Sunday 23rd saw myself Dave and Simon make a return trip back to Cripple Creek. The intention was to concentrate on the upstream dig in Cripple Creek beneath the aven. We took in full capping gear and a set of ‘L’ plates because Dave was giving lessons…. Spent the first hour or two digging the hard calcite out of the way, this gave us enough room to start capping at the far end on both sides and on the LH … Read More
Sun 30th Jan, Dave,Simon & Neil We returned to the upstream dig in cripple creek, and spent most of the time capping out the walls and trying to smash the hard calcite floor. Had some success when we managed to break through the floor and dig a hole into about 17 inches of sand. Also built a kitchen in our spare time. Sun 6th Feb Dave, Yassan & Neil Dave continued capping while me and Yassan fitted the kitchen with … Read More
The food fest began with a splendid breakfast at chez Tracey ,with the traditional full belly bulger , extra grubs, no pudding. Washed down with lashings of hot tea and the melted butter drips of the fresh hot crumpet Hot Hugh arrives demanding pole services from Mr Pacey and gets cold shoulder as he is reminded of dig responsibility ettiquette… No trip for you Mr Hugh.. His day is all washed up. In fact similar to mine, as I faced … Read More
yo mud folk, Was intending to join Messers Ramsay, Pacey & co for the next installment of Hell’s Kitchen down Ireby, but the bastards asked me to cover for a colleague on holliday, both saturday and Sunday, cooking Sunday dinner with all trimmings, rather than the classic french cuisine of Monsieur Ramsay…. Decided to stock up with Worscester sauce though to remind me of the mud though. Have a good one. Y.
Ho Mud Folk, Was NOT intending to join Messrs Ramsay, Pacey and Co for the next instalment of Hell’s Kitchen down Ireby, but the bastards asked me to cover for a colleague on holiday. Cooking Sunday dinner with all the trimmings and the classic french cuisine of Monsieur Ramsay…..Decided to stock up with Turtle soup to help me forget about the mud though. No Chance. From: Yassen Roussev To: mmmmc@yahoogroups.co.uk Subject: [mmmmc] cooking Date: Fri, Feb 18, 2005, 8:48 pm … Read More
Sunday 27th February Visited my kitchen to see how the chefs (Neil, Bill, Ruth) were getting on. Starter didn’t arrive, I was told the chefs ate it all because it was disgusting, I would have liked to have tried it though. Main course was nouilles avec boue, while the boue was pretty much as I would have expected (possibly organic) the noullies were overdone and certainly not ‘Al Dente’. Dessert was gateau de gingembre, pleasant enough washed down with the … Read More
12th March 2005 Neil Pacey, Tanya Savage, Richard Bendall, Jim Stevenson, Mick, Shaun, Henry Carke. Pre-dinner appetiser called for so off to extend the menu at the restaurant at the end of………the will to live. Good bucket service, excellent company, and a generous serving of hot soup(lacking description) and Fruit Tea beverages. Not one FUCK to be heard from the servery hatch. Two meters progress to definate left hand bend. Out for 6:30 and rush to place pits for anticipated … Read More
Sunday 22nd May Bill S, Simon J and Dave R Ireby Fell Caverns, Upstream cripple creek Dave and simon place the bolt at the top of the Best A Man Can Get then join Bill for sand removal. 60 Buckets later we left having made some progress. We still keep popping up into rifts where there is a draught. Dave
Dinner for two and Mr pacey and mr Bill attend for teas and noodles. and Tunnock’s. More spoil removed dig seems to be getting easier as the sand and clay seem less dense.
Sunday 3rd July Ireby Fell Caverns, Cripple Creek Dave Ramsay, Paul Windle and Bill Sherrington A return to the end to dye test the stream which dissappears below Womacks chamber to see if it is the same stream which is seen later on in the cave. ……………… Yes it is! But why does the draught flow out from where it dissapears but not strongly into where it reappears? An inspection was made of the calcite ramp at the far end … Read More
Neil and Paul’s trips to Cripple Creek the Final Calcite Choke. Sunday 28 August My first digging trip into Cripple Creek. Trip to work on the calcite blockage. Taking in lots of kit, capping set shiny new long chisel and a lump hammer plus lead acid battery and drill. Started work drilling holes in the calcite after a twelve hour trip we had made little progress. Even 2 caps placed in the rock above the calcite failed to do any … Read More
September 10, 2005 Saturday Cripple Creek Paul Neil More capping another 12 hour trip with not much progress. September 12, 2005 Monday Cripple Creek Paul Neil Sent Neil to the sharp end to some digging while I removed the noble at the entrance to the tube. Which we where going to remove 5 weeks ago. Whilst doing this I chiseled of a rock which landed on my head breaking my lamp and creating a cut which bled every where. Nurse … Read More
Cripple creek September 17, 2005 Saturday Sam Allshorn ULSA Tom ULSA Paul Slightly delayed start due cam belt on Neil’s van expiring. Replacement team found in the café and caps eventually arrived. Continued capping very squalid progress to the end of the tunnel. Passage now turns left again and the top is flat calcite. September 19, 2005 Monday Dave Paul Returned to the dig and reduced the water level. Dave managed to drill up into the calcite roof and there … Read More
September 18, 2005 Sunday Down stream Cirpple creek Neil and PaulThe last trip for some time so we had to decided if it was worth continuing. Last week was a little negative. Started chiseling and capping up through the roof but we where unable to get the right angle and where not able to make much progress. Then noticed a small hole in the roof on our left. This was an old gour pool and the side around the hole … Read More
Sunday 27th Nov S. jobling > B. Sherrington with new , fresh victims Bernice and Geoff Beaumont Attended Kitchen with fresh brew making equiptment and Tunnock’s. Pulled out enough buckets to reveal a new void in the roof , further progress is forwards and downwards . Mud still continues to give off petrol fumes. Simon also threw his tackle sack down a tight rift causing difficult retrival. Bernice seemed to enjoy herself and as the dig progressed a familiar cafe … Read More
Sunday 16th July 2006 Dave Ramsay, Ruth McDonald Ramsay’s Kitchen All mouldy food and rusty cookers removed. Inspected end and section where passage turns left. It’s my opinion that best place to continue is where passage turns left, by capping into draughting rift Foot of bubbles route checked out ‘frozen’ cascade between bubbles and overshadow. This is blind as had been found out previously by MUSS although Richard thinks that he can see space of possible passage above, best bet … Read More
Saturday 23rd December – Cripple creek – Ireby Fell George North, Neil Pacey Made good progress down to the ‘Arse end of Ireby Fell’,carrying just two batteries and drill. Capped off the roof at the far end first, then the left hand wall, successful capping this week, no rods getting stuck. This made the opening into the void a lot easier. On closer inspection the ‘void’ is a step up in the passage, can’t quite get both shoulders into it. … Read More
Cripple Creek – Saturday 6th Jan George North, James Carlisle, Neil Pacey Left the van at around 11.00am and arrived at the mudface at 2.00pm, enjoyable trip in. James investigated the dig, while me and George set the rest of the kit up. Concentrated on capping the roof and the left hand wall, encountered difficulties with capping due to the thinness of the roof, couple of inches of rock with calcite next to it. Perservered untill either fumes or general … Read More
Sunday 06 May 2007 Phil Rowsell (MadPhil), Emms, Simon Crornhill, Neil Pacey After our camping trip down in Daren, Phil volunterred his services to come up north and help out with our dig in Cripple Creek. On the Friday night he sorted out what was required with the help of xxxx. After picking up the stuff from xxxx on Sunday morning we made an efficient trip down Bubbles Route, leaving the cars at around 11.00. A brief stop in the … Read More
Mon 27th August 2007 Cripple Creek – Phil Rowswell, Emms, Neil Ireby II – Simon Cornhill Phil had sorted out the bang with xxxx and was set on a second banging trip to take part on the Monday of the bank holiday. Simon and Beardy had previously dived the sump and climbed the ropes up into Jupiter cavern, from there they found the pit and rigged a travers across the other side into the passage which is belived to be … Read More
Sat Sep 15, Cripple Creek – Blissful Ignorance George North, Tom Clayton, Neil Pacey Time Underground 10hrs. Another trip to the ‘Arse end of Ireby’, this time to clear out the bang debris from the second banging trip. Arrived and the good news was all of the slabs had gone off, this left us with a mountain of spoil to clear. Several hours later the job was done. The blast had removed all the calcite and the rock pillar which … Read More
Yep, I’m now much more optimistic about the prospects of success! It’s still not looking as though a breakthrough is going to come easily, but at least we’re now making good progress in a proper passage. It’s a shame that the dig has become much more squalid, but hopefully we can drain the water somehow. It could be interesting to take some joss-sticks down to check that there really is a draught. I also think we should take something more … Read More
Cripple Creek, Saturday 25th Sept 2007, Paul Windle, Neil Pacey. Paul wanted to top up his shares this week, so we had two choices. Attempt to pump out the sump in fairly heavy water conditions or return to Criple Creek and try and improve the current digging conditions. We opted for Cripple Creek and got off to a fairly efficient start (missed out on a 2nd pint of tea). Paul was in extra thick furry (best) plus two oversuits and … Read More
Hello Niel, Jim Newton here,we’ve just been clearing out Ron Blisses garage & lo & behold, what should be there but a 1 foot 6 inch chisel. I took it home & sharpened it up. If you want it call round its yours. Best of luck with the dig, Jim
Cripple Creek – Blissful Ignorance (Sat 30th Sept). George North, Neil Pacey Just a quick resume on a trip from the other week. The previous week myself and Paul W cleared out the trench and generally improved the working conditions of the dig. We also made some progress digging the calcite at the end. This week we concentrated on removing the calcite, the 3″ think layer was getting the better of us, but with some strategic long chisel work and … Read More
Cripple Creek – Blissful Ignorance (Sat 27th October). Neil Pacey, George North. We managed to get underground before 10am for another light and fast digging trip at the arse end of Ireby. On the way in it was noted that the shrimp in the pool at the start of Turtle Crawl has multiplied. There are now two, or possibly three shrimps! Once at the front we made steady progress through the sand and calcite layers for another 3m or so. … Read More
Ireby – Blissful Ignorance, 10/11/07 Neil Pacey, Tom Clayton and George North Tom and I met Neil at the water treatment works slightly after 9.30, due to the irresistable lure of a cooked breakfast. Once there things went smoothly and we were underground by 10.30ish. Progress as far as the lounge was slightly slowed by a mystery package that I was carrying, although I feel that this was worth the bother. The shrimp at the start of Turtle Crawl was … Read More
Attachments : 02/12/07 – Blissful Ignorance, Cripple Creek Neil Pacey, Tom Clayton and George North. We met up at the relatively early time of 9.30 for more fun at ‘the arse end of Ireby’. Torrential rain nearly put an early end to the trip, but having not been down to the dig for three weeks we decided that we needed to get on with it. Fortunately the rain stopped as we were walking over the fell. After inspecting the dam … Read More
Cripple Creek – Blissful Ignorance (Sun 23rd Dec) George North, Neil Pacey – Cripple Creek Simon Cornhill – Ireby II Plan for the day was for Simon to dive through and start digging from the Ireby II Side, while myself and George go down Cripple Creek to see if we can get a vocal connection from the end of Blissful Ignorance. We decided to take a drill and two batteries to have a go at ‘peppering’ the calcite at the … Read More
Cripple Creek – George North, Neil Pacey Ireby II – Simon Cornhill, Paul Swire, Sam Allshorn, Tom Baker, Arthur Vause, Diane Arthurs, Neil McCallum Following on from last weeks `Grand day out’… With the smell of chicken soup and the discovery of the blue earplug in Ireby II, the plan was to try and establish some sort of smoke or sound connection. The test equipment consisted of nine plumbers smoke pellets, a £3.99 penny whistle and two bottles of 29p … Read More
13/01/08 – Cripple Creek (Pacey’s Patio) Dave R, Ruth M, Neil P and George N. The day didn’t start too well for me when I turned up at the cave and realised that I’d left my furry suit at home. I thought that this would get me out of another CC trip but (un)fortunately Dave lent me his spare (and holey) one that he had back at his house. The start of the trip was therefore slightly delayed but I … Read More
Cripple Creek (Sun 27th Jan) George North, Ruth McDonald, Tanya Savage, Neil Pacey – Cripple Creek Simon Cornhill – Ireby II This week the plan was to cap out the left wall on the Cripple Creek side and for Simon to continue drilling and chisselling the calcilte on the Ireby II side. Unfortunately Dave couln’t make it due to a suspect trapped nerve, but Tanya and Ruth were keen to help carry in some extra batteries. All went well on … Read More
25/02/08 – Cripple Creek Neil, Madphil, Simon and George. IT WENT! Quite an epic trip – time for some sleep I think. George.
Congratulations to all involved – what an epic of exploration!
Yep, congratulations one-and-all. Just reward for all that effort!
Congratulations from me too. I feel as excited as you all. Looking forward to the write-up!!! Made my day. Y.
good effort,pete o
Cripple Creek, Monday 25th Feb George North, Phil Roswell, Simon Cornhill, Neil Pacey Phil had to hang on to get the bang from Bob, while Simon and myself made our way down Cripple Creek. George and Phil joined us just before the bottom making quick progress of 1 1/2 hours from the cars. Spent some time chisselling before Phil banged it. Due to very strong draft blowing from Ireby II, we had no choice but to suffer the fumes and … Read More