New and reopened bits in Stoney Middleton

[martinb]

In response to this thread: http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=13200.0 I though I had better write up what we (I and others from CCC) have done in Stoney Middleton since November 2010.

From November 2010 to May 2011, CCC had an ongoing project to reopen the shaft in Clay Chamber in Nickergrove Mine to Stream Chamber. Stream Chamber is where the stream comes in from Streaks Pot and then goes out NNE towards the Boil Up. After months of stabilising the shaft and digging through years of silt, we managed to open the route in May 2011.

Subsequently, we also found a 20m+ rift going virtually all the way up to the same level as the entrance passage. Miners had been there before and nicked quite a lot of stal - the new rift was named T'owd Mans Rift.

In October 2011, John Taylor from EPC and CDG did try to dive the downstream extensions towards the Boil Up, but unfortunately, there had been movement in the boulder choke and it was not to be.



In July 2011, members of CCC were to be found in Merlins looking for a connection between Carlswark and Merlins. After only three weeks of digging, a new connection was found through a large scree pile. be warned that the connection is tight and awkward! The connection was found and passed by 4 members and was named ' Connect 4'.



In September 2011, whilst wandering around on the hillside between Hangover Hole and Rubble Rift, 2 members of CCC noticed water worn features on a small rock outcrop. After 10 minutes of digging with hands through soil and scree, we were rewarded with a small gust of cool air from gaps inbetween larger boulders.

The following week we returned with rock breaking equipment and subsequently forced a way into a narrow descending rift about 18" wide and 8' deep, from the bottom, you can slide into a small chamber about 1m H x 4m L x 2m W.

A narrow 2m long slot in the wall of the chamber allows access to another chamber at the rear with voice and light connection to Moonmilk chamber in Hangover Hole. The connection has been called 'Sober Connection' as we dug it before we went to the pub! 


Another project is underway with a write up (hopefully) in the next Descent.

 

[Goydenman]

Indeeeeeed much appreciated 

 

[Mark]

Nice one Martin 

 

[bscreen]

Nice one. 

Any more info on the connection between Merlins and Carlswark? Is it in the Gimli's dream / Eyam dale shaft area, or a differnet part of the system?

 

[martinb]

Nice one. 

Any more info on the connection between Merlins and Carlswark? Is it in the Gimli's dream / Eyam dale shaft area, or a differnet part of the system?

The new connection is about 3 feet away from the 1973 blocked connection. As you enter from Eyam Shaft, squeeze into the tight connection where the original connection was. On the far wall is an excavated hole, squeeze through legs first (easier) between a block and a scree pile, then another squeeze into the far reaches of Gimlis Dream.

Please Note: The delicate formations in Gimli's Dream are in the process of being taped and cleaned. Please keep to the marked route.

Ta.

Martin

 

[martinb]

In response to this thread: http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=13200.0 I though I had better write up what we (I and others from CCC) have done in Stoney Middleton since November 2010.

Another project is underway with a write up (hopefully) in the next Descent.

As some of you may have seen in the last edition of Descent, a couple of us from CCC have reopened Sunday Mine Rift (Mine in name as its the best part of 99% natural!?!)

The original 4 Oil drum entrance just to the east of Streaks Lower entrance was original found by John Beck back in the 80's whilst he was looking for an entrance to Streaks.

The oil drums had rotted and the entrance area had slumped somewhat. There was a noticable rift feature in the hillside nearby and we dug down, taking about 4 trips before breaking through into the top of the rift.

The rift is about 20m long with water worn walls up to 2m apart. John's original survey had the rift ending at a boulder choke. This has moved somewhat over the years and now drops a good 3 or 4m into a sump.

The sump is a bit of a quandary. We cannot work out if it is static or not, there seems to be no flow at the surface, and bailing it didn't make a difference. The sump also seems to go down a good 5 or 6 feet as we managed to loose a pokey pole down it!

The rift is intersected at a higher level by a natural tube from Sunday Mine Passage (Again very little evidence of direct mining in that bit either!) at an angle of appx 90deg. If dug NW this would pop up in the White House in Streaks, but is choked with silt with a thick 10cm calcite floor.

The intersection of the two parts of Sunday mine is choked with huge boulders, slumped from a shaft from the surface. There is evidence miners came in that way as there are noticable rope rub marks above the sump.

Digging continues to force a connection between the two parts and also investigation into the sump.

The Sunday Mine Rift is a tad tight, and a 30' ladder belayed off the tree front right of the entrance (Don't belay to the trees above the entrance.) - would be useful as a climbing aid even though the entrance goes down at roughly 45deg. Beware of hanging lumps! The woodwork at entrance is fulfilling a job - please don't fiddle with it!

 

[Rob]

From November 2010 to May 2011, CCC had an ongoing project to reopen the shaft in Clay Chamber in Nickergrove Mine to Stream Chamber. Stream Chamber is where the stream comes in from Streaks Pot and then goes out NNE towards the Boil Up. After months of stabilising the shaft and digging through years of silt, we managed to open the route in May 2011......

After hearing/reading of this reconnection, a few from EPC and an other went for a gand on Wednesday night this week. None of us had ever been in Nickergrove so we thought it a worthy fill of an evening.

However, upon reaching Clay Chamber, i climbed down the timbered shaft to the top of the the section that is shored with plastic rings, but to find that the electron ladder down was more an electron square, only having two rungs. Now I'm an OK freeclimber, but i didn't fancy going down the rings without a rope or ladder, a bit too snug for comfort, like Flower Pot!

Do people need to take their own ladder of this part of the cave?

Or maybe the ladder that was left in there has been snapped? Looking down i could see down ~5m to static water, and it didn't look like there was a way on. Two explainations are that either the whole streamway below was in flood and had backed up (it has been wet this week), or that the shaft had collapsed, taking most of the ladder with it, and blocked up a load of clay and water behind it...

 

[martinb]

Rob,

The bit of ladder was left there as a climbing aid (!), there is a ladder down to the oil drums, and below that some of the oil drums have hand/foot holds cut out.

The static water at bottom should only be inch or two deep, as there the passage goes W, then through an awkward squeeze and drops into a mined shaft with shotholes coming from the stream direction.

A ladder would be exceedingly useful! The passage is low ~2', but there is space to turn around at the bottom of the climb. Feet first through the squeeze, then on back along passage until you can turn around and into Stream Chamber.

The Chamber and passage has been known to back up at some point, so.......

If you go back, enjoy.

Oh, and your recently purchased wetsuit may be useful! 

 

[Rob]

...The bit of ladder was left there as a climbing aid (!), there is a ladder down to the oil drums, and below that some of the oil drums have hand/foot holds cut out....

Oh no, it seems i was beaten! Didn't spot those hand/foot holds! 

Will have to go back....

 

[Rob]

A group of us Eldonites went back into Nickergrove last night. Indeed the climb down the oil drums is pretty easy without additional ladder.

The bottom couple drums are very distorted and broken, but you can fit through ok. The floor is thick clay which i'd guess has been growing since 2011. I could just about squirm the 90 degree bend into the timbered passage going SW, however it is blocked after only a metre or so. Awkwardly whilst kneeling at the bottom i got a video showing the (no) way on.

This unfortunately means the streamway is now lost, and by the looks of the works required, possibly forever....

 

[martinb]

From what I've heard, I don't think anyone has been down there in the last 10 or so years!

The slump/blockage should only be for a metre, poss 2m at most, as it looks like it has fallen from clay chamber.

The whole of clay chamber was, in the dim and distant past, open at the way down to the streamway, however, there may be another way in (possibly lost) as when we entered the Streamway through the passage from Clay Chamber and the climb, the miners shot marks were facing towards Clay Chamber, not away.

The upstream sump in Nickergrove is surmised to connect with the downstream one in Streaks, if you know anyone thin enough and daft enough to try it - Rob?