Those Present

Everybody met at the top of Winnats Pass for Sooty’s first caving trip in ages and Giles’s first trip ever. Having deposited some hard cash through the farm letterboxas a goodwill gesture we quickly changed and headed for the cave.

 

Barely inside the entrance Giles began aking “is it all like this or does it get any bigger?” Tim rigged Garlands pot and everyone descended quickly where Tim and Giles removed their harnesses for some inexplicable reason. The crabwalk was quickly negotiated to repeated questioning from Giles along the lines of “We don’t have to come back this way do we?” The traverse was reached without further incident whereupon Tim and Giles had to put their harnesses on whilst precariously perched above the drop. From here quick progression was made to the bottom of geology pot with Giles looking incresingly unhappy and beginning to show the signs of an imminent nervous breakdown. A quick look at the way on revealed that the water level was too high so it was time to turn back and give Giles and George their first ever SRT lesson.

 

Due to Giles insistance that he didn’t want to go back up the crabwalk a decision was made to return via the giants windpipe as  we had been informed that the duck was open. When Nigel failed to make it up the first climb of this route the rest of the group witnessed just what can be achieved whilst under the influence of sheer terror as Giles launched himself up the climb with all the agility of a chimp on speed. From there it was all pretty straightforward until the windpipe was reached and Giles needed reassuring that the “don’t go through here or you’ll probably drown” signs didn’t apply to him. Giles was clearly enjoying the duck as every 10 seconds or so he was asking “is it much further” only to be told “it gets bigger in about 6 feet.”

 

Once through the windpipe we abseiled down the rift into the crabwalk. where Sooty had the bright idea of getting the two novices up garlands while Tim and Nigel derigged the  pitch in order to speed up the exit. Once at the pitch a decision needed to be made - who should go up first? Sooty’s logic was thus Giles light is just about dead so he needs to go second, Sooty wants to make sure that the two novices attach themselves to the rope properly, therefore the correct order is George, Giles, Sooty. All appeared to be going to plan as George quickly ascended the pitch, unfortunately he couldn’t get his jammers off the rope and was still struggling at the top of the pitch when Nigel and Tim appeared five minutes later. After a short explanation of the situation Tim ascended the rope with George making increasingly terrified noises then helped George off at the top.

 

Report by Richard Sutton

Giants Hole

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