Derbyshire with the Caving Underground Navigational Team
Friday, 21 February 2014 – Sunday, 23 February 2014
Shopping proved to be difficult for the committee, so my late arrival at the chapel was met with little scorn. I went with Mike under the pretence that I knew the way to Castleton. After a convoluted route due to roadworks at junction 33, we arrived fuelled by donuts and (in my case) Red Stripe. We then headed to the pub only to find a BJ and a Peachey: happy days! Much drinking was then done, and table traversing happened. Only hazy details can be provided of this time.
The next morning was an early affair for some: fortunately, Mike and BJ were sensible and joined me in the “fuck mornings, lets do P8 group. BJ was in search of some of that coffee and walnut cake with that icing, and this was made a priority for the weekend. Joined by Sophie, we made for P8 at the fine hour of 1pm. Mike made the most of the nice hire car he had gained on the winding peak roads. Sophie did not view this side of the adventure favourably.
P8 was a bit of a shit cave. We took about 60 metres of rope in and needed all of 15m of it. There were some pretty bits and some more elderly cavers who didnt take to us and sent us the wrong way to get us to fuck off. I went through a pretty tight squeeze for nothing. I rigged the second pitch, probably a bit too slowly. I should do more of this rigging lark. We stomped down the stream a bit at the end of the cave and tried free climbing most of it for shits and giggles. BJ and Mike had a biscuit break while I was derigging and ate all my biscuits. I will derig quicker in future. We were out in daylight for the first time in a long time. Mike kicked the back out while taking a pretty sharp corner at a healthy lick, and Sophie was somewhat cross.
We arrived back and Mike and BJ proceeded to prove themselves full-blooded members of the Caving Underground Navigational Team by going to the pub while Katey and Ian cooked too much Bolognese, which was very tasty. BJ gained greater status in the Caving Underground Navigational Team by eating the Bolognese he hadnt cooked and then not washing up (not my club). We then went to the pub and met people. Back at the hut, we found the TSG not to be at all lacking in the equipment needed for inventive caving entertainment, and raucous fun was had until the early hours.
I was awoken at half seven by Katey. I made green scrambled eggs and didnt eat them. I went back to bed, confirming my membership of the Caving Underground Navigational Team with Mike and BJ. This is proving to be a common theme on ULSA trips. I ate Bristols breakfast. It was better than our breakfast.
Oxlow was decided upon for me, Mike, Katey and Nathan. Ian and BJ had a day off to search for that coffee and walnut cake with that icing. Nathan rigged all the way to the bottom of Oxlow, and did a pretty good job for his first time doing it. No one died. My light was shit. Oxlow was big. An exchange trip to Masgill or Giants would be a good future project for a return to the peak, along with JH and Titan. We got out of the cave at about half 6, and all was well until Mike left the confines of the road. A good team building exercise was undertaken to make a ramp from stones to get him back on it. We got back to the TSG to find ourselves abandoned, so we ate all the food that remained. The drive back was uneventful and surprisingly early.
A stonking weekend. Thanks to Mike and Warren for driving and sorting things, to Katey and Nathanael for sacrificing sleep and resisting the urge to join the Caving Underground Navigational Team by making breakfast and doing mornings, to the TSG for letting us stay and go in Peak Cavern and to BJ for not being in the club. Derbyshire is nice.
Comments
I think it was originally the Cardiff Underground Navigational Team, but fuck Cardiff, not my club.
Wob Rotson
Friday, 28 February 2014