After having to detour due to a road closure, Jess and I arrived a quarter of an hour late at Mr. Grimes’s house and found him sitting in the car waiting.
Luckily, the road was clear, and we arrived at the chapel on time. We arrived at 9:05 and found Ben and Loz already there, waiting for us.
We set off around 10 a.m. for the entrance to a festive-looking cave and were soon gliding toward Five Arches and through the Mucky Ducks to the start of Pickerings Pass.
We did a quick run before sliding down the boulders and continuing through the “Eye Hole” slot and the slippery rope climbs.
One last cold, waist-deep pool and we arrive at the Neil Moss Vault.
Ben and I continued on, while I wedged myself in firmly as always. Ben squeezed in easily and checked the last chamber to see if it was worth forcing my way through, but (thankfully) there were no rewards worth the effort and bruised ribs, so we rejoined the group for some photos. I convinced Ben and Loz to stay in the pool at the bottom of the chamber for one last photo before heading back.
The challenges seemed easier on the way back, and we were soon heading to Surprise View and climbing down the ladder to see the Buxton Sinkhole. Andy then guided Ben and Loz toward Lake Passage, while Jess and I took a couple more photos before walking slowly along the stream to catch up with the others. Having missed the climb, we reached Boulder Hall before we were released, so we had gone too far and turned back.
This time, Andy saw the way to the passage, but was sorely disappointed when the sinkhole turned out to be a rather spacious duck.
With all our objectives accomplished, we set off for a well-deserved cup of tea and a chat with the locals. A great day, many thanks to Andy for guiding it.