Friggin' with the Riggin' in Jingling Pot and Aquamole Pot

As there were four takers for an SRT weekend we decided that it would be an ideal opportunity to introduce the aspirant SRT leaders to the idea of rigging. This was discussed over breakfast in Ingleton and we formulated a plan: I would oversee Tony and Carl would do the same with Rob. We set up a mini exchange route in Jingling Hole as this pot is often used as an SRT training Pot as it has everything that could be expected in most caves; traverses, pitches in tight passages, deviations, rebelays aplenty and a large free ascent / descent in an open aven.

We had a knot tying refresher session and after nearly 3 hours we decided it was time to come out and repack our bags for a trip into Aquamole. I left a voicemail with our call out time and when we got to the entrance we noticed there was already a group inside so I sent a text with a later call out as we would inevitably meet each other at some stage.

Tony lead off down the main shaft and rigged 80 metres of rope which was a superb consolidation of the skills he had learnt that morning.

Rob took over to rig the next 80 metres which included rigging a wide Y hang and then stepping off into a 50 metre drop down into the final aven. Rob rigged the deviation from this with ease and it was only when they both got to the bottom of the pitch that they realised how high that pitch actually was. I decided not to follow them to the bottom as it would just add extra time to our trip and I had done it before twice. Carl watched the others from the pitch head and decided that he was too tired to contemplate the inevitable ascent that has to follow a descent of this length and so to the best of my knowledge only three DCC members have been to the bottom of Aquamole Pot.

We all mucked in de-rigging and hauling rope bags back to the top and then walked off down the hill in darkness, tired but content with a full day caving in two great Pots in the Kingsdale Valley.

Trip Report: Andy Kempster

Members Present: Andy Kempster, Carl Knott, Rob Campbell and Tony Ferrun.