Sell Gill Holes

[Cavedrone]

6 of us met in Naked Man Cafe in Settle (for the most expensive toast I've ever paid for ) after Tracey had arrived from her little detour. Blackburn to Settle via Grassington (!?)
Off we headed for Horton. A short haul up the Pennine Way and we split into 2 parties. Les, Tracey and John laddered the dry route, Andy, Bill and myself made short work of the wet entrance and goblin shaft on SRT. This was bone dry. In fact if we had gone down the direct pitch it would still have barely dampened my oversuit.
We then sat at the bottom just as the other group were putting the ladder down their final pitch. A bit of a comic moment as Les tried to abseil down the double lifeline without checking that BOTH ends had reached the floor. One dangling about 15' up.
Quick stomp through the main chamber to the extensions which I had not seen before. Whoever has been digging has found some nice big passage (and a nasty flat out wet crawl, fortunately only a brief dip).
We continued down to the new final pitch into a chossy chamber where Andy turned hero rescuing a stray frog and carrying it all the way back to the surface.
Back to the parting of the routes and Andy and I prussiked out (and he derigged) whilst the others mad very short work of the ladders. Then 4 of the party repaired to the Crown for a swift jar.
All in all a good quick trip.

 

[ianball11]

Oo! Interesting, what kit did you need for the final pitch?
Ian B.

 

[Limestone_Cowboy]

Ian,

The final pitch is just a single ladder. Unfortunately there is only a single dodgy looking expansion bolt at the top with a hanger already on, plus there isn't much space as your in a small square hands and knees crawl that ends at the pitch in to the chamber. It looks a bit like it was blasted or a least altered to allow progress. You can actually see the whole of the chamber from the top if you don't fancy going down it. I've done it several times and all there is at the bottom is a lot of rubble and no way on.