C.C.P.C

NELUSLET TER.

No. 32.

488 March

bue toworking away

home and not being able to attend
of the meetings, seclally che A.G.M., my bvother Neil thought

auld be @ good igh te put ay mane forward to be the new News
being préss ganged inte tis pesition anx noe keing
of it, thing, would be to giv
if, You.Wauld dike me te ae tke News Letter ( with

¢ iy Eng.
which x sure you will hav
. For without them I can net go this

NO ACCESS TO BALL EYE MINE

We Rave just rec

to all cavers fo

ormation tnge Ball Eye tine Will se closed
Geing. It appears that being
mire will be uns fe becar
lied. founterabbey level ha.
3 Water supply the warking and will therefore
The top entrance, Ruggs Wali. is dangerousi)
ble and should therefore not be entered. It is hope that, whe
the work has been finished in a few years time, access will once
be possible, but for the tins being you will have to give it a

Tt is possible tat this hss something to de with the permiss
just granted to a firm te produce “ Matlock watee ” From 4
ore-Aole in rhe Gsll fye Quarry. We shall be investigating and

jet you know the position as saa,
any further t i i
Genservation & Access Officer:
Road, Eadingley, Newark, Notes. NG22 26x

A BIT BIGGER THAN THAN CARLSWARK!

by Brian Edmonds

I think my main caving memory of the 199) Gouffre
Breger expedition was the enormous chambers and long passages
just going on into the darkness. The most surreal thing about
the trip was the sooty sketch of a naked woman at: the top of one
of the pitches in the lower part of the cave. The rock formation
had been highlighted by an unknown carbide artist who had taken
advantage of the natural rock texture, just like a prehistoric cave
painting. While I was sitting on a boulder at the head of the pitch
waiting for Ian to come up, I looked at the painting and let my
imagination wander..., and woke with a jolt on the floor of the
passage. This was something I’d heard other cavers talk of, but
never thought 1 would experience - just falling asleep, still it was
the early hours of the next day.

lan Thompson and myself started our (hopefully)
bottoming trip the previous evening. The day had been spent
lazing around base camp at La Moliere in the shade, interspersed
with short, lethargic attempts to pack our kit. The heat just
drained away our enerqy. At last, all was ready, so we set off
for the cave entrance, it was early evening. The walk from La
Moliere to the entrance shake-hole taok us about three quarters
of an hour, ambling along through resinous, sweet smelling pine
forrest and hot sunny des. Amongst the trees and in the
clearings were numerous patches of Limestone Pavement and
Shake- holes» of. allvsizes. One large one was still full of old winter
snow. Somewhere along our route we passed the entrance to the
Fromagere, a deep and serious cave which I believe links into the
Werger via the 1000m affluent and a sump. It was hot walking, and
humid under the trees. Our sweat attracted hundreds of black
flies, luckily only after salt and moisture from our skin, but still
very annoying. At about six o'clock we reached the entrance, in
a Stiall shake-hole bottomed with snow.

We changed into our smelly, crusty caving grots (it
was to inconveniant to wash them between trips, so we just dried
them in the hot sun.) quickly, before we melted in the heat of the
late afternoon.We abseiled down into the cool depths at about six
thirty. The big entrance pitches of Ruiz, Garby’s, Cairn’s and
Aldo's slid by easily. On one of these, I think it was Garby's some
caver from a previcus expedition had written PANDA in soot about
half way down the pitch. Most of us on passing this point shouted
it aloud, to hear the echoes and let the world know we were
here. Net surprisingly this saan becama known to all and sundry
a3 Panda pitch. The Meanders, of which I'd heard numerous
horror stories, were not to bad, a bit like the canal traverse in
Pa, but much longer and abave a drop of unknewn depth. Here
and there old wooden stemples were fixed across the passage to
make it easier, but Adrian had told us that they were of 1950's
vintages, from the early expeditions, so we treated them with all
due care and respect. In two sections of the Meanders a steel
wire is fixed to the wall, so mesting cavers can clip in on passing
They were not in the most awkward places, but they were
apparently above the biggest drops. During the course of the
expedition at least three people nearly had serious accidents at
various places in the Meanders, inetugehg me, but thats another
story. (Ed, please tell me I need the nat@rial)

2.

The entrance series to the master cave passed
quickly, evan though our over large tackle sacks were awkward on
the traverses, but soon enough we were at Aldo’s pitch. From
here to camp ane seemed to take a fair time, especially on the big
boulder heaps, but at last we were there, time for a quick brew
and a Snack, and to dump the spare kit far our return bivvy. We
left Melv* and Malcolm sleeping after their trip to the bottom, and
set off through the Hall of Thirteen - impressive, huge, beautiful.
the Hall of Thirteen is a large, aircraft hanger sized chamber
with what at first sight appears to be a relatively smooth floor. A
second look revealed that the whole of the floor of the chamber
was floored by Gour pools or Rimstone dams, each with a drop of
a few inches to a foot or so, forming an irregular network of
narrow and slippery calcite walkways. The pools between were still,
clear and deep. At the far end of the chamber were the
“Thirteen”, a collection of huge stalagmites up to four or five
times as high as aman and only three or four feet in diameter. 1
didn’t step te count them, but there were certainly a lot of them.
Below the Hall of Thirteen there were a series of massive calcite
flows which were quite slippery and awkward to negotiate in total
safety, and a slip here could easily have sent us down the next
pitch, the Balcony.

Between the Balcony and the Vestibule pitch were
some equally fine farmations, evan if not so huge. The Canals
which followed soon after ware for me at least a very satisfying
piece of cave, a deep trench three or four feet wide and filled
with cold, clear water. In the U.K. this wouldebevaslong «cold swim,
but here traverse lines were rigged enabling us to pass with anly
our ankles getting wet. The only problem was selecting which was
the least frayed and ancient rops to clip into. I wish now, with
hindsight, that we had spent longer in this section of the cave,
from the Hall of Thirteen to the Canals admiring the formations
and feeling very privileged, special just to be there and able to
see it all. Beyond the Canals the character of the cave changed
from large open caverns with formations, to smaller passages of
dull black rock, muddy boulder heaps and generally gloomy
caving, although there were still some massive chambers. Pitch
and passage, passage and pitch. At each large black draughty
drop we came to, we thought, is this Hurricane? I had lang since
lost count of the pitches.

At a pitch rigged with a guide line we meet Ralph
Paul and Sharon returning from the bottom, looking tired but
going well. They told us we still had a long way ta go and that
there was mo one below Us. Earlier we had passed a party of
Belgians near camp two an the graat boulder heap - a greasy,
horrible pile of mud and rocks poised above the camp.

Fvantually we got to the “Little monkey" pitch, and it
certainly looked like it. Ian looked at me, and I looked at Ian,
then I mumbled something about having a  look-see. Perhaps
unusually for a normal pitch down, this started with a move up,
standing in an ald knotted rope ioop. The traverse in was....
interesting. I shouted to Ian it was O.K. and down I went.

“35 .

Hurricane pitch followed quickly with an unpleasant
traverse inon a harrow ledge, or a heart stopping hang off the
line over the drop. I opted for the latter and abseiled down. It
was big, black, windy and a long, long way from home. I think the
rope must of shrunk a bit as the rebelay was VERY tight - thanks
Melv'. At the bottom we were in another huge chamber, and as 1
waited for Ian at the bottom by a large boulder out of the
draught, I smoked quietly and looked around. Make a “mistake”
here and your dead I mumbled to myself, more than once. When
Tan arrived we ambled down stream, past the vast inlet of the
1000m affluent and on down the stream passage beyond. very
soon We came to | wide rift section of stream canyon with deep
water. We could of progressed by very wide bridging, of
swimming, or more likely both, but ft was four in the morning and
We had both had enough. For us this was the bottom. We looked
at each other and shook hands, a vary aut of place gesture, and
then we turned around and headed out, carefully. Later we
heard we had missed out on a wat traverse/swim, followed by 4
short climb up to the divers camp. Shortly after Lhis the pseudo
siphon would be reached, then a very long in dry gear to
the terminal sump. Maybe if we had brought our wet suits with us
we might have carried on ta the bitter end, but then again maybe
not

from were wa turned around to get back to camp
one was eight Hours of hard graft, fighting tight rebelays
awkward angled pitches (with and without guide lines), boulder
heaps and streamways. Eventuatly, we reached the balcony pitch
again and up we went, slowly, hauling our tired limbs up the rope.
From camp ong to here had only seemed a short step coming in,
but going back it seemed to be a long way. I went on ahead, to
get 4 brew on for us while Tan climbed the pitch. as I stumbled
through the Hall of Thirteen into camp I'm sure my steps were
weaving and my body staggering. At camo one, which I reached
at midday after about sighteen hours of steady caving, I mst the
Conde prethers with Colin and John Gillet, who offered me a cup
of tea, freshly made and steaming hot. I got changed into my
dry grotts, left here far the purpose, and instantly felt much
better, refreshed. Eventually I realised Tan had not yat arrived,
but just as I was about 6 voice my concern his light appeared
coming up from the Hall of Thirteen. It turned out that he had
gone off exploring at the tep of the Balcony pitch and became
disorientated. Finding himself at a pitch head he nearly
descended it before realising he had gone ina circle and was
back at the Balcony again. ®@ long pled later and he was back at
camp one. While We ate and drank, the Conde’s and Colin
prepared for their trip te the bottom. John was uncertain whether
to go fer tha bottem with them, or wait for semecthers and go
with a later group. Eventually he decided to wait and bedded
down beside us while the others went far the battem. With only
three bodys at camp one we could have two furry sleeping bags
each. This, combined with the dry clothes and  karrimats meant
that we were lovely and warm in cur pits, the only problem being
condensation caused by the bivvy sacks. AS I was warm enough
without a bivvy sack I left it off and stayed drier as a result.

a down 1 was
surpr tter here than I don
was tired was ata cons and
temperature, was quiet, unlike the bace camp
Around ten or eleven in the evening we began to
Bt vy for the trip out. Apparently Adrian and
topped off on their way to the bottom fer 4 brew
slept right through. John had decided he would head
and after a brew and some food we
at widnight. Putting on wet neoprene socks wa:
Unpleasant, but once we got going we soon warmed
Slow trip cut resulted as Ian and I were both

another the landmark:
Aldo’s pitch again.

1é after
bottom of

S

The hard gratt

of tl

Wake up and
Jane had
+ but I had

oUt with us,

tidied up and left the camp

Sextremely

up. & long

still very tired, but
slipped past until we were st the

he entrance

series followed until we finally got to the surface, just as the sun

was rising, good timing or what:
34 hours, 12 of them at camp
the cave.

The day was com

stripped off mast of
three quarters of an hour
back to camp planned
take advantage of Dean
shower at their gite in the tow
pavement cafs society for " Ca’

awa)
we

life in the warmth of the early morning

tired but well fad and clean (

visited the information centre ta see
ane

with
cave.
and

lots of
Then we
slept again.

photos, surveys

the

relaxed slowly, knowing it was done.
have

to go again!

Ne mountain

CHANGE OF ADDRESS

ARTICLES Would
for future
1f, via the meetings. or
directly ta meat, T Conde.
Tel au
ct
Person who
can’t use them

members who

Thankyou teddy.

joys of derigging

bike root

Wsletters, please, either gi

please may
ten clearly ( unlike the one I received through
will remain nameless ). Because if T can't read them

2. We had been under ground for
one, and the rest moving through
ing up bright and clear, sow

the fo

yy through

ne

Briefly John,
fo :

Compleat “ as

thanks again, Dean
an exhib:
useful

Been there.

rack. Any

have any

5.4

any,

rest

@ trip into Autrans for breakfast and
and Keith's very generous

Tan a
Autr.

and

ion on the Ser
intermation about
drank lets of beer and wine, stuffed curselves silly
could wait until later.

Dona

the

our kit fer the walk back to base camp, only

On the way
to
offer of a
I joined
cane to

nd
ans

sun. Later in the day, still

Keith ), we

the

we

that. Don’t

information please

Carren .conce, ay

articles or information
ve them to my brothers or

if _you wish sither phone or 5

information be

post, off a