Caves in Yorkshire

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Beck_narco_diver

New member
Hi guys and girls in the forum, now yorkshire has a lot to offer in terms of SRT and hights, but I was wondering on what it has to offer in terms of hortizontal caves, short ladder pitches, sumps or ducks also fine....
Still trying to concer my passionate fear of heights :(
Ta
Becks
 
langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
Easegill, without doubt, but there are many other worthwhile systems including (in a personal order of preference):

Ingleborough Cave
White Scar
Valley, Entrance - Kingsdale Master Cave
Sleets Gill
Short Drop
Heron Pot
Red Moss to Birkwith
Long Churn etc.
Lots in Ribblehead
Great Douk / Southerscales
Ibbeth Peril(s)

That's just off the top of my head, so I'm sure that I have missed out some crackers /crackpots.
 
Stu

Stu

Active member
Short Drop is fantastic if you investigate the side passages. Sometimes a small rope helps.
 
D

dunc

New member
short ladder pitches
Click to expand...
How short is short?

A few other places:

Birks Fell Cave
Manchester/Goyden/New Goyden
Magnetometer Pot
Smeltmill Beck Cave
Knock Fell Caverns
Windegg Mine Caverns
Devis Hole Mine Caves
Notts 2 (depends how your fear is on scaffolded shafts)
Low Douk Cave

(I guess Mossdale could be added to the list, but some people don't recommend it)
 
G

George North

Guest
I think most of the major trips have been mentioned - just a few comments though.

County Pot, Wretched Rabbit and Mistral are the three entrances to Easegill which fit your description. County to WR is an excellent trip that we do fairly often with novices, the hard part is the navigation which often provides people with plenty of entertainment. In there own right County Pot is the more interesting, although WR has some interesting sections too if you're willing to explore.

Mistral to the Hall of the Mountain King, and then into the Cigalere streamway (which is brilliant) is also a great trip.

Link Pot - Mistral is also a good, though slightly squalid through trip. link Pot has a tight 14m entrance pitch though, which is easy going in, but can be a bit tiring on the way out.

Smeltmill Beck Cave which Dunc mentioned is well worth a visit, although personally I wouldn't bother going past the pretty bit as it gets bit boring!
 
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angelmaz11

Guest
Cool, some really good info, thanks!
So becky, are u gonna consider coming to Yorkshire?? Go on!! :)
 
kay

kay

Well-known member
There's also Gaping Gill during the winch meets, provided your'e OK about the trip down. The walk to the chair isn't scary, as it's all boarded over and nicely railed off, and the chair feels pretty secure. Once you're down there, there's masses of horizontal stuff. And it's worth it just for the main chamber.

(I enjoy the ride down, and I think I'm more worried about heights than you are)
 
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SimonC

Member
If a caver has a problem with heights, you could try turning your lamp off main beam and on to pilot light, or off all together! Or use a carbide which gives that nice all round cosy glow but you can't see too far with it!
 
kay

kay

Well-known member
If a caver has a problem with heights, you could try turning your lamp off main beam and on to pilot light, or off all together! Or use a carbide which gives that nice all round cosy glow but you can't see too far with it!
Click to expand...

Depends what you mean by a 'problem with heights'. If it extends to, say, dizziness and panic when more than 4ft off the ground, then simply not being able to see too far isn't going to help very much.
 
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Dave H

Guest
Stand me within 4ft of a cliff edge and I feel myself being pulled over, which is supposedly the classic fear of heights. But put me in a cave on a rope and I can do the craziest of traverses, or extended reaches over the voids to rig pitches, without any problems.
So I always maintain that it's a fear of falling rather than a fear of heights - at least in my case.
And I used to climb; at the start of a week following an HVS would scare me, at the end of the week I could follow an E2, but could still not lead past HVS. Again this must have been the fear of falling that was holding me back on leading.
If your 'problem with heights' is actually a fear of falling then don't let that stop you caving.
 
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Beck_narco_diver

New member
Well honestly I just hate heights, I had some bad experiences with heights which I just need to concer. I have done some 40ft SRT pitches but I just can not get over the psycological fear and its driving me mad as I know it is my head.....

Typically is the dodgie enterance to a pitch is what screws my head up, the steep sloping edges and dodie footings.... hmm pant maur in wales springs to mind.... and Poulava Pot in Ireland County Clare...
If I push myself I can do it, just in my own time.... hmmm maybe a training course may settle my fears....one day...
I mean I can climb at grade 5c/6a at low level height, or bouldering stylie... put height in the question and all goes out the window...maybe i need to fall off something low just to get it in to my head its not gonna kill me....

Who knows.... :(
 
Stu

Stu

Active member
Bit off topic..but since we're talking about it.

Can't see the benefit of falling a few times as a cure for height. I'll lob on sport climbing routes and if I really must on trad if it's bomber...but I still am afraid of heights. I seriously think everyone is. I worked on the ropes at heights approx. 100m, off buildings and bridges etc. I cave and have no problem with big pots, I think a you get used to it...the nagging doubt that is. The more you do the more settled you become. I always find it easier if I'm rigging; suppose because my mind is active.

I know none of this can literally help; it's one persons anectode or experience. We're not all different though so if one person can so can you.
 
kay

kay

Well-known member
I think mine is definitely fear of falling rather than fear of heights. I can stand on the top of a church tower with a parapet around, no problem. I have abseiled down Malham Cove and enjoyed it (three times). But ask me to traverse 6ft off the ground, or step across between those two ladders in Illusion Pot, and there's just no way I can do it.

Like Beck_narco_diver, I can't help feeling that a few more falls in childhood might have helped, like falling out of trees or off a bicycle or roller skates. I'm too used to being in control of my orientation.

I've been interested in the number of cavers who have said to me that they are afraid of heights - indeed for several, overcoming the fear has been a strong driver for taking up caving - but I've come to the conclusion I just don't enjoy pushing myself beyond my physical limits. It doesn't give me a sense of achievement, merely leaves me quivering.
 
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Dave H

Guest
stu said:
I always find it easier if I'm rigging; suppose because my mind is active.
Click to expand...
I have to agree with you there Stu. Some of the guys I cave with are far too scared to rig, but would 'gladly' follow - so my almost constant rigging helps us all out.
 
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tubby two

Guest
I find you just get used to height as you go, i mean a 20m fall is gonna have just the same result a a few hundred meters right? I think the only time i ever think about it is climbing when falling will mean hitting the ground, or something else thats gonna hurt.
Although there is always that little moment of thought on something big when you put you weight back on the rope after a rebelay....

tt.
 
kay

kay

Well-known member
Agreed a 20m fall is going to have the same result as a few hundred metres .... but what bugs me is the 2m fall. After all, if I've got 20m below me, I'm going to be tied on to something. Whereas there's a very real possibility that I might fall the 2m!

I think there's a lot of different varieties of 'fear of heights'
 
Wolfart

Wolfart

New member
I am one of those that would rather crawl than fall. I did my one and only srt down Robin Hood mine in the Forest of Dean,going down was great it was when coming back up and stopping half way up ,bouncing up and down entrusting my life on this single piece of rope that the old clacker valve went into operation :uhoh: I think the shaft is about 212 ft. I'm glad i did it at the time but i think i'll leave it to you vertical chappies. Don't mind ladder pitches i'm fine with them...... It's not the falling that hurts it's when you hit the bottom
 
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