Magnus goes down Mossdale

[wookey]

Magnus Mitbo has made a nice video of a trip down Mossdale. There is the usual fairly high bullshit-ratio, but it's a good look at what Mossdale is like for the many people who've not been there. Definitely a wetsuit trip

 

[Cantclimbtom]

Strongly advise watching with volume completely off to avoid having to listen to Magnus Mit Bull, but the video tour is lovely watching

 

[Lankyman]

Thank goodness that within the first minute he tells us that Mossdale is in the Yorkshire Dales, England not the numerous Yorkshire Dales that presumably exist elsewhere in other countries.

 

[Ian Ball]

I think that is up there with some of the best caving videos on youtube.

I like this Magnus fellow

 

[huwg]

The footage quality is impressive! Nice of Magnus to move Oroborous closer to the entrance too, it means when Simon gets digging there again he won't have as far to drag the scaffolding.

 

[cavemanmike]

Not a fan. No helmet and to much click bait drama

 

[JasonC]

Hats off to @Alex for taking him! As well as being a tough trip, it must have been made tougher by having to stop every few minutes and listen to some more histrionics. Unless Magnus was actually perfectly happy, but just had to put on the "I'm so scared, we're all going to die!!" act for the sake of the clicks.

 

[Alex]

He was scared somewhat, the flood potential did really bother him. Notice I said no duff, I told him that means tell me how you are really doing. He was definitely sore and cold too, shivering visible despite being in a neo-fleece, but we had to stop a lot for filming etc. I do wish they checked with me on the place names i.e. where they were, that's my only real gripe. As for helmet off, don't you take yours off in ducks, I sure do! (Though it was not needed with the water levels) I also take it off to film myself with my gopro see one of my Sleets gill vids for example, the camera's attached to the helmet, so that's nothing unusual when filming underground. Finally yes he did talk about dyeing too much, but I think he was genuinely nervous about the flood potential remember he had never done anything like this cave before, and I remember how nervous I was on my first trip in there. (Mainly because we did not have smart phones (that's how long ago it was) and used a newspaper as the weather forcast lol!)

 

[A_Northerner]

I couldn't watch the whole video as it really isn't my kind of thing, and just glimpsing at the comments filled with the usual internet clichés about caving riled me up. However, I really respect that he took a local caver along as a guide (I know you extended the offer, but he could have just ignored you and gone alone) which made it seem a bit more grounded than it could have been. It at least demonstrates a level of responsibility that I hope his subscribers follow along with.

 

[jonnybellman]

I've watched his videos on and off for a number of years. Whilst I agree there's a bit of sensationalism with his content, I think that is just typical of the sphere he operates in. At the end of the day, clicks/interaction is what's paying for him to do these kinds of things, and inevitably it will drive behaviours that increase those. He seems a genuinely decent guy though, and has some interesting climbing videos which is more of his background.

Having never been in Mossdale and would probably be too scared to, hats off to him, his camera guy and the guide. I at least enjoyed seeing inside, as I've not previously seen any video from Mossdale.

p.s. 100% agree with @A_Northerner, the comments section are the worst on cave/diving videos, really boils my p!ss.

 

[Boy Engineer]

Well that’s another one off the “want to do” list. This getting older bit has its advantages. Grateful that I didn’t have to be one of those Influencers that they have nowadays.

 

[David Rose]

So long as the weather is stable, Mossdale is a fascinating cave and a very enjoyable trip. The video is ridiculous.

 

[Alex]

I agree it's an enjoyable trip, but I was sort of happy one way allow a bit of overhype (not like I could do much to stop it) to discourage people who don't know what they are doing going down there, following this vid. The second trip I did with him in a tamer cave, I did convince him not overhype as ("my mates would laugh at me") on that one, whether that one ever get's released, I don't know.

I definitely never said it's the most dangerous cave in the world or Europe a lot of this is editing and not Magnus himself. I think it probbably is the most dangerous in UK but definitely not the world, depends how you measure "danger". Yeh some editing I don't like but like someone said it's the sphere they work in and he was genuinely nervous about flooding etc.

 

[Ian Ball]

I would say nowhere in the Uk has scene more people lose their life in a single event, having read Langcliffe's wikipedia page.

Well if Dave Rose says it's ridiculous, I must like ridiculous, I really enjoyed the video.

I also like this video of him taking on some climbing places around England.

 

[Lankyman]

So long as the weather is stable, Mossdale is a fascinating cave and a very enjoyable trip. The video is ridiculous.

I agree (about Mossdale). I haven't watched all of the video as it's way beyond my attention span. I'd say with modern weather forecasting it's a surer bet than in the nineties when I made my visits. As you say it does have a fascination and some parts are actually quite nice. What it does also have, inevitably, is an aura which can get a bit overbearing if you dwell on it. This happened to me on the way out when I forgot to pick up my little kit bag and had to head back to retrieve it on my own. I was glad to get back to the others.

 

[Badlad]

Porth Yr Ogof might well be more dangerous than Mossdale. Despite the nonsense talk, I quite enjoyed the video for some strange reason.

 

[A_Northerner]

Having never been in Mossdale and would probably be too scared to, hats off to him, his camera guy and the guide.

Says the man pushing new underwater passage four sumps deep in downstream New Goyden

 

[Mike Kushy]

He needs to do some more fun stuff. Bring him Mendips way

 

[Mike Kushy]

Strongly advise watching with volume completely off to avoid having to listen to Magnus Mit Bull, but the video tour is lovely watching

I quite like his analytical nature personally and his courage to persevere. For a non caver good on him.

 

[Cantclimbtom]

I quite like his analytical nature personally and his courage to persevere. For a non caver good on him.

He's an astonishingly good athlete, generally a very interesting and likeable guy who's made a lot of great videos. The gripe I have is in the last 2 years or so he descended into sensationalism and superlative YouTube, like "the world's most deadly <insert topic here>" and constantly seeks reassurance that he could die at any moment. If only he'd stop that nonsense and go back to his old self, he'd be among the best YouTubers.

Compare the same trip with Magnus (who I happen to know had been told several times off camera it's not the deepest cave in America) surviving the America's deepest cave

Versus the people who guided him (same trip)

Both great videos but also very different!