Eldon Hole (frog rescue)

So every year, about this time, I call for help to rescue frogs, toads, newts and other creatures that fall the full 60m to the bottom of Derbyshire's largest and only open pothole.

We were meant to make this an evening trip during the week, but nice weather called for other plans, so the trip was delayed until the Sunday.

So gear in hand, 3 of us, Karolina, Tyler and myself headed to Eldon Farm and sorted the gear out.
I had decided to do the south route, this being my favourite as it's slightly more involved with ropes, so makes the descent more interesting.

I headed down and rigged the route as I went along, weather was very pleasant, the forecasters had once again got things wrong!

Karolina followed, along with Tyler last of all…

I had some fun at the bottom, as Karolina looked round, she asked is that it? Naturally, I responded with a positive "yes".. Clearly not being convinced with the grin on my face, she then locked her gaze and a dark hole at the bottom… haha!

So down we descend into the main chamber… I think they were both impressed! It is quite a large chamber, and you are quite aware it could be twice as deep, but over the years has been filled with much spoil by miners…

Whilst they looked at the Buttered Badgers dig, sadly on hold at the time of writing, I started to rig the pull through to take us up to Millers Chamber and the Sword of Damocles.

We really struggled here! Sometimes you get it first time, other times the rope just doesn't want to pull through the ring 20 +m above! Finally, after nearly giving up, we tried the opposite way, and it went nearly first time! Damn!

So off we head up! I stopped to show off what I call "starfield". This is a flowstone covered rock with lots of tiny shards of calcite suspended in it. IF you get your light just right, (and I didn't quite manage this time round!) so that you can't see much of the rock but the reflected calcite shards, you get this amazing 3-dimensional starfield effect which allows you to stare into the void… Would probably be great if you were spaced out, so to speak, not that I condone such practices underground!

Anyway, once Tyler met up with us, we continued onward. We were a little pressed for time, so I suggested Karolina and Tyler go up the last pitch, while I remain below, but of course, once they got up there, I figured one more wouldn't add much time to it!

I hadn't forgotten how awkward the small hole is to get through at the top for someone with spider legs LOL… And things hadn't changed! With much messing, I just dived through, hoping not to fall into the water filled void between the holes!

So we admired the stal that is Damocles for a while, took some pics and decided to vacate the cave…

We were in and out in pretty good time, except for the cars battery that delayed our departure, but that's another story for another time!

Great company, was very impressed with my caving compadre's who had never done anything quite so exposed before, and at the end we didn't find a single frog! That is genuinely a first for me!

Karolina and Tyler prepare	The pull through	Damocles sword

Type of entry: Caving

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