The weather being what is has been of late we needed a venue that was going to be dry, not to long a drive and would be suitable for a wide section of the Club members. We decided on Miss Grace's Lane in the Forest of Dean. Some of the team met for breakfast in the Pencraig Diner, Jess bringing in her own coffee much to the disgust of the Cafe owner. We headed off to the cave via Chepstow to pick up the key from Jan Karvik and assembled in heavy rain on the carpark by the main road. Andy keen as ever was changed when we arrived and he headed off with his group to rig the entrance while the second group changed ready for the trip. In the shakehole with the entrance we found a small stream flowing which made the descent quite wet and by the bottom of the shaft we got a thorough soaking with all the water that was entering the sides of the shaft.
Dekitting in the chamber we headed off into the maze of passages and chambers, where the next hours were spent exploring, taking photos and getting lost in no particular order.
Mark and Keith - Near Dome Chamber
Mark, Jess and Keith - Dome Chamber
Jessica in a collapsed roof passage near Nurden Hall
Jessica in the Phreatic Causeway
Ian in the Phreatic Causeway
After existing the cave we headed back via Chepstow to drop off the cave key and stopped off at the Piercefield in St Arvans to have a post caving trip meal.
A few more photos from the trip can be seen here
Present: Keith Edwards, Heather Simpson, Phil Lester, Mel Wakeman, Andy Grimes, Mark Burkey, Jessica Harding, Ian Milward and Brendan Marris
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