New anchors at Newby Moss Cave, Broken Finger Pot and Langcliffe Pot
Our anchor installers have been busy over the past several months. We've already reported on the excellent work of a team to replace a number of anchors in our region.
Other installers have been targetting some of the potholes and pitches that had yet to benefit from stainless steel resin bonded anchors. We are pleased to say that work is now complete in:
- Broken Finger Pot on East Kingsdale
- Newby Moss Cave on Newby/Hurnel Moss
- Nemesis Pitch in Langcliffe Pot
Topos for all three of these projects have been added to the CNCC website.
Broken Finger Pot
This pothole came to many people's attention when Not For The Faint Hearted was first published. In-fitting with East Kingsdale, this is a deep, tight and challenging pothole. Anyone visiting will be challenged to some tough squeezes, awkward pitch heads, wet crawls and low ducks. Thankfully, the integrity of the anchors is now one less thing to worry about!
As with other nearby East Kingsdale caves (Vesper, Growling), the pothole finishes with an impressive pitch (Massive Attack) to help justify the prior journey.
Visitors are warned that Broken Finger Pot is a serious undertaking and an incident here would have serious implications. Go well prepared and well-researched, including Descent 278 for the report on the anchoring and the description in Not For The Faint Hearted (by Mike Cooper).
Newby Moss Cave
Not to be confused with Newby Moss Pot, this is a relatively recent breakthrough near to Hurnel Moss Pot, extended to 120m deep by the Yorkshire Ramblers Club from 2013-2015.
See Descent 279 for more details and the route.
This is also a challenging cave, and care is needed through some of the dug and shored-up sections particularly leading up to and including the first pitch.
Langcliffe Pot (Nemesis Pitch)
Anchors were installed on the Langcliffe and Oddmire Pot entrances several years ago, however, the system now benefits from anchors on Nemesis Pitch.
This extensive and impressive system is gaining popularity, and a great description can be found in Not For The Faint Hearted (by Mike Cooper). For many cavers, a trip as far as Boireau Falls Chamber will be an excellent day out with some fine stream passages in Langstrothdale Chase. Then some tight squeezes after Boireau Falls, prior to Nemesis Pitch mean the continuation is a more serious but still rewarding undertaking.
Visiting cavers should be aware that access to either entrance is frequently denied despite being on Access Land. The CNCC supports cavers in visiting but advises discretion and use of your own judgement due to the risks.
See the notes on our webpage for the most up to date information.
More projects are currently underway or are complete pending initial publication in Descent. Therefore, more topos will be released over the coming months.
Photo; Entrance to Broken Finger Pot, by Chris Scaife