“How would you describe Giant’s Hole Round trip to similarly skilled cavers?”, I asked Jon, Siobhan, Alison & Jas after our trip last September.
There’s only so much I can say:
‘¡Chocolate biscuits get soggy when you add water
‘¡Giants is a “P8.5” on the P wetness scale,
‘¡I’m told Siobhan actually said “Tim, I hate you”
Alison: “The trip was not a short one, at 6hrs, nor was it easy – a constant battering with obstacles, be it SRT, Crab Walking, Crawls (dry and very WET), free climbs, deep rifts you need to straddle, and squeezes into what appears to be oblivion.
If you’re not in a caving mood, committed to seeing every obstacle through, and full of energy, don’t bother, lol.
If, however, you’re up for a challenge where turning round & going home isn’t really an option, and keen to push your limits at least a little bit, then it’s bloody good fun and, um, ‘character building’ ·.
This was my 2nd Giants round trip; the first was about 6 years ago, 7yrs into my now 13 year caving love affair.
The fear-inducing parts are as I remembered; the climbs worse than I remembered; the overall sense of achievement still there!
Would I go back?
On a dry day, yes!”
Siobhan: “Giant’s Hole Round Trip
’’•
“‘¢Easy entrance
‘¢Short SRT decent, ‘¢Crabwalk…Crabwalk…Crabwalk…Crabwalk……………………………… oh … nope … still… Crabwalk!
‘¢Not crabwalk
‘¢First free climb § realisation Crabwalk wasn’t difficult, wishing for more Crabwalk ±
‘¢Second free climbing realisation first free climb was rather difficult and a smidge off putting, this climb being a tad more confidence restoring.
‘¢Giants windpipe – WET and small. (Note: Jas can not stand up in here!)
‘¢Nice ? walk above Crabwalk although there was no floor ¯
‘¢Keyhole – I’ve been taught, if you don’t have anything nice to say, not to say anything at all. So yeah. But, put politely this bit sucked and that’s all there is to say on that matter
‘¢Climbing down to find the floor of Crabwalk.
‘¢What felt like a long SRT ascent (but wasn’t)
‘¢Then daylight. (Just about)”
Originally posted on this post on Instagram
