A Frosty Evening, a Fine Cog and the Usual Mud
Team: Steve, Pete, Toby, Frances, Robert, Jenny and Victoria
Tuesday night rolled around again, and the weather had definitely decided that autumn was over and we were heading into the “yes, it's officially chilly and frosty” season. Undeterred, the Tuesday Nighters assembled in the layby for a short stroll to one of Derbyshire's rather lovely little beauty spots – Owl Hole.
Seven of us turned out, just about the maximum party you'd want to take into this cave. With the nights drawing in, the chances of spotting an owl were fairly slim, but we remained hopeful. After all, it would be nice if the cave's namesake made an occasional appearance.
We kitted up and made our way down to the shakehole. Some of us hadn't visited for quite a while, while others were experiencing Owl Hole for the first time. There's always something rather special about introducing someone to a cave with such beautiful formations. It's a good reminder of why we spend so much of our free time crawling around underground.
Tonight's mission was a mixture of pleasure and conservation: check the condition of the conservation tape, assess the general muddiness (always a worthwhile Derbyshire exercise) and, most importantly, pay a visit to the famous Cog.
Steve made good use of Pete's fabulous new bolts to climb up to the entrance, a much better arrangement than the original abseil down and considerably less disturbing to the flora and fauna around the cave entrance. Once up, he fixed the rope for the rest of us.
Meanwhile, Jenny took a keen interest in a lower entrance, peering into what looked like a particularly inviting muddy crawl. Strangely enough, nobody rushed to follow her.
No owls appeared, but several bats circled overhead, apparently happy to keep us company. A rather lovely welcome to the evening's underground entertainment.
With the gate opened, we headed inside. The conservation tape was still in place, although definitely looking a little worse for wear and in need of replacing.
"Ah yes, the replacement tape... it's in the car."
Excellent. Another excuse for a return trip, then!
Once rigged, down we went. A few of us wandered down to have a look at the digs, enjoying a pleasant little bimble before regrouping for the evening's main attraction – the Cog.
Naturally, we wanted to make sure that those who hadn't seen it before had the opportunity. There was, however, one small condition: a compulsory crawl through a muddy puddle. Hardly an obstacle for the Tuesday Nighters. In fact, it would be rather disappointing if we managed an entire Derbyshire caving trip without getting thoroughly muddy.
I'm happy to report that the Cog is still in fine shape and looking splendid.
Robert, meanwhile, was busy taking photographs, quite possibly sacrificing yet another cave phone to the cause. At this rate, he has a fine collection of swamped phones.
With our conservation inspection complete and everyone suitably muddied, it was time to head back up and out.
The pull-through provided a nice, quick exit, accompanied by the all-important reminder to make sure you pull the correct side of the rope! A small detail, admittedly, but one that tends to make a considerable difference to the rest of your evening.
Back on the surface, we took a moment to admire the impressive shakehole once more before making our way back to the cars.
No owl sightings, but plenty of bats, beautiful formations, a healthy Cog, some conservation jobs identified and the usual excellent company.
And, perhaps most importantly, we'd finished with plenty of time for a well-earned pint together.
Cheers, everyone!
Victoria