THE thrill of descending into one of the biggest potholes in the country is being offered by cavers who are to set up a special winch on the slopes of Ingleborough.

Craven Pothole Club, based in Skipton, is to offer the experience and exhilaration of descending 345 feet into the bowels of Gaping Gill - a cavern 145 metres long and 25 metres wide, big enough to accommodate the nave of York Minster.

Once at the bottom of Britain's highest unbroken waterfall - it takes water from Fell Beck - there will be opportunity to have a guided tour of the main chamber. Minimum age to descend is seven years and people are advised to wear warm clothing.

Safety helmets will be provided but people are encourage to bring a small hand held torch of head lamp and a camera and something to eat.

The ten-day operation will start on Saturday and run through until midday on Monday, August 31, the first descents at weekends starting from 8am andon weekdays at 9am. The trip both ways is £15 a person.

Easiest access is a two-and-a-half mile walk from Clapham up to the foot of Ingleborough.

Club member Tracey Jones said: "Appropriate wet weather gear for a day on the fells is recommended regardless of the weather when you set off.

"There are no refreshments available on the fell so people should stock up on snacks and drinks at the village shop in Clapham or Ingleborough Cave on the way up. Public toilets are available in the village and very basic facilities on the fell with no public facilities between."

The winch has a fixed daily descent and ascent capacity so people are advised that to arrive as early as possible. There is no pre-booking and the trip down takes at least 20 minutes to get six people down in the chair and the same time to ascend.

People should be aware that on Bank Holiday Monday, August 31, the winch will operate only in the morning to allow the team to dismantle the equipment from noon.

The Craven Pothole Club was founded in 1929 and has about 240 members, who come from all walks of life and many parts of the world, said Tracey.

The objectives of the club are to promote a wide range of outdoor activities, for the benefit of members, including the exploration of caves and potholes, mountaineering, fell walking, rock climbing, skiing, cycling and other similar pursuits.

Caving activities were centred in the Yorkshire Dales, with regular visits to other caving areas and climbing and walking trips to the Lake District and Scotland.

The headquarters are located in Skipton with field headquarters in Horton-in-Ribblesdale, next to the Crown Hotel which provided members and their guests with low-cost accommodation in the heart of the Dales caving area.

The club's formal activities are organised around an annual programme of meets at about fortnightly intervals during the summer and less frequently during the winter months.

Meets cover all the principal activities of the club with caving, walking and foreign expeditions suitable for both the beginner and the connoisseur. Social highlights include the August Gaping Gill winch meet and the November AGM and dinner. Informally, members are active most weekends, caving, prospecting for new caves, walking and cycling, often using cottages as a base.

A quarterly magazine, The Record, keeps members informed of club activities, local and international caving news and provides the means to record the activities of club members and articles of a more scholarly nature.

The club maintains a comprehensive library of books and journals and an extensive photographic archive and keeps abreast of developments in the caving world, on a local and national scale through representation on the Council of Northern Caving Clubs and membership of the British Caving Association.

The club is committed to the conservation of the underground environment and took an active part in the restoration and conservation of caves.

The first man to descent into the main chamber was John Birkbeck, of Anley, Settle, who in 1840 reached a depth of about 180 feet, stopping at a ledge. His fraying rope prompted him to return pronto.

Gaping Gill was conquered by the diminutive Frenchman and obsessive caver, Edward Alfred Martel, in 1895.

For more information, visit.cravenpotholeclub.org