Mine Trip

Adrian Stanley in the Mine.

Adrian Stanley in the Mine.

Mick Noble in the Mine.

Present:  MNo, KEd, BMa, GSm, JSm & ASt

Peak Cavern, Castleton, Derbyshire

This large club turn-out divided into two teams - Keith, Andrew and Tony set off for Main Rising in Speedwell and the rest for a tourist and photographic trip in the main system.

The Speedwell party detoured to take in the bottom of JH and on the way back from Main Rising explored the passage which contains the miners' inscriptions.  This passage ends in a large chamber with a very impressive waterfall. The two parties met up by Lake Sump and left the system in three groups.

Graham Smith at Lake Sump.

Adrian Stanley climbing out of the Main Streamway at Surprise View.

Present:  JBo, MCa, ACr, KEd, BMa, GSm, JSm, Ast + Tony Jordan (Andrew's mate)

Pwll Dwfn, Swansea Valley, South Wales

This weekend had been scheduled for a Yorkshire weekend, but due to the inclement weather plan A was abandoned and instead we decided to do a day trip to a South Wales pot.

The trip went very smoothly and with Graham, Mike and Andrew taking it in turns to rig, we got to the sump at the bottom very quickly.  The pitches were quite dry and the new routes down pitches 2 and 5 kept us well out of the little water that was coming down. On the way out we met a party of 17 coming in!

Present:  MCl, ACr, KEd, EPo & GSm

Rescue Practice, Total Access, Staffordshire

Present:  PAn, MCl, MNo & EPo

Ogof Draenen, Pwll Du, South Wales

For a cave renowned for some of the largest cave passage in Britain, how come we spent most of our time underground either on hands and knees or flat-out?

This was another trip organised by Brendan to explore parts of this system we hadn't been in before.  I think he used the term, "an unspoiled and little visited area", now we know why!

The area in question is called the Score which is entered via Back Passage - 25 minutes each way of pure caving pleasure.

Seb Ballard and Keith Edwards in The Score.

Seb Ballard and Keith Edwards in The Score.

See more photos of Ogof Draenen here.

Present:  SBa, KEd & BMa

Brickworks Dig, Penwyllt, South Wales

One of the most successful dig weekends ever.  Much of the weekend was spent scaffolding and stabilising the area before the final right turn, but we still managed to remove 105 buckets of in-fill and add another six feet to the length of the system.

Present:  MBo, KEd, BMa, JSm & ASt

Agen Allwedd, Llangattock Escarpment, South Wales

A five and a half hour trip taking in the Music Hall, the Cliffs of Dover and the top end of Southern Stream Passage.  Some time was spent taking photographs in the main passage.

The Main Passage in Agen Allwedd.

See more photos of Agen Allwedd here.

Present:  PAn, JEd, KEd, AGr, BMa & MNo

Miss Grace's Lane Swallet, Near Chepstow

A five and a half hour trip in this relatively new Forest discovery consisting of a 30 metre dug out entrance shaft, a maze of interconnected domed chambers, dog-tooth crystals and a complex labyrinth of  tall vertical rifts.  Amazing!

Keith Edwards negotiating the rifts.

Present:  MCl, KEd, BMa & EPo + Paul Taylor and Gareth Jones

Hunter's Lodge Inn Sink, Priddy, Mendips

A photographic trip in the upper chambers.

Present:  BMa & EPo

GB Cavern, Charterhouse, Mendips Saturday

A photographic trip to the big chamber.

Emma and Mike in the Main Chamber.

Present:  MCl, BMa & EPo

Gaping Gill Winch Meet, Yorkshire

We (JCa, MCl, KEd & BMa) descended Disappointment Pot as far as the bedding plane where Brendan's helmet and lamp floated through but Brendan was too large to follow!  After frantically kicking through the silt with his feet a very wet and very cold Brendan managed to retrieve his helmet.

We then attempted (JCa, MCl, KEd, BMa & EPo + Cara) Bar Pot but after waiting for a long time to descend the second pitch Keith decided he had had enough and exited with Jason and Brendan.

Mike was last seen descending Gaping Gill on the winch with a party of 15 'cavers' in tow.

Jason in the entrance to Bar Pot.

Present:  JCa, MCa, MCl, KEd, BMa & EPo + Emma's friend Cara

Brickworks Dig, Penwyllt, South Wales

During the weekend we proved that the way on is to the right at the dig face with solid walls and roof!  We have added another 6 feet to the length of the cave. A more detailed report is available on the dig page.

Adrian examining the scaffolding.

The way-on is behind the shored-up boulder on the right.

Present:  JDu (Sun only), KEd, BMa, GSm, JSm & ASt

The Fault Aven Series, OFD, South Wales

The intention was to visit the famous Pom Pom formation, but Keith forgot the tackle and the survey!  All was not lost, however, and tackle was borrowed from SWCC, including a sky-hook and the Fault Aven Series was fully explored.  Unfortunately we walked straight past the Pom Pom and never saw it - Doh!  Still now we know where to look for it, it should be easy to find next time.

Present:  CJe, KEd & BMa

Dan Yr Ogof, Swansea Valley, South Wales

A trip to explore the August Series, Wigmore Hall, Straw and Corbel's Chambers. As you can see below the water in the Lakes was quite high.

Pete Anstey in Corbels Chamber.

Seb Ballard crossing the rather high Lakes.

Present:  PAn, SBa, JDu, KEd & BMa

The Well, Tutbury Castle, Staffordshire

A trip to check out the well for archaeological remains.  According to the guide book the well is 120ft deep, but we measured it to be about 90ft.

Bill Griffiths about to descend the well.

Looking up from the bottom of the well.

Present:  JDu, KEd & BMa + Bill Griffiths (WMCEG)

Rescue Callout, Slaughter Stream Cave, Forest of Dean

We arrived at 12:30am (Sunday morning) to be told that the rescue team were making good progress and were on the pitches. We ascertained that no further assistance was required due to the progress made and phoned the MCRO individuals who were currently travelling and told them to stand down. Keith, Mike and I then assisted on the Entrance Pitch. Robbie, the casualty who was in good spirits then exited at approx 3am.

Present:  MCl, KEd & EPo.  DBo, ACr & ASt were stood down whilst on route.

Ogof Capel, Clydach Gorge, South Wales

Just to finish off the trips in this area we poked our heads into this cave.  There are only a few feet of passages accessible to non-divers.

Present:  SBa, KEd & BMa

Shakespeare's Cave, Clydach Gorge, South Wales

A moist trip consisting of four ducks and a sump which can be (and was) bypassed.  This one is recommended.

Keith negotiating the third duck.

Present:  SBa, KEd & BMa

Ogof Clogwyn, Clydach Gorge, South Wales

Another short trip suitable for novices.  This one is notable for its fine phreatic shelving throughout the cave

Seb looking at the fine phreatic shelving.

See more photos of Ogof Clogwyn here.

Present:  SBa, KEd & BMa

Waterfall Cave, Blackrock Quarry, South Wales

This would have been the other end of Ogof Rhaeadr Ddu before the middle bit was quarried away.  A short trip but a memorable one as the cave has a large population of meta menardi - not a cave for arachnophobics!

Keith about to descend the waterfall.

Present:  SBa, KEd & BMa

Ogof Rhaeadr Ddu, Blackrock Quarry, South Wales

A return to a cave that I had failed to get to the end of eleven years ago.  We failed again but did manage to add another 10 feet or so to the club record.  After all the guide book does say, "the average sized caver will have difficulties."

Present:  SBa, KEd & BMa

Dan Yr Ogof, Swansea Valley, South Wales

A short trip to look at the dig at the end of Hanger North which looks like a very long term proposition.  The water in the Lakes was fairly high, but this time we did make it out in time to exit via the show cave.

Jason Cashmore at the Cascades.

See more photos of Dan Yr Ogof here.

Present:  JCa, KEd & BMa

OFD 3, Penwyllt, South Wales

A trip to the very end of the system taking just 7 hours.  A classic trip in every sense of the word, but not one for those who have a dislike for caving at height!

Present:  JCa, KEd, CJe & BMa

Dan Yr Ogof, Swansea Valley, South Wales

The proposed trip was to look at Hanger North and South, and also Dali's Delight.  We headed for Hanger Passage first, entered the boulder choke in the bottom left hand corner, exited top right and found ourselves back in Hanger Passage!  At the second attempt we found the way through and spent so much time exploring that we ran out of time to do Dali's.
A few photos in Flabbergasm Oxbow meant that we had to exit via the river.

Jason Cashmore traversing the Crystal Pool to enter Flabbergasm Oxbow.

Jason Cashmore at the Crystal Pool. 

See more photos of Dan Yr Ogof Here.

Present:  JCa, KEd & BMa

OFD 2, Penwyllt, South Wales

A leisurely trip to Chasm Passage via a new route and back to Salubrious Streamway via the Labyrinth.

Mike Cavanagh by Top Entrance

See more photos of OFD II here.

Present:  MCa, JDu, KEd, BMa, JSm & ASt.

OFD 2, Penwyllt, South Wales

A trip to Northern Lights, a first for all of the members of the party.  A fantastic area of the cave and one we shall be visiting again.

Seb Ballard in Northern Lights

See more photos of OFD II here.

Present:  SBa, JCa, KEd, CJe & BMa.

OFD 2, Penwyllt, South Wales

A photographic trip incorporating a gentle meander around Top Entrance and also being Jim's return to caving after his enforced layoff.

See some photos of OFD II here.

Present:  JDu, JSm & ASt.

Ogof Draenen, Pwll Du, South Wales

We managed to get to Rifleman's Chamber at the end of the streamway.  The streamway is not too impressive, but the dig in Rifleman's is! This is a full scale mining operation, on the surface it would be impressive, over two hours into a cave it is amazing.

Present:  BMa & PSm.

Eastwater Cavern, Priddy, Somerset

Another 'Brendan Marris Classic Cave', a real collectors item, consisting of boulders, boulders and more boulders, steeply inclined highly polished bedding planes and small crawling arduous connecting passages.  Another one to tick off me thinks!

Present:  SBa, KEd & BMa.

Sidetrack Cave, Eldon Hill Quarry, Derbyshire

Hats of to Mike Cavanagh.  Is there no stopping this man?  He asked to go into Sidetrack Cave and doubts were expressed about its suitability for cavers of larger than average build.

The tight entrance crawl is certainly not for the claustrophobic, however the cave itself is well worth all the effort it takes to see the formations and maybe one day we shall return - or maybe not!

Present:  PAn, MCa & AGr.

Ogof Draenen, Pwll Du, South Wales

First we went and did the Waterfall Series, then Wonder Bra bypass to Lamb and Fox Chamber, Indiana Highway to Raiders Passage, but didn't go too far because of the bats.  Did some side passages off Lamb and Fox, then down the main drag to Tea Junction and then Gilwern Passage - did everything we did two weeks ago and went a little bit further. Finally we went down the Main Streamway for an half and hour before returning to Cairn Chamber via the short cut. All in six and a half hours.

Seb Ballard in the Hearts of Olden Glory Streamway.

Seb Ballard at Tea Junction.

See more photos of Ogof Draenen here.

Present:  SBa & BMa.

St. Cuthbert's Swallet, Priddy, Somerset

Due to high water conditions a two and a half hour trip blast around this complex and beautifully decorated system was all that could be done.

Present:  MCl, KEd, EPo, PLi & BMa.

Ogof Draenen, Pwll Du, South Wales

A five and a half hour trip to a new area of the system for Dudley Caving Club, taking in Gilwern Passage and the St. Giles series. We are already taking about the possibility of another two trips to complete this part of the system which includes large passage, lovely decorations and a superb streamway - all complimented with generous quantities of mud.

Nick Goodall by the Waterfall in Gilwern Passage.

Peter Litherland in Gilwern Passage.

See more photos of Ogof Draenen here.


Present:  KEd, NGo, PLi & BMa.