Derbyshire Weekend October 2022

A weekend based at the TSG hut in Castleton with a 5 different trips in 3 cave systems, plus a bonus day caving on Friday for those that travelled up early.

A number of the team had travelled up early for a bonus day of sporting caving fun in the Peak Cavern system via the multi-pitch entrance of JH in two teams, one rigging and one de-rigging. We then went on to do the rather impressive Ride of the Valkyries round trip on opposite directions for a bit of extra SRT. Saturday saw a return to the Peak Cavern system, this time through the main entrance. Here we had a choice of trips with one team doing a scenic horizontal tour of the streamways, and two teams doing the SRT round trip to well-decorated White River Series. Sunday we again had a choice of trips with one group heading to P8 and the other to Eldon Hole, including an ascent of Damocles Rift. A very active weekend and a well-attended meet.

See CSS newsletter Vol. 64, Nos. 10-12 for reports from all trips undertaken on this meet.

Photos from the weekend

  • The J.H. entrance

  • Abseiling down from The Workshop, J.H.

  • Leviathan pitch, JH

  • Bottom of Ride of the Valkyries, JH/Peak

  • Descending Calcite Aven, Ride of the Valkyries round trip

  • Covered in mud on the way back out of J.H.

  • The White River Series, Peak Cavern

  • White River Series, Peak Cavern

  • White River Series, Peak Cavern

  • Rigging the Terminator pitch, White River Series

  • The Terminator (2nd pitch down from White River)

  • Terminator pitch, White River Series

  • Colostomy Crawl, Peak Cavern

  • Sump downstream from Surprise View, Peak Cavern

  • The P8 team

  • 1st pitch, P8

  • Avoiding the waterfall on 1st pitch, P8

  • View to the sump, P8

  • At the end of the cave, P8

  • Exiting P8

  • Jon in Eldon Hole

Photos by Matt Voysey - except Eldon Hole by Adrian Fawcett

© Chelsea Spelaeological Society