Yordas Cave - Ann Soulsby

After not going to the Dales for a few years Sunday saw me heading up there for the second time in a month! This was supposed to be an easy trip for a previous aquaintance Alan, who wanted to get back into caving to get fit. The trip was suggested by Gordan Fiander a fellow member of DCRO and also a good friend of Roy who I travelled up with.

We met up at Inglesport for a hearty breakfast and a bit of retail therapy before heading off to Kingsdale. As well as Alan Gordon was accompanied by his wife Jenny and a girl called Angela who was keen to find some new caving friends (Maybe a potential new member).

It was exceptionally lovely weather so we could afford to take our time getting changed and headed off slowly up the hill. Roy and I went to rig to top entrance while the rest of the group headed off to the middle entrance. Roy rigged the pitch and we abseiled down to the beginning of a low wet crawl. We met up with Gordon who had rigged the entrance of the middle pitch and headed off to the traverse. Gordon proceeded to rig the traverse followed by Roy. I was looking after Angela who was getting a bit apprehensive watching Gordon struggle to rig the traverse and Roy making it look rather difficult. Whilst hanging on the traverse Angela asked me to run through how to do a re-belay :roll:

I was a bit worried about Angela, however I needn't have been as she flew across the traverse with no problems at all quickly followed by me. This traverse is fun and very technical. At the bottom we were joined by families with kids who were absolutely mesmerised by our acrobatics. Unfortunately Alan was unable to negotiate the traverse so we headed out of the chamber at the bottom and walked back up the hill.

Gordon went to de-rig the traverse whilst Angela and I picked up Jenny and Alan to walk further up the hill to have a go at the pitch that Roy had rigged earlier. We all descended and ascended this pitch and headed back to the cars.

A quick trip to Inglesport for tea and cakes before heading back to Sheffield. A really enjoyable day :D

p.s. Angela later told us that this was the 1st traverse that she had ever done!