Gaping Ghyll In 1904

By Matthew Botterill

The Editor has suggested that some record of the independent descent of Gaping Ghyll, accomplished in 1904, would be acceptable to readers of the YRC Journal. The writer’s notes, made at the time, are full of literary shortcomings, but possessing, as they do, the saving grace of youthful enthusiasm, can still conjure up some of the glow of that unique experience, one’s first descent of Gaping Ghyll.

The descent was planned in the first place, by the late Fred Botterill, before he, or others of this party became members of the Yorkshire Ramblers’ Club.

Fred’s plan of action was as impracticable as it was original, the idea being to have a double rope on a block so that ascending and descending weights could be made to counter-balance each other and so save some of the labour of man-hauling. Fortunately, he was joined by Payne, who realised the difficulties of such a scheme. The modified plan, like Fred’s, employed no ladders; but fixed steel guiding wires were to be used to prevent torsion.

Something like 700 ft. of thick rope and a similar length of steel wire were taken up to G.G. for the August Bank Holiday. The writer was nominally in charge of the telephones.

Since no life-line was to be employed, much time was spent in fixing the beam in the side passage by the engineers, Payne, ‘Long’ Booth, and Clarke, so that the pulley should be quite secure. A ‘duck-board’ completed the furniture of the side passage. This part of the work was in charge of Arthur Botterill, who had the honour of being allowed the first test of his own handiwork; but first a large stone was lowered as a trial, and in order to give the rope a chance to lose its twist. The stream had been diverted so that the side passage was dry.

It was Sunday noon when the rock was lowered, and it was tea-time before Arthur Botterill, the first man, reached the bottom. His welcome arrival was announced to us, according to plan, by a pistol shot. We above heard the report faintly, but the man below was greatly impressed by the noise. Telephonic communication was established after some little delay. It was now 5.30 p.m. and although little difference in light was perceptible above ground, the telephone told us it was darkening below. We also learnt that the first man had been so rapidly twisted on the single rope as to be quite dizzy on arrival. (Later, one member of the party was rendered almost unconscious from this cause). We also got a decorative description of the amount of water falling on the victim during the descent. Fred Botterill and Williamson followed and then an attempt was made to fix the steel guiders, but the rope had a lateral vibration with an amplitude of about five yards, which snapped one of the steel wires, and that promptly coiled itself round A.B., who was being hauled up. It was necessary to lower him again, and at 70 ft. from the floor the tangled wire held him up half-an-hour until the mess could be cleared. This was fortunately accomplished without accident. After that the wire idea was scrapped. Only the three men made the descent on Sunday, but about twelve people went down on Monday, among them being Miss Johnson, the first lady to make the descent.

Besides lateral vibration, a rope of 300 ft. has other periodic motions of a troublesome nature, viz., the alternate twisting and untwisting, or torsion, and a longitudinal movement or stretch, so that the victim imagines himself at the end of a piece of elastic. These movements become more rapid as the man gets higher until the periodicity breaks and a welcome quiet supervenes.

The difficulty Fred had sought to avoid, the necessity of having many haulers on the line, was intensified by the absence of a winch, but everybody (including, I believe, interested spectators) tailed on to that length of rope on the moor and so made the expedition a success.

In spite of its disadvantages, being slowly lowered into the depths with a twisting motion affords opportunities of appreciation not to be enjoyed where ladders are concerned, and the sight on clearing the rock curtain and getting a first glimpse of the moss and fern clad main shaft through a sheen of iridescent spray, is a never-to-be-forgotten experience.