Eastwater question:

[CaverA]

What is going on in Eastwater? There is a notice posted at Eastwater farm, but I didn't read the whole thing because I was going down North Hill.

Thanks
Sam

 

[CaverA]

What is going on in Eastwater? There is a notice posted at Eastwater farm, but I didn't read the whole thing because I was going down North Hill.

Thanks
Sam

And infact I have answered my own question by looking at another thread. Okay, next question. What are the tackle is needed to get to Lambeth Walk via Morton's pot?

What's this trip like?

Where is south bank?

Thanks.
Sam

 

[Downer]

What is going on in Eastwater? There is a notice posted at Eastwater farm, but I didn't read the whole thing because I was going down North Hill.

Thanks
Sam

And infact I have answered my own question by looking at another thread. Okay, next question. What are the tackle is needed to get to Lambeth Walk via Morton's pot?

What's this trip like?

Where is south bank?

Thanks.
Sam

It's rated super-severe. Mendip Underground describes it as "exceptionally arduous, particularly on the return trip, and should only be attempted by very experienced parties due to extremely tight squeezes and the danger of flooding below Lolly Pot. Rescue would be verging on the miraculous!"

Greek Street is too tight for my liking, except at the top, so that's my limit. Lolly Pot apparently lives shortly after the Gladman Shaft at the end of Greek Street - and you've hardly started the fun stuff. Depends on your abilities then, but if you want an easier trip to the same series, you can veer off to Regent Street and admire some nice formations for a change. Still not a trivial trip.

As for tackle, I'd recommend at least two Snickers bars and a splint. The book suggests a handline, 50ft ladder for Gladman, 40ft ladder for Lolly, plus a 20ft ladder or traverse line to bypass the Chamber of Horrors (?) That's in addition to the stuff to get to the series. Sounds like it's worth finding out about the route beforehand! I wonder how many people do it?

 

[Ed W]

Downer,

That description is for the "old" way to Lambeth Walk via Blackwall tunnel.  There is now a new way down via Morton's Pot, I think the essential tackle for this is a week's starvation...

 

[Downer]

Downer,
That description is for the "old" way to Lambeth Walk via Blackwall tunnel.  There is now a new way down via Morton's Pot, I think the essential tackle for this is a week's starvation...

Ah! I get the point of the question now. I think they were digging it when I last went, which seems to have been, er, good grief, in 1993!!! 

Is the new route any easier if you're not built like a ferret? Coz I'm not.

 

[CaverA]

Downer,
That description is for the "old" way to Lambeth Walk via Blackwall tunnel.  There is now a new way down via Morton's Pot, I think the essential tackle for this is a week's starvation...

Ah! I get the point of the question now. I think they were digging it when I last went, which seems to have been, er, good grief, in 1993!!! 

Is the new route any easier if you're not built like a ferret? Coz I'm not.

Sorry! My fault. Just re-read question and it didn't make much sense. I would like to go to the end of Lambeth Walk, by descending Morton pot and following the route along to The Technical Masterpiece and Hell's Gate.

So I would like to know what the tackle requirements are for Morton Pot/Pointless Pots and any other pitches that I might come across along the route?

That sounds better 

 

[Downer]

Downer,
That description is for the "old" way to Lambeth Walk via Blackwall tunnel.  There is now a new way down via Morton's Pot, I think the essential tackle for this is a week's starvation...

Ah! I get the point of the question now. I think they were digging it when I last went, which seems to have been, er, good grief, in 1993!!! 

Is the new route any easier if you're not built like a ferret? Coz I'm not.

Sorry! My fault. Just re-read question and it didn't make much sense. I would like to go to the end of Lambeth Walk, by descending Morton pot and following the route along to The Technical Masterpiece and Hell's Gate.

So I would like to know what the tackle requirements are for Morton Pot/Pointless Pots and any other pitches that I might come across along the route?

That sounds better 

I think you were perfectly clear - it was just me. Anyway, it won't have done any harm talking about the old route. People here may like to know about other bits of the series even if it's not where you're going. It all sounds exquisitely 'orrible - let us know how you get on.

 

[CaverA]

At the moment Mendip is keeping very quiet. I have managed to find a bit by using google and your right, it's not a nice picture. What with sumps and ducks and heights. Turning into my worse nightmare. But it's being dug at the moment so somebody must know something  :-\

Sam

 

[Bob Smith]

talk to phil rowsell of the BEC (when he gets back from china in six weeks) or any of the fat belly boys, i'm sure they'd appreciate a hand dragging kit down morton's if you were to offer.

 

[Bob Smith]

message from the diggers, please PM me if any more info required,

message reads;

"No tackle trip - watch out for the two Pointless Pots and the bigger pot in Technical Masterpiece as you're likely to be caving backwards at the time so won't see them easily!

DO NOT attempt the trip if water is going down the entrance or seems likely to head down the entrance (it mostly sinks into the Mortons route which is very restricted).

Probably not worth trying it if you are not confident in restricted spaces or non-flexible, slim and don't want your oversuit trashed. Also the return can be strenuous so being cave-fit is helpful too.

The description in Mendip Underground about the old route is just as pertinent where it says something like rescue from this part of the cave would pretty much impossible. It is not an easier route to the bottom, just a shorter alternative.

The reason for the signs up at the entrance and at the farm are to ask people to contact Madphil before attempting the trip. At the moment there is an active dig at the sump in Southbank and the electric cable runs from the entrance all the way to the terminal sump at Southbank. Thats an awful lot of wire to have to check for damage if anything goes wrong and in some parts of the passage it is not easy to avoid it unless you know the place well.

If you would like a trip down there we'd be grateful if you contact Madphil first (for the above reason) and you can then come down with us sometime. We could do with a hand at the dig!
Hope that helps."

 

[CaverA]

It does help, thank you. I was not really planning to do the trip any time soon kinda aiming for Easter depending on the weather. University work load puts pay to any caving during term time. Just got the survey stuck to the wall which I keep looking at and wondering. I am slim, pretty flexible, although I kinda mind trashing my oversuit. I have told one of my caving partners that I might retire after the Eastwater trip  . It will be one of the longest and probably hardest trips I've ever done. I'm not to keen on heights or water in caves, have been to the top of Morton's pot in high water conditions and must admit that it is an awesome sight. But I remember Jrat telling me not to bother if any rain is forecast or if it has been raining. All in all I'm not that confident a caver, but am reasonable confident with tight spaces. I will PM you just to clarify some stuff.

Regarding the cable, I did read the note at Eastwater. The main reason why my interest as been peaked again. Eastwater has always been a cave that has scared me slightly, but then Swildons used to scary me to. A very wimpy caver!! 

Thanks again Bob.

Sam.

 

[Chris J]

Eastwater has always been a cave that has scared me slightly, but then Swildons used to scary me to. A very wimpy caver!! 

At the risk of sounding elitist or putting you off - from someone who has done a few trips down there - are you sure it is for you based on the above? Plenty of other places to go and build up confidence etc..

 

[CaverA]

I do see your point Chris. With me I think it's a belief that I can't do it, and in actually fact I can, just got to prove that to myself. Have been in some nasty caves, have come across stuff that I didn't think I would be able to do, and I have done them...most of which have been seriously tight squeeze, or what I would rate as seriously tight.

The way I plan for a trip is to get as much information out of people as pos, collect surveys, read extra trip reports and stuff and then go and do the trip. But go underground with out an end objective. So the first time I went down Eastwater, I went as far as the top of Morton's pot, the second time I went down Morton's pot, at time there was a hauling system, which at the time I assumed was used to haul people, the idea that it might be used to haul bags of muck didn't actually enter my mind! The next time I go I might only get to Pointless pots or beyond and slowly just build up a picture of the cave and then one day I will complete the overall objective of getting to Lambeth Walk.

I'm sure it's been talked about on here before, the way I deal with lack of confidence is to test the water, so to speak. By repeating a trip the lack of confidence dispears. But what I don't want is to go caving with the BEC diggers and have to have them baby sit we all the way down. The digger have a set objective, they most likely feel confident in this cave probably due to the amount of time they spend down there and the number of times they have been. When a novice or a slightly un-confident caver gets caught up in some else objective thats when confident problems really begin to show.

Of course this is just me. I hope that makes sense. 

Sam

 

[CaverA]

Can I just add to the above post: I know trips such as Eastwater and Swildons are hardly place to "Prove you can do" Thats not what I meant to say, I can't explain what I meant to say. Just hoping that since we are all cavers, you will understand what I mean.

Thanks
Sam.

 

[Downer]

But what I don't want is to go caving with the BEC diggers and have to have them baby sit we all the way down.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! I don't think you need worry about that.

 

[Downer]

Can I just add to the above post: I know trips such as Eastwater and Swildons are hardly place to "Prove you can do" Thats not what I meant to say, I can't explain what I meant to say. Just hoping that since we are all cavers, you will understand what I mean.

Thanks
Sam.

Oh yes, cavers are notoriously touchy feely creatures

Seriously now, Eastwater is a great cave, just a bit of a slog: if I can do it, anyone can. That's the Upper Series (apart from the bonkers squeezy stuff which you can keep) and the old route down and quite a bit of the lower series. Going straight for the SSC stuff does seems a bit loopy, why not enjoy the rest of the cave first? There's lots to see. Just going round the Upper Series is a good introduction - especially going round the Upper Traverse (lie on your back and use the roof!) You only get to relax when you come to a damn tight squeeze where you have to nestle your spine into a groove to get through - or bite the bullet and go down HH which is a bit more snug. The Canyon is genuinely inspiring and you can go and inspect a choice of two ways on involving pitches, one has the much-maligned S-bend which is no problem even to me. Then do a Thirteen Pots trip and see if you can suss out where all the routes join up. There's loads to explore. I wouldn't say you've "done" Eastwater if you just plunge down to the nastiest bit, any more than you've "done" Swildon's if you just do Damp Link. Which I haven't and never will.