Kiln Piece Hole - A new entrance to the Slaughter Stream Cave system?
- Thread starter PeteHall
- Start date
Ali M
Active member
Apologies - an aside story and thanks to Graham Mullan for reminding me of this trip.
While helping with the resurvey of Long Hole in the Cheddar Catchment in 2013, it was necessary to check out a reported 20m long passage leading off from the base of a 2.5m deep tight fissure. Having confirmed the existence of this body-sized scalloped tube passage and explored it to a conclusion, where there was the inscription “RB 4th Sept 57”. I then had to return to the start to collect the gear to complete a solo survey. I decided to christen the passage Once Only (even though I had done it twice). It would be very interesting to know the history of the inscription.
I have not been back.
While helping with the resurvey of Long Hole in the Cheddar Catchment in 2013, it was necessary to check out a reported 20m long passage leading off from the base of a 2.5m deep tight fissure. Having confirmed the existence of this body-sized scalloped tube passage and explored it to a conclusion, where there was the inscription “RB 4th Sept 57”. I then had to return to the start to collect the gear to complete a solo survey. I decided to christen the passage Once Only (even though I had done it twice). It would be very interesting to know the history of the inscription.
I have not been back.
Tritim230
Well-known member
Despite saying never, ever again yesterday we were back with a large support team to complete the survey of the KPH to SSC connection.
Our previous trip had stopped part way through Sump 3, as a sudden water rise caused Pete to almost drown.
This time, there was no Dan or Pete to support us. As I (Tim) was the only one that knew the way intimately, and Mark back from Brazil, he assumed PDA control and I was demoted to spotting with Matilde on Disto. I achieved maximum station efficiency by crawling backwards for the entire length of 93m. This worked remarkably well. We managed to survey from the previous limit in KPH Sump 3 to Joel's limit in Pirate Passage in under 3 hours.
No near drowning thanks to the heroic and hyperthermic support of Joel and Marta at the sumps, and Andy and Jon at the surface.
Paul reached the Coal Bunker from KPH and filmed and photographed with Tiff. Paul had first reached the Coal Bunker with Dave Appleling over 30 years ago from the Wet Sink entrance. As such he is the only person to have completed the entire section both ways, albeit on separate trips.
After the surveying was completed Tiff and Matilde carried on out of Wet Sink entrance to complete the through trip. This took around 5 hours, with Tiff taking photos and video which we can't wait to see. Her bag looked impossibly large and heavy and I didn't envy her with it in the Pirate Passage traverses.
A return is needed to survey upstream at the base of pitch 2. (Pete pushed this ~10m to a sump). And to derig.
My claim to fame is passing Sump 2 seven times and I will definitely never, ever go through it again. The drained sumps are a tortuous flat out battle through sludge, and the dry passage beyond isn't much better.
Tiff did suggest a Forest annual 'winch meet', where we organised a team to drain the sumps so visiting cavers can tick this challenging through trip off their bucket list. Any takers???
Our previous trip had stopped part way through Sump 3, as a sudden water rise caused Pete to almost drown.
This time, there was no Dan or Pete to support us. As I (Tim) was the only one that knew the way intimately, and Mark back from Brazil, he assumed PDA control and I was demoted to spotting with Matilde on Disto. I achieved maximum station efficiency by crawling backwards for the entire length of 93m. This worked remarkably well. We managed to survey from the previous limit in KPH Sump 3 to Joel's limit in Pirate Passage in under 3 hours.
No near drowning thanks to the heroic and hyperthermic support of Joel and Marta at the sumps, and Andy and Jon at the surface.
Paul reached the Coal Bunker from KPH and filmed and photographed with Tiff. Paul had first reached the Coal Bunker with Dave Appleling over 30 years ago from the Wet Sink entrance. As such he is the only person to have completed the entire section both ways, albeit on separate trips.
After the surveying was completed Tiff and Matilde carried on out of Wet Sink entrance to complete the through trip. This took around 5 hours, with Tiff taking photos and video which we can't wait to see. Her bag looked impossibly large and heavy and I didn't envy her with it in the Pirate Passage traverses.
A return is needed to survey upstream at the base of pitch 2. (Pete pushed this ~10m to a sump). And to derig.
My claim to fame is passing Sump 2 seven times and I will definitely never, ever go through it again. The drained sumps are a tortuous flat out battle through sludge, and the dry passage beyond isn't much better.
Tiff did suggest a Forest annual 'winch meet', where we organised a team to drain the sumps so visiting cavers can tick this challenging through trip off their bucket list. Any takers???
Last edited:
Tritim230
Well-known member
Reposted comment from Tiff - it made us laugh in all seriousness. We're not really selling the place, are we?
"There was a sitcom-esc moment on Sunday when Joel was feeding out more electric cable, picked up the connecting point, went "oh that's fizzy!" and then we shared a look of horror as we suddenly realised that electrocution should also have been on our list of Possible Ways to Die in KPH along with drowning and CO2 poisoning
"
"There was a sitcom-esc moment on Sunday when Joel was feeding out more electric cable, picked up the connecting point, went "oh that's fizzy!" and then we shared a look of horror as we suddenly realised that electrocution should also have been on our list of Possible Ways to Die in KPH along with drowning and CO2 poisoning
"
Dan S
Active member
Don't forget the rocks whizzing down to the exposed bottom of pitch 2, the dodgy scaffolding, iffy old bolts and the desire just to give up in the tight crawls and happily die, rather than push on any further..Reposted comment from Tiff - it made us laugh in all seriousness. We're not really selling the place, are we?
"There was a sitcom-esc moment on Sunday when Joel was feeding out more electric cable, picked up the connecting point, went "oh that's fizzy!" and then we shared a look of horror as we suddenly realised that electrocution should also have been on our list of Possible Ways to Die in KPH along with drowning and CO2 poisoning
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