Wezzit..but not Wezzit

skippy

skippy

Active member
Hi all,
I'm posting this on behalf of a friend who is trying to locate where this photo was taken.
I have scrutinised the photo but I don't recognise it from the shot.
Paul states:-
'Hi Mate, can you tell me which pitch head this is, I thought it was in bull pot of the witches, but cant remember. It was, I'm sure 90ft, broken by this ledge at around 70. The photo is from the eighties'

I've advised Paul there is nothing that deep in BPOTW however he seems to think its Easegill area.

Any ideas?
 

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langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
Possibly the traditional 90' route in Bar Pot. I've only done it a couple of times in the last 10 years, so I wouldn't like to be more definitive.
 
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Sam Richards

Member
I spent a stupid amount of time looking at the traditional 90' route in Bar Pot a couple of years ago, and I would cautiously (confirmation bias?) add support to Langcliffe's suggestion.
 
Pitlamp

Pitlamp

Well-known member
I also think Langcliffe's right - he probably knows better than most!

Other evidence is that the picture looks like it's taken from the obvious viewing point of a caver awaiting their turn to descend the initial drop. Also the caver on the rope looks less clean than one would expect on a descent of Meregill.
 
I

Ian Ball

Well-known member
I have to admit I don't know where the traditional pitch of Bar Pot is! research required!

Is it he P28 on the awesome LUSS survey?

 
Pitlamp

Pitlamp

Well-known member
If you follow the normal route down the steep boulder slope below Bridge Hall you get to a window which you either crawl through, or traverse over, to reach the broad ledge at the head of the more usual (these days) 33 m descent.

Just before going over or through this window there is a slot under the left wall leading directly onto the awkwardly overhanging initial drop to gain the ledge which we think is the subject of the OP's photo. The main continuation of the descent will be about 28 m, so (without checking) I think you're right about the survey.
 
langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
Pitlamp said:
If you follow the normal route down the steep boulder slope below Bridge Hall you get to a window which you either crawl through, or traverse over, to reach the broad ledge at the head of the more usual (these days) 33 m descent.
Click to expand...

A little off the subject, but I actually measured the once-called 110' as 30 metres.
 
I

Ian Ball

Well-known member
I think now that there might be a resin anchor there?  It's not an oft travelled place for me, I mostly go through Leakey's Way into Whitehall if I go through Bar Pot as Whitehall is quite nice.

Measuring pitches is an interesting problem.  Is it from the bolts or from where your feet are if you're at the top of the rope ;-)

Why is the traditional route so out of use nowadays?  Is the smaller distance more apt for a ladder climb, 3x30' ladders? but the more common route now a better hang easily reached with a rope traverse line?

 
langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
Ian Ball said:
I think now that there might be a resin anchor there?  It's not an oft travelled place for me, I mostly go through Leakey's Way into Whitehall if I go through Bar Pot as Whitehall is quite nice.

Measuring pitches is an interesting problem.  Is it from the bolts or from where your feet are if you're at the top of the rope ;-)

Why is the traditional route so out of use nowadays?  Is the smaller distance more apt for a ladder climb, 3x30' ladders? but the more common route now a better hang easily reached with a rope traverse line?
Click to expand...

The once-called 90' is P-bolted, but it's a very faffy route. The exit from the top is particularly inelegant. It was a shorter route on a ladder, and the last 15' feet of a ladder climb is always the hardest!

The measurement was from the bolts.
 
M

mikem

Well-known member
Ladder pitches were notorious for being measured in rungs, with many cavers having no idea what the distance between was (several pitches described by Sidcot schoolboys obviously assumed they were 12 inches - whilst only some expedition ladders actually were, most were c.9 inches). 98ft at 9 inches is 130 rungs, whilst 130 at 10 inches is 108ft...

 
Cavematt

Cavematt

Well-known member
I'd agree that this is the Bar Pot original pitch. It's a really useful alternative to be aware of particularly at busy times in Bar Pot when the more popular route already has a group down.
 
langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
langcliffe said:
Possibly the traditional 90' route in Bar Pot. I've only done it a couple of times in the last 10 years, so I wouldn't like to be more definitive.
Click to expand...

I can now be a little more definitive - it is almost certainly the 90' in Bar. Here is a picture of Tony Coghlan taken on a LUSS trip about 1968 from almost the same place. The lump against which the lifeliner's boot is firmly fixed seems to be the same as shewn in the original photograph, but the photograph is taken from the top ledge and so the perspective is different. There are also common features in the left-hand wall.

bar.jpg

 
skippy

skippy

Active member
Following on from this, my mate says its definitely not Bar. He has dug out another photo that's a little more defined. The hangers are high up on the right wall, Paul has his right foot on a narrow ledge and the other caver indicates the main ledge is just big enough for two cavers.
The ledge appears to be 15ft down from where the photo is taken(pitch head or re belay). Paul still claims it to be in the Easegill area....but he may be wrong.
 

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Fulk

Well-known member
Post Johns' pulpit Pitch? (though why there are two guys there like that is anybody's guess).
 
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smollett

Member
It reminds me of the big pitch in new rift. The bolt on RH wall could be the start of the traverse around to the dry hang.
Point the photo is taken from would be on the rope tho rather than from the pitch head.
 
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