Kingsdale - Numb Legs and Too Many Pies

Paul, Gareth and Mark set off from Richmond to look into Kingsdale valley entrance, weather was cold but dry. After the customary stop at Ingleton for tea, we set off into the Master cave. The ducks were no longer ducks but a wet crawl, through to the top of the small pitch into the stream passage. Gareth volunteered to rig the pitch, "feel free to decline to use it" he announced, rather pointlessly, as by the aghast look on their faces Mark & Paul had already made their decision. After redoing this and retying that the rig was satisfactory and all 3 proceeded.

The water in the stream passage was higher and colder than normal. The crawl via east entrance, to the Swinsto aven was taken amid prior warnings of a collapse in the aven. Carefully squeezing through the blocks the group emerged into the aven and surveyed the new rocks. As the water coming from Swinsto was high the group did not climb the waterfall, but proceeded out through Philosophers Crawl. The new rocks had added a 2nd squeeze to the crawl they were well jammed and secure.

The squeeze into the crawl involved a drop through rocks to the streamway 4ft below, Paul went first, Gareth following had to breath out and rely on gravity, "I can't believe I went up that last time I was in here" he said,"Too many pies" was Pauls encouragement. Mark dropped through no problem, a wet wiggle in the stream and a long crawl on pebbles brought the group back to the stream.

Back to the pitch to look at the cascades, but at the pitch met a cave diver on his way in to Rowten sumps. Alter volunteering to carry some of his gear the group proceeded towards the sumps. Wading into the chest high water, which it must be said was flowing off a frozen land, brought the usual exclamations, walking in it a few minutes produced numb legs, after handing over the equipment, we waded back to the stream passage, a fast walk back to the pitch, up it, along to the crawl leading to the cascades, at the cascades climb, none of the group felt like climbing the rope, "legs too numb" was the common opinion, (cutting edge exploration stuff this) after crawling along the dug out passage to warm up, the group returned to the surface.

A good 3.5 hour trip that took all of us to parts of the system we had not seen before.

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	Swaledale Outdoor Club

Kingsdale - Numb Legs and Too Many Pies

Gareth Carson