Work
has started on cleaning up and conserving Lancaster Hole and the rest of the
system.
On Saturday 1st. June. (86), Jim Birchall,
Randy Allsop and Chris Naylor, in a mind boggling feat
of engineering ingenuity (brute force, interesting knots, and don’t stand at
the bottom of the pitch) Cleared out all the major ironwork from the bottom of
the pitch, landscaped a boulder pile in the rift, and made a flat landing area.
With some extra heaving from passing fell walking members.
On
Sunday even more rubbish was hauled up, and Roland Abrahams, Frank Hardy, Derick Varnon, Randy Allsop, and Jim Birchall scrubbed
the Colonnades, photographed by Rob and Hugh. (The nearest
clean water turned out to be at the bottom of Fall Pot).
Various surface members of the club carried the rubbish back to the farm.
Taken
out were: 3 railway lines, 3 iron ladders, several lengths of timber, several
rubbish sacks containing beer cans, cigarette buts, and one glass wine bottle
(smelling of paraffin), a scientific thingy, and two large light bulbs. This
work is still continuing.
NOTE.
The depth of Lancaster Hole is a true 110ft. (2 x 50ft. ladders will not
suffice) and the way out is to climb up the new boulder
slope.
Jim Birchall.