weeks and looking for ideas and any tips. Thanks in advance

Click to expand...

Take a look on our YT Channel for some videos done in there buddy called "Patterdale Dive & Cave" 

The basic Go-To Nent SRT trip is Proud's Sump.  Into Smallcleugh, turn Right at the 1st junction and follow the horse level, look for the rigged sump about 300yds on left.  This drops ?50ft down to a sub-level, down a rubble slope to the head of a further pitch which leads to Prouds Sump Flat above Hangingshaws level.  Lots to explore, (see P Marvin video) then look for the Alu ladder (thank you gNick) which drops down to Hangingshaws - just follow the water and exit via Rampgill.  Lots to see before the portal - you could take a Right at Whiskey Bottle Junction along Rampgill Vein (Engine Shaft, Norpex Digs, Rampgill Shaft etc, PM Video again) then re-trace steps to exit Rampgill Portal. Or you could take the next Right into Scaleburn (Steps, Top Sills Level, Horse Whim Chamber (PMV again))
Pause at Brewery Shaft on LH then exit to Day.  Its all good.

enjoy

MARK

As Mark says this is a good bet for you. In photos, this is what you can expect:

http://www.mineexplorer.org.uk/throughtrips/sc_to_rg_prouds_rgxv_southend_301016/sc_to_rg_prouds_rgxv_southend_301016.htm

http://www.mineexplorer.org.uk/rampgill/hangingshaw_prouds_flat_110212/hangingshaw_prouds_flat_110212.htm

Thanks all that's really good. Any advise on capelcleugh as a trip if we do smallcleugh to rampsgill on the saturday?

I'd advise some neoprene if you go into Capplecleugh, it's pretty damp in places! A through trip to Smallcleugh is a nice trip and not too long for a Sunday. Take care though as the level is in pretty poor condition in several places 

Worth getting yourself a survey if you want to get the most out of your visit: http://mineexplorer.org.uk/plans.htm

vaisey said:

Thanks all that's really good. Any advise on capelcleugh as a trip if we do smallcleugh to rampsgill on the saturday?

Click to expand...

If it was me I would do either Rampgill or Rampgill Vein on the Sat much more to look at . Rampgill keep straight at whiskey bottle junction until you come to a ladder and go up that , Rampgill Vein turn left at whiskey bottle junction just my opinion buddy 

Caplecleugh is a long, dark, wet, cold, shaley, ankle-breaking slog. 
Well worth it in the end if you really want the full immersive experience but most definitely not for the faint-hearted or inexperienced, and the routes I described in my previous post will amply fill in a weekend.

As Pete Hall says, if you do Caplecleugh top-down from Smallcleugh its a rewarding trip, you could go

Smallcleugh portal, left junction, up slope into Flats, wander along with plan & go thru G Hetheringtons X-cut, turn R then L, lunch in Ballroom.  Backtrack to horse level, L, L at Gypsum Corner to Middlecleugh 2nd Sun Vein.  Possible detour to Barrons Sump (recommend an experienced guide) at 4-way arch junction of Cowhill X-Vein, then backtrack & continue thru low dig along MSSV.  Squeeze thru major blockage and descend incline, look out for ladder descending to sublevel on L.  This is the Caplecleugh connection.  Bigger wooden ladder from sublevel drops into deep water on Capleclaugh horizon, then follow the water (lots of it) and thru tight squeeze at Bogg Shaft foot out to Day (eventually!).  Assuming the roof hasnt dropped any more between there and the portal!

MARK

Proud's Sump

Click to expand...

Slightly off topic but it just reminded me of a trip I did there more than a decade ago. At the time, I did not know that Sump meant shaft in mining terms. My mates told me it was a free dive, so all the way around I was shitting myself that we would be doing a free dive in some flooded passage/shaft to complete the round trip.

Alex said:

Proud's Sump

Click to expand...

Slightly off topic but it just reminded me of a trip I did there more than a decade ago. At the time, I did not know that Sump meant shaft in mining terms. My mates told me it was a free dive, so all the way around I was shitting myself that we would be doing a free dive in some flooded passage/shaft to complete the round trip.

Click to expand...

 

Internet...


In mining the term sump is used to describe a hole made in the floor of a level in a working, in the direction of a lower level either for the purpose of testing the trend of an ore vein, or for the purpose of ventilation.   

Paul Marvin said:

Alex said:

Proud's Sump

Click to expand...

Slightly off topic but it just reminded me of a trip I did there more than a decade ago. At the time, I did not know that Sump meant shaft in mining terms. My mates told me it was a free dive, so all the way around I was shitting myself that we would be doing a free dive in some flooded passage/shaft to complete the round trip.

Click to expand...

 

Internet...


In mining the term sump is used to describe a hole made in the floor of a level in a working, in the direction of a lower level either for the purpose of testing the trend of an ore vein, or for the purpose of ventilation. 

Click to expand...

Unless you're in the Peak District of course, in which case it's a winze. 

Alex said:

Proud's Sump

Click to expand...

Slightly off topic but it just reminded me of a trip I did there more than a decade ago. At the time, I did not know that Sump meant shaft in mining terms. My mates told me it was a free dive, so all the way around I was shitting myself that we would be doing a free dive in some flooded passage/shaft to complete the round trip.

Click to expand...

Better than the other way around, when you tell your mine exploring mate there's a short sump to get to the rest of the cave 

mch said:

Paul Marvin said:

Alex said:

Proud's Sump

Click to expand...

Slightly off topic but it just reminded me of a trip I did there more than a decade ago. At the time, I did not know that Sump meant shaft in mining terms. My mates told me it was a free dive, so all the way around I was shitting myself that we would be doing a free dive in some flooded passage/shaft to complete the round trip.

Click to expand...

 

Internet...


In mining the term sump is used to describe a hole made in the floor of a level in a working, in the direction of a lower level either for the purpose of testing the trend of an ore vein, or for the purpose of ventilation. 

Click to expand...

Unless you're in the Peak District of course, in which case it's a winze. 

Click to expand...

Mmm I thought a winze was something a bit different ? pitch in any of you experts    :-\

vaisey said:

Any suggestions for easy vertical day trips in smallcleugh and rampsgill. Going up for the first time in a few weeks and looking for ideas and any tips. Thanks in advance

Click to expand...

If you have the time when you go try and have a look at the incredible model village there