Beginners trip in Yorkshire

[JonLongshanks]

Hi guys, new to the forum, hope I've posted in the right place!
I'm trying to decide on a trip for Saturday taking 4 total novices and wondering if I can borrow some expertise...

The group (two adults, two kids) are keen to do a small pitch or two. I don't have ladders nor enough SRT kit for everyone, so any pitches would be descent only and therefore a through trip.
My initial thought was Calf Holes, does anybody know how quickly the system flushes out? Having done a little bit of reading it seems it can be a bit wet. Forecast a lot of rain on Friday but then ok on Saturday...
We could follow that with Great Douk, but again last time I went the waterfall out the bottom was pretty big and I wasn't sure how far we could continue upstream.

The other thought I had was County Pot and out via Wretched Rabbit (done it myself a few years ago), but looking on the permits calendar it seems it could be busy on Saturday. Notts II - are there many ledges on the downclimb? I'll have to manage a 7 and 10 year old down it.

Would Calf Holes and Great Douk be a viable trip with the forecast, or are there any other easy intro trips in the area?


Thank you very much for the help

 

[PeteHall]

Hi Jon, welcome to the forum.

I would be wary of committing to through trip with four novices if you are the only person with them with any caving experience (whatever the weather). Can you get them on a club trip where there will be available kit and other experienced cavers to help out?

There's also plenty of fun to be had without dangling on a piece of string, doesn't hurt to save something for next time 

 

[JonLongshanks]

Thanks Pete, you may be right. I was thinking of leaving the rope up in Calf Holes and should we need to return I could get them out that way(a lot of hard work though, haha). I'm not part of a club and they're only up for a couple of days :/
I wonder if Valley Entrance perhaps could be rigged with a good handline and tight belay for the way back up...

Though perhaps a horizontal trip would be more appropriate anyway. Do you know how passable the upper sections of Great Douk are in wetter weather?

Cheers
Jon

 

[nobrotson]

Mistral sounds like your best option: an all-weather entrance, no pitches but lots of exploring to do. Plus the kids will love the mud (if they are anything like me when I was a kid, I hate mud nowadays!)

For future reference, Nidderdale offers one of the finest novice caving trips in Goyden Pot, but it floods very dramatically and is also influenced by Scargill Resevoir blowing over the edge of its dam in very high winds.

 

[mikem]

Although I don't think water will be spilling anytime soon: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/reservoirs-almost-half-empty-as-heatwave-brings-massive-surge-in-water-use-across-yorkshire-1-9284556

Mike

 

[Ian Ball]

My tip is Browgill to the end and back.

You have the pitch to bypass at the start, the connection to Calf Holes to negotiate and then the waterfall at the Calf Holes entrance to see and go past before turning back.

You could also then go to Old Ing for a few hundred metres of pretty decent caving introduction.

Water levels will be fine unless it's a really heavy rain on Saturday after raining Friday as well.  The area there responds pretty quickly so if its not forecast for rain it should be ok.

 

[georgenorth]

Hi Jon,

Mistral is a good shout because you can turn around whenever. Speaking from personal experience, County to Wretched Rabbit can turn into a bit of an epic if (when) the novices get tired!

Cheers,

George.

 

[MJenkinson]

You can have a good mooch around BPOTW before needing rope, albeit I'd advise a handline for the entrance ramp.

nice entrance, some squeezy bits, some big bits, some very pretty bits if you can manage the squeezy bits, if you are happy with a short duck the upstream cave is good.

 

[Ian Ball]

Thanks Pete, you may be right. I was thinking of leaving the rope up in Calf Holes and should we need to return I could get them out that way(a lot of hard work though, haha). I'm not part of a club and they're only up for a couple of days :/
I wonder if Valley Entrance perhaps could be rigged with a good handline and tight belay for the way back up...

Though perhaps a horizontal trip would be more appropriate anyway. Do you know how passable the upper sections of Great Douk are in wetter weather?

Cheers
Jon

I've been thinking of this and I can climb up to the roof tunnel fairly easily but it is a fairly sizeable climb.

If you have a huge rope!

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Rope-Ladder

 

[Goydenman]

Into Goyden pot turn left and abseil out of First window (hangers in place) down into Main chamber, explore streamway and then walk out via the top of the chamber

 

[JonLongshanks]

Thanks for all the info guys, some good suggestions there and a few ideas for next time.
We ended up just doing Great Douk as an introductory trip which was about right for the younger ones, and a good soaking for everyone haha!

Jon