Tatham Wife 29/01/2012

I am sporting Paul's purple chest strap (it's not actually pink)

Well, where to start? I guess the best place would be at the beginning............ a nice early start on a brisk Sunday morning. Paul and I head over to Derbyshire to meet up with Mark, Pete and Reynard to start a little adventure. We warm up in the way the greatest Cavers possibly can, we are joined by a group of Cave rescue folk so I know this must be the choice of champions. We are, of course at Bernies. A lovely welcome with some great things to peak at to pass the time whilst waiting for the Breakfast. Apparently Bernies Big Breakfast is no mean feat - playing it safe I chose to go for a good old fashioned fry up. Looking back now I really wish I'd put real sugar in my tea, and lots of it.
After clearing our plates and supping up we head back to the cars and off in to the hills. After parking up I am loaded with equipment kindly lent to me by Pete, Mark and the Rubber Ducks. I have been given a head torch with a belt battery pack, this is the first time I have used one of these having originally stuck to the lighter options but with these I have found I lose out on the actual time to light ratio.

Now carrying an extra half of my body weight and dressed in yellow PVC I follow the rest up the hill. Hill hahahaha!

That's the 'hill' up to the Cave (but not us) **

Now this hill was a little like the Murderhorn in that episode of the Simpson's, every time you thought you were at the top you turned your head to see it go on even further.
The ground is covered with snow and I can hardly move with my gaskets on my knees and my all in one PVC on. I was embarrassingly dragging behind with everyone striding ahead, I thought I was relatively fit with the Roller Derby and Running that I do - WRONG!
We finally make it to the cave, the entrance is a slight waterfall and is beautiful with the recent snow fall, icicles decorate the outside and I could see water droplets running underneath the sheets of ice that covered the rocks.
Mark and Reynard go ahead to rig the first bit, we (I) have a quick breather and follow suit. A nice cave, a bit of everything - depending how far you want to go.

The first pitch was straight down no messing, not too far and the the rope continued on to the next descent. This one was a little more tricky and I am not ashamed to stay I struggled a little.The first bit was easy enough but as the rope pretty much dropped straight down with the water so a divination was hooked up to the left with the rope going through a sling. The idea being that you abseiled down and unhooked the sling from the bottom of you and re hooked it above you. At this point all sense of co-ordination left me - this not being helped by Paul yelling "swing over and hook it in". I knew what I was MEANT to do but the body just wasn't communicating with the brain. After a few failed attempts of pulling myself over whilst clinging desperately onto the sling Pete offered that I should just continue down with the sling off the line and Paul could pick it up behind me. Grateful for the suggestion I continued down the rope with Paul quite easily picking up the job I couldn't do (Show off!).

We continued on, some decent clambers and scrambles, this rounded off with a wonderful crawl. It was one of the annoying ones where you have to keep you head pointed down so you don't actually know that the place has opened up and you are now scrambling along a wide cavern. I, being a little smaller than the blokes with me could manage to straighten every once in a while for a bit of welcomed relief on my knees.
The last descent was another deviation but this one was easier than the last, not sure if I had realised my mistake by this point or if it was just that my body was working in harmony with my brain. Either way I made it down with no trouble.

At the bottom of the rope the cave continues to a rift then on to wonders including a duck and sump. Feeling a little at my limit I was incredibly relieved when Pete said he was heading back. Paul needed no persuasion at all to continue and clipped himself to the next rope to abseil down and join Mark and Raynard. Pete hooked back on to the rope and prussiked up and when I got the all clear for the roped I followed suit. I distinctly remember prussiking being a lot easier than I was making it. I guess the weight of the water and my equipment didn't help matters at this point. We continued on, back through the crawl then climbing back up the rocks. I can't thank Mark enough for the loan of the neoprene gloves and socks, they made the trip so much nicer. Even when soaked wet through they were still warm - made a mental note to add some to my shopping list.

Back to the next ascent and the deviation, a lot easier to tackle it on the way up that it had been on the way down. Just prussik up as far as it will go then unclip the sash and clip it underneath you. At this point though I am very shattered and thinking of that loooong drudge ahead, I resorted to using both feet in my foot loop to push myself up the rope - I am not sure if this helped or not.
Managed easily to swing over to the side and unhook myself from the rope then continued the journey. Nearly to the opening now and I have completely lost Pete. There is an opening where you could possibly take two routes, I chose what looked to be the easiest way round (which may I add is not always the case) and ran as fast as I could to try and catch up with Pete, no sign of him - how quickly does that guy move?? - seriously?? I definitely need more practise at caving me thinks. He is that far ahead I am beginning to think I chose the wrong passage but then I catch glimpses of wet scuff marks on tighter bits of the cave walls so realise I am on the right track and he can't be too far away - either that or I am following something completely different.

Tatham Wife Hole

Finally day light and another mad scramble, this is one of those annoying difficult shelves for short people like me. I wasn't tall enough to climb up using my feet so I had to try and push myself up with my arms and use my knees to scramble to the top. Made it!
Fresh air and snow falling slightly, it was getting dark and quite chilly. Pete offered me a Yorkie biscuit which I gladly took and wolfed down.
The trip back down the hill (*cough* mountain) wasn't as bad as the tip up as I could hear the car calling me as soon as I took to my feet.
Back at the car it was a mad rush to get in to warm dry clothes. Thank god for big purple hoodies, so glad I packed it. Pete offered me a little mug of coffee and it was the best I have EVER tasted (I don't like coffee but this didn't even touch the sides, just what the Doctor ordered *not to self - bring flask of hot drink next time*).
Overall a great trip, very enjoyable. A little annoyed with myself that I seem so much unfitter than last time I went caving. Still there is no other way to get fit to go down a cave apart from going down a cave - so bring on the next one!
On a personal note, I think for me this one was harder than the Swildons Round Trip (maybe due to lack of fitness, not sure) - so definitely one for jack Osbourne to steer clear of.

**Picture from geograph.org.uk