Alex
Well-known member
When I was bored one Saturday I decided to wander around, almost aimlessly checking out the various lesser-known/visited caves in Ribblehead. On my venture, I came to Middle scar cave, which the NC book had told me the “dry” way was blocked, however I came to realise it wasn't it had been dug open. I did not go in far solo, as I knew the water was deep and I had no buoyancy with me.
Later, on my wanderings that day I came across a sheep firmly stuck in a Gryke, so I got to meet Slug and chat to him about this caves as we both wrestled the sheep out to regain it's freedom. He told me then it was he who had dug it open and re-explored the cave.
Almost 6 months later, I decided to have another look, my mate Don from the BRCC wanted to go caving with me as it had been a long while since we had caved together and I suggested this trip. But on Thursday two, days before the planned excursion he told me could not make it, something about his wife holding him hostage or something. He would however, get day release for another trip with me a week later, but that's another story.
So it was kind of last minute I put out a call in Out on Rock and despite the short notice, Rob and Byron said they were keen. However, this did mean Byron would spent almost all of Friday travelling round Manchester to get a-hold of a wetsuit and a buoyancy aid that fit him, as he's not one for swimming normally.
Saturday came around and we soon met up on the sunny fell and made the long walk (it was at-least 100m!) to the cave entrance and slowly lowered ourselves into the dark water, just inside.
Thankfully after the first couple of meters it's possible to simply jam yourself in the rift, so your never really swimming. The wet section went on for about 20m to where it's just about possible to stand up on your tip-toes before another short deep section led into a crawling height tunnel and then more wading.
After this the passage gets rather nice and quite well decorated to begin with, the passage grew tall as we slowly made our way down the rift passage, taking in the amazing sights of this cave it was quite a bit bigger than we were expecting. I love the feeling of going to a cave I have not done before, which in my caving life is really quite rare now, in the Dales.
We reached the described 12ft “climb” and spent a while pondering and half heartily trying to get up this so called “easy climb” , but none of us liked the slippiness of it, or the high mantle required to get up on the right either. However, thankfully there was an SRT rope on it with Slug's name on it. I could climb up high enough to see that it was attached by about 5 different anchor points, so I was happy enough to use it, even-though some were looking quite rusted.
So off we popped to get our SRT kits and did the swims for a second time. Getting back out of the water proved to be the hardest part, the walls all bell out underwater so nothing to really kick off of, however after a little struggling we flopped onto dry land like beached whales and we soon got back to the cars. We then had the problem of just how to float the kit, Rob had the idea of using his two dry bags filled with air. We placed the kits in two tackle sacks and added the engorged dry bags to float the SRT kits in the water, at least that was the plan. However, when in we found the seal on dry bags must had not been that great, and it was soon like a bubble bath! It it was a fight to not loose our kits in the deep murky water while keeping ourselves afloat. We were not sure if the weight of the SRT kits would pull us down with them!
Anyway, after that 3rd swim and armed with now very clean SRT kits we ascended the rope, thanks Slug! The upper cave was even bigger a large square shaped chamber about 8 x 10 x 4 high was soon encountered, I think this is probably the largest I have seen in Ribble-head.
The continuing passage from here was also all rather nice, only bits of crawling and stooping before we reached the main junction with side passage known as “Rising Mirth”. This was one of the strangest I have seen resplendent in dark chert bands, akin to Black Reef but a far better representation of the geological feature. One of these looked like it had once been a complete wall, until the water blasted through making what looks like doorway or window in this perfect black partition. We reached the final chamber and stood there with our mouths-agape. Here the entire back wall was black, the calcite formations covered in this almost oil like sheen. With a waterfall cascading in from 5m above into a lake that covered the entire floor, this was an awe-inspiring place. I must note that this passage should only be entered by careful cavers, these black chert bands are directly in your path and are very delicate, so please if you go up here be careful!
On the way out I left the guys for a moment and went up the main stream to the “Mudlark”, and was almost disappointed by there being no actual ducks, just a wet canal. There was a few avens, that must be near the surface and the final sump looked a dismal prospect!
We passed the swims for a forth time and once warmed up in the summer sun we decided the fun was not over yet. So, we ventured over to look at Black Reef, we had after-all only been 3.5 hours underground so far. This cave is of a similar character but I must say the chert bands are just not as impressive, the purple passage at the back is certainly a unique feature though.
For our final cave we popped into Katnot cave, and gawked at the amazing river passage in there. It's a shame about the graffiti in the first dry bit, though I did think the made up cave pictures made from the cave clay were rather cute, but it's still not really the done thing.
After going up as far as the main river inlet I then bid farewell to Rob and Byron to go sunning themselves on the surface while I pushed the upstream continuation, until I got bored. After crawling for what-seemed forever I reached a kern on the right the only bit of dry land in the entire passage. The passage ahead was looking decidedly low, but was still definitely passible, but by then I was getting tired of this passage and my knees sore, I had been crawling in elbow deep water for almost 200m. Returning, I also ventured up the main river inlet, which was also quite fun, but I turned back when the flow of the water started going over my head about 40m in, and got flushed out when I turned around.
All in all a fantastic day out.
Cavers: Alex R, Rob Crowther, Byron Machin
All photo's are by Byron.
Later, on my wanderings that day I came across a sheep firmly stuck in a Gryke, so I got to meet Slug and chat to him about this caves as we both wrestled the sheep out to regain it's freedom. He told me then it was he who had dug it open and re-explored the cave.
Almost 6 months later, I decided to have another look, my mate Don from the BRCC wanted to go caving with me as it had been a long while since we had caved together and I suggested this trip. But on Thursday two, days before the planned excursion he told me could not make it, something about his wife holding him hostage or something. He would however, get day release for another trip with me a week later, but that's another story.
So it was kind of last minute I put out a call in Out on Rock and despite the short notice, Rob and Byron said they were keen. However, this did mean Byron would spent almost all of Friday travelling round Manchester to get a-hold of a wetsuit and a buoyancy aid that fit him, as he's not one for swimming normally.
Saturday came around and we soon met up on the sunny fell and made the long walk (it was at-least 100m!) to the cave entrance and slowly lowered ourselves into the dark water, just inside.
Thankfully after the first couple of meters it's possible to simply jam yourself in the rift, so your never really swimming. The wet section went on for about 20m to where it's just about possible to stand up on your tip-toes before another short deep section led into a crawling height tunnel and then more wading.
After this the passage gets rather nice and quite well decorated to begin with, the passage grew tall as we slowly made our way down the rift passage, taking in the amazing sights of this cave it was quite a bit bigger than we were expecting. I love the feeling of going to a cave I have not done before, which in my caving life is really quite rare now, in the Dales.
We reached the described 12ft “climb” and spent a while pondering and half heartily trying to get up this so called “easy climb” , but none of us liked the slippiness of it, or the high mantle required to get up on the right either. However, thankfully there was an SRT rope on it with Slug's name on it. I could climb up high enough to see that it was attached by about 5 different anchor points, so I was happy enough to use it, even-though some were looking quite rusted.
So off we popped to get our SRT kits and did the swims for a second time. Getting back out of the water proved to be the hardest part, the walls all bell out underwater so nothing to really kick off of, however after a little struggling we flopped onto dry land like beached whales and we soon got back to the cars. We then had the problem of just how to float the kit, Rob had the idea of using his two dry bags filled with air. We placed the kits in two tackle sacks and added the engorged dry bags to float the SRT kits in the water, at least that was the plan. However, when in we found the seal on dry bags must had not been that great, and it was soon like a bubble bath! It it was a fight to not loose our kits in the deep murky water while keeping ourselves afloat. We were not sure if the weight of the SRT kits would pull us down with them!
Anyway, after that 3rd swim and armed with now very clean SRT kits we ascended the rope, thanks Slug! The upper cave was even bigger a large square shaped chamber about 8 x 10 x 4 high was soon encountered, I think this is probably the largest I have seen in Ribble-head.
The continuing passage from here was also all rather nice, only bits of crawling and stooping before we reached the main junction with side passage known as “Rising Mirth”. This was one of the strangest I have seen resplendent in dark chert bands, akin to Black Reef but a far better representation of the geological feature. One of these looked like it had once been a complete wall, until the water blasted through making what looks like doorway or window in this perfect black partition. We reached the final chamber and stood there with our mouths-agape. Here the entire back wall was black, the calcite formations covered in this almost oil like sheen. With a waterfall cascading in from 5m above into a lake that covered the entire floor, this was an awe-inspiring place. I must note that this passage should only be entered by careful cavers, these black chert bands are directly in your path and are very delicate, so please if you go up here be careful!
On the way out I left the guys for a moment and went up the main stream to the “Mudlark”, and was almost disappointed by there being no actual ducks, just a wet canal. There was a few avens, that must be near the surface and the final sump looked a dismal prospect!
We passed the swims for a forth time and once warmed up in the summer sun we decided the fun was not over yet. So, we ventured over to look at Black Reef, we had after-all only been 3.5 hours underground so far. This cave is of a similar character but I must say the chert bands are just not as impressive, the purple passage at the back is certainly a unique feature though.
For our final cave we popped into Katnot cave, and gawked at the amazing river passage in there. It's a shame about the graffiti in the first dry bit, though I did think the made up cave pictures made from the cave clay were rather cute, but it's still not really the done thing.
After going up as far as the main river inlet I then bid farewell to Rob and Byron to go sunning themselves on the surface while I pushed the upstream continuation, until I got bored. After crawling for what-seemed forever I reached a kern on the right the only bit of dry land in the entire passage. The passage ahead was looking decidedly low, but was still definitely passible, but by then I was getting tired of this passage and my knees sore, I had been crawling in elbow deep water for almost 200m. Returning, I also ventured up the main river inlet, which was also quite fun, but I turned back when the flow of the water started going over my head about 40m in, and got flushed out when I turned around.
All in all a fantastic day out.
Cavers: Alex R, Rob Crowther, Byron Machin
All photo's are by Byron.
