Goydenman
Well-known member
Tourist Trip, Surveying and Digging ALL in ONE Day
March 9th Team
Nick, Phil, Howard, Tony, Ian, Chris, James & Bella
Everyone met at How Stean Gorge café for breakfast. It was good to see the return of James and meet his girlfriend Bella. After some chatting and planning etc we opted for three teams to do three different activities.
Team 1 – Chris, James & Bella to go on a Tourist trip. Bella had never been caving before so a trip to Manchester Hole seemed a suitable option and possibly brief look into Goyden pot.
Team 2 – Nick, Phil and Howard to go Surveying in Goyden pot. The aim being to complete Pyridine passage, A junction and surrounding passages.
Team 3 – Ian and Tony to go Digging in Pigskin pot. The aim to make progress in Covid Way.
Team 1 Report
James, Bella and Chris
We parked at Goyden pot car park (two cars there of other cavers) and walked to Manchester Hole. The upstream fissures were taking all the water from the river into Manchester Hole and nothing flowing onto Goyden pot. The fissures have been opened up by flood action so water levels in Manchester were a bit higher than normal. Bella quickly adapted to the cave environment and required little support. Chris got into guiding mode and pointed out various features throughout the cave. There is a large increase in the amount of Snotties present within the cave now. Microbial mat of single-celled extremophilic bacteria which hang from the walls and ceilings.
We then walked over to Goyden via Bax pot and through Goyden cliff cave No. 1 replacing the grill to prevent sheep getting through. Bella was moving so well through the cave so we opted for a longer trip than originally planned. First looking at the view into Main chamber from First Window then the crawls through to Third window. Here we heard the voices and saw the lights of the cavers in the main stream passage below. From there climb up to Mud Hall pointing out the way into Pyridine passage where team 2 were surveying. A fun slide down the mud slope and then through Limley Bypass including slithering through the plastic pipes. Once in Labyrinth passage turned right and down to Goyden sump 1. A brief stoop under the low roof and we were walking up the impressive Main Stream passage on our way out. Just above the cascades we saw lights and then met four lads dressed in track suit bottoms and head torches, no helmets. Chris had a quick word commenting on admiring their adventurous spirit and suggesting in future they get helmets. The suggestion did not go down well so he wished them a good trip and carried on. Team 2 also met these lads see their report for more to this story. Having left the lads we made our way up into Main Chamber. Here was yet more evidence of roof collapse, huge blocks twice the size of fridge freezers. Seems now every winter flooding brings down more. Finally exiting the cave and going back to the cars. James and Bella needed to rush off to places elsewhere so Chris went over to see how Ian and Tony were progressing at Pigskin pot. Refer to their report.
REPORTS FROM TEAM 2 & 3 TO FOLLOW
March 9th Team
Nick, Phil, Howard, Tony, Ian, Chris, James & Bella
Everyone met at How Stean Gorge café for breakfast. It was good to see the return of James and meet his girlfriend Bella. After some chatting and planning etc we opted for three teams to do three different activities.
Team 1 – Chris, James & Bella to go on a Tourist trip. Bella had never been caving before so a trip to Manchester Hole seemed a suitable option and possibly brief look into Goyden pot.
Team 2 – Nick, Phil and Howard to go Surveying in Goyden pot. The aim being to complete Pyridine passage, A junction and surrounding passages.
Team 3 – Ian and Tony to go Digging in Pigskin pot. The aim to make progress in Covid Way.
Team 1 Report
James, Bella and Chris
We parked at Goyden pot car park (two cars there of other cavers) and walked to Manchester Hole. The upstream fissures were taking all the water from the river into Manchester Hole and nothing flowing onto Goyden pot. The fissures have been opened up by flood action so water levels in Manchester were a bit higher than normal. Bella quickly adapted to the cave environment and required little support. Chris got into guiding mode and pointed out various features throughout the cave. There is a large increase in the amount of Snotties present within the cave now. Microbial mat of single-celled extremophilic bacteria which hang from the walls and ceilings.
We then walked over to Goyden via Bax pot and through Goyden cliff cave No. 1 replacing the grill to prevent sheep getting through. Bella was moving so well through the cave so we opted for a longer trip than originally planned. First looking at the view into Main chamber from First Window then the crawls through to Third window. Here we heard the voices and saw the lights of the cavers in the main stream passage below. From there climb up to Mud Hall pointing out the way into Pyridine passage where team 2 were surveying. A fun slide down the mud slope and then through Limley Bypass including slithering through the plastic pipes. Once in Labyrinth passage turned right and down to Goyden sump 1. A brief stoop under the low roof and we were walking up the impressive Main Stream passage on our way out. Just above the cascades we saw lights and then met four lads dressed in track suit bottoms and head torches, no helmets. Chris had a quick word commenting on admiring their adventurous spirit and suggesting in future they get helmets. The suggestion did not go down well so he wished them a good trip and carried on. Team 2 also met these lads see their report for more to this story. Having left the lads we made our way up into Main Chamber. Here was yet more evidence of roof collapse, huge blocks twice the size of fridge freezers. Seems now every winter flooding brings down more. Finally exiting the cave and going back to the cars. James and Bella needed to rush off to places elsewhere so Chris went over to see how Ian and Tony were progressing at Pigskin pot. Refer to their report.
REPORTS FROM TEAM 2 & 3 TO FOLLOW