Giants Hole, Derbyshire

We went to Giants with two tackle bags full of rope and SRT kit. As we approached Geology Pot some kind person had left the traverse and Geology Pot rigged, but not trusting their rigging we rigged our own. Not long after Geology Pot is a small climb followed by what's called the Duck and when we came in it was raining so we decided not to carry on any further and decided to leave. For a change we went out up the Crabwalk. Carrying bags full of heavy wet rope is not much fun when every two minutes they get stuck, mine even managed to get wedged in the Vice. Even Mel started to moan she has had enough, and that's never happened before, so you can guess how relieved we where to be back at Garlands Pot and almost out. 

The Team: AnGr & MeWa

Dan Yr Ogof, Swansea Valley, South Wales, Mazeways

We took advantage of the low water conditions and visited Mazeways.

Wal in a small phreatic passage in Mazeways.

Wal in a small phreatic passage in Mazeways.

See more Dan yr Ogof photos here 

Team: KeEd, BrMa & StWa

Dan Yr Ogof, Swansea Valley, South Wales, The Dive Trip

Two weeks before I had lost my car key and a couple of full SRT kits at the bottom of 18m deep Lake 8. In order to attempt to retrieve the missing equipment I managed to acquire the services of a caver diver and a support team of four. We had to carry all of the diving equipment (two 11kg cylinders, dry suit, fins, regulators, valves, dive computer, mask, lead weights, dive lights and flippers) into the cave - through the lakes, through the long crawl, down a ladder and to the dive sight. The dive was successful and most of the tackle seems none the worse for its two weeks in cold storage. However the flap jack was a little worse for wear. It had been converted into porridge.

Wal ferries a diving cylinder through the Long Crawl.

Colin goes diving in Lake 8 for Keith's keys.

Keith is reunited with his bag.

See more Dan Yr Ogof photos here 

Team: KeEd, BrMa, ChWe & StWa + Colin (the diver) from WMCEG

Dan Yr Ogof, Swansea Valley, South Wales

As we had not planned to go in DYO we did not have wetsuits, so we did some photos in Wigmore Hall. We then went to the start of the Green Canal, took Elliptic Passage down into the Lower Series before making our way out.

Helen viewing formations in Wigmore Hall.

Helen viewing formations in Wigmore Hall.

Jessica at the climb up after the lakes.

See more Dan Yr Ogof photos here 

The Team: JeHa, BrMa & Helen

Dan Yr Ogof, Swansea Valley, South Wales, The Lost Tackle Bag Trip

The aim of the trip was to take some photos between the pitch down into the Great North Road and North Aven. However about an hour or so into the trip I was pushing a tackle bag in front of me in a 'hands and knees' crawl. Suddenly the bag disappeared from view and I heard, "Bang, crash, wallop, crash, crash, biff, bang, wallop, wallop, SPLASH." The bag had fallen down a 10 metre rift and into a pool at the bottom. We tried to retrieve the bag, but the pool was brown and muddy and very quickly became too deep to feel the bottom, i.e. the bag was totally lost and beyond retrieval. This not only totally screwed up the trip as we needed the tackle in the bag (2 full SRT kits, spare batteries, food and drink) to get up and down pitches, but the bag also contained my ONE AND ONLY car key! We had no alternative but to abandon the trip and exit the cave - back through the long crawl and the lakes. 

The Team: KeEd, BrMa, DeRo & ChWe

Llanelly Quarry Pot, Clydach Gorge, South Wales

The entrance consists of a drop down a 10 metre very tight awkward rift impassable to 'persons of larger than average build' which is much more difficult on the way out! This is followed by a small stream which leads to a 20 metre pitch. This leads to a boulder floored chamber where a 5 metre climb down an excavated 5 metre shaft leads to a small inlet stream which feeds the main Midsummer Night's Dream Streamway. We explored the streamway between Ryan's Duck upstream to Hammer Passage downstream. The expedition went very smoothly with everyone managing to climb up the entrance rift in a reasonable time, but ask Brendan if he enjoyed his trip.

Jessica in the Midsummer Nights Dream Streamway.

Rachel in the Midsummer Nights Dream Streamway.

The Totem Pole formation in the Midsummer Nights Dream Streamway.

See more Llanelly Quarry Pot photos here 

The Team: KeEd, JeHa and BrMa + Richard & Rachael from WMCEG

Hillocks and Wharf Mines, Monyash, Derbyshire

The Team: AnGr, MeWa, HeSi, StWa & CaNo + Graham and Evan (NWCC)