Faced with the onset of the hottest week of the year, the only sane course of action was to seek respite underground. We'd been hoping to do the OFD through trip (bottom to top entrance) for a couple of years, but never quite got around to it. However, a quick email later, and we had Bartek and Paulina on board. Their stories about the Ario expedition made the trip seem incredibly tame, but also a much nicer (read less tight and committing) experience!
Water levels in the streamway were well below The Step, and Anne appreciated being able to make progress without falling over or fighting for balance (short people problems!). After stomping up the streamway and going through the choke into the Connection, Bartek decided it was time for a spot of photography and took several snaps of the impressive mini formations in the passage. We then remembered the right-hand turn by an obvious formation, and popped out into a chamber with a few options for ways on.
Here our satisfaction at remembering the nav ended, and Bartek had to come to the rescue by sniffing out the tube that was the way on. After this we made quick progress to the Letterbox, with only one further nav mistake, that Bartek and Paulina again corrected. At this point, Bartek shot off ahead, and we waited a while for him to return. This not happening, Dave decided to climb up to the Letterbox and yell for him to come back.
Bartek, however, had other ideas. Pretending to be a vampire, he had perched out of sight just before the Letterbox and thought it great fun to make Dave jump as he climbed upwards. His cruelty continued, as on arrival at the streamway in OFD 2, he forced Dave to jump in and out of potholes so he could take photos. This was under pain of not telling him how to find his way out of the cave. Justice was done, however, as Paulina quietly filled his wellies with stones whilst he was engrossed in taking more photographs near top entrance. What was most impressive was the fact that he walked halfway back to the cottage before realising and emptying a handful of large rocks out of his boot (then discovering even more later).
The biggest highlight of the trip was definitely Marble Showers, where the combination of black limestone and calcite veins / swirls was stunning. Overall this trip was well worth waiting for and is definitely one to repeat before too long.
Cavers: Bartek, Paulina, Dave & Anne
Trip Report: Dave
Photos: Bartek
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