Langstroth, Question Hole in floor, open?

[ALEXW]

I might have a trip down Langstroth this weekend, I can't get down the top bit so I would like to know if the Hole in the Floor is open and/or safe.
Any info much appreciated.
Thanks

 

[MJenkinson]

Sorry for the minor Hijack but it's sort of related!

Has the access situation changed there; last time I just asked at the farm in Yockenthwaite but the CNCC website states to ask at Raisegill Farm in Hubberholme?

Also, do I understand correctly that the HitF entrance gains the main streamway above the 4th pitch or is this wrong? Does this miss out the fat man filters?!

 

[ALEXW]

I can't get in from the top but had no problems from the HITF to the sumps and back (emphatically not through the sumps and then out ).
Rigging is a bit tricky as there is nothing solid to rig to,just old spits and dodgy naturals.
It is a trip I have enjoyed a couple of times and has some amazing helictites.
I'm just not sure if I fancy the HITF if it has deteriorated since I last went a couple of years ago, it was a bit dodgy then.

 

[MJenkinson]

Thanks Alexw - I did the sumps a while ago with a bottle and the through trip is playing on my mind!

Anyways - will wait on some info regarding the entrance.

 

[Alex]

I would consider a through trip with a bottle (no way am I free diving those), but I would like to do it from the top ent.

 

[Benfool]

I went through the hole in the floor entrance about 6 months ago in the summer, its a little loose as usual but essentally fine. Hole in the floor entrance indeed drops you into Lanstroth at the top of the 4th pitch - it pretty much turns a fairly serious trip into a lovely sunday bimble! There has been a few new stainless bolts installed so rigging is certainly a lot easier than it used to be, but definitely take a good selection of slings.

Regarding the sumps - I've both freedived them and dived with a bottle. I wont be freediving them again anytime soon and I'm a glorified fish!

 

[MJenkinson]

I went through the hole in the floor entrance about 6 months ago in the summer, its a little loose as usual but essentally fine. Hole in the floor entrance indeed drops you into Lanstroth at the top of the 4th pitch - it pretty much turns a fairly serious trip into a lovely sunday bimble! There has been a few new stainless bolts installed so rigging is certainly a lot easier than it used to be, but definitely take a good selection of slings.

Regarding the sumps - I've both freedived them and dived with a bottle. I wont be freediving them again anytime soon and I'm a glorified fish!
[/quote

Thanks for the info!

 

[Simon Wilson]

I went through the hole in the floor entrance about 6 months ago in the summer, its a little loose as usual but essentally fine. Hole in the floor entrance indeed drops you into Lanstroth at the top of the 4th pitch - it pretty much turns a fairly serious trip into a lovely sunday bimble! There has been a few new stainless bolts installed so rigging is certainly a lot easier than it used to be, but definitely take a good selection of slings.

Regarding the sumps - I've both freedived them and dived with a bottle. I wont be freediving them again anytime soon and I'm a glorified fish!

Sorry. I asked a question and then remembered I've had an official warning about being off topic so I've modified it. I'll ask the question by PM.

 

[Alex]

Regarding the sumps - I've both freedived them and dived with a bottle. I wont be freediving them again anytime soon and I'm a glorified fish!

Was this the trip I read about when you both thought each other was dead on the other side/inside the sump?

 

[Benfool]

Yeah, it was a horrid experience - I was pretty sure she was dead. Decided to give up free diving sumps for good and take up cave diving!

 

[georgenorth]

Hi Ben - I've just read your trip report and it sounds like a horrible experience. In the interests of historical accuracy I think the 3 cavers (Martin Blackburn, Brian Fox and Donald Southern) who died in Langstroth Pot were from Newcastle University rather than ULSA though - hopefully somebody else can confirm this.

George.

 

[maxf]

Regarding the sumps - I've both freedived them and dived with a bottle. I wont be freediving them again anytime soon and I'm a glorified fish!

Was this the trip I read about when you both thought each other was dead on the other side/inside the sump?

Any link to this report ?

 

[CatM]

Regarding the sumps - I've both freedived them and dived with a bottle. I wont be freediving them again anytime soon and I'm a glorified fish!

Was this the trip I read about when you both thought each other was dead on the other side/inside the sump?

Any link to this report ?

Google Langstroth Pot and it's the first hit!

http://www.tsgcaving.co.uk/trip-reports/161-langstroth-pot

One of the younger students in our club suggested to me not long ago that he wanted to freedive the sumps. Remembering reading Ben's report, I emphatically told him "No! I don't want to have to call your mother tonight to tell her that you're dead."

 

[MJenkinson]

Anyone got a link to a rigging guide???

Everyone makes their own call but... when I dived the sumps they seemed quite straight forward and open, with decent line which was well belayed in the airbell.  It sounds like the big issue with the trip report mentioned was that of pulling gear through which is no doubt a real PITA!  Would I freedive them, maybe.

 

[richardg]

Hi Ben - I've just read your trip report and it sounds like a horrible experience. In the interests of historical accuracy I think the 3 cavers (Martin Blackburn, Brian Fox and Donald Southern) who died in Langstroth Pot were from Newcastle University rather than ULSA though - hopefully somebody else can confirm this.

George.

Yes these souls were on a Newcastle University Caving Club trip,  two weeks previous we had a fun packed trip  together in the caves of Dentdale.... how fortunes can change in an instant! ......... please be careful....

Richard.

 

[Dickie]

Don't go through on Sunday afternoon - there's no air left in the upside-down toilet that masquerades as an airbell!

 

[Alex]

Its a pity we cant just use a really long drill bit and drill a hole into the air bell from the closest side so this can never happen again.

 

[Bottlebank]

Its a pity we cant just use a really long drill bit and drill a hole into the air bell from the closest side so this can never happen again.

If the air bell is always present running a hose through both sides would maybe have the same effect.

 

[MJenkinson]

Its a pity we cant just use a really long drill bit and drill a hole into the air bell from the closest side so this can never happen again.

Isn't this "kind of" similar to removing squeezes in caves though? I won't fit in certain caves and I wouldn't ask for them to be blasted, but the bad air issue doesn't bother me and removing it would lessen the challenge of the cave? Obviously I know there is some difference but you are suggesting making a cave safer and easier?

 

[Bottlebank]

Its a pity we cant just use a really long drill bit and drill a hole into the air bell from the closest side so this can never happen again.

Isn't this "kind of" similar to removing squeezes in caves though? I won't fit in certain caves and I wouldn't ask for them to be blasted, but the bad air issue doesn't bother me and removing it would lessen the challenge of the cave? Obviously I know there is some difference but you are suggesting making a cave safer and easier?

I've never dived it, but my understanding is that bad air build up here basically depends on conditions and the interval between trips. As you may have no idea when someone was last in there this would seem a common sense safety precaution to me, very different to removing a squeeze.