Ogof Draenen, Pwll Du, South Wales

For a cave renowned for some of the largest cave passage in Britain, how come we spent most of our time underground either on hands and knees or flat-out?

This was another trip organised by Brendan to explore parts of this system we hadn't been in before.  I think he used the term, "an unspoiled and little visited area", now we know why!

The area in question is called the Score which is entered via Back Passage - 25 minutes each way of pure caving pleasure.

Seb Ballard and Keith Edwards in The Score.

Seb Ballard and Keith Edwards in The Score.

See more photos of Ogof Draenen here.

Present:  SBa, KEd & BMa

Brickworks Dig, Penwyllt, South Wales

One of the most successful dig weekends ever.  Much of the weekend was spent scaffolding and stabilising the area before the final right turn, but we still managed to remove 105 buckets of in-fill and add another six feet to the length of the system.

Present:  MBo, KEd, BMa, JSm & ASt

Agen Allwedd, Llangattock Escarpment, South Wales

A five and a half hour trip taking in the Music Hall, the Cliffs of Dover and the top end of Southern Stream Passage.  Some time was spent taking photographs in the main passage.

The Main Passage in Agen Allwedd.

See more photos of Agen Allwedd here.

Present:  PAn, JEd, KEd, AGr, BMa & MNo

Miss Grace's Lane Swallet, Near Chepstow

A five and a half hour trip in this relatively new Forest discovery consisting of a 30 metre dug out entrance shaft, a maze of interconnected domed chambers, dog-tooth crystals and a complex labyrinth of  tall vertical rifts.  Amazing!

Keith Edwards negotiating the rifts.

Present:  MCl, KEd, BMa & EPo + Paul Taylor and Gareth Jones

Hunter's Lodge Inn Sink, Priddy, Mendips

A photographic trip in the upper chambers.

Present:  BMa & EPo

GB Cavern, Charterhouse, Mendips Saturday

A photographic trip to the big chamber.

Emma and Mike in the Main Chamber.

Present:  MCl, BMa & EPo

Gaping Gill Winch Meet, Yorkshire

We (JCa, MCl, KEd & BMa) descended Disappointment Pot as far as the bedding plane where Brendan's helmet and lamp floated through but Brendan was too large to follow!  After frantically kicking through the silt with his feet a very wet and very cold Brendan managed to retrieve his helmet.

We then attempted (JCa, MCl, KEd, BMa & EPo + Cara) Bar Pot but after waiting for a long time to descend the second pitch Keith decided he had had enough and exited with Jason and Brendan.

Mike was last seen descending Gaping Gill on the winch with a party of 15 'cavers' in tow.

Jason in the entrance to Bar Pot.

Present:  JCa, MCa, MCl, KEd, BMa & EPo + Emma's friend Cara