Our plan for Sunday had been to pay a return to Draenen, but an issue with keys resulted in a last minute change of plan. Daren was going to be our substitute for Draenen, but Mark then queried how close we were to Llanelly Quarry Pot. As we had ropes and SRT kit from the previous day, it sounded like a great plan. We had only one rope, so our first task when we got to the cave was to check that at least one member of the party could make it out the entrance unaided. Mark took this task and soon he had wriggled into the cave, dropped the climb and slithered down the rift. With the obstacles done he then returned, making lots of painful sounds as he pulled himself out of the slot at the top of the climb. Knowing there was a reasonable chance that at least one of us would be able to get out we headed into the cave, with four kit bags and a camera box. Mark rigged the pitch and soon we were all down and heading towards the streamway. We first headed upstream to Ryan's Duck where Chloe 'Water Baby' Burney took the lead as we headed through this long wet section. Mark was the only one of us to make the last part of the journey to the blue sump at the end of the cave. We then returned, taking photos in the Midsummer Night's Dream Streamway. On the way back downstream Mark climbed the Totem Aven Series, and is keen to go back for for a better look in future. Back at the entrance passage we dropped the camera box and headed downstream. I have to say that this was a lot more pleasant than I had remembered and will return to take some photos at some point. We continued until the passage became very unpleasant and due to time and lack of enthusiasm we made our way out the cave. Mark headed out the entrance first, taking a rope with him and after some thrutching at the top of the climb was able to tie off the rope. Chloe made the next exit, again really not enjoying the slot at the top of the climb. This just left Brendan, four tackle bags and a camera box at the bottom of the rift! I really should have seem this coming. Mark then dropped down the entrance climb and with the rope we ferried up each tackle bag and box in a similar fashion to how we had across the traverse into the Prokofiev Series. With the tackle now out Mark reclimbed the entrance. This just left Brendan who got his hips wedged in the entrance slot and after a lot of cursing and a tug from Mark popped out.
Mark in the Midsummer Night's Dream Streamway
Chloe in the Midsummer Night's Dream Streamway
Mark in the Midsummer Night's Dream Streamway
Chloe in the Midsummer Night's Dream Streamway
We had all emerged half an hour past our call out and were glad to get back to the cars and stand down Keith. We were impressed with the downstream cave passage and am sure that we will return to take some more photos and to revisit the end of the Midsummer Nightmare Streamway.
Present: Chloe Burney, Mark Burkey and Brendan Marris
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