Alum Pot

With: Kevin, Clare & Ferg

Weather: Fine & Dry

Where: Borrins Moor, Yorkshire Dales

The recent dry spell (which started the day after we last went caving!) continues, however, I have to say it was wetter in Alum Pot than we anticipated.

Our aim for the evening was simply to get in some rigging / SRT practise in order to prepare for harder trips planned later this winter. A quick(ish?) change in Alum Pot lane & a stomp up to Diccan entrance soon saw us underground. We'd packed rope sufficient to "bottom" Alum Pot, however, it was apparent from pretty much the outset that this might be a little ambitious in the time available this evening.

A flat out crawl through Diccan entrance saw us quickly at "the slot" where bags were transferred from person-person ahead of the short roped climb down to the head of  "Dollytubs Pitch". We temporarily divided at this point Kev & Ferg going down the direct route, whilst Clare & myself went down via the small window; on to the ledge; a short traverse & then on to the bottom of the pitch. Given that there was little chance of us getting to the bottom these pitches provided a good opportunity to play around with rigging and knots. 
Re-united at the window into Alum Pot itself we rigged the "Greasy Slab" - it was wet at this point as more water than we had imagined was still draining off the land.

Picture to the left is Kevin descending the Greasy Slab.

Its a pity we got to this point in the cave as it was going dark outside as I've been keen for some time to get photos with the back lit Pot as a background ( see below for the best I could manage tonight).

We rigged the next traverse as well so as to be able to get a look down into the real depth of Alum Pot before deciding that in order to make our call in time we'd better start the ascent. Once back up the Greasy Slab we divided again - this time Ferg & myself pairing up for one ascent whilst the others took the alternative prusik.. 

Re-tracing our steps it wasn't long before we surfaced into a fine clear & starry night.

Best view I could get looking up & out of Alum Pot

Ferg & Clare above the Greasy Slab