DCRO Call Out to Youds Level, Matlock Bath in the News

[paul]

Another call out for DCRO last night and early this morning for overdue cavers on a Gentlewoman's Shaft to Youds Level trip. See:

Lost cavers brought to safety in overnight Matlock Bath rescue

The alarm was raised when a group failed to return to the surface on Tuesday night.

www.bbc.co.uk

A lost party of cavers were brought to safety in an overnight rescue operation.

The alarm was raised that a group exploring the Ringing Rake Slough system near Matlock Bath had not returned to the surface just before 21:00 GMT on Tuesday.

Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation volunteers and Derbyshire Police were called to the scene. Teams went underground at 22:30 and were able to locate the group "after a good search".

The lost cavers were warmed and then with some digging "in tight areas" were escorted back to the lower entrance near Matlock Mining Museum unharmed just before 05:00 on Wednesday.

 

[pwhole]

It sounds like this route is going to need some long-term stabilisation work in the bottom half, around Old Jant Mine, if it's going to continue as a viable through-trip. We can't have this happening regularly. Of course, the top half of the system is dry, stable and easy, so it's quite possible to just limit trips to Overseer Chamber, and come back out via the shaft - it's still a good trip. Some construction management of this route at the lower end is long overdue though, and it's going to require some bodies to do it properly - a good project for summer.

 

[owd git]

hi
Phil and all, without more info' not really able to agree or disagree;
if the mentioned bit of gravel digging was at the two squeezes this historically was up to half an hour each trip. and only manageable with a few basic tools. see earlier posts on gw/youds trips.So far as I'm aware Larry & a bunch of marvellous peeps re-dug up to white waterfall area a while back.pretty sure the geology of the area would make 'stabilisation' of this area a mute point as blockage seems to be 'light'calcite washing down to a pinch point or two and thereafter backing up.any more supporting structure would possibly worsen the cross-section and therfore the whole problem.
More info on awareness of route and need to dig squeezes' may be enough.
A big shout out to dcro for another great result tho!!!
O.G.(Probably a 20 time traveller of said route.)

 

[mr conners]

I bet you've done it more than 20 times OG.