Present: Anthony, Julia, Gwyn, Martin, & this week’s special guest – Phil
For some god only known reason, I drove up from London yesterday, stayed in the Hill Inn (& got wonderfully drunk) and then went down this horrible, repulsive, vile & generally shite cave. “Why” I ask myself. However, this is what happened…
We all met in Bernies, and after a remarkably short time (< 1½ hours) we set off up frost +snow covered lanes to Bull Pot Farm. After a quick laugh at RRCPC training novices up a tree, we set off across the moor. Ju rigged, we went down, squeeked in the wet bits, grunted in the tight bits & generally got to the bottom of Link. Nothing else to be said there. Got down to the Hall of the Mountain King (eventually – my navigational skills are still a little rusty!) and stomped, slid and squelched our way to the bottom of the mud slope. It is at this point that normal DUSA trips turn round and go to the pub. Not us! Reluctantly we slithered through the hole at the bottom…
… and dropped into a very nice little streamway. We wandered upstream with various comments of “Oo” and “Aah” at the many and varied calcite formations. Found Cigalère very easily – it’s where the stream comes into the streamway down a cascade. Climbed up a few waterfalls, fell in loads of pools and generally worked our way along the passage. There was a bit of crawling over nasty sharp rocks (kneepads and gloves an absolute must!) until all of a sudden the floor disappeared. The roof stayed in the same place, the water stayed in the same place but the floor dropped about 4 – 5 feet! Therefore very deep water! Anthony going first was heard to scream “The water’s up to my bloody armpits!”. Gwyn, Martin and I attempted to traverse along it with limited success. Got to the BIG waterfall (it’s about 20m high) and decided we couldn’t climb it, so we came out again.
All our gear froze up on the way back across the moor and Ju’s hair froze solid. Needless to say, it’s a bit cold today!
One other point of interest – we found life in Link – lots of mould and a strange small plant! A sample of the plant was taken (there was another one which had been pulled out) and analysis is awaited…
If you go to the Hall of the Mountain King, go through the hole and look at the pretties. Well worth it!
Phil Wharton