15th March 2008
People present - Pete Dale, Rob Santus

Weather: - Dry warm and cold.

After a couple of weeks off we were off up to Ingleton again for another venture underground and after a quick brew in Bernie’s and a chat with Andy he had persuaded us to go and have a look at pristine way in the magic roundabout series.

We parked up at BPF and sorted the rope out for the trip and after a short chat with the local farmer and asking permission to cross his land we got changed and set off to the entrance. Reaching the open hole of Cow pot Rob rigged the pitch while I put my SRT kit on and once I heard rope free I made my way down. At the bottom there are various ways on so I let Rob lead the way and after his 3rd attempt he had got the correct passage. A narrow slanting slot/hole and a short 2m climb down a fixed rope lands you in a small chamber with the way on being a flat out crawl over cobbles to were the way on enlarges to hands and knees crawling in a stream round a few bends and then the passage enlarges to permit walking to were suddenly it opens up at a few small cascades this marks the start of a traverse over the descending passage to the top of the 2nd and final pitch down into the vastness of Fall pot. It’s a tricky traverse and the rigging isn’t too hot but at least it is ‘P’ anchored.

Once down the pitch we climbed down through the all pot boulder choke to the main stream and headed downstream to look at the sump and to see what the water levels had been like during the wet weather. We noted foam at least 10 ft above our heads so it had been a bit wet. We then made our way up stream to the Stake pot boulder choke navigating our way through we finally located the climb up now made easier with some metal hand holds. Then, a short rope climb up the mud bank and we were at Bob’s boss. Looking around we found the window into Arson shaft which I have never noticed before. Rob made his way up first and hearing rope free I followed. After what seemed like ages I was finally at the top and vacating the rope I made my way along the passage to where Rob was sat at a junction. Andy had said take the left passage so this we did and after going around a right hand bend the passage opened up at the top of a short pitch into a large chamber. Andy had said that there was a rope traverse across the pitch to Pristine way but we could not see it, there was a rope down the pitch however so down we went. The following passage was small and winding with a few cascades to another pitch ‘Aquarius pot’ there was a rope down it but it wasn’t long enough to reach the bottom no matter what we did to lengthen it. So we had to make our way back. Arriving back at the junction Rob had a look down the right passage. We then made our way back down Arson shaft on the lovely muddy rope. Once at the bottom we headed out via the main stream again as its more fun than the muddy passages above. An uneventful exit out of Cow pot apart from Rob struggling on one of the re-belays for a few minutes due to him not being able to pass a free hanging ‘Y’ hang. I derigged and we were soon back on the surface. A quick change and a visit to Kirkby Lonsdale to try a pub there ended the day nicely.

Pete Dale