Swinsto - Hanging About in Yorkshire

5.15: My alarm goes off.

6.15: I set off up the M6 in the car.

7.00: I meet Chloe at J16.

8.50: We arrive at Ingleton and order breakfast at the Inglesport Cafe.

9.15: Ben, Brendan, Carl, Grant and Mark stroll in. I could have stayed in bed another 25 minutes.

10.30: After faffing about in Inglesport and asking for directions to the cave we leave Inglesport.

10.45: Chloe and Keith arrive at the cave.

11.00: The rest arrive. I could have stayed in bed another 40 minutes.

11.20: Ben, Carl and Grant set off to rig Valley Entrance. I could have stayed in bed another hour.

11.35: Ben, Carl and Grant enter the cave after bragging to a group of tourists about their caving prowess.

12.05: Ben, Carl and Grant come back out after failing to rig the pitch. I've lost count of how much longer I could have stayed in bed.

12.20: We set off up the hill to try and find the Swinsto entrance. Thanks to Brendan's GPS this proves to be easy.

12.30: I stop for a rest.

12.40: I stop for a rest.

12.50: I stop for a rest. All I can hear is a trip hammer going off inside the top of my skull.

13.00: We enter the system.

16.45: Ben and Grant disappear at the bottom of the final pitch.

17.05: After a 20 minute search for them we make our way out of the system – expecting all of the time that we will have to go back in and find them.

17.30: We exit from Valley Entrance to find Ben and Grant sunning themselves. Carl goes ballistic.

21.30: Normal communications is restored amongst the group.

A VIDEO OF THE TRIP