The Derbyshire potholers are convinced there are more, yet undiscovered caverns yet to be discovered in the system. It further cements the Peak District's reputation as a world-renowned centre for caving and climbing. I used to cave in the are many decades ago and am astonished that such a huge cave could have remained hidden until so recently, given the number of nearby caves like Giant's Hole, Eldon Hole and one discovered in about and named P2 or some years until it was mapped and renamed?
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Titan is nearly feet higher than the previous record holder, Gaping Ghyll in the Yorkshire Dales. Dave Nixon and a group of Peak cavers found Titan near another huge cavern, Leviathan, after finding an account by an obscure 18th Century academic, James Plumtree, in a university library.
In Plumtree wrote a paper which described a network of caves which went beyond the well-known Speedwell cave system near Castleton. His account took him down the Speedwell Canal and deep into the mines, but his journal described a cave system that went far beyond what had since been explored.
When rocks were removed, the potholers opened the door on a long forgotten system that eventually led the group to Titan. They spent three years removing another fall of boulders before finally gaining entry into the bottom of the cavern.
Mr Nixon's team has now completed a man-made shaft that allows cavers to reach the roof of Titan, from which they can abseil into the cave. The scale of Titan is immense - from floor to ceiling it's almost feet, around the same height as the towers that support the Humber Bridge. Jamie Coulson your local Inside Out presenter. Keep in touch and receive your free and informative Inside Out updates. The original underground journey was a challenging 5 hour obstacle course.
But now Nixon and his team have completed a man-made shaft which allows explorers to abseil down into the cave. The top entrance is in a very unlikely place, perched almost on top of Hurdlow, one of the highest hills above Castleton.
Prior to work on the dig only a tiny shakehole hinted at the existence of a cave below. Titan is still an active digging site and for reasons of safety, there is no general access. As Morland Sanders commented: "It was in many ways a terrifying experience but the size of the cave is truly awesome. There is a good description of the original underground route leading to Titan in the "Caves of Castleton" article. And you can also see a short film from the descent into the Titan of the BBC team here.
Unfortunately, its beam was totally underwhelming and a big disappointment. Mad had the unnerving task of rigging the ropes and abseiling first into the void below. The first pitch is an 80m free-hanging descent to the sloping ledge appropriately called the Event Horizon the boundary of a black hole.
This is immediately followed by another 60m drop accompanied by a waterfall, which on this occasion provided only a momentary light shower. We gathered at the bottom to marvel at our surroundings, take a selfie, and contemplate the daunting journey back up the rope using mechanical ascending devices and a fair amount of muscle power.
Initially our efforts to ascend were frustratingly abortive due to the considerable stretch in the rope, but eventually you leave the ground on a very bouncy rope. Many, many pull-ups later you gratefully arrive at the intermediate belay station, where a tricky changeover connects you with the even longer top section. When we eventually emerged into the sunshine and the picturesque Peak District landscape it was clear that Mad and Paul felt likewise.
Everything had gone to plan and the 4-hour round trip had been reasonably efficient. As someone who's scared of even walking down stairs, I have the ultimate of respect for you guys.
Totally and utterly mad, but real thrill seekers. Thank you for the images and the story.
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