Ireby Fell Cavern – Cripple Creek Route (13 January 2018)

[Don]

Members Present: Chris Kelly, Don, Sharman

Not much to report. The route we took was as follows: Entrance – Bubbles – Glory Holes – Half-round Crawl – Turtle Crawl – Cripple Creek – Numpty Rift – Womack’s Chamber – Streamway – Jupiter Cavern – Duke Street II – Skylight Passage – Duke Street – Well Pitch – Upper Main Streamway – out Bubbles.

It was a good trip. It took us roughly six hours. I was a bit worried before we began the trip about route finding, however we didn’t have any problems. At least not until we all got to the top of Well Pitch, only to find that it was actually a blind aven, and not Well Pitch after all. We quickly realised our mistake though and after a quick abseil down quickly found the correct rope for Well Pitch. The biggest route finding problem was figuring out how to get from the start of the Glory Holes to the bottom of Bubbles on our way out. It’s only a distance of probably 80 feet or so, but it took us about half an hour to find the correct way due to the plethora of short passages in that area.

Though we brought rope for Bubbles and Well, both were already permanently rigged. Logic told me not to use the ropes on Bubbles due to their dubious condition, but Sharman was already down the first section with tackle bag in tow before I had the chance to tell him to leave the bag so I could rig it, which was too late. Why he took the rope bag down the pitch is anyone’s guess.

That aside, it was a very enjoyable day. There’s no chance that anyone could ever get bored doing this route. It literally has everything: several pitches; a long, low flat-out crawl; a somewhat long, awkward traverse through a narrow, immature rift with several squeezes en route; several climbs up and down ladders with absolutely no way to see what’s below you or what you can hang on to when climbing out over the awkward and narrow pitch heads; awkward and narrow squeezes in a low and small streamway; big stomping passages; a canal with waist deep water; route finding issues.

All topped off with a trip to the Marton Arms afterwards.

[Dunc]

Good stuff. It’s a great and varied round trip
How’s the Martian Army doing these days? Foody, ale choice, etc..? Not been in for years.

[Don]

That place seems to switch owners every year and a half or so. They’ve completely refurbished the inside since I was last there about four or five months ago. I don’t like it. It had a cozy feel previously. They’ve taken up the carpet and the comfy plush cushion benches attached to the wall that they used to have and replaced them with chairs. They also got rid of the two booths they used to have and have replaced them with small, tall tables with high, backless chairs. The place feels and looks like a gastro pub, which is what they’re going for, I guess. It was certainly busier than I’d ever seen it.

Don’t know how the beer selection, as I don’t drink beer. All I care about is atmosphere.

[Chris Sharman]

When we got to the in-situ rope it was fairly new, and certainly cleaner than Don’s so I didn’t see much point re-rigging.
The beer was fine in the Marton, although it is a bit gastro-pub.
A very fine trip.

[cavegod]

plus my stop i lost up masongill is on the wall

[Don]

The rope down to the y-hang was fine. The rope after that… not so much.

Why is your stop on the wall?

[cavegod]

someone must have found it and left it there

[Author]

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