Hodge or Other 22.11.03

[PaulC]

G'day all, I'm thinking of trunding over to Hodgo on Sat the 22nd with a buddy of mine. However I believe that it's not recommended in the winter months on account of freezing conditions making the rock faces unstable. 1) Please can you give me a heads-up on this and anything else I should know? 2) Anyone else wanna come?
See y'all on the 15th, Paul

[Jay]

Give Andy Hayhurst a call as this is one of his haunts. The water shouldn't be that cold yet (Feb / Mar should be the coldest) so should be ok from that point of view.

[Davey Willo]

Andy's already mentioned that we should be staying away now Paul as the roof of the tunnel you walk down has started to collapse.. As Jay has suggested I would ring Andy and speak with him but I'm sure he'll tell you the same.

Looks like we'll have to wait until spring, I've heard that when Hodge decides to have rock falls that they could sink a ship, not somewhere I'd like to be in the water when that happens.

Regards
Dave.

btw.. where have you been keeping yourself, I haven't seen you around in ages

[Ben Harris]

<font color='#8D38C9'>wheres there is no sense there is no feeling.
Your head should be able to take the odd rock fall!

If its safe to dive give us a shout, Ill be up for it. if not conniston should be nice and viz clear by now. Still dark and cold but....

[jjflash]

<font color='#0000FF'>Pain in the arse hauling your kit through the tunnel and down the scaffolding ladder to the bottom, then down to waters edge. If it's raining then I would avoid it due to possibility of large lumps of slate and rock falling on your bonce. If it's freezing or close then definately stay away 'cos it can be unstable. Walkers gawp at you from the lower tunnel as you kit up. You are a long way from anywhere - take some 02 and med kit. Other than that it's great - do it &nbsp;

Paul

[DALESDIVER]

Tunnel is falling in that you walk through, one of the tunnels has had a bad collapse and is now undiveable, if we get the cold snap we are promised it is a definite no diving, because the rock face is very unstable, and the rock falls are getting worse all the time.
At time of writing the National Trust are trying to ban diving in Hodge, so I am activley trying to find out the reasons why, then we can put a case for diving it forward to them.
It is a good dive site, but if you are not overhead trained or under supervision of a comptent trained individual, especially if you are on single tanks, STAY OUT OF THE TUNNELS, they have claimed enough lives, and that would definitley stop all diving if another death occured at the site.

[PaulC]

Thanks for your thoughts folks, maybe Coniston is a better bet...
Davey, apart from working in the smoke until last month I was out of the water for the best part of the year with a minor case of the ahems...and no internet access during the week to while away my frustration! Hope to catch you soon.
For those at the show on Sat, see you then. Maybe I'll discover what a 'rub-a-dub YD stylee' is.

[PaulC]

As we managed to get a couple of places on Billy's boat this weekend we'll be east not west...however I shall follow the 'diving in Hodge Close?' question with interest...cheers, Paul

[Gavin Yates]

<font color='#000F22'>Paul - you diving with Billy on Sat and Sun?

I might pop doon and say hiya.

Gav

[Driftwood]

<font color='#0000FF'>...with me in tow