langcliffe
Well-known member
Having spent 48 trips helping to dig the wretched place out, it isn't my exit of choice!
Small mammal to greasy slab
- Thread starter huwg
- Start date
JasonC
Well-known member
This is veering slightly off-topic, but I was planning to do the Bar Pot-Hensler's round trip described here: https://www.braemoor.co.uk/caving/route10.shtml . None of us were familiar with all of the route, and one of my companions saw the word duck on the guide and flatly refused to do it. We had a nice trip anyway, but it does say "couple of minor ducks" and I maintained that they probably wouldn't be too bad - as I believe @langcliffe is not the biggest aquaphile. Like beauty, the badness of a duck is in the eye (literally?) of the beholder, but how bad would they have been on Saturday last?
langcliffe
Well-known member
I actually used to be a cave diver, although not a very heroic one. ..
The water levels in Mud Hensler's are pretty consistent, and OK, although New Hensler's may have been a little energetic .
thehungrytroglobite
Well-known member
thehungrytroglobite
Well-known member
Well in that case, thank you! It remains my favourite GG entrance, although Corky's comes a close second, with OBJ and Disappointment following jointly in third place. Your hard work is much appreciated by me!
thehungrytroglobite
Well-known member
I do have a really quite bad phobia of slugs, so I wish you hadn't said this. I'll be sure to triple check the entrance next time!
Stile is best enjoyed on the way down in my opinion. Last time I only got up it by standing on my companion's shoulders, and then my companion had no one's shoulders to stand on and was forced to exit via Small Mammal.
Rachel
Active member
If you're at the winch meet, call by my tent to borrow my slug tongs. I really do have a set of tongs specifically for slug removal because I can't stand them either!
thehungrytroglobite
Well-known member
I've had to start sleeping with an eye mask at winch meet, purely because I had a few too many situations waking up horrified and seeing the shadow of a slug on the inner tent above my face... now I choose to remain oblivious
The top of Bar is a lot easier if you swing off well before the belay. I am not small. It is much easier than Link entrance for instance.
For some reason Stream Passage entrance has got much easier, something has been removed. I seem to remember it being a bit awkward a long time ago when I was no doubt smaller and def less chicken.
For some reason Stream Passage entrance has got much easier, something has been removed. I seem to remember it being a bit awkward a long time ago when I was no doubt smaller and def less chicken.
andrewmcleod
Well-known member
As a small wriggly person, I'm can get out of Stile Pot pretty quickly. I don't think I've tried going in via Stile. The final open chimney is the only bit that stops me sending students up or down it 
Generally I think for novice trips Small Mammal is probably a bit easier than Bar as there is less chance of getting people stuck on the pitch. The squeeze through to Bar isn't that tight but it's also easier to help people when they are not on a rope. On the other hand the Small Mammal pitch head is a lot more exposed and I've had one person with a bit of a fear of heights who failed to get down it at all.
I was trying to describe the route the other day for a group going in Small Mammal for the first time and I struggled to give a clear description. In the end I think they went a bit wrong in various places (possibly including heading down on the start of the Bar Pot Alternative route) but made it through fine in the end.
Generally I think for novice trips Small Mammal is probably a bit easier than Bar as there is less chance of getting people stuck on the pitch. The squeeze through to Bar isn't that tight but it's also easier to help people when they are not on a rope. On the other hand the Small Mammal pitch head is a lot more exposed and I've had one person with a bit of a fear of heights who failed to get down it at all.
I was trying to describe the route the other day for a group going in Small Mammal for the first time and I struggled to give a clear description. In the end I think they went a bit wrong in various places (possibly including heading down on the start of the Bar Pot Alternative route) but made it through fine in the end.
I did the ducks on Sunday just gone doing that trip. They were ok. It was just crawling through muddy water, with a couple of lower bit that are still crawling and not flat out. I kept my whole head out through both easily enough and didn't have to hang out in them. Most of the rest of me got wet on the second one though. It's not tight or awkward or anything like that. I didn't have neoprene and wouldn't bother if I did it again.
skippy
Active member
Don't come on the CPC meet..One of the games is slug balancing. The most number on the head won. The photo's are stuff of nightmares!
Apparently, it takes days to get rid of the slime.
Now I am lacking in follicles, they are trying to persuade me to join in..yeah right.
langcliffe
Well-known member
As a small wriggly person, I'm can get out of Stile Pot pretty quickly. I don't think I've tried going in via Stile. The final open chimney is the only bit that stops me sending students up or down it
I never realised that such a pokey pot was so popular! We originally started to dig it when we were looking for the exit from the passage at the top of the aven in Small Mammal House. We went back to it later 'cos the draught was preying on our minds.
langcliffe
Well-known member
Pitlamp is the expert.
Alex
Well-known member
Reading the title I thought that's a long way and would involve some driving but I had not realised there was a greasy slab in Bar pot too (well was called that).
Here's the description to the best of my memory. At the bottom of the SM entrance pitch, facing away from the rope take the obvious hole/crawl at the end of the chamber going down a slope, go down that. After only 5m the passage enlarges but do not continue that way. Instead, immediately turn right and enter a separate chamber. At the end of the chamber is a calcited rift, with a small hole in the floor. Thankfully that hole is not the way on so instead climb up over the rift and follow the flat out bedding above. Initially make your entry on the right of the bedding but make your way to the left where it is larger. You will reach a 2m climb down after about ~25m.
To the right here, is the alternative way down, requiring another rope, accessed by a deep rift on the far-right-hand side. To get to the pitch, one would need to descend the rift and once on a floor of the rift look for a side rift basically behind you when you are descending to reach the pitch. Don't follow the rift to the end.
Anyway back on track, at the bottom of the 2m climb is a rocky crawl at floor level on the left when facing away from the climb down, follow this for a couple of meters and you will pop out an enlargement. Bar pot, is up a short climb here. The greasy slab is diagonally across from where you enter and is normally marked by a hand-line.
Sorry I have very good memory for passage layout, but not for the names, hence why I forgot what that alternative route is called, which needs an extra rope. It's a fun side adventure btw, but is definitely a harder route with an interesting squeeze on-route. (I think it may had been the original way in?)
Here's the description to the best of my memory. At the bottom of the SM entrance pitch, facing away from the rope take the obvious hole/crawl at the end of the chamber going down a slope, go down that. After only 5m the passage enlarges but do not continue that way. Instead, immediately turn right and enter a separate chamber. At the end of the chamber is a calcited rift, with a small hole in the floor. Thankfully that hole is not the way on so instead climb up over the rift and follow the flat out bedding above. Initially make your entry on the right of the bedding but make your way to the left where it is larger. You will reach a 2m climb down after about ~25m.
To the right here, is the alternative way down, requiring another rope, accessed by a deep rift on the far-right-hand side. To get to the pitch, one would need to descend the rift and once on a floor of the rift look for a side rift basically behind you when you are descending to reach the pitch. Don't follow the rift to the end.
Anyway back on track, at the bottom of the 2m climb is a rocky crawl at floor level on the left when facing away from the climb down, follow this for a couple of meters and you will pop out an enlargement. Bar pot, is up a short climb here. The greasy slab is diagonally across from where you enter and is normally marked by a hand-line.
Sorry I have very good memory for passage layout, but not for the names, hence why I forgot what that alternative route is called, which needs an extra rope. It's a fun side adventure btw, but is definitely a harder route with an interesting squeeze on-route. (I think it may had been the original way in?)
Cantclimbtom
Well-known member
Bar first pitch is an odd one, some people (similar builds) seem to find it fun and others have an absolute nightmare. (Luckily I'm in the first category) It seems a bit "marmite". I'd be up for trying stile some time, but a bit intimidated by the description above, sounds a route finding nightmare!