40 caves in a day

[Ian Ball]

Would 40 new caves in your 40th year be a worthy challenge?

 

[Lankyman]

Would 40 new caves in your 40th year be a worthy challenge?

That's a helluva lot of digging!

 

[mch]

I shall turn 80 this year. I might think about doing 80 caves in a year ..... ! Or I may just stick with half-a-dozen and think about being grateful that I'm still alive and well!

 

[Mark Wright]

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.

It was Paul Mackrill.

It's a pity the Eldon Hole dig isn't still going. You could have pulled 40 buckets of spoil out from the bottom for us.

 

[A_Northerner]

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.

This was Paul Mackrill.

 

[pwhole]

It was Paul Mackrill.

It's a pity the Eldon Hole dig isn't still going. You could have pulled 40 buckets of spoil out from the bottom for us.

I can easily find 40 buckets of spoil he could pull up from the bottom of one of our current digs

 

[A_Northerner]

You could do it in Stoney Middleton if you were desperate for the #40 tick.

In our first year of uni a fellow SUSS member and I counted the number of Meta menardi spiders in every single entrance of every cave/mine in Stoney Middleton (for a published article in British Arachnology Journal), over the course of a couple of weekends. That totalled some 100-200 entrances in walking distance of each other (we didn't have a car). You can easily average that out to 40 in a day, and to be honest most of them you could get to the end of within 5-10 mins and be at the next one in another 5-10 mins.

 

[Lankyman]

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.

Am I imagining things or did someone once do a sort of Dales version of this based on the Three Peaks and their respective deepest caves? I do recall someone trying to crawl around the Three Peaks route on their hands and knees but it was decades ago and I don't think it was successful.

 

[complex]

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.

It would be easy to extend that list to include 40 entrances without adding too much distance - you could add Stock Hill Mine Cave, 18 Acre & Templeton for example.
Useful map though

 

[JonP]

I'd skip over the 40x caves idea as they'd be piddly caves with not much meaning.

How about 3 Peaks 3 Pots over a weekend?

Or 40hrs underground? A big trip with a camp down in south Wales?

 

[Tritim230]

I'd skip over the 40x caves idea as they'd be piddly caves with not much meaning.

How about 3 Peaks 3 Pots over a weekend?

Or 40hrs underground? A big trip with a camp down in south Wales?

I'm sure the Aggy-Daren connection dig team could do with a hand and it is sure to take up all the time and then some!
Many congratulations in advance

 

[Loki]

Am I imagining things or did someone once do a sort of Dales version of this based on the Three Peaks and their respective deepest caves? I do recall someone trying to crawl around the Three Peaks route on their hands and knees but it was decades ago and I don't think it was successful.

That would be the 3 Peaks,3 pot’s challenge. Walk the three peaks carrying all the gear to complete meregill king and PenyGhent along the way.

 

[Pitlamp]

Volunteering with the Darren / Aggy diggers on a 40 hour trip is a good suggestion. I wish you well - whatever you decide to do. Helping on the above project would be better (from a conservation point of view) than tearing around 40 different caves purely for the physical challenge.
We all enjoy testing ourselves against formidable caving projects but I have slight concerns about where such things might lead in the long term, if they get fixed in the collective caving mindset.

Anyone remember when the BMC skillfully steered competition climbing away from proper crags and onto climbing walls? There may be some parallels here.

The above thoughts may get me pilloried on here but, hey, it's a free forum and everyone's entitled to a view.

Anyway, congratulations on reaching this milestone and many happy (caving) returns!

 

[tdobson]

If you do decide to do 40 caves in a day, and want to do it in Stoney, do have a read of this post - it would essentially be orienteering and caving - but since you like that sort of thing... maybe fun?

I do agree with the people who say "a perhaps-more-Ben-shaped-challenge" exists in South Wales, but eh, perhaps 40 hours in SMMC?

Or perhaps for more fun, 40 shots of beer during a caving trip?

 

[Max bowen]

If you only want to poke your head in or head a few metres in then it would be easy to accomplish if you’re reasonably fit and could run between them