Dogging in the Forest of Dean

We begun our weekend with breakfast in Coleford before heading to the camp site to meet up with the others.

Ian and Rich were joining Emma, Bartek and Paulina on a trip in to Old Ham.

Chloe, Brendan, Myself and Jess would be heading in to Wet sink / Slaughter stream and would leave the pitches rigged as Emma's team would be heading in on the Sunday.

Brendan was going to cave in his birthday suit, but apparently it was still a little sticky.....I am of course referring to his new Warmbac which he has prepped the stitching with aqua sure. So in his recently repaired AV he announced we would be going dogging that morning, more specifically to see the dog's skeleton in Dogs grave passage in Wet Sink.

We dropped down the 3 fixed entrance ladders and were soon rigging Balcony pitch with a 7m ladder. PenPot pitch was rigged with two 10m ladders and a 50m lifeline which turned out to be a little excessive as the first 10m ladder would just about reach the balcony at the base of the pitch and could be free climbed from there.
After the pitches there are 30m of cobbled crawls before emerging at the slaughter stream cross junction. We headed upstream to Zurree Aven and climbed the waterfalls through to the Graveyard. Passing through Gnome Garden we entered the Chunnel and headed in to the sand crawls that would take us through the three deserts section. Emerging at Vittals we popped in to flow choke passage to an unstable choke which took us to Hall Passage. Here the plan had been to drop through a hole in the floor (Normans Invasion) but after putting a body length in I wasn't 100% sure I would fit through and didn't fancy wedging in the tight rift when there was an easy route to the same place. Chloe took a quick look at the rift, but as the last couple of meters to the ground bells out, decided to also take a look from the other side. Backtracking we entered in to Dogs Grave Passage past paw prints and on to the skeleton of said unfortunate mut. We found the other side of the drop down and had a little play to see if it was possible to drop through. Everyone had a little giggle as I forced my chest up the rift standing on Jess's shoulders with my gut hanging over my belt below ;)
We continued on to the pig trough camp site where Brendan and Chloe made use of the bed rolls whilst Jess and I popped over the traverses to check the route for a future trip to the Snow Garden. On the way out we took a couple of photo's and exited in plenty of time to head back in to Coleford for 80's music and Tapas!

Pen Pot Pitch

Gnome garden

Three Deserts Passage

Now that's what I call a post caving meal!!!

Present: Brendan Marris, Chloe Burney, Mark Burkey & Jess Burkey

Wet Sink

After a busy Saturday the Dudley group set off  to explore Wet Sink on the Sunday - after the obligatory breakfast and faffing of course!

Knowing that most of the caves in the Forest are small and muddy, and with Brendan trying to scare us with tales of sewage strewn streamways, we really didn't know what to expect from Wet Sink, but we were in for a very pleasant surprise.

Efficiently dropping down the entrance series of ladders and pitches, we soon met the streamway, which was low and sewage-free. We headed upstream, hoping to be able to find our way around the round trip which would bring us back to the stream downstream. A series of sandy crawls and roomy passages, including the impressive Chunnel, showed us that the cave is really very extensive. When we stopped to look at the survey we found that although we had been trotting along at some speed, we had hardly visited any of the 13km cave system.

Brendan and Mark successfully navigated us along the round trip and we popped out above the streamway, which we then followed downstream to the sump. It was hard going, with the floor determined to trip us up and squeeze our feet, but beautifully sculptured rock. Climbing back out of the streamway we made our way under a rather smelly but very picturesque shower inlet back towards the entrance series, and were soon all out in the sunshine.

Matthew Maylin - The Chunnel - Wet Sink Cave

Chloe, Mel and Jess consulting the survey - The Chunnel - Wet Sink Cave

Loz in the Lower Streamway - Wet Sink Cave

Mel in the Showerbath - Wet Sink Cave

Jess in the Showerbath - Wet Sink Cave

Well worth a return visit here I think!

Present: Brendan M., Mark B., Jess B., Mel B., Chloe B., Loz A., Matt

Here's to mud in your eye! The Dudley Otter Hole Trip 2014

A tired looking Dudley bunch met at the 365 steps car park at 8am. The night before had seen the worst thunderstorms and heavy rain of the year and no one had managed much sleep.

Ian our trip leader arrived at 8.40 to find us all changed and raring to go. As we made our way through the woodland the tired faces were replaced by excitement at the thought of what was in store.

After a quick shot of the team whilst still clean we signed the logbook and headed in. 

The entrance series is immediately flat out and muddy and everyone squealed with delight as we slipped and slid our way through the crawls. We soon made our way over Pyramid Step, down Breakdown Passage to the tidal sump where there was plenty of air space so we quickly paddled our way through, up the ladder and through choke 1.  The traverse proved no problem for anyone and we were soon stomping up stream to the 2nd choke. 

After taking some time to wash ourselves off thoroughly we headed in to more muddy passage in the Link Crawl where Mel approached the rift at an odd angle and made getting through slightly more work than necessary :)

Reaching ‘The Extension’ we were immediately wowed by the pretty formations before us. Every corner we turned seemed to impossibly become prettier than the last until the huge stalagmites and stalactites of the Hall of 30 loomed in to view to take our breath away. We could have happily spent the entire day with the formations already passed, but there was still more to come. We continued on to ‘Long Straw Chamber’ passing more beautiful curtains, stal’s and columns of colours varying from Black to pure white dripping from ceilings that at one point became the brightest of reds. Then on to Tunnels Junction. At this point Becca went with Ian to the Sump in Tunnels Left whilst the rest of us pottered back taking a few pictures as we went.

The outward trip was uneventful, though everyone was feeling the pace on the return, and we arrived to find the sump high enough to be a duck on our exit. Well chilled we soon warmed up as the flat out mud crawls are up hill on the way out!

Paul Taylor was filming for his sequel to his otter hole video at the wash off point, fortunately Mr Edwards has taught us well and Mr Taylor was very pleased with the quality of his actors.

The Rest of the Dudley Forest of Dean weekenders met us as we washed off in the bath tub and we were soon back at the cars munching cake and planning our next adventures.

The team before entering Otter Hole

Rich in a grotto off the main passage

Chloe in Gour passage

Mel admiring formations near Tunnels Junction

The team on exit!

Present: Becca Kirkpatrick, Mel Bell, Rich Gibbons, Chloe Burney and Mark Burkey

Miss Grace's Lane Cave

After a night of stupendous thunder and lightening we woke (did we sleep?) to persistent rain, the Otter Hole team headed off and it was for the rest of us to make a more leisurely start to the day. We headed into Monmouth for breakfast at Wetherspoons and then took the drive down to the cave. We were soon kitted up and rigged the entrance shaft before dropping down into the cave. We took a standard trip into the Spring Fever area of the cave. We headed to the via Dome Chamber and Nurden Hall to reach Canyon Hall where we headed up to look at Phreatic Passage. We made our way back exploring side passages and then a circular route to visit Dog Tooth Chamber.

Ian Millward - Miss Grace's Lane Cave

Matthew Maylin - Miss Grace's Lane Cave

Matthew Maylin - Miss Grace's Lane Cave

We headed back to the campsite for showers and a change before we headed out to meet the group at Otter Hole. As we went down the hill we met up with them mid shower at the bathtub.

Present: Jess Burkey, Mark Burkey, Matthew Maylin and Brendan Marris.

Stal Cleaning in Otter Hole

As a talented cave photographer with thousands of great pictures to his credit and whose pictures have appeared in books and magazines, Brendan had never photographed Britain's best decorated cave, so this was going to be his big opportunity.

Also at almost the eleventh hour it was dropped on us that 2010 is a conservation year for Otter Hole and all over-tide trips were expected to help with stal cleaning.

Over-tide trips are long trips without a cave photographer in the team. Over-tide trips are very long trips without stopping to scrub stal. So with photos to take and stal to shine this was set to be an epic. Epic trips require a decent brekkie and much discussion took place about where to stop. Eventually those of us who like a good breakfast before a caving trip, i.e. Brendan, Chris and Keith, chose the recently re-opened Pencraig Diner. Out genial host asked if we would like toast or fried bread. For a trip of this magnitude there was only one possible answer, but we won't make that mistake again! The fried bread consisted or two thick crusts each and we all had to admit defeat which prompted out host to ask if anything was wrong with the meals.
We met with Andy, Mel and our guides on the Otter car park where for reasons that Andy himself cannot explain he decided that in spite of Otter being on his 'must do' list for over a decade he wouldn't be coming into the cave with us.
Over-tide trips in Otter are strenuous without carrying tackle. Carrying a large Pelican Case loaded with a heavy camera and flash guns through Otter's tortuous squeezes, climbs and rock-strewn passages must be purgatory, but such is Brendan's dedication to his art that the case was transported without complaint, although the look on his face told another tale.
We made good time through the muddy entrance crawls, through the very muddy tidal sump (which was empty with the stream free flowing when we passed through), through the first choke, across the traverses and to sump two where we stopped to scrub the caked mud of our over-suits before proceeding to the extensions. We made slow progress though the magnificently decorated passages leading to and through the Hall of Thirty so that we could stop and admire the formations. Brendan was anxious to start snapping but decided to wait until the way out when we would be stal cleaning and he would have more time.
After a short break at the camp we made our way on through Long Straw Chamber towards Tunnels Junction.
Just before turning back we visited a well-decorated grotto on the left of the passage. Brendan could resist no longer. The camera box was flipped open and he reached for camera and flash guns, however as the box was opened Brendan's face dropped. There was water in the case. Undaunted he dried off the gear and started the ritual, "Stand there", "Hold this", "Look at me", "Let me focus on your lamp" and so on, but the damp flash guns stubbornly refused to cooperate so no photos were taken and the box had to be abandoned. Brendan was not happy! He went very quiet and it was the closest any of us have ever experienced to Brendan having a sulk.
We turned back at Tunnels Junction and I took a few minutes of video on the very back to Long Straw Chamber.
Back at the camp we filled water sprayers and spent the next hour or so cleaning mud of the formations.
The way out from here didn't seem so long as on the way in and we got back to the tidal sump before it had completely emptied.
From here the pace of the party slowed considerably as the tired team made its slow way out through the muddy entrance crawls.
I was first out and it was about twenty minutes later that Chris finally surfaced. He was completely spent, totally knackered, done in, and the famous grin was conspicuous by its absence. I thought that there was a real possibly that we had broken him at long last but the following week he was off again caving.
Finally the walk uphill back to the car park nearly finished me too.



The Video


Present: Keith Edwards, Brendan Marris, Mel Wakeman and Chris Webb

Big Sink, Symonds Yat, Ross-on-Wye

Another major engineering feat in the Forest area. Lots of scaffolded climbs through tons of loose rocks lead to a nice SRT pitch into a big chamber, but after this the streamway in tight and rifty throughout. One for the cavers of slimmer stature.

The team: KeEd & BrMa + others

Wet Sink

A trip down the main stream and into the rifts beyond. We completed the trip by going up Coal Seam passage and coming back down stream.

Rachel in the Showerbath in Wet Sink.

Richard in the lower end of the Main Stream - Wet Sink.

The Team: KeEd, BrMa + Bill, Rachael & Richard (WMCEG)

Redhouse Lane Swallet

My second attempt on this collector's item - the first was two years ago.  This time the lock had to be broken off (which shows how often the system is visited).  I would not be surprised if no one had been in since my last visit.  Again it was necessary to dig to get through the streamway, but this time we did get to the end of it.  Best summed up as - very muddy with lots of ducks.

The Team: KeEd + Arthur Champion (Craven Pothole Club), Nick and John

Westbury Brook Iron Mine

Yet another visit to Westbury Brook for Peter and myself to try and find the way on past the “railway tracks” this time we had the advantage of Gareth being with us who had already been further than Peter and myself. Although we had Gareth, we still spent a hell of a time poking our heads into every hole we could find until Gareth finally found the way on and we quickly progressed up into level one and along to the “water hole” where we only turned back in case we missed our call out time. A big thank you to Gareth for his navigation skills. 

A muddy team after the trip L to R: Andy, Pete, Gareth, Faye, Mel & Tim

The Team: PeAn, AnGr & MeWa +Gareth, Tim and Faye

GCRG rescue practice - Pancake Mines, Doward

After a very wet start above ground, we spent several hours practising stretcher packaging and handling in the Pancake Mines. A very useful training exercise and particularly good practice for Dea and Wal.

The Team: MiCl, EmPo, StWa & DeW

GCRG Rescue Practice, Miss Grace's Lane, Tidenham Chase, Chepstow

Several scenarios were investigated on the day mainly involving stretcher handling in the pitch bypass crawls. MCl & EPo worked on moving a stretcher from the first chamber through the connecting crawl and up the scaffolded climb, the rest of the DCC members investigated rigging the traverses below the third pitch and the pitch itself. 


Present: From DCC: - MCl, KEd, BMa, EPo + Dave from Wolverhampton

Otter Hole Near Chepstow

A over-tide trip to the camp beyond the Hall of Thirty for members that had not visited the cave before - so why was Keith on the trip?  Well the 4th place was reserved for Jason, but in order to get out of the trip Jason deliberately broke a finger karate chopping a piece of wood.  What some people will do to get out of a caving trip.  A very enjoyable, but very exhausting trip.

Present: CJe, KEd, BMa & CWe

Wet Sink, Forest of Dean

The round trip with an excursion to see the dead dogs, plus a diversion to go downstream to sump two - very nice keyhole stream passage just before the sump.

Emma Porter at the Showerbath.

Present: BMa, EPo & others

Redhouse Lane Swallet, Forest of Dean

After spending an hour digging out the streamway we decided we had had enough and made an early exit.

Keith Edwards in the entrance crawl.

Keith Edwards on the entrance climb.

Present: ACr, KEd, BMa & CWe

Westbury Brook Iron Mine, Forest of Dean

Present: PAn, SBa & AGr

Rescue Callout, Slaughter Stream Cave, Forest of Dean

We arrived at 12:30am (Sunday morning) to be told that the rescue team were making good progress and were on the pitches. We ascertained that no further assistance was required due to the progress made and phoned the MCRO individuals who were currently travelling and told them to stand down. Keith, Mike and I then assisted on the Entrance Pitch. Robbie, the casualty who was in good spirits then exited at approx 3am.

Present:  MCl, KEd & EPo.  DBo, ACr & ASt were stood down whilst on route.

Rescue Practice, Wet Sink, Gloucestershire

The Gloucester Cave Rescue Group hosted this practice from the end of East Stream Passage in Wet Sink.  EPo, MCl and GSm went underground on the first stretcher party whilst JSm wandered about in the hell hole of a field bathed in sunshine talking on the Heyphone.  This was followed by a great barbecue. Great Forest hospitality as ever.


Present:  MCl, EPo, GSm & JSm

Otter Hole, Chepstow

The following team assisted in the rescue of an injured caver from this system.

 Dave Bowdley on the phone at the cave entrance.

Muddy gear courtesy of Otter's famous entrance series.

Present:  DBo, MCl, KEd, EPo, GSm & JSm