Has anyone got any info/advice in nipping down the ButterTubs? Is this something that's worth doing, or usually done? Fancied something a bit different and I've always been keen to take a look down there.

Northern Caves 1

They aren't connected.  More than that I don't know much about them, other than you park nearby to go Cliff Force.

One or more is freeclimbable I think. There are also fences which used to be a bit wobbly.

I'd probably include plans for at least one other trip in your day though.

I'd probably include plans for at least one other trip in your day though.

Click to expand...

Seconded; you could combine the Buttertubs with a trip to the cave down in the valley/gorge ? Cliff Force Cave, I think it's called ? ?

Fulk said:

I'd probably include plans for at least one other trip in your day though.

Click to expand...

Seconded; you could combine the Buttertubs with a trip to the cave down in the valley/gorge ? Cliff Force Cave, I think it's called ? ?

Click to expand...

Never done it but there was a signifcant amount of water spouting out of the hillside when I cycled past last summer. Could be a sporting choice if there's a lot of melt water about!

Fair enough, Blakethwaite, it's probably best avoided in wet weather as there's a fair bit of crawling in water.

It's a good trip, Room of Dangling Doom and pay attention on the way, the entrance is simple on the way in, bit of a maze on the way out.

The road up out of Swaledale the Buttertubs Pass is an impressive road by English standards with crash barriers to prevent you leaving the edge of the road and plummeting  into the deep valley below.....  an abseil into the Buttertubs can be combined with a drive up Swaledale and over the open moors to spend an hour or two supping ale by the open fire in The Tan Hill Inn, which you will know is the highest pub in the country, now is a good time to visit as there maybe nice snow drifts en route.

I personally think the Buttertubs are amazing... Nowhere else in Britain are the walls of a pothole shaft so spectacularly fluted and if there is a full wet weather stream falling down, its a deafening place to descend into.

Only a tiny bit of horizontal development to explore (at present) so although just a straight shaft  aesthetically it is well worth the drive.

And remember your cameras, especially the video if the stream is in flood...... 

Buttertubs: http://www.rrcpc.org.uk/newsletters/NL_V40_N1_A8.htm

Cliff Force Cavern: http://www.yucpc.org.uk/trips/report.php?id=1358

Previous mention on here: https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=11809.0

Mike

Just to clarify, the Buttertubs and Cliff Force Cave are different hydrological systems. The former drain to Cliff Beck Head Cave. Pages 13-15 in MSG Journal 7 are really useful:

http://nymcc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/MSG7.compressed.pdf

Cliff Beck Head Cave has a right and left hand series. If you go to the left the survey shows a junction after a short distance where a passage goes off to the right and ends at a "sump". In fact it's not a sump and this passage can be followed beyond for a further 36 m (from memory) ending close to a couple of the Buttertubs.

I agree with Richard; the Buttertubs are pretty much unique and certainly interesting to visit. Perhaps best on a nice day though, when you can take your time, savour the experience, have a picnic, etc.

When I last had a look many years ago there were some P-hangers. No idea who placed them or wether they are still there.

Thanks everyone. We descended the buttertubs today to have a gander and pulled a load of litter out. Lots of mist and impressive drifts up there. We then went over to crackpot cave but was turned back by a particularly deep ford... Wet in the dales today

Give it a month or so and you might see a Ring Ouzel (or more likely hear it first) at the Buttertubs.

psychocrawler said:

Give it a month or so and you might see a Ring Ouzel (or more likely hear it first) at the Buttertubs.

Click to expand...

Were out walking in Crummock area a couple of years back with a friend of ours who's a bird watcher - he got sooooo excited when he spotted a Ring Ouzel 

Looked like a blackbird wearing a white bib 

psychocrawler said:

Give it a month or so and you might see a Ring Ouzel (or more likely hear it first) at the Buttertubs.

Click to expand...

Think we'd have got pretty cold doing that we back to the hut for drinking