woop Ireby Fell woop
Tuesday, 4 February 2014
Saturday 31st Jan: Arrive at cave 2pm to see Ursula (Tony Seddons partner) coming out of the cave. After being informed that there are half hour queues at least at each pitchhead, we chin off the trip til Wednesday and go to the pub. Woop Sabaton woop. Colonus Rex.
Wednesday 4th Feb: leave Leeds at around half 1. Woop excellent tunes woop. Woop Brendan drives at high velocity and nearly overshoots the runway woop. Woop I SAW A RABBIT woop. Woop woop. The fell was amazingly crisp and the view was stunning. Ingleborough, Penyghent, the coast and the lakes all yielded brilliant backdrops. Underground between half 3 and 4. Fattia didnt fit her oversuit properly and had to be pushed up the hill. The SRT was good fun and route finding was easy. Ireby is a really varied and fun cave, with a bit of everything. Good progress along canyon passage to Well pitch, where I nosed around on the other ropes. Soon we were down at Duke Street, somehow avoiding the deep water wade and long crawl we were told existed. Duke Street is really cool: very quiet and good to run along. Soon we were at the sump, where we sat and had chocolate. We turned our lights off and made very loud and echoey silly noises and laughs. Then headed out. Nadia derigged Well pitch with some assistance (gingerbread pocketsize arm reach not enough) and I did the rest. On the surface for ~9:30pm, changed and on the way to Skippy chippy by 10pm. Efficient. Back in Leeds for half 12.
Excellent trip, would do again. Thanks to Brendan for driving and to the rigging team on Saturday. Woop woop!