P8

Location
Grid Reference SK 10779 817941 Alt 340m Entrance is a concrete lined stream sink at the bottom of a small valley

Access
Access is controlled by Perryfoot Farm by the staggered cross roads 700m East of the cave. Park in the layby/carpark on the North side of the road by the farm house. There is currently a 'trespass fee' of £1 per person, payable at the farm house. Please do not park on the main road by Bull Pit. In the Carpark are two manhole covers. These are covering two mine shafts that were rediscovered by Derbyshire Council workers in 2006 while building the carpark.

Follow the path marked on the map using stiles and gates where needed.

Description
This is all written from memory2. I'm sure someone will run a tape measure around soon enough.....

A wet climb down of 2m with the stream leads into a passage, which after approx 10m (over or under the boulder) joins the main stream. This can be followed upstream for (? not very far) and it is worth noting the junction for the return. Downstream leads after 20m to a 2m climb down, best climbed out away from the water.

Several short cascades lead to Idiot's Leap. This 3m climb is equipped with 'P hangers' at eye level. This sometimes has an in situ rope. It can be free climbed but it is best to take a short length of rope as a handline as the in situ rope does sometimes go missing.

There then follows another 100m (?) of stream passage, which leads to the head of the first pitch. This drops with the stream ~7m into a chamber. Various rigging permutations are possible from abseiling in the water, rigging a traverse around the side of the chamber or climbing up in an oxbow just before the pitch, to drop from the roof into the middle of the chamber.

From the chamber the stream can be followed to the true second pitch (15m?). The more normal way is to climb back up on the other side of the chamber and gain a passage (hands and knees) that runs to the left of the streamway. After not very many metres this leads you into a big roof tube over the streamway. It is possible to rig this on naturals, although it is an easy traverse.

After ~10m in the roof tube there is Stalactite Passage on the right, which involves stepping across the stream trench. This passage can be followed for 60m with a small stream to a calcited choke.

Where the passage goes off to the right a nasty step around to the left leads into the continuation of the roof tube. 15m further on a large hole leading back down to the streamway is reached and traversed over. In front of you now is an eyehole formed by stal. The stal column normally forms the backup for the rigging. This can either drop down where the old iron ladder used to be, or follow the P bolts to traverse over the pitch. Iron ladder removed in 2004 due to liability worries Traversing over the pitch leads into another passage, with a climb down, which after ~50m(?) leads to Mud Hall. Descending the pitch (~6m?) leads to a small chamber. Facing the rope at the bottom right leads into the chamber at the bottom of the true second pitch. Left leads into a rift passage with a slight squeeze after ~30m(?) into Mud Hall.

Going through Mud Hall leads after ~20m(?) leads to the lower Main Stream Passage. Upstream can be followed for some way to the upstream sump where water flows from P6 & P7. In low water conditions it is also possible to turn right (going up stream) and follow The Tube into Overflow Passage where turning left leads to a sump and right leads back to the base of the true second pitch.

Going downstream; firstly the stream must be traversed over, but after ~25m(?) it becomes shallow enough to walk in. Here a rope is seen entering from the right, this is Ben's Dig. One climb and ~100(m) leads to the first downstream sump.

Kit List
Cave is amply equiped with DMM P Hangers For further details, see CCPC Rigging guide to the Peak District 9th Edition

References and Further Reading

 * 1) GPS Oct 2006
 * 2) Ben Stevens - Oct 2006
 * 3) Caves of Derbyshire TD Ford and DW Gill (1984)