Sump One & Back. Herding Cats In Swildons Hole

Jess and I had a balloon flight booked for the Sunday on the weekend in Bristol, so we thought it would be nice to see if anyone fancied joining us on the Saturday for a day trip in to Swildons Hole.

We hadn't anticipated quite such a response and wound up with 9 people signing up!

We started the day with the now traditional breakfast at the Priddy good cafe, before heading to the green to park up and change. There were several other groups kitting up so we knew it was going to be a busy route.

It was decided due to the number of us that Kermit would take Tony, Liz & Jess in the long dry way and I would head in the wet way with Keith, David, Mike & Kay.
We arrived at the 20ft pitch ahead of all the other parties and so began to rig. As everyone headed down the ladder Kermit and the rest of the party arrived.
As we were the first down we decided to head to sump 1 ahead of the hoards. Here we split in to two groups, one popping through the sump to take a look at sump 2 and the more sensible staying dry to video.
After this we headed up Tratmans Temple and on to take a look at part of the route on. Keith and Kermit decided to have a bimble out at this point whilst the rest of us headed to the greasy chimney.
As we made our way through the mud sump a few of us begun to wonder if there was bad air as we were all struggling just a little more than usual. By the time we made our way up the chimney we were puffing and out of breath and so it was decided we had enough fun for one day and begun to head out taking photo's as we went.
Arriving at the base of the ladder two groups were entering and exiting ahead of us and an hours wait ensued!
As the group were getting rather cold a few of the cavers asked if they could head straight out so I said that was fine.
Jess and Kay helped me de-rig and off we went. They were travelling a little quicker than me and as we headed around a corner I caught what I thought were their lights ahead of me and sped up only to find it was actually David and Liz who had lost Tony and Mike and were wandering around the fossil series. We headed out together from here to find Jess and Kay waiting with Keith but still no Mike and Tony!
Jess headed back in via the dry way and I via the wet way, but it was only after deciding to head back to the ladder and begin the search from there that we found them!
Back at the green Keith and David headed off whilst the rest of us went to the Queen Vic for Butcombe pie and pint :)

David at the greasy chimney

Tony and Liz at Tratmans Temple

David and Mike from the other side. Tratmans Temple

Present: Keith, Kay, David, Liz, Tony, Mike, Mark, Jess & Kermit

Doing things the Wet Way in Swildons

It’s a little known fact that Wells Museum has an excellent Caving Exhibition, and each summer a photographic competition of Mendip caves is held. Mark and Brendan have both been placed highly in previous years, so Mark and I headed down to the Mendips to see if he could get any decent shots of Swildons Hole for this year’s competition.

Within feet of the entrance Mark had me climbing up and down through the water to position flashguns  (“Well there’s no point in both of us getting wet!”)  until one of the guns took on some water and blew up.  With some of the older flashguns also refusing to work, Mark’s original plan of taking photos of me lying in Sump 1 was abandoned, (Yay!) and we decided to try for a pitch shot on The Twenty.

We followed our noses along the dry high-level passages until we came to the stream way. When we got to the pitch we were surprised to find a group of young military personnel practicing their SRT, so while we waited for them to finish Mark sussed out a vantage point for the camera.

Whilst rigging the ladder pitch Mark tossed me the end of a rope to hold, and called something out, but I couldn’t make out what he said. To my surprise, he then pulled the rope out of my hands and threw the whole thing down the pitch! Apparently he’d asked me to attach my end to the P bolt… Good job we had another rope with us, and once we had retrieved the first one we were ready to start the photoshoot.

While Mark hung around with the camera I was Up the ladder, Down the ladder, Along the passage, Up the rift, Under the water, Up the ladder, Down the ladder.. . Smile! My worries about getting cold as I was already wet through were completely unfounded.

With time moving on and the mill to get back to, we derigged and made our way back out of Swildons along the Wet Way.

Swildons Hole Entrance Series

Swildons 20ft pitch

Present: Jessica Burkey, Mark Burkey

Who Ate All The Pies?.......This Little Piggy Did The Swildon's Hole Round Trip

For Sunday’s trip we had Myself, Jess, Chloe, and Mark Burgess  in attendance. Ian deciding that one day’s fun was enough for one weekend. 

Our original plan had been a very sedate pootle in Singing River Mine, but as we sat having a Priddy good breakfast other plans were hatched and a Swildon’s round trip was decided upon.

Jess led and we were soon making our way in to a surprisingly dry entrance series to the head of the twenty foot pot where Jess rigged and life lined us down. 

We took Barnes loop in and paused for a quick photo on the way through before heading up Tratman’s Temple where again we stopped for a photo opportunity. Here we stashed the camera gear to speed our progress through the aqueous sections to come.

Jess had no problem navigating through St Paul’s series, Paradise Regained and the Troubles, with only a short navigational blip in St Pauls where she headed for a dig. 

No one had any problems getting up the Greasy Chimney or through the Double troubles.

At the unnamed squeeze I quickly realised that I would need to get back on the diet and had been indeed eating far too many pies of late. With Jess and Mark wedged behind to push off and Chloe ahead to pull they eventually managed to assist me through, though not before I managed to dislocate my toe pushing off the rock. 

On the other side, the Wellie was removed, my first aid training was invoked as I applied traction and popped said big toe back in place. This would prove something of a hindrance as it began to bruise and swell, and the others would keep having to wait for me as I hopped my way up the many cascades.

After sliding down The Landing we got to the Wookie Hole sign where Chloe pointed out sump one to an unsure looking Mark Burgess. Somehow we had managed to neglect to tell him there would be a short free dive on the trip. Although a little uncertain he plunged through with no bother.

Fortunately for me we exited in time for  a couple of pints (purely medicinal) of Pot Holer in the beer tents before heading off. 

I once said on another trip report that this trip requires both guts and determination, though a little less gut would ensure a much easier trip......back on the diet for me! 

Mark Burgess in Barne's Loop

Jess and Chloe at Tratman's Temple

Present: Jess Burkey, Mark Burgess, Chloe Burney and Mark Burkey