Pinned Canoe ... Interesting Day

We had an interesting day on the river recently!

Very early in a group trip on a local river we decided to line the canoes down a rapid as it was judged that one or two group members might succumb to a potential pinning hazard should they attempt to paddle it. The lining process started well.

However, toward the end of the lining exercise a Mad River Explorer 14 open canoe became pinned. It was stuck fast with the river right bow jammed under a rock ledge & an area around the centre of the boat being forced on to a large mid stream rock by the powerful current.

An initial attempt was made to free the boat by attaching a throw line to the "jammed" end (river right) & pulling from the opposite bank - this was simply the easiest & lowest risk option for rescue. It didn't work.

It was felt that attaching a line to the mid-stream end of the boat would likely have a greater effect. This, however, involved the increased risk of having to wade out into the current in order to attach an appropriate line.

The risk did, though, produce the hoped for reward and some brute strength on the newly attached line freed the trapped craft!

Its a testimony to modern materials & boat building that a canoe which had been so firmly pinned and subject to such huge forces emerged from its ordeal just about unmarked!

The day had a bit of everything really - interesting!

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. The season of Lent will run until the Saturday before Easter Sunday, about six weeks. It is traditionally viewed as a period of abstinence in preparation for the Easter celebrations and marks the time that Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness.

This year we don't intend to run a regular series of Lent posts on the blog and we are not planning to give up chocolate, alcohol, caffeine or anything else like that. We will, however, spend much time reflecting on those 40 days in the wilderness, what they did mean and what they could mean to us today. A theme of "Living Simply" is developing. Its our hope that some of our endeavours to "live simply" might make interesting or thought provoking reading, if so we'll post them here!

But for now every blessing for your own journey through Lent

M&M

February Already

Aside from trying to dodge storms, Gertrude & Henry didn't seem to offer much breathing space between them and Henry is howling down our chimney at the moment (more on this in a future post...) We've started the New Year with a lot of training. 

Its been great to spend several days underground updating skills and developing new ones. The picture below was taken a few days ago and reminds me of why the underground environment is so special.

Some of the cave training has been on the surface and its technical nature is a further reminder of the rich diversity of this activity.

There's been some open canoe training as well - a fantastic day of paddling with Tom Sibbald (www.canoecoaching.co.uk) on the River Lune at a decent level. What a great day!

This month will see the training in both disciplines continue alongside a nicely busy balance of work. We are very much looking to 2016 as it begins to unfold ...

A Day In West Kingsdale

Here's a first attempt on the blog at publishing a slideshow.

The images were all taken in West Kingsdale in the Yorkshire Dales last Saturday when we visited Simpson Pot & Valley Entrance

Images From The Underworld

2016 has got off to a very "underground" theme. The first major outings of the year were to the Nenthead Mines on consecutive days. 

Day one was just myself & long time friend Dave Baines. Dave makes an annual visit to the North Pennines each January and wherever possible I try to join him for at least a couple of adventures. On this occasion we headed deep into Smallcleugh Mine exploring the further reaches of Middlecleugh Second Sun Vein. The srt around Bogg Shaft was great fun & after ratching around just about everything we could find on the way we eventually retreated with still more to do on another day.

For the second day we were joined by Graham Derbyshire and set off for a similar deep exploration of Brownley Hills. We headed up into the "high level" in order to continue to the build the picture from some earlier trips done there. Ascending via srt we explored both the route to the choked high level adit and also in the other direction towards Tatlers String. Once again the rapidly decaying nature of much of this mine detracted from the pleasure of exploring it and we eventually gave up on the high level.

Retreating to the main Bloomsberry level we headed back to the main cross roads and headed off up Gudhamgill vein through "deepish" water to a small hole in the concrete lined roof. Up a ladder & a roped traverse across a deep hole leads to what is the largest stope I've seen at Nenthead decorated with an impressive orange cascade.

Happy New Year

2015 Review: Caves

Okay so the format's the same as the last two! This year started & finished underground for us; its included both caves & mines. Mines have perhaps had the edge over the last 12 months and its been good to do two or three "classic" Lake District trips. There'll undoubtedly continue to be lots of mine activity in 2016 but there are strong indications that the pendulum might swing back to caves, watch this space.

It wasn't possible to split January between an old favourite caving trip and the Lake District "special" of Greenside Mine, Helvellyn (another great day out with "The" Dave Baines):

Followed by a cold day in Upper Long Churn cave:

Alan Rainford, Andy Hoe and myself did quite a bit of new (for us) exploration in Brownley Hills mine at Nenthead through this year. This is Andy entering deep water in some of the remotest parts of the mine we have accessed:

Just before Easter we had a day's caving in Great Douk & Sunset Hole with a great group of folk from the North East:

One of the year's iconic photos captured in Smallcleugh Mine, Nenthead when working with a school group in May:

June, a wet exit from Wilson's Cave:

In July I visited Alum Pot with a couple of guys who were looking for a vertical trip. Again it produced some of the most iconic images of the year it'd be a travesty to only select one , what a great day out(!):

We were back in Wrysagn Slate Mine with friends in August, another "favourite"venue:

September is a bit of a personal one really, Andy Hoe & I got into Carrock Wolframite Mine in the Lake District Northern Fells. It'd been on my "to do" list for a good number of years and so it was great to eventually get in there:

Another Lake District special for October, again with Andy Hoe, when we spent an evening in Hartsop Hall Lead Mine which is a real gem:

We got back in Alum Pot in November. It was a "Community Day" but none of those who came out had ever been in Alum Pot before. Again it'd be a shame to only include one photo:

The year finished as strongly as it started with a "sporting" day out in the Yorkshire Dales:

The "underworld" is a personal favourite & I'm very much looking forward to both work and leisure underground in 2016. However, in the meantime Marion & I would like to say a huge "Thank You" to everybody who has participated in any activity with us during 2015, its been a fantastic year & we are very much looking forward to more adventures in the New Year!!