As an extension to my thread on routes that attract stuck people I wondered how many of the UKC climbing parish are also into their potholing ?
I've been once and that was to the Peak Cavern (devils arse) and been taken past the show cave to the far reaches of the system where there was digging and cave diving involved (trying to join up systems) . I did think to myself when I first saw the oxygen tanks and scaffolding and tea making facilitates miles underground in the dark that these people are mad.
I really enjoyed it , not enough to go out and buy a load of kit , but I enjoyed it all the same. Gave me more of a appreciation for the vast hidden silent world beneath our feet .
I'd definitely do it again.
You need to use a climbing word: graunch not wriggle.
Pothole Chimney VDiff on Simon's Seat. Best done in January, at night, when verglassed
I've been caving a few times but I watched this when I was ~8 years old it's amazing the extent it has stuck with me and continues to haunt me when I've been underground:
youtube.com/watch?v=DNXxSsY1sHo&
No. One activity that I am completely physically unsuitable for is quite enough.
Yes, often. Mostly Mendips, sometimes South Wales.
Friend of mine is a big fan of routes with holes - either ones with a good thread runner or, ideally, ones you have to physically get your body through at some point.
If you go to Symonds Yat, you can get into the cave system there pretty easily - the trick is getting back out
I once went to climb with a pal in Derbyshire but we got rained off so he suggested we went down a cave instead. It was an easy one near Stoney Middleton that he often took pupils down. We got to the sump and on the way back he suggested we looked at a side passage that was too difficult for the kids. So in we went and before long we were crawling through a small tunnel heading downhill so the water level slowly reached the roof. We were only using Petzl headlamps. The tunnel got very small and took an S bend, which you had to wriggle through like a prawn, then there was a short duck and you emerged in a much bigger cave - he said miners had cut through between the two. It wasn't very pleasant but we managed it OK.
Anyway we walked down the bigger cave then feeling tired and hungry returned. We got to a Y junction and couldn't remember from which branch we had come so went left, but after fifty yards or so the cave came to an end and we couldn't see where we must have entered. So back we went and up the right branch but that soon became impassable so we turned around and went back to the junction. Tried the left fork and still couldn't see where we had entered. Back to the junction for a head scratch and by then the black dog of fear was beginning to awake and it became an interesting mental exercise in staying calm, the conversation between us becoming increasingly terse. We searched up and down for our entrance then tried the left branch again and eventually my pal realised we had entered from underwater. He found the tunnel by searching with his hands under the muddy water then ducked in telling me to follow if he wasn't back in a couple of minutes. So I took a good breath and went in, soon finding air above and wriggling my way round the S bend with my mouth near the roof. It was a huge relief to get out of the cave into the warm damp summer air.
It wasn't until afterwards in the pub that we realised what we had done - nobody knew where we were or when to expect us back, it was raining so the water was probably rising, we had parked the car deep in a forest where nobody would notice it and we were ill equipped. My pal was a good climbing buddy and I sometimes wonder if he set the whole thing up as a way of testing me but then I remember the strained atmosphere when we realised we might be spending some time down there and I know he wasn't kidding.
Sometimes I have a daydream about it; I see complete blackness with a tiny passage wriggling though it and me plugged in the passage like a worm in one of those worm frames we had at school biology lessons, surrounded by millions of tons of solid rock. No caver has even been able to tell me the name of the cave.
I've been in a few tight little holes in my time
I used to love it. Did one basic through trip, then stated, after a few beers, that 'this caving game easy'. Next afternoon saw me in Inglesports buying a whole set of equipment minus the lamp, and set off down Black Shiver. I'd never used the petzl stop, krolls or any of that so got a basic intro at the entrance. The initial flat out crawl saw me get wet from the start. Halfway down the first ab I realised I hadn't tightened my D Shaped maillon properly (so my harness was kinda undone), so jammed a thumb in the gap and carried on abbing. On the way back out, I was on de-rigging duty and realised my headlamp was running out of charge. This caused minor panic, so got a move on and had a comedy moment when I caught up with my mate who, due to the dim light, thought I was way behind him. Turns out he had got his maths wrong and charged the lamp for 6 hours thinking it would give 8 hours battery (when it gave 4 hours max). Sorting gear in the dark below Ingleborough and gazed at a magnificent view of the Northern Lights. Think I was borderline hypothermic as well. All other trips were somewhat anti-climatic after that. Although an 80 foot pine tree once fell off a cliff top and landed 6 inches from us whilst we sheltered under a small roof at some cliff during a massive blizzard on the way to Gaping Ghyll. That nearly killed us.
For what it's worth, I'm on the Mendips this weekend if anyone fancies a trip. Newbies welcome.
Reading your post was terrifying. I am never ever going caving, not ever.
> Reading your post was terrifying. I am never ever going caving, not ever.
Tell me about it. I was feeling tense just reading it. Im not claustrophobic but that sounded awful. Actually, perhaps I am claustrophobic. <shudder>
I did a few trips underground in the Castleton area about 25 years ago, nothing too hard or serious but generally just two of us with improvised kit and Petzl Zoom headtorches and nobody knew where we were, so not entirely sensible. My favourite trip was P8 (Jackpot) which I did 3 or 4 times.
I took a climbing friend down it once, we abseiled down the first pitch and did a bit of exploring about. When it came to leave we went back to the bottom of the pitch and he asked "how do we get back up this then?" We jumar I said (I didn't have a caving ladder so I always SRT'd it. "How do you jumar?" he asked, so I had to give him a crash course in jumaring and he did his first jumar underground up a waterfall. He got in a complete mess and ended up hauling himself up the last 10 feet hand over hand.
We had a good laugh about it but he never came caving again.
Yep, cave all the time in the Dales. Amazed by how few climbers cave aswell, especially during the winter months as caving is the same all year round. Some of the pitches are massive (50m to 100m) and a lifetimes worth of potholes to go at. Most of it isn’t claustrophobic at all, but you can search out that sort of thing if you want. Of course there is climbing underground as well, but mostly V.Diff chimney style climbs, but usually done solo as you don’t carry gear or dynamic ropes.
Its one of those activities a lot of people get introduced to, at school etc, but not many people follow through with it as you get cold and wet, and you go to the easy masssively overdone theme park caves. Invest in the proper gear, join a club and then the proper adventure starts! I’m more into caving as a sport rather than formations, but somethings you see are utterly amazing.
One thing which differentiates it, is photos usually come out terrible, unless you have amazing equipment. You have to experience it for yourself!
I do love climbing, but caving/pot holing is very good as well and compliments nicely!
I used to be interested in caving but then I saw a documentary about a group of cavers being eaten by gollum things and decided it wasn't for me. In any case, I can't afford to buy dedicated caving axes.
I think you are talking about a film called the descent.
And I think my earlier comment proves people on this forum need to get a grip and learn how to have a laugh. Something along the lines of remove rod from arse and find wind in button on neck.
you clearly have no clue what you are talking about. These are caving axes.
I have never been caving or ice climbing so have no clue about axes. I never even mentioned them.
Wow - that video is really scary. I never fancied caving and now there is _no_ way I'm ever trying!
I have been a few times, and whilst I found it to be a dirty habit, due to weakness and lack of a convincing excuse often get talked into "another trip"
I don't care for mud in ears, swimming, water over the top of wellies or flat out grovelling. That said, some of the caves have been spectacular and worth the trip and I usually poke my head into various openings in the Yorkshire Dales when out walking. I thought the formations in the cave in Kalymnos were pretty good. Although the lack of a beard will prevent me from becoming a pro caver, the inevitable real ale drinking is not so bad
In that case here is a photo of your average caver getting ready to use a caving axe to kill a cave ork
https://www.strangertickets.com/imager/b/original/45469169/4349/the-descent...
I seem to recall, Hoppy, that we even found one that you mildly liked. No mud in the ears and so on...
Are they rated for use with the larger alaskan cave orks or just the eurasian variety?
I went once with a youth group, one of my very first posts on this site was trying to identify the cave i think.
The whole thing was very similar to the video that has been linked - apart from the missing kid. At the time i thought nothing of it and had a really good time but there is no way on gods green earth would i go back down there!
> I've been in a few tight little holes in my time
Yeah me too, lots and lots and lots
That is a still from the film the descent. Possibly the decent part 2.
It's definitely not. I took it last week myself. I killed three cave orcs myself.
Your caving partner looks nice. Does she climb too?
No, she's died from death the other day from climbing on poor quality ropes.
Died from death, you say? Wow. That's a terrible way to go. I bet she uses Beal ropes next time...
Particularly unfortunate seeing as she managed to kill a bunch of cave orcs the week before. That's life though. Just don't know what's round the corner. Especially in the dark.
I realise it may be too soon, but do you how much the family want for her caving axes?
I've been caving, but found it to be a flip-flop between fun (the climby bits) and abject terror (the claustrophobic bits). Definitely prefer my crags without a roof on.
Jesus we haven't even lowered her into an open grave yet (lowering on a chopped pair of Cobras for added security and dignity) and here you are trying to get in on the act! Sorry, they won't be suitable for you as they have the female specific grips.
What the hell do you think you're doing? Coming on here, trying to get this thread back on topic! Are you mad?
Crikey, my adrenaline level went through the roof just reading that. Wet caves and tight passageways? You can keep that.
> What the hell do you think you're doing? Coming on here, trying to get this thread back on topic! Are you mad?
Send me a bottle of whatever you boys are drinking, I fancy talking shite and making no sense too.
We have to try.
Does she have any sisters? Do they climb?
They cave and they are hot. http://exclaim.ca/images/up-The_Descent__Part_2_.jpg
It comes naturally to some.
This is going to give me nightmares...
I gave you a like, but really... Sod that.
Very excited to give it a go in NZ. I will be moving very close to some awesome caves and hope to explore them and perhaps even do some linking.
There's likely to be some hidden entrances in the bush as well.