Bull Pot of the Witches - 12 Nov 2005

Saturday November 12th 2005

Members present: Chuck Holder,  Laz Abbott,  Mudd Syed,  Richard Gover

I've been down here loads of times and I still find new bits!
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<br>We took down the description from http://www.braemoor.co.uk/cavingtrip/route9.shtml and tried to follow bits of it:
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<br>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 bit slippery although it looks like there's a lot of cave up there!
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<br>We got to the end of Robert's Passage and had a look at the nasty tight hole that I had always thought led to Gour Chambers. We almost gave up at this point 'cos it looks nasty! However, I could hear voices from another group down there!
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<br>We removed SRT kits and Gover went down first, followed by Chuck. Mudd, and me. Not as bad as it looks. Along at the bottom for about 5 m or so, and then a squirm up through a tight, smooth rift and out into Gour Chamber. Gover went first, Chuck needed a leg up, I did it relatively easily, and Mudd almost got there but bottled it.
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<br>Gour Chambers is really pretty. Not that big but good nonetheless. You can go on from here but it looked particularly tight and nasty so we returned to Robert's Inlet and took Burnett's Passage off to the right.
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<br>I don't remember it being as low as that but there you go! We continued to the end, dropping down into the rift and eventually under a big chock-stone. This eventually emerges in Burnett's Great Chamber which is quite impressive, with a nice fluted aven of about 30 m or so. On from here, there is a dodgy looking rope going up a climb which we ignored!
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<br>We headed abck down Burnett's Passage. Our plan was to find the bottom of the second pitch, grab our other rope, and then head off further downwards. The small holes off to the right of Burnett's Passage head downwards and I'm pretty sure that I found the bottom of the second pitch but no rope! DOH! I think it was stuck on a ledge part way down.
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<br>I headed down a bit further and found the streamway but the others wanted to head out. We headed back down Burnett's and then Robert's Passages back to the entrance shaft. Gover, Mudd, and Chuck went up the rope; I went up the little chimney to save a bit of time!
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<br>It was just about dark when we got out so it must count a as proper caving trip! ;)
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<br>Saw Debs at Bullpot Farm; back to Bernies for a cuppa; then to Skipton for pizza (no broken arms this time); and back in York by about 10 pm, which has to be a first!
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<br>Overall, we managed to turn quite an easy trip into quite a hardcore one with all the tight squeezy bits: Mudd did well for her first trip.
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<br>Gour Chambers is definitely worth seeing, as long as you fit!