Peak Cavern, Castleton, Derbyshire

This large club turn-out divided into two teams - Keith, Andrew and Tony set off for Main Rising in Speedwell and the rest for a tourist and photographic trip in the main system.

The Speedwell party detoured to take in the bottom of JH and on the way back from Main Rising explored the passage which contains the miners' inscriptions.  This passage ends in a large chamber with a very impressive waterfall. The two parties met up by Lake Sump and left the system in three groups.

Graham Smith at Lake Sump.

Adrian Stanley climbing out of the Main Streamway at Surprise View.

Present:  JBo, MCa, ACr, KEd, BMa, GSm, JSm, Ast + Tony Jordan (Andrew's mate)

Pwll Dwfn, Swansea Valley, South Wales

This weekend had been scheduled for a Yorkshire weekend, but due to the inclement weather plan A was abandoned and instead we decided to do a day trip to a South Wales pot.

The trip went very smoothly and with Graham, Mike and Andrew taking it in turns to rig, we got to the sump at the bottom very quickly.  The pitches were quite dry and the new routes down pitches 2 and 5 kept us well out of the little water that was coming down. On the way out we met a party of 17 coming in!

Present:  MCl, ACr, KEd, EPo & GSm

Rescue Practice, Total Access, Staffordshire

Present:  PAn, MCl, MNo & EPo

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