United Cavers Exploration Team

Attending :

Andy-j
Dylan R

Talked about it â€" but didn’t show up â€" tom H

Made pathetic excuses not to come â€" fat dan


Teh trip report

Eldon hole is a big hole on eldon hill [ thats in the peak district â€" for the geographically challenged ] â€" additional info available on the internet

As there were only two of us â€" we opted for the easiest descent of the main shaft â€" [ SE gulley ] with just 2 rebelays and 3 deviations with piches of 3 , 20 and 25m â€" all rigged with one 65m rope â€" backed up from an enormouse stake

I rigged â€" and despite having to ` make ` a impromptu deviation to replace the one I couldn’t find [ it was fooking obvious on the way out ] â€" we quickly arrived at the bottom of the shaft

Despite dire warnings that the slither into the main chamber was “ unstable “ â€" it seemed ok â€" so in we went

We had a look around the main chamber â€" that took 10 seconds [ its not very big ]

So we started inspecting the various digs down there â€" all are small , squalid and lead in all directions

That done â€" we turned our attention to figuring out how to use the “ pull up “ system â€" that magically [ ok its baler twine ] lets you pass a SRT rope through an anchor 25m above our heads and secure it

It all looked very impressive â€" and SEEMED safe â€" but I volunteered dyland to go first â€" and amazingly he didn’t come back down with a splat â€" so I joined him in millers chamber â€" a very nicely decorated set of calcite formations

Emboldened â€" we then ascended Damocles rift â€" but saw no swords â€" but it was very nice non the less

All that done â€" and that’s all there is to eldon hole

We descended back to main chamber , recovered the rope â€" and headed out

As I had rigged on the way in â€" Dylan derigged â€" fook â€" the second tackle bag was heavy and got heavier as I ascended

Once on the surface , I phoned the fat one to cancel our call out and he made more excuses

We had a group shot

and retired to the wanted inn for lubrication â€" its had a face lift and new staff and looks very nice â€" but of course â€" most important â€" its now open and has good beeer [ as its now a independent free house ] â€" hussar

caving trips in the area just wernt the same without lubrication at ` the wanted `

there are pics â€" somewhere in my pile of messy gear

PS - big thanks to Dylan for attending - a pox on those who didn't :P