Wet Wet Wet - Shakespeare's Cave and Northwest Inlet

With two groups going into Agen Allwedd we decided to have a small group pay a visit to two of the more aqueous sites in the Clydach Gorge. We parked up near Ogof Craig A Ffynnon, meeting up with a group from the Chelsea S.S. who were heading into OCAF.

Shakespeare's Cave

We changed and then walked up the road to where the Old Drum and Monkey pub used to sit and walked down and through the underpass. We headed down past Ogof Capel and then crossed Nant Clydach to reach the inlet on the opposite side. After a couple of hundred metres we arrived at the entrance to Shakespeares Cave, where Chloe and Loz took the lead. The water was low, but still rather chilly and we didi not hang around as we made our way through the wet sections of the cave. We took a look at the sump before heading back to the Stratford Bypass and onto the Fifth Duck. Brendan had an issue getting his legs around the bend beyond the duck so the water babes continued to the end of the cave. We reunited and then made our way out the cave looking at one side inlet as we exited.

Ogof Craig A Ffynnon - Northwest Inlet

With the first cave of the day under our belt we headed back to the cars, had a refreshment break and then headed to Ogof Craig A Ffynnon. Once in the cave we made the short journey to the start of Northwest Inlet where the aqueous fun starts. Up to our necks in water we waded through and followed the passage for a few hundred metres, the water getting shallower as we went. We were soon out of the deep water and the passage changed character to be large and tall with several areas of formations. Eventually we arrived at the impressive dig, with its own railway at the end of the passage. We followed this Indiana Jones style until we had seen enough collapses and loose parts to put us off going any further. On our way out we met up with the Chelsea group washing off in the deep water at the start of Northwest Inlet.

We then headed back to the campsite to get set up for the evening. Chloe was able to get her pop up tent erected quick enough to shelter her from the thunder storm from where she could watch Loz and Myself getting drenched putting up our tents.

Present: Chloe Burney, Loz Appleby and Brendan Marris