Present: Leon, Ian, Matt, John R, Ralph
NOTE: A 44m rope on the entrance pitch nicely took us to the far end of the rock bridge, but not along the traverse. I think the deviations in the guide have been replaced with rebelays, using more rope. Same story on the big pitch, especially if you do the rebelay in the gully. We used a 77m which had about 10m left at the bottom.
A late trip, this one. We arranged to leave Durham at 12noon. Phenomenally large amounts of phaff resulted in leaving from Mr John’s house at about 1/30, having visited the gear cupboard and the van. And we still couldn’t find wellies that fit Ian. Anyhoo, we had a nice trip in the luxury of Leon’s Volvo (aah, comfort indeed). We travelled down the motorway, through Richmond, Hawes and Ribblehead (dodging shotgun muzzles on either side of the road). On arrival into Ingleton, we recovered the feeling in our legs and all went and marvelled at the shininess of caving gear, some ate breakfasts, and yet others bought some of the shiny gear. Matt found a use for the banknotes he’d being hoarding and splashed out on a large non-purple baby-gro.
Having got as close to the cave entrance as we could in the car, we fell out into the road and dressed ourselves (not that we we naked in the car). Ian noticed he didn’t have a stop on his harness: Ralph assumed responsibility. The stomp up the hill warmed us thoroughly and a short chat with some old cavers (just coming out of Rowten as we got there) took us to 6pm. Ralph rigged, Leon and Matt followed, John and Ian waited. Matt did his usual aerobatics on the second re-belay (it was difficult though) and John and Ian bellowed at him from the surface. The last of us entered an hour after the first (we played tug-of-war with our cowstails and footloops to keep warm and humiliate each other). Ralph was no-where to be seen, racing ahead. The rest of the crew took turns to ascend with a spare descender to allow Ian to come down the next pitch. The big pitch was very big indeed, and fresher cavers we glad to use their new-found braking krabs. You actually stop if you let go! The waterfall rained on those waiting at the bottom of the big pitch, but it was awesome to descend through it! After another pitch and two more re-belays we ate Rocky bars and decided to return to the surface (it was getting on for half past ten I think). A quick look at the wobbly P-hanger and we we’re off. Well, some set off, John and Ian were left at the back to amuse ourselves, this time attempting to spot amorpheosuaruses and cockleopherae in the rock around us. John de-rigged for a bit.
The ascending was much quicker, however, and we soon seemed to be over the rock bridge. Leon and Matt were supposed to have gone off ahead to ring the call-out, but Matt held things up on the second re-belay (Ian and John (spot a pattern here?!) wondered how he had the strength to carry on making so much work for himself all the time). By the time Ian, John and Ralph had reached the surface it was 12.50.
Back at the car, we had much amusement as usual and all got changed. The boot was rammed shut and we were off. The road we took had many gates across it – Ian did the necessary and assumed a non-poofter stance toward getting out and opening them, poofters and driver sat in the car and waited. We passed the bridge Cromwell built (ask Ralph) and the “Congregation of the Vans of Death/Doom/Damnation”. Most of the mirth gradually settled down and we arrived back in Durham just after 4.0 on the morning.
I certainly had a very enjoyable time; Rowten is very ace and well worth doing. The cave is an excellent SRT trip with plenty of challenging rope work and has nothing other than SRT. The satisfaction upon returning into the night was top. Hopefully we’ll go back sometime to get it bottomed!
Ian