Mike Wooding's Ingleborough Cave dive

[GG-GUY]

This is a shot in the dark really. In 1970 Mike Wooding made two dives in Terminal Lake, which resulted in the finding of Gandalf's Gallery. Sherpas for his first dive were drawn from Kendal Caving Club and LUSS, while for his second dive the Cambridge, LUSS and CPC assisted.

I am interested to know if anyone who was involved at the time of these dives took any photographs, particularly of Wooding kitting up or actually in the water, or perhaps outside the cave preparing to go in.

Around the same time Tom Brown made the, nearly fatal, first ever dive in Deep Well, in Far Country, GG. The same question applies in this case.

 

[langcliffe]

John Cleare was the photographer for Mike's dive, Howard. I think a couple of his photographs appeared in the D.T. or the Radio Times. I'll check my files tomorrow. I don't think that anyone else had a camera.

 

[Ian Ball]

Interesting GG Guy, Howard, 2&2=5? Love the book I read as a youngster, excited for the future.

 

[langcliffe]

John Cleare was the photographer for Mike's dive, Howard. I think a couple of his photographs appeared in the D.T. or the Radio Times. I'll check my files tomorrow. I don't think that anyone else had a camera.

I've checked my files, and I can't find any of Cleare's photographs. I do remember that his ammunition box leaked on the way in, so maybe he didn't manage to retrieve anything.

 

[GG-GUY]

I've checked my files, and I can't find any of Cleare's photographs. I do remember that his ammunition box leaked on the way in, so maybe he didn't manage to retrieve anything.

From what I've read in Sid Perou's first book, Cleare never went in Ingleborough Cave. According to Sid he met Cleare in Horton-in-Ribblesdale as the intention was he would take some PR shots in a nearby cave entrance. Tom Brown should have also been there, but never made it because on the way he had a motorcycle accident and broke his wrist.

 

[langcliffe]

John Cleare was on the trip when Mike Wooding made the break-through to Gandalf's Gallery. I remember expressing my sympathy about the drowned camera in Inauguration Caverns, and him shrugging it off as a problem for the insurers. But I won't argue about it.

There is a photograph, taken by Mike Chuck, of Wooding standing in diving gear next to the Clapham Beck Head bridge in his wetsuit, carrying fins and a line reel, that was published in the Telegraph and Argus on Saturday 26th September 1970, page 5 of the Yorkshire Weekender supplement, but I know not the date it was taken. It was likely to have been taken specifically for the article.

 

[GG-GUY]

Thanks for that langcliffe. What you say is certainly not clear from Sid's book. I shall contact the T&A to find out if they have a pictures archive, etc. Maybe I can obtain a copy from them.

 

[T pot 2]

Tom Brown and Ken Pearce !

 

[Pitlamp]

Wow; they're historic shots! Looks like Ken on the left and Tom on the right; yes?

Do you know where the photos were taken and who the photographer was?

 

[T pot 2]

Wow; they're historic shots! Looks like Ken on the left and Tom on the right; yes?

Do you know where the photos were taken and who the photographer was?

Yes thats correct.
I think the dive location is the Swine Hole at
Peak Cavern. If memory serves me, its when Tom was looking at the blocked aven around 50ft in.