First, as they say, the good news. In November last year Bill Sherrington of B.C.C. was one of the first to break through into Notts II streamway via the thirteen year long dig at Pirate Pot (Committee Pot) on Leck Fell. This joint achievement of a few clubs promises the easiest route into a major streamway in the Yorkshire Dales. Additionally it provides a "dry route" into a major passage previously only accessible to divers. The dig continues and it is hoped eventually to connect Lost Johns and Notts Pot via a dry route. Further details will appear in the next Newsletter.
Next, as the saying continues, the bad news. The foot and mouth epidemic has dominated news until just before the election that is. Certainly most outdoor activities have ceased in the Dales for the foreseeable future. White Scar and Ingleborough Caves remain open and a few places in the Peak District, and members have enjoyed trips to these venues. The meets list has been suspended and such trips to the open venues as happens will be well advertised at the club on Thursday nights. The club continues to meet on Thursday nights and Committee members are planning activities to keep the more active occupied. In the meantime I would wish to draw your attention to the Support Caving Shops campaign mentioned later in this Newsletter.
Mongo Gill Hole, North Shaft, Stump Cross.
Chris Bosomworth and Miriam Martin attended for this visit to Mongo
Gill, Jack Nadin gave directions on the surface but did not venture
underground.
White Scar Cave.
Editors note: A total of eighteen members attended for this meet, a record in recent times, we were especially glad to see some familiar names from earlier days including Ron Crosby and Bill Clunnie. To mark this occasion their follows three reports:
Team: Bill Clunnie, Gordon Batty, Dennis Wood, Cath Clunnie, Jane Shorrocks, John Gregory & friends Dave & Mike, Bill Sherrington, Brian Braithwaite, Peter Wilson, Ron Crosby, Bob Dean, Tracy Dean, Paul Waddington, Viking Pete Warren, Chris Bosomworth & No.18?
After the formalities of collecting everybody’s £2-50 and logging eighteen names with the manager we eventually entered the cave. We all visited the Battlefield chamber, which is now accessible from the show cave. The chamber is very impressive from the viewing platform and is suitably illuminated. The large party dispersed into several groups. I eventually teamed up with Ron Crosby and traversed the cave as far as the ducks leading to the terminal sumps. We did not enter the ducks on account of the rising water level.
The return trip was made and passed the other groups on their way in. We eventually met up with Paul Waddington at the Big Bertha boulder choke. The route through the choke baffled us at first but we soon found the squeeze down to the start of the last lake section, we soon reached the entrance. The cave is an excellent club trip venue and was enjoyed by all. It was great to see Ron Crosby caving again. Ron was the club secretary in the late 1960's.
November 26, 2000.
April 29, 2001.
Sunday morning was hot and sunny, even at 8 o'clock when I was bashing on Chris’s back yard gate, which is (if you know Chris) not his best time of day, being dragged through a hedge backwards would have improved his appearance. That aside we loaded up and got to Ingleton to be amazed by the fact that everybody in Bernie's was going to White Scar and connected with Burnley Caving Club in some way.
After a LARGE breakfast, I was as ready as I would ever be but as we arrived at White Scar it seemed that more people had arrived plus more food had to be consumed, myself excluded.
Everybody seemed to enter the cave at the same time but I never saw more than ten people the whole trip. Bill, Dennis, Cath and myself went to the sumps at the far end and got cold as there is too much to look at and only six inches of airspace!!
Bill and I headed back and found a way to the right and also found somebody's dig with two or three possible leads, with one main passage full of wet sticky gluey mud. This dig has been backfilled by the diggers to save work and we were unable to get over the blockage but could see at least three or four meters of passage, definitely our kind of place and somewhere for future exploration.
Later into the battlefield series we encountered lots of gravity defying, car-sized boulders; not my kind of place but we pushed on to find something everywhere we went. Every direction seemed to look exactly the same and smaller boulders fall when breathed upon but it is an interesting, complex place with many levels, which will undoubtedly change due to rock falls.
We all set off as one big gaggle but even by the end of the lake, there were those disappearing into the wet distance whilst others travelled in small groups and waited for each other.
The boulder ruckle caused the groups to bunch up a little and change order. I was using a super dooper lightweight Petzl head torch bought from Ingleton, reduced from £35 to a tenner when I found out why. If you catch one corner of the battery pack on a rock all the batteries fall out and darkness falls on the face of the deep.
Next came lots of wading, the alternative being is to traverse on ledges high above but wading in the stream is somewhat more forgiving of errors and stumbling.
Will and a couple of others headed up to a roof series whilst I sat and waited for Bob and Tracy and waited and waited… others passed me heading back out but still no sign of Bob and Tracy. With chattering teeth I decided that out was the most sensible direction and I set off, but after only a couple of hundred yards, White Scar being an imperial cave, formed before we adopted foreign measurements, there they were, stopped for a smoke.
At this point a number of older members caught up, it is not often that I get a chance to say that, a number of even older members caught up and we all set off sumpwards.
Now there was a short swim, not too bad except that Tracy lost a welly. Bob dived for the sunken boot but came up with one of a larger size and the wrong foot but, more importantly, it was the wrong colour. We washed most of the accumulations from within and after assuring Tracy that there was definitely no foot in it, persuaded her to put it on. But then Bob appeared with the original welly and spoiled all the fun.
To the sump and back and after the swim there was a light awaiting us: John Gregory had walked round the swim, just because he had no wetsuit and preferred air to water, spoil sport.
Just after this we collected Pete Viking who had only missed the last few hundred yards, and headed out. This was Pete’s first trip in a couple of years, having recently completed courses of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and all sorts debilitating and depilating nasties in the name of a cure for his leukaemia.
About four and a half hours after entering the cave, we left and were counted out by the staff, who also pointed out that the water had risen by about two inches since we entered. Well, how else do you warm a wetsuit?
This should have been the end of the trip but I had forgotten to get the Landrover keys from Brian so the next half-hour Pete and I spent shivering and moaning and watching warm dry people wandering about the car park.
Altogether, this was an entertaining trip and a relief to get underground after so long.
Ingleborough Cave.
May 20, 2001.
The weather fine and settled, cavers Daniel Paulo, Chris Bosomworth, Wayne Brown, Bill Sherrington and Peter Wilson. The Burnley contingency was diverted on the route up to Clapham at Hawkswick due to Foot and Mouth culling in the area. We met up with Bill and family at Clapham village and following a snack at the Beck cottage café we changed and proceeded up through the Ingleborough Estate nature trail to the show cave. Bob Jarman was not on duty today; we confirmed our booking arrangements with the lady on duty. We discussed our day’s plans with John Cordingley who was going diving in the Gothic Arch sump area.
We took our time passing through the show cave section, which is still in good preservation. We planned to have a good look round the cave and generally get plenty of caving in. We headed off towards the Far Eastern Bedding Plane with view to visiting the Inauguration Caverns. The bedding plane is strenuous flat out crawling. Wayne and then Chris decided they were S.R.T. men really and departed to easier parts of the system. Bill, Dan and myself continued passing another visiting caver of 1968 vintage associated with the diving team. We finally reached the long duck and the Far Wallows. Daniel was only wearing a fleece undersuit and oversuit and this section involved total submersion in cold running water we quickly followed the telephone cable through this section, as there is little air space.
The Wallows suddenly emerge into the large cave passage of the Inauguration caverns the passage is finely decorated. We walked up the stream way admiring the pristine formations Bill investigating every side passage. We eventually reached the Terminal Lake and sump. We retraced our steps back to start of the Wallows Bill made an effort to climb up into the upper Inauguration passage but found it too awkward. We wallowed out getting briefly lost in the Wallow; the secret is to follow the telephone cable through this section. We eventually regained the Giant’s Hall stream passage area. Bill and myself still not satisfied visiting Lake Avernus before exiting. Daniel was wet enough and made his way out of the show cave.
We made are way out pausing to talk to John Cordingley and colleague. We had a quick look round Giant’s Hall and leisurely strolled out the show cave. The trip is a true caver’s cave not for your S.R.T. softies; I was pleasantly knackered and bruised. In comparison to the recent White Scar cave trip this is definitely a more serious under taking and weather conditions need to be settled, the Wallows flood rapidly, flood sediment was observed high on the passage walls in the Inauguration Caverns. The cave is certainly a very interesting system.
Web Site.
The Burnley Caving Club website has recently been updated and enlarged. Thanks are due to Alex Holden for his patience and help with introducing your editor to the delights of File Transfer Protocol. The site is located at www.linuxhacker.org/bcc Following a recent seminar organised about applications for Lottery grants, the Committee decided to alter the Constitution of the club to facilitate a future grant application. At the November 16 Annual General Meeting it was voted to formally accept the new Constitution, which is published here: Click here to see the Constitution If any one has any comments or questions about the Constitution please contact the Editor. The Descent website www.caving.uk.com is promoting the following campaign that has the support of the Burnley Caving Club committee: Click here to see the Support Shops flyer. Paul David Waddington- intrepid explorer reports (well maybe one day!):
My name is Paul, I am fifteen years old, and I have recently joined Burnley Caving Club, in approximately March of this year.
Wayne has asked me to write a short article for the Newsletter, I have agreed on provision that page three gets to be more abreast of the times and that I get first look.
I go to Towneley High School and I am studying Physical Education for one of my "O" Levels. I chose to do something a bit different from the normal run of the mill sports they do at school, I wanted to do something a bit more extreme. After discussions with my teachers, I managed to convince them about me doing caving.
I have been out with members of Burnley Caving Club Chris and Wayne, both of whom are very helpful with my progress. I am learning all the technical stuff, also they are very friendly, and I thoroughly enjoy going out with them; I cannot think of anything better than getting cold and wet, in the dark abyss of underground exploration. Chris has kindly written me a glowing progress report for school, Thank You Chris.
I hope to improve on my caving techniques, as my journeys underground varies and hopefully carry on caving, and you never know, one day I might discover my own cave, and name it!! - WATCH THIS SPACE.
Constitution.
Support Shops Campaign.
"O" Level Caving.
Annual Dinner. Goat Gap Inn, Saturday 11 November 2000.
Thirty-two people attended the Annual Dinner on a wet, windy November night. Everyone attending enjoyed themselves finding the venue more accommodating than last years split level arrangement. The guest speaker Jack Pickup gave an interesting and humorous talk on his exploits with the C.R.O., relating tales of one eyed cavers and stolen sandwiches amongst others.
Forty-three pounds was raised by the raffle, Simon Mitchell winning a bottle of whisky. A few brave souls camped out in tents, camper vans and vehicles, whilst others enjoyed the luxury of bed and breakfast. Further light entertainment was provided by one of the pub regulars who gave a demonstration of attempted escapology from a length of chain and padlock. Apparently he was left overnight still chained when a BCC member "accidentally" took the key to bed.
Clubman of the Year.
Wayne Brown was presented with the trophy for the above at the Club dinner for his continuing work for the Committee. The Annual General Meeting was held on 16 November 2000. The Committee for 2001 remains as:
Other business discussed included the Constitution amendments as detailed above and the Committee adopted the continuing responsibility for the management of the finances for the upkeep of the Trevor Rambadt bench in Horton- In- Ribblesdale. Following extensive coverage of the earlier Stainforth Beck river walking tragedy when two teenagers lost their lives in the Yorkshire Dales, the media once again found themselves covering events in caving territory. November much of the media reported the loss of and search for a missing potholer in Lancaster Hole main drain. TV, radio and newspapers all reported the fortnight long search for the unfortunate chap. As usual reports were of varying accuracy and portrayed the usual media slant of caving as a dangerous sport.
At the same time extensive coverage was given to the inquest on Lee Craddock who fell down Jib Tunnel at Gaping Gill during a Scout Expedition in 1995. The Daily Mail for one on November 18 had a full page on this issue and the above. It is perhaps dismaying that all this coverage was given to both tragedies portraying a negative image of caving when no coverage is given of the positive aspects of speleology. However the extensive coverage by all the media of the inquest result accurately reported the exoneration of the landowner Dr. Farrer of any blame and apportioned full blame to the scout leader.
Two cavers died in Ireby Fell caverns in February during flood conditions. The exact circumstances of how they ended up jammed together on the rope whilst prussiking is unclear, however the media reported the situation extensively. What was not reported was the abysmal performance by the police, who were initially notified by the next of kin, who failed to locate the cavers' car. It was only when Steve Round of Bernie's got involved that things got moving and the cavers located.
On a lighter note Steve finally made the tabloid news (page three of the Sun!) when he became wedged in a man made cave in Wales. Apparently Steve's long frame became wedged at a sharp bend and he had to effect a self-rescue with hammer by smashing the concrete structure.
More positive caving news was covered by Blue Peter who went cave diving and by the Time Team program that covered the exploration of Fishmongers Swallet. Caving has also featured on the BBC program Dog Eat Dog who use a man made cave near Nottingham to test the participating teams. The ITV program Don't Try This at Home, who regularly feature abseiling and have covered caving before, took a novice potholing in Alum Pot. Your editor actually met Davina McAll the presenter and watched part of the filming in June last year as he happened to be accompanying a group from Whitehough Camp School in the Churns on the same day.
Caving as an endurance sport will also feature in a Channel Five program Eco Challenge set in Borneo to be transmitted in June. Click here to see the Radio Four Interveiw. The government has recently published a White paper on changes to the law regarding manslaughter. The twenty-eight page document, which is available at the Home Office website or all good stationers, makes heavy bedtime reading. However if implemented in the form published it will have implications for a large number of clubs and societies. Basically the document proposes a new offence of corporate killing; this will apply to all incorporated bodies. This definition will almost certainly include clubs such as B.C.C.
The offence will be committed only where the corporate body's conduct in causing death fell far below what could reasonably expect. The corporate offence would not require that the risk be obvious or that the defendant be capable of appreciating their risk. The death would be regarded as being caused by the conduct of the corporation if it is caused by a management failure or if the way in which its activities are managed fails to ensure the health and safety of the people involved.
Whilst not law yet this was almost certainly become law although this does not look likely until 2002 at the earliest. In the meantime the Committee is examining the implications of this document in view of the clubs position in taking novices and young people on caving trips. A number of years ago, I wrote in a newsletter about the word "quite" and its use in the caving world. Listen next time you’re out on a trip, and just see how many times it crops up. The dictionary definition of "quite" is "really, actually, somewhat, or to some extent". But that’s only the dictionary definition, in a cavers world, it’s meaning is quite different, no pun intended. Below I give some examples:
"QUITE A LONG WAY".
"QUITE TIGHT".
"QUITE DEEP".
"QUITE WET".
"QUITE LOOSE".
"QUITE NICE"
Committee Meetings.
Chairperson; Nick Earnshaw
Treasurer; Trevor Howarth
Secretary; Peter Wilson
Tacklemaster; Chris Bosomworth
Librarian; Simon Mitchell
Editor; Wayne Brown
Media Coverage.
B.C.C. on B.B.C.
Involuntary Manslaughter.
"Quite" the word.
This refers to the distance from the place where you got changed, to the place where the days caving is to take place. Beware, "a fair way" isn’t too bad, but "quite a long way" is something else. This inevitably means a hike of anything from three, four or more miles of open moorland, if you’re lucky. If not it means a trek up and down dale, across swollen streams, climbs on exposed crags to the point of utter exhaustion and a final body collapse at the cave entrance.
This may well be a reference to the entrance of the cavity, which you are about to enter. If so, get ready for some body wrangling, muscle tearing, contortions as you lurch yourself into the "crack" which defies the description of "cave". As you struggle through this "quite tight" entrance, terminology's such as "a square peg in a round hole" may spring to mind. But then this is part of caving. The phrase "quite tight"might also crop up in the interior of the cavern, which you have just expended all your energy in the struggled to enter. This might be vertical or horizontal, but in either case defies the passage of the human form. Get ready for rib cracking spasms, as you bravely go where worms wouldn’t dare.
Or sometimes "quite big" generally refers to pitches and the depths of the aforesaid. Nothing less than one hundred and fifty feet requires this prefix in the caving world, everything else is "quite small". These are fine to abseil when going down, even exhilarating, but don’t forget the return journey. To jam up pitches that are "quite deep" at the end of a torturous, body-wrecking trip can sap what remaining strength you might have mustered up, as you spin around on the piece of rope that holds the difference between life and eternity. "Quite deep"is all right on "quite short trips"
Watch out for this one. "Quite wet" in this context doesn’t mean you’re going to get your wellies wet, and it comes in various forms. One is flat out in water (or mud and water) which may or may not cover your entire body, and therefore the means of sustaining life, i.e. breathing. It might also be "quite long" meaning nothing less than several hundred yards. The other is the horizontal version of "quite wet" which might involve swimming, or at best tiptoeing along as the water laps between your respiration system and the roof of the cave. Gasping and shivering with the cold and wet at these times only temporarily relieves the life-threatening situation of these "quite wet" places.
Usually means a subterranean cave passage or chamber where bungalow sized boulders defy gravity as they perch synonymous with death above your head. Boulder chokes, can also be "quite loose" where a loud sneeze or cough could end up extending your body dimensions widthways. Progress here should be "quite quiet".
This is why we really go caving, to see something "quite nice" usually in reference to the formations a cave has to offer. Those who know nothing of caving might criticise the fact that we do. But they will never see the beauty of the cave, or appreciate the lure and challenge it has to offer. The pure, pristine, and unadulterated calcite crystallisation’s is the reward of our exertion. To gaze in amazement on the stalactites, stalagmites, columns and curtains that adorn the subterranean caverns each taking a millennium to form. To stand there in wonderment and awe and scrutinise a million dew drops of water as they cling defiantly to the roof of the cavern, each one reflecting back the light, and each surrounded in turn by a thousand immaculate pure white straw stalactites is "quite nice".
Millennium Newsletter.
A special Millennium edition of the Newsletter is in production. Titled "Fifty Years of Burnley Caving Club" it will be available to purchase from the Editor when it is finished. There is a gap of photographs and details covering the years 1958-1970 if any has any please contact the Editor. Thank you to Peter and Paul (two little dicky birds on a wall?) for their contributions to this Newsletter. Also thanks to Jack, Brian and Chris and to Nick for the cover photo (separately mentioned to allow use of corny joke). The letters page is on hold until any letters are received. Please send any contributions to the Editor for future issues. ↑Top
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