This is veering slightly off-topic, but I was planning to do the Bar Pot-Hensler's round trip described here: https://www.braemoor.co.uk/caving/route10.shtml . None of us were familiar with all of the route, and one of my companions saw the word duck on the guide and flatly refused to do it...

Great idea for a new thread - Oosmissisizit ? :D

Thanks again for all the responses - just to be clear, I wasn't contemplating a trip in the next few weeks, just thinking about the future. (PS - thanks to the Mod who fixed the display of Ari's posts)

... but conversely, if I understand all the foregoing comments (for which, many thanks) - if there have been (say) 5 or more dry days, and you are confident that today will also be dry, then the flood risk should be very low. At worst, you'd find the entrance unexpectedly sumped, but if it was...

I hope you're right, but after the past few months I'm starting to think dry weather is a figment of my imagination...

Yes, but how many of those do we get ? My reason for asking was to see if there were conditions outside of a prolonged drought where it would be safe, but I appreciate the cautionary advice above (y) - thanks to Harry in particular.

Sleets Gill was on our club meets list for this weekend, which we've obviously had to cancel due to the amount of rain we have had/will have. Now I know it needs 'a period of settled weather' before safely attempting it - but it made me wonder just how much? Three dry days? A whole week...

I wonder how many of the 90+ years are active cavers? (Whatever 'active' means... please don't discuss!)

That otter has horribly deformed paws (flipper?). And Baby Hagrid just beat me to the answer!

this kit has been cited with approval. Not that I've been organised enough to follow his recommendations

... but even those who know don't get it right first time ! ;)

That's really taking conservation seriously - bravo!

Because: "https://img.northerncaves.co.uk/" can't be reached...

Is that a joke, an evidenced fact, or a Daily Mail headline? Just wondering...

It all looked fairly "duck-like" !

... did you mean to say that 'breaking' is more likely with a Stop ? ;) Discuss... (no, actually, don't!)

Yes indeed, Fulk, lANTes HOP cave it is, and Tritim is right about soldier being ANT - I guess not everyone spends as much time doing Guardian crosswords as I - it's a fairly common device there! Anyway - take it away!

Too hard for you? It's true that it's an obscure location in NC1, but I thought the wordplay was fairly standard cryptic fare..

A credit to the quality of the clue! Try this... Soldier breaks into the French dance - look out! (5,4,4)

Sleets Gill Cave (without the aid of a letter-count!!)