Snailbeach Lead Mine, near Minsterley, Shropshire

A pleasant exchange trip via the Classic and Scenic routes, after a BCA Council meeting the previous day for some members of the party. A great place for training novices Dea and Steve on SRT, who both did really well. A trip to the Stiperstones pub rounded the day off with its excellent beer, food, tea and biscuits! Thanks to SCMC.

Mike Noble on the way back up.

The Dudley Team: PeAn, MiCl, KeEd, BrMa, MiNo, EmPo, GrSm, StWa & DeWi 
The Shropshire CMC Team: Steve Holding, Andrew Wood 
From SWCC: Idris Williams 
From Wessex CC: Dave Cooke, Les Williams

Ogof Pen Eryr, Llangattock Escarpment, South Wales

This had been arranged for some time as a Christmas trip for some of the newer members of the Club and the chosen cave was Craig A Ffynonn, but extremely wet weather on the day meant that we had to look for an alternative. We spent a highly amusing few minutes listening to Andy unsuccessfully trying to lead through the corkscrew squeeze before being shown the correct way to do it by Mel. Afterwards several members of the team spent a few minutes proving that it is possible to turn round within the few few metres of the Daren Cilau entrance crawl.

Chris negotiating the calcite corkscrew squeeze in Pen Eryr.

See more Ogof Pen Eryr photos here 

The Team: KeEd, AnGr, BrMa, CaNo, MaRo, MeWa & ChWe

Iles Inlet, Agen Allwedd, Llangattock Escarpment, South Wales

The return trip to retrieve the camera and take photographs of the formations in Iles Inlet and here is a taster of what we found.

Chris viewing the Courtesan formation in Corkscrew Chamber - Iles Inlet.

Keith viewing the Courtesan formation in Corkscrew Chamber - Iles Inlet.

The Courtesan formation in Corkscrew Chamber - Iles Inlet.

Keith viewing formations in Corkscrew Chamber - Iles Inlet.

Formations in Corkscrew Chamber - Iles Inlet.

Formations in Corkscrew Chamber - Iles Inlet.

This time the trip took ten and three quarter hours! 

See more Agen Allwedd photos here 

The Team: AnCr, KeEd, BrMa & ChWe

Iles Inlet, Agen Allwedd, Llangattock Escarpment, South Wales

A long and arduous trip taking in most of the length of Southern Stream Passage which had to be negotiated in both directions. We wasted a lot of time trying to find the way into Priory Road as our written laminated route description has suffered from water ingress and was virtually unreadable, and the survey seemed to imply that we should climb up above the stream and find a passage on the right. The route is actually much easier but requires a fair amount of hands and knees crawling. Eventually three members of the team got to see the formations in Trafalgar Passage but with two members left behind in separate locations we ran out of time and were forced to exit without taking any photographs. A rash decision was taken to abandon the photographic gear in the cave and to return during the week after Christmas to find Corkscrew Chamber and take the photos. A very tired team, regretting the decision to ditch the photographic gear emerged after ten and a quarter hours underground. 

The Team: AnCr, KeEd, CoJe, BrMa & ChWe

A Yorkshire Weekend

Saturday - Lancaster Hole 
Present: Mike Clayton - DCC/Craven PC, Emma Porter - DCC/Craven PC, Andrew Cross - DCC, Dave Williams - DCC, Neville Lucus - Craven PC, John Allonby - Craven PC, Hadi Kaassamani - Speleo Club du Liban, Firas Fayad - Speleo Club du Liban 
The projected route was into Lancaster Hole through to the main drain and exiting from Wretched Rabbit. The trip took longer underground than expected as Wilf Taylor's Passage was carrying a significant stream. At one waterfall, it was decided to turn back. On the return journey, Neville lost a wellie (never to be seen again) due to the force of the stream. We exited from Lancaster Hole. 

Sunday - Bar Pot 
Present: Mike Clayton - DCC/Craven PC, Emma Porter - DCC/Craven PC, Andrew Cross - DCC, Joanna Campbell - ex-DCC, Shepton Mallet CC, Graham Salmon - Yorkshire Ramblers Club, Hadi Kaassamani - Speleo Club du Liban, Firas Fayad - Speleo Club du Liban 
The intended pot was Swinsto Hole, but this was abandoned due to the high water levels in the Dales. Bar Pot was a suitable trip with the main chamber very impressive as Fell Beck was carrying a significant stream. After the main chamber we visited Sand Chambers, Stream Passage streamway on the way to the start of the South East Extension. After Saturday, this constituted an uneventful trip.

Ogof Ffynnon Ddu II, Penwyllt, South Wales

The route: Top Entrance --> Big Chamber --> Bagpipe Chamber (for Del) --> Arete Chamber Top (for Andy) --> Birthday Cake --> The Clay Figures (for Andy) --> Chasm Passage --> Poached Egg Climb --> Straw Gallery (Photo stop) --> The Crevasse --> Bhowani Junction (to look at the pretty) --> Chasm Passage --> Timo's Table (short break for Brendan and Keith to explore the route to the Prokofiev Series - we'll do this next year and need a back-up team of the thinnest members in the Club) --> Arete Chamber Bottom --> Salubrious Stream --> Trident --> Judge --> Out by the normal route except Keith decided to take the crawl past White Arch. A good time was had by all.

Straw Gallery in Ogof Ffynnon Ddu II.

The Team: Brendan, Keith, Del, Carol, Chris, Mel & Andy G

Limestone Mines, Olwyn Gogh Shaft, North Wales

Keith with the assistance of Brendan navigating found the mine this time. (Last time we failed to find it - both believing that the other one knew where it was!) A 400 foot ladder climb led us down into the tunnel, to breath in the diesel and smoke fumes from the recently departed train. (An audible sob was heard to escape from Keith.) We then headed to the limestone working where we spent about 4 hours taking photos in some of the larger galleries. We then headed out via the upper limestone workings.

Limestone workings in the Milwr Tunnel.

Limestone workings in the Milwr Tunnel.

Present: MCl, KEd, BMa, EPo, DRo & DeWi