Giants windpipe

[Ooddie]

Am thinking about doing the giants hole round trip this Sunday and wondering if anyone has seen the water level in the windpipe recently? Might be a wet one although I’m not sure if we will go for it if it sounds like we’ll be using our noses as snorkels.

Cheers

 

[FabianE]

I've been on the 19th October and water levels were very pleasant. Cheek was just touching the water level.
Am back next week so hoping it'll still be passable 😁

 

[Katie]

I know things in caves can and do change but in my experience the water levels in the windpipe are pretty static and it very rarely sumps.

 

[Pitlamp]

I've never seen it sumped but I well remember one occasuion when the water was quite deep. It was back in the days of carbide lamps when it was commom practice to hang the tub of spare carbide from the back of the helmet, to balance the weight of the Premier lamp on the front. Someone floundered through and didn't notce that their tub had come unscrewed and jettisoned all the contents into the water. The first we knew of it was a huge flash and a bang. The person following then emerged black faced and looking really surprised!

 

[alastairgott]

I know things in caves can and do change but in my experience the water levels in the windpipe are pretty static and it very rarely sumps.

Yeh, it’s nearly always a pleasant little ear wetter. Sometimes all of the ear, other times just the top bit when you’re going through well in low conditions and you think you’ve got away without a wet ear.

 

[Katie]

I have seen it sumped once, but only once in 18 years of regular Peak caving

 

[rm128]

I guess the signs warning against free-diving are erring on the overly-cautious side then?

 

[Chocolate fireguard]

I guess the signs warning against free-diving are erring on the overly-cautious side then?

Those signs have been there for many years. I think they date from a time, perhaps in the 90s, when it was sumped due to the natural drain holes being blocked by debris from digging nearby.

 

[rm128]

Those signs have been there for many years. I think they date from a time, perhaps in the 90s, when it was sumped due to the natural drain holes being blocked by debris from digging nearby.

If nothing else, the signs are at least a useful indicator that you're on the right track. I was there a few months ago, probably for the first time in 30 years or so and I was very grateful to see the sign on the inward side.

 

[Fatman]

Never seen it sumped luckily so avoided the grind back up the crab walk. I've always taken my helmet off and managed to keep most of my head out. Enjoy the wallowing.

 

[T pot 2]

Those signs have been there for many years. I think they date from a time, perhaps in the 90s, when it was sumped due to the natural drain holes being blocked by debris from digging nearby.

It was myself and a fellow caver that placed the signs.
The windpipe was sumped by debris blocking the drain hole.
We managed to get up the bedding plane from the crab walk and by using drain rods we drained it, signs were left for reference as the level of water reached the sign i.e the windpipe was impassable, if the water reach the signs again it indicates that the drain requires opening again

 

[Phild]

It was myself and a fellow caver that placed the signs.
The windpipe was sumped by debris blocking the drain hole.
We managed to get up the bedding plane from the crab walk and by using drain rods we drained it, signs were left for reference as the level of water reached the sign i.e the windpipe was impassable, if the water reach the signs again it indicates that the drain requires opening again

Teep I know the outlet gets clogged but for FFS how could you locate the outlet at distance flat out in water zero vis?

 

[T pot 2]

Teep I know the outlet gets clogged but for FFS how could you locate the outlet at distance flat out in water zero

 

[T pot 2]

We had to come up the bedding plane from the crabwalk / great relief passage