Topic

We had quite a few cavers, most were keen to do Out Sleets Beck before the weather broke.
After some discussion the remainder decided to have a look for Glasfurd's Chamber in Gavel Pot with club new member Gwyneth.
Paul, James, Frances & Gwyneth went into Short Drop, while I went straight to Gavel and rigged the entrance pitch, the traverse and the drop down to the Short Drop streamway.
I then wandered up the streamway and met them at the pitch in Short Drop. The water level was a lot lower than two weeks previously.
They had rigged the pitch as a pull through, so with the rope pulled down we went downstream to the climb and traverse into Gavel Pot.
We reused one of the ropes on the next pitch where we found one of the club karabinas, clearly left by the team a couple of weeks previously. I think this is grounds for an entry in the President's Black Book.
We reused the second rope on the next pitch and then removed our SRT kits (we were not intending to do the final two pitches).
We had a quick look at the formations on the right not far downstream and then looked for the oxbow connection to Glasfurd's.
James found it quickly and we were soon in the well decorated passage. James led the way through some tight bits followed by Frances and then myself.
I stopped at one of the tight bits, preventing Paul & Gwyneth from continuing. Eventually James and Frances returned and we left that section of the cave.
We wandered downstream to the climb down to the forth pitch before heading back out.
James then rigged the direct descent into the the open pot. This has a nasty rub point in spite of the deviation to the opposite wall. I had a go at re-rigging it to reduce the rub, but it was no better.
Paul had a quick descent & re-ascent before derigging it and heading back across the fell to the cars.

Time: About 4 hours.