Trip Report ~ Calf Hole

Calf Hole 28th Feb 2009
Guy & Ian arrived at Calf hole around noon to find a party of 10 were already on there way in (joy). The party appeared to comprise novices and a couple of experienced cavers.

As we arrived, there was one novice left at the entrance pitch with an experienced caver who appeared to have done the rigging. We asked if he was doing the “through trip” and he said his party were not and that they were coming back out the same entrance. We asked if we could use his rigging and he was pleased to allow us to do so. (Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee)

We discarded the cumbersome and, frankly, downright frustratingingly irritating SRT kits and rope and skedaddled (well, carefully descended) down the rigged electron.

Looking up stream we saw nothing less than a torrent of a waterfall which looked as inviting as a giraffes testicles served up on a platter with cauliflower cheese and we chose to ignore that route.

Instead we plundered down stream through knee deep water (well, it was for me) until we found a chamber with a couple of routes extending off to the left. These were examined (to a lesser degree than a forensic lobotomist) and found to be dead quickly and we therefore continued to the letterbox.

The “letterbox” was a funny little hole in the (now dry) stream bed which demanded a legs first descent and immediate curl as though ducking underneath a coffee table. Once under, the chamber quickly opened out with a massive flat ceiling and pillars of water-carved stone filling the expansive chamber.

We found the water again and headed downstream to the second pitch. This had been rigged in the waterfall and was proving extremely unpopular with the novices who were, frankly, more soaked than a loafing halibut.

Noting a fairly lengthy delay in getting down this pitch, Guy wandered off along a flat out crawl (which I followed) and located a diversion which took us past the rigged waterfall and past the beleaguered novices without getting even a spittle of water on our warm, dry and very comfortable caving suits. This diversion was a very easy scramble down with a knotted rope for assistance (which was only really needed for a return ascent).

Having past the cloud of desperation emanating from the other party, we continued along a very tall and narrow passage which was initially dry but which again met the water (imbued with freshly stewed cavers) and which was, again, around knee deep. Very soon after we were out and chose to return above ground.

Notes
Grade 2

This trip can be done as a through trip and can be de-rigged on the return to the car (the only required rigging would be at the entrance) and it can be rigged with an electron instead of SRT (or both).

This is a great trip (albeit short) for novice cavers who are inexperienced with electrons/SRT and whom would like to see some of the typical attributes of a Yorkshire cave.