I had such big plans, been wanting to do this for a while. Rowton solo, after my trip down Aqua mole solo a couple of years earlier.
I arrived all bright eyed and all (well not really) ready to descend the classic pot Rowton, where thanks to the weather I would have it all to myself and have some fantastic footage of the place in flood. My route was to go via eye hole into the rift and then down the sidewinder route. I asked some friendly cavers in Inglesport about the sidewinder route in this sort of weather and they were a bit skeptical about its possibility.
So on arrival I thought well I can do Rowton big pitch, then do Jingling to kill some time and some cals. My plan was to use same rope, saves taking two big bags + emergency kit up the hill. Weirdly, despite not quite remembering where it was I parked in the right place and walked right to it.
I dropped down the eye hole, making sure I absailed rather than getting blown down there. It was rather wet even when I was out of the rain getting dripped on all the while. Rigging was going okay though I had some entanglement issues with my bags at the free-hang y-hang. I still had my emergency kit bag doubling as a metal work holder and the rigging bag of course.
Down and along the big ledge I was getting into the swing of things, though it was impossible to hear even my own thoughts over the sound of the water. About 5 meters down from the big ledge I swung into the rift (which is quite difficult) and rigged along there before dropping down the spectacular big pitch filming all the way.
I landed in the water, just out of the spray from the big waterfall, I tried to pick a good landing spot but the wind alone was blowing me towards the cascade in-front. I managed to half walk/swing around the corner to the start of the sidewinder route. It looked dry (relatively) so would have been safe but alas I had not brought the rope up the hill with me. I would have to cross the torrent to continue my journey but did not fancy my chances getting back to the rope. Also my core temp was rapidly dropping just standing there, so up I went again, without even getting off the rope.
All was going well until I got below the ent pitch from the eye-hole. My bag’s haul cord was tangled in the rope but not to worry I will just hold onto the bag and remove the haul cord to sort that out. Then there was shouting from above. What the F***? I looked up to see someone above my head, what in the name?. Maybe it’s because I have been doing so many of the awful caves I am not used to seeing other people in the same cave as me who are not my mates, but this did suprise me quite a bit. Anyway due to the timing of this, when I looked back down I did it just in time to see my bag roll off the edge into the abyss below with an almighty splash. This would have been okay if I had tied the bag to the rope (I had not) so when I pulled the rope up, hoping it would get caught on the bag all I got was the rope.
I let the guy come down and asked to follow him back down but when he said he had there were 3 novices with him. (In this weather?) I decided against this. My bag would have likely floated off by now into Keldhead anyway. Worse still when I got back home the spectacular footage I got on the big pitch was taken in time-lapse mode as had most of the other footage so all I had was lots and lots of blurry pictures, ho hum.
P.s. As its now customary to insult someone in my trip reports: Alex you are a d**k.
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