These minor caves are the fun trips, I remember and again I also remember being really cold.
Duncan wrote at the time:
We met in Ingleton for a bite to eat before heading to Alum Pot lane, where there were a few people
milling around but not many. We hoped that nobody else was going in the caves we were as we
didn't want to be held up in a queue of people, yeah right, not a bloody chance of that today!!
Alex volunteered to pay and we got ready and headed in the direction of Gillgarth
Caves bottom entrance, straight away we were crawling, a bit rough and ready, but
generally easy enough, although I could hear lots of chunnering behind me coming
from Dan. After a short distance we saw daylight and an easier way in, oh well at
least we had the full experience... Onwards the cave continued in a simlar fashion until
suddenly it started to get bigger and we found ourselves clambering up and arriving
at a small but pleasant waterfall. Me and Pete stood waist deep in the water, Alex
fiddled about above the waterfall whilst Dan got his new camera out for a trial run.
After a few shots we pressed on, the crawl above the waterfall was sharp and
agghhhh, I tore my suit! Another clamber up and the cave descended into another
crawl, this time a wetter one. Dan tried to find an oxbow which turned out tight but
he got through, just. The final section was the wettest, some people opting to go on
their back. Invigorating, as described in NC2, oh yes. Soon after we were back
outside.
In the next field we spotted the entrance to S51, a very quick look in and we wandered off in search
of grander things. We decided to head over to Simon Fell Cave and then work back, the dark clouds
hovering overhead did not inspire confidence. The entrance to this cave is quite a nice one, open
with a small stream flowing out. Inside it very quickly drops to a crawl and a junction, Alex had a
nosey up one passage said it stunk, came back and had a quick look up the other passage whilst the
rest of us headed out.
A look at the rapidly disintegrating paper map we had showed us roughly where to head. The
entrance to P25a, which on first investigation shows promise, being a nice cascade dropping...
straight into a sump.. We scoured the area for the top entrance to Fell Close South Cave, try as we
might we couldn't so walked off in search of one of the other entrances, this was soon found and
Alex was inserted into the hole. We walked over the fell and found another entrance and met Alex.
We all ploughed onwards in the cave to the lower end where a choice of exits present themselves,
from easy to amusing, depending on your size of course.
Over the fell to Upper Borrins Moor Cave, I had been previously and it was left to Alex and Dan to
do the through trip emerging from the higher entrance from the short but interesting cave. Next on
the list was Borrins Moor Cave, we had a choice of three entrances, Alex went in Tiny, the rest of us
the middle one. We all met up and enjoyed the relatively warm waters, heading towards the
resurgence and just before you reach it there's a passage on the left, Hydrophobia Passage. The
name gives you a clue. Starts easy enough and reaches a crawl with enough space to keep your head
out of water, just, a bit further in the space becomes smaller so a slight head wetting is called for.
This pops out at a small chamber, followed by another short wet crawl and another chamber with a
waterfall dropping down. Once this was done we headed back to the resurgence, me and Pete going
back in to do the deeper section, just because!
We then went to look for the entrance to November Hole, couldn't decide if we had found it or not
(probably had) so went in Upper Long Churn Cave and then sent Alex up the November passage
whilst the rest of us waited, waited and waited some more. Apparently, speaking to Alex later he got
as far as the climb but found it a touch tricky so came back. Me and Pete finished the day off with a
pleasant stroll through Upper Churn.
A bit obscure, a tad scrotty in places, some interesting sights and some fun wet section, an enjoyable
day of caving
