My First Cave

[Fulk]

If you dont mind advice, just keep at it. Constantly moving hinges dont rust.

Seconded

My first caving trip was GG . . . but I guess that was cheating, as it was on the winch (though we did do some ?real? caving to Stream Passage and Mud Hall).

My first ?real? trip was Ireby Fell Cavern, on ladders with the BPC, wearing what were laughably called ?dry grots?; grotty they certainly were, but dry ? no way. Anyway, I was absolutely knackered (not to say piss wet through) on the way out, and when we got to the third pitch (~40 ft), the double lifeline had somehow managed to feed itself through the pulley (an early lesson learnt ? ropes have a life of their own) and was lying in a heap in a puddle at the bottom of the pitch. I can still (I daren?t think how many years later) remember watching in awe as some brave soul climbed the ladder without a safety rope; shortly after, it was my turn to be more or less hauled up!

(For those not familiar with the place, the third pitch of IFC is quite damp (at least it was on ladders in the 'old days', though with modern rigging it's less wet), and getting off the top is not the easiest of manoeuvres.)

 

[Laurie]

When I started having movement problems some 15 or so years back I asked my doctor why. I explained that I'd always lead an extremely active life followed by a list of all my activities. His response was "Well, you've worn yourself out, haven't you." What happened to 'Stay active to stay healthy'? Seems there's two sides to the argument.
I'm currently 74 and slowly getting more active after a bit of Meccano was fitted in my spine to replace a knackered bit Maybe a couple of new knee joints would get me underground again. 'til then I look forward to OR's picture galleries. 
To be honest, I can't grumble, my life's been a lot more exciting than Coronation Street, Bingo and Butlins.

 

[Fulk]

Coronation Street's been quite exciting recently, with lots of skullduggery going down . . . . or did you mean watching Coronation Street?

 

[royfellows]

My knees could give me concern but I take a lesson from life.

I was in my late thirties at the time and became virtually crippled, no exaggeration, with rheumatics.

I pin it down to a karate evening when I trained like mad for an hour and got soaked in sweat, and then sat down for another hour while beginners were on the floor. Cold and wet while resting is asking for it, nowadays I would get changed or something. More sense with age.

It was that bad I really struggled to get and out of my car. I started wondering what I would be like when I was fifty.
A local chemist recommended hitting myself with 3 Disprin every 3 hours non stop for about 3 days. Made me feel sick but shifted it.
Never came back.

Some thoughts from the past include enjoying strolling through the Rampgill Mine at Nenthead and thinking that I would still be able to enjoy this place when in my 70s and unable to do anything more strenuous.

 

[Jenny P]

I come from the wilds of darkest Surrey: a place with no holes and no hills as far as I knew, but had always wanted to try caving since reading de Joly and Casteret borrowed from the Library at age 12.  Never even been down a show cave as Mother didn't approve.

My first proper caving trip was Swildons Hole as far as Barnes Loop on a Sunday in June 1960 (aged 20), and we didn't meet a soul!  Wearing dry grots and borrowed helmet, size 10 boots and a white Rolls-Royce apprentice boiler suit made for someone who was 6ft. 4ins.

Swung under the waterfall coming up the 40ft. and put my carbide out, couldn't remember what was at the top and was being life-lined from below (there were only two of us), so crept up the top of the ladder and sat in the pool of water at the top, not daring to move.  Future husband came up after me, swung under the waterfall and put his light out as well, so both sat in the pool side by side till he could re-light his carbide.  Soaked, cold, muddy and absolutely delighted with my first trip - never had so much fun!

Duff hip put paid to my fun about 8 years ago and now, even with 2 new hips, I can't kneel down properly so can only manage walk-in trips.

 

[martinb]

My first proper trip was in the late 1980's/very early 1990's - I was about late 20's at the time, and did a 'Management Adventure Day' with my then work from Brow Gill to Calf Holes. It was a great trip - a letterbox in the middle and a bunch of us sitting in the dark (we turned our lights off) singing 'Always look on the bright side of life.....' Then a damp climb up a ladder on the way out - I seem to remember we were late for dinner as one bloke with a dodgy leg had trouble with the ladder and we had to haul him out.

I seem to remember impressing a young lady with our exploits that evening....

Then kids got in the way and I found myself struggling to put my socks on due to the 'pouch' I had developed from too much nosh in about 2006/7.

At the time I had changed employment and occaisionally accompanied school trips down Carlswark/Bagshaw/Giants in the Peak District. Some blond leader upstart called Leon (you know who you are Mr. Z!) suggested I take it up as a hobby as I had 'done' geology at college including a field trip to Windy Knoll above Castleton in 1979/1980 - although we only prodded around the entrance.

I joined a club, but two of us hit it off (Markc of this parish) and Stoney Middleton became our playground, visiting virtually every hole - still a few to do!, later moving onto the Castleton area.

I'm now 55, still fit and caving, have a few cave discoveries under my belt, got rid of the pouch, built leg and shoulder muscles up, AND the wife still loves me!

 

[Laurie]

I come from the wilds of darkest Surrey: a place with no holes and no hills as far as I knew

Godstone and Merstham firestone mines,,,,,?

 

[adrian paniwnyk]

Remember as a school boy riding on my bike the few miles from where I lived trying to find the entrances at Godstone. Unfortunately or fortunately didn't manage to find them.

 

[Laurie]

Oops! I should have said 'Hearthstone' mines.

Adrian, good thing you didn't find the entrance. (Was hidden behind a bush or in the middle of the main road outside Godstone bus garage) Once in, you need a guide (the late lamented Martin Beales was mine) as the layout is like a crossword puzzle with all the passages pretty nigh identical.

 

[Jenny P]

I come from the wilds of darkest Surrey: a place with no holes and no hills as far as I knew

Godstone and Merstham firestone mines,,,,,?

Ah, but I'm talking about the 1950's and nothing was known about the various mines then - or it may have been but the knowledge wasn't available to the general public.  You'd have had to be involved in a caving/mining group to know about them and, pre-internet, there was no way for a teenage schoolgirl to find out about them.

 

[Graigwen]

Ah, but I'm talking about the 1950's and nothing was known about the various mines then - or it may have been but the knowledge wasn't available to the general public.  You'd have had to be involved in a caving/mining group to know about them and, pre-internet, there was no way for a teenage schoolgirl to find out about them.

Indeed, or even a teenage boy in the mid 1960s. I found out that the fount of all knowledge about Kent and Surrey mines, Harry Pearman of Chelsea SS, lived about half a mile from me. I used to go round and drink his tea, taking down notes as he talked. It is difficult now to recall what a difference the Internet has made. We used to waste so much time as a result of communication difficulties.

.

 

[royfellows]

Ah, but I'm talking about the 1950's and nothing was known about the various mines then - or it may have been but the knowledge wasn't available to the general public.  You'd have had to be involved in a caving/mining group to know about them and, pre-internet, there was no way for a teenage schoolgirl to find out about them.

Reading this if only.......
If only I had known, if only I had got into photography early, but then I would be pining about whats been lost

 

[adrian paniwnyk]

Concerning my attempts to find the entrances to the Godstone Mines, I didn't  have access to Harry Pearman's Chelsea publications but I had seen James Geary Gardeners " Secrets of Caterham and Godstone  Caves" published in 1963 which was better than nothing.

 

[moletta]

I'd been in caves on outdoor activity type visits, I'd even been to Sump 1 in Swildon's, but it was Lancaster Hole to Wretched Rabbit that really got me! So thanks Bruce and the other members of Bravo Charlie Charlie.