This weekend we visited the Gaping Gill winch meet organised by the Craven Pothole Club. Gaping Gill is a pothole descending 104m from the slopes of Ingleborough and entering Britain's largest underground chamber, 140m long and 27m wide.
The first descent was made by Édouard Martel in 1895 by knotted rope and rope ladder. Édouard spent over an hour exploring the Main Chamber before finally returning to the surface. Our descent was made by bosun's chair winched down on a steel cable.
Although a few temporary floodlights are placed in the main chamber it's only just possible to see from the eastern slope to the far west side. After informing the organisers of our whereabouts we went off to climb the east slope and explore the Old East Passage...
3 comments:
How fascinating! I love things like this but I don't think I've ever seen an actual pothole. We only learned about them in geography. It is amazing how it all comes back to me how they are made. I love the photo of the river bed leading to the pothole.
Looks like a lot of fun!
I've stood at the top of Gaping Gill, but never been down it. I don't think I'd enjoy pot-holing (though my eldest son has had a go and says it was incredible. He abseiled down an underground waterfall!)
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