Peakshole Sough - Pete Knight

Pete & Beth K, Ann S, Alex & Jess C.

I'd been wanting to do this trip for years. Always walking over it on the way to Peak Cavern but never going in. I finally got round to requesting a key from Irene for Saturday, but I was quite ill so we didn't go. Probably a good job as there was another team in there that day by pure coincidence. Feeling slightly better on Sunday, myself and Beth headed to the Chapel for breakfast, thinking we'd eat and then get ready and if anyone else wanted to come they were welcome. Before 11am, Ann, Jess and Alex opted to join us for the short trip. Phil and Dominika had other plans and Phil had been in Peakshole quite recently anyway.

We set off through the cold air and collected the key from the Cavern. Dropping into the sough we were immediately treated to thigh-deep snow-melt temperature water. Brrrr. Luckily within a few metres we were back to more reasonable water levels and the nice warm underground air temperature we are all familiar with. Heading along the hand-driven sough, we ticked off all the levels and a climb up into the Lower Pipe Workings. There are lovely vein outcrops and the abundance of calcite crystals here reminds me of Treasury Chamber in the main system. I got my desired photo through the conservation barrier of the original stempled walkway in the far part of the sough so I was happy.

Returning to the ladderway, we carefully ascended the aging ladders and rotten false floors to arrive just below the surface at the base of Wall Shaft. Only about 3m freeclimb leads you to the underside of a concrete cap, but there was an opening letting light and a howling draft in. It sounded like jets were flying over as the wind roared down the valley above our heads. We made our way up the awkward but short climb into the Upper Pipe Workings and had a good explore there all the way through to the forefield. Returning down the climb we were all careful not to fall down the laddered stope we'd ascended to get there. About this time my sore throat was causing me some discomfort following the warm nature of the thrutching in the pipe workings, so I left the others to explore the last passage without me while I cooled off and took some pics. By the sounds of it, the low, narrow level leads to a shale roofed area of the mine that is slowly filling itself in and not very pleasant. Sounds like I dodged a bullet there. Soon enough they were back and we all made a carefully choreographed descent of the ladders, avoiding the boulders of doom and the packwall on timbers made entirely of 'hope'. Landing back at sough level I grabbed a few more pictures and we headed back out. About 10m from the entrance we were reminded that the water was not cave temperature and about 5m after that, we discovered that it had got significantly colder on the surface.

A quick run up to return the key and powerwalk back to the Chapel was all that remained. A nice short trip for days when you can't be bothered with anything more serious and another local tick off the to-do list.