It’s been two and half years since I’d been caving, and I wasn’t sure if my over suit still fitted, but Sunday 11th was the date we had a permit to do Notts Pot, courtesy of WMCEG.
Now we live locally, there was no need for the early starts we used to make, so me and Sloth headed off to Bernies to meet Bill, Rachel and Dave for 10-ish. Pete was still suffering with the flu, so it was another day at home for him. Me, Sloth and Dave were to be the rigging party, and Bill and Rachel with two guys from Stockport were to be the de-rigging party.Â
It was balmy in Ingleton as we packed the ropes, but typically cold, damp and windy on Leck Fell as we got changed. Ah yes, the memories of frozen hands were coming back.
As did the memory of how to cave – you never forget. We swung about on ropes, rigged by Dave and Sloth, finished Centre route and got back to the car in less than 4 hours. It was great fun. I think I might do it again…
The de-rigging party had a similarly good experience, making it to the terminal sump (for Bill and I anyway), that is after we’d spent about 1hr wandering over the fell trying to find the entrance (a wander which included a trip back to the car to check the map).
What you are saying is that you got lost on the way to the entrance, a walk of, oh, 500 metres or so! Doh! 😆