Newsletter 0.47

January 1996.

AND THE TORTURE GOES ON

Lumb Hole is the dramatic resurgence cave in the
Cressbrook dale region of the river Wye catchment area, It is
quite’an impressive rising in flood, and is thought to drain
the western end of Longstone Edge, and a possibility it may
carry water from the Stoney Middleton area.

Crewe Climbing and Potholing Club have been undertaking
adig inthe cave over the past five years. After a great
effort and a lot of enthusiasm, by many members of the club, a
sufficient breakthrough was achieved last July (95) giving way
to approximately 900ft of passage, varying from stooping to
crawling, sometimes in sloppy mud.

The cave is formed on two levels, an upper series
exceeding 350ft of abandoned fossil passage, incorporating a
small chamber. This level ends at an impenetrable bedding
plane, which emits a small draught.

The lower series which begins 200ft from the entrance
where the cave splits to the two levels, is the active
streamway during October through to mid June. This is a
downward sloping bedding plane, which breaks into a 40ft long,
5ft in diameter phreatic tube with an inviting sump at the
end. This is 18m below the entrance.

The sump was dived on November 11th to a squeeze in a
bedding plane, 15m from base at -9m depth, so obviously the
cave seems to be going at a deep trend.

This seems to of brought the cave to a conclusion for
this year, due to the water level which is not likely to drop
any lower, so either an underwater dig is needed, or maybe the
sump could be pumped out in mid-September 96

Further back from the sump is a draughting crawl which
is in need of digging, it is approximately 40ft below the upper
series, and it may be the answer to by-passing the sump. So if
96 is as successful as this year, maybe more secrets will be

revealed from the complex geology of this area.
DARREN CONDE.

"Nobody told me it would be like this"

ALETTER FROM THE HEART

Dear Mum

‘Here as promised is the no holds barred expose exclusive of THAT day out with a cave rescue
team.

Cave rescue groups are interesting things, they are labelled alphabetically in order from the area
where cave sites are. This means that Buxton contains the depot and teams A + B. A fine body
of heros ready to leap into action and bloody crawl where no man in his right mind would go.
Other teams surround these gems on spelology each with an alphabetical assignation making
them sound like vitamins

The crew lot are G, there is no H, also as our leader reminds us Crewe is an independent cave
rescue body. It lacks the epithet rescue organisation, infact any mention of the word
organisation is completely missing from much outside of the clubs tackle sheds.

This puts the group on a similar evolutionary scale as Dads Army or the Trumpton Fire Brigade
in the rescue world. None the less, once or twice a year a call to arms sounds, some hole picked,
some gear polished and Derbyshire C.R.O. called in as refs. Well the hole in question was P8,
a ‘sporting’ pot filled with mud, water and radon.

"Never got no stretcher out of there a 'fore' remarked the experts. We had a new flash make of
stretcher with a nice furry lining and an old body bag for insulation, (the bag had been used
some years ago to remove some long lost corpse from another pit). "Yeh, ’e fell into bits and a
shovel was used, but its been hosed out since then", remarked Brian, a full time ghoul and past
time Chemical engineer. I hoped he was joking Brians favourite hobby is grabbing hold of
novice cavers and telling them about potholers" who are still down there". I had climbed with
Brian too, his climbing tales are full of !!!! and he was still preserved in the ice ten years

later !!!!, anyway back to my tale. :

(On being informed by Ralph that I had volunteered as victim for stage two of the rescue I went
out and raided every bit of kit | could, even down to surgical gloves from the school labs and a
woolly hat gran had knitted. | stuffed myself into thermal underwear, a rexothem quilted suit,
another furry suit, plastic over suit and second P.V.C suit on top. Mars bars, gloves and socks
were also shoved on or stuffed some where, To cap it all my borrowed lamp blew up and coated
my hat in clouds of burning plastic fumes

1 set off for my adventure escorted by a caving friend and his brand new carbide generator,
(carbide is that fun stuff that generates acetylene gas when in contact with water. Cavers use
these things for light and to satisfy latent pyromania, This can make a caving trip look like a
very muddy re-enactment of the Pentecost with lots of blokes walking about with tongues of fire
on their head), while I sloshed along the flooded floor feeling like a sumo wrestler in my layers
of clothing. Suddenly the light dimmed and there was a clattering thump as some thing skidded

2.
into the stream, Rockfall' Brian will be saying things like "yeh buried under four tones had to
leave them there, stream still runs red despite the quick line", but is was worse......... lans
carbide generator had fallen in, Ian dived after it and triumphantly in the air "I wonder if it
works", he pondered as he jammed it back inplace. Before | could scream the narrow passage
space filled with a golden "Wooft" and acrid fumes, (Brians voice echoed in mind "Yeh, found
them frazzled like crisp. Gas filled passage went up like a deep fat fryer”. | was looking forward
to the safety of the stretcher

A Journey in a stretcher on a rescue is a long tale of odd angles, dark comers, nose to wall
intimacy (and interface) with limestone, caving boots, wet puddles, gushing streams, fingers,
acetylene flames and bad language. The cold nibbles at your exteninties and begins its numbing
creep towards your cave. j

Twas in a unique position to observe my fellow cave dwellers. The males can be of two morphic
forms, bears and ferrets. Bears are huge, powerful men with huge powerful beer guts able to do
huge powerful things. Ferrets are lean and wire like, they can leap up passage wallls, squeezing
Up to the roof on down the lowest crevice. ‘The ferrets scampered about the roof rigging up
pulleys systems under the directions of the “arch ferret" Kev. While the bears jammed and lifted
the stretcher through the tight winds and twists of a two foot passage. How they did it I'll never
understand, and how anyone has the strength and endurance to shift an awkward load the way
they did was beyond me, There was a female of the species present, Jane the most I saw of Jane
that day were her fingers as they tried to stop my face being scraped off'on the wall

As the end drew near, we played our joker for this game, a respirator The object for the
contestants here is to get the inobilized victim up the waterfall for maximum points the victim
should still be alive at the end of the ordeal

The plan was to fix a respirator over my face for this point. What followed was the subject of
ightmares. The force of the water tore the mash forward and it began to rapidly fill the demand
valve was now under water and began to inhale liquid. Unable to move my arms or legs I could
sense the water rising over my eyes. My screams would not have been heard over the roar of the
water and would have wasted precious air. Although the time span of all this must have been
mueh less than a minute, it felt a lot longer. The terror that the stretcher might jam or the lads
stop for a fag was very real. suddenly something knocked the mask partially away from my face.
later found out that it was one of the team who had guessed what was happening, {I must still
owe hima pint) Some of the water drained out and the stretcher shot up in to day light.

The speed and teamwork of the crew had impressed the observes. ‘They had solved the problem
in only three hours. A lot of experience had been gained especially about respirations and
waterfalls.

Isloshed my sodden freezing way back to the welcome warmth of Kevs car feeling lucky to be
alive but some how I could have this voice.drifting back from an alternative future.......""Yeh

the respirator failed and she drowned under the waterfall, .. it took weeks for anyone to
notice the difference"

With Love and Crushed Mars bars

Your daughter. 3
Lest summer , when my daughter Eleanor was sbout six and a’ half
I took her end two friends of a similar age caving . The following
is her own account of the trip , and I hope it shows how mach she

liked it . So , next time Itake her , if their are any offers of

help , please dont hesitate to speak up

I got in the cer with Brien , my dad , and Ruth. Ross
eame in his om car . Edward is a friend of my dads snd my
mums . He came in his own carwith William and Alistair , his

sons . We parked our cars by the cide of the road . There was

xt to the read, Me and the boys played in the mid

2 beg 2

Ded carried me o

and wy boot got stuck?

lowered down it end into « little cherber with « tunnel leading
down with a ledge in between the tunnels and e tunnel the far
side . We went through the tunnel and came to the next pitch
which was 15 metres , we were lowersd down it then we climbed
over some rocks and came to'the end then we went all the way
back . Inthe last chamber there wes a hole going up to the
surface . I liked it a lot . The twins didnt like it . I
have been down some other caves since . I'm going to go down

Giants to the end , I only went to the Pitch before .

“_Eleanor Edmonds , aged 6h 4
if
Eleanor ednonds
HOW TO BUILD A FXSOMETHINGOROTHER .

One or two people have expressed an interest in making an "FX2" to the new "slimline" design, so
hear goes. You will need a 220mm length of 40mm plastic pipe (sink outlet) with end caps to
match, Glue one into the base of the pipe and cut a section out of the other to accommodate a

no 7 cable clip (or no. $ if you plan to use a smaller attachment carabiner) .Drill a 10mm hole
off-centre in the same end cap to accommodate the cable grommet from a standard "miners

lamp". Fit the grommet, which should be a tight fit then, with the aid of alittle Fairy liquid, push
the cable from the same lamp through the grommet. The cable should then be bent back on itself
and taped to prevent it being accidentally pulled back when in use.

Take two "F" cells and solder end to end in series. [Or better still get someone else to do it for
you! (Private joke)]Solder a wire to the positive terminal and another to the negative on what is
to become the bottom cell. This is best done about 3cms from the base of the cell so that the cell
fits snugly into the end cap previously glued into the waste pipe. (You can use silicone sealer for
this)

Before fitting the cells drill a 6mm hole about 6mm from the top end of the pipe to take a "spout
bolt" which secures the pipe clip previously mentioned,( to take an attachment carabiner.) Fit this
pipe clip to the end of the pipe with the nut inside.

Drop the cells into the pipe (I normally squeeze a little silicone in at the same time to prevent
movement later) Solder the cable to the wires coming from the cells (don't forget polarity and
insulation) then glue in the end cap. A copious quantity of silicone makes the whole thing
watertight. If your worried about pulling this end cap out then either use a better glue or secure
it with a couple of self tapers or pop rivets

All you need now are a couple of 2.4 volt bulbs and away you go!
‘You can obtain the waste pipe and end caps from a friendly plumber. The club has a supply of
headsets (donation welcome!) Ralph has a supply of cable clips and hopefully a supply of cheap
BRAND NEW "F" cells in the very near future

The lamp should cost you a fraction of what you would pay for an "FX2" but you will have to
buy a suitable charger ... or is this a cue for another article!!!

P.TON (Equipment Advisor)

B4b
metres

The Gouffre de la Pierre Sainte-Martin : Summer 1995

When our small group of club members, and, far ilies, arrived at Tardet in
the Basque area of the Pyrenees it was just about, -five years to the day
since Max Cosyns sent his message to Norbert Casteret : "Have discovered
deepest known vertical shaft." That discovery was the start of an amazing story of
exploration and courage in the early days of modern caving. Sadly it is a story that
includes a tragic accident.

Leaving our camp site in the valley, Annie and | drove up the Sainte-
Engrace valley to the French/Spanish border at Col de la Pierre Sainte-Martin,
some 4500 feet higher. The area around the border is incredible, with vast
patches of exposed limestone showing amongst the greener areas of the high
pastures. There were a number of deep shafts close to the road, and by deep |
mean well over a hundred feet, and we spent some time watching the Jackdaws
struggle to fly up from their nest sites somewhere beyond the limit of daylight
below. We soon found the top of the Lepineux shaft, the original entrance to the
P.S.M., although it was not quite as expected! The great shakehole leading to the
opening has been capped with steel beams supporting a concrete slab roof,
although there is a locked, barred gate set in the side, and it's all covered with
loose rock so it blends into the landscape. On a rock buttress close by are
memorial plaques.

The original exploration started in earnest in 1951, using a bicycle powered
winch to lower the cavers into the gigantic chasm. Georges Lepineux was the first
to descend, finding the shaft to be 1,135 feet deep. He landed in a huge chamber,
which was later named after him, and three other cavers, including Marcel
Loubens, soon followed. Loubens found a way down through a squeeze and
rigged a ladder into a second much larger chamber below, containing a river. The
second cavern was named ‘La Salle Elizabeth Casteret'. Worries about the winch
brought this expedition to a close, and by the time the last man was safely up the
machine was just about worn out.

August 1952 was to be the main attempt to get to the bottom of the system.
The team were equipped with an electric winch weighing nearly two
hundredweight, and were well prepared with everything needed for an extensive
period of activity underground. Marcel Loubens was the first to go down the shaft,
followed by Tazieff, Labeyrie, and Occhialini. This first group carried out a set
programme of activities, including dye testing the underground river, and
discovered a third huge chamber. After five days Loubens ‘phoned from the base
of the shaft to say he was ready to come up. He strapped himself into the
parachute harness on the end of the cable and began to ascend. When he was
about 100 feet up, the clamp fixing the harness to the cable failed, and he fell to
the shaft bottom.

Although he was still alive, Loubens was terribly injured, and there was little
the other three could do to help him, other than to try to make him comfortable.

6.
Meanwhile, on the surface, the expedition doctor was waiting to descend, using
the repaired clamp. Courage indeed ! He got down safely and prepared Loubens
for the trip to the surface, strapping him to a simple stretcher. In places the shaft
was narrow with many places where the stretcher could become jammed, so
Casteret and five scouts from Lyon began to ladder the shaft in order to guide the
stretcher as it passed. They took up positions at -263 feet, -492 feet, -699 feet,
and -787 feet, and then they waited. Sadly, just as the surface team were ready to
start lifting, the doctor declared Loubens dead. After 18 hours in the shaft the
scouts returned to the surface, and it was then decided that it was impossible to
recover the body without risking further accidents: Marcel Loubens was buried by
his companions in the chamber where he died. It was 15th. August 1952. On the
boulder beside his grave the following words were written:

"IC| MARCEL LOUBENS A VECU LES DERNIER

JOURS DE SA VIE COURAGEUSE"

The others reached the surface safely, and the expedition was abandoned
for that year.

The following year many of the same team were back in action, and
explored downstream to the most enormous chamber they had yet discovered.
They called it “Salle de la Verna", in honour of the Lyons scouts from the La Verna
troop. Their survey work showed that they had broken the record, and reached
the deepest point so far discovered on earth. (It was 1953, and man had just
reached the top of Everest for the first time.) (~2385 eet)

In 1954 the main purpose of the summer expedition was to recover the
remains of Loubens for proper burial. This technically and emotionally difficult task
was completed successfully, and the team also reached the barrier of the lake at
the "Tunnel du Vent", which they were unable to pass. As exploration continued
the French Electricity engineers began to take an interest. At that time the valley
of Sainte-Engrace had no electricity and plans were made to use the underground
river, discovered by Loubens, to drive the turbines of a hydro-electric station. The
engineering works carried out to achieve this end have resulted in a major benefit
to cavers | Usually the reverse is true. A tunnel was driven horizontally into the
mountain to intersect the Salle de la Verna so that the waters could be captured
and brought to the surface. They would then fall through pipe-lines nearly 2,300
feet to a generating station below. Something went wrong, and after completing
the tunnel the project was abandoned, which is probably the best thing for cavers.

(Langa) Back to 1995. Ralph Johnson, Paul Holdcroft, John Gillett and | had
arranged to meet Michel outside the bar in Sainte-Engrace at 8.00am. for a trip in
through the E.D.F. tunnel (Electricite De France) and as far upstream as time
allowed. Michel is 2 major caving figure in the area and co-ordinates rescues in
the P.S.M. area. John G. and Ralph already knew him from previous visits to the
area, but | felt as if Paul and | got a few hard looks as we got sorted out at the
bottom of the hill. To reach the tunnel entrance involves a considerable slog uphill
through dense forest, probably taking about two hours Ralph had warned us. We
set off with Ralph going right while the rest of us followed Michel to the left. "No

7
Lauga
wonder it takes two hours!", Michel pomrnerited in French. He spoke very little
English, but | got the feeling he understood most of what was said. Fifty minutes
later we arrived at the wooden cabin outside the tunnel entrance, having been well
tested for fitness by Michel's pace on the way up! Several times he left the
obvious route to use a short-cut (‘recoursee' ?? -it's not in my dictionary) and
clearly he knew the mountain very well.

Once changed, but carrying our oversuits, we approached the entrance
which is closed by a pair of steel doors. The wind howls through the gaps in the
doors and getting them open can be difficult because of the enormous pressure,
but combined tactics soon overcame this and we were in. Not wanting to break
the normal club traditions, my carbide light refused to function so | had to resort to
the back up electric while plodding along struggling with bits of ‘Ariane’ generator.
More hard looks from Michel ! | gave up and started taking notice of the tunnel. It
Tuns straight and level for hundreds of yards to a three way junction, where the
main route branches right, then after another straight the route forks off to the left
for the final long straight to the Salle de la Verna. Piles of timber and a dummy
caver (not one of our members) make it impossible to go the wrong way in these
tunnels. Then, suddenly, you are in the chamber! It is HUGE !

How can anyone describe something so vast, and so black, that it's difficult
to convince yourself that you are actually inside a chamber inside a mountain ! It
would be easier to believe that you were outside on a still, black night on Tryfan !
The tunnel emerges onto a fiat terrace of broken rock, probably some of it from
the tunnel, and you walk forward to the edge, marked by a cable, and
‘see.........nothing. No roof, walls or floor, except the small patch of boulders
revealed by the combined lights of the group. The sensation of space is awesome,
and remained so for most of the trip. It is all so big !

We followed the left wall round towards the roar of falling water, where the
river emerges into the chamber before cascading 165 feet towards the jumble of
boulders far below. The path here was well marked, and had clearly been
constructed by the E.D.F. workers, as it led to some old pipe-work. Nearby, on a
boulder, was a marble plaque to Marcel Loubens, probably the nearest point to his
‘tomb' that could be reached by non-cavers.

Our way upstream was hidden behind a vast jumble of enormous boulders.
We had to struggle up a polished slab before we could follow the narrow route
through into the open river passage beyond, where we crossed easily to the other
side. It is difficult to remember the sequence of features as we made rapid
progress through one great chamber after another, although at one point we were
halted by a lake stretching away between the rock walls. We used the same way
past as the original explorers had done, a narrow shelf on the right which allowed
us to squirm through without getting a soaking. For most of the trip we seemed to
be high up where the piles of rock debris met the vertical walls of the chambers,
sometimes following narrow ledges, or having to climb up and over mounds of
gigantic boulders. In several places traverse lines had been rigged, one in the first
section was around a corner close above the river to avoid having to wade or
‘swim, and there were fixed hand-lines on the more awkward climbs. We

8

eventually reached a pitch (down) of about 30 feet which had been rigged with a
wire ladder, although there is normally just a rope, and descended. We left the
river, and shortly afterwards reached the end of Salle Loubens, where there were
some large flowstone formations and crystal-clear gour pools. We left our sacks
there and went on through Salle Elizabeth Casteret, climbing steeply upwards all
the time, to a narrow space that we passed through into the bottom of Salle
Lepineux.

We continued to climb the slope of rubble until, quite suddenly, we stood at
the place where Loubens had been buried. The boulder still carried its inscription,
though now a little less clear, and there were two.small flags and a container for
flowers. Ralph and John had passed this way before, but for me, it was the first
time and it was special. Michel took Paul and me further up the enormous slope to
@ point below the shaft, which was invisible somewhere in the blackness above. A
great pile of decaying wire ladder lay tangled on the rocks, and Michel told us that
this was left from the rescue attempt, having been used by the original explorers. |
couldn't help picking up a couple of rungs to bring home.

We stopped at the gour pools for a meal break, before our trip out, which
Was uneventful apart from one or two wrong turns in the chaos of boulders. Much
of the route was marked with fragments of tape and throughout the trip Miche!
had let us find our own way, only commenting if asked, or if we were about to
make a wrong choice which would have wasted a lot of time. Back in the Salle de
la Verna | was surprised to see some tiny specks of light sprinkled down the
opposite wall of the chamber. | was still trying to work out what they were when
John pointed out that they were cavers. They were so tiny because they were so
far away !! That chamber is BIG !

After a superb trip Ralph, Paul and | set off down the hill, leaving Michel and
John to follow on when John had sorted his gear. Some time later, having gone
through all the usual comments, like: "Do you remember this bit ?" and "Are you
sure we had to go uphill ?", we saw Michel and John sitting under a tree in the
shade waiting for us. What else can you say !

That evening Michel and his wife Annie, with their two daughters,
entertained us all to a superb meal at his house. By all, | mean cavers and
families, making twelve guests altogether. (How did Ralph manage to get away
with not having to drive ??) It had been a very enjoyable day, and as we left we
were still trying to persuade Michel that he must come over to England so we
could show him some of our outstanding cave systems, like ... er Gaping Gill
and 00... OF... Lancaster Hole and ....... er BOR BTA dscns

Colin ‘Steve’ Knox 1-9-95

Acknowledgment:
“The Descent of Pierre Saint-Martin” by Norbert Casteret
Published by J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd.. (English) 1955

9.
SONFIRMED MEETS FOR 1996 SEASON.

JANUARY,
Sun 7th Vespers Pot. East Kingsdale, Yorkshire.

FEBRUARY.

Sun 4th Tathams Wife, Whitescar, Yorkshire.
Sat 10th Oxlow/Maskill Exchange. Castleton, Derbyshire.
Sun 25th Swinste/Simpsons Exchange. West Kingsdale, Yorkshire.

MARCH.

Sun 3rd Eldon Hole. Eldon forest, Derbyshire.
Sat 16th Gapping Gill.- Fell Beck, Yorkshire,

APRIL.

Sat 6th Nettle Pot. Castleton, Derbyshire.
Sun 21st Little Hull Pot. Penyghent, Yorkshire.

MAY.

Sat 4th Rowten Hole. West Kingsdale, Yorkshire.
Sun 19th Alum Pot/ Lower Long Churn. Yorkshire.
JUNE.

Sun 16th Ogof Hesb Alyn, North Wales,
Sat 22nd Hurnal Moss. Gapping Gill, Yorkshire.

JULY.
Sat 6th Swildons Hole. Priddy, Mendips.

Sat 13th Birks Fell Cave. Upper Wharfedale, Yorkshire.
Sun 28th Out Sleets Beck. Penyghent, Yorkshire.
AUGUST.

Sun 4th Penyghent Pot. Yorkshire.
Sat 17th Rumbling Hole. Leck Fell, Yorkshire.
Sat 24th Slaughter Stream Cave.

SEPTEMBER

Sun ist Little Neath River Cave, South Wales.
Sat 21st Lost Johns Pot. Leck Fell, Yorkshire.

OCTOBER.

Sun 6th Gapping Gill. Fell Beck, Yorkshire.
Sat 19th Juniper Gulf. The Allotment, Yorkshire,

NOVEMBER.

Sat 2nd Notts Pot. Leck Fell, Yorkshire.
Sun 17th  Gingling Pot. Fountains Fell, Yorkshire.

40.