Clydach Gorge Caves - Wet Caves and Black Neoprene

The plan was to complete some video footage of Shakespeare's Cave which was started last year and then to have a look at a couple of other caves in the gorge. After breakfast in Luigi's we headed up to the gorge and parked in the layby. Here we clad ourselves in neoprene, turning the heads of many of the passing motorists.

Shakespeare's Cave
We made our way down through some very dense undergrowth to the River Clydach and then crossed to enter Cwm Pwca and find the entrance to Shakespeare's Cave. A short pause to set up the video gear and then we were heading through the cave. Backwards and forwards through the ducks to ensure that suitable video footage was recorded we made our way through the cave to approach the final sump. We then headed out the cave, a little quicker than on the way in, with only the mud in Stratford's Bypass causing a delay to our exit as we all slipped backwards trying yo make our way from the Fifth Duck.

Chloe beyond the Fifth Duck - Shakespeare's Cave

Jess beyond the Fifth Duck - Shakespeare's Cave

Ogof Nant Rhin
We headed back to the road and up to the large layby where we dropped down to find the recently refurbished entrance to Ogof Nant Rhin. A cautious entry to the cave was made as we threaded our way through the scaffolded rocks until we were in the solid passage of the cave. We headed first to Aven D'Oznog, splitting up and following the different levels along the phreatic shelves in the tight rift passage that leads to it. Once all there, Keith had to leave and head back to the Midlands. The rest of us then headed to the Garden of Delights and the far reaches of the cave with Mark crawling through the Jaws of Death and staring up into Kerplunk Aven.

Chloe just inside the entrance of Ogof Nant Rhin

Ogof Clogwyn
Our final cave of the day was Ogof Clogwyn we followed the stream down the gorge from Nant Rhin to the point where the stream from Ogof Clogwyn entered the gorge and climbed up from there. The route was quite slippy and very unpleasant. We spent and hour in there and only lost Jess once, before heading back to the cars.

Present: Keith Edwards, Chloe Burney, Brendan Marris, Mark Burkey and Jessica Harding