Trips & Reports 2011

You definitely need cowstails for the flood bypass.

Unfortunately the original plan to get into the upper oxbow series didn\'t quite work. After getting to the traverses, and doing them, we missed the fact we had to climb down to get round the corner, leading to a rope ladder there for us to climb up to start the route planned. Not wanting to fall down the big hole, we thought we could just try get into the series in reverse, by going up the Skyhook pitch we... read more

Great fun :)

An excellent evening bimble around OFD1. and thanks to the chefs for the fantastic plate of yummy food when we got back up the hill to the SWCC hut :)

I was nice and dry until the buggers picked me up and chucked me in the deep water at the end!

Damn you all for being too efficient with the cake ;)

Good, generally a nice cave with an interesting cake formation near the sump at the end (beats the wedding cake in OFD2), although this formation suffered some wear and tear which we were in there and may no longer be visible. There was also an unusual champagne waterfall which seems to be seasonal or something, it didn\'t flow for long while we were there. That sump was also cold man, no way was I getting in there sans wetsuit.

Think I was thrown into the sump more times than ideal ;)

Gott zone was also on this one.

An awesome trip! Bottomed Juniper Gulf and back to York by 6.30pm :)

The team arrived at the familiar sight of Fell Becks descent into the abyss of Gaping Gill. The rocks in the stream had been positioned to funnel water down the Rat Hole sink for the Winch Meet earlier in the year to keep the water out of the main shaft. The main shaft was not our target for today though, for this trip we needed to follow the shadows into an encounter with its more sinister sibling, Rat Hole. We... read more

On a Monday afternoon I was wandering idly round the lake, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the bickering of the geese, feeling pretty much at ease and at peace with the world. My musings were disturbed by my ringing phone, it was Matt, and I picked it up. ‘Hi Jonny do you fancy Rat Hole this weekend?’ My heart sank. ‘Well, err, I’m not too sure, I’d have to see what I’ve got on’ I said, buying time to get... read more

Was fairly amusing as I managed to miss basically all the hangers on the way down - good at my mid rope change overs now :P

3 for fun because although there was an awesome traverse (like super awesome!!) I felt a bit rubbish after the tensioned line thing went down about 1/2 a foot when I was on it and a rock few into my face :O

What a spectacular waterfall! A marvellous entrance pot, a bryologist\'s wonderland. Like Caitlin, I was also displeased when a large rock fell off the ceiling next to me. Toby and I turned back just before the 4th(?) pitch/freeclimb which also had a big pile of loose stones precariously balanced over it. I dropped the rope while de-rigging. megafail