Bar
Pot to Gaping Gill (Main Chamber).
14.02.93
Team:
Jim Newton (co-ordlnator) Phil
Wright, Bert Savage, Pete Eland, Ken, Tony Clarke, Neil Pacey, Angela Hare,
Dave Webb, Claire and Paul Wilkinson.
9.00 am Clapham Estate Office:
Jim, Pete and myself arrived
outside Clapham Estate Office on a cold but sunny morning and kitted up straight
away. Our intention was to get to Bar Pot and rig the entrance pitch in
readiness for the rest of the team arriving, but after contemplating how much
tackle we would have to carry we decided to wait for the other members to turn
up (ladder meet). At 9.30 there was still was no sign of any other cavers.
After a short discussion with Jim we decided to wait another twenty minutes and
if nobody else turned up we would spend the rest of day at our dig which is
within a 50 mile radius of Bullpot Farm! Pete and myself had a walk to Clapham
Beck Head to take some photos and ten minutes or so lat& Jim signaled the
arrival of three more party members.
I for one breathed a sigh of relief as this is one trip that I wanted to do.
With the arrival of three extra cavers we were soon kitted up and off we went.
We were still four members short (Paul and Claire Wilkinson, Neil Pacey and
Angela Hare) but they would soon catch us up due to the bottlenecks that occur
on the entrance pitch and the big hundred footer. The walk to Gaping Gill is a
long one and we were soon split into pairs a couple of hundred yards apart.
Phil and myself were in front and as we arrived at the gated field at the foot
of Trow Gill I noticed a stampede of at least 100 sheep come galloping across
the field (I am not exaggerating). Obviously they thought it was feeding time.
Phil looked
at me, I looked at Phil.
I said, “You
go first.”
Phil said,
“No, you go first!”
I said, “No,
you go first!”
Phil said,
“No, you go first!”
I said, “No,
you etc, etc, etc
After five
minutes arguing by these fearless, intrepid potholers I decided to go first. I
opened the gate and walked in to the field (mistake no.1).
“What’s that
weird snorting noise Phil?” I said and out of the corner of my eye I saw a slavering,
slobbering bundle of wool rushing towards me, I promptly turned around and ran
towards the gate.
“Show it your
not scared!” said Phil.
Get stuffed”
said I.
Once safely
back through the gate and once Phil had picked himself off the floor where he
had collapsed in hysterics, he decided to show me how it was done. He stepped
into the field and started to wave his arms in the air and shout silly things
like YAHOO, GERROUTOFIT and MUSH, MUSH. To my amazement it worked and when I
look back I think it was enough to frighten a police-horse.
Eventually we
all arrived at Bar Pot and as Gaping Gill was only a short walk away we went to
have a look at the impressive entrance shaft, whilst leaving Jim to rig the
entrance pitch of Bar Pot. On arriving at Gaping Gill we skirted the perimeter
fence and approached the shaft along the stream bed. I cautiously moved up to
the edge and when my foot slid from underneath me I thought that it was wise to
get down on all fours, even then I must confess that I never got close enough
to the edge to see all the way down the shaft.
Once back at
Bar Pot, Jim had just finished rigging the entrance pitch, so the lifeline was
tied on and down he went. A short time later Jim shouted “Ladder free” and so I
clipped into the lifeline and climbed down the ladder. The pitch is a bit tight
at the top but soon opens out into a fair sized chamber and the rest of the
descent is easy. Next it was Ken’s turn and as it was his first caving trip he
failed to negotiate the entrance squeeze. Oh well, it was a nice sunny day
idea! for fell walking. The rest of the party soon followed and we set of
Gaping Gill and the Main Chamber. Next came a short climb down a greasy slab,
fortunately with a fixed rope to help things along. After a few minutes of easy
going passage we emerged at the head of the big pitch.
While Jim
rigged this I had couple moments to mull over a few thoughts that usually go
through my mind when faced with a vertical drop of more than six toot such as,
“I must be mad.” or “What an I doing this for?” and “Oh shit!”. Phil at this
point asked if he could be first man down. Little did I know that he had an
ulterior motive, namely, first man down does not have some silly bugger
shouting up “Look down, look down!”
Presently the shout came “Ladder free” so I clipped in to the lifeline and
backed out over the shaft. Curiosity got the better of me and I had a quick
look down the shaft (mistake No.2). I could see Phil’s light far below and to
me looked a lot further than 100 foot.
The climb
down is fairly easy, dry and close to the wall but if like me you don’t like
heights it is a real relief to land on the floor of South-East passage. A short
walk and scramble took us to the floor of South-East Pot, a gaping hole in the
floor passed by a cautious traverse on the right. This hole is 120 foot deep
and a fall would obviously be fatal. At this point of the cave Flood Entrance
Pot makes its way into the system. Next comes the slog and only bad part of the
Bar Pot to Gaping Gill traverse which consists of 400 foot of hand and knees
craw!
Suddenly
there it was, the Main Chamber of Gaping Gill.
For the next
15 minutes I walked around with my mouth open firing off shot after shot on my
camera (not one photo came out). Ever since I took up caving my main goal was
to see the Main Chamber, now I have done that my next ambition is to do the
main shaft of Gaping Gill (can we have it on the next meets lists?) I have just
been out for a pint so ignore the last 26 or so words and I promise to book
myself in for some therapy. A quick trip was made to Mud Hall, the second
largest chamber in the system and then we retraced our steps to the foot of Bar
Pot. As we arrived at the foot of the pitch we were surprised to see the last
member of the other party descending the ladder. Better late than never and it
meant that we wouldn’t have to de-tackle the cave!
An uneventful journey was made out to a glorious, sunny evening and the waiting
but slightly bored Ken. On the way back to Clapham Jim and Phil, as usual, went
to have a look at a couple of digs.
A very
enjoyable caving trip.
Tony Clarke.
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