As CMHS is a BCA registered club , we can apply for access to certain sites via the Council of Northern Caving Clubs, so permit in hand we descended on Stump Cross caverns to visit Mongo Gill.  As we intended to do a through-trip we first located both Shockle Shaft and North Shaft and rigged them. The group descended Shockle Shaft which clearly showed drill marks where miners had entered.

We made our way through Ladder Cavern and 1792 Cavern before reaching areas that have been enlarged by lead miners, these passages contained stacked deads and occasional remains of supports. After Judsons Cavern we made a short detour into ‘Initials Passage’ although whether the names burned on the roof were from the miners or later exploration I don’t know. After a spot of lunch in J.J. Cavern we came across the challenge of a low squeeze through water (as most trip reports do the trip the opposite way, it was with some relief we confirmed we were in the correct place and wouldn’t have to go back through again) The impressive natural formations in this part of the cave were photographed by John Dale

The last section was within the Jamie mine and again there was much evidence of mining activity as we entered the Luckstone Level. North Shaft was eventually located, sadly our rope was found to be 4m from the bottom of the pitch on a ledge, but luckily we had a good climber to retrieve it. So then it was just a matter of everyone getting out, de-rigging and checking out back at Stump Cross caverns.

Here’s Aaron in his SRT kit, so thats one new addition to the rope-ready CMHS members list.

This short article by a CMHS member recently appeared in the Evening Gazette.