The day started with a disaster for me on the walk up. I had managed to loose my caving camera, hence
why there is no video trip report and you have to put with my bad grammar.
Hensler's it self was not a difficult affair so I will not bore you with the details, it was just crawling
pitch, crawling pitch not much more to say nothing difficult until after “Haigh’s Bottom”, which is
where I will start.
At the bottom of the pitch yet more crawling led to tight rift. Pete at this point tried to squeeze down a
hole that was smaller than him. This provided us with some entertainment. We removed our SRT Kits
and proceeded with the “Thrutching”.
Beyond the rift I spent what seemed like ages putting my kit back on as I was having issues turning my
‘D’ ring around. I thought I had better get a move on. However this rush had the opposite effect once I
reached “Burnley” pitch, as it was here where I made a silly mistake in my haste which ultimately cost
more time. I lowered my self down onto the pitch head however I had completely forgot to move my
cows tails onto the Y hang, maybe I thought they would magically stay in place or something. Of
course they did not and consequently as I lowered my self onto my descender they slid down the
traverse rope pulling me into the rift under the traverse as the cows tails slipped down the loop. What
followed was tugs of war between my cow’s tails and my descender both trying pull me in different
directions. I used my hand jammer to sort my self out and after pulling what seemed loads of rope
through my descender I managed to win the tug of war put my cows tails where they should be.
I descended the pitch where the next pitch soon followed, my bad luck continued as my bag got
wedged at the top and entangled me when I freed it. Once I sorted that out and got to the bottom it
seems that Rob and Dunc could not be bothered waiting and had disappeared off. Of those who
remained Dan and Pete said they were going to head straight out via Marilyn but I wanted to do more
after making the effort to get there.
Pete & Dan had a wander down Henslers Master Cave before heading out via Dis / Marilyn.
Dunc & Rob did New Henslers, Pool Traverse before heading out of Corkys Pot.
Dan showed me and Daz part of the way to where the crawl lowered. This was the wet and muddy
“New Henslers Passage”. We only took one wrong turn along the way. We emerged under the “South
East Aven”. We continued along passing “Bar Pot” and “Flood Pot” Avens followed the crawls after an
accidental brief diversion to “Sand Cavern” we arrived in the nicely lit Gaping Gill for a bite to eat.
We set out, out of the cave. We intended to exit via Bar Pot, however when we got there we realised
we would be in for a long wait. We headed up the Alternative pitch in “South East Aven” instead. A
straightforward and impressive pitch led us onto a nice little traverse at the top. The traverse included a
short down pitch over a big hole before going up another short up pitch over another big hole, quite
exposed. After the traverse a short and slightly tight rift section leads out onto an exposed ledge
overlooking the main “Bar Pot” pitch. (The entrance is on the left as you face into the chamber when
heading down)
I came through first and shouted to Daz at least twice to clip his cows tails in before coming out of the
rift, so what does he do? You guessed it, he comes storming out of the rift with no cow’s tails on and
almost kamikazes off the ledge down “Bar Pot”, scaring him self and spectators.
One of the team going down (A Mendips club) decided to turn back, her name was something that
sounds like “Caron” but it was not “Caron”. Being gentleman we agreed to guide her out. I led her up
the boulder slope and then the hand line climb, before being stopped to wait for others at the Bar Pot
pitch. Caron went first as the other two gentlemen who had just exited were supposed to help her out at
the top, only they didn’t and she well got stuck by going too low.
Daz and me must have been waiting down there for at least 20 minutes before I decided to do
something. While I was waiting for others earlier I had already attempted to find the Small Mammal
Pot exit after being told it was rigged. I failed the first time but this time I was more determined then
ever.
Daz continued to wait at the bottom of the pitch to reassure Caron and I set off in search again the
illusive Small Mammal. I spotted a turn off to the right in the flat out bedding had I explored earlier to
the north of the chamber (over the rope climb). Following the crawl I came across calcited rift and then
a climb down. I scrambled up a boulder slope at the other side, took a left before finding the rope
leading to my freedom.
The pitch is a good 20 metres or so and again quite impressive. At the top I spotted daylight, so I made
a quick exit over the short traverse. I quickly headed down the slope that enters Bar Pot to find Caron
still there completely drained of strength but very calm none the less.
Luckily I could reach her chest harness and after pulling with all my might I yanked her out through the
narrow bit off the pitch head. Daz and a few others that had gathered at the bottom soon exited the
cave.
I was just glad I found my way out that way or it could have been a long wait until someone else
descended the pot. All in all it was a fun day out I got to go down a new entrance for me and up two
new for me pitches. The day was only soured by the fact I lost my camera on the walk up.
