Saturday at Sunset hole Starkers on his 65th. birthday trip
According to ancient legend, Sunset hole was Alan Martins first Caving
trip 50 years ago. We met in Bernie’s café for breakfast before heading up the
road to meet the backup team arriving at the pumping station car park area. Our
motley crew set off from Chapel le Dale crossing the fell to the sink. Tom and
Emma had turned up in vintage wet suits, I donned my Oldham as I was also
wearing the same gear (type) I wore on my early trips once I took caving on as
a more regular activity. A pleasant sunny heralded, as we wandered across the
fell toward Southerscales Nature Reserve. The path was busy with walkers going
up Ingleborough, giving us curious looks as we walked along.
Alan pointed out where the end of Sunset Hole was, that he, Roy Holmes
and others found in 1968 and so called the '68 series.
We arrived at the entrance finding a moderate amount of freezing cold
water descending the wet entrance so we went in the easier dry entrance, except
Alan Kerr, who went in the wet way, aiming to head off the team.
The streamway meanders its way
through varying heights of passage to the first climb down, then the second
climb down was reached, which was laddered. Some of the team retreated at this
point. After a final climb down, we reached the top of the main pitch. Alan
waited here whilst Steve Grey belayed everyone down who wished to descend.
Myself and Alex reached the bottom and set up with a few flashes to take
pictures of people descending the ladder in the fabulous main chamber. Steve
Gray popped up a couple of times through a hole part way down the shaft whilst
people explored the area, some of whom had never been here before.
