Oil Drum → Climbing Shaft
Katie, Julian, Ade, Pete, Alan, Chris & Victoria
The Tuesday Nighters assembled in the triangle. With seven of us loitering about, we split into two groups for maximum efficiency.
Before we ventured underground, Katie was debating: Is it better to face the muddy puddle at the start of the trip, or save it as a special treat for the way out? I cast my vote firmly for “get it over with early,” and thus joined the Oil Drum → Climbing Shaft trio.
Down we went, squeezing and climbing along. After a bit of classic Hillocks stomping we reunited at the bottom, where—because it’s what cavers actually do—we immediately stopped for a chat. And then some exploring. And then more chatting.
We surveyed the sumped bit, admired the connection to Meccano Passage (never again, thank you very much)
Highlight of the night: a surprisingly handsome frog who had somehow made it all the way down. Luckily Katie is basically the Patron Saint of Tiny Underground Creatures. Without hesitation she crafted a safe frog-transit zone, donated one glove to the cause, and chauffeured the little guy out like he’d booked a premium service.
Eventually we all wandered off toward our respective exits. The climbing shaft did not disappoint—still one of my favourites—and with only three of us plus Katie derigging, we made tidy progress and popped out into a rare Peak District February evening no rain, visible stars, and even a quarter moon above. Katie popped the frog out of her glove. He had survived unscathed. I let him go in the small copse of trees. We hope he wanted to reach the surface after all.
We surfaced a bit ahead of the other team, changed while waiting for their lights to bob into view, and then—because tradition matters—headed straight for the Bulls Head. Nothing like a pint by the fire to finish off another excellent Tuesday Nighters adventure.