Nemesis

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LoneRanger

Guest
Has anyone been down Nemesis recently? A few weeks ago I failed to get beyond Boreau Falls Chamber. Has the choke moved, or didn't I push hard enough?

I know Dalek went down there about five years ago, but has anyone been down there since?

In the centre of Boreau Falls chamber, I dropped through a tight hole in the floor using an in situ crowbar as foothold, then down another vertical squeeze until my legs were in the stream. At this point, I turned back, because I wasn't confident that the next move was reversible. The whole situation was tight, awkward and blind. Does this description sound like the right route?

p.s. I don't like boulder chokes.
 
G

George North

Guest
Hello 'LoneRanger' would your initials be BS by any chance? If so then I probably can't help you!

Cheers,

George.
 
I don't think you were in the right place Loneranger... it's tight, but not that tight... feet first is the key (you're in the streamway when you go through)... did you look around the entire chamber for other holes??

CN.
 

Simon Beck

Member
Hey Neil!
I am hoping to return to Langcliffe after the winch meet for an attempt at passing the Nemesis pitch, just having difficulty finding partners for these particular trips. Been poking about in the entrance series of Mossdale caverns over the past few weeks, but i'm goner wait till i again find volunteers before commiting to a far reaches trip, manage to pass 1st drown and glory, water levels were very low, but decided to turn back at that point cause i was alone and it was about midnight. Its one of the only caves that as managed to really put the shits through me while i've been alone!.
 
Simon Beck said:
Hey Neil!
I am hoping to return to Langcliffe after the winch meet for an attempt at passing the Nemesis pitch, just having difficulty finding partners for these particular trips. Been poking about in the entrance series of Mossdale caverns over the past few weeks, but i'm goner wait till i again find volunteers before commiting to a far reaches trip, manage to pass 1st drown and glory, water levels were very low, but decided to turn back at that point cause i was alone and it was about midnight. Its one of the only caves that as managed to really put the shits through me while i've been alone!.

So the Leakey Tapes got you spurred on huh! Did you know Leakey recently set up his own political party?? Were you up at the winch over the weekend on Friday, August 12??

CN.
 
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LoneRanger

Guest
Cumbrian Neil said:
I don't think you were in the right place Loneranger... it's tight, but not that tight... feet first is the key (you're in the streamway when you go through)... did you look around the entire chamber for other holes??

CN.

Thanks Neil, I had a fairly thorough search around the chamber- I spent about 45 minutes there - there are all sorts of holes between loose boulders, but nothing as promising as the route I described in my first post.

When were you there?

Has anyone been there recently?

Does anyone want to solve this mystery and make a trip down there? Even without descending Nemesis, Langcliffe is a superb trip - where else in Yorkshire is there mile of walking passage.
 

mudmonkey

New member
Langcliffe has a reputation as an exceptionally serious place. Having never been there, it sounds extremely pleasant - at least as far as the top of Nemesis - is it actually *that* hard? Roughly how long did it take you to top of Nemesis?? Any comparisons with other Dales trips?
 

dunc

New member
Langcliffe has a reputation as an exceptionally serious place
Not been myself but from what I can gather from reading and hearing what others say its not that bad a trip to the afforementioned choke.. Through the choke would make it potentially more serious..
I would also guess the reputation lends itself more to the Langcliffe entrance rather than Oddmire.
 
LoneRanger said:
When were you there?

The last trip I had down there was in about 1993/94. It is highly possible that the chokes have moved. However, I was caving with a friend of mine recently who had carried bottles for a bloke down to the Poseidon sump very recently. He agreed that the way through was at an angle of 10 o'clock from the entrance to the chamber. He talked of a bedding plane, but I don't recall that. There used to be two routes through... the one that was dug by ULSA and the one forged by CRO to rescue the Brook Brothers. It is the one that CRO created that we always used. You squeeze down through some boulders and need to sit in the stream before it gives up it's grip. Go feet first and face the direction of the stream.

CN.
 
mudmonkey said:
Langcliffe has a reputation as an exceptionally serious place. Having never been there, it sounds extremely pleasant - at least as far as the top of Nemesis - is it actually *that* hard? Roughly how long did it take you to top of Nemesis?? Any comparisons with other Dales trips?

The trip to Boireau Falls Chamber is very friendly. Langstrothdale Chase is a fine piece of passage. The Craven Crawl in it's own right is worth a visit if you are only going to Boireau Falls. However, it does take quite a bit of water and it could get a bit wet so use some common sense. As for comparisions... the streamways are like West Kingsdale mixed with passages like what you might find in Easegill (bouldery crawls). It's probably a grade 3/4 if you only go as far as Boireau Falls.

Beyond the Nemesis Pitch it gets a little more serious and both Nemesis chokes are quite commiting. Beyond that life gets a little easier, but the return through the chokes are always on your mind. The Agora and the Sacred Way are quite spectacular in their own right.

CN.
 

mudmonkey

New member
Cheers CN - will have to have a peer sometime - sounds excellent. When I finally finish this bl***y writing-up game I hope to get some decent trips in.....
 
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LoneRanger

Guest
mudmonkey said:
Langcliffe has a reputation as an exceptionally serious place. Having never been there, it sounds extremely pleasant - at least as far as the top of Nemesis - is it actually *that* hard? Roughly how long did it take you to top of Nemesis?? Any comparisons with other Dales trips?
The serious boulder chokes are after Boreau Falls Chamber. However, the whole place is very flood prone and should be treated with the utmost respect.

The route from the original entrance starts with a wet pitch, which is P-bolted for ladders, but can be done on rope. Then comes Craven crawl, this is long, low, wet and thoroughly unpleasant - laborious rather than desparate. This is followed by Stagger passage, which has a mixture of crawling, stooping and shuffling, with occasional walking - it's long and bothersome. After this is Langstrothdale Chase: a mile long and almost entirely walking size, with periodic scrambling over and under piles of boulders, some of which appear to be precariously balanced - be careful. The final section to the chamber involves a short bedding plane squeeze. It took me two hours from the bottom of the pitch to the chamber. This was not racing speed, but I didn't have any Mars Bar stops or fag breaks. A five hour trip time is realistic, which in my book makes it a grade four.

The route from the Oddmire Entrance avoids the Craven Crawl and according to some people is easier and less flood prone (I haven't done it).

Access is not allowed. The normal approach is to walk up the hill disguised as a rambler, then get changed in the entrance shakehole.
 
LoneRanger said:
The route from the Oddmire Entrance avoids the Craven Crawl and according to some people is easier and less flood prone (I haven't done it).

Access is not allowed. The normal approach is to walk up the hill disguised as a rambler, then get changed in the entrance shakehole.

It is easier if you avoid the Craven Crawl and it is definately easier psychologically. Why do you think it is a solid grade 4... just out of curiosity.

CN.
 
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