Into the abyss: Stretching over three counties and 70 miles, inside Britain's vast and newly pioneered cave system

This article about the exploration of the Three Counties System appeared in the Mail on Sunday this weekend.

Yorkshire Dales - a bit of SRT

Not knowing the area at all but advised by Emma, we decided that Sell Gill is the right choice for us as it is easy to find. The dead sheep in the middle of the Pennine Way next to one of the cave entrances made the decision for us which route we going to take. Wind blowing towards the Wet Route made the smell impossible to bear, so the only choice was the Fossil Route, located downwind (of the rotting corpse). Paulina, me and Rich got changed by the cave. Monika who was going to take a walk up the Pennine Way, but headed back to the car parked in Horton in Ribblesdale as it started to drizzle. We quickly reached the darkness above the 2nd pitch.A large number of P-bolts on both sides of the passage was slightly confusing, so in the excitement of the moment the more obvious one seemed to be the one on the right. After reaching the Y-hang I realised it would have been much easier on the left hand side of the passage, which was behind me now, so I stuck to my own strategy (and let the others struggle behind me :-). The rest of re-belying went according to the survey. Richard, bored with waiting for the third and last pitch to be rigged, tried to assemble his own sheep out of the numerous bones he found while Paulina was looking for fossils.

Straight in the face, that's bright

Richard descending 3rd pitch of the Dry / Fossil Route

We've left our SRT kits on the bottom of the 3rd pitch and went exploring light-weight. Bearing in minds Emma's story about flash flood during her last visit in the cave we were anxious passing through the partially flooded tight passage and crawling towards the next big chamber. We ended our journey at the top of another 6-8 meters pitch, as we had no more rope, and made our way back to the surface.

We've had no caving plans for Sunday, but we visited the White Scar show cave, a treat for Monika. From there we drove back to Clapham and went for a walk to Gaping Gill 105m deep entrance pitch and investigated some shake holes on the way.

Gaping Gill

The Team: Bartek & Paulina Biela, Richard & Monika Wilkes

OFD II - The Key to a Wet Weekend Trip

The weather had been wet all week and on Sunday morning we woke to find Penwyllt enveloped in a cloud and persistent drizzle. Digging had been ruled out the day before and a streamway trip was going to be off the cards. As we had a number of new members who had not been into Top Entrance before we decided to take two parties to have a look at the standard sights, but to also converge at Northern Canyon and to have a look at this route. Faffing over, we changed and headed up the hill, through the cloud, mist and drizzle, to arrive at the entrance soaked to the skin. The last thing we needed was for a certain member of the team to have forgotten the key to the cave, so there we sat in the wet as he took the walk of shame back to the club.

Paulina Biela in the passage alongside Big Chamber Near The Entrance.

People who had not been to the Mini Columns, took a look at them, while others followed a maze of passage to Shale Chamber and then on to the Sand Crawls into Gnome Passage. From Gnome Passage, one group headed via Edwards shortcut to Shatter Pillar. The second group headed to Shatter Pillar via Salubrious, Crossroads and Presidents Leap. Once at Shatter Pillar, groups went off to take photos in Selenite Tunnel, before heading to Northern Canyon.

Heather Simpson in Selenite Tunnel

Heather Simpson in Selenite Tunnel

Steve Wallis in Selenite Tunnel.

Northern Canyon is an impressive tall rift passage was followed for some distance until a large boulder choke forced a series of high climbs to pass it.  At this point we decided the best option was to return and make our exit via Salubrious.

Both groups as we exited the cave.

See more OFD 2 photos here

Present:

Group 1 Keith Edwards, Bartek Biela, Paulina Biela, Richard Wilkes, Jessica Harding and Mark Burkey

Group 2 Brendan Marris, Derek Robertson, Steve Wallis and Heather Simpson

Cwm Dwr Two - A Caving Spectacle

Having arrived at South Wales Caving Club for our dig weekend, only to find that the week's rain had completely filled the Brickworks Dig, we had to hastily change our plans. Splitting into two groups, one party set off to OFD II, while the second party decided to use the pumping equipment we had brought for the dig to open the sump into Cwm Dwr Two. Despite it's close proximity to the South Wales Caving Club, Cwm Dwr Two is a rarely visited cave. We set up the generator on the surface in the quarry and ran cable down to the sump and installed one of our pumps, connecting it to the in-situ rubber hose that runs from the sump to drop down the pitch beyond. The roof of the sump has been modified, so a minute airspace exists, and as we lay in the water connecting the pump you could feel the enticing draught from the cave beyond. After setting up the pumping gear we returned to the surface to collect camera equipment to photograph the passages up to the sump while it was draining. Due to the weather the sump was filling at a rate very close to what we could pump it out, so it took nearly an hour to drain it. Back on the surface to pack away the gear before heading into the cave, Brendan trod on Keith's glasses that were resting on the concrete plinth by the side of the entrance. After donning the specs for comedy effect Keith then managed to twist back the Poundland specials back into something resembling their previous state.

Steve Wallis in the chamber at the bottom of the fixed entrance ladder.

Steve Wallis in entrance series to the cave.

Steve Wallis in the crawl that leads to the first sump.

Crawling through the drained sump we headed to a junction where we met a stream coming in from the right and then proceeded to head downstream to the left where we soon arrived at the head of the pitch. A single ladder took us to the bottom of Default Chamber, where we had a quick look a sump and a dig at the top of the chamber to the right. The way on was then to follow the stream passage ducking under the spray of the water coming down the pitch as we entered the meandering Maine Streamway. The passage started as a walk, with odd climbs up and down to progress before the passage became more rift like, and progress was then by traversing and following the tube in the top of the passage. When we arrived at the last section of streamway we could again drop into the stream where it was followed until the roof gradually dropped in height towards water level as we met the downstream sump.

Derek Robertson traversing in the roof of the rift passage.

Derek Robertson in the lower stream passage.

Steve Wallis in lower stream passage.

See more Cwm Dwr Two photos here

The Video

Present: Steve Wallis, Keith Edwards, Derek Robertson and Brendan Marris

Ogof Fawr & Some Familiar Faces

I had bumped into Carol and Graham a couple of weeks ago at SWCC and we agreed to meet up for a trip a couple of weeks later. On the Saturday I was tied up with a trip into DYO and they went off to look for Ogof Gofan in Pembrokeshire.
On Sunday we headed off for an early trip so we could all get back at a reasonable time. We parked up at Cwm Cadlan and headed across the moor to Ogof Fawr, where a large stream disappears into a very large shakehole. Since my last visit a new dry entrance has been dug, and we took advantage of the shorter dry route into the cave.

Carol in the lower main chamber on top of the collapsed boulders.

Once in the cave we headed down picking up the stream and heading into the Lower Main Chamber where we took a few photos before heading along the main passage. We stopped off at a set of formations that you have to traverse past as you head into the cave. 

Carol traversing past formations in the main passage.

Graham in the main passage.

Further into the cave we made a detour to photograph a pretty dried up crystal pool in one of the side passages. From here we progressed a little further, but our early departure meant we missed going to the bitter end of the cave.

A dried up crystal pool in a side passage off the main route.

Carol and Graham on their way out of the cave.

Once out of the cave we found that the hill was now covered in a thick mist and we headed back to the cars through the drizzle, taking a rather longer route than we did on the way to the cave due to the lack of visibility.

See more photos of Ogof Fawr here

Present: Brendan Marris, Carol Northall, Graham Coates

Tooth Cave - Faffing on the Gower

We had made two visits to the cave previously. The first came to a very abrupt end when we found the wrong key was on the fob for the cave. Our second attempt was met with a little more success as the we got into the cave, but was on a day when it was raining so we turned around before we reached the main passage.
Collecting the key from SWCC we headed off to the Gower and after a slight navigational challenge going through Swansea, we found our way to the top of the wooded valley at Llethryd. We walked down the track looking for the charcoal kilns by the side of the track that once marked the location of the cave. After we reached the main clearing in the woods we realised something was wrong and searched around for the cave. We located Cathole before heading back up the track to find that the only remains of the charcoal kilns was a patch of burnt ashes by the side of the track. We were not quick enough to enter the cave and were eaten alive by swarms of horse flies. Now in the cave the faffing did not stop as we decided that we wanted more than a handline down into the first chamber so headed back to the car for some more kit. By 2pm the trip was underway with us all in Bone Chamber and so we headed off through the tight muddy cobble floored crawls that gradually take you to a couple of thruches over cobble banks (the imaginatively named pebble crawl) into the main river passage.

Richard Dearden in the section as you enter the Main Passage.

Once reaching the Main Stream Passage, we followed the upstream section to the right and soon found that the floor cleared of pebbles as short sections of fantastically scalloped phreatic passage were passed. Most of this passage was stooping height with sections where you could stand upright, and after 200m we reached a section where the passage dropped almost vertically to a landing where two rifts dropped into the static blue sump. We retraced our footsteps taking photos of the dry streamway as we headed back to our entry point. 

Rachel Dearden near the upstream Sump.

Rachel Dearden in the finely scalloped passage.

Chris Web in a fine phreatic section.

Richard Dearden in a section of the upstream Main Paassage.

We then followed the down stream leg of the dry Main Stream Passage which was wide but low and involved stooping or crawling over the cobble floor. After 200m the bottom of a boulder collapse was reached that led up into the Aven Series. Our choice was to make the most of the dry spell and follow the main Stream Passage to the "Big Sump". We were greeted by a dive line neatly tied to rock outcrops that guided our way through this now totally dry passage. Beyond the sump, the passage gains greater proportions with one section a walk on a cobble floor through a tall and wide rift passage. Following the main Stream Passage we entered Christmas Cake Chamber, whose dominant feature is a massive sand and mud slope on one side which is topped off with a beautiful icing of white calcite on top. Beyond this chamber the route of the water begins to break up, the passage starting to split into two main routes that both become tall narrow rift passages. Traversing these passages brings you above two of the downstream sumps (dry on our visit). One of the rifts look impossibly tight, but the second has seen the attention of divers in the past. A final exploration of several higher level tube passages in this area followed, one leading to a drop down to what would be the third sump. The group had split exploring this downstream section of the cave so we returned to regroup and exit the cave together. 

This is a great cave, if you can forget the grovelly entrance series, with plenty of prospects in the downstream passage to be pushed in times of drought.

See more photos of Tooth Cave Here

Present: Brendan Marris, Chris Webb, Rachel Dearden, Richard Dearden

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