St Valentines Sump- Survex information
- Thread starter alastairgott
- Start date
Rob
Well-known member
Surveyed Corkscrew Aven on Monday evening. That's a nice trip. 
It is 72m vertically from the bottom of the Plug Hole climb to the boulders at the top blocking the way on. By my estimations that puts the top +30m above the level of Valentines Sump and 51m below the surface.
The Death Series at the top of Maginn's Rift goes 27m higher. At the nearest point they are only 25m horizontally apart, although i don't see any evidence or reason for a connection.
Need to get St Valentines on the survey, plus the Filthy Five, to get a better understanding of the area.
It is 72m vertically from the bottom of the Plug Hole climb to the boulders at the top blocking the way on. By my estimations that puts the top +30m above the level of Valentines Sump and 51m below the surface.
The Death Series at the top of Maginn's Rift goes 27m higher. At the nearest point they are only 25m horizontally apart, although i don't see any evidence or reason for a connection.
Need to get St Valentines on the survey, plus the Filthy Five, to get a better understanding of the area.
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alastairgott
Well-known member
New Eldon Project? Was it drafting at the top?
Rob
Well-known member
No noticeable draft at the top (or anywhere up there).
The only water there comes through the boulders at the very top. From researching on this forum i believe these have collapsed and the dig face used to be a few metres higher up. It wouldn't take much to get rid of these boulders, but to be honest it's not high on my list at the moment till i can see a strong reason for a way on to exist.
This is a geologically complex area, right on the eastern most tip of that block of reef limestone, and a hydrologically complex area, with vadose and phreatic features showing multiple stages of development. Need to get more of it 3D surveyed before committing too much time anywhere.
The only water there comes through the boulders at the very top. From researching on this forum i believe these have collapsed and the dig face used to be a few metres higher up. It wouldn't take much to get rid of these boulders, but to be honest it's not high on my list at the moment till i can see a strong reason for a way on to exist.
This is a geologically complex area, right on the eastern most tip of that block of reef limestone, and a hydrologically complex area, with vadose and phreatic features showing multiple stages of development. Need to get more of it 3D surveyed before committing too much time anywhere.
SamT
Moderator
Dickie said:
There is no left turn after the sump ?
you come up out of the sump into a rift. Left is solid immediately, direct up into the rift is very very narrow. A proper skinny racing snake might be able to wriggle up into it. Has a splatter of water coming down it (which presumably fills the sump).
turn right along the rift for about 10 feet. lands you at the top of the first down pitch on the left, which again is formed on a perpendicular rift. I think this rift has been traversed at a high level for quite some distance but is just narrow and filthy and eventually becomes too tight.
:-\
alastairgott
Well-known member
Rob said:
Hmm yes, I've heard that reef limestone does provide some very interesting Hydrology. But I guess once you've got out of the reef, Castleton Patterns will start to emerge again. NW-SE development much like Whirlpool, Assault Course and Pilkingtons. and other telltale patterns.
Life's quite busy even without Children, I don't know how you manage!
I'll pull my finger out when I can to help with the survey of Valentines. My PDA needs all the .Net things installing in the right order and I've got some other bits on order, but still have a borrowed Disto, so should be able to get on it as soon as I make some time!
This weekend looks unlikely.
JonP
Well-known member
Eldon have recently surveyed The Corkscrew Shaft for the Master survex.
http://www.eldonpotholeclub.org.uk/index.php/homepage/current-uk-projects/giant-s-oxlow/323-the-corkscrew-shaft-14-05-2018
http://www.eldonpotholeclub.org.uk/index.php/homepage/current-uk-projects/giant-s-oxlow/323-the-corkscrew-shaft-14-05-2018
The camp at the top was used by myself and tony revell when we dug at the top over many years. What appears to be drain pipe is 1/2" BSP steam pipe, if you ccan extract it from the huge boulder that trapped it you will find that there are 3 lengths connected together with barrel nipples, we used it for poking up into the choke. The crabs and ropes in the photos were placed in situ in 1986.
If anyone is interested the flat faced boulder at the left bottom of the choke came from 6mtrs higher than it is now. Above it is an open space 6 x 3mtrs. We gave up because we couldn't find any 'nobel' to sort it out.
T
If anyone is interested the flat faced boulder at the left bottom of the choke came from 6mtrs higher than it is now. Above it is an open space 6 x 3mtrs. We gave up because we couldn't find any 'nobel' to sort it out.
T
