Flower Pot/Dynamite Series - Louise McMahon

Present: Grace Chu, Luke Brock, Louise McMahon

After being told by several people Flowerpot is awful, full of mud, that we wouldn't fit and reverse would be impossible we were all looking forward to this trip. Armed with a 5m ladder and line we met at the layby just before the welcome to Eyam sign at 10 am. It was 7°C, and Autumn was definitely here and so none of us were in a rush to get changed but we were ready by about 10:30 and started walking up the road. Grace said she knew where the entrance was so with Luke and me in tow she headed off up the road. We nearly ended up in the middle of Eyam, so Grace was demoted to sherpa and Luke took over navigation duties. 

With Luke at the helm, we were soon dropping the ladder down the entrance and we decided we should go in size order. The first "squeeze" is just at the bottom of the slope after the entrance it goes back under where you just came from so mildly difficult to get into but my 6'2 frame fitted and with little difficulty, we were into the first chamber. Soon followed the second and third "squeeze" which pops you out into the top of a rift with an easy 5m climb down. We think this is the F-shaped chamber on the survey. Next through a hole in the floor and into another short downwards sloping rift that's similar to the Crabwalk but dry, round the corner and you're into the Dynamite series with a choice of South (out) or North (further in). I must say the whole thing is quite simple the so-called "squeezes" are just flat out crawls and are nowhere near as small as say Freeze Squeeze in Nettle, none of us had to take our helmets off. It was also quite dry and clean.

Once in the Dynamite series (we think), we headed north to attempt to get to the end the first obstacle was an awkward slightly downhill squeeze with a block blocking half of it. Grace passed this with no issue, obviously, but I ended up going in with one arm by my side and Luke had to pull me out, I then attempted again superman style and ended up corkscrewing from my front to my back but was in and then it opened up, Luke was able to follow on his back and made it look easy, Grace delighted herself at taking photos of us struggling. Next was a small eyehole with a 3m pot just before it, Grace went through the eyehole and sounded like she was struggling which didn't bode well for Luke and Me. I elected to inspect the pot while grace confirmed it was the way on, the pot looked to be the site of a few failed digs and Grace shouted back that it was bigger ahead. This meant I had to try and get through the eyehole which I failed at and Luke didn't fancy trying. After a while, Grace reappeared and with some shuffling around in the small space she was sent out first in case Luke or I needed help getting out, fortunately, we didn't and we were soon back at the junction chamber.

So South it was route finding was quite easy and we soon found our first puddle right after a squeeze, Luke and Grace negotiated it fine but I somehow entered with both arms behind me and had to ask for help lest my face gets wet. It wasn't long before we were at the start of the dynamite series and a place we recognized. We had plenty of time still with our 5:30 pm callout so elected to go visit The Gymnasium and Bedpan Sump. Off we crawled getting wet for the first time but happy, the passage up the gymnasium is really nice but I think we were all a bit disappointed that it just ends in a breakdown rift. Bedpan Sump next, the passage leading to the sump was really nice quite "Yorkshire" and very black. I was a bit surprised to see some gnomes, I'm sure there is a story there. The sump pool looked very inviting, big and blue. I got Grace to pose for a few photos on the way out sadly the lens had water on and they came out blurry, no idea why I didn't check them at the time. It didn't take long for us to be shuffling back under the timber shoring and towards North West Passage. As a club, we should probably think about replacing all that timber with scaff in the next few years. It was us who put it there and while it's still solid enough it should be easy to replace. If it goes it could easily will kill someone and be a lot more work to fix.

Following our nose we were soon along Eyam passage but some reason we all walked straight past the turning for the Gin Entrance and ended up looking in every hole but the right one. By 2 pm we were on the surface which fortunately had warmed up a lot and a pleasant walk along the edge had us back at the entrance. Finally, the most difficult task of them all for a millennial caver, coiling a ladder, we should have given it to the retiree really.

Like most of our adventures in Stoney recently I would recomend it and ignore the naysayers, im starting to think there may be some conspiracy against stoney. Next up Hungerhill Swallet or Waterfall Hole.