Here is where you'll find lots of information about Waterways Swallet and the extensions made by
Keyhole CC in the last year. For instance, you can
use the following link for up-to-date surveys.
How about taking a look at some recent photos of Waterways Swallet?
Get the latest digging news (October 2005), or track
the diggers' progress through some of the earlier dig reports.
Several metres of new cave passage - named "Loft Ladder Inlet", including two more chambers, were entered when boulders were removed from the Tourist Trap area at the top
of Toad Haul at the end of October 2005 -
see dig report.
Digging will continue in due course, but the recent heavy
rains have provided a graphic reminder of this cave's flooding potential and winter work on the extensions is
likely to be limited by the weather rather than the enthusiasm of the diggers!
NEW!!
Description of Waterways Swallet Extensions
From the Gallery, an enlarged rift descends to a short crawl and a short climbable pot.
Around the corner at the bottom, a series of scaffolded climbs lead through a squeeze to the top of a
narrow vertical scaffolded rift, (The Doghouse).
Descend this and crawl though the choke, with a solid wall on the right, to a small cavity.
From here, the route doubles back below itself to emerge in standing passage and the start of the lower
streamway. This is followed down a couple of climbs to reach the top of Floodgate Pot, 5m deep and
laddered on the right. (In-situ ladder presently in place)
From the bottom a large passage (Blore Street) leads down a couple of climbs to a choke.
A route down through the choke or a squeeze on the left both reach the same chamber from
which a further crawl leads out. This is followed to emerge half way up a large, impressive chamber, Toad Haul.
A lifelined climb leads to the floor of the chamber. Immediately at the foot of the climb, a squeeze between boulders leads to
sizeable phreatic tube (Wotno Streamway) descending for 70m to Wotno Sump.
Just before the sump, a low duck on the right leads to further passage, heading back up under the floor of Toad Haul. This
has a number of crawls off of it, and a further sump (Rising Damp).
Back in Toad Haul, a gulley an the far wall leads to a fixed rope and climb into a short passage. This leads through a
very tight squeeze (The Tourist Trap)and into a small dry streamway. This emerges back in the roof of Toad Haul and
gives a 15m pitch back to the floor.
The lowest point in Toad Haul is still being dug, as are a crawl near the foot of Floodgate Pot and a number of other choked inlets.
Description © Andy Foster, 4th April 2005
Digging over many years has been mainly by members of Keyhole Caving Club, more recently joined by
several local cavers, notably from Eldon Pothole Club.
Please refer to the DCA web site and read the Access agreement. Access is quite "fragile" - please
don't ruin it for others... Please also read the Flood and Boulder Warning below.
Access / Parking
FLOOD AND BOULDER WARNING!
- Waterways in general, and the extension in particular, is VERY FLOOD PRONE.
- If the field is saturated with water, frozen or covered in snow then go somewhere else,
as rain or snowmelt DOES make the entrance impassable and DOES make the Doghouse Choke impassable.
- The behaviour of the lower streamway in these conditions is unknown but it is washed totally clean of
ANY boulders or gravel, so severe flooding in this area is likely.
- The only likely safe point is immediately at the bottom breakthrough point, where it is possible to
climb up on ledges.
- The Doghouse choke is now fairly stable, but has undergone some dramatic movements during the
exploration. Do not get stuck beyond it, or in it. Be careful what you touch or pull on! Take care.
- Don't have an accident down there...
- Have a nice day :-)
Other Notes
- At present, there is a ladder in situ on Floodgate Pot. You need a lifeline with you.
You don't need gear for the other climbs, they are all easy, but take care not to slip on the scaffolding.
- Please leave the ladder rolled up on the side.
- Cave is now estimated at 290 ft deep, still 185 ft above the Ilam Resurgence. It may even have topped
100m depth. Proper survey will follow...
- Please, no digging - it is an ongoing project..!
- There are no access restrictions, but read the Access agreement
if you plan a visit.
- You can contact e-mail andy__foster@tiscali.co.uk if you need further info or advice.
view photo gallery
Dig report by Ian Bishop, for the last weekend of October 2005, Present Dave, Hugh, Ian, Richard.
Maintenance work was carried out at the Christmas breakthrough point, to stabilise with more
scaffolding, access was improved at Floodgate pitch and some more enlargement work done in Huge crawl.
Work still progresses in this area. Finally the boulder blocking the end of the Tourist Trap was
adjusted, the rocks behind it cleared away to reveal an open crawl for 15 feet bending round to the
right. The end looks blocked by a slope of small rocks and boulders, but this actually opens out into
the bottom end of an elongated chamber approximately three metres by ten. Left from the crawl exit, is
up a gentle slope to a 3ft step, and on into the other half of the chamber, also with a floor gently
sloping up. There are a few small stals at face level on the right at the end of this area. Below these,
at floor level, is a very tight phreatic tube leading off into the distance, too small for most people,
no draught and reducing in size. Opposite is an inlet. A climb up bedrock about five foot high with very
large and 1 medium teetering boulders, resting on the edge. These hold back a slope of boulders going up
at about 30 degrees for about 12-15 feet, with standing room most of the way up. The boulders nearly meet
the ceiling then the ceiling stops and goes vertical. You can crawl in 2 ft and look up left to spaces
between big boulders and a big slab with more space beyond. Crawling straight on for 6 feet (a bit dangerous)
between a few more rocks and not passable yet, into a bit of an area with more big boulders. This appears
to be the bottom of a boulder choked aven. There is a strong draught into the boulders and a trickle of
water coming out, with evidence of foam from recent flooding! This from Dave who crawled in enough on his
front to see space ahead for a few feet but had to go back in on his back to try to see up and around. Got
his head in but retreated from falling rocks. A lower crawl (I think in bedrock) halfway up the slope on
the right hand side took Dave in 20 feet to under some of the boulders ahead. This may provide an alternative
route onwards. Although it appears to be the bottom of a boulder choke with a bedrock floor, it may have
passable space.....Upward digging in a boulder choke...mmm.... Lots of loose rocks at the end, beware.
A further visit by Andy and Pete D. between floods, confirmed that water flows down Blore Street and also
out of the Tourist Trap with lots of foam visible in places, suggesting it responds to overflow water
coming down the entrance and is still not the water from the main sink.
Definitely dangerous / possibly fatal during flooding in the lower parts of Waterways.
WATERWAYS SWALLET goes again on the 25th March.
Report from Ian Bishop & Andy Foster
Keyhole CC were joined by several members of the Eldon PC and friends to push new leads. Andy and Pete
set about climbing up the gulley and into the inlet above "Toad Haul" to push the lead
there:-
Andy writes: "Pete and I went back to Toad Haul and climbed up to the inlet, rigged the previous
week, planning to bang the squeeze and scoop some new passage. Unfortunately, a broken drill meant we
had to revert to hammer and crowbar, which was hard work. Eventually, I squeezed through into a small
chamber. This led down to the left to a big pitch. Hoorah!".......Unfortunately, the celebrations
were short lived as the pitch led directly back into Toad Haul! It soon became apparent that reversing
the squeeze would be impossible, as it had been very tight to get in, and jagged rock in the wrong
direction precluded a return by the same route. I rigged a rope and abseiled back down plumb in the
middle of Toad Haul, a very impressive if slightly pointless pitch of about 15 metres. There is scope
for further work up there, as a phreatic tube blocked by rocks may yield penetrable passage. Still 5m
of new passage is not to be grumbled at, and the view over the chamber is impressive.
Meanwhile the Eldon lads had all gone for a look about down the "Wotno streamway" Ian and
Richard pushed the other lead under the wall of "Toad Haul" but were defeated by unstable
boulders though blackness beckoned. Hugh was pushing the area at the base of the main chamber. Mike
Salt appeared and announced the had found a way on just before the "Wotno sump" a small tube
at floor level leading to a horrifically muddy upward tube. "Rising Damp". You had to squirm
up in 12" of liquid goo. Hmmm nice. The tube led to a drop down into another larger tube crossing
it, down to the right after a couple of metres led to another sump, up and left led to couple of leads.
One on the left that appeared to head back under the floor of Toad Haul, perhaps under the area Hugh
was digging, the other was a couple of metres into a space blocked by boulders with a dodgy boulder
ceiling. Voices and hammering from the main chamber could clearly be heard. The team was down to
'Geezer' Mark, Ian and Richard. Richard volunteered to go round to where Ian and he had been digging
earlier and was a able to pass a rope down. This was duly attached and the boulders made short work of.
A handshake connection was established but a bit more stabilisation work is needed in this area before
going through and avoiding the mud.
Conclusion 55m of new passage, "Rising Damp" , was found with a new perched sump off it below
Toad Haul. Above Toad Haul 5m of new passage was achieved in the inlet leading to an impressive 15m
pitch.... back into Toad Haul. Another good fun day's caving. Unbelievable progress for three weekends
in a row. We really will have to survey properly now.
WATERWAYS SWALLET goes again on the 19th March.
Report from Ian Bishop
On Saturday 19th March the digging team consisted of Ian Bishop & Pete Dell from Keyhole CC and
Mike Salt & Jason Ryder from the Eldon PC.
The day started well at 8:50am with a delivery of five tonnes of ballast into the car park area. Thanks
to the farmer for kindly cutting back the trees so the lorry would fit and thanks to the DCA for
standing the cost. Thanks also to Mike Salt for organising it.
The ballast was spread by 10:00am so we headed down under. The party divided into two at the ladder
pitch, once the new lifeline had been cut to length. Mike and Pete headed for Toad Haul and the inlet
at the top of the Gulley while Ian and Jase put in spits and hangers and a chain Y hang to make the
ladder pitch properly rigged. Next a pair of anchors were put in for a knotted handline down the cherty
climb. The rock failing around one spit demonstrated the need for two anchors at all times nicely. Ian
& Jase arrived at the top of the pitch down into Toad Haul as Mike and Pete were returning down
from the inlet. They managed to climb into it and found a short length of passage and could see on
into a small chamber. The water was coming from an inlet in the ceiling which was too small to enter.
More details and sketch to follow from them.
Meanwhile Jase and Ian rigged the top of the Toad Haul pitch for lifelining, putting in four anchors
due to the fractured nature of the rock. The pitch is a reasonably easy climb. Meanwhile Pete and
Mike explored the floor of Toad Haul, throwing pebbles down several gaps in the boulder floor. They
dug into the floor at the foot of the pitch and Ian was the first one to squeeze in amongst the
boulders. The way on went in under the wall and led to an overhanging area with a gap above the
boulders. This led off left and soon turned into a lovely phreatic tube about 12 feet diameter
leading gently down and trending south West, a turn towards West and a lowering of the ceiling led
to a sharp turn North and ten metres of hands and knees crawl into a sump. Still no streamway here,
just a light trickle of water, so we still have not met the water sinking from the surface. The
passage was about 70m long and 25m metres deep. It started five metres above the lowest point in
Toad Haul so we have added another 20m to the cave depth. More exploration into leads in this area
added more passage before time and energy ran out so a total of about 100m length and 20m depth
claimed for the day. Exploration continues....
13th March - Another breakthrough.
Report from Andy Foster:
The dig went again on Sunday 13th. We found some phreatic tube crawl leading to another pitch
(climbable with lifeline) 10 metres high, and a huge chamber about 15 metres high and 12 metres in
diameter "Toad Haul". The chamber is truly amazing, probably bigger in volume than the
original "main chamber". The way on is at the bottom, a dig in rocks and silt with an
obvious route on for water. A gulley on the opposite side of the chamber leads up to an inlet
to be explored. My guess is cave is now 110 – 115m deep, perhaps now only 35m above the resurgence
level. No sign of the stream yet though It's getting to be quite a big trip to get to the bottom.
Tourist trip takes two hours round trip.
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