Shuttleworth Pot and Leck Fell

[oldboy]

Great article in Descent Magazine. Congratulations to all concerned. Look forward to reading the next episode 

 

[Glenn]

Great article in Descent Magazine. Congratulations to all concerned. Look forward to reading the next episode 

Yes a great article and some amazing work by the Misty Mountain crew. Not wanting to put a damper on anything, but I need to emphasise, that contrary to what you may hear on the streets of Ingleton, Shuttleworth Pot is not on free vend. The diggers have permission from the landowner to open up and stabilise the entrance and CNCC are in negotiations with the landowner to add it to the permit scheme from July (following the closed season). However, the CNCC officers who are negotiating the additional access are finding these discussions difficult due to the amount of blatant pirating that is going on on the fell (last Sunday was just silly). So, please, don't go on the fell if you do not have a permit, and as soon as I have confirmation that Shuttleworth has been added to the permit scheme, I'll let you know.

 

[Pie Muncher]

A great article guys but appears to have fueled unacceptable permitless trips.
The word on the street is that the estate has been informed of counless vehicles on the fell in breach of the access agreement.
This is seriously hampering negotiations between the estate and CNCC to add Shuttleworth to and renew the access agreementt.
Things need to get back to some kind of normality and quickly!
Simply by sharing lifts up the fell would help reduce the visable impact of so many vehicles. This alone would reduce the complaints from the public that are being fed back to the estate office. Get yourselves organised with a permit and hand it back in to the estate office helps demonstrate cavers are using the system.
The situation is being taken extremely seriously by the agent so please can we act now to improve the situation.
Thanks.

 

[Alex]

The one thing I ask though is why is the public complaining, is it because walkers have no where to park is it that bad? I have not been up there for ages so no idea what it is like.

 

[whitelackington]

Yes, why on Earth would anyone complain orther than The Shuttleworth Esate,
what could possibly be the publics motivation for stirring it?

 

[Glenn]

Yes, why on Earth would anyone complain orther than The Shuttleworth Esate,
what could possibly be the publics motivation for stirring it?

Not sure why Pie Muncher has used the term "public". The complaints that CNCC has received about pirating on Leck Fell have come from cavers who have had permits, and been frustrated by clubs caving without permits, and from the landowner, who is up there on a regular basis, knows what's going on, and complains to the CNCC on a regular basis that we can't manage the access we currently have. Which makes requests for increased access a difficult conversation to hold.

 

[barrabus]

I've been down Shuttleworth Pot (with permission), and whilst it is very well decorated and well worth a visit it is not worth jeopardising access by pirating it.

If I hadn't had the privilege of visiting it already I would quite happily wait months or longer for my opportunity.

 

[dunc]

Can't see the rush, a few pretties and big piece of passage, couple of hours, big deal... It can wait, still not been down Voldy yet either, I'm slacking.

I've been down Shuttleworth Pot (with permission)

Perhaps if people see or hear of trips taking place they just (wrongly) assume it's open for business?

Which makes requests for increased access a difficult conversation to hold

Surely if there were more permits available then there may be less pirating  :doubt: ok, in theory it would, in practice, perhaps not!
Could the permits not be made email-able like Casterton or OFD for example? Quicker, less faff, easier to get a permit and perhaps as a result may lessen the potential pirate trips? 

 

[barrabus]

Can't see the rush, a few pretties and big piece of passage, couple of hours, big deal...

Exactly.

Perhaps if people see or hear of trips taking place they just (wrongly) assume it's open for business?

A good point.

As far as I am aware access is currently only available to the group who have dug it out and been very busy taping off the pretties and surveying. My visit was a molephone location exercise, and I spent more time setting up and dismantling the radio than looking at the pretties.

So everybody, to help ensure continued access to Leck Fell and Casterton Fell, please heed Glenn's advice and wait a few months til you have a permit.

 

[Glenn]

I am pleased to report that at yesterdays CNCC AGM, it was announced that negotiations with the landowner have concluded successfully (this is an understatement because the negotiations became quite "frought" at one point....) and Shuttleworth Pot and The Cupcake have been added to the Leck Fell Permit Scheme.

Permits for Shuttleworth Pot are available from July (following the closed season). The entrance pitches have been equiped with ECO anchors and it is the intention to include a rigging topo with the permit. The Divers Pitch will be equipped with ECO (or PECO) anchors later this year.

The Cupcake will be available once the digging team have concluded their stabilisation work on the entrance and formally handed it over to the Leck Fell Permit Secretary. Until then, please be patient. I will confirm here when it is on the permit system.

Cheers,

Glenn

 

[TheBitterEnd]

Excellent, well done to all involved and thanks to the land owner

 

[Alex]

This is very good news as I was starting to hear un-founded rumors of no permits would be given out next year. Thank goodness that was a load of tosh. The pirated trips should steadily decrease at least until a new cave is found.

Dunc go get us some permits for those two will you please mate?

 

[dunc]

Good news.

And Alex, don't panic, one is already planned for later in the year!

 

[Deek]

Seems to me that the article in Descent should have been held back until the permit system was in place. Why was it published so early. Of course people will pirate a trip when they are told how good the cave is and that the first permit will be issued sometime in the summer.

 

[Deek]

Great work by a dedicated team by the way. It needs a drain plug in the barrel at the entrance for a nice finishing touch.

 

[langcliffe]

It needs a drain plug in the barrel at the entrance for a nice finishing touch.

Certainly not - avoiding sitting down in the puddle is the most challenging part of the trip.

 

[Glenn]

Seems to me that the article in Descent should have been held back until the permit system was in place. Why was it published so early. Of course people will pirate a trip when they are told how good the cave is and that the first permit will be issued sometime in the summer.

Is that your excuse for pirating it then.... :-\

 

[graham]

Seems to me that the article in Descent should have been held back until the permit system was in place. Why was it published so early. Of course people will pirate a trip when they are told how good the cave is and that the first permit will be issued sometime in the summer.

Is that your excuse for pirating it then.... :-\

Is there any excuse for pirating?  :-\

 

[Deek]

I don't think a discussion about the pros and cons of pirating would be very productive. But if its a concern then its best not to advertise a great cave in Descent mag which has no access agreement in place.  The internet also has a bit to answer for in making information so availiable and thus generating interest.

 

[Glenn]

I don't think a discussion about the pros and cons of pirating would be very productive. But if its a concern then its best not to advertise a great cave in Descent mag which has no access agreement in place.  The internet also has a bit to answer for in making information so availiable and thus generating interest.

If, when you say "The internet also has a bit to answer for in making information so availiable and thus generating interest" you mean this forum, then you must also have seen the requests to be patient and not to pirate...