Hodge Close Quarry, UK Lake District

[Rob L]

...or the day I persuaded my friend Steve to do a bit of abseiling.

Slate mining has been part of the history and industry of the UK Lake District for centuries. Slate was cheap and is easily separated into thin wafers for roofing (a bit like shingles, but more hard-wearing).

Hodge Close is a now largely disused and last time we were there to investigate, it was raining, and Boy! it was slippery, so we left it for another day.

That day arrived with dry conditions last weekend.











Steve hadn't been abseiling for over twenty years, so he enjoyed the first drop:



The top of the second rap was rather overgrown with bracken:



The third rap was potentially a swimmer. There is a large tunnel between two pits through which slate was transported, and I rapped off the "bridge" above the opening. Much rusty ironwork was still around, and I hoped that I could land on that:











All in all an excellent boy's day out!

[ddavis]

Cool. The slate sure is pretty, but it looks like there's a lot of loose rock all over too. And noticing the puddles near the car on the first picture, I guess you mean dry in a relative sense.

Very nice, thanks.

[Rob L]

Hi Deb,,

Yes there was a lot of loose stuff. Fortunately, the overhangs limit the exposure of bystanders below to any debris from above (we'd checked this out ).

There was standing water above, but the slate was dry enough to abseil.

There is a little waterfall at the same place that I am itching to descend, but I need better gripping shoes/boots to adhere to the wet slate.

[french_de]

That looks like fun. How high are those rappels?

[Rob L]

Hi Doug,

First was about 50'

Second (not really shown apart from the herbiferous start) was about 120'; the last drop to the water was 150' or thereabouts.

I've booked flights for a trip back to Utah again in November, Doug. I'll contact you.

Rob