Topic

Well, Dave has a good memory and remembered me mentioning that this cave was one I had never visited (well not one I remembered doing anyway).
So after a brief discussion about our options the previous evening, Sunday morning he turned up armed with laminated survey and description for this lesser visited Hole full of Boggarts and the remains of multiple dead sheep - do Boggarts eat sheep?
The weather was much better than the day before and after driving over and a pleasant change we had a sweaty uphill walk (the new field gates don't have the adjacent ladder now and it was chained up so we had to climb the gate, but it makes you doubt the route initially).
Pathfinder Dave walked straight to the entrance and we were soon in the cool of the cave, Dave rigged for a bit then retreated and handed over the baton (well rope bag) to me. I could see why, the pitch heads seem to get progressively more awkward. We continued slowly, as I faffed and huffed and puffed, seemingly getting everything all of a twist in the not so spacious pitch heads. At one narrowing Dave announced that he didn't fit anymore and was waiting there. The pitches opened up and we traversed over open shafts to Penguin Hall a fine fluted shaft with some reachy rigging at the top. It was at the bottom of here that the way on had a stream flowing out of it and the description as I read it out was of flat out crawling, so after getting that "single raised eyebrow" look from Phil  (taught to him by Parker in the pub the night before as a way of pulling women, but clearly just meaning lets Foxtrot Oscar) we turned around and headed out, picking up Dave and a stranded frog on the way (yes Lisa, I overcame my phobia, picked up a frog and took it out of the cave in the tackle bag, it looked a bit startled when we let it free in bright sunshine).
Those along Dave C, Phil Hawk, Evil Stu W.
Time taken about 3  hours underground and about an hour walking up and back which was when Phil announced its in the black book, some Sunday trip, (note to self - do more research before suggesting random names of caves you haven't done). Give it 6 months until the memory has faded and I might revisit, or maybe in a year or two?

 

I did Boggarts a few months ago and my abiding memory is of really awkward pitch heads and a disappointing end.

Mostly I don't mind going back down a cave, but I'll need to wait a while before being tempted back down there. But I've said that kind of thing before..........Will have to wait for a broken leg to heal first though.....you won't see me back in the Dales until at least October , and even then it will have to be easy stuff if I go underground.
Cheers all,
TC

Well done, team! I did the cave with Black Rose and I share the 'tight memories'