The club weekend started with me and Jonny heading up to Bakewell Saturday afternoon for a dive in Holme bank chert mine.
The drive was lovely until I reached the Peak District which is where the rain started, at the entrance of the mine I encountered a rather wet Jonny who had ran back from the town after being misled by the earlier sunshine.
We entered the mine and after a short walk we submerged into the water, having a look in all the nooks and cranny’s of Holme bank. After bumbling around for 75minutes we resurfaced and headed for the pub!
Sunday started with a drive to oxlow house farm, where we were joined by bartek and Paulina.
The tackle was organised and stowed away into tackle sacks ready for the exchange trip from oxlow cavern to maskhill mine.
It was decided bartek and me would tackle maskhill, and Jonny would rig oxlow with Paulina meeting us half way.
A short but steep walk put us at the entrance to maskhill, we started our decent down the first pitch and soon reached trebuchet corner on the second pitch. I was looking over a drop on murmuring churn when bartek announced we had run out of rope a short way from the floor. A change over was made and after a short discussion it was decided to tie onto the rope. This made things interesting to pass the knot.
Small problem sorted we carried on, soon sliding along with our cows tail whilst abseiling sees you across waterfall chamber and into west chamber.
We could now see the lights of Jonny and Paulina. One short abseil left, saw us at the exchange point. Summary of maskhill, lots of Rebelays.
A short break with some videography and photography by bartek, testing out some new gear. We all had a go at modelling… however something makes me think we’re not going to make vogue magazine.
Jonny and Bartek headed back out of maskhill.
Me and Paulina headed out of oxlow. A series of short pitches and slopes saw us out into daylight.
Our day didn’t end here tho after we all reunited it was decided to go and have a look at Poole’s cavern in Buxton. John showed us around the cave, pointing out the different items of equipment that is being used to monitor the cave for scientific research.
A very beautiful cave with some interesting formations, the one formation has got an orange tip on them and they can’t find out why… a huge formation, Snow White in colour signalled the end of the show-cave.
The last stop a Thai restaurant in Buxton a bite to eat finished this weekend off just right.
Trip report: George Tolley
Photos: Bartek Biela
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