Peak Cavern! - First Time Trip

[callumbis]

Hey Cavers!

I hope all is well.

I am organising (or in fact organised) a trip up to the Peaks for some SRT and caving for some of us mendippers this coming weekend.

Of course, weather permitting. Can I please request a recommendation for a trip in Peak Cavern or a recommended trip for first-timers?

It will be approximately 6-8 cavers, all SRT competent.

I have checked https://peakdistrictcaving.info/home/the-caves/castleton/peak-cavern, which is quite detailed, and I do thank the hard-working people for keeping this up to date. But, being a newbie, to this system. I am unsure which rigging top we need (or if we need one), or whether there is a trip in the system that does not require rigging.

Feedback would be most appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[BarneyH]

Peak - white river round trip (SRT up block hall fixed ropes then pull through down ventilator) is a classic, although I'd expect it to take a long time with 6-8 people

 

[andrewmcleod]

If you do Victoria Aven in Peak Cavern, you can do a load of SRT without even getting wet in the mucky ducks. But if you haven't been in Peak before, personally I'd just go do all the easy stuff - down to the other end of Buxton Water Sump, to Far Sump (which is incredibly underwhelming in fairness) and Ink Sump (more fun) and (if you fancy getting muddy and some routefinding) the Galena Circuit. Not hard (makes a good novice trip where you just stop once people have done enough) but some wonderfully-shaped passages. You could do this _and_ Victoria Aven.

Giants Hole round trip is good, but not much SRT (one pitch up/down and a pull-through with free-climbable alternative) and much easier to have a miserable time having got tired, lost, cold and wet. Garland's Pot is a classic hypothermia 'hot-spot'. Definitely wouldn't want to have 8 people in there.

 

[callumbis]

Thanks for the recommendations chaps. Andrew, do you have a survey or something to recommend for the novice trip in Peak Cavern? The Galena ciricuit would suit more for us really. I've spoken with my fellow cavers and they are quite happy to do whatever. We just want to get in a dark hole in the ground!! The plan for Sunday (there will only be about 4 - 5 of us) will be to do Oxlow Cavern (so we will get some SRT in), I've been there before so I know where that is . I remember the route finding is fairly simple for the inital SRT part of the trip anyway.

We can come back again sometime later this year, and some more SRT. I

 

[wellyjen]

The latest survey is here https://peakdistrictcaving.info/home/the-caves/castleton/peak-speedwell
Microguides for the various routes https://peakdistrictcaving.info/home/the-caves/castleton/peak-cavern
A plug for my own club's work. As well as the DCA topos, there are more extensive ones here: www.ccpc.org.uk/rigging.html
Have a great weekend.

 

[Loki]

Peak - white river round trip (SRT up block hall fixed ropes then pull through down ventilator) is a classic, although I'd expect it to take a long time with 6-8 people

It is indeed a very fine trip. Made all the more memorable for us by getting flooded in for 18 hours at the end on the way out.

 

[Scud]

Also see: https://www.peakspeedwell.info/index.php for other information on the system.

 

[Brains]

A simple trip not needing rope would be to visit Moss Chamber, then onto Treasury Chamber and Sump, onwards again to Surprise View, down stream to the sump then upstream past Squaws Junction. A visit up the inlet to the duck of Ink Sump and onwards to Lake Sump, then further upstream to the climbs to Far Sump. This would cover a lot of impressive cave, and would make a good introduction. For those hungry for more, from Treasury follow the crawls past the bottom of Ventilator to Egnaro Avenue. Downstream to visit the sump, then upstream to the Bung. From the Bung past Whirlpool to a visit to Main Rising, past the Boulder Piles under JH, and the Miners Toast. That would be a good day out for most with no dangling required

 

[Brains]

For the Sunday SRT, Oxlow is a good choice. With enough kit and bodies an exchange with Maskhill is possible. Nearby Nettle Pot down Elizabeth or Crumble and Beza is an option. Elsewhere Knotlow-Hillocks has numerous options for trips and cross overs. Derbyshire key required

 

[callumbis]

Thanks to everyone for all the advice and help. It is very much appreciated!

 

[andrewmcleod]

A simple trip not needing rope would be to visit Moss Chamber, then onto Treasury Chamber and Sump, onwards again to Surprise View, down stream to the sump then upstream past Squaws Junction. A visit up the inlet to the duck of Ink Sump and onwards to Lake Sump, then further upstream to the climbs to Far Sump. This would cover a lot of impressive cave, and would make a good introduction. For those hungry for more, from Treasury follow the crawls past the bottom of Ventilator to Egnaro Avenue. Downstream to visit the sump, then upstream to the Bung. From the Bung past Whirlpool to a visit to Main Rising, past the Boulder Piles under JH, and the Miners Toast. That would be a good day out for most with no dangling required

This is the nice thing about the nearer Peak Cavern - you can just do stuff until you are done and then come back I would definitely recommend upstream Buxton Water sump passage though (i.e. descend the Surprise View ladder and go downstream) - it's a wonderful tube.

 

[Logismos]

No mention of the NCC shafts yet, so they need a plug!

Lovely bit of Derbyshire caving (read - muddy rifty pitches and a dig), leading into a lovely clean-washed Yorkshire pothole.
It's an SRT detour off-of the Galena Circuit, and you can make it as short or long as you'd like - depending what you do. No need to take any rope either, unless you fancy the down-pitches.
Part 5 of the Peak Cavern guide here probably has the best route description: https://www.peakspeedwell.info/index.php/entrances/peak-cavern
I wouldn't recommend going up EMT Aven right now (which would be if you continued up the pitches after the dig, instead of taking the traverse line across to Freeze Squeeze), as it needs re-bolting soon.

That said, Victoria Aven is a classic too - and is a fair bit more friendly. I just can't pass an opportunity to shout out my beloved NCC Shafts

 

[pwhole]

The best bit about Victoria Aven (apart from the marvels at the top) is that you do all the tiring stuff at the beginning, when you're fresh, and only have to abseil down to leave, which makes a nice change. No shivering at rebelay 3, watching someone's arse slowly disappearing upwards

 

[andrewmcleod]

Probably rather more to do has been suggested so far than might be practical in a first trip

(e.g. the NCC shafts are nice enough, and like Victoria Aven also benefit from starting at the bottom and going up, but I probably wouldn't go there on my _first_ trip to Peak Cavern... )

 

[callumbis]

Thanks for the recommendations all! But I do agree, we are going to do the trip without SRT this time round We'll come back again later in the year for some SRT!