GROWLING HOLE

Low crawls, rift squeezes and narrow chimney climbs lead to a spectacular, multi-ledged SRT pitch down a huge shaft.


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From George North (RRCPC/DUSA) – 7/10/07
James Carlisle, Tom Clayton and I visited this fine pothole recently and can report that The Fault Pitch has been re-bolted with 8mm stainless steel spit-type anchors. The new anchors have improvised green plastic markers and the line of descent seems to follow roughly the same route as that described in Not for the Faint-Hearted. The route has the same start with a Y-hang from the stal pillar and an old spit in the opposite wall of the narrow rift. About 3.5m down there is new Y-hang rebelay in an alcove overlooking the main part of the shaft. The new bolts are about 1m above the old ones and about 1m further out over the shaft. On the first ledge (41m down) we used a bolt on the left for a deviation. On the second ledge (6m lower) we used two bolts for a Y-hang on the right. These new bolts are a little bit further out over the pitch than the old (very poor) ones. We still used the thread deviation 5m below the second ledge. On the third ledge (70m down) we used two new bolts (on the right) for a final Y-hang, although with a deviation safely installed above, this final Y-hang is an optional extra. We used 55m + 45m rope, 8 bolts and 2 tapes, but with care the rope lengths recommended in the guide should still be adequate. Whilst at the bottom, Tom and I had a look at the very tight final rift, but neither of us thought we would fit through. Back on the surface, we noticed that the entrance shakehole is slumping quite badly, although it's not actually blocking the entrance - yet!

From Sam Allshorn (ULSA) – 6/5/08
On a recent trip to Growling Hole we also noticed that soft earth is slumping towards the top of the New Entrance Pitch - check this before entering! The new stainless steel bolts (with green plastic markers) on The Fault Pitch are found near the old bolts and rope lengths in NFTFH remain valid. The narrow rift below The Fault Pitch is seriously tight and I failed to pass it even after digging with a rigging spanner and removing my fleecy suit. However Noel Snape did pass the squeeze - fully dressed and somewhat less painfully. The squeeze leads into a tiny chamber with no way on except an impossible hole in the floor which dropped onto a mud floor and sloped away.