Old Fat And Past It Pot (OFAPI)

Moorland Caver (2003)

NGR:SE 86908505
Altitude:165m
Length: 80m
Depth: 22m
Access: Obtain key from the Forestry Commission
Grade: III
Entertainment value: III

Obvious gated entrance in quarry floor circa 1m long and 0.4m wide. Entrance Pitch is 9m to ledge and is best rigged from the gate framework. The Second Pitch of 6m follows immediately from the first and can be rigged from an in situ hanger. Prior to descending this pitch it is advisable to “garden” the pitch head of potential missiles. The pitch lands in a large rift up to 3.6m wide and 15m high continuing in both directions. The section of left continues as big passage for circa 30m. This section of passage is rather spectacular, if somewhat unusual for a windypit. A pit has to be negotiated, followed by a small mud slope, which ends at a blank wall. To the right of the foot of the pitch are a series of unstable boulder ruckles. Climb up the choke and along the top until a 2m drop is reached landing in a small under cut “chamber”. From the chamber continue along the rift. This section is very narrow and a slip here could lead to a difficult and protracted rescue. At the end of the narrows a wedged block is reached, climb down beyond the block into a large continuation of the rift. A further choke is soon reached, the way on being through a small hole down to the left. Beyond the choke the rift ends in a blank wall.

Tackle
Entrance: 9m ladder, short belay to car tow hitch or scaffold pole over the entrance
2nd Pitch: 6m ladder, spreader and crab to in situ hanger (Installed 1997).

History
The entrance was first noted by S.C.C. members in summer 1995. However no work was done until 1997 when the entrance was enlarged and the windypit explored. O.F.A.P.I. was surveyed by an M.S.G. team who had considerable difficulty entering the hole (the entrance had to be further enlarged) giving rise to the name “Old, fat and past it”!

mc-ofapi

 

Memoirs of a Moldywarp (2008)
moldy-ofapi

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