OFD Moonlight Chamber

Another mid-week caving trip. This aim this time was to explore all of the passages surrounding Moonlight Chamber, somewhere I had last visited about three decades ago.

As Loz now knows the trade routes through the system we diverted off the trade route and bypassed The Brickyard. At White Arch we diverted again and explored some of the White Arch Series - passages that Mark and I thought were new to us, until it dawned on us that we had explored them just last year.

Emerging at the bottom of Speedy Caver we then took the Edwards Shortcut route to Cross Rift and soon we were at the climb up to Moonlight Chamber. Last week when we explored the passages behind Shatter Pillar we found a well decorated, taped-off passage. This time we found the other end of this passage. I must return and take some video.

After Moonlight Chamber we proceeded to Midnight Passage where we knew that there are high level passages leading to the far side of Moonlight Chamber. The climb up begins at a rift to the right-hand side of the pool that leads to Northern Lights. These passages have seen very little traffic over the years and great care is needed as there is a lot of loose rock, everywhere! We explored the whole of this area and were able to look back down into Moonlight Chamber at the level of the huge white stalactite which hangs down from the ceiling. This is an area that really only needs to be visited once!

On the way out we stopped to make a short video, something we'd first tried out last week.

Here's the result.

Cavers: Keith, Loz and Mark

Route Finding in OFD

The aim of the trip was to explore the passages between Moonlight Chamber and Shatter Pillar and hopefully find a connection.

However on the way in we decided to look at the passage which starts at the squeeze down at the bottom of the Corkscrew. A right turn off this passage leads to sand crawls which link to the passage between The Judge and Swamp Creek. Mark struggled a little to get through the squeeze - a result of too much over indulgence during the Christmas festivities. We ignored the right turn and continued along the passage which popped out above a stream. The stream is Salubrious but upstream of the Corkscrew! The connecting passage goes round in a complete circle - something one is not aware of, and it is quite disorienting. I've attempted to mark this on the survey segment below.

Mark then discovered another passage branching off from the one we had just come along. He set off leaving Mel and me some way behind. The passage had to be traversed along. Soon it became quite tight but a climb down a hole in the floor led to a lower level passage. Which way had Mark gone? We could hear him calling but couldn't determine which direction his shouts we emanating from.

We climbed down and soon found Mark coming back towards us. Apparently he was trying to communicate to us that he had climbed up onto a boulder pile and wasn't sure he could climb back down safely.

We now had no idea where we were. Both Mark and I didn't recognise the passage. We continued forward passing a branch on the right and came to a tricky climb up. Mark climbed it. After dithering for a few minutes I followed prompting Mel to call it 'flying pensioner' climb. Mel followed.

Mark was ahead again and shouted back to us. This time we could hear what he said, "I know where we are. I've just popped out into Chasm Passage." To say we were a little confused was an understatement. How had we got here? To show Mel exactly where we were, we set off along Chasm Passage as far as Timo's Table.

It's been several years since either Mark or I have been to OFD 3 but we both remembered that one of the linking passages from Arête Chamber to Chasm Passage popped out into Chasm Passage roughly where we had recently emerged. So where was this passage? We set off to find it.

Eventually it dawned on us. The passage we are looking for was the passage we had just come out of, one we had negotiated many times but failed to recognise. We had no excuse. Now knowing where we were it was a simple task to go back along the passage and down 'flying pensioner climb, but instead of climbing back up we continued along and popped back into Salubrious exactly opposite where we had left it some time ago, thus completing another part of the OFD jigsaw and proving just how difficult it is to navigate one's way through parts of OFD by just following the survey.

After this we set off on our original mission and headed for Shatter Pillar. Behind Shatter Pillar we took the passage that leads to the squeeze down into Lugubrious Passage which we crossed over, and soon we found the connecting passage to Moonlight Chamber. Mission accomplished.

From Shatter Pillar we took a passage which connects to Cross Rift. In this passage we took a little bit of experimental video for a future CK production. The filming was completed in a Mark-sized passage just past The Crossroads.

Mark in the tight spot.

A serious discussion.

A need a Haribo!

Intrepid Explorers: Loz Appleby, Mark Burkey & Keith Edwards

''Back to caving'' weekend at White Walls for few members of Dudley Caving Club. Five of us booked the White Walls CC with the plan to do a trip to Aggy. After excellent breakfast at Luigi's in Abergavenny we set of for a steady trip. This was lead by Firas, suffering from a dodgy knee, accompanied by ever cheerful Grandad Graham, happy chappies Dave, Bartek and chapess Paulina. We made a quick progress through the entrance series with significant number of audible grunts by some members of the party. 

Graham in entrance series

The progress was even faster as we entered the wider passage of Baron Chamber and towards the Main Passage. After negotiating 2nd Boulder Choke we eventually got to the slippery part of the Main Stream Passage where the dancing started. 

Graham & Dave in the Main Stream Passage

Negotiating 2nd Boulder Choke

Our turn around point was the Northwest Junction, but we managed to go on for a bit towards the Turkey Junction. On the way out, after even more funky dances on the slippy streamway bed, we had enough time to visit Main Passage all the way to Music Hall. 

In the Main Passage

After all night of rain, next day we had a pleasant wet trip to Eglwys Faen where few pictures were taken. 

In early October Emma, Paulina, Mike & Bartek visited Morocco for another session of cave rescue training with. About 30 cavers turned up from different parts of Morocco. Successful training weekend included theoretical session, workshops and a practical underground. Local cavers had a chance to improve their skills on incident management, communications, casualty care including stretcher packaging and some basic rigging techniques. 

A short video aimed at those who ask the question, "Why?"

Filmed in OFD 1 on Thursday 6th October 2022.

Keith

Return to Moss Chamber

On Saturday 17 th September Club members Laura aka “Loz“ Appleby (our most excellent trip Leader), Becca Kirkpatric, Dave Bell, Phil Lester and myself completed the classic trip to Moss Chamber. Anne Bell was intending to come but was unfortunately poorly, not to worry as I am sure there will be another opportunity in the not too distant future as this is such a ‘Bucket list’ trip.

We met at the TSG hut in the middle of Castleton for breakfast on the hoof as we changed into our gear. At this stage we were one short in that Phil had not yet arrived. A gentleman called Chris who would be our escort into the cave collected the appropriate fee of £4 part going to Peak Cavern itself and part for the use of the TSG hut. We were about to depart when Phil arrived at the door, having had trouble with his SAT Nav, (Can’t beat good old paper maps l say). After the fastest change l have ever seen we were on our way through the town with the usual admiring glances from the public.

We reached the pay desk and Chris completed the paperwork and reiterated Peak Cavern rules including not hugging paying visitor customers on the way out in our mud covered oversuits. Chris was going to work on his dig so would accompany us part of the way. Through the gate which marks the now end of the public tour (it did go beyond here, but no longer) and onwards to the “Mucky Ducks” Unlike the name suggests the water is anything but mucky, beautifully clear until the silt is stirred. Chris reckons the name comes from a Pub in Sheffield, but who knows how these names come about. They are not actual ducks either although pretty close if you stumble. The water is waste deep (and not too cold either) but the ceiling comes down low so you bend over with your chest in the water, a goodly amount of your body stays dry unless you stumble, result, a full soaking.

We continue along the stream way until we find our junction on the right. At this point Chris leaves us to return to his dig. Up over the slippery shoulder to enter the mostly hands and knees Pilkington’s crawl, not sure of its exact length but it felt like about 80 m. At a sharp left hand bend nature has deposited a large rock over which you slide to enter an ascending tight hole on your right. One’s instinct is continue ahead which we did only to find it should have been a sharp left.

Backtracking we continue the climb in what feels like a boulder choke to emerge at the muddy slope. Depending on how much water your cloths have carried this polished mud can be demanding physically, feeling like one stride forward and a long slither backwards. Eventually we reach to top and come face to face with “The Eye” the notorious vertical oval shaped hole which is about shoulder height. The trick our glorious leader tells us is to try and get your whole body horizontally aligned with the hole and she is quite right, doing that is another thing! But with help from the youngsters, supporting, pushing and pulling l made it and l think Phil had some help too. The tight squeeze just beyond was completed and we moved onwards to the climb down and up, fortunately there is a decent looped rope to assist on both down and up. One more tight crawl followed by a thigh deep wade and we have arrived in the infamous Moss Chamber. Just time for a brief explore, view the impressive flowstone wall and a couple of photographs before starting our return as some of us were definitely feeling the cold.

The climb down and up felt more difficult probably due to tiredness and being cold although the strenuous work in getting up did improve the heating considerably. In my opinion the Eye is easier to approach from this side but assistance was still welcome and despite landing in a heap like a new born animal all was well. The muddy descent is a breeze so long as you break carefully. Head first down the narrow passage bring us to the small hole adjacent to that rock to be slithered over again.

Probably due to tiredness the crawl seemed longer on the way back despite it being ‘downhill’. We emerged into the streamway to be met by Chris who had heard us coming. Back along the streamway through the Mucky Ducks to the holding pool where hand brushes are available to have a good scrub down and remove as much mud as possible. On entering the public part of the show cave we await the call of the guides to call us past the public and at the pay kiosk complete the exit paperwork. Back to the TSG Hut where glorious HOT showers are taken, the only difficulty here is deciding when to reach out and turn it off. Tea and cake at Morrison’s in Buxton on the way back rounded off a successful day and trip.

Ian Millward.

Back in mid August we (Bartek & Paulina) set of on 21hrs journey to northern Spain. After uneventful drive, quick shopping we were ready for a hike to the Ario Refugio to join the second part of Ario Caves Project Expedition 2022. First part of the expedition, which Mark Burkey can spell some detail about, was focused on the rebolting and rigging of Cabeza Muxa cave with the purpose of dive in the terminal sump. Once we arrived the derigging of Muxa already started however we had a chance to experience the 600m deep ''entrance'' series of it. The cave drops down immediately from it's entrance via a series of abseils to about -300m level, where the pitch called Gran Abisu starts - a mere 250m of abseiling, followed by another 100m pitch. This almost all vertical section of the cave lands a happy cavers at the -600m level where we stayed overnight in a cosy camp set up just by the main streamway level. 

Lisa Wootton almost on the bottom of Gran Abisu

Lisa Wootton & Paulina half way down Gran Abisu

Lisa Wootton & Paulina on the approach to Gran Abisu

Phil Baker, Tony Seddon & Paulina in the camp

During the rest of the expedition we visited few more local caves with the purpose of preparation for the next season and further explorations.

27/9 cave

We also spend many nights stargazing, many evenings admiring the sunsets and majestic summits poking through the clouds. All this was spiced with a bit of a wild life and some mad-tent-eating cows.