WICC has GONE again!!

[bograt]

You guys have got the key to a really big lock there, the surface related survey is really interesting, could the Lathkill system and Calesdale be superimposed too?, ( I can't find a scale or I'd do it myself)
Does anyone know if there is any natural in the (projected) intersection area of Long Rake?
That shakehole two fields to the North on satelite view looks intriguing

 

[JAM]

I've been thinking all the same things. I'm still thinking all the same things!!  Wouldn't it be nice if WICC connected to Cales Dale and or long rake side of things. We'll just keep digging and see what turns up.  8)

 

[martinm]

Some images are now online at: http://www.peakdistrictcaving.info/cave1206.htm

Great photos!  8)

 

[Pipster]

Does anyone know if there is any natural in the (projected) intersection area of Long Rake?

Nothing that I know of - but I would love to hear if anyone does know of anything. If the main passage in the latest extension keeps trending south-westerly then I believe it's taking us into a largely "blank" area (other than Long Rake). If you project the passage, then it could run under the top end, of the western branch, of Cales Dale but there is very little of speleogical interest on the surface in this area - all the known caves are much further down the valley.

 

[JAM]

- all the known caves are much further down the valley.

The only thing I know of in that direction which could be of possible interest is quiet a way off; calling low holes.  Who knows?  Icicle never quiet keeps to a straight line and the next dog leg could send us anywhere. 

 

[John B]

Good effort! In the 1970s TSG had two weekend camps at Water Icicle and shifted tons of boulders from the mined rift. We concluded that the continuation was very deeply buried.

I have put a relationship plan of the main caves here:
http://s887.photobucket.com/albums/ac72/jonbek/?action=view&current=UpperLathkillCaves.jpg

It would be good to include all the smaller caves, but that's a job for another day. If projected, the North East Passage of Water Icicle will break surface further down the hillside, and a shallow depression continues from that point towards Cales Dale, so that isn't a good prospect. All the other leads could lead to bigger things.

The really exciting thing about Water Icicle is that it proves that in all that apparently barren limestone there are extensive high level caves. It's just that there is no way into them without sinking a 30m shaft in just the right place!

 

[biffa]

Great news.  Congratulations to all concerned.

 

[Pipster]

In the 1970s TSG had two weekend camps at Water Icicle and shifted tons of boulders from the mined rift. We concluded that the continuation was very deeply buried.

Thanks for this info. I'll see if I can get hold of some of the old TSG journals; it'd be interesting to read about it. Does this have anything to do with the shot holes found it the Great Rift? I gather that was an attempt to search for voids. When you come out of South Passage, straight ahead, there used to be a dug-out hole (now back-filled) in the floor with natural on the far wall - was that where the efforts where concentrated?

I have put a relationship plan of the main caves here:
http://s887.photobucket.com/albums/ac72/jonbek/?action=view&current=UpperLathkillCaves.jpg

Nice one! Very interesting!

The really exciting thing about Water Icicle is that it proves that in all that apparently barren limestone there are extensive high level caves. It's just that there is no way into them without sinking a 30m shaft in just the right place!

It certainly does make you think about just what else is out there doesn't it. 

 

[JAM]

That's a very handy little map Mr Beck, thanks very much like.
What's the scale? I'd love to try and overlay it on an OS map.

 

[bograt]

That's a very handy little map Mr Beck, thanks very much like.
What's the scale? I'd love to try and overlay it on an OS map.

Look closely, there is a 500m scale.
Been trying to overlay it onto the satelite view but can't make the two WICC's line up, some angle out somewhere.
That shakehole to the north is in a VERY interesting place.

 

[JAM]

Mr Bog, you know what I mean!  1:50 000 or the like.  :icon_321: 
Which angle's out?  Is it the new stuff?
Yeah, that shake hole does look very interesting. Something I keep meaning to take a look at.

 

[ianball11]

Im going to stick my head above the battlements and say its a 1:100 scale.

 

[bograt]

Mr Bog, you know what I mean!  1:50 000 or the like.  :icon_321: 
Which angle's out?  Is it the new stuff?
Yeah, that shake hole does look very interesting. Something I keep meaning to take a look at.

Sorry, What I meant was I tried to marry up JSB's map to the satelite survey and the lines for the WICC section did not correspond to the lines for Lathkill and Calesdale, I don't want to tweak anything until I know which one is the more accurate, I think it is an orientation issue from the bottom of the shaft, everything else fits.

When it comes to 1:50 000 etc.( or whatever)  it depends upon your software and screen resolution, I saw that satelite had a 500m base and John had the same so I just matched them up.

I could post both of them tomorrow if you want, but my time is restricted at the moment.

 

[John B]

I should start from scratch if you want a more accurate overlay. I just used the best entrance coordinates I could find and placed them all relative to each other in CAD, scaling each survey to the same scale. The valley lines are fairly accurate but not very detailed. It should be basically ok but it was hastily done so don't take it as the gospel truth!

 

[Roo]

As an update to the digging continuing in Urchin Passage, the Elevator pitch is the current focus. After removing a fair bit of rock from the bottom, we now have a vertical, very nice water fluted hole approx 1.5mx2m which appears to be enlarging as we excavate. It has a rift off to one side which we are scaffing back to reduce the amount of spoil taken out (allowing us to put larger rocks behind).
So far we're down approx 3m and digging is fairly easy with generally fist sized rock, but hauling is not so easy having to be raised about 8m. We've rigged up a highly modified push bike connected to a half tonne winch which makes this safer than doing it by hand. Water is also an issue, so a fishing brolly has been installed over the bike to avoid a soaking after heavy rain. Various failing body parts have also hampered digging this year, but there's still plenty of time left to find the "big one"!!
Good luck to all of you on the Peak Expedition and other projects in general.

Keith

 

[cavefinder]

Where does Raven Mine relate on the overlay map?  As there is a lot of natural in Raven do you think it is too low to link up with any other system?

 

[JAM]

I think it'll link in to some stuff, not WICC, but something rather tight and maybe muddy and wet; especially right now! I'm thinking lathkill stream way. As you may know or not, the knotlow stream flows into the lathkill system, what path it takes is somewhat of an unknown. It's thought to pass under casscade cavern, where water can be heard. It could well swing a little south which could bring it close to Raven. We know know Raven backs up and we're waiting for the waters to retreat before attempting to get to bottom of the 80ft internal shaft (after the eye hole) to dig out again.
The upper level natural looks interesting too, but hard graft! 
You thinking of giving it a prod? 

 

[paul]

[gmod]I've split the posts relating to Wrath Sough lead mine into a separate Topic. This makes things easier to find information in the future. See http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=14068.0[/gmod]

 

[WendysBrother]

Had a look at the new (South) bits last night - Wow! That's one hell of a passage   

Air was a bit "thick", especially in North Passage and the bottom of the shaft, new bits OK and Northwest Passage positively fresh.

 

[Pipster]

Had a look at the new (South) bits last night - Wow! That's one hell of a passage