Giants/Oxlow Connection "The Chamber of Horrors"

[Fulk]

The horrible thing about the "old" pre-blasting & connection Giant's was the Near Curtain - it was about 30m. or so down the streamway from the entrance and a flat out crawl/duck in the stream.

How interesting; I did Giants in the pre-blasting days, but I have no recollection of the 'Near Curtain'. What I do remember, though, is the low wet crawl through 'Backwash Pool' (was it called?), holding a 'stinky' at arm's length to pass it to somebody in the hope that it would stay alight.

 

[skippy]

Following on from Fulk's experience, below is the original route description through the ent series taken from the first edition of The Caves of Derbyshire':-

 

[Fulk]

Thanks for that, skippy.

 

[Cantclimbtom]

Following on from Fulk's experience, below is the original route description through the ent series taken from the first edition of The Caves of Derbyshire':-
View attachment 22269

Wow, there's something about the way that is sharpish focus in the middle but blurs as go go away from centre that it messing with my head if I stare at it closely for too long. Looking at that I'm wondering if your phone camera was very drunk (either that or I am but didn't realise?)

 

[pwhole]

Depth of field always gets shallower the closer a lens gets to the subject, and at a very wide aperture, the centre is always sharper than the corners. Corner sharpness is what separates expensive lenses from cheap ones

 

[Mrs Trellis]

Whenever I hear the names Watson, Giants and you Mrs Trellis, it takes me right back to the the verse in the 'Wild Caver' song and Monday nights in the Castlewood(40 years ago) ...."Cavers like you I can get any day!".

"I went up to Giant's I used to frequent
and I told Farmer Watson my money was spent
I asked him for credit he answered me nay
He said 'cavers like you I can get any day'
and it's no nay never, no nay never no more
will I play the wild caver , no never no more"

 

[oggy]

Mega write up! I’ve been wanting to do the connection for 20years, but scared myself off from ever doing it. Reading your report makes me want to try giving it a go now.thank you!

 

[Stevefromleicester]

Way back in 1974 giants hole was closed. Tom Watson and Billy Revell were blasting the passages and installing concrete floors all the way to base camp chamber.
So the only way into giants was via the oxlow connection.
We used to do the trip through on many occasions and leave the same way.
A trip to the filthy five was accomplished by bailing st vantines sump with buckets.
Digging at the top of corkscrew aven and east rift too.
All of the trips were done using electron ladders with hawsalade ropes fastend to natural belays or wooden stemples, which we abseiled down on figure of eights, to ascend we had a demmi moorhouse clog attached to an homemade chest harness clipped to willans sit harness.
Our clothing consisted of stuff purchased from the ex army stores or then a self assembly wet suit purchased from alan aldred in buxton. Carbide was defacto, knive cells, then oldam T1 lights became deriguer.

 

[Stevefromleicester]

Way back in 1974 giants hole was closed. Tom Watson and Billy Revell were blasting the passages and installing concrete floors all the way to base camp chamber.
So the only way into giants was via the oxlow connection.
We used to do the trip through on many occasions and leave the same way.
A trip to the filthy five was accomplished by bailing st vantines sump with buckets.
Digging at the top of corkscrew aven and east rift too.
All of the trips were done using electron ladders with hawsalade ropes fastend to natural belays or wooden stemples, which we abseiled down on figure of eights, to ascend we had a demmi moorhouse clog attached to an homemade chest harness clipped to willans sit harness.
Our clothing consisted of stuff purchased from the ex army stores or then a self assembly wet suit purchased from alan aldred in buxton. Carbide was defacto, knive cells, then oldam T1 lights became deriguer.

You lads were tough bastards.

NiFe cells (as in Nickel Iron)
Oldham lamps (ex mining lead acid)
How we have progressed since then, I recall fitting wet nicad cells bought from Caving Supplies into Oldham lamps, then halogen bulbs, then the revelation of FX2/3/5 lamps.
I still use one of them with an LED upgrade but also a Petzl Pixma and a Fenix (7200 lumens !). And of course the expedition super carbide for the holidays.