Cwm Dwr....Easy Squeezy

Having arranged to meet up with Wal and Chloe at South Wales for half ten on Sunday morning, & as we were camping over the weekend, when my alarm went off I snuggled  back in to my duvet hitting the snooze button, ready for another half hour before venturing out of my nice warm bed. Alas this was not to be. Wal began banging on the side of the van at half nine… a full hour early!

Dragging myself from the comfort of my toasty bed, in to the drizzling rain, we headed to the hut for a cuppa and a quick breakfast before heading off.

Chloe was most impressed with the fact the entrance was virtually on the doorstep, though not as impressed with the climb down the entrance itself.

We were soon well on our way. Chloe took the cwm dwr squeeze and crawls in her stride and in no time we were in larger passage making our way down Cwm Dwr Jama and in to the boulder choke. Again this was navigated without issue and we were soon past the Smithy, through Piccadilly and at our objective of Heol Eira where we stopped for some photos.

Chloe admiring formations in Heol Eira

Helping Chloe up and down some of the climbs as we made our way back, Steve amused Chloe with tales of our previous exploits, telling her about a particular time in Giants when I used Steve as a set of steps to climb over some tighter passage and how his back hadn’t been the same since.

We were making our way toward main route when I decided it would be a great idea to dive in to a particularly tight and inviting set of boulders to explore. Head first, popping my ribs over the rocks as I dropped in to a small chamber, which didn’t actually go anywhere, I decided the only thing to do was turn around and pop back out. Unfortunately the chamber was just a little too small for me to turn and my helmet wedged with my left leg somewhere around my right ear. Cursing I realised the only way I was going to get out was to reverse, doing a hand stand and try to push up and squeeze through backward. Each time I tried this gravity got the better of me. Steve saw his chance to both assist and get his own back and dived on my exposed legs to stop me slipping back in the hole. Every time I got my hands in position I pushed up, squeezing myself backward and Steve would let off pressure to allow me to move and then pin down my legs to stop me sliding forward. Now I realise I probably left him with more bruises when I used him as a climbing frame, but for a small guy my legs can testify he definitely isn’t light!!!

With no further dramas we made our way back to the entrance which Chloe had been dreading. As it happened she needn’t have worried, it turned out her legs are the perfect length for the entrance tube and she had no trouble making her way out.

Present: Steve Wallis, Chloe Burney, Jessica Harding & Mark Burkey