Trapdoor Pot and Boggarts Roaring Holes
Saturday, 19 January 2008
A weekend of further foul weather saw a trip to Trapdoor Pot on Saturday and Bogart’s on Sunday. Saturday’s trip was grand with much ranting and banter and the fine Megatron pitch finished the day nicely although only half way through at this point. The numerous bags and soup proving excessive. Bogart’s Roaring Holes where masses of water was encountered at Penguin Hall and a retreat was called formed the Sunday trip. And the minimal visibility tested route finding to regain the path and finally the car.
Both provided a good days potholing in appalling weather, I think Bogart’s would be rather unpleasant in the lower reaches with all that water about.
The following Sunday saw a return to Bogart’s, Penguin Hall being some what drier. After coaxing from Mike I inserted myself down the final rift below Terminator pitch with mike saying don’t push anything too tight and then accusing me of not getting to the bottom of the rift. Having tied bits of SRT kit to the bottom of the pitch rope to act as a handline I then spent what seemed like a long time struggling back out with Mike repeatedly asking if i was out as he sat eating cake and drinking with his back to me. With each quizzing he was surprised by my lack of upward progress. Eventually i removed myself then sat and ate the rest of the cake. A reasonably quick exit was made with numerous bags. Franks pitch required mike to go first whilst i came up after wards and had to stand on the deviation ledge and clip the bags onto the rope so that he could haul them out. After that mike let me ascend Blind Mans Bluff first and haul bag after bag up into the awkward small Punani Passage. The trip seemed a lot shorter out than it had done as a fresher with Dinny and Si. Its a nice day out to one of the more obscure holes in the dales.