Trips and weather in the Dales this weekend, 10-11/01/15

[blackholesun]

Hi,

I'm looking at caving in the Dales this weekend, but the weather forecast looks fairly grim and gives the impression that it's rained a reasonable amount recently. Does anyone have any local knowledge of what the conditions underground might be, or have any suggestions that would be suitable for such a forecast?

Vespers pot and Tatham wife have been suggested but I'm not sure how they behave in anything more than reasonably wet conditions.

Cheers,

 

[Alex]

Wet.

 

[Alex]

Vespers may be okay, but probably not pleasant. Saturday is looking the better of the two days now and I don't think it has much in the delay flood wise (Someone with more knowledge of that particular cave can give you more information). But bare in mind its not due to stop raining until about 11am Saturday.

Tatham wife- Unless you plan on bypassing the duck I would not go in there when its really wet also the deviations required to stay at least a bit dry are well interesting, good practice though. Finally people have been rescued out of Tatham because they could not get out of the entrance climb due to too much water!

 

[Pegasus]

Hi,

Red Herring series - Large Pot stays relatively dry in wet conditions I believe (folks feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)

It started raining at about noon and is currently persisting down - ugg 

Cheers, Jane

 

[Simon Wilson]

There are places to go caving in the Dales even in the wettest weather but be VERY careful and only take advice from local experts.

There will be a few such people at Bullshit Farm this weekend.

Bar Pot and into GG main chamber is good even if you've done it before.

It's going to be very wet this weekend.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/gcwhq9gmu

 

[Pegasus]

Hi Simon, am I right about Red Herring Series do you know??  Thanks

 

[Alex]

I don't think you are, it takes a stream and theres no way to rig it very far from the water.

From NFTFH "be aware that the crawl below the Ninth Pitch is flood-prone and many of the pitches will become hazardous or impassable in wet weather".

However Large pot down to colossus is generally okay, but mouse hole will be sumped (can be bypassed) and I would imagine the big pitch would be rather wet which may force you to turn back at that point, but never seen it take loads of water that pitch.

 

[Simon Wilson]

Hi Simon, am I right about Red Herring Series do you know??  Thanks

Don't know. When in doubt I tend to avoid caving. I know a few places I would go in wet weather but I'm not prepared to stick my neck out any further and advise others. The reason I suggested Bull Pot Farm is that there are a number of caves around that neck of the woods that are possible wet weather venues and you couldn't get better local experts on Lancaster/Easgill, Pippikin/Mistral.

 

[Simon Wilson]

You could get your waterproofs on and go for a walk up to Mossdale.

 

[Fulk]

If you're planning to travel a long way, I'd say don't bother; if you live fairly locally, I'd go along with Simon's suggestion that you wander on the surface and see how things respond ? e.g. a walk up to Hull Pot could be 'interesting', or gawp at the flood water completely submerging Ibbeth Peril Cave . . .

 

[Pitlamp]

It's not really ideal potholing weather at the moment. Both Fulk and Simon have made very good points above which I'd certainly agree with.

In case you've not come across it, here's a useful resource (in daylight hours): http://settlehydro.hubexpert.com:8080/shcamweir.php

This river will probably go up and down a fair bit over the coming days; just be aware however that, with ground already well sodden, even if the Ribble's fallen the water can come up again frighteningly fast. Best not to take chances . . . . .

 

[Simon Wilson]

It's not really ideal potholing weather at the moment. Both Fulk and Simon have made very good points above which I'd certainly agree with.

In case you've not come across it, here's a useful resource (in daylight hours): http://settlehydro.hubexpert.com:8080/shcamweir.php

This river will probably go up and down a fair bit over the coming days; just be aware however that, with ground already well sodden, even if the Ribble's fallen the water can come up again frighteningly fast. Best not to take chances . . . . .

And this shows the level of the Ribble near the same place over the past 48hrs.
http://apps.environment-agency.gov.uk/river-and-sea-levels/120712.aspx?stationId=5109

 

[blackholesun]

We're not local, and I think we've spent a fair bit of time in Easegill recently to make that an ideal choice. On the topic, I found Sneaky route down Cow pot went quite far away from any falling water, while still being a bit different.

As for Large, I think it's the Colossus route that's the drier one. The water also pools in something of a mini reservoir before the main pitch, which can be emptied before all but the first person go back up the pitch if its a bit drippy.

GG would be very impressive, but the walk up and back down in that forecast appeals a bit less.

I think we're going to reconsider. Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

[steviet_scg]

Collossus is the drier route - but to my knowledge at least one party had to sit it out in Necropolis.

There's always Pikedaw ...

 

[peterk]

This site http://farsondigitalwatercams.com/ has more river level sites than the EA make available on their web sites and also has rainfall data sites - just click on map and zoom in. The rainfall and river level from two locations are plotted on the same graph and you can graph last 24hrs, 3days and 28 days and see rainfall at time x and sharp increase in water level at a later time.  I have yet to try the free 14 day trial of their "pro" site "If you want more information, or want to save your favourite locations, look at historical data, get special alerts about your river whenever water levels move above or below set points - and much more - you will need to become a subscriber. The good news is that all this will cost you only ?18 per year. "

 

[Alex]

There's always Pikedaw ...

Hey that's where we are going! Maybe...

 

[Pegasus]

Just been swimming (in a pool, though could have just swam up the road!) and was really bugging me as I swam back and forth about Red Herring/Large etc.

Did have it in my head Red herring was OK as a wet weather trip, however now thinking it's Large that's the 'drier' route and over time I've somehow swapped the two.....(there are certainly parts of Large that don't see much water or it'd wash away the horrendous mud)

Tim tells me he's been down Red herring in 'some pretty wet conditions' and I've certainly been down Large when it's wet - so is it right that down to Colossus is the drier of the two, however Red Herring is OK unless the weather really is foul??  Just wondering - I'm not advocating anyone goes down either this weekend - it's horrid outside.....

Thanks

 

[Alex]

Foul now thats an idea wr might go there, what ya reckon?

 

[Dickie]

Large Pot - "Collossus is the drier route - but to my knowledge at least one party had to sit it out in Necropolis."

Yep, we had to do that on the trip that we dug through the Mousehole. Colossus was very, very wet and we had a few hours of boredom.

Not a good idea in wet weather.

 

[Simon Wilson]

As it turned out today (Saturday) is a very good day for caving. It rained heavily early but then dried up, river levels are falling and rain isn't forecast for the rest of the day. So a good day for a 'sporty' trip with due care.