Life at the end of a rope: Group Caving Trip (Carlswark)

Since I started caving as you can probably imagine I've been going on about it no end. Half the people (well probably more than half) react along the lines of "how can you do that? I hate being underground? etc..." and generally have a negative view of caving. This is fine and everyone is entitled to their opinion. The other half (probably less than half) react along the lines of "wow, can I come?". Because of this I ended up organizing a caving trip for a bunch of my friends who've never been caving before. However I planned it so far into the future that everyone who came on the trip, has actually been out caving with me before! This didn't matter one bit as it just meant that we could have a quite a big group of us going down.

The plan for the day was to meet everyone (Laura, Sammy, Matt, Ronnie, Finney and Me) in Stoke then head across and park up at the lay by up from the power station in Stoney Middleton. The plan was to head down the Eyam Dale Shaft, as it's is the most exciting yet more manageable way to get into a cave system and then explore Carlswark heading into the dynamite series before coming back out of it and coming out the Gin Entrance (reducing the SRT involved).

There isn't much to say about the day really other than we all had a right laugh caving. I rigged the shaft with a normal Y-hang for those of the group who were happy abseiling and had a spare line running on an Italian hitch to back it up for a couple of the party. Sammy had never abseiled before so she got a crash course in how to make it down the hole without any problems.

With everyone down the shaft most of us took off any harnesses or SRT gear we were carrying and left a small pile of it in the passage, ready fro retrieval on the way back through. We kept the tackle bag though, which I've added a leash to so it can be dragged behind me if needs be and we set off into the dynamite series. I took up the rear so I could struggle along with the bag (and there'd be no shooting off ahead) and it gave Ronnie and Finney and chance to take charge of where we were going. I think having done so much navigation to get my ML I'm quite happy navigating underground. We've only been in pretty easy systems but it's always good to get some practice in.

We followed the cockle passage to the t junction (left being big dig series and right being dynamite) and because I'd arrived last I found everyone standing in about of foot of water. I'd been watching the weather all week and wasn't surprised that the passage was flowing and I knew we 'd push on regardless, all I was really worried about was people trying to stay dry and moving slowly. I dived straight in and ended up almost balls deep in water (not really hard achievement when your crawling!) and we carried on through. Getting through the little area where the roof has been stablised was fun... as I watched the tackle bag float past me in the water! Once through this it was a little dried and we started the series of squeezes into the various chambers in the dynamite series.

The first was midnight chamber, which amazed those of the group who'd not been in it before. I really like how there is a completely different feel to the rest of Carlswark (Eyam Passage Area) and you can physically see the difference in how the cave has been formed. We carried on through into Success Chamber which, with 6 people, was a bit of a squeeze. We did try to take some photographs but there was way to much condensation. Andy then tried his best to fit through the connection into the next chamber, which was a small hole in near the floor half filled with water. He emerged soaking wet with helmet off saying that it wasn't possible, or at least he wasn't willing to it. We vowed to go back once the water subsides a little.

Having reached out furthest point the only thing left to do was walk, scramble and crawl out. We retraced out steps (or crawls) getting nice a wet for the second time and pushed on. We actually met another group of like minded cavers at the squeeze so all got to have a good laugh and a chat underground with them and where they were heading before carrying on with our own journey. We soon got back first passage we'd entered and retrieved the cached bags (for Finney to carry) and set off on the home straight. By this point I was pretty wet, but I've given up trying to stay dry. I've found that I have much more fun caving if I just accept I'm going to get covered in mud and wet, rather than trying to avoid it.
The home straight (or Eyam Passage) had enough water in it to breach my wellies but it didn't matter. We all ploughed forward happily until we came to the small depression in the floor which is actually an obscure connection to the resurgence entrance (that runs beneath the Eyam Passage). I dived down with Laura to have a look. Last time I was there there was a little bit of water in the sump but it was still probably passable. This time however it was flooded up into the aven almost. Just looking down at water in caves scares the life out of me, especially when I can't see the bottom but I still ended up chimneying down to it just to have a peak. I was soon up and out (as was Laura) while a few other's in our group had a look down.

Getting back up it became apparent that some of the group were cold, so we really did bug straight out this time and for the first time in a long while exited the cave in to beautiful sunshine. All that was left was the de-gear ourselves and then make it home. That isn't to say that I drove off and had to turn round 5 minutes later because I'd realized I'd left the shaft rigged up!