Recent content by Cavematt

  1. Cavematt

    How big is the average UK caving club?

    It depends on how you are calculating your average. But assuming you are doing it by the mean (i.e. the sum of all the club membership numbers divided by the number of clubs in that dataset) then I'd guess at around 35 members on average. However if you are calculating by median, which...
  2. Cavematt

    Vegan food

    I am not a vegan (I'm vegetarian), but I absolutely love the Greggs vegan sausage roll. Moreover, I'm happy to support a product made from Quorn, which is sustainable, healthy, and manufactured locally (Stokesley in North Yorkshire). Last year, I tried scrambled tofu at a fancy café, just out...
  3. Cavematt

    Additional Cow Pot routes added to topo

    As the original author of CNCC's Ease Gill Caverns description (originally for Eurospeleo 2016), sadly, I just didn't have sufficient familiarity with The Chasm or Crap Trap to include them with sufficient confidence, other than the loose statement to encourage people to research and explore...
  4. Cavematt

    My book "A series of short passages"

    A very generous offer indeed Graham! I really enjoyed reading this a couple of years ago, and loved the format (lots of very short stories of caving memories). It is very relatable, and beautifully produced too. My advice to anyone who hasn't got a copy yet... email Graham ASAP :)
  5. Cavematt

    Petzl Aven/Superavanti Buckle Covers

    Thanks for posting this, Inglesport :) Having recently purchased a new Aven harness (gutted that the Fractio is no longer available), I contacted Petzl, and they replied really quickly to say that they would add me to a list for sending them out, and they will start posting them early...
  6. Cavematt

    how did you get into caving

    I started caving for one reason only… because I had a friend, who I was rather hoping would become more than just a friend, who kept disappearing off down caves at weekends. As an excuse to spend more time with him, I asked if he would take me on a caving trip, even though I knew absolutely...
  7. Cavematt

    Boxhead - Cracker in WET conditions

    I'd concur with the above regarding Cracker; only the top of the first pitch would cause me concern, but I can't imagine it being impassable. For Boxhead, my understanding is that it is passable via Kendal Flyover route in all but the most serious of conditions. You will definitely want the...
  8. Cavematt

    NCHECC antics at Alum Pot

    Awesome photos. A ladder provides such a good sense of scale and perspective in photos of pitches. Glad to hear NCHECC went well :)
  9. Cavematt

    Five Ways Pot anchoring 21-22nd October

    We had planned to return to finish Five Ways anchoring at the weekend just gone. However, not for the first time, the absolutely dire weather meant we decided to call it off (nothing about walking to Five Ways Pot in heavy rain appealed to us). Our next target date to finish the work will be...
  10. Cavematt

    Five Ways Pot, Dowlass Moss, Ingleborough

    Hi Dave O Please have a read of this... https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?threads/five-ways-pot-anchoring-21-22nd-october.31027/#post-381685 In summary, anchoring has been complete for all except the top two pitches and a traverse anchor on the third pitch. In-situ ropes on all except the...
  11. Cavematt

    Suspension Trauma

    Whatever it's called (Suspension Trauma was the term back in 2006), it astonished me how quickly it could happen. I was at the top of the Bar Pot entrance pitch, assisting a novice, who had done all the club's usual training, up through the tight pitch-head. She was tired after a trip to the...
  12. Cavematt

    Five Ways Pot anchoring 21-22nd October

    Thanks Alastair for your help on Saturday (and great to see you). Given the forecast and the storm, we were not expecting to get any anchoring done this weekend. Five Ways Pot is, we understand, perfectly passable in quite wet conditions, but some of the climbs do result in a quite a wetting...
  13. Cavematt

    Landjoff suit feedback wanted

    Thanks for all the replies above and feedback. Sounds like a 'L' is going to be more suitable than XL. Appreciate the 'try on and return if not right' offer ActionStash :) However, is anyone able to comment on the 'shrinkage factor'? Tom/PWhole/Alex, have you found these Landjoff suits shrink...
  14. Cavematt

    Wellies new Vs old

    I tend to have three different sets of wellies (Actiforts) on the go... a really good newish pair with plenty of tread for caving in South Wales (or Ease Gill) where there is lots of slippery boulder hopping, a moderate mid-life pair for northern potholing, and a knackered pair for digging. All...
  15. Cavematt

    Landjoff suit feedback wanted

    Sorry if this has been discussed elsewhere (I found a six year old thread, but thought a newer one would be useful). Does anyone have any recent feedback on the Landjoff oversuits that are available from Action Stash? For over a decade I have been a strictly Warmbac wearer, more recently the...
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