Jean Pot – Part Deux
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Tom suggested this as an evening trip and given the weather forecast seemed like a sensible choice. It also gave us the chance to remove the rest of the old rope ladders and ropes……well, unless someone had already done it. You never know.
Met Mr Baker in Ingleton where chips were consumed and a rope was bought for the traverse between the 4th and 5th pitches, as I decided that a fixed line on the traverse would be a good idea given
the delicate position of the formations above.
After a quick detour to put up some posters for the winch meet, soon arrived at the entrance (around 8.30ish) and steady progress made down the cave. We passed a large bag of something above the second pitch but decided to peruse its contents on the way out. It was around the 3rd pitch that I began to feel quite sick……prob the result of a large portion of chips and racing up the hill. This soon disappeared though.
Installing the traverse line took a little longer than normal as had to thread the rope around 4 ring hangers, but job soon done and on to the 5th pitch. At the 6th pitch, the ladder and rope was removed (the hanger at the top came out pretty easily…) and hauled up to the top of the 5th pitch. Tom did a grand job in coiling it, but it was still prob about a foot and a half in diameter. There are some superb straws around the 5th pitch and top of 6th pitch.
Then back out. Back at the mysterious bag, we found it to be full of bits of ladder and other rubbish so this was stuffed in the bag and we headed out along hard times crawl, a normally straightforward crawl, but a little awkward with an assortment of rope ladders and bags that fill the passage. Soon back at the entrance and on to a damp, rainy surface.
Back in Clapham before midnight (just), and headed to Horton to sort ropes before driving back home.
Fine trip! Jean Pot is turning into Tom & Mike’s adopted cave. One more trip will see the wire removed, and hopefully some photofaffing.
NB: As you’ve prob realised, there is a brand new rope and hangers on the traverse, so there is NO need to take a rope for this with you. Aren’t we nice!!
Comments
Now then guys – fancy some surveying trips down Jean?
Beardy
Thursday, 07 August 2008
Spoke to Ric last night, no survey has been done (well, i think it was surveyed up to 4th pitch before the breakthroughs).
Why not! Need some surveying practice. Plus, the very end could do with capping to see what happens round the corner.
A job for after BU56 me thinks. Anyone?
Mike Bottomley
Saturday, 09 August 2008