Arghi Barghi, Macclesfield
(ignore the following five paragraphs if you want pictures/ info on the above.
I will not repeat this in the dozen or so similar reports I’d like to show you)
I will not repeat this in the dozen or so similar reports I’d like to show you)
Right, well most of yers have seen me best stuff, so I’m going to start posting some of the rest. It’s no good it sitting hidden away on my laptop – that’s no good. From June till October 2016 I worked on a nice little hydro-electric power plant beside Stringers Weir (and Stringers Tunnels) in Stockport staying in these bunkabins. I’d only ever done Megatron/ Porter Brook and there I was right next to Manchester, second only to London for it’s brick lined tunnels. Getting to the peak to boulder/ climb would involve distance, effort and milage and I didn’t expect to get as good a chance to get into draining as this.
It was as good a summer as I could’ve hoped for. A super chill job working with a fun bunch of Geordies (who called me shaggy), well paid, right by the River Goyt, digs paid for – weekends too, climbing wall a stones throw a way and lots and lots of drains to get stuck in to (not literally….) I’ll never get another job like that! The problem was I didn’t know anybody in the area and I was a bit shy, when it came to asking for help. So, I went looking, pretty much every day after work. The infamous map helped a lot to begin with but that only showed about ten out of hundreds of drains in Manc and the surrounding towns.
It wasn’t long before I was hooked, what did take some time was getting the hang of my camera. Anyone who’s tried shooting in pitch darkness will know you need to be at least a little bit organised to avoid dropping something important or valuable, injuring yourself or taking fucking ages. With only a handful of exceptions, everything I did round there was on my own. The safety conscious among us wouldn’t recommend it and perhaps they’re right. Safety in numbers an’ all that. My main rules were to make sure that everything I did could be undone, just like trad climbing – i.e don’t go somewhere if yer can’t go back, tell someone (who’ll stay sober) roughly where you’ve gone and make sure you know what you’re standing on. Wadorz filling up would be fucking rate scary so deep stuff is risky to say the least, luckily I’m 4’30’’ so deep to me is drowning to most others. Turning around is fine, if you’ve got that far then retracing your steps ought to be easy. There’s no shame in not completing something, you’d look more of a dick if you die trying to take piccies! Oh and if it’s raining, has done or might do, just go to the pub!
I’ve got so many pics of my times in the area. I should’ve done all this ages ago but everything I did had all been done before and I didn’t want to waste my evenings stuck in a bunkabin writing about stuff – I wanted to go doing stuff! And internet wasn’t provided! Finding these drains for myself made it all the more of an achievement but I am eternally grateful particularly to ojay and concrete jungle for their websites and others’ posts on here which hinted at what I might find in nearby towns and where and so providing me with weeks and weeks of enjoyment. I’ll never replicate what these two have done – the following threads I intend to post over the coming few weeks barely scratch the surface of what this area has.
Unfortunately, I have a terrible memory – well sort of – so I can’t remember all the in’s and outs of all the drains I did there but I took lots of photo’s. Disappointingly it also took me best part of a year to realise that not every underground photo needs to be taken on aperture F2.0 and ISO auto (3200 typically under my torchlight.) Even though I used a tripod and could wave a torch about the focal range and detail was reduced and pics often ended up over-exposed and basically crap. Some stuff was shot in raw, the early stuff wasn’t. As I basically learnt all this myself from scratch I make no apologies for the quality of my early photos, besides this ain’t no photography forum! Be grateful for drain pics, there doesn’t seem to be many people into this at the moment – I don’t know why that is.
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Arghi Barghi was one of my favourites. Beginning with the letter A it’ll give some idea as to what the next thread could be. Only Paul Powers has posted this up on 28. His pics are mint – way better than mine – take a look.
First up – that name – fucking tip top! Just across the road from the infall is a hotel called Arighi Bianchi. I have no idea how it’s actually pronounced but Arghi Barghi is close enough. The river flowing through is The Bollin. There are a few side pipes, plenty of stooping, a split and a bridge across the river inside the culvert. The culvert runs for some distance under the railway station, its car park and some other buildings before arriving at a cute lil’ ol’ penstock or a weir with a house above it depending which way you go.
The approach from the access point to the culvert is in full view of many, many people walking by on both sides, all of whom were curious as to my intentions. I just smiled at them I think
Up the ladders and through the “door”; phone pics only here and not one for the short of stature but I got in. To quote del boy I wasn’t just going to say bonjour to it….. 
I wasn’t expecting to have to tiptoe after turning a few corners though. It’s mostly just a load of old road signs, xmas decorations, a bike and the like
I wasn’t expecting to have to tiptoe after turning a few corners though. It’s mostly just a load of old road signs, xmas decorations, a bike and the like
Getting back down wasn’t easy either, it never fuckin is. I nearly had to embarrass myself but managed to catch the ladders with my feet after nearly knocking them over, while hanging from the opening, with my eyes shut 
(well they may as well have been)
(well they may as well have been)Out the other side
Looking back in, love them twin arches
The grill looked really, really inviting especially as I could hear a noise behind it, alas it was locked up. They have anti-gravity flaps it seems in Macclesfield – not sure what’s holding it up! Oh wait just checked – they’re counter balanced!
Back inside and up the side pipe (I think) Concrete jungle (who probs inspired me on this occasion) captured this bit superbly – I didn’t! There’s no conny holding the stones together at all, you can see one’s nearly fallen out! This small section is one of my favorites of any drain, anywhere.
The other end of it. Also nice. But also stoopy
Still stooping to this lil ramp
Yet more stooping through the split
And finally out to the old penstock
Pile thru a 2 ft brick arch pipe – be rate, clerk of works won’t go down there….
And back home to bed
And that’s it. I’d go back here in a heartbeat – I’d forgotten how good this one was!
