Caving: Lost Johns Cavern (02-May-2026)

• Lost Johns Cavern


• 06:00 hours
• 2,720:14 cumulative hours

Great exchange trip with the WCC.  We went in Lost John and rigged the Cathedral Dome route.  At Dome junction we met up with Bean and the other group who had rigged the Mud Centipede route.  We then followed them along the Battle-axe traverse, which Andy did very well on.  Then down the impressive Valhalla pitch and Final pitch to the main Leck Fell streamway.  We were expecting to see the other group coming in from Deaths Head at this point, but they were nowhere to be seen.  We were reluctant to go through the deep canal section before we knew we could get out via Death's Head, otherwise it would have been a cold return back through Lost John.  Fortunately, we met the Deaths Head group just before the canal, so we carried on along the mainstream.  Water levels were very low, but it still involved chest deep wading, and almost swimming for Rich and Andy. 

At the Death's Head inlet, we had a quick detour down to the downstream sump, before heading out via Death's Head.  There was some confusion as to what ropes were fixed in-situ and which ropes we needed to de-rig.  We later found at that we should have de-rigged the rope on the short climb and the scaffolded climb, but we didn't realise that at the time. Whoops.

Once at the Death's Head entrance pitch, it was just fairly steady progress back out the cave.  Andy did well on a fairly tricky re-belay.  Great trip.

Caving: Alum Pot (03-May-2026)

• Alum Pot


• 04:00 hours
• 2,724:14 cumulative hours

A lot of playing around on rope and taking photos.  We went in via Long Churn trying to stat as dry as possible on the route to Dollytubs.  I rigged one route down Dollytubs and Bean rigged the other.  We then went along the right-hand traverse, across the bridge, and off the re-belay under the bridge to the bottom of Alum Pot.  Then a quick trip down to the sump and to see Diccan Pot water coming in.  Then, back to the bridge via the far-side that had been rigged by another team, and back out the impressive south-east route.  This was probably the biggest single prussik Andy had done, again with an awkward double rebelay at the top.

Caving: Simpsons Pot (04-May-2026)

• Simpsons Pot


• 03:00 hours
• 2,727:14 cumulative hours

A great trip, really quick and efficient work by everyone.  Andy was great.  Normal route through Simpsons, was all really straightforward.  At Aven Pot, just before Slit Pot, we took the advice of the CNCC training officer and climbed up to Swinsto Great Aven which had recently been re-rigged.  This started as an abseil in a narrow rift, which soon opened up into the top of the massive and impressive Swinsto Great Aven.  The 35m abseil to the floor was impressive.  The route out via Valley Entrance was all straightforward.