Flood
Entrance Pot
10.09.92
Team: Neil Pacey and Paul Wilkinson
A midweek
caving trip to do a classic
One long walk
later we arrived at Flood Entrance. Neil had three tackle bags of rope but had
soon rigged the first and second pitches. It is a magnificent passage in a
superb, classic system.
We had soon
climbed the “handline for safety” areas, It seems like a pretty foul joke to
me, carrying all that tackle for a flight of steps. Still, we didn’t have to
climb through a waterfall that time. An excellent final pitch landed us in
South East Pot, a fine piece of cave architecture and a more enjoyable route
into the system than abbing down Bar!
At the bottom
we charged off towards the Main Chamber after tying the rope off to a
substantial belay, none of us fancied doing “Tarzan-Leaps” for the rope over a
hundred foot plus chasm! After the short comfortable crawling and annoying
stooping passage we rounded a corner to hear the immense, roaring, pounding
noise of Fell Beck falling 365 feet.
As is usual
for people who have not been into the Main Chamber before, I was totally
mindblown and staggered about the chamber with my mouth wide open and eyes like
dinner plates! (Can I come for therapy as well Tony?) Very impressive. I too
had wanted to see the Main Chamber for some time but first had to serve my
apprenticeship on such classics as Marble Sink and Quaking Pot before being
allowed to do “proper” potholes. Not being used to large spacious caverns we
soon left for the more comfortable surroundings of South East Passage and the
rest of the return journey.
On the way out we got slightly lost but made it out eventually after plenty of
Neanderthal stooping. A fairly smooth de-rig saw us within daylight less than
four hours previously. I must confess to finding these “classics” great fun,
however I still prefer a touch of misery and digging at the weekends.
Go for it. Get validated, grab the tackle and enjoy yourself a great days
potholing!
Paul Wilkinson
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