Trips & Reports

What can I say apart the fact that although this trip was relatively "short" (had time to go to Bernie's for a nice hot chocolate), I've never had so much muscle ache the next day, it actually killed me! I hate deviations, here I was dangling 35 metres above the bottom (screw the distance, I'm not good at estimating, but you couldn't see the bottom), and somehow re-attached the deviation thingy in the same place as where I detached it.... read more

There was one hell of a lot of water down there! We sacked it off once we reached the bridge cos we didn't really want to come out with hypothermia :s. I had wanted to go for a play down long churn (with it being even more in flood than I've ever seen it), but when feeling quite cold coming out of alum, decided against it.

And I thought Long Churn was flooded a month ago! Could not believe how much water was around, we had to do 3 river crossings to even reach the waterfall!! Pretty awesome sight though to see it all falling from the sky, just a bit chilly at the bottom! (Once I got there - after a 20 minute re-belay) =s Greasy slab was fun though, just...rather greasy! And we made it back in time for homemade soup at Bernies! Yuuuuummmmm...... read more

Totally hardcore! I mean the ice, the wind, the sliding around, the chocolate cake, the pub - extreme!

I agree! And then Ade came along and walked on a frozen puddle...breaking in and getting a drenched/muddy shoe! Amazing views at the top, but very very chilly and slippy :p

Yey ice fun for sliding on :) Got through two reels of film as well. Nice little stroll up a hill

We were beaten again and failed to get past Oxbow corner, let alone find the way onto Wretched wabbit. But a fun, nice and easy trip nontheless. As usual, very enduring and a lot of pretty things to look at and a nice mix of crawling, climbing, sliding, crawling and a bit of rope stuff too. The rope at Fall pot had been recently knotted, making SRT down impossible, and making for an interesting climb. Gary... read more

We went to Easter grotto, then down to the main drain. Then went back out again. Had coffee in the entrance. Very icy walk back. Nasty changing.

Only not so much fun cos I had a BIG ethanol induced headache. Wouldn't have though it was possible to have an epic in sunset but it was. Grrr to Steve's dodgy gear!

Felt like a journey through a toilet cistern...

Hmm, thats one way to put it!

Amazing, apart from leaving a bag at the top which Nikki went back for, it was a trip with almost no faff! We even got back across the fell in a direct line without getting lost, partly helped by the moon, and of course my expert navigation :p

Cool cave (took the dry entrance), but down there we had to drench ourselves in this blistering cold water (ask Jess), aglagla. At the bottom we found three frogs, which to me still doesn't make sense apart from the only explanation being that there must be a Frog Kingdom beneath our feet, and those that we saw were just spies of the King Frog (with a crown on his head). A quick-paced jog down the hill with Ollie after we... read more

One of my favourite trips to date, perhaps tied with James Hall. I took the wet route down (which was more or less completely dry with the exception of a couple of splashes from above on a few pitches). Some excellent (awkward) SRT at times, including a rather large swing-out on the first pitch after a scary traverse. The Y-hang is somewhat of a stretch to reach from the ledge, challenging the nerves a little. For... read more

Great Cave. I rigged the wet route. Fairly standard ropey goodness, with a nice treverse along an exposed ledge in it. I would say the SRT is technically fairly simple, but could be quite intimitating, especially for the short :-)

Glad I went... we made it more or less to the bottom. Unfortunately I couldn't fit up the chute leading to gower hall or whatever that bit's called... possibly the tightest squeeze I have ever attempted (and failed)! However, we reckon there is an easier way in there. Otherwise, a fun, crawly, muddy cave, quite tricky to navigate around, making it more exciting. And a bonus that you're never more than an hour from the surface,... read more

I've been down here loads of times and I still find new bits!

We took down the description from http://www.braemoor.co.uk/cavingtrip/route9.shtml and tried to follow bits of it:

Rigged the entrance shaft off the tree and then rigged the second pitch and lobbed down the rope. Headed back to entrance shaft and went across to the other side and down Robert's Passage. Passed Robert's Inlet on the right, and passed a rope going up on the right. Ignored this 'cos it looked a... read more

I have never seen so much water down Gaping Gill in my entire life!

A very fun trip with a fantastic waterfall. My legs were too short to reach some footholds and Aimee's were too long for others. We changed outside a church and Aimee wondered if it was wrong to flash your bum at it. Only un-fun part was getting my hair caught in the rack. Ouch! The drive back was scenic because of bonfire night fireworks going off all over the place. Pretty...

Well it was rather a giraffe, wasn't it? We decided on glow in the dark sheep trousers as Christmas prezzies, had random old farts looking scandalised to find cars driving on a road, bushes leaking, Audrey nearly collapsing into a pile of mud before we even got near a cave, me taking six attempts to correctly put on knee pads, the hair incident (Ad's now considering a change of career) Dom morphing into a dog, Audrey and I getting stuck... read more

Well, long churn three weeks on the trot! I'm beginning to know it well. Its been getting steadily wetter too, so we can't go next week as it sould be completely submerged!

A bit of a chilly change, but not actually raining, and a long walk up the hill. Only two people fell down Dr. Banisters this time, despite John putting knots in the handline. Those who took the sporting decent option where well fielded by Laz and John though, and... read more

Well I haven't been caving in over a year so I would've had fun in Mother Shiptons Cave ( www.mothershiptonscave.com ) let alone the watery delights of Long Churn. I enjoyed myself anyway, splashing around in Dr Bannisters Handbasin, catching 1st years with Laz and playing hunt the submerged welly.

John C and I also did Wilson's Cave. The bottom end looked particularly wet so we went in at the top. I got as far as where my ear was touching the water and decided to turn back 'cos it was probably sumped!

Fun little jaunt, though.

Oh yeah, John C and I came out through the Diccan entrance where there was pretty much bugger all water, and then got to laugh at everyone else doing full submersion coming out the resurgence... read more

Sorry about the welly! Not my fault I ended up with size 6 instead of size 9 wellies and had to borrow an odd pair of Ollie's - size 11 and size 12! Good job I didn't break my finger anyway... and yes that plughole thing was freeeeezing!

A very scary amount of faff! I don't think god wanted us in a cave on this trip. Many people who would have gone caving had a very nice breakfast in Inglesport (cos Bernies was full) then went back to York! Thankfully we managed to salvage many of the freshers and get into the cave by me and Ollie driving back to Gargrave to pick people up from the broken down mini bus while everyone else went home either in... read more

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on a damp saturday morning, many cavers pile into two cars and a minibus and head off to the dales. Whilst passing through gargrave, someone noticed a smell of something burning. Praying it wasn't the minibus, we told matt to stick his head out the window to check it was coming from outside. It wasn't. We pulled into the car-park for the Anchor Inn and the minibus emptied as plumes of smoke bellowed from the... read more

Bat passage is VERY VERY pretty, although you have to do a nasty wet squeeze and go up a pitch backwards to get there.

Adam + Will also went on the trip!! thought they should get a mention too :)

Sig bottles make a really nice noise when they fall down a 25m pitch! This cave hates me, it never lets me get to the bottom. For the second time, we forgot the rope for the last pitch!

Faff factor = low

I liked the bit when Matt ran through the waterfall (and back again) - wet boy! It is perhaps a blessing we forgot the last rope because it was looking very wet on the last pitch. Still - we all got wet outside afterwards when the heavens opened!

scrotty boulder choke followed by scrotty 40o bedding plane and a slippy tight traverse with possibilities of sliding down and getting stuck so me and tash wussed out and went to lie in the sun! then we got andy to break into the hut through the tiny toilet window in only his boxers, highly amusing! :)

beneath heaven there is hell, beneath hell there is eastwater cavern...
ok, maybe a slight exaggeration but its not a cave for the claustrophic or well covered. follow the rope through a massive boulder choke and then do the cheese press diagonally. or just do swildons coz its a million times better.

Ignore Tash, this is a brilliant cave. The upper traverse (45 degree bedding plane) is great fun. Next time we are in the Mendips we should do the round trip (we did half of it while wandering around). A classic\ Mendips trip (apparently).

Starts off with a pants boulder choke. First major obstacle is a diagonal cheese press. fairly intimidating. After this point the entire cave is at 45deg. Uphill, downhill, round and round. Judging by the survey we were about 1/3 of the way to the end. A good fun and challenging trip. More tiring than you might expect. Definately worth going back for another crack.

Brilliant cave!!! one of my favourite so far, definately top 3. a little bit of everything: crawling, free climbing, squeezing, a little pitch, stompy streamway, waterfalls, a rope slide and a mud slide into a pit of mud the consistency of lumpy custard! yey! and last but most importantly, the sump! which was very scary first time round but a huge adrenalin rush and so much fun the second time, bit cold tho!!
then out in time for a lovely... read more

Before anyone else gets there first - yes I was a bit wussy going through the sump the first time, hence the high rating. Second timethough, no problem. FUN FUN FUN. Low scum as we had a good wash in the sump after the mud fight.

as nicky said, this is cave has something for everyone, lots of climbs and streamway action and the option of entering through a tree (not recommended tho as the climb is lethal) even if you don't sump it, is still worth a visit. the sump is not nearly as bad as it looks, and there is a rope which you follow so its just a matter of hauling yourself through. A tad chilly it has to be said, worth submerging... read more

Involuntary grinning throughout. I love all the climbing bits in this cave. This is definately a case of wetter is better. I wish to do the round trip next time. This cave has potential for some extremely ambitious and creative trips, due to a variety of route choices. Anyone fancy sump 2 (8m long)!!!

i fell on my arse and have the biggest bruise ever! :(
hardcore rating higher than usual cos i was being crap and wussy and so kept falling over! my new oversuit is nice and muddy, yey! :)

Ive never slid around so much in my life. The whole place is covered in clay and having full wellies from the entrance gradually emptying to ensure the perfect level of slickness it was slidy to say the least. Note hardcore rating raises to five for when you want to leave the cave. I shedded srt kit helmet and needed gover pusing my feet before i "B****RDed my way out its a touch steep and tight getting... read more