Dow Cave, Hobson’s Choice

[rm128]

Does anyone know the current state of the Hobson’s Choice boulder choke in Dow Cave? My presumption would be that it’s still unstable, in which case I’ll steer clear. But I thought I’d ask on the off-chance that there is now a (relatively) stable route through. Cheers for all advice.

 

[Pitlamp]

Steve Warren's excellent website:

http://www.mudinmyhair.co.uk/

. . . has some good general advice about that area of Dow, together with a survey. Click on "Dow Cave" in the menu on the left of the home page.

You may find you get rather absobed in this resource . . . . ;-)

 

[rm128]

That’s a great resource indeed. Thanks Pitlamp. I guess that’s this evening sorted then.

 

[langcliffe]

Hobson's Choice has been stable for the last 50 years in my experience. It's the end boulder choke that gives me the Willie's.

 

[huwg]

I went through Hobson's twice with a good few months inbetween in the last year and I didn't notice any differences between the trips. Obviously that is a short observation period, so make of it what you will. There are nice things to sea the other side, but it would be a serious place to get injured.
There might be a useful description of a way through in Not for the faint hearted, but I don't have it to hand to check. Steve Warren's site is a goldmine!

 

[rm128]

Thanks for the replies guys. In the end we only went as far as the "You will die!" signs as we had a couple of novices. They did "enjoy" Gloop de Loop though. I wouldn't have known about that without Steve Warren's site, so thanks for the pointer to that. A short excursion into Dowbergill Passage rounded the trip off nicely. The echo at the Dow end of that was eerie in the extreme.