Car Pot
Party:- Johnny
Wilkinson, Richard and Danny Ellwood, Jack Sheldon, Trevor Deardon, . Norma Newell. 23 March ‘74
The first pitch is immediately after the entrance. Here tackle was lowered all together and the whole way underground involved little tackle humping (GREAT). Down a short tight bit to the second pitch. The take off for this pitch was slightly awkward and the ladder hung about 4’ short. (Bloody awkward on the way out) At the bottom Johnny slipped off his wetsuit jacket in preparation. Richard and Danny slipped through the letter-box. Danny, being the thinnest, was pushed through the crawl first with a rope tied to him. Spurred on by suitable encouraging words from big brother he made it to the other side. Richard then followed and from his descriptive screams and curses I decided that I was not going to like it!
Johnny followed down the letter-box and then myself. (I always wondered what it was like to be posted) Crouched at the start of the crawl, Johnny started consoling...you know...”Its a piece of cake, you’ll --ss through it”, etc. etc. We got some tackle through and then Johnny went -- EASY (Heh, heh!) Then myself ---- AAARGHHH!!! Trevor and Jack got through with very little incident. We had all made it. Now it would be easy to the bottom!
The next couple of pitches over (after Danny had retrieved Johnny’s jacket, which had fallen down a hole) and only a 130’ pitch to go. Hoping to sound confident I tried singing, creating the usual discordant choruses. Jack, complete with emergency supplies handed out chocolate and stuff, and then down we went. This pitch was really great, the last 80’ emerging into a large chamber. Then a bit of exploration and out to the mist blowing across darkening Ingleborough.
Norma Nowell.