I wrote: The date was set at 19th of January, a second trip into Notts. 2, with the aim of re-investigating
Inlet 5 as well as have another look around. We also had a backup plan that if the water levels were
too high we would join the others that day who were doing Notts Pot.
However we were very lucky with the weather that day, the day was the only day so far that year
where it was not raining. After meeting up with the others at Inglesport who were going down Notts Pot
and meeting a couple of new faces we headed off to Notts 2.
With memory of the climbs from last time still in my mind I set of off down, keeping up the rear. To
my surprise the climbs down seemed to be much shorter then before and we seemed to have
finished climbing down the scaffold to no time at all, I don’t know what I was worried about.
As soon as we reached the bottom we headed straight to the main stream way to check on the water
levels, the cave definitely seemed a lot wetter then before with all the rain of late. As we reached the
stream-way an ominous roar of water could be heard like a thousand applause’s cheering us on as
we emerged into the stream-way. However we were surprised to see that the water levels had barely
risen at all and were easily negotiable. So with that we set off up stream, taking pictures with Mike
Attenborough.
Reaching the first passage of interest Mike sent me off to have a quick look. A tight crawl was all I got with a very small chamber. The chamber had apparently recently been dug by Craven Pothole Club this year or so the signature on the
wall said.
Squirming back out of there I rejoined the others where I was promptly sent down the next crawl with the instructions “Shout us through if you find something interesting”. Well I certainly did, as this stoop/crawling passage soon opened up into Oliver Lloyd’s Avon a spectacular sight where the roof of the cave could not be seen as it was so high above. In front of me stood a double Pitch with cascading down them. I thought I best call the others through to have a look. Of course they moaned and groaned but they eventually admitted it was worth it.
Now with that out of the way we set off to our main goal which was to further explore Inlet 5, up the No privates climb as I call it for the strategically placed rock that juts out from the wall at the bottom. We soon all got up and went and into the very muddy and very wet crawl that makes up Inlet 5. Our progress was made by half swimming half crawling whilst bumping into the occasional underwater formations with our knees which smarted quite a bit. Soon passing the point I reached last time on my own last trip we reached a tighter and tighter crawl, digging equipment could be
seen discarded around and at any second now I was expecting to have to turn back, well not turn no
room for that, more slide back.
How wrong I was, Mike Skyrme who was in in-front was the first to step into a new previously
unknown chamber closely followed by me then everyone else. Before us was a large stream passage
not a dead end, what the heck is this place? Excitingly we began exploring this place none of us had
ever been before.
Up stream quickly turned into a boulder choke but with some nice formations, down stream however seemed to
keep going with tunnels branching off in every direction? Eagerly we followed the stream hoping
maybe this will break into the main stream way some where and save us the muddy crawl back, but alas it
was not to be so, progress was stopped by a sump and as none of us could breathe underwater the only option
was to turn back, exploring the other passages and taking yet more photos.
Realising time was getting on and rain was forecast for later on we headed out stopping at the usual
favourites such as curry junction for more photographs. We also braved the Canal, which was as
usual above head height, an underwater traverse was the best method to use good as any way to get
washed after all that mud from the crawl.
The climbs out were a lot easier, though I was still panting like a dog for some reason by the time I
got out, the nerves still being there though not as intense as the last time.
