swaledale

[Getwet]

Has anyone got any information about caves in Swaledale?

My old guide book for that area looks thin on the ground for good trips, but I believe there is some good stuff in that area.


Thanks

 

[Langthwaite Pot]

Devis Hole Mine Caverns are certainly worth a trip, a good survey is very usefull though if you want to find the most interesting bits. Hard Level Gill Cave is not worth a trip! I haven't been down Cliff Force Cave, but those that have say it is good (Durham Uni. Caving Club did it as a novice trip this year). I haven't been down Crackpot either - Short and pretty I think.

 

[kay]

Cliff Force is nice, with a 'maze' at the entrance then straightforward thereafter. Crackpot is pictured on the front of the new OS map of the area and is a trip with a lot of interest. A bit further N (Brough) there is Smeltmill Beck, highly recommended, and with the added advantage of being within 2 mins walk of the car. Just south of Kirkby Stephen there is Angel's Drainpipe and Devil's Grinding Mill in a park - AD small and with flood debris running parallel with the river with several exits, DGM a fun straight through with exit swimming across the river.

The Moldywarps have done a lot of the work in this area:

http://www.broomlee.demon.co.uk/

 

[Getwet]

Thanks for the information. Will have alook at some of these.

The moldywraps site is interesting reading!

Bob

 

[dunc]

If you like the idea of Devis Hole Mine Cave theres also Windegg Mine Caverns (which seemed muddier and looser).
Crackpot is nice although short.
Is it just caves or are you interested in mines - theres plenty of them in the area..?

 

[Getwet]

Yes I had spotted Windegg in the notes I have for this area.

I prefer caves but have no objection to a few mine trips to add variety

I been in the Nenthead mines a few times and done a few SRT trips, nice but muddy on the ropes!

 

[dunc]

If you like Devis/Windegg then (although nowhere near Swaledale) theres Knock Fell Caverns.

I've not sampled much in way of mines in that area, but Sir Francis Level is meant to be ok, if a touch damp! The entrance to Hard Level is damp also..

 

[Getwet]

I gave cliff Force a try today, very interesting, however We didnt find the route all the way through!

We survived the maze at the start and found the main stream, however we did not find the climb up on the left into Fault hall. I had initially interpreted the guide as saying this was just before the stream became a wet crawl, however the fact we couldnt find it, I now assume it must be after a wet crawl but before the choke.

Can anyone confirm this please ?

I note Kay`s comments that after the maze its straightforward, not for us it wasnt!!

Was a nice trip anyway, would like to find the rest next time

Cheers

 

[Rachel]

we (me, mr fell, cavedrone and a couple of others) did cliff force last year and we spent ages trying to find the climb up as well, but with no success. Reading the book afterwards, we were definitely in the area where it said it should be, so I think we came to the conclusion that something must have moved. I think it was mr fell who'd been up there before ??? Maybe we should go and have another look. I've got the taste for mud after the squishyness of illusion.

 

[Getwet]

Rachel, did you go very far into what became a wet crawl?

When we got to the start of the wet crawl re traced our steps and started searching for the climb up.Perhaps we should have gone on a bit further.

Perhaps the guide is misleading (wouldnt be the first time!) or as you say, perhaps things have moved. there did look like some fairly fresh movement in the area we though it should be

Bob

 

[Rachel]

Rachel, did you go very far into what became a wet crawl?


Bob

yes, but I can't remember the details. Only that it was very wet and cold and led to a dead end. I hope that things have moved because like you we retraced our steps and went back and forth looking for the passage but didn't find a bean. I'll be kicking myself if someone goes in there next week and finds it first time.

 

[Mr Fell]

Hi - I read somewhere that there has been a boulder fall and that as a result, the way on to the rest of the cave is now sealed off. Shame.

 

[Getwet]

thanks for the information on Cliff Force Cave, thats a shame if the second half of the cave is now sealed off. We did see a huge fallen slab in the area we were searching, my friend commented on what looked like fairly recent scuff marks round it where it had fallen!

I had a pleasant trip into Crackpot on christmas Eve.Its a nice trip with a bit of crawling, some nice stream passage, some good formations but the trip is too short!

 

[Rachel]

Hi - I read somewhere that there has been a boulder fall and that as a result, the way on to the rest of the cave is now sealed off. Shame.

That's us vindicated then. Shame though, it was a good cave.

Hope you and mrs fell had a good xmas.