Ogof Draenen - Gilwern Passage

I had a call from the two doctors indicating that they would like a days caving on Saturday, to loosen them up for an orienteering regional championship on the Sunday. We met up in Luigi's as is tradition before heading up to the car park to change in the sub zero temperatures. We headed down to the entrance and had a moment or two of trepidation when we could not open the padlock, had we got the right new combination? After a bit of faffing we were in and we headed up towards Gilwern passage, through the boulder choke and into the passages beyond. We decided to have a play round in the passages in this area before we tried once more to get through the Breadfruit Boulevard duck. Alas it was still silted up and Brendan too fat to get through, so we returned taking a few photos on the way out.

Rachel in the Hearts of Olden Glory Streamway

Rachel and Richard in the Hearts of Olden Glory Streamway

Rachel in the Hearts of Olden Glory Streamway

Present: Rachel Dearden, Richard Dearden, Brendan Marris

Wolf Mountain Cave

Wolverhampton will shortly have a new cave system with approximately 300 metres of passage.  The system will be located in the newly relocated Wolf Mountain indoor climbing centre and will be open to the public early in the New Year.  Currently half of the system is in old centre and half in the new.
Brendan and Keith visited both halves of the cave and discussed Club access - especially for potential new members.
We'll arrange a Club visit early next year.

Ogof Dydd Byraf

Saturday 21st November 2009

Brendan and I were invited by Heather to join a NWCC dig in ODB.  It's a good caving trip just getting to the dig site via ladder pitches, traverses, boulder chokes and crawls.

The dig is in the roof of a large phreatic tube which descends steeply and then levels out.  It is currently approximately 30 metres long.

Unfortunately there is no air flow in the dig and carbon dioxide accumulates in the bottom and after about 3 hours digging and 2 metres of progress we had to abandon operations.

The dig team:  Brendan, Heather and Keith + members of NWCC, CCPC and Craven PC.

Ogof Cnwc

A quick trip to Busman's Holiday in Daren Cilau via the alternative Ogof Cnwc (Price's Dig) entrance. Plenty of muddy crawling and awkward squeezing, but this entrance series is much less painful than the other option.

Present: KE, BM, CW
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj8JSdTe6Hc

Tunnel Cave, Swansea Valley

This was to be our second attempt to provide a trip into DYO of the North Wales cavers. Yet again the weather foiled our plans and we instead had a trip into Tunnel Cave through Cathedral showcave. A trip up to Christmas Grotto and Steeple Aven proved a poor substitute for DYO.

Keith in Steeple Aven

Keith and Evan (on the boulder) in Steeple Aven

Heather in a phreatic tube near Steeple Aven

The Team: Brendan (report), Heather & Keith + Evan (NWCC)

Titan, Peak Cavern, Derbyshire

A fantastic abseil down Titan (145 metres deep) and then out via JH, Speedwell and Peak Cavern. Sorry no photos.

Attended by: Keith (report) & Steve + members of NWCC & CCPC

Ogof Hesp Alyn, North Wales

An 8 hour trip to the first sump and back. This was the first visit to this system by Brendan and myself. I was a cave I had wanted to visit ever since I started caving when on one of my first visits to the WMCEG I heard people talking about it. Heather very kindly arranged it and Alan was our guide. The deal being that I would rig the 80' pitch which I agreed to as it would be more good training for Titan the following week.
Well after waiting for 20 years what was my opinion? It is another Welsh classic, that is one likes mud, crawls, muddy crawls, pitches, muddy pitches, and yet more mud. The mud is of varying consistency but near to the end of the trip it is thick and sticky and clogs ascenders, making the return more than a little sporting. Definitely one for the mud aficionados in the club.

Attended by: Keith (report), Brendan & Heather + Alan (NWCC)