Clatterway Levels - Ann Soulsby
Present: Ann Soulsby, Phil Wolstenholme, Alastair Gott, Louise McMahon, Alex Crow & Jess Stirrups
The weather forecast was atrocious and unfortunately, they were right. Storm Ciara was well and truly here with gusting winds and rain.
Alastair with advice from T Pot had let a group into Peak that morning but the news that one of them was on anti-rejection drugs was a bit worrying. He had enough drugs for the rest of the day but had given Alastair instructions of where his Monday dose was! Fingers crossed they would be out when we got back.
Much discussion took place to try and decide a suitable place to cave given the inclement weather. Jess and Alex were super keen to go to Via Gellia insisting that it would be the most sheltered option.
On the way over it was quite dry but extremely windy (Calm before the storm). We parked up and were partly changed when the heavens opened, and I really mean opened. We all looked like drowned rats. Phil’s sense of humour was quickly deserting him. We all abandoned the cars and sheltered under the trees in the corner of the car park.
Both Phil and I had been to this place before however we both had a serious blank out especially about the short pitch into the mine. I could have sworn that I had never done this pitch however on looking back at the trip report from 2016 it appears that my memory had once again failed me – we did this pitch on ladders!
The water on the way down the road and emerging from a spring was monumental. The entire road looked like a river. We soon reached a small public footpath between the cottages. Jess expertly led us up the shrubby bank and led us directly to the entrance and we quickly entered the mine – what a relief to get underground.
Jess rigged the ladder but for some reason I had a wobble and decided I didn’t want to go any further. After a bit of cajoling Alex and Alastair persuaded me to descend. This led to a lower passage which went to the next pitch, which was a knotted line down an awkward 3 metre climb.
We were at the junction of several small diameter pipe veins. Jess was very knowledgeable and led us through various passages where we exited to daylight. This was in woodland, below a craggy cliff and above a steep bank; probably quarry faces associated with the mine. Unfortunately, the only way out from here was to cross someone’s garden which they do not like unless you have asked permission, so we had to go back into the mine.
We crawled around countless pipe workings led by Jess. Phil had a go at free climbing a shaft. I had another slight wobble getting up a free climb. We all met up at a junction and half the group went to look at a Miner’s Staircase however the rest of us were ready for the off and headed back through the never-ending pipe veins. I was getting nervous about the climb where I had a wobble on the way in however, we must have bi-passed this and we met up with the rest of the group just before the handline climb and the ladder pitch.
The weather had improved greatly when we exited but it was still pretty wild. A good wet weather trip but definitely not one of my favourite venues.
Relief when we got back to the Chapel and found out that the Peak group had exited safely.