40 caves in a day

[benshannon]

So, I turn 40 this year. Urgh. I want to do some challenges and wondered if there's a possibility of doing 40 caves in 24hours. I know the peaks has a lot of small ones, not just big bois. So, ia this feasible logistically? I have plenty of experience of long distance events so I'm not concerned about fitness.
Any cave recommendations for the list.

 

[alanw]

For the Dales, this map might be useful: https://cncc.org.uk/caving/cave-map/

However, a lot of Dales caves are vertical and need rigging, which will slow you down unless you have friends that can carry, pre and de-rig.

Ireby Fell looks to have the greatest concentration. What do you mean by "do" - right to one of the ends or just out of sight of daylight?

 

[Lankyman]

I can't comment on Peak caves but if you headed north as alanw is suggesting you might try something like 40 pitches over 40 feet (or metres)? Speaking as someone who's never taken on this kind of challenge it does sound doable in a place like the Dales where verticality abounds. Perhaps somewhere like Newby Moss on Ingleborough might suit - lots of surface/underground shafts relatively close together.

 

[Boy Engineer]

I have plenty of experience of long distance events so I'm not concerned about fitness.

Erm, whilst recognising the desire to mark something of a milestone birthday, is this really a sensible idea? I’ve always thought that the underground environment is an ideal one to experience fatigue, as it is so forgiving of those small, but potentially deadly mistakes that we inevitably make, regardless of how fit we believe we are*. It’s a quarter of a century since I was 40; and I’m grateful for those years.

*I don’t think this, obviously. But many happy returns anyway, and best wishes for whatever way you mark the event.

 

[steviet_scg]

Suspect it would be easier in the Dales if you choose the right area. You may end up in some esoteric places mind.

Attermire has a great selection of small caves in a tight area. I've certainly done ten or so over a day in my youth.

I have a half memory of a friend planning on dropping all the Dick Close pots on Fountains Fell in a day but no idea whether he managed it. You'd need some ladders and a heap of imaginative rigging.

 

[mch]

Is "doing" 40 caves in 24 hours really feasible? 24 x 60 gives 1440 minutes, divided by 40 gives you only 36 minutes per cave, so that's 18 minutes in and 18 minutes out. When you factor in travelling time between caves ...... !

 

[rm128]

Is "doing" 40 caves in 24 hours really feasible? 24 x 60 gives 1440 minutes, divided by 40 gives you only 36 minutes per cave, so that's 18 minutes in and 18 minutes out. When you factor in travelling time between caves ...... !

Nice reasoning @mch

As @alanw says above, it depends on what you mean by "doing". I've never been a big fan of using the word "doing" in this context. I'm reminded of people who talk about "doing" Australia (for example), by which they presumably mean they have visited Australia and done some things.

Not that I mean to knock the OP in any way. It's always nice to conceive and then attempt a challenge, whatever it may be. Good luck!

 

[cavingbiker]

There are a lot of smaller caves in the Ribblehead(32 in Northern Caves 2)/Bruntscar(32 in Northern Caves 2) area that are relatively close together.

 

[cap n chris]

Another ploy might be to do 40x40m of depth either on rope or not, thus achieving a single day tally of 1.6km which is eminently doable. That's about the same as the Berger or Sima GESM.

 

[Cantclimbtom]

40 caves in 40 hours is a less insane target as it gives you a weekend and "only" 20 a day, potentially the days could be in different areas that way. Although still not sure the feasibility

 

[andrewmcleod]

You could quite reasonably argue Runscar and Thistle are about 8+ different 'caves'?

 

[Fatman]

Quality not quantity. Can't remember his name but an old SUSS member who lived in the Vercors on his 50th bottomed the Berger, cycled to Mont blanc and topped out in 24hrs.

 

[Brains]

Location Map for the Castleton Caving Area https://share.google/6dDMpYojp36o4lA7S

This is just one map for the Peak, with numerous sites marked... I am sure you could visit 40... Entrances... in a day.
Happy birthday!

 

[Crustyface]

The main obstacle, whichever way you count them and whichever area you're in, will be travel between the entrances. Leck Fell probably has the closest concentration but at an average of 36 minutes per trip you're barely scratching the surface compared to what "doing" a cave usually entails. SRT feels quick but it's rarely that quick, so unless you're going to pre-rig 40 ropes you'd lose most of the time to rigging if you commit to SRT. Better to spend 15 minutes going in and 15 minutes out of 40 horizontal entrances, with 6 minute walks between them, unladen with heavy rope bags.

At first I was thinking of Mendip, because I had a similar challenge in mind for the abortive "Cave the Sun" event this summer. Here's a map I made for myself

Mendip Race Day - Google My Maps

"Cave the Sun" As many short, obscure caves as can be reasonably done in a single day.

www.google.com

That contains 37 entrances which I think could reasonably be done with a CSCC key and only a short drive between Burrington Coombe and Priddy.

Upon further thought, however, I think you may be better off in Chapel-le-Dale in Yorkshire and working your way up to Ribblehead. There are a lot more small caves that aren't yet marked on the CNCC website, which can definitely be "done" to the end in less than half an hour, and several of the more well-known SRT caves there have enough horizontal before the first pitch that you can feel like you've actually been caving and tick them off.

Wherever you choose, you're definitely going to want to scout the entrances before the big day because any delay in finding them or getting lost on the surface will screw up the whole thing.

 

[alanw]

I have some friends that did the Berger/Mont Blanc (probably not cycling, though) in the 90's. I was thinking of one of them only a minute ago - he came second in the Montane Winter Spine race a few years ago, and I was reminded because someone is doing it in aid of a charity I support: Craven Wildlife Rescue

David's running 268 miles for Craven Wildlife Rescue

Help David Padmore raise money to support Craven Wildlife Rescue

www.justgiving.com

 

[georgenorth]

Angerholme Pots on Wild Boar Fell gets you to 27 within about 1km! There’s about another 15 or so on the opposite side of the valley in a similar area. Definitely feasible to complete 40 in 24hr, although probably not much actual caving!

 

[underground]

@benshannon we need you to tackle the challenge of ‘go caving 4 times in a year’ too. Love from TA

 

[mountainpenguin]

Gapping gill has (at least) 21 entrances if you count going in and out as "doing" the cave then you could "do" 40 entrances in one system that would be one heck of an epic.
some would be quite quick to get between e.g. small mammal and disappointment. The pre set up would be somewhat epic though

 

[Chocolate fireguard]

If you want to do this in Derbyshire the obvious starting point is the Peak District Caving website.

Click on The Caves then Stoney Middleton, which will give you a long list.

Click on Streaks Pot and then go to full screen.

The location map presented gives you about 50 caves/mines in a couple of square km.

Ignoring the longer ones like Cussey, Carlswark, Streaks Pot you should be able to pick up perhaps 25 that are only a few 10s of metres long and don’t need vertical gear other than perhaps a hand line.

The downside is that unless you know the area far better than most people you might not even find all of them in your 40 hours. Many are on a steep, heavily wooded hillside. You would need to do a few days of prep. And then hope you can find them again on the big day!

Moving on to the Castleton area a few sites in Pindale and Michill Bank, then Cave Dale and over to Middle Bank, Longcliffe and the Winnats should give you the other 15.

Two very long days. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[alanw]

At the Gaping Gill winch meet a lot of the entrances are pre-rigged for visiting cavers.

A few years ago one member did "do" every (rigged) entrance, IIRC down OR up, with the underground passages in between half of them. I can remember that he took a long time to do it - I waited until until he was out before visiting the Fell Inn, and that was well after a lot of others had gone in, but probably less than 12 hours. A lot would depend on "doing". Stile doesn't need a rope. There are lots of holes nearby too, Hurnel Moss to the west with a horizontal entrance, Fume (ask me) to the east, Car, Jean, Clapham Bottoms, Body. Fox Holes is gated, I'm afraid. Beck Head Stream Cave gets very wet just a short way in but might count.