Got there about 11, after the GPS took us round the houses, pulled into the lane and was surprised to find it bustling with activity, the other two caves we have done we have been the only ones there. So we waited for the others to go as we ate our sarnis then wandered into Selside to part with our brass.
We walked up to alum pot and had a look in, then continued past dican pot to the second fenced in area, we couldn't figure out weather to go left or right so we went left (upper long churn I think) we walked till we got to a large pool with a waterfall coming into it (Dr banisters hand basin?) we climbed up the waterfall and emerged from the cave in a little stream, we followed the stream until we found where it came from but it didn't look as though it went anywhere so we turned around and climbed back down the waterfall.
we slowly meandered back from whence we came exploring the little passages that went off from the main cave, most of which rejoined the main cave. We found a small passageway off to our right which we explored, this finally emerged back in a main cave system which we did not think was the one we had just come from, almost straight in front of us we could see daylight through a floor level crawl, we crawled along it and emerged in dican pot, which we thought strange as we had been told to avoid it, we sat down for a rest and a guy emerged from the other side so we got chatting to him, hed just ascended dican and told us about it, he said its worth going and having a look at the drop but be careful and when you see the rope on the left stop! So we went and had a look, it looked inviting to me but my friend wasnt so sure so I have questions about SRT now, anyway, we returned to lower long churn and started exploring there. We went away from the waterfall at the beginning and meant to return and do it but in the end didnt.
We continued through the first pool, then the second one then down the
?rift to where the cheese press was, we looked at the climb down at the other end to the cheese press and werent too sure about it so we decided to head back as we were tired, hungry, wet and cold by that point.
All in all a very entertaining trip, though we didnt manage to do the waterfall at the beginning of lower long churn or Wilson's Cave
I was thinking about doing gaping gill next but am I right in thinking that there is no easy way into it (that's free)?
SRT: can someone tell me about it as I dont really know anything, and what kind of cost is involved in purchasing one? I'm guessing you need a harness, a few carabineers, an ascender/descender/both? And countless other things I dont know about.
We're (BRCC) giving one of our new members his first SRT lesson on Saturday (16th) in Sunset Hole. You're quite welcome to tag along as far as the pitch head if you want and watch the proceedings!!!
sounds good,
Where is sunset hole and how far in is the pitch head?
Ill run it by my friend, thank you for the invitation.
Rob.