Darnbrook Pot; anyone heading there in the next few weeks?

[Pitlamp]

I'm on with diving the upstream sump in Darnbrook at the moment. Today I met with (and got slightly entangled in) some old line.
I managed to get all this safely out of the sump, together with an old reel. I had so much gear to carry out I wasn't able to remove the reel and old line from the cave. Would anyone be able to fetch this out? It's fairly light. The reel is falling to bits so an empty tacklebag would be useful. It could be left in the shakehole if you don't want to carry it off the fell and dispose of it; I'll sort it.

Whilst I'm on, the last reported dive took place almost 49 years ago (Stuart Davey, 18-08-76). The old line had four silt screws attached. These hadn't been invented in 1976, so someone must have dived there meanwhile but didn't write a dive log in the CDG Newsletter. (Also, Stuart's dive log implies he removed his line.) Does anyone know who the interim diver might have been?

 

[Lankyman]

Can't help with the mystery diver, Pitlamp but I'd be interested to know where upstream Darnbrook is heading. Does it have anything to do with Cherry Tree? That's a cave I always found fascinating and the big cave-less area around Parsons Pulpit.

 

[Pitlamp]

Nowt to do with CTH I don't think. It's of interest because the sinks are evidently a quarter of a mile away and a fair bit higher. There may be some nicely decorated passage to find in between.

Be grand if someone's willing to bring the knackered reel out.

 

[Ian P]

Nowt to do with CTH I don't think. It's of interest because the sinks are evidently a quarter of a mile away and a fair bit higher. There may be some nicely decorated passage to find in between.

Be grand if someone's willing to bring the knackered reel out.

Looks like the “joint second best caving club” have a meet there on the 20th April, maybe someone there can help ?

 

[Pitlamp]

Thanks - I'll talk to the Bratf'd then. They're a good bunch.

 

[Pitlamp]

. . . but a certain regular forum member has just contacted me direct, with an offer of help. So it looks like this may be sorted now?

 

[Pitlamp]

I'd like to thank Terry Devanny and the Bradford folk who kindly removed the knackered reel, the ancient line and the old silt screws from the pot today. Also Ian P for alerting me to the BPC meet there this weekend (see above). Also to a certain well known guidebook author with the initials SA, who contacted me directly with an offer of help! That problem is now fully sorted.

The problem of who dived in the upstream sump between Stuart Davey in 1976 and me this year still remains. Nobody in the CDG seems to know. If anyone can help with this information, please do send me a PM. Thanks.

 

[alexchien]

Maybe Charles Reid ? He did some work in Robinson's which wasn't recorded.

 

[Pitlamp]

Ah; thank you. That's a very good point; he was fond of that area.
Maybe we'll never know, sadly.