Red Rose Cave and
Pothole Club - Newsletter Vol 6 No 4 - Aug/Sept 1969
CLUB MEETS:
Saturday 19 July 1969.
.
Party:- Duncan Baldwin, Roger
Calvert, Pete Llewellyn.
I persuaded Duncan and Roger to have a look
at the possibility of lowering the static sump in Lancaster Hole
previously dived to Bull Pot the Witches. We aimed to
dig a trench in the mud gravel floor to a depth
of 4'. The digging was found to be quite easy going but after
approximately two hours a trench approximately 20’ long but only 1'6" deep
was constructed but with no effect on the sump. It is hoped that
the project will continue,
Pete Llewellyn.
Sunday 20th July, 1969. .
Top Sink to Lancaster Hole.
Party:- Duncan Baldwin, Roger Calvert, Pete Llewellyn, Ian
Wilkinson and one guest. This was a
compromise trip - Cow Pot. - Top Sink exchange was proposed
but however there were not enough people prepared to do this, The trip took
about 5 hours and
although Duncan led we didn’t get lost. The trip was made successful with
the only hold up being the first pitch in Top Sink where the ladder was found
to be first twisted and then too short.
Pete Llewellyn.
27th July, 1969.
.
Sunset Hole. Party:- John
Kyle, Roger Bowmer, Stuart Blincoe,
Steve Howard and Johnny Fielding. After
a previous abortive attempt in winter the four Rochdale
lads decided to try to bottom Sunset Hole and if possible visit the extension,
At Bull Pot Farm we joined the two Birmingham Members.The
road from Ingleton to the Hill Inn proved that four men in a softly
suspended Renault 4 can take bigger holes out of the tarmac than the
average J.C.B. An early descent was made to the hole and we found only a
trickle of water going down. The
passage was quickly traversed down through the section of Gritty Black Reef
limestone to the first waterfall, where the trickle of water served only to
cool the party, The remaining small pitches were quickly climbed and the final
50’ pitch laddered through the eye hole. Once down the final pitch the
extension was viewed from below but not visited as none of the party feltinclined to climb that awkward 12 or 14 feet, Apart
from minor lighting troubles this was a pleasant trip.
Roger Bowman.
27th July, 1969. .
Kingsdale Master Cave.
Party:- D. Baldwin, I. Wilkinson, P. Clayton, D. Creedy,
B. Calvert, H. Hardbuckle. After weeks of ‘hard’
trips, it was decided on an easy sightseeing tour. We went via the valley
entrance to the Kingsdale Master Cave, and I soon found the water in
the duck to be exceptionally cold due to a broken zip in my wet suit, Fast
progress was made upstream through the canal to Rowten
sump, where we met another party, splashing through the sump to the first air
bell, only three foot away and with four inches air space.
Duncan, Ian and myself ducked through
first with Dave following. From the air bell we called back to
Pete and Henry who with no wet suits, were reluctant to follow, but finally
they came splashing through and were somewhat disappointed to find only an air
bell. We returned and then entered the mud river series and the upstream sump,
where wet suit members ducked through to the first air bell. From the Master
Cave Duncan and Dave then went via Philosophers Crawl to the Swinsto final chambers and returned via the alternate route
to the master cave.
B. Calvert.
Alum Pot. 3rd August.
.
Party:— Duncan Baldwin, B. Calvert, Pete
Llewellyn and Dave Creedy. Diccan Pot was to
be the target for the day. Despite the fact that it was steadily
raining we decided to go. In Ingleton Duncan kindly bought us a bottle of pop.
Peering over the edge of the first pitch of Diccan we
had to admit that a descent was impractical and resigned ourselves to a descent
of Alum Pot via Long Churn.
Duncan and Roger
completed the trip first. Pete and I then followed. The sump was reached
by us after passing two dead sheep (later visitors may notice
Roger and Duncan’s boot marks across the carcasses.) The
amount of debris and litter was appalling. It is time the
caving world instigated. an ‘Operation Spring clean'.
Dave Creedy.