On the very best advise,(a whim.) Jon and I met with three two lads from new Mills, with the objective of OxMasking .
They would drop oxlow caverns. Jon and i Maskhill.
thereafter we would fetch the other party's gear (and 270 ish M. of rope). :lol: :lol: :lol:
I'm still not warm from the lie on a windy hillside with the call of a Plover, and assorted sheep as a source of entertainment, Ohh! and wind!
I apparently was too frugal rigging the first 70 M. while Jon (a Stalwart and intrepid fellow.) without the aid of the correct bag, assisted my 100M. 12.5mm. (heavy awkward b'stard.) to pitch 2 /3 .
I loved my first visit to Maskhill, tho' i wasn't carrying 'the beast' passage far more commodious than i expected. mostly clean and good petrology to view.
Great footing for rigging at most points, the whole thing. despite the 100+ M. of rope on my back,was good.
Jon rigged the beast across(rather down,) p 2 /3 .
then on to p4, great lil' pitch.
5.!! the tyrollean / hand line Brill! could hear 'the boys' below. 😉 :thumbsup:
quick piccie as an aged fool crossed .
Then dropped to t'others.
They politely said they had only been there a while. then admitted an hour ish.
OOOh! time Pimms o'clock!
Jon and i watched they scuttle up into the abbyss. then'Bimbled' up Oxlow stopping only to de-rig. and polish maillons and crabs. coiling, and baging rope too.
a famillier and pleasant climb out. the east chamber still amasing us with its scale and no mud!
A Derbys' treasure!
Not a real climb all the way out, just an hour or so to top.
to H.Q. (the van) to change, then back up to help haul rope!
!5 / 20 min's we saw a shimmering light. so Jon set off,
1; to call in for our victims / counterparts.
2; to put a round in @ 'The Wanted Inn'
The light didn't get any closer,
I layed down as it was bitterly cold, and the sheep weren't 'aving any of it. :lol: :'(
a quarter of an hour later i heard the sounds of 'battling hand-bags 70 M. below.
Leaned over the edge to be soundly shocked by the langage bandied about by teachers, no less. :lol:
After another 1/2 Hour a head (of a teacher) majestically rose into the biting drizzle laden wind.
Ey up! yer reet?
was all i could think of to say.
Seemed to open a polite dialogue ;)
He and i then talked through the plan of hauling while Andrew (who will not be speaking to his ex mate for a week or so,)
clipped in to guide 200M. of rope bags and mud past a wiggly bit.
On return of rope he virtually flew up to us. cheerfully.
a birdsnest of rope was dumped unceremoniously amongst the nettles i had used stupidly for a pillow, while we sorted crabs, then to the H.Q.
Poo, it's past midnight, I'll shoot off to Jon. See you in ten!
He'd been in the warmth of a fine hostlery for more than an Hour, and the gaffer, and her hubby wanted to lock-up. 3bottles of dog were fetched to the car-park.
The rest is history :lol:
Owd Git.