Alex
Well-known member
This happened to me almost nearly 2 years ago now, and I have been meaning to post it for a while, but I did not want to emberass anyone. So I have posted it and removed peoples names from the report, simply replaced with 'my mate', 'D' & 'A'
Enjoy
Ireby fell
People Present: Me, my mate and four others
Weather: Cloudy and windy at first, then I think it may have rained, just a little.
I was at a loss at what to do in the morning at CHECC, each club had formed their own groups and started making their own plans. Being a member of none of these clubs, I was not involved in any of these plans. Furthermore the club who had invited me in the first place where ?ahem? otherwise disposed. It looked as it if would probably be lazy day for me.
To my suprise, I spotted a mate from my other club and after chatting to him, I then asked him what his plans where. My mate was just there to help, whoever may need it. I did not mind helping too, mainly just for something to do. Eventually we decided to join a University team who had already left for Ireby Fell.
Crossing the fell I questioned my mate about the weather asking if Ireby was a good idea given Fridays forecast of a big lump of deep blue to be dumped all over the area. He placated those fears telling me that from what he had seen there was just going to be a few ?squalid showers?. I guessed he had seen a more recent forecast, he after all knew what he was talking about with 15 years more experience than me.
Fears quashed we met the others still setting up on the surface so we jumped into the cave ahead of them. We rigged Bubbles thus avoiding any ques at the pitch heads as well as providing a drier more pleasant route if it turned out to be still wet from Fridays rain. Water levels seemed about normal. Once at the bottom we waited a while for the others to catch up. My mate needed no help guiding the novices through the cave so I left him to it. I lagged behind exploring a few inlets and high level oxbows on route, even finding one that bypasses most of the crawling via a walking sized passage.
All was going fine though a little slow. We reached the Duke Street sump at about 1pm, I was glad of a nice relaxing trip for once. However, some people wanted to carry on and Look at Duke street two, while two novices with us have had enough. So at this point we split up. It was decided I would guide the other two more experienced cavers through to Duke Street 2 while my mate would take the two novices out.
We had a good mooch around in there, I showed them the rope up to Jupiter cavern but put them off going up there by telling them how poor the rope was. I then left them for five minutes to explore to the upstream sump that eventually leads to Notts pot. I don't blame them for not following me at this point as it was a horrible flat out lumpy crawl, so don't bother is my advice. Anyway we were soon back in Duke Street 2 and the time had just passed quickly for it was now almost 2:30pm. Unknown to us it had been raining heavy for at least two hours at this point.
Hmm is it me or is there quite a bit more water in the stream? Nah I thought I was just being paranoid. We reached the turn off to the canal leading to the crawl back into Duke Street one. There appeared to be a lot of muddy water coming from the upstream sump on the right. Well we were expecting some rain, so I was not too bothered. The canal itself was flowing, as well as being several inches deeper already, so we were getting a little concerned, especially as the water lapped ever higher around our legs as we made our way up the climb/pitch into Skylight passage.
As I was making my way along the crawl I was not sure what I was going to see on the other side, though doubted the sump would be backed up. Arriving at the pitch down I found A sat at the top not certain about going down. I looked down, it was okay, the sump had not backed up, but the water was really flowing now. It would seem it was going to be sporting exit. Down and heading upstream the water seemed to be getting stronger the once dry passages were now under over foot of water. The rocky stoop was certainly more water than rocks. Emerging from the stooping passage there was a rumble and as we got closer it was replaced by a roar. I now knew that there was some serious water about. We turned the corner into the normally dry boulder chamber below rope pitch and I uttered many expletives at what I saw. Almost the whole chamber had been turned into a giant waterfall and the boulders were hidden behind a wall of white and sound. Can't stay here, so we pushed through around the side of the waterfall and climbed the boulders behind.
At this point D said to me. ?Were stuffed mate, aren?t we?? though not using those exact words. I was not ready to believe that yet. I knew for example that we could bypass the lowest pitches (rope and well), but the duck beyond them was at the back of all our minds, I knew that people have been trapped there before.
As expected rope pitch was now missing behind a waterfall but the alternative rope Dave Ramsay had rigged years before provided a way up out of the water. At the top of this little pitch we dived through another couple of waterfalls to have a look at the next pitch along the main stream. Passable...ish but bloody dangerous so we opted for the high level traverse and pitch another passage rigged by mr Ramsay.
I stayed at the bottom of this pitch to hold the rope so as to speed up the process. I would go up the pitch last being quickest with a Pantin. All the time while holding the rope I was getting drenched by spray of a nearby waterfall that should not even be there. There was a boom almost louder than the water and a shout from above. A it seems had somehow lost his welly while climbing the dry pitch. It landed in the stream or should I say raging torrent, below rope pitch. I went down the rope again to look for it but it had gone, washed away and I was not hanging around or searching further in those troubled waters.
I joined the others at the top of the pitches directly above Rope in a short bit of dry high level passage, out of the wind and spray . Decisions had to be made. I wanted to look at the duck and see if it was passable but the others thought that was a bad idea. They had a fair point as yes there was a small chance it may still be passable but we had no way of knowing if the water was going to get even worse. The safer option was to wait it out and not to die trying to get out. We were safe here being at least 50ft above the torrent below. So we began to wait.
Thankfully despite all the comments I get about always taking too much stuff on caving trips, my food, water and eventually survival blanket were all utilised. Though the blanket could only fit two of us in, snugly. D was wearing a PVC suit so as he was relatively dry on the inside he opted to stay out of the bag. I had to fight against flash backs from Austria when I was trapped in a cave there, or of the cold camp site last night. Shivering in the bag I comforted myself by knowing that I was still warmer then I was in that blooming tent.
We waited and waited some more, for an audible drop in the noise of the water, we knew based on worse-case scenario that it should stop raining by the evening at the latest and the water ?should? go down when that happens. But it didn?t seem to change. We waited until 7pm until we finally agreed that the water had defiantly gone down ?a bit? and that we should try and make a bid for freedom. I left my survival bag there should we need it again or should anyone else need to shelter there in the future. Progress out was slow, the traverses were rather airy and disconcerting, A was also being careful of his foot placement, being down a welly. The roar down Well pitch was still deafening and we were hesitant at first about even stepping off the rope into the churning water lest we get washed down the pitch. I took the brave step, it was certainly 2 steps forward 1 step in some places but I was not washed away. All of this was quite tiring of course.
I rushed off ahead to check the duck. There was airspace but there was also a lot of water going through. I backtracked meeting the others half way along who had decided to brave the waters themselves, I told them of the situation. D gave it a try, however due a combination of fear of the water backing up over his head and the sheer force of the water, he was prevented from getting through. Daunting as it was, I just did not care any more so when D suggested I should give it a go I knew to try my best. We were going to miss call out by now anyway but any time saved would be time saved for the CRO. So I dived in. Getting through was actually not that hard, the hardest part was not being washed back into the duck! I helped the bag and D through who in turn helped A through and we were finally past the worst of it heading out.
The water levels were definitely dropping now all be it very slowly though. We reached the crawls they were passable but still looked very wet. So I put the knowledge I gained from scouting the passage hours before to good use so we avoided the very wet crawl via a walking sized high level oxbow accessed by a small passage on the right just before the start of the crawls.
We reached Bubbles, it had a torrent going down it but the rope was thankfully out of the water so we got up that with no problems, making use of both my mate?s and the in-situ rope to save time being now somewhat past our call out time.
Bubbles passage was wet but it was now merely sporting. We finally emerged at about twenty past nine and made the trudge across the fell in the high winds and fog to the waiting CRO Land Rover, sorry guys .
My mate had an epic of his own, the waters started to rise as he neared Ding, Dong, Bell so he had to get the novices past that rather difficult pitch head of Bubbles before the waters really became a torrent. He also went in again later on to look for us but was forced to turn back as he was not sure he could get out again.
Enjoy
Ireby fell
People Present: Me, my mate and four others
Weather: Cloudy and windy at first, then I think it may have rained, just a little.
I was at a loss at what to do in the morning at CHECC, each club had formed their own groups and started making their own plans. Being a member of none of these clubs, I was not involved in any of these plans. Furthermore the club who had invited me in the first place where ?ahem? otherwise disposed. It looked as it if would probably be lazy day for me.
To my suprise, I spotted a mate from my other club and after chatting to him, I then asked him what his plans where. My mate was just there to help, whoever may need it. I did not mind helping too, mainly just for something to do. Eventually we decided to join a University team who had already left for Ireby Fell.
Crossing the fell I questioned my mate about the weather asking if Ireby was a good idea given Fridays forecast of a big lump of deep blue to be dumped all over the area. He placated those fears telling me that from what he had seen there was just going to be a few ?squalid showers?. I guessed he had seen a more recent forecast, he after all knew what he was talking about with 15 years more experience than me.
Fears quashed we met the others still setting up on the surface so we jumped into the cave ahead of them. We rigged Bubbles thus avoiding any ques at the pitch heads as well as providing a drier more pleasant route if it turned out to be still wet from Fridays rain. Water levels seemed about normal. Once at the bottom we waited a while for the others to catch up. My mate needed no help guiding the novices through the cave so I left him to it. I lagged behind exploring a few inlets and high level oxbows on route, even finding one that bypasses most of the crawling via a walking sized passage.
All was going fine though a little slow. We reached the Duke Street sump at about 1pm, I was glad of a nice relaxing trip for once. However, some people wanted to carry on and Look at Duke street two, while two novices with us have had enough. So at this point we split up. It was decided I would guide the other two more experienced cavers through to Duke Street 2 while my mate would take the two novices out.
We had a good mooch around in there, I showed them the rope up to Jupiter cavern but put them off going up there by telling them how poor the rope was. I then left them for five minutes to explore to the upstream sump that eventually leads to Notts pot. I don't blame them for not following me at this point as it was a horrible flat out lumpy crawl, so don't bother is my advice. Anyway we were soon back in Duke Street 2 and the time had just passed quickly for it was now almost 2:30pm. Unknown to us it had been raining heavy for at least two hours at this point.
Hmm is it me or is there quite a bit more water in the stream? Nah I thought I was just being paranoid. We reached the turn off to the canal leading to the crawl back into Duke Street one. There appeared to be a lot of muddy water coming from the upstream sump on the right. Well we were expecting some rain, so I was not too bothered. The canal itself was flowing, as well as being several inches deeper already, so we were getting a little concerned, especially as the water lapped ever higher around our legs as we made our way up the climb/pitch into Skylight passage.
As I was making my way along the crawl I was not sure what I was going to see on the other side, though doubted the sump would be backed up. Arriving at the pitch down I found A sat at the top not certain about going down. I looked down, it was okay, the sump had not backed up, but the water was really flowing now. It would seem it was going to be sporting exit. Down and heading upstream the water seemed to be getting stronger the once dry passages were now under over foot of water. The rocky stoop was certainly more water than rocks. Emerging from the stooping passage there was a rumble and as we got closer it was replaced by a roar. I now knew that there was some serious water about. We turned the corner into the normally dry boulder chamber below rope pitch and I uttered many expletives at what I saw. Almost the whole chamber had been turned into a giant waterfall and the boulders were hidden behind a wall of white and sound. Can't stay here, so we pushed through around the side of the waterfall and climbed the boulders behind.
At this point D said to me. ?Were stuffed mate, aren?t we?? though not using those exact words. I was not ready to believe that yet. I knew for example that we could bypass the lowest pitches (rope and well), but the duck beyond them was at the back of all our minds, I knew that people have been trapped there before.
As expected rope pitch was now missing behind a waterfall but the alternative rope Dave Ramsay had rigged years before provided a way up out of the water. At the top of this little pitch we dived through another couple of waterfalls to have a look at the next pitch along the main stream. Passable...ish but bloody dangerous so we opted for the high level traverse and pitch another passage rigged by mr Ramsay.
I stayed at the bottom of this pitch to hold the rope so as to speed up the process. I would go up the pitch last being quickest with a Pantin. All the time while holding the rope I was getting drenched by spray of a nearby waterfall that should not even be there. There was a boom almost louder than the water and a shout from above. A it seems had somehow lost his welly while climbing the dry pitch. It landed in the stream or should I say raging torrent, below rope pitch. I went down the rope again to look for it but it had gone, washed away and I was not hanging around or searching further in those troubled waters.
I joined the others at the top of the pitches directly above Rope in a short bit of dry high level passage, out of the wind and spray . Decisions had to be made. I wanted to look at the duck and see if it was passable but the others thought that was a bad idea. They had a fair point as yes there was a small chance it may still be passable but we had no way of knowing if the water was going to get even worse. The safer option was to wait it out and not to die trying to get out. We were safe here being at least 50ft above the torrent below. So we began to wait.
Thankfully despite all the comments I get about always taking too much stuff on caving trips, my food, water and eventually survival blanket were all utilised. Though the blanket could only fit two of us in, snugly. D was wearing a PVC suit so as he was relatively dry on the inside he opted to stay out of the bag. I had to fight against flash backs from Austria when I was trapped in a cave there, or of the cold camp site last night. Shivering in the bag I comforted myself by knowing that I was still warmer then I was in that blooming tent.
We waited and waited some more, for an audible drop in the noise of the water, we knew based on worse-case scenario that it should stop raining by the evening at the latest and the water ?should? go down when that happens. But it didn?t seem to change. We waited until 7pm until we finally agreed that the water had defiantly gone down ?a bit? and that we should try and make a bid for freedom. I left my survival bag there should we need it again or should anyone else need to shelter there in the future. Progress out was slow, the traverses were rather airy and disconcerting, A was also being careful of his foot placement, being down a welly. The roar down Well pitch was still deafening and we were hesitant at first about even stepping off the rope into the churning water lest we get washed down the pitch. I took the brave step, it was certainly 2 steps forward 1 step in some places but I was not washed away. All of this was quite tiring of course.
I rushed off ahead to check the duck. There was airspace but there was also a lot of water going through. I backtracked meeting the others half way along who had decided to brave the waters themselves, I told them of the situation. D gave it a try, however due a combination of fear of the water backing up over his head and the sheer force of the water, he was prevented from getting through. Daunting as it was, I just did not care any more so when D suggested I should give it a go I knew to try my best. We were going to miss call out by now anyway but any time saved would be time saved for the CRO. So I dived in. Getting through was actually not that hard, the hardest part was not being washed back into the duck! I helped the bag and D through who in turn helped A through and we were finally past the worst of it heading out.
The water levels were definitely dropping now all be it very slowly though. We reached the crawls they were passable but still looked very wet. So I put the knowledge I gained from scouting the passage hours before to good use so we avoided the very wet crawl via a walking sized high level oxbow accessed by a small passage on the right just before the start of the crawls.
We reached Bubbles, it had a torrent going down it but the rope was thankfully out of the water so we got up that with no problems, making use of both my mate?s and the in-situ rope to save time being now somewhat past our call out time.
Bubbles passage was wet but it was now merely sporting. We finally emerged at about twenty past nine and made the trudge across the fell in the high winds and fog to the waiting CRO Land Rover, sorry guys .
My mate had an epic of his own, the waters started to rise as he neared Ding, Dong, Bell so he had to get the novices past that rather difficult pitch head of Bubbles before the waters really became a torrent. He also went in again later on to look for us but was forced to turn back as he was not sure he could get out again.
