Heron Pot 28th Feb 2009 Guy & Ian arrived in the vicinity of Heron pot mid afternoon (having been in Calf hole) and were met with the prospects of an extended journey over hill and bog to find the pot.
With stunning orienteering skills and more or less talent than a Russian satellite navigation system, we found the pot (after finding several other holes which were pretending to be Heron Pot en-route).
We slid in and immediately went the wrong way. I mean, after we explored a passage running backwards into the hill, we dropped down into a space which the guide failed to mention was an 4rse.
This alleged “meandering passage” was too narrow to walk and we were both forced down to the ground to crawl which is a pain in itself when you have bags but which is compounded to a degree worse than enduring a “face off” with a werewolf whose toes you had just trodden on by the SRT gear we had put on before entry.
Fortunately, this passage was dry as it snaked along for around 30-40 feet. Unfortunately, the wretched passage then become un-dry (or wet) as it met another (very similar) passage carrying water. Fortunately, the passage was then just wide enough to stand and walk. Unfortunately, this was not the case for Guy. Fortunately, it soon became wide enough for even Guy to stand and walk. We decided there and then that we were having mixed fortunes on this trip.
The passage was, however, very interesting as it was scalloped in the traditional manner and was home to plenty of wonderful decorations along it’s meandering path.
After around 10 minutes, the sound of whoosing water became louder and louder. It became so loud that we thought the abuse of water must have been down to a silent propulsion system of a gilled Amercian submarine which had turned the wrong way at Selby and got stuck at the base of a pitch somewhere in the system.
That proved to be wrong but we did arrive at a pitch. This required a traverse rigging which first ascended 20 feet and then across 6 feet then down 10 feet then across for30 feet (well, that’s what the rigging guide said). Guy decided he wanted to do the rigging and I decided to let him
And sooooo…. Up he went 20 feet (rigging as he went), then across 6 feet (rigging as he went) and then down 10 feet (rigging as he went) and then he began to go across (rigging as he went) …. ( I would have just put “etc.” but I have typed it all in now). Then we (well, Guy), hit a glitch (I was busy doing nothing).
The glitch was that the hangers appeared to be incomplete with them seemingly terminating prematurely (like a rabbit does when it plays in the road). There appeared to be an inadequate amount of hangers as indicated in the rigging guide and certainly nowhere to rig a Y hang.
Frustratingly, this was the end of our second trip for the day as we could find no way further forward. Well, it wasn’t the end as we had to return along a delightfully decorated meandering passage and locate an equally delightful passage that gave us the opportunity to re-experience crawling under it fully equipped with all our SRT kit on (joy).
Contorting in ways I thought were not possible, we both escaped the clutches of this very accommodating passage and popped up and out of the hole that first let us in.
We returned back to the cars where we each ate a miniature pasty, got changed and drove back. I drove the wrong way home and nearly appeared in Skipton.
NotesGrade 3
This is apparently a “through trip” but we did not find the exit (largely due to not being able to locate the traverse).
If a through trip was to be considered, the last caver would need to de-rig the traverse. Additionally, the abseil down (from the upper pitch a single rope can be used to reach the bottom of the two pitches) needs to be on a separate rope to the traverse rope (for the pull through).
The guide also suggests that an exit may not be possible if water levels are high and it would be essential to locate the exit first (and pop in to examine water levels etc.) if a through trip was being considered. De-rigging afterwards (after a through trip) would be extremely awkward as the pitch is a long way into the pot.
This cave is a little awkward and I personally would not recommend it to inexperienced cavers or SRTers
Subject: Trip Report ~ Heron Pot 
Sun 01 Mar 2009, 2:41 pm
There were some issues which require another look 
but we can always go the traditional way next time 
