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An East Kingsdale project…

Heck, the last update was January!

As the weather in the dales has been fabulous with wall to wall sunshine and no rain for the last few months it was decided to wait until the rain was lashing down on East Kingsdale again incase digging in pleasant conditions made me soft (Actually it’s been frenetic cave diving activity elsewhere but that’s another story)

An over due return to Thunder Hole has seen a YSS contingent and George North lured away from Leck Fell to resume activity.

Consistent progress is being made down the rift and the way on now seems to be doubling back under the rift and gaining in size slightly, assisted by some technology and magical cave enlargement powder…..

The noise of the water and the draught are much more noticeable heading off in the “new” direction and once a caver 10 inches wide is available to push forward we should have an idea how far away we are…..

Prospects get a big thumbs up from my apprentice at least!
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The other “Grand Master” of East Kingsdale came for a visit and some bucket hauling today!
(For those who don’t recognise him it’s John “Lugger” Thorpe who originally explored Brown Hill Pot (and a vast list of other bloody hard places).
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Friday at Thunder or Fitness for the semi elderly….
With progress more steady than my impatience allows for someone (me) decided a kango hammer was the way forward. Said tool purchased all the remained was to get it there…
Enter an unsuspecting Bob Dave and Andy, who valiantly lugged the unwieldy apparatus up the hill only to find that the jiggling and wrestling had blocked the carburetor.., Rather than hurl it into the hole in disgust, I’ll fix it next time!
The back up plan of other methods made a bit more downwards progress while Andy Tharrat set off into Brown Hill to try and establish a sound connection.
At the top of the Par Desus route, he was gently sprinkled with falling gravel and serenaded by the sound of drilling and loud hammering coming from upstairs…. Promising!
A visit from Lugger and Louise and a few more buckets hauled out and the way down is ready for the next session of rock removal.
(If you’re ever tempted to carry a 2.5kv generator up East Kingsdale, take my word for it, don’t)

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