Rob wrote:
Had a good but expensive breakfast in Kettlewell.
The route to the first pitch was longer than I remember with plenty of crawling made more awkward with all the tackle. Eventually we got there and rigged the pitch; it was here that Pete lost the description. Anyway, on we went, working from memory to the 2nd pitch. This takes a while also as there is plenty of boulder chokes to clamber through and various other obstacles to make life interesting before arriving at the pretty 2nd pitch.
From here there is more of the same, cascades, chokes, clambers and walking, some quite difficult before you reach the elbow bend. This is where many folk decided enough’s enough and head back. Naturally we carried on after a snack and a breather into the darker reaches that lead to Shale pitch. After a rifty section, you are greeted by crawling in water which is no barrel of laughs until you arrive at the gloomy chamber with Shale pitch leading out.
I remember this pitch well with it’s bizarre and unorthodox rigging so Pete and I consulted about what was best. Suggestions were made but to be honest, the only way to rig this is the same way as last time, rebelaying from an unconvincing flat piece of rock 3 metres below. After a bit of faff, we were all down and heading toward the parallel rifts to the slimy slit. Pete didn’t fancy the last section of rift, so Alex and I left him and carried on.
I went down the SS and Alex followed watching me sky dive down the free climb (5 metres), but he didn’t fancy the sky dive manoeuvre nor the climb back up. So alone I carried on to the DS sump through the deep water. It was here last time I turned back because I didn’t fancy getting drenched but today I thought I’d better finish the job.
Birks Fell is a long cave and I wasn’t relishing the journey out from the sump, but on we went, trudging slowly out. I was all ready to derig Shale pitch, waiting for Alex at the top. I asked him where the spanner was, to which he replied “attached to the rope”. It wasn’t (was this payback for his camera case in Hardrwakin?) I went down the very wet Shale pitch again to look for the spanner, krabs and bolts, but had no luck.
All in all, 5 bolts had to be left in situ.
Anyway, a fairly long trip by our standards at 7 hours, but a good effort nonetheless.
