White Rose Pothole Club

Caves of the Three Counties System

In an earlier newsletter I mentioned the view from Bull Pot of the fells under which are found the extensive cave systems of the Three Counties Cave System. Since then the diggers and explorers, including the mythical Misty Mountain Mud Miners, have opened up a new entrance to a large ancient passage in Witches Cave. This can now be explored from Shuttleworth Pot and we have a meet there planned for March 6. Please note: it is important for our good relations with the farmers and landowners up there that a CNCC permit is obtained for a visit. Another new find is a connection from the surface into the furthermost regions of Notts Pot 2.

An account of these and many other recent explorations can be seen in the recent edition of Descent:- “The magazine of underground exploration”. Anyone wanting to keep up to date with these and all other caving news should seriously think about subscribing to the magazine.

Details on the website http://wildplaces.co.uk/.

Later in the year we will probably have meets at Lancaster Hole and Easegill when we can enjoy a few hours in other parts this magnificent cave system.

Steve Warren

Leck and Casterton Fells

Unauthorised access to Leck and Casterton Fells is becoming a problem, especially Leck Fell and Shuttleworth Pot. These unauthorised access issues are hampering the negotiations with the land agent and to date I have not received the new agreement for Leck Fell. If your club or group is going to have a peek down Shuttleworth Pot please discourage them from visiting Leck and Casterton unless they have a permit. Shuttleworth permits are available for the next period (July-March), and give me a chance to sort out the problems.

Les Sykes
CNCC secretary/access officer
www.cncc.org.uk

New Langstrothdale sumps

New sumps in Langstrothdale.

Herculean efforts by White Rose diggers, particularly Chris and John, have opened up new passages above Langstroth Pot, in the form of Compass Pot and Hagg Beck Sink, both of which open up after desperately tight entrance passages and then end in sumps.

After getting to the end of these in late 2008, I resolved to check out the sumps in the long dry summer of 2009 (in my dreams).

With Compass being too tight for a safe dive, I reckoned pumping might be in order and with no obvious place for the water, I decided to take a half-ton dumpy bag as a reservoir, with polythene sheeting for a liner. Together with Steve’s pump and hoses, this lot was dragged in with help from Chris, John and Simon over a couple of days and I attempted to shift some water. Unfortunately, the passage is so constricted here that I couldn’t move the pump handle and had to give up after a frustrating hour of lying flat-out in the sump.

The bag was left behind and I will give it another go with a modified handle in a dry spell to see if the level does drop to allow a duck through.

The tortuous Grade V caving of Hagg Beck Sink is not the most tempting of diving carries and with only John available to help with the job it took 2 trips in with the gear. Unfortunately I lost a lot of air from the single 3 l cylinder I was using for this exploratory dive when I bashed the tap as I pushed it along the gnarly crawl. The noise of the releasing gas certainly gave John a bit of a shock as he forged on ahead!

At this point I must make note of the fact that there are only 2 people who should not complain about the dimensions of this cave. Their initials are CS and JC – they made it!

On the second trip in with my semi-dry in a bag, I made the change beside the sump and got kitted up, complete with the line reel we had fashioned from bits of junk from John’s van, loaded with 30 m of 5 mm hawser.

I was hoping for clear water, but the pool was cloudy and my hopes of a Sleets Gill-type sump were soon dashed, finding the wall to be solid close to the entry point. A final look around the far side of the pool found me dropping down and down to about 5 m depth, such that John couldn’t see my lights, although I could make out a tantalising dark continuation ahead.

Rising to check my air, I found that there was no safe margin left and I had a chilly change back into my normal wetsuit for the trip out. Again, a dry spell would be a bonus, but the potential is there for sure and I’ll be back.

Thanks to Chris and John in particular for all their efforts in this area.

Help Yorkshire�s Oldest Mountain and Cave Rescue Team

Cave Rescue Organisation

Clapham, via Lancaster LA2 8HH

Member of the British Cave Rescue Council

Affiliated to the Mountain Rescue Council

Registered Charity No. 241091

Help Yorkshire’s Oldest Mountain and Cave Rescue Team By Completing the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge

Dear Friend

How often have you thought about raising money for your club or preferred charity but then never done anything about it because of the effort of organising it? Well perhaps we can help?

On Saturday the 22nd August 2009, The Cave Rescue Organisation (CRO) is organising the “Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge” which you can enter. This event is a 23 mile walk, taking in the Yorkshire Dales “famous” 3 Peak Mountains, Penyghent, Whernside and Ingleborough.

We will take all the hassle away from you by organising the whole event; all you need to do is get sponsored, turn up and enjoy taking part in the challenge in some of the most scenic parts of the Dales. In return, all we ask for is the first £50 each participant raises and the rest is for your preferred club/charity.

Participants will be provided with free car parking; guides (if required), watering stations and the whole event will be marshalled and controlled by the CRO. In addition, should the whole route be too much, drop out points will be available with transport back to the car park; single peaks can also be arranged.

Successful participants will receive a certificate, either as an individual, or for the team entered and have the smug satisfaction that - “we did it!” If you are interested please visit our website for further details at www.cro.org.uk, or contact our Secretary on 077944 12456.

Go on take the challenge, enjoy the day and raise some cash!

Novice meet - Cliff Force Cave, Buttertubs Pass

As we have a considerable interest from prospective members, as well as new members wanting to do trips, I propose a meet for either Sat. 6th December or Sunday 7th to the fine Cliff Force Cave. No pitches and shouldn't be too wet, but this is proper Northern Dales stuff in the streamway. Also, the pass is a great place to see anyway.
With several new members potentially coming along, a few members turning out and helping with lights and helmets would be appreciated.

Ian.

Compass Pot sump

After talking to Chris, John and Phil, Simon and I had a look into Compass to see what the sump looked like for a future dive. Phil showed us the way and with 5x 5-foot drain rods for company we made the tortuous crawl to the sump. We got 3 and a half rods into the water before encountering a blockage - could be an up-dip (hooray) a bend (!) or a constriction (!!!). Getting all of my body in there feet-first, it was cosy, but not too tight, so a further investigation with a bottle is in order.
This is definitely a trip for the skinny conoisseur, but the formations in the 1 decent chamber are fantastic, with some straws several feet in length!
I thought Chris and John were certifiable before this trip, but now I know for sure!

Camera Flashguns for Sale

I have a good number of electronic flash guns for sale at ridiculous prices between £2.50 and £5.00. All are in first class condition and good working order. I also have a few bulb flash guns and bulbs. They can be had as a job lot for £10.

Contact me for detailed list.

Steve Warren

Drunken Drunkards Up The Dales

The A.G.M. was the start of a bloody good day out! After this small formality over the White Rose launched onto a great boozing session at the GameCock (or was it Drooping?) All returned to the Dalesbridge for dinner in a slightly overloaded standing room only Tin Tent of mine. The evening was full of GOOD food, good drinking and good company. One of the best dinners ever. A very big thank you to Jon who made this possible. Cheers Jon

Laird Rhodes

Compass Pot Goes A Bit More

Elation turned to disappointment on Saturday 1^st December. John Clarke and Chris Smith finally got out of the meandering passage that contained many acute bends.

Rumbling Hole

Richard Bendall(WRPC) and compadre Dave Ramsay(RRCPC) have been enjoying significant success. A series of nine pitches, with three alternative routes, 118m depth, some 350m of passage and the game’s not up yet!

We have been installing 10mm Stainless Steel through bolts and hangers that will be left in place. The total spend on what will be left in so far exceeds £160.

Hence notice to the club, kindred clubs and cavers generally. We are looking for contributions to cover this cost. We are not asking to cover the cost of expendables like caps, cheap “disposable” bolts for scaling and that type of thing. Only the cost of what will be left when we leave, to benefit all cavers wishing to enjoy this fine, challenging cave.

So, when it comes to the next Committee Meeting I would hope for a positive outcome to this request. (Invoices can be supplied.)