Assault Course / Pilkington Series - Who has been there recently?

[FabianE]

Planning of doing a trip down JH into the Assault Course or Pilkington Series sometime in the next couple of weeks.
Now I've managed to trawl through TSG trip reports as well as the mini guides and have a good idea on whereabouts and the route.
I am just wondering if anyone has been there since 2015 as the latest reports on the ropes at the pitches aren't very promising and it may be a shorter trip than anticipated... Are they still due to be re-bolted by the DCA or has this been done?

Also has anyone managed to obtain any surveys for both areas? Reading some TSG reports there were technical issues or physicality issues.

Any help is greatly appreciated

 

[alastairgott]

Hi Fabian, i'm not aware of anyone having done assault course recently, but then I don't have a ouija board. I have never done assault course, but have done pilkingtons from peak, about ten years ago. I definitely want to return soon.

I can't think of many people who come out of Assault course and say they want to return. but I'm sure you'll have fun trying to get to the start of the pitches. Rob E from Eldon (Rob on here) is probably one of the last people who have written up a trip report on the place, and from memory the ropes were covered in Calcite and almost unpassable 10 years ago.

I would therefore plumb for Pilkingtons anyday. The bolts up there were replaced in the last ten years so should be right.

I have attached an excerpt of a WIP survey of peak/speedwell, as I think it will help you greatly with your trip.

 

[alastairgott]

the survey starts at the whirlpool, where i have truncated the survey, for clarity, the passage east of Pilkingtons cavern cannot be used. it has a solid metal gate on the end which is locked and also another gate between this passage and the bung hole. therefore this loop is not normally navigable by cavers.

 

[Pitlamp]

Purely in the spirit of helpfulness, for whoever maintains that excellent survey, typo; "Downsteam" Assault Course.

 

[MarkS]

I visited A Grand Day Out in 2015. Very interesting area, but as Alastair says, the ropes were covered in calcite. It didn't really pose any issues but it was a little odd to set off up a white rope and find as you reached the top that it was originally bright red.

 

[Roger W]

I visited A Grand Day Out in 2015. Very interesting area, but as Alastair says, the ropes were covered in calcite. It didn't really pose any issues but it was a little odd to set off up a white rope and find as you reached the top that it was originally bright red.

Brings back memories of the old Petrifying Well in Matlock Bath! (Is it still there? Haven't been to MB for years.)

 

[pwhole]

I went up Pilkington's about five years ago (and also need a return visit ASAP now I know more!), and all the ropes and anchors were new then - I would imagine Chain Pitch might be a bit crunchy as it's wetter, but I'm sure the rest will be fine.

 

[braveduck]

Brings back memories of the old Petrifying Well in Matlock Bath! (Is it still there? Haven't been to MB for years.)

When they widened the road they sealed it off and built a chip shop on top of it ! Sad !!

 

[FabianE]

I went up Pilkington's about five years ago (and also need a return visit ASAP now I know more!), and all the ropes and anchors were new then - I would imagine Chain Pitch might be a bit crunchy as it's wetter, but I'm sure the rest will be fine.

Would you fancy joining us next week?

 

[pwhole]

If I'm free, definitely - it depends when, as work timings can often be unpredictable to say the least. Not sure if I could cope with the upstream Assault Course either, to be honest, especially with JH access, but certainly Pilkingtons