Even before we got to the gate on the Turbary road we knew the pot was close from the unmistakable roar of the water pouring down it. As advertised though the Eyehole route was dry and it was only at the end of the traverse after the bridge that we encountered our first drips. We were soon dry once again on the second traverse at the end of which Mike set off on the big pitch down the main shaft.
With his usual melodic "rope free" I set off down the impressive fissure. Soon a deviation loomed out of the darkness and fortunately I was able to use the rope to guide me across to it. I'm still not sure how Mike managed to pendulum across and clip the lone bolt on a smooth wall. Descending further I could see he was on a roll with his rigging as I approached the kind of flake you'd find on a "classic" Lake District climb sporting a rebelay rigged from purple cord. Ever since our Spanish trip where this cord initially proved its use, it's come in handy over and over again. It turned out the rope had been a little on the short side and rather than a mid pitch knot, Mike had come up with the, easier to pass, flake rebelay solution.
The thundering water was now almost at arms reach but we still remained dry despite the strong breeze. Even this wasn't to last long as we moved into the shelter of the flyover route. Mike's bolt radar must have undergone an upgrade as he can now detect bolts quite a long way around corners which is remarkably handy. As I arrived at the bottom of the pitch, Mike was arriving from round a corner with a wide eyed look. Peeking round, the entire shaft was filled with an almost solid wall of water and the noise was incredible. Despite our proximity, bar a bit of spray, we could marvel from a dry vantage point. We were definitely not going any further though!
This has to be one of my favourite trips down Rowten. The sheer power of the water is something to behold and yet, while tantalisingly close, you're never actually in it which is just the way I like it.
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