Derbyshire I
Ben Richards, Dave Kirkpatrick, David Wilson, Jack Halliday, James Perry, Jennifer R, Laura Harrison, Rebecca Diss, Rhys Tyers, Úna Barker, Zaeem Najeeb, Huang Guan, Lucie Studena
Friday
This weekend we were blessed with one of the wide boi busses which was well functional. Smooth sailing to Rugby where we again picked up Purry, this time from next to an oversized egg. The TSG was thankfully not full of all of SUSS and only three Notts humans were there (quality over quantity?).
Diss
Saturday
P8: Dave Kirkpatrick, James Perry, Jennifer R, Laura Harrison, Rebecca Diss
A very leader filled trip down P8 was on the agenda today as the rest went to JH/Peak. Much faff occurred because...well it’s P8 and we have no novices so why rush. We parked outside a farm and roamed around in search of a human to pay. One eventually appeared and we roamed around in some fields until Laura asked a farmer which “irregular depression” was ours. We found the entrance was not very “man-hole”-esque and had a stream flowing into it. I sat in the waterfall because i make correct life choices.
There’s a fun free climb down a rope in a waterfall which i wonder if i’ll ever be able to get back up. We eventually reached the pitch and learned some of “Do you hear the cavers sing”. We descended down in the waterfall to the floor below instead of traversing around because Jennifer hates us. Cave involved some traversing that felt kinda scary but was not too bad and a scary traverse with in situ rope (hmm) that was fine, honest. Find a pretty bit if you turn right at the “boob” calcite.
Eventually some more traversing occurs, this time over water. Laura and I decide nah. Dave follows suit. We leave jennifer and perry to traverse to their deaths. Went for a bit of an explore to the right, reached a sump, attempted to take a photo with my camera that’s probably a similar age to our freshers. No luck. Spicy cheese was consumed (sorry Laura) and we exited, each rigging a bolt on the traverse for the pitch so we don’t have to get wet again.
The evening:
- Perry breaks a downstairs window after i open the window above and say “please don’t fall out of this window”
- A fire alarm goes off because an unknown psychopath is vaping strawberries in the kit store
- Davey and Ben get attacked with condoms filled with water
Apparently the window was already scheduled for replacement on Monday. What.
Diss
JH to Peak: Ben Richards, David Wilson, Zaeem Najeeb, Huang Guan
JH to Peak via White River: Jack Halliday, Rhys Tyers, Úna Barker, Lucie Studena
I am writing this many months later so my memory is bad. Some of us went to do the White River series in Peak. We went in via JH of course as JH is the best cave/mine in Derbyshire. It's best to do it lots now before it inevitabley collapses. I think our descent was mostly without incident.
There is a new load of metal (pipes?) in the streamway before the bung hole and it means you can walk over the deep bit without getting your nipples wet. I am informed it has been that way for some time. Similarly no water was actually flowing over the bung hole itself! Again people on the last trip here report that it was dry then too. This is a shame as I thought both events added some excitement to the trip. And I had been bigging up the bung so I looked like an idiot.
The way off to White River is not far beyond the bung, some ropes lead off from an aven on the true right of the stream. The guide says something like 'Ascend a few ropes'. Fuck me. Its like 150m of prussicking, and there are some quite big hangs and moderately tricky rebeleays. More could be made of this in the description!
A pack of SUSS appeared behind us as we ascended. They were mostly polite apart from making strange screeching and wooping noises. Radon withdrawal? We let them pass at the White River itself, and they went off, presumabley in search of of that sweet sweet radon.
The White River is incredible! A truly stunning and unique passage. Well worth the effort getting to it. The pull throughs on the other side are mostly fine. There is a nest of tat at the top of each to allow you to approach safely. One has quite a long and airy traverse and you should bring slings as footloops to help people pass the in situ traverse line.
The last two hangs are basically joined together and I accidently skipped the final bolts. This was fine. They definitely should just have the final hang as the only pull through to save everyone carrying loads of rope through. I wonder why it is like this.
The route wiggles down a ladder and pops out after Colostomy! I had wondered where the little chamber and ladder lead to each time I passed so its nice to finally know. Everyone had loads of fun in the crawl. Even Mr. Jack.
Communal washing was enforcerd. We were the last ones out of Peak so got the honour of taking the clipboard back. I think we were back in time to go to the pub? Or was that Friday? Anyway the TSG is good because pub.
Rhys
Sunday
James Hall: Jack Halliday, Jennifer R, Rebecca Diss
JH derig trip with Jennifer, JackHal and Grace from the TSG. I’d never been before but man, I like that mine. Lots of white-ish rock and pretty water (Jen disagrees). Derigging occurs and i’m the first on the way out. The last pitch is a bitch on the way up. A re-belay might have made it a bit less horrific but no matter. I got to the top and have to open the lid. Fuck that thing is heavy. Realise that if i can’t open this i will have to go down AND UP AGAIN so push on and eventually open it, letting out a mighty wail as i do so (sorry sheep). Think i also terrified a few walkers.
Then had a glorious nap in the sunshine waiting for Grace to prussick up. Back to the hut in time to swiftly pack the bus (and briefly lose it) and get back to Rugby before Perry’s train.
Diss
P8: David Wilson, Rhys Tyers, Zaeem Najeeb, Lucie Studena
Again not much memory. The follies of not writing trip reports.
I think we thought it was piss easy on the way in. What had the others been talking about? Scary traverses, where? At the sump we met a big group of people who left before us and derigged all the nice rope over the pitches. Now there were scary traverses. Luckily the scariest all have in situ tat on them which is in fine condition as long as you don't fall on it.
At the sump we saw some divers disapearing and it looked awful. Jacob was there, planning to freeze to death while the divers wallowed. We climbed up a big muddy slope to Stalagtite Chamber which true to its name had a single small stalagtite.
A classic Derbshire mud hole.