Nirvana, 12th of May 2018

Nirvana, 12th of May 2018

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  • #6261
    Scaife
    Participant

    Nirvana
    12th of May 2018
    Chris Scaife, Don Miller, Alex Ritchie

    We parked in Dentdale in the parking area close to Ibbeth Peril. The River Dee was hardly a river at all, just a trickle on the waterfall itself and large parts of the riverbed completely dry; in some parts the stagnant pools seemed to be flowing upstream.

    Xaaaaaandah wanted to enter by Grabbers or Bolt Hole, so insisted we carry rope and our SRT kits. Grabbers was silted up and there was no sign of the oil drum entrance to Bolt Hole, so we had to explore other options. Fortunately, the banks of the Dee are brimming with caves, so we found a few holes to entertain ourselves. Don also had a hilarious slip on the wet rocks, shortly after asking who we thought would be first to fall over, so we were never really short of entertainment.

    Our first steps into the underworld were in Hackergill Cave. This is just a short one; we crawled along a streamway to a junction, from which left and right both got increasingly narrower and then choked. Xaaaaaandah took some photos of Don, for his own personal use, and we were shortly back in the world.

    We then rummaged around in the very scenic limestone gorge for a bit, before finding a chimney climb just inside the entrance to Black Dub Cave. Up this climb was Upper Black Dub Cave – a crawl, then a squeezy exit back to the land of the living.

    It was beginning to feel as if there would be no escape from this cycle of death and rebirth, but at 1:15pm we finally transcended into Nirvana. The entrance is located exactly as described in Northern Caves and took a couple of minutes of excavation, mainly to remove the foul-smelling water that had pooled just inside the entrance. A short entrance squeeze was followed immediately by a 4m drop, which was easily free-climbed by stepping across the drop into a narrow rift on the opposite side. A short section of walking passage and an easy climb down brought us to the confusingly named Second Chamber, followed by crawling and clambering over boulders to get to the First Chamber.

    The way on from here is down a fairly steep mud slope. This is described as a rope climb in Northern Caves, but no rope was in situ so we went without. The Donald went first and lost his footing, slipping and sliding towards the abyss, but managed to save himself through guile and old fashioned charm. He did appear to be stranded though, so the next few minutes were spent trying to work out how to get him out. After much concern, he decided that actually perhaps he was fine, then kicked a few steps into the mud and we all pranced down to the streamway together.

    The way downstream involved some traversing and crawling, before a large slab made everything a bit tighter. To get around this, we had to stay left until it was necessary to turn right almost 90° and then down into a small chamber. This was a tight squeeze for Xaaaaaandah and me; and Don, God bless him, had a few feet-first attempts before deciding to stay behind. Ah well, whatever, nevermind.

    Beyond the small chamber, we plucky explorers had a short, wet crawl and then a return to the tight squeeze, which was harder on the way out.

    Upstream began as a tall, narrow rift but soon deteriorated to crawling, mostly flat-out and in the water. We eventually reached a double waterfall, which Donaldo just leapt up like a golden monkey, followed with a little more difficulty by Xaaaaaandah and me. Above this was another tall rift to follow, with some fantastic formations, culminating with another waterfall and a rusty ladder hanging down. Having found a short section of this ladder broken off, downstream, we wisely chose not to climb it, so headed back out.

    The wet flat-out crawling seemed shorter on the way out and, thanks to the steps we (mostly Don) had made, the mud slope was a doddle. Doddly Don then decided cleanliness was not for him and spent the next five minutes flapping about in mud to get up into a small, blind chamber. Marvellous.

    On the way back, we thought we might as well go into Ibbeth Peril 1 as well, as Don had never seen the impressive main chamber. Suitably impressed, we then had a look in the very shapely passage above the waterfall, then went to the twin sumps at the end of Mud Series. The one on the left was reached quite easily by a slope, then Donald Sump decided he had to veer to the right. He climbed down the 6m pitch to inspect the second sump, then climbed out gallantly and with grace.

    #6262
    Don
    Participant

    As the first person to risk their life to go down the slippery slope of death (and back up on the way out), the first to successfully climb up the waterfall (on the first attempt), and the first and only person to drag myself up the slippery rope through the slanting squeeze into the chamber of nothingness, I think I’m the most deserving of the title ‘Hero of Nirvana’.

    #6264
    Xandar
    Moderator

    However, I was also the first person to clear out the entrance and slide through the water of diseases. When Chris says it smells, that’s an understatement it smelt like a blocked drain, that had been left for several months. Lets say I was dry heaving on the other-side and then Don insisted I bailed it from the other side once in. Don would not exit the cave either as a spider guarded it…

    I was also the first over the squeeze into the chamber beyond and I did not know if I would fit or not and get stuck. I still went head-first though as I knew it was my best chance.

    So we are all hero’s, except maybe Chris he did nout lol.

    But what good is being a hero anyway? Don almost fell to his death/got stuck in a hole (6m pitch according to guide book) and I have probably contracted Wields disease from that water.

    P.s. If anyone gorge walks along this, Upper Black dub cave is a great way to bypass the black-dub waterfall.

    #6265
    Don
    Participant

    You’re right Alex. You and I are both heroes. Scaife is just a nothing, a nobody. He’s only good for lending people spray deodorant.

    #6268
    Xandar
    Moderator

    And driving you to the Dales :)

    #6269
    Don
    Participant

    Yeah, and that too.

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