Caving & Exploration (1954-2019)
Fairy Holes To the sump. Ian and Adele. The stories, tales and sagas regarding this place go back a long way. I first visited in September 2017, armed with many stories gathered from friends. Fairy Holes holds a certain joy for me - Ian’s enthusiasm is often infectious. At that time upon reaching The Choir, looking at …
Robinsons Pot (2nd June 2018). Club Trip - Andy Cole, Ian Cummins, Nigel Easton, Adele Ward, Elise Ward, Peter Whitiker, Steve Woods. Pub Trip - Chris Camm, Joe Parsons. I don’t know about anyone else who caves but the plan in my head is; wakeup, cave, pub, and basically nothing else that happens I am …
This cave is truly a little gem - rock and water, nowt else. No mud, no formations to speak of, no really tough obstacles and not much length, but for me a short blast of total enjoyment. Perhaps it's the fact that caves like this are washed clean, removing any evidence of the human passage …
Pippikin Pot Round 1 and 2. Ian Cummins, Adele Ward. 4th Febuary 2018 I cannot express the pleasure derived from this Pot. Cave names can be so evocative - some fill me with dread others, sound rather welcoming. Pippikin Pot conjured thoughts of little people sat around drinking cups of tea on red and white …
A Nippy Little Trip Hagg Beck Sink: Ian Cummins & Adele (27 January 2018) I can’t remember when I first heard of this place. Many caves the first moment I heard of them lodged into my mind. However through whatever process Hagg Beck Sink seemed to land on my radar. Discussions with Ian heralded equal amounts of …
I'm not the greatest literary expert, but even the sound of the word 'Gormenghast' conjours up images of gloomy decay, which Mervyn Peake describes in his novels and one of my strongest caving memories is of sitting in that eponymous chamber at the end of Quaking Pot, desperately shoving Breakaway biscuits into my mouth trying …
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Type-2 Fun Simpson's Pot: Ian Cummins, Leif Andrews, & Adele (14 January 2018) “What’s type-2 fun Leif?” I asked in an attempt to distract myself from my momentary nervous breakdown. Type-2 fun Adele - that when you have an bit of an ordeal then laugh about afterwards in the pub, type 1 is the sort …
Double Trouble - Ian and Adele. When it rains in the dales a favourable trip is always found at Nenthead. It’s closer than the dales, and we have enjoyed many sporting and exploratory trips. Trip options were discussed, The Traverse, Bog Shaft, or Double Rise thru trip - Caplecleugh to Smallcleugh. Ian didn’t fancy carrying …
Caving to me is about rock and water – it’s either got an active streamway or I’m not interested. Pitches are spectacular, but once versed in the techniques, going up and down ropes is not particularly exciting – give me a climb up a cascade any day and the modern trend for water avoidance in …
Continue reading "Free-diving Yorkshire sumps – Langstroth Pot and others by Ian Cummins"
Never Say Never WRPC Shaft: Ian Cummins, Leif Andrews, Adele Ward (29th October 2017) Having vowed never to return the WRPC Shaft in Caplecleugh High Level, my resolve felt pressured when Ian reported a rope may have been damaged. Previous bolting antics had seen us make a route that potentially always needed a bit more work. …