Low Douk Cave

Location
Grid Reference: SD 677 768

Altitude: 335 m

Obvious feature at end of dry valley below Marble Steps, not far from wall.

Description
There are three entrances, the newest of which is a climb down and does not require any tackle. The new entrance is in the North West side (left hand side looking up hill) of the shake hole. In the bottom of the shake hole climb down to the left towards the obvious opening then bear right into a low descending passage that has obviously been capped.

A slither down leads to an easy climb with a rope in-situ. This is followed by further scrambling down a narrow tube to a small easy traverse, rope again in-situ. This leads to a low chamber. A climb down after this traverse drops into the streamway.

Up stream it is possible to follow a variety of routes, one of which climbs over broken blocks above the stream to eventually drop back into the lowering streamway which can be followed for a short distance.

In the low chamber, across the far side, a short upwards crawl swings sharp left and descends round a sharp right bend, the crawl continues before it enlarges at an aven chamber. This is the point where the pitch route enters. Clambering over the stacked rock mound a crawl leads on, after a short distance and a short drop and obvious capped tube can be seen. This is a short snug feature, the continuing crawl soon emerges in the Temple of Doom passages of New Rift Pot.

Back at the bottom of the chamber below the traverse, the main way on is to follow the annoyingly narrow and sharply meandering rift. In places it is possible to progress at stream level but sometimes this it too tight and it is necessary to climb up. Alternatively progress can be made by traversing higher up in the rift to a knotted rope where it is possible to drop back down to stream level. Eventually (about 10-15 minuets after you thought “sod this for a game of soldiers”) a large chamber is reached. Dropping back down to the streamway immediately before the chamber it is possible to explore a few options.

Access
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