Gaping-Gill-Without-a-Winch Mid August Meet for Cavers

CPC are planning a meet centred on Gaping Gill from 14th August to 23rd August.
All cavers are welcome (subject to BCA / appropriate insurance) to join us for day visits

We will rig multiple entrances and will have a 'presence' on the fell to guide numbers etc. Some entrances will be rigged and available on Saturday 15th. We will be derigging on 23rd, so availability will be reduced

Please don't come expecting to camp / wild camp / cups of tea or any other facilities. The invitation is for 'day visits'.

Be prepared to be flexible in what you do (or wait a while to allow separation between parties). Bring a mask (hopefully no need to wear it). Bring some hand sanitiser. Remember, we need to 'distance' and large groups should not be meeting.

Further details will be made available in the next few days.
**Plans may change due to Public Health requirements.

Paul McWhinney, Chairman, Craven Pothole Club
 
All cavers are welcome to join CPC at Gaping Gill for day visits from 15th to 22nd Agust inclusive.
Please use recognised rights of way to access the fell. There is an expectation that people will have BCA insurance if you want to use our equipment.
There will be some club members camping there.

Caving
I will update this but from Saturday am Flood and Stream will be rigged and available. More entrances are planned.
Weather:
It looks ok - a little rain late Sunday / Monday
https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Ingleborough/forecasts/724    (summit conditions, other forecasts are available....)

Please say hello to us at the shakehole rather than just diving off down. In this age of COVID you shouuld bring a mask and gel. We will note contact details which will be kept for 21days.

 

s_allshorn

Active member
If you go but aren't carrying any rope maybe keep an eye out for litter and bring it out with you, there is a fair bit in Bar Pot.
 
We now also have Dihedral, Rathole and Small Mammal/Flowstone rigged.( plus Marilyn Bar, Stream,  Flood)).
All will be welcome.
 

TRISH

New member
Thank you CPC for the use of your ropes 5 of us from LC&CC (1 also CPC member) had a awesome trip down flood entrance it was amazing to have the main chamber to ourselves very spectacular. We tried to find mammal pot but ended up coming up barpot. (y)
 

Fulk

Well-known member
We tried to find mammal pot but ended up coming up barpot.

Last time we went down Small Mammal we still struggled (a bit!) to find the way back ? so I'm not surprisesd you didn't find it without prior knowledge. Glad you had a good trip, though.
 

Alex

Well-known member
TRISH said:
Thank you CPC for the use of your ropes 5 of us from LC&CC (1 also CPC member) had a awesome trip down flood entrance it was amazing to have the main chamber to ourselves very spectacular. We tried to find mammal pot but ended up coming up barpot. (y)

From memory:

On exiting the top of the rope climb, turn right (but not 180 to enter bar), go through a short bit of rocky crawl to emerge into a small chamber. Climb up on the right (at the exit of the crawl) and enter a bedding plane. Go straight on, until forced to trend slightly left. After about 15 - 20m, you emerge over a pot (a hole not ceramics). Traverse over this and climb down at the far-side of the pot into another chamber. Go up the slope at the far end making sure to turn left at the top. A short crawl brings you out into small mammal house. If there is no rope as it's not rig you can still escape by descending the scaffolding in the chamber and climb out of stile, which is strenuous if large and lowest climb requires thrutching.
 

Ian Ball

Well-known member
Alex sounds right in his description but I struggle to marry up written descriptions and my memory of places. 

You've a few options for finding Small mammal Pot from the top of the big pitch in Bar Pot, I can think of three, there are probably more, it's a good place to explore in a deluge. There's loads on this site too.

Have a look at the LUSS survey and accompanying guide on the BCRA website (might be the library) it doesn't show Small Mammal House connected to the surface or Stile Pot of course.  Read the Braemoor site for the best description of a trip through Bar Pot from Small Mammal Pot.

Actually Braemoor has the LUSS survey on the site too.


 

TRISH

New member
Alex said:
TRISH said:
Thank you CPC for the use of your ropes 5 of us from LC&CC (1 also CPC member) had a awesome trip down flood entrance it was amazing to have the main chamber to ourselves very spectacular. We tried to find mammal pot but ended up coming up barpot. (y)

From memory:

On exiting the top of the rope climb, turn right (but not 180 to enter bar), go through a short bit of rocky crawl to emerge into a small chamber. Climb up on the right (at the exit of the crawl) and enter a bedding plane. Go straight on, until forced to trend slightly left. After about 15 - 20m, you emerge over a pot (a hole not ceramics). Traverse over this and climb down at the far-side of the pot into another chamber. Go up the slope at the far end making sure to turn left at the top. A short crawl brings you out into small mammal house. If there is no rope as it's not rig you can still escape by descending the scaffolding in the chamber and climb out of stile, which is strenuous if large and lowest climb requires thrutching.


great thanks for that I think next time we might go down small mammal pot and take a better survey and description with us. The entrance is the one with the wooden cover just before barpot isn't it?
 

Fulk

Well-known member
From memory, I would say that the 'crux' in route-finding from the foot of the entrance pitch of SM is a sort of 'dome' of calcite-covered rock, which is split by a narrow groove all the way up its front surface. The way on is from the top of this dome. To get to the standar Bar Pot route involves a bit of (easy) flat-out stuff, while there is also a route on down that includes another short pitch. There's enough to keep you amused for a bit!
 
Dear HardenClimber3

Can I ask if the routes will still be rigged on Saturday am? Me and a mate are hoping to get up and possibly do Dihedral and out "something" else.

Is Small Mammal rigged on the "Braemoor" roue i.e via Whitehall etc?

Thanks
Matt
 
We have rigged SE Aven today, so you can do  the full Bar Alternative.
SE Aven is well worth visiting.
VERY wet today, Bar is only real option , but much fun can be had there. (Dihedral is surprisingly wet).
We are expecting weather to improve.
 
Our last day for visitors is tomorow-Saturday. We will be tidying up on Sunday.
Thank you to all the day trippers- we hope you enjoyed the meet.
 
Top