Wet in the Dales

[simonsays]

I had hoped to take my son for a stomp up the streamway of Great Douk yesterday. Trip was in vain as the amount of water coming out of the cave mouth was awesome to behold : Pretty much the whole floor of the enclosure was under running water.... Pouring down the dig site too.

We walked back to the car in bright sunshine (naturally) then had to get changed in a blizzard 

 

[kay]

Last time I went to Great Douk it was much wetter than we felt inclined for. So we went for a look at High Douk Holes, on the principle that it's always worth looking at caves in wet weather and seeing what the effect is, and they were much drier than expected, particularly at the end which joins Hardrawkin.

 

[Fulk]

simonsays:

I had hoped to take my son for a stomp up the streamway of Great Douk yesterday. Trip was in vain as the amount of water coming out of the cave mouth was awesome to behold  Pretty much the whole floor of the enclosure was under running water.... Pouring down the dig site too.

I don't suppose you managed to get a picture, Simon, that you could post here (even a crappy cell-phone one)?

 

[simonsays]

simonsays:

I had hoped to take my son for a stomp up the streamway of Great Douk yesterday. Trip was in vain as the amount of water coming out of the cave mouth was awesome to behold  Pretty much the whole floor of the enclosure was under running water.... Pouring down the dig site too.

I don't suppose you managed to get a picture, Simon, that you could post here (even a crappy cell-phone one)?

Took a few. Hang fire while I work out how to upload them

 

[simonsays]

Here goes nothing....


100_0134 by simonsaysboo, on Flickr


100_0131 by simonsaysboo, on Flickr


100_0138 by simonsaysboo, on Flickr

A view down the dig site






Image-Entrance_great_douk_cave_yorkshire by simonsaysboo, on Flickr

compared to this image taken from the ukcaving wiki (its in the public domain)

 

[Fulk]

Hell, yes ? a bit soggy. Thanks, Simon.

 

[Alex]

By time we got down to the main stream in Lancashire the stream was just over waist height (I think) but was flowing fast! Did not attempt to force my way up or down stream. How high are those rocks in stream at the bottom of the Fall pot above the floor of the stream normally? The water was a good 4 foot higher at least not long ago judging by the foam.

 

[Benfool]

I was at oxbow corner saturday afternoon, water was about waist deap, just about managed to force myway upstream to Maricabo, but was hard work. Water at this point is usually about ankle deep so a good 2 foot deeper than normal!

Eep!

 

[Pitlamp]

Monday morning 21st February; after a wet night rivers are high on the western side of the Dales.

 

[Goydenman]

I was at oxbow corner saturday afternoon, water was about waist deap, just about managed to force myway upstream to Maricabo, but was hard work. Water at this point is usually about ankle deep so a good 2 foot deeper than normal!

Eep!

2ft from ankle to waist - a real umpa lumpa caver 

 

[Roger W]

"Baruk Khaz?d!  Khaz?d ai-m?nu!"

 

[Goydenman]

"Baruk Khaz?d!  Khaz?d ai-m?nu!"

I was slow to catch on but got there 

 

[Dave Tyson]

Monday morning 21st February; after a wet night rivers are high on the western side of the Dales.

Two of us had a previously agreed arrangement to do Illusion Pot today. I looked at the CDG page and thought 39mm of rain from yesterday, hmm I don't think we will get very far. The rivers were full, the fields were running and it was misty. We made it to the entrance without any navigation problems and headed down. Moderate flow in the streamway, but there was a line of foam about 0.5m off the floor which looked very recent.http://ukcaving.com/board/Smileys/ukbCustomSmall/yikes.gif Got to the sump and it was pretty full, but after rearranging the sandbags and an hour of baling (> 1000 gallons) we cleared 120-150mm airspace and headed through the sump. After a look at the pretties we wandered down through Rushton's Chamber to the rift & traverse. The sound of water at the bottom was pretty damn loud so we didn't bother visiting the sump and headed out. Surprisingly the level in the sump hadn't risen at all so the sandbags sealed the water out pretty well. Marton Arms shut so headed to Sun in Dent. Called in to look at Ibbeth Peril en route, pretty spectacular waterfall and a lot of water entering the cave....

Dave

 

[Pitlamp]

Just to state the obvious, once again it's uber wet in the Dales yet again today . . . . .

Forcast's better for tomorrow at last (Thursday).

 

[langcliffe]

Just to state the obvious, once again it's uber wet in the Dales yet again today . . . . .

Forcast's better for tomorrow at last (Thursday).

We've been in Aquamole, and the first pitch was positively hostile - it was just like caving in the 1960s again.

 

[Pitlamp]

The sump I spent a large part of this morning in was around 7 m deeper than normal.

 

[langcliffe]

The sump I spent a large part of this morning in was around 7 m deeper than normal.

I bet swimming downstream was easy!

 

[Pitlamp]

 

[ianball11]

We've been in Aquamole, and the first pitch was positively hostile - it was just like caving in the 1960s again.

So no longer last seen in a cave in 1967 

Hoping things dry up a lot Thursday, we've a permit for Washfold Pot on Friday.

 

[Fulk]

We've been in Aquamole, and the first pitch was positively hostile - it was just like caving in the 1960s again.

Hi, langcliffe, when you say the first pitch of Aquamole ? do you mean the whole way down (unlikely) or just the last bit, which is often 'drippy'?

And if P-1 was soggy, how was the last pitch?