Lancaster Hole – 26/01/2019

[Dazofcaving]

Attending: Me (Dazof), Mike S, Chris K, Craig E (MUSC: Todd Rye, Sahil Maharaj)
Weather: Dry but cold on way in, ‘orrible on the way out

Report:

Finally I managed to negotiate a day underground with the other half (No easy feat with a 16 week old baby) so after some debate on the forum we decided on getting an Easegill permit with no exact plan except to look at Chasm Pitch.

We arrived at Inglesport and made introductions for the MUSC add-ons and also met with Alex and Don who were doing “Something Obscure”. Once we had all dined and drank tea we said our goodbyes and set off to Casterton Fell.

Once everyone was ready we went to a quiet Lancaster Hole, pointing out some bits of interest to Craig on the way over, Todd rigged the Lancaster hole entrance pitch quickly and then Craig went down after being led down and improving in confidence all the way. We all quickly followed suit down the excellent pitch. We decided to have a quick look at The Colonnades as Craig and Todd had never been before.

Our next stop on the tour was Chasm pitch which Mike led the way to over the Clap trap, Chris K rigged (I think) however Craig having done a big pitch already didn’t want to knacker himself so me and Sahil offered to show him the main route down to the stream-way via Fall Pot (despite me not being 100% on the route)

Some scrabbling in wet drippy boulders followed and after some wrong ways and dodgy drops I bravely led the way to the stream way arriving in style followed by some wet fellow cavers (I also lost some cereal bars in the Choke so if anyone’s hungry and desperate help yourselves), we choose the correct way and met Chris at the bottom of chasm pitch and spent a bit of time finding a missing Mike and Todd (were they in the Sump?) and took a quick look at the pretty cascades of the waterfall series. Eventually they re-emerged from somewhere and we decided to take a bimble upstream

The stream-way was sporting and a good time was had negotiating the strong currents which knocked more than one of us of our feet, we got to the top of the washing machine before we stopped for a break and a chat. We initially decided we were going to head out of Wretched Rabbit but Sahil wanted to test his new leg loop (which he hated) and we decided due to time and faf to head out Lancaster.

Craig was getting tired so me and Todd took him back up the climbs and we reconvened at the top of the Chasm, a slow jorney out followed and we were soon back on a damp (Sideways rain type of damp) Casterton fell. Looking at how much it was raining the through trip may have been a bad idea… It wasnt the weather for being sociable so headed back to the farm and ended the day in The Woop Hall with there delightful barman

Thanks for a good (If easy and bimbly) day out

Be back out soon

[Don]

Delightful barman? What a dick.

[Dazofcaving]

Don wrote:

Delightful barman? What a dick.

That was sarcasm…

[Dunc]

So, why do people still go there, plenty of other options albeit with a short detour??

[skyrmy]

Couple of amendments to Daz’s concise report:

1. Chris Sharman – not Chris Kelly
2. I never took you over the Crap Trap you would have passed it yourself on the way to Fall Pot unless you went back up the slope to the trade route
3. I rigged Chasm, Chris de-rigged
4. I quite like the Whoop – Barman has never done me any harm (that said, I’ve never been caught dogging in the car park through
)

[Author]

Posts