Notts Pot 4 bag, 3 person, 2nd year, 9 hour trip - Adamson’s Route

Friday November 7th 2025

Members present: Abbie Heathcote,  Asher Goodwin,  Will Barlow

As the NPC weekend approached, the stress of organising was dulled by two things: an evening of crashing at Viki and Rosie’s to play Mario Kart, and the promise of going Friday caving with Asher and Will!

The original plan was for the three of us (plus Nuala) to head to Nick Pot, alas the weather was not on our side and so we agreed on a plan B - Notts Pot, Adamson’s Route. In the days before the weekend we lost Nuala to a later car, so the reality of what we were undertaking settled in: a 4 bag, 3 person, fully second year trip - thrilling!

Friday began with Asher and Will picking me up at 7:30am, with bags packed the night before, we made an efficient start on the drive. So efficient in fact, that I left a very lovely bottle of red wine (intended as a cheeseboard accompaniment) on my kitchen sideboard - thankfully the only thing I managed to forget.

With myself and Asher worrying about the tunes, and Will focusing on the actual driving, we set off on our quest. Following our early start, we called at Skipton Morrison’s with three things on our agenda: breakfast, cheese and replacement wine. Our breakfast sandwiches went down very well, as did my coffee (needed), the only exception was the regrettable order of fried bread (I’m confident this traumatised Asher and Will more than any cave ever will).

Whilst roaming Morrison’s in search of cheese, Will spotted a very whimsy ‘It’s my birthday’ headband; with absolutely no hesitation Asher resolved to buy it and bring it down Birthday Pot with him in pursuit of silly photos and making epic cavey memories. We decided to keep its acquisition under our helmets until we returned from Notts, as a fun surprise for everyone joining us later at the NPC - our own secret mission.

So, we left Morrison’s and enjoyed a misty drive to the NPC, eventually the sun poked through and inspired more excitement (some of this was from the nice weather, perhaps mostly by the Taylor Swift that we began playing as we neared the hut). A swift stop at the NPC to claim our bunks and set a call out, then we resumed the Taylor Swift singalong and drove up to Leck Fell.

A quick change into caving gear - and a wholesome photo to commemorate the first trip with just the three of us - then we commenced the trek up the Fell to the cave entrance. After only minimal grumbling from Asher we passed a large shakehole and caught a glimpse of the Notts entrance - hurray!

We were very proud of ourselves for beginning the trip before midday, I think it was about 11:45am when we began. Full of the enthusiasm of Friday cavers, we enjoyed our last glimpses of the sun, knowing it would be dark when we emerged. While the rigging began, I did a bit of laying in the grass and pointing out all the mushrooms I could see - it was a lovely weekend for spotting cool fungus, and this began with a lone Mottlegill right at the mouth of Notts Pot.

The initial plan was for Will to begin rigging (while I enjoyed the luxury of having my hair french plaited at the cave entrance) and for Asher to take over later. This was revised on the walk and Asher decided to rig the entrance pitch instead - he did so very successfully and we soon began our descent. A short crawl after the entrance pitch was followed by a handlined shimmy down (making use of a convenient boulder as a foothold, cheers Matt!)

Another smooth descent and we arrived in Three Ways Chamber. This is where Will took over rigging (the ascending traverse that indicated the beginning of Adamson’s Route) while I got cosy on a rock and Asher skillfully plaited my hair - every time someone complimented them at the weekend, they got a very excitable “thanks! Asher did them for me in Three Ways Chamber!!” as a response, because this was of course, very exciting!

Will soon called for us to follow, having basically free-climbed the slightly daunting traverse in order to rig it, and so with little delay Asher followed him up, with me just behind. It was a little tricky to navigate the climb with a tacklesack, but I quickly got into the swing of it and soon we were all reunited at the top.

Onwards! We arrived at another handlined climb, with some lovely metal staples for footholds. I took my success on this climb as a sign that my devoted training had paid off over the last few weeks, as a similar climb in Lancs had bested me a few weeks before (making my kinda recent ankle injury flare up) - today however, I ascended without incident. It was quite nice to clip a cowstail into one of the higher staples for extra security, but the climb generally shouldn’t pose any issues.

Soon, Birthday Pot commenced with another pitch leading to a single-bolt rebelay - I had some fun and games with my simple while Asher and Will waited patiently below for me to descend. Reunited, our Birthday Pot birthday headband plot came into action - I’m sure the photos will find their way onto the website but let me provide some description anyways. Picture Asher at the pitch head, grinning from ear to ear with the jauntiest of headbands (decorated with pretty colours and candles) stretched over his helmet - just as good a picture as we hoped it would be! After the photo op, Asher descended the pitch and I followed. We stopped for some well-earned chocolate at the balcony, and of course more silly photos! We all took turns with the headband and got an essential group photo of our first solo cave.

It was then time for the second half of Birthday Pot, which we descended much in the order of the rest of the cave. There is an interesting natural deviation a short way down (see Will’s report for rigging advice), which I quickly got past and resumed my descent to join the guys.

A bit more ambling along and we reached the final pitch of Adamson’s Route before the Lower Streamway - the topo is a bit deceptive, and it’s bigger than it looks, but very good fun.

My memory of the approach to the next pitch is a little foggy, but I’m fairly sure that we wandered on a bit before a somewhat awkward wriggle up (handlined by Will) into a rift traverse - incredibly pretty and I provided light so that Asher could photograph the formations above and beside us. This fairly narrow traverse didn’t provide any issues on the way through/down, though the tight pitch head was a little uncomfortable to descend through - and I would imagine quite challenging to rig, especially with our many bags to contend with. It was quite an exhilarating descent and I made sure to enjoy it, as I could already tell it would be a frustrating pitch head to get off of later.

I believe the bottom of the pitch led us onto another ascending traverse (handjammer recommended, especially if you’re a shorter caver) to a short crawl around a corner, before the next pitch head. This was quite a reach to get on, and sounded a bit spooky to rig. All good fun though and halfway down this sizable descent was a deviation on a ledge, quickly passed, and the latter part of the descent dropped into a very wet chamber - perhaps a good indication that Nick Pot wouldn’t have been a wise trip that day.

A very fun traverse around a big hole brought us away from the spray to the final little pitch, which required a delightful swing to the left to meet my fellow cavers in a ‘sheltered tube’ beside the sump (which had that classic sump smell, if you know you know).

And just like that, we had made it! We took some celebratory photos to commemorate us 3 intrepid second years making it to the bottom of Notts on our own and without incident - chocolate snacking and birthday headband shenanigans resumed, before we plotted our ascent.

It was quite loud at the bottom and the chamber before the final traverse and pitch was very wet - therefore we agreed that we would call rope free at the top of the second to last pitch, to avoid too much waiting in the splashzone. Asher ascended first, and good thing that Will was listening, because I totally missed Asher’s whistle for rope-free. After responding, I got to do a very controlled swing out of the tube (wary of rope rub at the pitch head) and retraced my steps over the hole traverse. I ascended the big pitch and met Asher at the top. Despite the far-out anchors, this wasn’t too tricky to get off.

We continued on, with nothing too noteworthy happening. As predicted the tight pitch head at the end of the rift traverse was a pain to get off, especially with a full bag to drag up behind you. With a bit of morale support from Asher (unpersuaded by my defeated sigh of “just leave me here, it’ll be easier”) and a bit of a pull I managed to get high enough to get off the pitch and we began shuffling back along the traverse. I have a lot of time for rift traverses, they’re very fun, besides the pitch head it’s one of the big highlights of the trip for me.

All out of the rift, with Will derigging at the back, we continued. I think this is where they switched so Asher took over derigging.

A bit of care should be taken coming up Birthday Pot, as there are some loose rocks and the structure of the natural deviation is a little precarious. Will warned us that too much force when prussicking could pull it off completely, so as I say, take care. We all ascended without incident and then shuffled the bags around to even the load a bit.

A little tired but full of excitement at the length of our trip - rather long for a Friday trip - we pushed on. Our return to Three Ways Chamber was a thrilling indicator that we were nearing the exit, as just a few short pitches lay between ourselves and the surface. I ascended first, then Will went ahead to help us get the bags up the handlined climb just before the entrance pitch, much appreciated!

As we then shuffled through the short crawl beyond the climb, the outside world became visible again, the sky was dark, much unlike the sunshine that had waved us off at the beginning of the trip.

We did a bit of maths, and worked out that we had been underground for a solid 9 hours overall. This was mine and Asher’s longest trips and was another accomplishment to add to our very successful day. As Will and I prepared to ascend the entrance pitch we saw numerous bats, and giggled a fair bit when we heard Asher’s cry of “just saw a bat!” from just behind us - a very fun end to the trip.

A quick change at the car, and Asher messaged our call out to say that we were out and alive, then we headed to the NPC to meet up with everyone else.

I had spent the last few pitches dreaming of the glorious NPC cheeseboard, brie and a nice glass of red never sounded so good. After a short drive, cosy in the backseat with Will’s blanket, we arrived at the hut to lots of friendly faces and the incredible news that the cheeseboard had not yet commenced. Rosie, laughing, reminded me that I was actually kind of in charge of it, so with all my gear sorted, I decreed it time for cheese.

I got my brie, Asher shared the photos and recounted our epic tale, Will enjoyed one of his favourite jobs, sorting the rope. All in all, a brilliant trip and I’m very proud of us for completing the trip (and bringing great vibes while we did it!)