Caving Logbook [View Caving Gallery]

  • Caving: Sandford Levy (07-Oct-2024)

    An explore around Sandford Levy with Shipham Scouts. ...

  • Caving: Goughs Cave (28-Sept-2024)

    MCR Cas Care medical scenarios in and around Sand Chamber. ...

  • Caving: Goughs Cave (26-Sept-2024)

    Recce trip to plan for the MCR cas care training on Saturday. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (02-Sept-2024)

    Upper series trip testing the new Petzl Nest Stretcher and Ferno SPED. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (31-Aug-2024)

    Two laps of the Swildon's Round trip, fairly steady going. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (30-Aug-2024)

    Rocky Boulder, Chockstone Rift, Coral Chamber, Coral Squeeze, Upper Traverse, Rabbit Warren Extentions, Dining Room, Everest Passage. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (25-Aug-2024)

    Three laps of the Swildon's round trip, all pretty steady. Very low water levels and no bailing required. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (21-Aug-2024)

    Andy's first proper trip into St Cuthbert's.  Abseiled down Pulpit pitch, then up to Upper Traverse chamber and Rabbit Warren to the Gours, then back via the Curtains and Wire Rift etc. ...

  • Caving: Gb Cavern (10-Aug-2024)

    MCR GB rescue. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (09-Jul-2024)

    Familirisation training with ASSAR Search Dog. ...

  • Caving: Waterwheel Swallet (25-Jun-2024)

    Joint medical scenario and extrication with MCR/HART ...

  • Caving: Dolebury Warren Cave (25-Jun-2024)

    Joint MCR/HART rescue practice. ...

  • Caving: Goughs Cave (23-Jun-2024)

    MCR rescue practice on the adventure caving route. Starting in Boulder Chamber, to Sand Chamber, and out via the Showcave.  ...

  • Caving: Nenthead Mine (08-Jun-2024)

    RESCON scenarios in Nenthead Mine.  We went in via the Smallcleugh Entrance.  Lots of different scenarios involving: medical, rigging, emergencies, digging etc. ...

  • Caving: Swinsto Hole (07-Jun-2024)

    The plan was to do a Swinsto pull-through trip on the way up to Rescon.  We abseiled down the first pitch, but even with the fixed deviation, it still seemed very wet, and there was a lot of water going in to the long crawl.  Rich also thought it seemed wetter than he remembered.  So we decided to head-out, before we pulled the ropes ...

  • Caving: Hunters Hole (29-May-2024)

    SRT trip, via Jago Pot. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (23-May-2024)

    MCR rigging rescue practice on Arete Pitch and Entrance Rift.  Andy and I went to observe, to Pulpit pitch and back. ...

  • Caving: Simpsons Pot (06-May-2024)

    A slight delay finding the entrance, we went a bit to far and ended up at another stream/cave. The through trip was great, I rigged and Wayne de-rigged, and we passed the bags/ropes between us.  Water levels at the duck were quite low.  Everyone got through Slit Pot without too much issue, although we were starting to get quite cold, ...

  • Caving: Shuttleworth Pot (05-May-2024)

    Great first trip into Shuttleworth Pot.  The walk across the fell was lovely.  All the pitches were fairly straightforward, and the big final pitch into the main passage was impressive.  We then had a look at the sumps in Witches cave, before exploring the very impressive and nicely decorated high level passage.  We even found t ...

  • Caving: Lost Johns Cavern (04-May-2024)

    Andy's first exchange trip. In via the Cathedral / Dome route, then down Candle & Shistol pitch to the start of the Battleaxe Traverse.  Then out via Mud / Centipede route. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (07-Apr-2024)

    Quick solo trip to Sump 1, in fairly high water levels. Good sporting fun. ...

  • Caving: Alum Pot (04-Apr-2024)

    We ended up going in the wrong entrance, which confused us for a bit.  We went in the upstream side of the left-hand enclosure, followed this upstream and then went down Baptistry Crawl. We passed Dolly Tubs via the traverse route, which was a cool pitch.  The view out over Alum Pot was as impressive as always.  There were hundreds o ...

  • Caving: Sell Gill Holes (03-Apr-2024)

    A lot of rain overnight and more forecast for today, so we opted for the dry route of Sell Gill.  Fortunately we managed to avoid the rain on the walk up the hill.  The dry-route was still quite wet and drippy.  The y-hangs and re-belays were a bit more technical than what Andy had done before, but he did it all without any issue.&nb ...

  • Caving: Bar Pot (02-Apr-2024)

    Andy's first trip to Yorkshire and first proper SRT trip.  Andy did really well. Steady trip to GG main chamber.  I gave Andy a litle bit of assistance (hauling) on the 30m pitch, just so he wasn't completely knackered for the entrance pitch.  The entrance pitch was no problem at all.  Ice creams at the show cave on the ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (10-Mar-2024)

    Solo trip to look at the Mud Sump, which was completely full. Then through sump 1 and a short way round the round-trip.  Went to Vicarage Pot on the way back. Fairly high water levels, a good fun trip. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (01-Mar-2024)

    Scout caving trip to the end of the drainpipe. ...

  • Caving: Ogof Gofan (16-Feb-2024)

    First trip into the excellent Ogof Gofan.  Slightly delayed until late afternoon due to MOD firing (not advertised on the website). Finding the entrance was fine, thanks to excellent instructions and a GPS track.  Abseiling over the cliff edge and swinging into the cave entrance was very cool, with crashing waves beneath.  Once insid ...

  • Caving: Cwm Dwr (13-Feb-2024)

    Through trip with Helen from Cwm Dwr to OFD1, via the Flood escape route in OFD1.  No issues with the navigation. A really nice steady trip. ...

  • Caving: Ogof Ffynnon Ddu (12-Feb-2024)

    OFD1. Kids trip to the end of the bolt traverse on the flood escape route. ...

  • Caving: Ogof Ffynnon Ddu (11-Feb-2024)

    Kids trip to Gnome Passage and the Wedding Cake. ...

  • Caving: Craig a Ffynnon (30-Dec-2023)

    Great trip to Helicitite Passage. Andy was amazing. We got soaked going through the first boulder choke.  Then all steady to Hall of the Mountain King.  Had a few navigational issues finding Helictite Passage, but not too bad. Took lots of photos. Speedy return trip and out within 90 minutes. ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (29-Dec-2023)

    Water levels were very high. We went in via the Flood Escape route, to Lowe's chain (saw the new Stemples). Lowe's passage was really wet, the stream was far too high. So we went back out via the Flood Escape route too.  Went to visit Starlight Chamber on the way back, but missed the hole in the roof. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (17-Dec-2023)

    An explore around Goatchurch, including the Dexion extensions beyond the end of the drainpipe. ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (17-Dec-2023)

    An explore around Pierre's Pot ...

  • Caving: Mangle Hole (30-Nov-2023)

    MCR rescue practice rigging.  Entrance pitch was horribly wet/muddy/slimmy.  Hauled the stretcher from below the 2nd pitch.  All good practice. ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (27-Nov-2023)

    Shipham scouts to the bottom of the Lobster Pot and back. ...

  • Caving: Reservoir Hole (25-Nov-2023)

    MCR rescue practice from the Grand Galleries. ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (20-Nov-2023)

    Shipham scouts to the bottom of the Lobster Pot and back. ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (18-Nov-2023)

    Easy bimble around OFD top with the kids.  To Gnome passage.  The Ollie and I took Henry down to Salubrious Passage, before catching back up with the others. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (14-Nov-2023)

    To the drain pipe with the Explorer Scouts. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (13-Nov-2023)

    Easy bimble around Goatchurch with Shipham Scouts. ...

  • Caving: Craig a Ffynnon (15-Oct-2023)

    Andy's first trip to Craig a Fynnon.  Very straightforward trip to the Hall of the Mountain King. ...

  • Caving: Cwm Dwr (14-Oct-2023)

    The intention was to do another Cwm Dwr to OFD1 through trip.  There had been a lot of rain on Friday, so we weren't sure what the water levels would be like.  Navigation and the route through Cwm Dwr all went OK.  At the Divers Pitch, there was a lot of water coming down, we would have got soaked, and we weren't sure if this ...

  • Caving: Port-yr-ogof (24-Sept-2023)

    Loads of heavy rain overnight, so our thoughts of doing Craig-a-Fyynnon were scuppered.  The alternative of doing OFD top, was dismissed due to the weather and the walk across the hill. So we thought we'd have a play around in the upper parts of Porth-yr-Ogof.  The main entrance was impressively in flood (as expected), with the river ...

  • Caving: Cwm Dwr (23-Sept-2023)

    Really good trip.  Navigation went suprisingly well - printed copies of the survey and description really helped in the few areas we were unsure.  The kids were amazing.  They started to get a little bit cold after getting wet in Cwm Dwr and also there was quite a lot of water at the Divers Pitch climb, but a hat/buff kept them warm ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (10-Sept-2023)

    Second PGS trip of the weekend, to collect the bag and finish the through trip.  The route down to Clitoris Crawl was very straightforward, especially without a bag.  We then picked up the bag and headed further in to PGS.  At the big 20m pitch, the rope got stuck, I had to prussik back up, in surprising wet conditions, to ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (10-Sept-2023)

    To put the ladder back on the pitch for our PGS trip. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (08-Sept-2023)

    To collect the ladder. ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (08-Sept-2023)

    Steady trip down to Clitoris Crawl.  We had one big bag between us with all our kit/ropes in, which was a bit of a pain to get through the crawl.  I managed it, but the air quality was not great.  We then decided to call the trip and head back out.  The chances of getting the bag back up through the crawl were not looking l ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (08-Sept-2023)

    Quick trip down to the 20' to rig the ladder. ...

  • Caving: Hilliers - Fairy Cave (03-Sept-2023)

    Nice little through trip between Hilliers Cave and Fairy Cave. ...

  • Caving: Croesor Rhosydd Mine (28-Aug-2023)

    Andy's first time into Croesor mine.  After a hard walk up the hill. He did very well.  The abseils were tricky, becuase he just wasn't heavy enough for the thick ropes.  Probably best just to lower him down in the future.  The boat worked fine (fortunately). A caving ladder on the 'up' pitch would have sped thin ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (23-Aug-2023)

    Wire Rift > Mud Hall > Rocky Boulder > Chockstone Rift > Coral Chamber > Fracture Rift > Boulder Chamber > Upper Traverse > Catgut Rift > Rabbit Warren Extensions > Rabbit Warren > Streamway > Everest Passage > Boulder Chamber > Mud Hall > Wire Rift. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (20-Aug-2023)

    Abseil down the 40'. Then to the ladder pitch and back out the wet way. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (22-Jul-2023)

    Andy's first time round the short round trip. He was amazing. Got to Mud Sump, it was dry so we continued.  First trouble was sumped, so we bailed/siphoned for about 25mins, then managed to get through with a small airsapce.  All the other ducks were fine and we were soon back in the streamway and through Sump1. ...

  • Caving: Gb Cavern (09-Jul-2023)

    Andy's first trip to GB. To Bat Passage and an abseil down Ladder Dig. ...

  • Caving: Yordas (26-Jun-2023)

    Various cave rescue scenarios as part of the BCRC medical weekend. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (20-Jun-2023)

    Steady round trip. No bailing required. Plus blue penicl and to sumps 4 and 3. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (11-Jun-2023)

    Was originally meant to be a Priddy Green Sink trip, but forecast thunderstorms changed our plans. We dediced to do the short round trip instead with an excursion down Blue Pencil Passage. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (14-May-2023)

    A really great group of kids. Were super speedy down to the sump. Everyone went through the sump. Andy's first trip through sump one.  Wearing a wetsuit made a big difference for Andy. Great trip. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (08-May-2023)

    Andy's first trip to Sump 1. Fairly high water levels.  We went in and out via the Zig-Zags and Short dry way.  Really good trip. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (19-Apr-2023)

    A nice little evening trip to sump 2. First trip through sump 1 for Rich. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (16-Apr-2023)

    Kids trip. All abseiled down the 40. Then the kids went to the bottom of the 20 ladder pitch with Oli, I belayed them. Then we all headed out. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (10-Apr-2023)

    Steady solo trip, to mud sump (very full) then sump one and back out the wet way. A good sprting trip in reasonably high water levels. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (08-Apr-2023)

    Water levels still quite high. In via zig-zags and short dry way. Abesiled down the old 40 with Andy, which was really good. Then down the 20 to Double Pots. Back out via the short dry way. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (01-Apr-2023)

    Very high water levels, almost going through the upper pipe.  Went in via the tree and the zig-zags. Jacobs ladder was too wet, so went in via long dry way as far as the water chamber, then back out the same way.  Got a good soaking getting back out the blockhouse. ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (25-Mar-2023)

    Quick trip to the bottom of the lobster pot with those who were keen. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (25-Mar-2023)

    Scout caving trip to the bottom of the Goatchurch. Plus abseiling down the coal chute. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (24-Mar-2023)

    Water levels were very high. We abseiled in via Pulpit pitch, but then there was a sudden increase in water levels whilst we were in the streamway. Everything was a lot wetter than usual, so we climbed out the streamway at Bypass Passage and decided the safest option was to start heading out.  The entrance rift was very wet, so we decided that ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (03-Dec-2022)

    MCR cave rescue practice. ...

  • Caving: Wookey Hole (15-Nov-2022)

    Rescue practice hauling session at Wookey Chamber 9. ...

  • Caving: Box Stone Mines (22-Oct-2022)

    Rescue practice in the southern section. ...

  • Caving: Bath Swallet (09-Oct-2022)

    Kids caving trip, lowered them both down the main pitch in Bath. Hand line and life line on the stacked boulder climb down. Life-lined them up Purple Pot. ...

  • Caving: Bath Swallet (08-Oct-2022)

    Through trip from Bath Swallet to Rods Pot, plus some hauling and rescue practice in the Rods main chamber. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (02-Oct-2022)

    Round trip plus Blue Pencil to Sump 3 and 4. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (29-Sept-2022)

    Photo trip to Curtain Chamber and the Entrance Rift. ...

  • Caving: Shatter Cave (26-Sept-2022)

    A steady evening trip to Shatter Cave in Fairy Quarry. The pretties beyond Pillar Chamber were super impressive. ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (08-Jul-2022)

    A really good steady trip. Rich's first time in PGS. As normal, overheated massivey in PGS wearing a NeoFleece, but was then OK when we got wet in Swildon's.  Think I might try wearing a fleece next time. The pre-placed drink/snacks at the top of Blue Pencil were a welcome treat. Came out via the Mud Sump instead of going through all t ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (08-Jul-2022)

    Solo trip to rig the ladder and leave some drinks/snacks at the top of Blue Pencil Passage. Finished the trip by going via the troubles and sump 1. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (04-Jul-2022)

    Wire Rift, Lower Mud Hall, Chockstone Rift, Coral Chamber, Coral Squeeze, Fracture Rift to Boulder Chamber. Then standard tourist route and back out via Wire Rift. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (30-Jun-2022)

    Round trip. ...

  • Caving: Eldon Hole (25-Jun-2022)

    Playing around with Tyroleans and ropework at Eldon Hole as part of the Rescon 2022 Cave Rescue conference in Derbyshire. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (09-Jun-2022)

    Steady round trip. ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (28-May-2022)

    The newly bolted right hand route. Really great fun. Quite technical rigging. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (06-May-2022)

    Solo short round trip. Moving pretty quickly, no bailing required.  ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (28-Apr-2022)

    Solo short round trip. Moving pretty quickly, no bailing required. A nice little trip. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (23-Apr-2022)

    Childrens's caving trip. Izzy and Oliver went to the 20' pitch and then went back with Jenna. I then took Andy and Charlotte to Barnes Loop. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (20-Apr-2022)

    Leisurely evening trip to do the round trip. Nice to not have to do any bailing of the ducks/sumps. ...

  • Caving: Simpsons Pot (27-Mar-2022)

    I pre-rigged Valley Entrance with a ladder whilst the others walked up the hill. Another lovely walk up the hill in amazing weather. I'd forgotten just how long the entrance passage goes on for before you get to the first pitches, which we free-climbed until the first proper pitch was reached. The duck was quite low, but a feet first appro ...

  • Caving: Stream Passage Pot (26-Mar-2022)

    After doing the Yorkshire Three Peaks on Friday, which was a very hot run.  We had a nice walk up in lovely weather to GG main entrance, we then looked at the map to navigate across to Stream Passage Pot entrance. The short entrance pitch was rigged and I carried on down the streamway to start rigging the first of the big pitches (which starts ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (18-Mar-2022)

    Pulpit Pitch, Bypass Passage, Sentry Passage, Upper Traverse, Rabbit Warren to Gour Hall. Back via Everest, Boulder Chamber and Wire Rift. ...

  • Caving: Pwll Dwfn (07-Mar-2022)

    Photo trip on pitch 3. Then Tom/Maxine and I went to the bottom of the cave before haeding out. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (05-Mar-2022)

    Went to have a look at the mud sump, which was not passable. Completely backed-up , even the ladder dig pot just before the mud sump was also flooded. Went back to the streamway and down to sump 2.  Saw Chris and Louis a few times who were on a Sump 12 trip. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (03-Mar-2022)

    Wire Rift, Lower Mud Hall, Rocky Boulder, Chockstone Rift, Coral Chamber, Coral Squeeze, Fracture Rift, Boulder Chamber, Upper Traverse, High Chamber, Catgut, RWE, Plantation Junction, Sump 1. Back out via Cerberus Hall, Everest Passage etc. ...

  • Caving: Craig a Ffynnon (27-Feb-2022)

    Really great trip to Helicitite Passage, they were really impressive. This cave is amazingly muddy at times! ...

  • Caving: Reads Cavern (26-Jan-2022)

    Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police via SARCALL at 21:24 on 26th January 2022, concerning a caver physically stuck in Reads Cavern in Burrington Combe. A party of 7 had entered the cave, and one caver had attempted an awkward squeeze in Zed Alley and found that they were unable to pass a rock constriction, and had become jamm ...

  • Caving: Pen Park Hole (14-Jan-2022)

    Photography trip. Interestting but muddy cave in the centre of Bristol. The main lake chamber was pretty impressive, as was the ladder climb down to it (required three ladders joined together). ...

  • Caving: Gb Cavern (12-Jan-2022)

    Photography trip to White Passage and Bat Passage. ...

  • Caving: Gb Cavern (11-Jan-2022)

    Quick setup trip for tomorrow's photography. Rig Ladder Dig climb and check the route to Bat Passage was not flooded. ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (08-Nov-2021)

    OFD Cave Rescue. Went in on Sunday evening at midnight, came out midday on Monday. ...

  • Caving: Agen Allwedd (25-Oct-2021)

    Lovely walk along the tramway. Had a few route finding issues in the entrance series. Need to remember that most of the key route finding descions in the entrance are to the left on the way in. Just as you approach the boulder choke the route on is through a hole in the floor which was not immediately obvious, then along a small streamway and into ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (24-Oct-2021)

    Awesome trip along the flood bypass route. Water levels were too high for the kids to go in the streamway. All the kids were really great on the wire traverses. We then rigged a lifeline for the ladder climb across the stream passage and the final via-ferrata section. We then went up the olipitical tubes to Pi Chamber, had something to eat then hea ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (23-Oct-2021)

    Kids caving trip. Managed to find the route OK to Gnome passage through the Brickyard. Went too far down Gnome passage before realising we needed to turn off to the left earlier to get to the wedding cake and then the corkscrew climb down to salubrious passage. Kids did really well on the straddling sections along Salubrious Passage. We then stoppe ...

  • Caving: Eastwater Cavern (21-Oct-2021)

    Mendip Cave Rescue were called by Avon and Somerset Police via SARCALL at 00:49 on 21st October 2021, concerning an overdue party visiting Eastwater Cavern in Priddy. A mixed group of 5 cavers were trapped beyond the entrance boulder ruckle due to rising floodwater. Mendip Cave Rescue worked alongside Devon & Somerset Fire & ...

  • Caving: Hunters Hole (14-Oct-2021)

    MCR Cave Rescue rigging practice. Really good session all working together with a counter balance haul up the big pitch. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (12-Oct-2021)

    Wire Rift, Lower Mud Hall, Rocky Boulder, Chockstone Rift, Coral Chamber, Coral Squeeze, Fracture Rift, Boulder Chamber, Upper Traverse, High Chamber, Catgut, RWE, Plantation Junction, Streamway, Bypass Passage, Water Chute, Mud Hall, Wire Rift. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (14-Sept-2021)

    Solo short round trip. First try of the Bestard canyoning Boots. Really good in the streamway, they drain really easily, are lightweight and are super grippy on wet rock. First trouble was already open. Got far too hot again in the Neofleece. ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (12-Sept-2021)

    In via the main stream to the Dip Sump boulder choke. Had an explore round Waterfall Series. Came out via the Flood Escape Route and the high level traverses. ...

  • Caving: Little Neath River Cave (11-Sept-2021)

    Second trip of the day. Water levels were really low and the water flowing into the cave was amazingly warm. Went to Bridge Sump, then had a look at the Canal which was open. Ended up following the stream all the way down to the second sump in LNRC. Awesome stream passage. ...

  • Caving: Pwll Dwfn (11-Sept-2021)

    SRT trip to the bottom. Cave was already rigged. ...

  • Caving: Dan-Yr-Ogof (10-Sept-2021)

    Evening trip in DyO. Water levels were really low, so the Mazeways sump was open. We had a quick detour into Mazeways whilst on the round trip. ...

  • Caving: Croesor Rhosydd Mine (30-Aug-2021)

    Another great trip through this mine. ...

  • Caving: Croesor Rhosydd Mine (27-Aug-2021)

    Awesome through trip. The tyrolean traverses have been changed to monkey bridges. ...

  • Caving: Wookey Hole (18-Jul-2021)

    MCR Rescue rigging training in Wookey Hole. ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (25-Jun-2021)

    PGS is always a great trip. Entrance series was a bit slimy. Trip went well. Used a single 27m rope with a thin piece of cord for the pull-downs. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (24-Jun-2021)

    Evening trip to rig the Swildon's ladder and check the mud sump was open before a PGS trip tomorrow. ...

  • Caving: Upper Flood Swallet (21-Jun-2021)

    Photograhpy trip to Neverland and the Departure Lounge, which was amazing. The boulder choke was all OK, even with tackle bags. Took about two hours to get to Neverland, two hours of photos, and then two hours to get out again. Really good trip. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (16-Jun-2021)

    To Maypole series ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (25-May-2021)

    Short Round trip solo ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (20-May-2021)

    Solo round trip, Originally went to have a look at the water levels in the Mud Sump, but when I found that was dry I carried on round the round trip. Suprisingly the troubles were also dry enough to get through without bailing. A great trip. ...

  • Caving: Reeds Cave (12-May-2021)

    Photo trip with Martyn to the cool "Little Man" formation. Great to see and some really interesting history. ...

  • Caving: Pridhamsleigh Cavern (12-May-2021)

    First caving trip in Devon. Took us a while to find the lake, trying to follow the guidebook description. We then headed out and did the trip back to the lake again to try and remember the way. Took a few photos on route. Cave is obviously very well used as the rock is very polished and slippery. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (11-May-2021)

    Wire Rift, Lower Mud Hall, Rocky Boulder, Chockstone Rift, Coral Chamber, Coral Squeeze, Fracture Rift, Boulder Chamber, Upper Traverse, High Chamber, Catgut, RWE, Dining Room, Cerberus Series, Everest Passage, Boulder Chamber, Pillar Chamber, Mud Hall, Wire Rift. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (03-May-2021)

    Family trip to the ladder pitch ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (29-Apr-2021)

    Photography trip to the Cascades ...

  • Caving: Gb Cavern (22-Apr-2021)

    Photograhpy trip to main chamber. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (26-Mar-2021)

    Standard tourist trip ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (17-Feb-2021)

    Steady going trip down to sump 1 and back. Water levels were reasonably high. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (13-Dec-2020)

    Water levels were fairly high. Izzy did really well getting up and down the ladder pitch in such wet conditions. Her first trip past double pots. We stopped at Barnes Loop for a snack before heading out. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (03-Dec-2020)

    Wire rift, mud hall, boulder chamber, upper traverse, rabbit warren, plantation, gour hall, sump 1. Back out via stal pitch, cerberus series, everest, boulder chamber, fracture rift, coral chamber, rocky boulder, mud hall, wire rift. Had planned to go to sump 2, but the water levels on the approach passage to sump 1 were very high, only a few inche ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (20-Nov-2020)

    Wire Rift, Lower Mud Hall, Rocky Boulder, Chockstone Rift, Coral Chamber, Coral Squeeze, Fracture Rift, Boulder Chamber, Upper Traverse, High Chamber, Catgut, RWE, Dining Room, Cerberus Series, Everest Passage, Boulder Chamber, Pillar Chamber, Mud Hall, Wire Rift. Top dam had been left in (with a piece of wood across the pipe) and was overflowing w ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (28-Oct-2020)

    Wire rift, mud hall, boulder chamber, upper traverse, september series, catgut, RWE, struggle passage, gour hall, rabbit warren, railway tunnel, strike, curtains, boulder chamber, mud hall and out. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (25-Oct-2020)

    To the drain pipe and back with the kids. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (15-Oct-2020)

    Wire rift, boulder chamber, upper traverse, high chamber, september series, victory passage, cut-through to cone chamber, september boulder ruckle, high chamber, upper traverse, railway tunnel, rabbit warren to top of stal pitch, up streamway to everest passage and out. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (17-Sep-2020)

    Pulpit Pitch, lower mud hall, rocky boulder, chockstone rift, coral chamber, coral squeeze, fracture rift, boulder chamber, upper traverse, high chamber, catgut, RWE, struggle passage, plantation, stal pitch, dining room, cerberus series, everest, boulder chamber, pillar chamber, mud hall, wire rift. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (06-Aug-2020)

    Wire rift, mud hall, pillar chamber, boulder chamber, strike passage, railway tunnel, rabbit warren, plantation, gour hall, sump 1. Back out via main stream, stal pitch, bypass passage, water chute, mud hall and wire rift. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (23-Jul-2020)

    Evening trip: Wire rift, lower mud hall, rocky boulder, chockstone rift, coral chamber, coral squeeze, fracture rift, boulder chamber, upper traverse, hareem, railway tunnel, rabbit warren, dining room, cerberus series, lake chamber, everest, boulder chamber, crystals, lower mud hall and out via wire rift. ...

  • Caving: Dan-Yr-Ogof (17-Jul-2020)

    First proper caving trip post covid-19 lockdown. The showcave was still closed. Nice to be back underground on a decent trip. Did the round trip plus a loop up to the risings. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (04-Jul-2020)

    First Covid-19 post lockdown trip with the kids. Short dry way in, to just beyond the ladder pitch, out via the wet way. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (01-Mar-2020)

    Rescue of party that were trapped beyond the entrace rift. Fire brigade pumped out enough water until we were able to get in. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (18-Feb-2020)

    Wire rift, mud hall, pillar, boulder chamber, upper traverse, high chamber, september chamber, catgut, RWE, RW, plantation, gour hall. Then back out via plantation, RW, railway tunnel, strike passage, curtains, boulder chamber, pillar, mud hall and wire rift. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (17-Feb-2020)

    An explore around Rocky Boulder and Coral Chamber. Wire rift, mud hall, lower mud hall, rocky boulder. Then back to mud hall and pillar chamber to boulder chamber then quarry corner. Abseiled down the rescue route to chockstone rift. Then Coral chamber, coral squeeze, fracture rift and back to boulder chamber and out. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (09-Feb-2020)

    Avoiding the storm by heading underground. Long dry way in, short dry way out. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (08-Feb-2020)

    Wire rift, mud hall, pillar chamber, boulder chamber, upper traverse, harem passage, railway tunnel, fingers, rabbit warren, plantation, gours, sump 1. Back out via stal pitch, dining room, cerberus series, stafford boulder problem, everest passage, curtain chamber, boulder chamber, pillar chamber, mud hall and wire rift. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (30-Jan-2020)

    Wire rift, mud hall, water chute, bypass passage, sentry passage, upper traverse, harem passage, fingers traverse, everest, lake chamber, cerberus series, dining room, stal pitch, plantation junction, rabbit warren, railway tunnel, strike passage, boulder chamber, pillar chamber, mud hall, wire rift and out. ...

  • Caving: Dan-Yr-Ogof (24-Jan-2020)

    Evening round trip to make the most of the low water levels. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (23-Jan-2020)

    Wire rift, mud hall, pillar chamber, boulder chamber, everest, dining room, rabbit warren, struggle passage, plantation junction, underneath the gours, sump 1, sump 2. Back to sump 1, over the top of the gours, plantation junction, rabbit warren, railway tunnel, harem passage, upper traverse, boulder chamber, pillar chamber, mud hall and wire rift. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (09-Jan-2020)

    Short trip to the Mud Sump then to Sump 1 and back out again. Reasonably high water levels. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (28-Nov-2019)

    Evening trip with Matt & Mandy: Wire rift, mud hall, pillar chamber, boulder chamber, strike passage, railway tunnel, rabbit warren, RWE, catgut, september chamber, illusion chamber, cone chamber, september boulder ruckle, high chamber, upper traverse chamber, sentry passage, bypass passage, water chute, lower mud hall, mud hall, wire rift ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (14-Nov-2019)

    Evening trip with Matt & Mandy. Wire rift to Mud Hall. Then Lower Mud Hall and an explore of Rocky Boulder Series. Back out via wire wift. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (10-Nov-2019)

    Easy solo trip to have a look at the water levels in the Mud Sump (it was defineley full up). Then down to Sump 2 and back out. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (30-Sep-2019)

    Quick evening trip. Wire rift, mud hall, pillar chamber, boulder chamber, upper traverse, rabbit warren, plantation junction, stal pitch, everest, boulder chamber and out. ...

  • Caving: Eastwater Cavern (18-Sep-2019)

    Evening trip down Eastwater. First time i've been down this cave for a very long time. Went to the head of Gladmans shaft and the start of the West End Series. Also had a quick look into Regent Street. ...

  • Caving: Croesor Rhosydd Mine (15-Sep-2019)

    An entertaining trip through the "Indiana Jones" mine up in North Wales. Traversing from Croesor Mine to Rhosydd Mine.  It's such a massive place and the rock is so dark it is very hard to take any decent photos. All the fixed lines were of reasonable quality. Lots of abseiling, tyroleans, and a canadian canoe towards the end. Gr ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (09-Sep-2019)

    Evening trip in Cuthberts. Wire Rift, Mud Hall, Pillar Chamber, Boulder Chamber, Upper Traverse, High Chamber, Catcgut, RWE, Rabbit Warren, Stal Bank, Streamway, Dining Room, Cerberus Series, Everest, Curtains, Boulder Chamber, Pillar Chamber, Mud Hall, Wire rift and out. ...

  • Caving: Wookey Hole (08-Sep-2019)

    Not much time spent underground, but I did the cave entrance control for the rescue practice from chamber 22. Lots of learning and working with different teams. ...

  • Caving: Wookey Hole (07-Sep-2019)

    A day in Wookey Hole as part of the BCRC Rescon 2019 conference. The morning we spent in Chamber 9 practicing rigging, hauling and counterbalance etc. The afternoon I went to the resurgence and helped with transferring an injured diver into a stretcher. I then borrowed some diving kit and went for a quick swim round the resurgence pool. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (31-Aug-2019)

    Solo short round trip. Fortunately there was another group in the process of bailing the mud sump, which had quite a good airspace through when I got there. I had to spend quite a lot of time bailing the first trouble, which takes longer than normal when you are on your own!! The rest of the trip was straightforward. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (12-Aug-2019)

    Evening trip to the Old Grotto with MCR to test the Nicola Radios and also Cave Link. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (08-Jul-2019)

    Monday evening trip. Mud Hall, Water Chute, Bypass Passage, Sentry, High Chamber, September Series, Catgut, Rabbit Warren Extensions, Rabbit Warren, Railway Tunnel, Strike Passage, Boulder Chamber, Pillar Chamber, Mud Hall. A great little round trip visit different parts of the cave. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (18-Jun-2019)

    Solo trip. Wire Rift, Mud Hall, Water Chute, Bypass, Sentry, Upper Traverse, Hareem, Rabbit Warren, Plantation,  Gours, Sump 1. Back out via Stal Pitch, Dining Room, Cerberus, Everest, Boulder Chamber, Pillar Chamber, Wire Rift. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (10-Jun-2019)

    Evening trip. Mud hall, Pillar Chamber, Boulder Chamber, Upper Traverse, Railway Tunnel, Rabbit Warren, Plantation, Stal Pitch, Dining Room, Cerberus, Lake Chamber, Everest, Boulder Chamber and out. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (29-May-2019)

    Short easy trip with the kids. In the long dry way letting the kids explore around. Helen then took Andy out the short dry way, whilst Izzy and I went out the wet way.  ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (22-May-2019)

    Standard tourist trip round St Cutberts in the evening. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (16-May-2019)

    Oli and Russ first trip into St Cuthberts. Did the standard tourist trip loop and looked at all the pretties. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (07-May-2019)

    Solo trip to check out water levels. There was no water in the mud sump, which I later found out was pertly due to a group going through at the weekend. Main stream water levels were also very low and there was an airgap through Sump1. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (31-Mar-2019)

    Easter egg hunt with the kids. In via the long dry way, down the 20' ladder pitch and a short way along the streamway. Out via the wet way. A suprising amount of water in the cave given how dry it has been recently. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (16-Mar-2019)

    High water levels in Swildon’s but the kids did amazing. In the long dry way, down to the ladder pitch, out the wet way. The 8ft slide was entertainingly wet. We also rescued a frog from just above the ladder pitch and I carried it out in my helmet.  ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (30-Jan-2019)

    Jo's first trip into Rods Pot. ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (30-Jan-2019)

    Explore around the upper series of Pierre's Pot with Jo, helping her put together a risk assessment for instructing. ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (21-Jan-2019)

    Evening trip to the bottom of the third pitch in Rhino Rift. I rigged and Maxine de-rigged. ...

  • Caving: Bridge Cave (13-Jan-2019)

    As we cut the LNRC trip short, we decided to have a quick trip into Bridge Cave down to the sump. ...

  • Caving: Little Neath River Cave (13-Jan-2019)

    A really really cold and wet trip into LNRC. Even though the water levels were low the water was super cold and the neofleece was just not adequate for warmth. We headed down a passage that we thought was the Canal Bypass, but it got lower and lower and we were not sure if that was the correct way. We checked on the survey afterwards and it was the ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (12-Jan-2019)

    OFD Top to OFD 1 Through trip. Fortuantely Tim knew the way really well through OFD top, so we got to Maypole inlet and the main stream without any issues. Lots of fun in the main streamway trying to jump over all the pots and avoid getting wet. The route through OFD 1 1/2 was pretty straightforward, only a few hessitations with the navigation. We ...

  • Caving: Dan-Yr-Ogof (11-Jan-2019)

    DYO Round Trip, in the evening after work. Water levels really low for this time of year. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (19-Dec-2018)

    After a lot of rain yesterday it was always going to be a wet trip today. Put the upper dam in place just to try and ensure our exit was as dry as possible. Abseiled in via Pulpit Pitch, down to Gour Hall and then back out via Rabbit Warren, Railway Tunnel, Cascades, Strike Passage, Curtains, Boulder Chamber, Pillar Chamber, Mud Hall and Wire Rift. ...

  • Caving: Swildon's Hole (12-Dec-2018)

    Quick trip to show Jo the various routes around the entrance series of Swildon's. To the pitch and back. ...

  • Caving: GB Cave (16-Nov-2018)

    Evening trip into GB. Very foggy on the surface so finding our way from the farm, across The Gruffy Nature Reserve, to the cave entrance was amusing. Standard route into the cave and down into main chamber. Then up into Ladder Dig. We finally built up enough enthusiasm to go through the wet duck. I found the way through the boulders and into Bat Pa ...

  • Caving: Swildon's Hole (22-Oct-2018)

    A super quick evening trip to Sump 1. It was great fun moving fast down the streamway. Very low water levels, with a big air gap through sump 1. We had a short explore along the start of the round trip from Tratmans Temple before heading out. ...

  • Caving: Swildon's Hole (19-Sept-2018)

    Solo photogaphy trip into Swildon's to play around with the DSLR camera and flashes. Been a few years since I've used the SLR camera so just trying to remember how it all works etc. Water levels were very low. All photos were taken at Barnes Loop. ...

  • Caving: OFD (08-Sept-2018)

    OFD Top to OFD 1 Through-trip. I was amazed at how little I remembered of the route from top entrance to Salubrious passage, without James I certainly would have got well and truly lost. A quick visit to the Trident & Judge and then down Maypole Inlet to the main stream. Water levels were very low and much fun was had trying to jump over all th ...

  • Caving: Dan-yr-Ogof (07-Sept-2018)

    Far too long since I last did this trip. I renewed my wardens permit earlier this year so we could get access through the showcave. Water levels were very low. Crossed the lakes and found our way through to the long crawl without any issues. Once we were out the crawl, we had a quick visit to flabergasm oxbow, before heading round the round trip. W ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (29-July-2018)

    A great weekend without the kids for Helen and I. Kayaing and body boarding in Woolacombe on Saturday, followed by a St Cuthberts trip on Sunday. Went in via pulpit pitch, down to plantation junction and back out the high level tourst route. With a quick diversion along stike passage to see the curtains. Cave was very dry. ...

  • Caving: Swildon's Hole (23-Jun-2018)

    Family caving trip with Jenna. Zig-Zags and Long Dry Way on the way in. Kids were very tired from a late night so only made it just beyond the 8' slide. Headed back out the Short Dry Way. ...

  • Caving: Swildon's Hole (05-May-2018)

    A family caving trip to the top of the 20 foot drop. First time the kids have been down the 8' slide. Water levels were quite low. Went in via the Long Dry Way and out via the Wet Way. Kids loved it. ...

  • Caving: Swildon's Hole (04-May-2018)

    A quick solo outing on the Swildon's Round Trip. Mud sump was dry but the Troubles were still quite high. No bailing required which was nice as I was on my own. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (17-Mar-2018)

    A very wet and cold trip. Water levels were generally quite high which also wasn't helped by the fact that we were doing the trip late in the day so the dam had been closed for a large part of the day (due to other groups in the cave) and was starting to overflow. It was also minus temperature oustide and starting to snow which made the wa ...

  • Caving: Swildon's Hole (26-Jan-2018)

    Fairly high water levels again, but another good trip down and through Sump 1.  ...

  • Caving: GB Cave (14-Jan-18)

    After the saga of collecting the wrong key from the Belfy (we got the CSCC key, instead of the GB key), I had to go back and get the correct key. We had a nice easy trip down through the main chamber and up into Bat Dig. A few went though the duck to the further reaches whilst others made an earlier escape to the pub. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (13-Jan-18)

    I initially thought that a group of 16 of us doing the Short Round Trip would be far too big, but it worked out well due to the amount of bailing we had to do.  Water levels weren't too bad in the river but the sumps/ducks on the round trip were very high. We spent about 1 hour 15 mins bailing the mud sump to get an airspace (about 10cm) w ...

  • Caving: Swildon's Hole (03-Jan-18)

    A great evening trip in high water levels. Everyone down and through Sump 1. ...

  • Caving: Swildon's Hole (31-Dec-17)

    To Sump 1 and back in high water levels. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (30-Dec-17)

    A great kid friendly trip with friends all the way down to the drainpipe in Goatchurch. ...

  • Caving: Swildon's Hole (06-Aug-17)

    A nice little trip with the kids down to the 8ft slide. It was nice to see Andy being able to do a lot of it himself. In via the Long dry way and out the wet way. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (30-Dec-2016)

    A great trip with the kids exploring Goatchurch Cavern. Used the harness to get them down the coal chute. First time taking the kids through the drainpipe to the end, which they loved (and did the drainpipe twice - they fit through much easier that Helen and I do!!). Came back out the Tradesman entrance with use of the ropes/harness again. ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (05-Nov-2016)

    Priddy Green Sink is always an awesome trip.  Maxine was feeling a little bit hungover/drunk but did extremely well in such a difficult cave considering she could barely walk on the surface.  All went well, we came out via the short round trip and the (rather dry) mud sump. ...

  • Caving: Swildon's Hole (05-Nov-2016)

    A trip to rig the ladder ahead of our Priddy Green Sink trip.  Also had a little jaunt down to Sump 1 and an explore of the zig-zags in the entrance series. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthbert's (01-Jul-12)

    Standard Tourist Trip around St Cuthberts, including visiting sump 1. New dam had been installed at Gour Hall. ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (16-Jun-12)

    As always, a great trip through Priddy Green. Out via Blue Pencil Passage, and the short round trip. There was no ladder on the Swildon's 20' pitch so we had to free-climb. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthbert's (31-Aug-11)

    Abseiled in via Pulpit Pitch and then down the streamway to Gour Hall. Back out via Rabbit Warren, Railway Tunnel, Mud Hall etc. ...

  • Caving: Swildon's Hole (19-Jul-11)

    Evening trip to do Swildon's Round Trip. Back through Sump 1 in very dry conditions ...

  • Caving: Swildon's Hole (13-Jul-11)

    Evening trip to Sump 2. Back out via the wet way. ...

  • Caving: Swildon's Hole (26-Jun-11)

    Scout Caving Trip to Sump 1. ...

  • Caving: Pierre's Pot (25-Jun-11)

    Ladder Practise and ropework with Scouts on the entrance pitch. ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (25-Jun-11)

    Scout Caving Trip to the Lobster Pot. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (25-Jun-11)

    Scout Caving Trip to the end of the drainpipe. ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (25-Jun-11)

    Scout Caving Trip to the bottom of Rod's Pot ...

  • Caving: Swildon's Hole (08-May-11)

    Swildon's short round trip. Very low water levels in the streamway and mud sumps, although we still had to bail water from the troubles. ...

  • Caving: GB Cave (07-May-11)

    To the main chamber. Including some rope work skills and rescue practise at the bottom leading up to the ladder dig. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (22-Jan-11)

    BEC Rescue Practice in St Cuthberts. I spent most of the morning on the surface baby sitting Izzy, but managed to sneak underground in the afternoon for a quick trip to help de-rig and also take hot drinks down for the people who had been getting cold all morning. ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (26-Jun-10)

    Photos in Rods Pot ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (26-Jun-10)

    More Photos for publicity in Sidcot. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (26-Jun-10)

    Taking Photos of the different Scout groups for publicity. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (09-May-10)

    Swildons Round Trip ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (08-May-10)

    Through trip from Bath Swallet ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (27-Mar-10)

    As always, a great trip through Priddy Green Sink into Swildons. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (01-Nov-09)

    Diving trip to Sump 9. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (11-Oct-09)

    To sump 1 ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (10-Oct-09)

    Photos in Goatchurch Cavern of Scouts Caving. ...

  • Caving: Dan-yr-Ogof (13-Sep-09)

    Round Trip in DYO ...

  • Caving: Pant Mawr (12-Sep-09)

    To the Sump ...

  • Caving: GB Cavern (31-Aug-09)

    Solo trip into GB to take Photos. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (10-May-09)

    To Sump 1 ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (09-May-09)

    To the Lobster Pot ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (09-May-09)

    To the Drainpipe ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (09-May-09)

    To the Main chamber in Rods ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (24-Jan-09)

    Quick but wet photography trip. Went to the main chamber > Curtain Chamber > Main Streamway and the back out via the Railway Tunnel. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (13-Dec-08)

    Photography trip but after lots of heavy rain Swildons was quite exciting so I didn't go as far as originally plannned. I headed to just below the eight foot slide and then back up to the old grotto where it was quite a bit drier. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (11-Dec-08)

    Cave Rescue Training with the MRO. Mainly based around Casualty Care and Stretchers. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (29-Nov-08)

    An easy going photography trip. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (16-Nov-08)

    Nice Gentle trip round the standard tourist route at the RatFest weekend. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (12-Oct-08)

    Scout trip to Sump 1 and back. ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (10-Oct-08)

    Friday evening trip to the bottom of the main pitches. Met another group on the way out who were doing the right-hand route. ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (05-Oct-08)

    A very wet and sporting trip through Priddy Green Sink and out through Swildons Hole. A lot of rain meant that the entrance series and pitches were a lot wetter than normal. Also, the Swildons stream and blue pencil passage were quite sporting. ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (07-Sep-08)

    An easy going trip into OFD top, down to Salubrious passage and a look at the the Trident and the Judge formations. We then went to have a look at the very high and fast flowing main streamway via maypole inlet. On the way back me, Helen, Sam and Jon went to have a look at the Mini Columns and a general explore around the entrance series. ...

  • Caving: Pwll Dwfn (06-Sep-08)

    A wet trip to the bottom of Pwll Dwfn. A lot of water around everywhere made this normally dry cave a lot wetter. All the pitches were OK and we had a quick look at the sump and scaffolding at the bottom. ...

  • Caving: Gouffre Berger (27-Aug-08)

    As this classic deep pothole was rigged for the caving conference we thought we'd best do at least one trip in there. It took us quite a while to find the entrance as we missed one of the smaller paths heading across the limestone pavement. The entrance series of pitches down to the big Puits Aldo pitch resembled more of a cold alpine cave with ...

  • Caving: Grotte de Bournillion (25-Aug-08)

    An easy day to visit this impressive cave which boasts the largest cave entrance in Europe. We also went into the cave as far as the siphon temporaire. ...

  • Caving: Grotte de Gournier (19-Aug-08)

    An absolutely classic trip. Excellent fossil passages and an active streamway more resembling a canyon. The entrance lake was crossed with ease by using an inflatable boat kindly lent to us by the Wessex Cave Club. A short, high level, traverse then got us into the large and decorated fossil passage. After a short walk and scramble across boulders ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (16-Aug-08)

    Was meant to be a diving trip to Sump 9 but due to Regulator failures we only made it to the far side of Sump 4. We then decided to head out via the Short Round Trip which was quite sporting. The Double Troubles were very high water levels which made passing them in the wrong direction quite challenging. There was probably at least one inch of airs ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (03-Aug-08)

    After spending about an hour trying to get into the cave due to a damaged lock on the door we finally made it to the first pitch. A few photos were taken on the 2nd and 3rd pitch. We also went to the bottom of the cave to have a look at the dig which seemed fairly open compared to last time we were here. A slow trip back out. C02 levels seemed high ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (29-Jun-08)

    Scout badge course to sump1 and all through the sump and back. ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (28-Jun-08)

    Scout badge course ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (28-Jun-08)

    Scout Badge course. All went OK apart from one of the scouts dropped the tacklebag down the avens. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (28-Jun-08)

    Scout badge course to the Drainpipe ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (08-Jun-08)

    A tour of the popular routes. Abseiled in via Pulpit pitch and then went for a visit to September Series before finishing off with a tour round the standard tourist route. ...

  • Caving: GB Cavern (17-May-2008)

    MRO Rescue Workshop with various stations around the cave covering first aid, casualty care, pitch hauling, stretcher carrying, hypothermia and communications. I was running the stretcher carrying base which went well. ...

  • Caving: GB Cavern (16-May-2008)

    Darrell, Sarah and I carried in the 50kg rescue dummy in preparation for tomorrow?s rescue practice. This was left at the top of the Gorge whilst Tom finished of the pitch hauling rigging by the Devils Elbow ladder. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (11-May-2008)

    Tourist trip including Pulpit Pitch. First underground abseil for Sam, Jon and Richard which they seem to enjoy. From the bottom of Pulpit we then headed along the streamway to sump 1. On the way back out we visited all the pretties on the tourist route. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (10-May-2008)

    Rescue practise along the Long Dry Way in Swildon?s. We started at the Old Grotto where one group packaged the casualty up into the stretcher and began the carry out. We also had radio communications with the surface but this was less successful. The stretcher was carried to the chamber just before the entrance. <br> <br>Afterwards we h ...

  • Caving: GB Cavern (28-Mar-2008)

    Quick photography trip to the main chamber. ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (13-Jan-2008)

    A very wet sporting trip from Priddy Green Sink through to Swildon's. Priddy Green Sink was generally very wet and the pitches were all very damp but that was just the start of it. We then landed in a fairly high Swildon's Four streamway which we struggled our way up to reach Blue Pencil Passage which had a small stream flowing out of it. I ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (12-Jan-2008)

    A very slow trip to the bottom of the cave. We were stuck behind a group learning how to rig (and tie knots)! The bottom of the cave was very wet and we got a good soaking on the bottom pitch. The dig at the bottom of the scaffolding was sumped again. A slow cold trip out then followed. ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (06-Jan-2008)

    Photography trip and also a trip for Helen to practise rigging. Spent quite a lot of time on the 1st pitch photographing and experimenting with flashbulbs. <br> <br>After the pitches we went down to have a look at the bottom of the cave and my old dig. All the scaffolding is still in place and seems secure, however the horizontal tube a ...

  • Caving: Notts Pot (31-Dec-2007)

    An exchange trip down to the lower streamway. Helen, Claire and I headed down Centre Route following a group from Cambridge University. We were suprised just how quickly we made it down all the pitches and reached the Lower Streamway. We didn't go any further here due to water levels. The other group (consisting of Barry, Crispin and Dave) then ...

  • Caving: Lancaster Hole (29-Dec-2007)

    This proved a very popular trip as water levels were very high throughout the dales. We rigged our ropes amoungst the others and descended Lancaster Hole. From here we went to have a look at the very impressive formations in the Colonnades Chamber. We then went onto Fall pot to try and do an exchange trip with our other group who were meant to be d ...

  • Caving: Bar Pot (28-Dec-2007)

    A wet walk up the hill to Bar Pot and an even wetter trip in the cave. I was suprised just how wet this usually dry cave was after a lot of wet weather. Gaping Ghyll main chamber was very impressive with a huge amount of water coming out of all the openings in the roof which also created a very powerfull draught. Also, where the Flood entrance rout ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (12-Dec-2007)

    More MRO rigging at the 20' pitch. The idea from last week didn't work as well as we had hoped so we set about revising the plan. We put a Tyroleon traverse horizontally across the roof of the passage which then gave us sufficient height to transfer the stretcher horizontally and well away from the water. <br> <br>Whilst rigging ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (05-Dec-2007)

    Evening trip to look at rigging the 20' pitch from a rescue perspective. Spent quite a lot of time searching for natural anchors at the top and bottom of the pitch. We then rigged a Tyrolean Traverse across the pitch which worked quite well and then sketched our ideas down on paper. Water levels were higher than normal which made life more inte ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (02-Dec-2007)

    Quick trip to the Lobster Pot and back. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (02-Dec-2007)

    First caving trip for Craig's sons James and Tom. To the end of the drainpipe and back. ...

  • Caving: Dan-Yr-Ogof (25-Nov-2007)

    Quick Round Trip in DYO. Water levels were fairly high, especially across the entrance lakes. We did the round trip via the Lower Series first, so as to transport some of the bouyancy back to the other end of the Green Canal. Also visted Flabbergasm Oxbow. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (24-Nov-2007)

    Paul's first cave diving trip to Sump 9. All went well and it was a fairly quick trip. Visibility was amazingly good in the sumps (for Swildon's anyway). ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (11-Nov-2007)

    The plan was to go to Sump 9 for Dave's first trip beyond the sumps. However the usual problem of cave diving kit not liking the carry down to sump 2 prevented us from going any further. One of the cylinders had a damaged valve that couldn't be fixed on scene. <br> <br>Dave had a quick dive through sumps 2&3 with the other w ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (10-Nov-2007)

    Memorial trip to unveil the plaque in memory of Dave 'Wig' Irwin. A very good turnout from a whole range of age groups. Lager was drank at Cerberus Hall and some classical violin music played live as part of the farewell party. We had a very quick trip and were fortunately last people in and first people out as we had to get back to helping ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (14-Oct-2007)

    Fairly low water levels but loads of students on Freshers Trips. Went to Sump 1 and back. ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (07-Oct-2007)

    As always - a good trip through Priddy Green Sink into Swildons. All was good until we got to the twenty foot pitch where we there were lots of people and it was very slow and cold. PGS is definately a lot cleaner now. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (06-Oct-2007)

    Quick Tourist trip to Gour Hall after the BEC AGM and before the dinner. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (29-Sep-2007)

    Trip to Sump 1 with West Sussex Scouts. ...

  • Caving: Dan-Yr-Ogof (09-Sep-2007)

    Round Trip in DYO. Water levels were very low. Also went to have a look at Flabbergasm Oxbow. The Green Canal seemed exceptionally cold. ...

  • Caving: Pwll Dwfn (08-Sep-2007)

    An SRT training trip with Michael & Jamie. To the bottom of the 4th Pitch. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (04-Aug-2007)

    Second trip of the day and yet more Photographs for the SUSS Calendar. Went standard tourist trip visiting all the pretties en-route. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (04-Aug-2007)

    An amusing photgraphic trip in Swildon's for the new SUSS calendar. Went to Sump 2 and back. Took Photos at Sump1, Double Pots, Eight-Foot Climb. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (24-Jun-2007)

    Quick Trip to Sump 1 and a look at the start of Black Hole Series. Water levels were very low despite lots of recent rainfall. ...

  • Caving: St. Cuthberts Swallet (23-Jun-2007)

    Rescue Practice in St. Cuthberts. Spent most of the time with Emma testing out the heyphone in various locations throughout the cave. We went to Sump 1, September Chamber and Upper Traverse Chamber and could talk to both the surface and other underground teams without too many problems. We then headed back to Wire Rift where we watched the last par ...

  • Caving: St. Cuthberts Swallet (22-Jun-2007)

    Rigged Ledge Pitches & Pulpit Pitch for the Rescue Practice at the Weekend. ...

  • Caving: St. Cuthberts Swallet (21-Jun-2007)

    Rigged Wire Rift in preparation for the Rescue Practice at the weekend. ...

  • Caving: St. Cuthberts Swallet (14-Jun-2007)

    A quick trip to look at Wire Rift, Mud Hall and the Ledge Pitches in preparation for the Rescue Practice next weekend. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (13-May-2007)

    Short Round Trip. Luckily the Mud Sump was open but the Troubles were sumped and we bailed them for about 20 mins for a sufficient airspace. The water levels in the streamway had risen quite significantly and the way out was fairly sporting. All good fun. ...

  • Caving: GB Cavern (12-May-2007)

    Water levels were very high in GB main Chamber. Headed down to the ladder dig. Climb back up the main chamber was fairly wet. We then practised some hauling techniques on the ladder leading up to the Devils Elbow. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (15-Apr-2007)

    Water levels were very low. Our plan was to do the Short Round Trip. Simon lead the way so as he could try and remember the route for future trips. The mud sump was open when we reached it but we spent about 20 minutes with two other guys bailing it so as to empty some of the water out and give more of an airspace. Double Troubles were also very lo ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (14-Apr-2007)

    A trip into St. Cuthberts with Simon's work colleagues who have all been caving before. Abseiled down Pulpit Pitch, followed the streamway down to the sump by-pass and then on down to Gour Hall and Sump 1. We then headed back out via Plantation Junction > Rabbit Warren > Railway Tunnel > Cascades > Strike Passage > Curtain Chambe ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (03-Mar-2007)

    Photography trip with Pete Moody to the New Renascence series of Swildon's Hole for the new guidebook. Excellent trip, had to dive the Sidcot U-tube as water levels were fairly high. The squeeze by the far sump was not particularly pleasant. I was far too hot most of the time wearing a 7mm wetsuit. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (24-Feb-2007)

    The Aim of the trip was to get some photos in Watergate for the Swildons Guidebook and for Helen to do her first Cave Dive. <br> <br>We got to the entrance to Watergate without any problems and with a bit of a struggle on the first section made it to the first duck in the Watergate series, which was sumped. We bailed this for about 40 m ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (17-Feb-2007)

    A easy going trip to Sump 2 in Swildon's Hole with Tristan from the UK Active Website ...

  • Caving: Goughs Cave (13-Jan-2007)

    A nice trip to the Sump 1B Dive Base at Lloyds Hall in Goughs Cave, Cheddar. The aim of the trip was to fix and alter the scaffolding and fixed aids in preparation for the diving season in the spring. We then went to visit the Dire Straights sump on the way back. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (07-Jan-2007)

    Chris's first trip to Sump 12. We had previously been to Sump 9 together but Chris had problems with his regulator then. <br> <br>Once at Sump 12 we had a look at Sump 12B and Chris had a look up the rift at Sump 12A. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (07-Jan-2007)

    After getting engaged we thought we best sneak in a quick caving trip. I found that some of the wires on my ladder had broken when we got to the pitch so we decided to go back and have a quick tour of the upper dry series instead. ...

  • Caving: Lost Johns Cavern (30-Dec-2006)

    Water levels were very very high. We rigged two dryish routes which joined in the main streamway. We carried on a short way but the stream was too high to safely continue. There was a continuous sound like thunder in the cave due to how high the water was. ...

  • Caving: Joint Hole (29-Dec-2006)

    We started off having a look at Hurtle Pot but the vizibility didn't look very good and it looked like hardwork to get in so we decided on Joint Hole instead. <br> <br>Unfortunately I ripped the neck seal on my drysuit when we were getting kitted up so had to dive in a wetsuit but without any boots. <br> <br>The diving i ...

  • Caving: Simpsons Pot (27-Dec-2006)

    Simpsons Pot to Kingsdale Master Cave Through Trip. Finding the entrance up on the plateu was a bit of a problem despite having done the trip before. Once in the cave we didn't have any real problems route finding. We ended up leaving the last pitch (Slit Pot) rigged just in case the other group were following us as we knew their rope wasn' ...

  • Caving: Wookey Hole (03-Dec-2006)

    Lots of rain meant fairly high water levels in wookey and not very good visibility. A tiring dive to Chamber 20 against the current via the deep route and we decided it was probably best not to go any further. We had a quick explore in the impressive Chamber 20 before the fun dive back. Basically managed to dive all the way back to Chamber 9 withou ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (26-Nov-2006)

    Standard Tourist Trip in St Cuthbert's on the CHECC weekend ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (25-Nov-2006)

    The Aim of this trip was to do the Long Round Trip. However I managed to let go of my camera bag in Sump 4 because I was carrying so much stuff through. The next hour or so I spent searching Sump 4 for this bag. Once I used all my air up I swapped cylinders with Dave so i could continue the search. Fortunately I found it just as we were about to he ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (22-Nov-2006)

    An afterwork trip down to Sump 2 and back. The cave was suprisingly busy for a Wednesday evening. ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (04-Nov-2006)

    Photo trip through Priddy Green Sink and then out through Swildon's Hole. Got some good photos for the Swildon's Guidebook ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (15-Oct-06)

    ECSCT Team Trip.' Short Round Trip in Swildons Hole.' Fortunately all the ducks and the mud sump were low enough that they didn't require bailing.' Met the other ECSCT group at Sump 1 on our way out.' We made it out the cave just before the hoards of University Freshers were heading in. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (08-Oct-06)

    To visit the Airbells in Sump 9 and also survey the Swildon's Twelve Sump Pools.' Unfortunately Chris's High Pressure regulator hose exploded at Sump 2 and therefore he had to continue to Sump 9 with only one cylinder.' This then meant I had to go to Sump 12 on my own.' I dived into sump 9 tied off a jump line the far side of th ...

  • Caving: Wookey Hole (01-Oct-06)

    CDG Weekend hosted by the Somerset Section.' Excellent Dive to Chamber 20 in Wookey Hole, visibility was crystal clear despite recent heavy rainfall.' Climbed out from Chamber 20 and de-kitted at the top of the slab.' Then went to explore the lake and main chamber.' On return to our kit we lowered it down into the sump pool and kitt ...

  • Caving: Dyo (10-Sep-06)

    Same trip as yesterday but with different people. When we got to the green canal all the bouyancy was on the far side so I had to swim across to bring it all back for everyone. ...

  • Caving: Dyo (09-Sep-06)

    Water levels were very low. Gained access into DYO without too many problems. Across the lakes, through the long crawl, round the round trip and then back out. ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (19-Aug-06)

    Dave's first trip into Priddy Green Sink. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (08-Jul-06)

    Tourist Trip with a group of Cavers from Bristol. To September Series and then down to Sump 1. Headed back out via Everest Passage etc. Easy going trip. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (25-Jun-06)

    ECSCT Trip - September Series ...

  • Caving: Longwood August (24-Jun-06)

    ECSCT Trip - Into Longwood down into the main streamway. Then explored both directions up the streamway before heading out via August Chimney. ...

  • Caving: Longwood August (17-Jun-06)

    Quick Roundtrip into Longwood and out August Chimney ...

  • Caving: Peak Cavern (29-Apr-06)

    Very impressive through trip from Titan to Peak Cavern via the White River Series. Although I had heard quite a lot about it I was still amazed at the engineering work that had taken place to mine a vertical shaft 50m through solid rock and to hit the side passage at the top of Titan main shaft. Our lights didn't do justice to the size of Titan ...

  • Caving: Alum Pot (09-Apr-06)

    Exchange Trip from Dolly Tubs, down to the Alum Pot Sump to look at the huge amount of water coming down Diccan Pot and the back out Alum Pot Main Shaft ...

  • Caving: Stream Flood (08-Apr-06)

    Exchange Trip from Stream Passage Pot to Bar Pot via the Gaping Ghyll Main Chamber ...

  • Caving: Swinsto Hole (07-Apr-06)

    Through trip from Swinsto to Kinsdale Master Cave ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (18-Feb-06)

    Standard Tourist Trip to Sump 2 ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (18-Feb-06)

    Swildons Round Trip. Lots of bailing was required at the Mud Sump and the first Trouble. ...

  • Caving: Stream Flood (26-Nov-05)

    CHECC 2005. Exchange Trip from Flood Entrance to Stream Passage Pot. The trip didnt start wonderfully well as we lost two members from Exeter University on the walk up to the cave. They were taking ages to get ready and were not looking where we were going. Flood Entrance was rigged OK and we visited GG main chamber before meeting up with Kev, Jim ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (20-Nov-05)

    The dam to the cave has broken but the entrance rift is still fairly dry. We abseiled down pulpit pitch then continued down the streamway to Stal Pitch where we rigged a ladder over the top. We then went down to Gour Hall and onto Sump 1. On the way back Michael & Jamie went under the Gours while Helen and I took the more sensible and dryer ove ...

  • Caving: Jackpot (22-Oct-05)

    We eventually found the cave after wandering round lots of different fields. After convincing the scouts the water cascading down the Entrance was OK we made fairly fast progress to the pitch. They all got quite a soaking on Idiots Leap. We then rigged the ladder on the pitch off to one side to avoid the water. EECIT (East Essex Caving Instructors ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (16-Oct-05)

    To sump 1 and back. Casey and I went in first to rig the 20 foot pitch. All went OK and everyone went through the Sump. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (15-Oct-05)

    In the Main Entrance and round to the Coal Chute which we abseiled down. We then returned via bloody tight and exited via the Tradesman Entrance. ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (15-Oct-05)

    Rigged a ladder down the entrance to give the Scouts the practise of climbing ladders and then just had a quick explore round before returning to the ladder. ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (15-Oct-05)

    To the top of the avens ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (15-Oct-05)

    Standard trip to the Lobster pot with ECSCT Scouts ...

  • Caving: Alum Pot (09-Oct-05)

    After finding Diccan Pot was too wet we headed across to Lower Long Churn cave which after a short pitch breaks out into the side of the Alum Pot main shaft. From here we traversed along the right hand wall and crossed over the bridge, we then traversed across the shaft a bit further before making the final free-hanging descent to the floor. We the ...

  • Caving: Simpsons Pot (08-Oct-05)

    We parked at entrance to Braida Garth on the Kingsdale road and headed up past Valley Entrance to Simpsons Pot (Grid Ref: SD 69623 77864 375m). The first few pitches, called five Steps, we freeclimbed until we reached the pit. The Pit is thr first big pitch you come to and it is important to traverse over this and not abseil down it. Now the pitch ...

  • Caving: Longwood August (04-Oct-05)

    As Helen missed out on doing the trip on Saturday we did the same trip again. ...

  • Caving: Templeton Pot (03-Oct-05)

    Very impressive engineering and digging project ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (02-Oct-05)

    ...

  • Caving: Longwood August (01-Oct-05)

    ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (26-Sep-05)

    A short after work trip round the upper series of Swildons. Exploring side passages and experimenting taking photos with the new Digital firefly slave unit. ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (17-Sep-05)

    Water Levels were fairly low. For the first time ever I found the way from OFD top to Maypole inlet without getting lost at all. From there we headed down the streamway, through OFD 1 1/2 and then into OFD1. ...

  • Caving: Llygad Llwchwr (11-Sep-05)

    A short trip exploring the dry passages of Llygad Llwchwr. We managed to find three of the river chambers. ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (10-Sep-05)

    OFD Top Entrance to Cwm Dwr through trip. Despite slight Navigational issues in the OFD Top Entrance Series we eventually made it through to Salubrious Passage and then down into Maypole Inlet to join the main stream. Water levels were fairly low and a lot of fun was had getting wet down the stream. Once we reached the confluence we fortunately met ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (24-Jul-05)

    ECSCT SRT Training Weekend ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (26-Jun-05)

    ECSCT Scout Weekend ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (25-Jun-05)

    ECSCT Scout Weekend ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (25-Jun-05)

    ECSCT Scout Weekend ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (25-Jun-05)

    ECSCT Scout Weekend ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (25-Jun-05)

    ECSCT Scout Weekend ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (14-May-05)

    ECSCT SRT Training weekend. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (08-May-05)

    Short-round Trip ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (07-May-05)

    Tourist Trip ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (03-Apr-05)

    What was hoped to be a fairly straightforward trip through Priddy Green Sink and out of Swildon's turned out to be a bit of an adventure. All was OK until the main 20m big pitch. I went down first. Paul then followed but somehow lost control of his Petzl Stop which didn't stop him and he plummeted about 10m before landing on a ledge with hi ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (20-Mar-05)

    Lots of getting lost in OFD 2 before heading out via Cwm Dwr. ...

  • Caving: Pwll Dwfn (23-Jan-05)

    Nice easy going trip to the bottom of Pwll Dwfn. The Brecons were very picturesque on the walk-up as they were covered in snow. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (09-Jan-05)

    A trip to Desperation Extensions in Desolation Row where everything that could go wrong went wrong. To start with I managed to break the tap on the cylinder in one of the sumps so I couldn't turn it off, had I needed to. Fortunately the journey up into Desolation Row all went OK. We then got some very impressive photos of the Canyon and Sandwic ...

  • Caving: Hirlatz Hohle (30-Dec-04)

    Entered Cave on: 30/12/2004 and Exited on: 02/01/2005 30/12/2004: From the Car Park (550m a.s.l.) we walked up the steep hill in very deep snow to reach the very cold Hirlatz entrance (870m a.s.l). We then caved all the way to Schwabenland in the East of the System and set-up our base for the next few days. 31/12/2005: From Schwabenland we headed o ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (18-Dec-04)

    Solo trip testing out new digital camera. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (03-Dec-04)

    Quick Solo trip before BEC committee meeting. ...

  • Caving: Gaping Ghyll (28-Nov-04)

    CHECC weekend ...

  • Caving: Little Hull Pot (27-Nov-04)

    CHECC Weekend ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (07-Nov-04)

    Aim of the trip was to dive sump 2. We went to sump 2 via the standard tourist route (apart from Crispin & Kev who went down pulpit pitch). Once at sump 2 I dived on a base fed line through into a small flooded chamber, airspace could be seen but not reached, from here I went feet first down a 45degree descending tube that was partially full of ...

  • Caving: Thrupe Lane (06-Nov-04)

    Not been down Thrupe lane for some time so decided to give it a go on this particularly busy mendip weekend. Route-finding was no real problem thanks to excellent description from Mike Wilson. Down to Atlas pot, the descent of which was on very dodgy worn out bolts and under a lot of water. Followed the passage ata the bottom to the sump before ret ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (23-Oct-04)

    Another visit to sump 12. Previously, after various digging trips, an underwater connection was made between sump 12 and sump 12a. At the weekend we went back with the intention of following the main flow of the water between sumps 12 and 12a. From sump 12a, 25m of line was laid to a depth of 13.1m. It was at this point we were met with a gravel ba ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (17-Oct-04)

    to sump 1 ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (16-Oct-04)

    ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (16-Oct-04)

    ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (16-Oct-04)

    ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (03-Oct-04)

    To cure the hangovers we the short-round trip. ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (02-Oct-04)

    After the BEC AGM and before the Annual dinner we got a quick trip to the bottom of Rhino Rift and back. ...

  • Caving: Sima Pumacocha (15-Sep-04)

    A trip to the bottom of the cave following on from the previous pushing trip to see if the muddy ascending tube had by-passed the sump. Unfortunatley it hadn't so we took lots of photos instead and then started de-rigging the cave. Prussiking up the cave with tacklebags and at altitude was very very hard work. It was nice to get-out. ...

  • Caving: Sima Pumacocha (14-Sep-04)

    Photographs in the Entrance Series ...

  • Caving: Sima Pumacocha (12-Sep-04)

    The cave was now rigged almost to where we hoped to by-pass the sump, so Snablet and I headed down with drills and bolting kits and bolted up into a rather muddy ascending tube. We then traversed along mud covered walls before getting to a opening in the floor. Water could be heard rushing below. Rigging the drop was difficult as the walls had a co ...

  • Caving: Sima Pumacocha (10-Sep-04)

    Chris insisted on taking his newly aquired video camera on every trip and as it was kept in a yellow pellican case he soon got the nickname "Yellow Peril Productions". With lots of rope, Drills, Batteries, Rigging Gear and more Hangers than we knew what to do with we headed very slowly into the cave with our train of gear. Once at the X-F ...

  • Caving: St Valentino Mine (09-Sep-04)

    For our rest day we headed over to the Mine to have a look at the delights of a Peruvian Mine. We certainly didn't go to admire their Health & Safety standards!!. Also Nick was tasked with doing a geological survey for them in return for all their hospitality during our expedition. The mine was guarded by heavilly armed guards and after a c ...

  • Caving: Sima Pumacocha (08-Sep-04)

    Our Aim was to head down to the X-Files ledges and continue rigging down from where the other team left. However it was Mark's turn to suffer with Altitude sickness so we left the bags of rope at the pitch for another day and we all headed (slowly!) out. ...

  • Caving: Sima Pumacocha (07-Sep-04)

    Huge Entrance shaft that takes the majority of the water that is found further down in SP2. I went down to the 100m Mark where Phil & Tom were and then headed out slowly trying to avoid getting another killer headache. Took some photos on the way back but the shear size and amount of water meant they didn't come out on my camera. ...

  • Caving: Sima Pumacocha (07-Sep-04)

    Solo trip behind Pete & Snablet to see if the altitude was getting any better. They went on to rig Ammonite shaft while I followed on behind tidying up the rigging. I was not feeling too bad which I'm not sure if that was due to being better acclimatised or the Coca Tea and Diamox Tabelts. Anyway I headed over to SP1 (which Phil & Tom h ...

  • Caving: Sima Pumacocha (06-Sep-04)

    A recce trip into this fine cave and also an acclimatisation trip to test out the affect of the altitude. We drove up to the cave entrance on the mining tracks, the altitude seemed fine until we tried to get out the 4x4 trucks and walk. Suddenely a fine International Caving Expedition Team could hardly move. Netherless we got changed and carried so ...

  • Caving: Peru Caving (05-Sep-04)

    Two weeks of High Altitude Caving in a fantastic corner of the globe. Stunning Scenery high up in the Andes and deep vertical potholes taking lots of water. The Altitude (4500m - 5000m) caused everyone a number of problems of varying severity throughout the trip. The Hostipality was second to none with un-beatable facilities and food provided by th ...

  • Caving: Corkys Pot (29-Aug-04)

    Headed down this newly discovered through trip by BPC. It reminded me of something like Wigmore or Priddy Green. Lots of tight crawling and awkward pitch heads. Fortunately the five ladders were all already rigged. The final abseil into Mud Hall of GG was good and welcomed after all that crawling. We went out via the CPC's escape ladders on Bar ...

  • Caving: Gaping Ghyll (29-Aug-04)

    Down Dihedral first thing in the morning before the winch started and then did some work in the Main Chamber for the CPC winchmeet. Got the winch back up afterwards. ...

  • Caving: Juniper Golf (28-Aug-04)

    Classic Yorkshire Pothole. We took it in turns rigging and eventually got to the bottom. Looked at the sump and then headed back out. Did some work at GG afterwards for the CPC winchmeet. ...

  • Caving: Black Shiver (22-Aug-04)

    After a lovely!! Night at Braida Garth we headed over to Chapel-Le-Dale & found a unique little parking spot behind the Hill Inn. Form Here we headed up to Black Shiver. Water levels were fairly high so we only managed the first few pitches before turining round at the duck just before the big pitch. ...

  • Caving: Hurnel Moss (21-Aug-04)

    Mendip start. After collecting 1500m of rope from Caving Supplies en-route to the dales we didn't head off until the afternoon. We were then side tracked by the CPC members up at GG on their winchmeet. When we finally got underground it was a good trip. A nice warm up in preparation for Peru in a few weeks time. ...

  • Caving: Ogof Draenan (31-Jul-04)

    Steady trip to Big Country with Vince. I didn't really know where we was going or where we went but we found some impressive formations and rather large chambers. ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (15-May-04)

    Despite the inevitable navigational problem in OFD top we eventually made it down to the streamway and carried on to Top Waterfall. On the way out Bridget fell and hit her back in the great oxbow sump bypass in the main stream. Fortunately she was OK but it could have been a lot worse. We left the cave via Cwm Dwr. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (09-May-04)

    Sump 1 Training for ECSCT members. ...

  • Caving: Otter Hole (08-May-04)

    Another filming trip for the 'Secret Underground' HTV series. Carried all Gavin's filming gear through all the horribly muddy stuff in Otter Hole. The tidal sump was somewhat of a unique feature to find in a cave. We had to wait a few minutes for the water levels to drop. When we eventually got everyone and all the gear to the Hall of T ...

  • Caving: Gb Cavern (06-May-04)

    ECSCT Team Trip. In Via Devil's Elbow to Bat Passage. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (01-May-04)

    Scouts from Maplin District down to Sump 1. ...

  • Caving: Jh Engine Mine (14-Mar-04)

    Ian Holmes and Thom were planning on doing a through trip from JH to Peak Cavern. The ropes were already rigged in JH so they set off hoping to emerge in Peak Cavern. However once in the Speedwell system they were convinced the waist deep water was the wrong way and so turned to try and find an alternative route. They ended up in a horribly muddy a ...

  • Caving: Maskill Mine (13-Mar-04)

    After spending ages looking for the entrance to Maskill we evetually did the exchange trip through to Oxlow Cavern. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (06-Mar-04)

    Gentle Trip down to Sump 2. Claire's first trip beyond Sump2 ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (22-Feb-04)

    East Essex Caving Instructor's Team (EECIT) Form Cave Assesment. ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (21-Feb-04)

    East Essex Caving Instructor's Team (EECIT) Form Cave Assesment. ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (21-Feb-04)

    East Essex Caving Instructor's Team (EECIT) Form Cave Assesment. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (21-Feb-04)

    East Essex Caving Instructor's Team (EECIT) Form Cave Assesment. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (07-Feb-04)

    Yet more digging down at Sump 12. Phill dived first and removed a big slab of rock from the bottom of the squeeze. Andy, Tash and I then dug more gravel out for a short period gradullay filling up out 1Tonne bags. As always a throughly hard trip. ...

  • Caving: Darren Cillau (10-Jan-04)

    Our problems started before we even got in the cave when the owner of the house next to Whitewalls shouted at us for parking outside Whitewalls. As we wasn't sure if we were allowed to park there or not we moved along to the quarry car park instead of causing an argument. After the dreaded entrance crawl I succesfully found the way to Big chamb ...

  • Caving: Cueva Fresca (04-Jan-04)

    Fairly relaxed trip. There was more to this cave than I had originally expected. It would be nice to do the through trip. We stopped at a point where there was some high exposed traverses that required cowstails that we didn't have. ...

  • Caving: Sima Tonio (02-Jan-04)

    The weather was nowhere near as good as it was when we were last here but the trip was equally as good. We split into two groups: one group went up and collected the Cueto rope that was put in earlier in the week while me, Bea, Pete, Phil and Chris headed down Tonio. Most of the trip was how I remebered it however there was a lot more water in the ...

  • Caving: Torca Del Carlista (31-Dec-03)

    After spending the previous day trying to find the entrance which took longer than expected, so the trip yesterday was carried forward to today. Excellent series of fairly large pitches one after the other. The last of which brings you through the roof of the largest chamber in europe. A rebelay on the roof of the chamber then takes you onto the si ...

  • Caving: Sistema Coventosa (28-Dec-03)

    Drop 200m rope down entrance shaft for through trip which never happened due to waterlevels. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (03-Dec-03)

    We started of by doing some filming just inside the entrance to Swildon's. I then took one of the HTV Presenters back to the wessex and raced back to catch the others up who were heading down to sump 1 to do some filming. Gavin filmed numerous sections of streamway showing Phill and I moving together for incorporation into the film. ...

  • Caving: Wookey Hole (03-Dec-03)

    Took the Wednesday off work to help Gavin with his filming for HTV. We carried all the gear into the cave where Phill and I helped Gavin set-up the camera. HTV then did some interviews and walking around while we held lights and microphones. The majority of this was done in chamber 3. ...

  • Caving: Pwll Dwfn (29-Nov-03)

    Weekend of the CHECC Seminar. Down to the sump which was particulary high. ...

  • Caving: Little Hull Pot (09-Nov-03)

    Classic SRT trip with members of the CPC. Nick rigged the majority of it although I did one or two pitches. ...

  • Caving: Sleets Gill (08-Nov-03)

    We only went a short way into this cave as we were uncertain of the weather and this cave floods rapidly and also we had to go meet the other CPC members from the earlier Dowkabottom trip. ...

  • Caving: Dowkabottom (08-Nov-03)

    Fairly easy horizontal cave which was in quite a remote area of the dales with a long walk in. Nick and I spent a long time exploring all the various passages. ...

  • Caving: Darren Cillau (31-Oct-03)

    An excellent trip to almost the end of Darren Cillau. Friday night: We had a steady trip to Hard Rock Caf?. It took us a little while to find the camping stuff which we eventually found hidden in a chamber near to Bonsai Streamway. We then speant a little while preparing the campsite before heading down to have a look at the Pwll-Cym Sump from the ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (12-Oct-03)

    To Sump 1. Lots of people on the way out. Water levels very low. ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (11-Oct-03)

    ECSCT badge course weekedn to end of Rods pot ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (11-Oct-03)

    ECSCT Badge Course weekend. To the end of the drainpipe. ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (11-Oct-03)

    ECSCT badge course weekend. Laddered Pierre's Pot then just let the scouts explore for a bit. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (05-Oct-03)

    Short Round. Sunday of BEC AGM weekend ...

  • Caving: Dyo (14-Sep-03)

    Short trip to flabbergasm oxbow. ...

  • Caving: Dyo (13-Sep-03)

    ECSCT Team Trip. Water levels very low. Nice to do the roundtrip again. Had to do the Green Canal three times to move bouyancy back to the start. It was also nice to come out with the showcave still open. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (07-Sep-03)

    Another trip down to sump 12. This time it was just to see what had happened in the sump. We did not have enough air to do a digging trip. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (06-Sep-03)

    50th Anniversary of Cuthbert's and a whole range of different cavers from different periods of the exploration. We all headed slowly down to Cerbrus hall where champagne was drunk and exploration songs sung. I then headed out to help assist in getting the BBQ and Beer ready. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (05-Sep-03)

    A quick solo trip before the BEC committee meeting. I managed to do the Short Round Trip in 45 Mins which included rigging the ladder. All good fun but very hot and sweaty in my waterproof PVC suit. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (25-Aug-03)

    After a hard caving trip yesterday we deserved a nice easy tourist trip to look at the formations in September Series. As usual I found my way through the September boulder choke but then took ages to actually find my way into September chamber. However the formations are stunning so the temporary route finding problems were worth it. On the way ou ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (24-Aug-03)

    After returning from the Alps in the summer we all wanted to know what the previous explosion had done to sump 12. Unfortunately more gravel/rocks had slumped in but I guess that was to be expected. Using our efficient digging system more gravel & rocks were cleared from the sump by all three divers. We have now completely filled the 1T Gravel ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (12-Jul-03)

    Our aims for this trip were to: Radio locate Sandwich Chamber, Blow up Sump 12 boulder pile and to film it all in the process. Needless to say our first problem was getting the vast amounts of radio, filming and lighting kit to Sandwich Chamber - the furthest point of Swildons. I got the short straw again of re-climbing Victoria Aven to put the rop ...

  • Caving: Agen Allwedd (06-Jul-03)

    Grand Circle - Excellent trip with lots of variety. Streamway passage is very impressive. Jumping in the big plunge pool was also good fun. If I can find the way it is well worth doing again, however Souther Stream Passage did drag on for quite a while. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (05-Jul-03)

    Short Round Trip. Water levels were very low. Jon was not too keen on both Blue Pencil Passage and the various ducks / aquatic crawls. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (29-Jun-03)

    To sump 1 and return. Both in and out the Entrance Series via the Short Dry Way. ...

  • Caving: Avelines Hole (28-Jun-03)

    To bottom of cave on ECSCT badge course. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (28-Jun-03)

    To bottom of cave on ECSCT badge course. ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (28-Jun-03)

    To bottom of cave on ECSCT badge course. ...

  • Caving: Merstham Mines (22-Jun-03)

    SECRO Cave Rescue Practise. Merstham mines is all stooping so it is not ideal for the back. We searched the mine for the casualty. I was amazed just how much passage there was for a mine in Surrey. ...

  • Caving: Pwll Dwfn (01-Jun-03)

    Found the entrance thanks to the GPS. After problems with Kev's light failing he rigged down to the 4th Pitch on my backup light. We couldn't go any further as we ran out of rope. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (11-May-03)

    ECSCT Trip - Thouroughly knackered everyone out on the Swildon's Round Trip. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (10-May-03)

    Ian, James and Ben rigging the 20' pitch in preparation for their Form 'C' ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (10-May-03)

    ECSCT Rescue Practise. Carrying stretcher from the top of the main chamber to the entrance chamber. It clearly showed to everyone involved just how long it can take to rescue someone from a cave. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (04-May-03)

    The aim of the trip was to re-survey the passage between sumps 8 and 12. This went very successfully. We started by diving through to sump 10 where we dropped all our gear, we then went back to the end of sump 9 and surveyed through sump 10 and then along the passage to sump 12. That took us about 2 hours and we were no rather cold but I decided to ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (04-May-03)

    Went in the short dry way and down to the pitch where there was so many people trying to get both up and down the pitch we decided not to bother and headed back out the wet way. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (03-May-03)

    Our plan for the day was to go and have a look at the somme in Paschendale at the end of Shatter series. This quickly got changed when we met a group of Derbyshire cavers from Eldon PC at the Mud Sump on the round trip. They asked if we had seen there friend coming up the streamway as he had just dived what they thought was sump 1 but we soon found ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (06-Apr-03)

    Kev's first trip into this delightfull cave. Although obiously still poluted the stremway is getting better, mayby because of the dry weather. Anyway after lots of fighting with the tackle bag in clitoris crawl we finally made it through to the pitches. The pitches were a lot faster with just the two of us and we were soon in the Swildon's ...

  • Caving: Dyo (23-Mar-03)

    After carrying Joel's diving gear to the lakes for him we continued on to do the round trip and also do some digging in Mazeways. When we reached the juction with the lower series by the crystal pool we found all the buoyancy from the Green Canal pilled up hear!! We picked it all up and carried it back round to the Green Canal via the upper ser ...

  • Caving: Cwm Dwr (16-Mar-03)

    A successful through trip in very low water levels. Route finding went without too many problems. I think after too fairly long trips for their first time underground Jon and James were suitably tired. ...

  • Caving: Dyo (15-Mar-03)

    Very low water levels this weekend so we decided to do a short round trip in DYO. The showcave was closed so we had to use the cavers entrance to get in. From there we had no real problems and everyone apart from me seemed to enjoy swimming across the lakes. After the long crawl which was not everyone's favourite part of the cave we completed t ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (08-Mar-03)

    After our trip a couple of weekends back we headed back to sump 11 to have a look at this climb in the roof of the new chamber and also to try and survey it. Phill carried in a fleece suit so as he could try and get to the end. The trip to eleven went OK and were soon thrutching our way up this horribly tight tube. It was not possible to do any acc ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (01-Mar-03)

    Extremely high water levels in the whole of South Wales meant the only sensible option was to do something high level, so we decided upon the OFD traverses. Tim did very well with the route finding and there were very few places we actually got lost. We were soon on the traverses and although they are high and very exposed it is quite easy traversi ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (22-Feb-03)

    Aim of today's trip was to climb the aven above sump 11 and continue up the tube that Mike and I believed to be Desolation Row (See Logbook Entry 291). En-route to sump 11 we found the viz to be exceptionally clear and also the water to be bitterly cold. The clear viz was probably due to low water levels and frozen ground outside. It was then d ...

  • Caving: Pwll Dwfn (15-Feb-03)

    This trip was so Bea could practise and speed up her rigging. Uneventful trip. Got to the bottom of the cave OK and fortunately we could leave it rigged as there was another CUCC group going in the following day. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (08-Feb-03)

    Photography Trip to September Series. Some excellent photos were taken using two flashguns. ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (14-Dec-02)

    After blagging the OFD 1 key Mike went to Dive Dip Sump while Pete and I went to explore Waterfall Series. After Mike's dive we went through to the main stream and then all the way up to maypole inlet. We then went back the same way so as we could collect Mike's stuff from Dip Sump ...

  • Caving: Dyo (07-Dec-02)

    A rather wet trip, with lots of gear, to climb an aven up by the risings. Srangely the showcave was open and was full of Christmas decorations, sparkling lights and even Santa with his elves. Unfortunately Russell from CUCC who was with us wasn't very well equipped and therefore, due to the water levels in the lakes, couldn't continue, he t ...

  • Caving: Cwm Dwr (30-Nov-02)

    University Caving Seminar Weekend. At last I managed to find the route from Cwm Dwr to OFD1 without to many problems. The route from Cwm Dwr to the confluence went extremely well and I managed to find the route straight away. From the confluence there were a few route finding problems but between Bea and I we managed to find the route. Once in OFD1 ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (23-Nov-02)

    LCLA Group Day Assessment. After this mornings trip, this time I led the group while Andy assessed me for my LCLA award. We went in long dry way, to the 20' pitch and out via the short dry way. The cave was fairly wet but everyone enjoyed themselves. Passed my LCLA Level 1. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (23-Nov-02)

    LCLA Group Day Assessment. Andy led the group to the drainpipe and I acted as assistant. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (17-Nov-02)

    A standard tourist trip to gour hall. Due to the recent high water levels the stream had undermined the dam just before gour hall. This dam no longer works and consequently needs repairing. ...

  • Caving: Lamb Leer (16-Nov-02)

    A spur of the moment trip as Mike had scoped out where the entrance was after coming back from climbing at Goblin Coombe, it was also a very dark and foggy night. Ideal conditions for doing a cave that has been denied access for many years. Due to the prior recce we found the entrance immediately despite appalling visibility. The entrance was rigge ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (16-Nov-02)

    CUCC and SUCC joint weekend. The best trip on was the Short Round so I decided to do that again. Water levels were fairly high, and had been for quite some time, so the Mud Sump was almost sumped. We bailed this for about 1/2 hour until there was sufficient airspace for us all to get through. We made our way to the greasy chimney where Jodie (who h ...

  • Caving: Cwm Dwr (09-Nov-02)

    Yet another abortive through trip from Cwm Dwr to OFD1. The problems started after the Cwm Dwr boulder choke where we spent a very long time trying to find the route from cwm dwr to the OFD stream. Eventually we found the confluence but we had taken so long to get here that to continue through to OFD1 would have taken us over our call-out. We decid ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (02-Nov-02)

    Another trip to sump 12. This time with a bigger team and the aim of a long digging trip. Our big cylinders were already down by Sump 9 so we only had out 3 Litre cylinders to carry with us. The water levels were fairly high but nothing of concern. Our first problem occurred at sump 2 when my reg blew up - the first stage seat had become displaced. ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (26-Oct-02)

    Paula kept wanting to go caving, after hearing my stories on a Monday morning about various adventures, so this weekend was set. Bea and I, between us, managed to get to the main OFD stream way via maypole inlet without too many navigational problems. On our return up maypole inlet we had quite a long wait for Imperial University to make there way ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (20-Oct-02)

    Down to the lobster pot to get the van key from Ian's group so everyone could go back and get changed. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (20-Oct-02)

    Another trip to the Coal Chute to assist the groups that were abseiling. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (19-Oct-02)

    ECSCT October Badge Course. Fortunately Chris Harley forgot his wellies, so in order to avoid yet another novice trip around Goatchurch, I leant him my wellies. I then went to the top of the coal chute, in trainers, to assist the groups that were abseiling. In the afternoon, due to the prediction of thunderstorms on the Sunday, we went over to Swil ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (06-Oct-02)

    BEC AGM weekend. The Saturday was spent up at Split Rock, while on the Sunday we tried to cure our hangovers by doing the Short Round Trip in Swildon's. Everything went according to plan, the mud sump was incredibly dry, and route finding went without two many problems. At the Troubles, we set the siphons running but the water levels were low e ...

  • Caving: Llygad Llwchwr (15-Sep-02)

    A nice easy going trip in Llywad Llyachr to visit the river chambers and let the scouts go and explore some of the smaller, muddier passages. Some good photos were taken and different skills were taught to the up and coming instructors. ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (14-Sep-02)

    What was meant to be a fairly short trip into OFD 2 turned out to be a bit longer than expected when we changed route and decided to do a through trip to Cwm Dwr. Also navigation in Cwm Dwr also proved a bit problematic and increased our trip time. Nerveless an enjoyable trip by everyone. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (08-Sep-02)

    For a change, instead of going to sump 12 again we decided to do the long round trip (via damp link). Phill had done the trip before but quite a few years ago. Everyone carried there own kit down to Tratmans Temple where from here Andy and I took Phill's kit while he went to rig the ladder on Shatter Pot. Andy and I continued downstream with Ph ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (07-Sep-02)

    Richard had done a few solo trips previously working his way down to sump 9. I decided to join him on his first trip to S12. Luckily we only had to carry a single cylinder each as I had left some cylinders down by 9 from a previous trips so all we had to carry to S9 was an extra reg. Everything went Ok and a fairly easy going trip was had to S12. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (31-Aug-02)

    Bea was quite keen to give diving a try so we selected the salubrious location of Swildon's Sump 2. First of Bea had the joys of cave diving by having to carry her cylinder down to sump 2. I then kitted everything up. Once ready Bea and I dived through sump 2 and then went across to sump 3. Bea soon decided that cave diving wasn't for her a ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (30-Aug-02)

    ...

  • Caving: Gaping Ghyll (25-Aug-02)

    After doing our duties/helping out on the surface for the Craven Pothole Club we searched for the long rope so we could do GG main shaft. I rigged the traverse and then did the suitably impressive abseil to the floor. Nick and Bea then followed. It was then time to do the slighter harder option of going back up. I foolishly chose to prusik and de-r ...

  • Caving: Gaping Ghyll (25-Aug-02)

    Our next trip of the day was down Bar Pot and out GG main shaft on the winch. It was different doing Bar Pot on ladders. It didn't take us long to get to GG main shaft, it did however take about 45mins in the queue to get on the winch. ...

  • Caving: Stream Flood (24-Aug-02)

    GG winch meet - It was a luxury to be able to camp up on the hill next to fell beck and not have to walk up to the caves everyday. The weather wasn't very favourable and it rained a hell of a lot. The winch meet had to close for part of the day as the dams burst. We decided upon Stream Passage Pot and was assured that it was already rigged. Ho ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (18-Aug-02)

    To Sump 1 via Standard Tourist Trip route. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (17-Aug-02)

    Our first digging trip at sump 12. The trip to sump 4 was very easy as we had carried in our cylinders the previous weekend, all we had to carry was our regs. The down side was we had to free dive sumps 2 & 3. Although everything went OK it makes you realise just how far it is, and that there isn't much room for error. Upon reaching sump 4 ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (11-Aug-02)

    Another unpleasant trip through Priddy Green Sink. Andy turned round at the beginning of clitoris crawl but not without severe determination in trying to get passed, this included taking off his wetsuit. Phill and I then continued. In the low wet crawl at the start of tin can alley we were forced to squeeze past some particularly unpleasant white s ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (10-Aug-02)

    In preparation for a digging trip at sump 12 we took two 6 litre cylinders each to sump 4. It was extremely hard carrying this size cylinders through the cave, especially when they were well filled (250 Bar). We left our 3Ltr cylinders upstream of sump 3 so we could do a Priddy Green through trip tomorrow. We exited the cave through blue pencil pas ...

  • Caving: Ice Cave Tier Garten (03-Aug-02)

    A return to this very impressive ice cave for Bea's only caving trip due to the unforuante need of revision. She was as equally impressed as Martin and I were earlier in the week, and we took more photos. ...

  • Caving: Hidden Hohle (01-Aug-02)

    A very unsuccessful trip with an aim to reach and push the end of the cave. A long time (1Hr) was spent in the entrance meanders shortly after the first pitch trying to get past one of the very acute bends. I tried first but whatever position I was in I could not get through. It wasn't particularly tight it was just a very acute double bend wh ...

  • Caving: Ice Cave Tier Garten (28-Jul-02)

    After a day on the edge of cliff's we found a very large depression behind the mountain hut at the Tier Garten. This was descended by a impressive 40m? Abseil to a boulder floor. A number of caves were found in the side of the depression but were all shortly blocked by solid ice. One cave entrance had a cairn built by it. This cave consisted o ...

  • Caving: C29 Eiskluft (25-Jul-02)

    A bit of a shorter walk to the 'C' area basin. We had two main objectives: Firstly to test out the petrol drill and secondly to Hilti Cap a boulder. The climb down the entrance ladder onto a snow plug led to a rather cold SRT route down the side of the plug and evetually underneath it and into the cave. From here there was some more froze ...

  • Caving: G7 Lumpenkerl Schacht (24-Jul-02)

    My first trip on arrival to Austria turned out to be quite a long arduous trip. It started off by a long walk over to the 'G' area. The cave previously had been explored to a conclusion, apart from a parralel shaft series which had not been fully explored. The surveys weren't very conclusive as to whether this shaft series would inte ...

  • Caving: Austria Caving (23-Jul-02)

    Throughout the two weeks I was in Austria a large part of my time was spent hanging around on cliff's looking for new cave entrances. Martin and I would spot caves in the cliff and then formulate a plan as to the best way of getting to them. Some long technical SRT routes were rigged to enable us to achieve our objectives. There were also some ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (30-Jun-02)

    After a 'Fag Packet' diagram and drunken lesson on the Friday night we were all set and fully prepared to use underwater explosives down at sump 12 in Swildons. The three of us met Jake and J-Rat on Priddy Village Green where the explosives and detonators were handed over. From here we had a fairly uneventful trip down to twelve. We prepa ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (29-Jun-02)

    ECSCT badge course taking scouts to sump 1. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (15-Jun-02)

    BEC Working Weekend. Instead of doing work on the hut a few of us decided to go down Cuthbert's and do a bit of a clean-up. We first went down to sump 2 and cleared lots of the old bags and digging stuff and then did the same at sump1. Altogether five tacklebags of rubbish were emptied from the cave but a few more trips are needed. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (19-May-02)

    After finding out our previous attempt to visit Desolation Row was in the wrong place we decided to return. We also had the plan of having a quick dive in twelve to have another look at the end. This idea was soon abandoned after the numerous problems encountered en-route. Firstly Phill's regulator blew up at sump 2, rendering it useless, and ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (18-May-02)

    LCLA group day assesment. This time I led the group but we didn't get much further than the entrance when one wanted to go out. So I continued with the group down to the pitch while Andy took one of the group out the cave. Andy then caught us up and we exited via the long dry way. Unforunately because Andy couldn't really carry out a prop ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (12-May-02)

    LCLA group day assesment. Went down to water chamber. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (11-May-02)

    To top of 20' pitch and out via wet way. ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (11-May-02)

    Down ladder and short trip round entrance series. ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (11-May-02)

    To Lobster Pot ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (11-May-02)

    Roundtrip in entrance. ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (04-May-02)

    Trip to top of avens with scouts. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (21-Apr-02)

    Taking scouts to Sump 1. ...

  • Caving: Llygad Llwchwr (20-Apr-02)

    LCLA Skills assesment Stage 1. Passed both theory and practical. ...

  • Caving: Gb Cavern (07-Apr-02)

    MRO Rescue practise. An excellent turn out with lots of different bits of kit and techniques used. Afterwards a few of us practised SRT rescue in a tree. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (06-Apr-02)

    Exploratory trip to Cerbrus rift. The sump we had to bail was dry so we were soon at the overhanging climb we had bought the bolting kit for. It turned out the maypole from 30? Years ago had been left in. I climbed this and replaced it with our rope. At the top the calcite squeeze was found, with evidence of banging in the past. I managed to pass t ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (30-Mar-02)

    Standard tourist trip to sump2 for Hereford Caving club. Cave very dry. ...

  • Caving: Cueva De La Vallina (29-Mar-02)

    Carrying cylinders to the up and downstream sumps. There were loads of people but the streamway at the bottom was quite impressive and lots of photos were taken. ...

  • Caving: Sistema Coventosa (27-Mar-02)

    The big through trip. Over 800m of descent with 512m of that being the entrance series of pitches. The first pitch 380m was rigged with a single 200m rope to a re-belay which then had another rope with a few more re-belays to the bottom of the 380m pitch from here the pool through bit started. Snablet and I pulled down the rope below the 200m rope ...

  • Caving: Sima Tonio (26-Mar-02)

    A warm up through trip before the main coventosa trip. A lot of time was speant locating the entrance but the pitches were very spectacular with the final pitch emerging from the roof of the second biggest chamber in Spain. The big stuff at the bottom was very well decorated. ...

  • Caving: Sistema Coventosa (24-Mar-02)

    A set up trip before the big through trip could take place. The entrance pitch was rigged and the route to the lakes learnt. Mike and I swam all the buoyancy to the other side ready for the trough trip. The following day we carried the ropes up to the top entrance. ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (17-Mar-02)

    SRT Rescue practise on the 1st pitch. Lots of different hauling/counterbalance techniques were experimented with. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (16-Mar-02)

    BEC rescue practise starting from lower traverse chamber along pulpit streamway to the bottom of the main pitch. Lots of usefull things were experienced, with lots of different hauling and carrying techniques used. The new heyphones were also used with great success. An excellent turn out to a productive event. ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (10-Mar-02)

    With thanks to our hoard of sherpas who helped carry all the kit down to the sump. After an easy walk up the streamway we kitted up and carried all our stuff into the boulder choke to the sump. An excellent dive was had and our sherpas explored waterfall series. On the return Mike took the others around the flood escape while I carried the kit the ...

  • Caving: Ogof Draenan (09-Mar-02)

    An excellent trip to Dollimores even if it was a bit dissapointing. We were digging the boulder choke at the end where after seeing black space ahead we eventually dug through to it. Upon us all getting into what we thought was new passage some stal tape was spotted. We had actually intersected Testerossa Passage. On the way out Charles took Bea &a ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (03-Mar-02)

    SRT training for some CUCC people. Just did the 1st pitch. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (02-Mar-02)

    Solo trip to take some photos. ...

  • Caving: Cwm Dwr (23-Feb-02)

    Standard through trip from Cwm Dwr to OFD1. No real route finding or any other problems. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (10-Feb-02)

    A quick trip down to sump 2. We abseiled in via Pulpit then basically followed the tourist route. The last dam before sump 1 had been left in making for an interesting freedive to release the dam. Once at sump 2 we had a look at the dig before making an exit. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (09-Feb-02)

    A trip down to desolation row by sump 12 to re-climb Victoria Aven. After help by crispin and paul to carry kit down to sump 2 we headed inwards. Upon reaching Victoria Aven the first part was free climbed and the second part was climbed with a mixture of bolting and free climbing. We were soon both in the very tight ascending tube. It was soon dec ...

  • Caving: Sell Gill Holes (03-Feb-02)

    Rigging training for Bea. It was planned that while I was doing this with Bea in the active route the others would do the fossil route. However the fossil route was extremelly overcrowded so we all did the active route. The pitches were very wet but we made it to the bottom without any problems only to find Rich was hung up on a knot change just be ...

  • Caving: Large Pot (02-Feb-02)

    With no recollection of doing this trip previously with Snablet, Tim headed down to the first pitch not realising that the approach needed doing feet first because of the restrictive pitch head. I dragged Tim out by his feet so he could turn around and rig the 1st pitch. After some navigational problems we eventually got to the bottom where upon a ...

  • Caving: Cwm Dwr (26-Jan-02)

    We probably embarked on something a bit energetic for the day before our tough guy marathon. Neverless we made it through to the far side of the Dip sump boulder choke via the Bypass route. The water level coming out of the boulder choke was so high we couldn't get down to the By-Pass passage. We looked up into what we later found out to be wat ...

  • Caving: Longwood August (08-Dec-01)

    Very wet but still managed to do the cave with some rigging and ladder training thrown in for the others as well. At the main stream we explored both up and downstream before heading out. We all got to the bottom of August chimney before the others decided to head out the other way while Dave and I climbed the almost sumped chimney. Very wet and ex ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (01-Dec-01)

    Marble showers traverse. Very good stuff with some very exaposed traversing. Once at OFD2 Mike and I ran through to Cwm Dwr while the others walked over the surface. ...

  • Caving: Rowten (25-Nov-01)

    Quite an unproductive day. Everything was very wet so I went with Bea & Bridget to do some SRT rigging practise in Rowten. ...

  • Caving: Stream Flood (24-Nov-01)

    Another Exchange trip with Tim, Chris & Bridget. The route through Stream passage to South East pot was navigated quite easily with the only hiccup being the South East pot rope being about 20m short. We later found out the ropes had been packed in reverse meaning the final pitch was being rigged with the entrance rope. Luckily Snablet came to ...

  • Caving: Diccan Pot (23-Nov-01)

    On arrival Friday morning we embarked upon a Diccan/Alum Exchange. Tim & Chris rigged Diccan while Bea and I went down and rigged Alum Pot. After juggling with some rope lengths on Alum Pot we met up with the others down by the sump. We now had to make an exit out of the very wet (in flood) Diccan pot. We finally emerged after being beaten by t ...

  • Caving: Dyo (10-Nov-01)

    Up the Great north road to the far north. Included the round tripo as well. Some very suspect rigging and free climbing over the rising. ...

  • Caving: Little Neath (04-Nov-01)

    An efficient start was had and we were soon lugging all our kit (tackle bag full of diving kit, 9Ltr and 4Ltr cylinder each) into Bridge cave. Eventually we reached Bridge sump whereupon all our kit was unpacked, sorted out, the sump dived and then all the kit re-packed. We were now in Little Neath River Cave, which was quite impressive. This was a ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (03-Nov-01)

    After spending far too long fetling with diving kit we decided to transfer our diving trip to the Sunday and do a quick OFD trip instead. After arguing with political SWCC members about callouts e.t.c we headed to OFD top entrance which was full of people getting lost. Once in the stream no one else was to be seen until OFD1. Route finding was gene ...

  • Caving: Llygad Llwchwr (27-Oct-01)

    More caving training. Impressive river cave. We were given a situation to overcome as a group. This being a trapped person the other side of the river down a 4m drop. All good fun was had and lots of practicing techniques. ...

  • Caving: Cwm Dwr (27-Oct-01)

    After finishing day one of the training course we decided to go on a slightly harder trip. Route finding was our main problem on this trip. The trip through Cwm Dwr went fine with no major rout finding problems. When in OFD 1 we had a look at the stream, which was a raging torrent, we then backtracked and climbed up into the bypass route. A wrong w ...

  • Caving: Ogof Pasg (27-Oct-01)

    LCLA training course. After a theory session in the morning we headed underground to put the skills into practice. Various hauling and rigging techniques were practiced. ...

  • Caving: Dyo (22-Oct-01)

    A trip down to mazeways entrance pool to collect 3 CDG 6Ltr cylinders that are out of test and rusting internally. The lakes were particularly cold in fleeces, as was swimming across the Green Canal. After getting to mazeways we collected the cylinders and completed the roundtrip back to the long crawl. The way out from here went very smoothly, cyl ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (21-Oct-01)

    Standard tourist trip with Cardiff freshers. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (20-Oct-01)

    Another trip down to sump 2 to chemically pursued the calcite blockage above the streamway. 4 slabs were put in connected by cortex. This resulted in a lot of rock being blown out the tube. A return will be made to see what affect it had. ...

  • Caving: Peak Cavern (14-Oct-01)

    BCRA Conference weekend so not a lot of caving got done. A good trip round Peak visiting Buxton Water Sump, Far Sump and Ink Sump. A few others went to Calomisty crawl. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (07-Oct-01)

    The morning after the BEC dinner we headed to the dig in Cuthbert's above Sump2. The site looks very promising but bang is needed to pass the calcite obstruction. ...

  • Caving: Doux Du Coly (29-Sep-01)

    After Paying ?30 to access this site we did an excellent dive to bottom of shaft. ...

  • Caving: Oeil Da Le Doue (28-Sep-01)

    Cave Dive to part way through sump 3. Srteamway was excellent between sumps 2&3 but did involve getting out the water. ...

  • Caving: Emergence Du Ressel (27-Sep-01)

    Excellent, very impressive cave dive to 450m corner. Again Phill scootered further in. ...

  • Caving: Source Du Finou (26-Sep-01)

    Scary cave dive to end of sump 1. Waited in airbell before returning. ...

  • Caving: Fontainne St George (26-Sep-01)

    Cave dive to end of sump 1. Airbell very large and impressive. Phill scootered further in. ...

  • Caving: Trou Madame (25-Sep-01)

    Cave dive to Sump 5. Carry between caves was easy as passages were still half filled with water. Hardest part was 50m carry to water from entrance. ...

  • Caving: Emergence Du Ressel (24-Sep-01)

    Cave dive to top of shaft. Looked at airbell en-route. ...

  • Caving: Fontainne Du Truffe (23-Sep-01)

    Cave dive through Sump 1 ...

  • Caving: Eastwater Cavern (16-Sep-01)

    Through entrance ruckle to top of upper traverse. We turned round here because of people having difficulty crossing the rift because of muddy dig spoil. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (15-Sep-01)

    Simple tourist trip to sump 1. In via Everest Passage and out through Railway tunnel e.t.c ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (09-Sep-01)

    More digging down at the bottom of Rhino Rift. Rob not having been there for two years was impressed by the progress we had made. Again the trip to the dig face was made easier by pre-knotted ropes. Once there we started lowering the floor in the phreatic tube. It was decided this was the best way forward. Digging is quite easy but it does involve ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (08-Sep-01)

    A trip to chemically persuade the blockage at the dig above sump 2. We all met down by sump 2 after staggering or starts to avoid bottle necking. Jake and Rich had secured a ladder leading up to the passage. I then joined Jake whereupon we made holes in the calcite with a crowbar/lump hammer and inserted the slabs of gelicnite. This was then linked ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (01-Sep-01)

    Yet another trip into this polluted cave. The ropes were collected from the end of clitoris crawl where we had left them the previous weekend and then we continued with the ropes into Swildons4 streamway. Here we washed off all the shit, dumped SRT kits and headed for blue pencil passage. At the troubles we set the siphon running and helped it by b ...

  • Caving: Dyo (27-Aug-01)

    At long last this trip has actually happened. Months ago the diving cylinders were carried down to the mazeways entrance pool but various problems (weather, expeditions, F&M) have meant we were unable to dive through. Good time was made getting down to the entrance pool as very little gear was being carried. Joel and I kitted up ready for the d ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (25-Aug-01)

    Firstly I went and spoke to the landowner just to make sure he didn't mind us going down Priddy Green, which he didn't as long as we came back out the same way. After arranging access we sorted the ropes and headed down the initially poluted streamway. Amazingly blasted bastard and the rifts leading down to clitoris crawl were not that bad ...

  • Caving: Stocks House Mine Shaft (19-Aug-01)

    After being clean washed in cuthbets we I decided it would be a good idea to have a look at the new passage found in the mine shaft and what is now the end of the cave. After abseiling down the mud covered entrance rope we headed downstream through gluttonous mud and low crawls before coming to the end. I don't think Rich and Bea were impressed ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (19-Aug-01)

    A quick tourist trip after a unproductive day yessterday. Abseiled down Pulpit went as far as the dining room. Then visited lake chamber via cerbrus series and then back to everest passage through the rat run. We then headed out because Roz & Vince had to collect Callum from the babysitter (Fiona). ...

  • Caving: Austria Caving (08-Aug-01)

    08/08/01 - 10/08/01 (Surface Prospecting on Hirlatzalm) After a sucessful dive Rich and I headed up the mountain via the military cable car whereupon we met Martin and Donald in the bar at gjaldarm. We sat here and waited for the others to return from a rather miserable day on the hill due to the weather. They soon arrived soaking wet and joined us ...

  • Caving: Kessel Resurgence (08-Aug-01)

    Excellent tourist dive. Surfaced after 50m and decided against getting out the water and going into the next sump. We instead looked for an underwater connection to the next sump and explored various side passages on the way out. Vizibility 10m+. ...

  • Caving: Hirlatz Hohle (04-Aug-01)

    04/08/01 - 06/08/01 (+15 Hours Sleep) What a magnificant cave. From the forest car park a steep tiring walk gets you up to the cave entrance. The short entrance ladder leads into a low crawling phreatic tube where the draught is so strong its blowing sand and grit in your face. A chamber is soon reached and the draught seems significantly less due ...

  • Caving: Schornberg Hohle (02-Aug-01)

    De-Rigging trip. We were the second wave of people to go in and clear out the ropes, ladders and campsite. Fortunately for us just before getting to the camp we met up with Rich, Helen and Donald who had done a stirling job of packing up the camp and rigging gear and bringing it all forward in a mountain of tacklebags. We split the tacklebags up so ...

  • Caving: Schornberg Hohle (31-Jul-01)

    31/07/01 ' 01/08/01 (+3 Hours Sleep) This time we decided to walk up from the valley instead of using the seilbahn (?5 each way). The walk up is tiring especially with lots of kit and brings you to the bottom of the cliff whereupon there is still a 150m prussik to the cave entrance. We all gathered on the grassy ledge about 5m below the cave so ...

  • Caving: Schornberg Hohle (29-Jul-01)

    Glad to be caving back in Austria. The purpose of this trip was to carry in camping stuff and set up camp. A couple of groups had gone in before to rig pitches so in theroy we just had to carry stuff to the camp. We got the cable car up the mountain, then had a short walk round to the cliff above the cave. In the nice hot weather we got ready for c ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (22-Jul-01)

    After buying more stuff from Bat products and collecting first aid kit / hot air kit from MRO we headed down to September Series. Vince came along as he is doing his 15 leadership trips. Excellent trip seeing lots of pretties. Visited Cascades and curtains on the way out. ...

  • Caving: Pwll Dwfn (21-Jul-01)

    After visiting Dragon to pick up the last few bits of expedition kit we were planning to head down Tunnel Cave but we could not locate anyone with a key. We decided on Pwll Dwfn again as a final SRT trip before Austria. Got to the bottom of the third pitch where Bea and I headed out so as we could get over to Mendip to pick up some rescue kit from ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (15-Jul-01)

    Turned up at Rhino on mass. Eventually after the slow nature of everyone trying to use the ropes we got down to the dig site. A few people had already started hauling spoil out by the time I managed to get down there. They then exited and I carried on digging operations with Rich Bayfield and Chris Morgan. A few boulders were cleared out and the fl ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (14-Jul-01)

    After a welcoming pub lunch we headed back underground to help train SRT university numptys in preparation for Austria. Upon arrival they were still on the 1st pitch with progress being very slow. Both right and left hand routes were rigged to try and speed things up a bit. Eventually the bottom of the third pitch was gained. From here it was a ver ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (14-Jul-01)

    A quick not so early trip to rig the left-hand route of Rhino Rift for expedition training this afternoon. Had a quick look at the dig which had opened up slightly due to recent heavy rain. Pushed down the muddy tube and touched the stalactite ahead. Passage continues but tight. Needs digging. I also put a bolt in the top of the 5th pitch so as a l ...

  • Caving: Pwll Dwfn (08-Jul-01)

    A classic Yorkshire pothole in Wales. MG,RH & KL headed up the hill first followed by the rest of us ? an hour later still to find them searching for the entrance. MG & RH headed in first to rig while JC and I helped KL and BG on the SRT side of things. Once at the bottom we looked at the extremely inviting gin clear sump at the bottom. RH ...

  • Caving: Dyo (07-Jul-01)

    An attempt was made to access the cave in very high water levels. The plan being to rebolt previously spotted aven and survey Dalis Delight. The water was up to the middle railing on the bridge in the lakes but we continued and made it out the lakes, Just. We decided staying in the cave was unwise so headed out and did bolting practise up a tree in ...

  • Caving: Dyo (01-Jul-01)

    Digging trip in Surprise Chamber down by the Green Canal. Lots of boulders were pulled out and slight progress was made into about 6' of new passage but continuing operations here would have to be long term. A few other areas were looked at while in Surprise Chamber but nothing looked promising. On our return a possible aven by the abyss was no ...

  • Caving: Wookey Hole (30-Jun-01)

    As Gavin who was planning to film the end had no objections to me coming along on the trip to help carry kit, I was planning to dive in as far as thirds would allow. Kitting up in chamber 9 was easy as the showcave lights illuminate you. We followed the deep route in, bypassing most of the airbells and after passing some junctions surfaced in Chamb ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (24-Jun-01)

    Yet again back to the aven by sump 2 this time with more digging tools. MA and PW went on a pretties trip (PW 1st time in cave) while MG and I attacked the harder calcite with crowbars and lump hammers. Progress was slow due to the thicker calcite. We exited and convinced J-Rat to apply chemical persuasion when he got round to it. We will see what ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (23-Jun-01)

    Back down to the aven by sump 2, which we previously bolted to. MA and I looked at it again but concluded for the 2nd time that the calcite blockage was terminal. As MA was abseiling back down I noticed the floor was sounding hollow. After deploying the lump hammer I broke through the false floor into thick mud before hitting a layer of sand and a ...

  • Caving: Wookey Hole (23-Jun-01)

    Portering cylinders to Chamber 9. Gavin then preceeded to dive to '62m in sump 25 while filming for the new wookey video. He also lost a ?350 lens in the process. Sump 9 looked very inviting (until the divers stirred it up). MA and I then walked round the showcave to look at the other sumps and fit tourists before leaving. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (22-Jun-01)

    A quick pre pub trip on a Friday night. Doing the tourist trip in reverse. ...

  • Caving: Peak Cavern (17-Jun-01)

    A bit of a tourist trip in peak. We covered basically the whole of peak. Visiting Far sump, which I entered for 30 m because of low water levels, turning the 1st bit into a duck. Then was ink sump at the other end of the streamway. The 1st sump I free-dived while everyone else did the by-pass. Ink Sump proper was then looked at before heading over ...

  • Caving: Peak Cavern (16-Jun-01)

    Due to foot & mouth restrictions we were allowed into Peak on Saturday so Rhys's friend took us to the bottom of block hall where we would prussik up to White River. Calostimy crawl was extremely muddy and quite hard work on the way there but the way back you could slide on all the gluttonous mud. We soon got into the speedwall system and w ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (10-Jun-01)

    A trip straight down to sump 2 via pulpit to bolt up the aven started last time. After placing a couple of bolts we were soon in the tube at the top. Footprints indicated previous exploration here so we left, without further pushing due to crystals and white calcite floor and formations. A few pretties were looked at on the way out and even after a ...

  • Caving: Longwood August (09-Jun-01)

    The first weekend of charterhouse opening and the completely inconsiderate Wessex were using both routes on the 1st pitch in Rhino Rift for rescue practise and wouldn't let us down. As were not able to go check out the dig we went to Longwood instead. Which turned out to be a good trip. In longwood, out August and to both ends of the lower stre ...

  • Caving: Emergence Du Ressel (02-Jun-01)

    Located airbell as planned after laying line from main line. Last day of holiday. ...

  • Caving: Gouffre Loule (01-Jun-01)

    Extremely hard carry with all diving kit, caving kit, bolting and rigging kit down the side of the valley (over 1km) and even harder in the sun on the way back up the steep sided valley. At the pitch (30') we put in some bolts and headed into the cave with all the kit. We reached a climb which we went up and after some squeezing found a really ...

  • Caving: Source Du Landenouse (31-May-01)

    Excellent Dive 600m in total at 22m depth. Good fun kitting up in the water at the bottom of a well. ...

  • Caving: Fontainne Du Truffe (30-May-01)

    Returned with wetsuits. The carry between 2 & 3 was a lot easier. The carry between 3 & 4 was extremely hard work. We started of climbing with twin 15's but at the low bit decided this was not sensible and did several trips to sump 4 instead. Got to end of sump 4 and returned due to light failures. ...

  • Caving: Emergence Du Ressel (29-May-01)

    Excellent but intimidating dive. ...

  • Caving: Fontainne Du Truffe (28-May-01)

    Caving between sumps 2 & 3 very difficult with twin 12's and a drysuit. A return is planned with wetsuits. ...

  • Caving: Trou Madame (27-May-01)

    No Caving as such, just 1600m dive. See diving Logbook. ...

  • Caving: Carlswark Cavern (07-May-01)

    Simple trip with scouts. ...

  • Caving: Carlswark Cavern (07-May-01)

    Simple trip with scouts. ...

  • Caving: Dyo (16-Apr-01)

    More maintenance of kit and the finishing touches to our dive lights ended in another late start but we were in no rush. Tim Mclaine, Lisa Williams and some nutty New Zealand bloke went to dive in Cathedral cave while MA, TL and I went to dive at the end of lake 4. The carry in was easy and I kitted up in the dry passage in Lake 4. With twin 300bar ...

  • Caving: Dyo (15-Apr-01)

    Yet another late start but eventually carrying lots of kit and another 6Ltr bottle we headed down to Mazeways. Once there MA and TL headed up to the Far North while MG and I dived into mazeways. The dive didnt go quite as planned due to many different problems. First off the line was tied-off underwater and we had to use a search reel to find the l ...

  • Caving: Dyo (14-Apr-01)

    Yet again another DYO trip and yet again more carrying of cylinders. The previous couple of days were spent compressing bottles at Wookey Hole and making ourselves dive-lights. Our aim was to get a 6 Ltr bottle each down to mazeways in preparation for diving through in a few weeks time. On the way in MG dived into Pot Sump after a few minutes of di ...

  • Caving: Cathedral Cave (07-Apr-01)

    After our abortive trip into DYO we headed round to Cathedral Cave/Tunnel Cave where we were going to dive the divers sump again. Lump went in first with a line reel to extend the existing line up into the airbell. Mike and I followed shortly after, leaving behind all the tourists that had crowded round to watch. At the airbell I met up with Lump w ...

  • Caving: Dyo (07-Apr-01)

    The BEC meeting passed quite quickly considering the current Foot and Mouth situation and after the compulsory visit of student bars in Cardiff we headed over to Dragon to meet Lump Saturday morning. We were expecting high water levels because of the amount of continuous rain recently and so headed into the showcave to look at the lakes before gett ...

  • Caving: Cathedral Cave (01-Apr-01)

    An extremely efficient start was had considering we were going diving and we were at Dan-Yr-Ogof quite early where we off-loaded Tangent onto Lump and Sean Parker who were going down DYO. We then got changed and carried our gear into Cathedral Cave. Its an excellent dive site as you sort all your gear and get changed on the concrete path under the ...

  • Caving: Lanelli Quarry Pot (31-Mar-01)

    Finally we managed to find somewhere where we could get underground after several weeks of laziness in Cardiff and indoor climbing walls due to the foot & mouth outbreak across the country. After a morning of sorting out kit because of the lack of caving recently done we eventually headed off down to the quarry from Tim Mclains house. Once at t ...

  • Caving: Darren Cillau (25-Feb-01)

    25/02/01 - 26/02/01 (24 Hrs Total) Back at the cars after an exiting days climbing at Gower Peninsula my phone bleeped lots of messages at me saying Daren Cilau rescue. So Tim drove rather fast back to Cardiff while I phoned lots of CUCC people to try and get some interest. Once at Cardiff we had food, organised kit and tried to get a police escort ...

  • Caving: Dyo (24-Feb-01)

    After posing to all the tourists in the showcave with dive bottles strapped to our side we made our way as last time down to the washing machine. Joel actually got into the water this time but as expected not without the usual mishaps. After Joel disappeared out of site the rest of us continued on to mazeways but the 1st sump was sumped (low water ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (17-Feb-01)

    My first trip into Cuthberts with use of my own key. While we were down at sump 2 Mike was doing his proving trip with Mick Wilson and people from Nottingham University. Down at sump 2 I climbed up one of the previously rigged ropes and using another rope traversed across a thick mud slope where I could see into a tube but could not see how far it ...

  • Caving: Halcombe Quarry (10-Feb-01)

    More diving practise on a miserably wet day. We collected all the kit from the CDG store and headed over to the quarry where we then had to cart it all over the fences and down to the water. Mike was experimenting with a new dry-suit and it turned out to be exceedingly good. We were using MRO high pressure sevens with 4 litre bail out bottles. I ha ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (10-Feb-01)

    My proving trip to be a Cuthbert's leader turned out to be not exactly how I expected it to be. For my proving trip I am meant to lead a tourist trip including by-pass passage and a few other side routes but as the lads from WAYA specifically asked for a September Series trip I had to lead them there having never been there before. I led as far ...

  • Caving: Wookey Hole (04-Feb-01)

    After joining the CDG we thought some cave diving training would be a good idea, so we headed down to the Wookey Hole resurgence, filled up bottles and went of to get wet. We was in the water for about 1? hours learning different skills and getting used to the kit. Practising things like rescues, buddy breathing, mask clearing, regulator swapping e ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (03-Feb-01)

    Mike and I led a tourist trip to sump 1 doing By-Pass passage on the way out. This was my 15th trip so next trip will hopefully see me as a Cuthberts leader. After getting our party safely out Mike and I then had to help Rich and Zot get some rather tired MCG members up the entrance rift. ...

  • Caving: Ogof Capel (14-Jan-01)

    After a extremely late start as we had to get from Cardiff to Tim's House and sort out gear we headed off down Capel. I dived the first sump as I had Joel's powerful dive lights and as Mike came through took a few underwater pictures. The same happened in the second sump and we de-kitted in the first chamber. I like this sort of diving wher ...

  • Caving: Dyo (13-Jan-01)

    This was my first visit to this cave but I didn't expect to see dinosaurs at the entrance. As the show cave was shut we walked in through the resurgence and climbed up into the higher level show cave part. Obviously it was easy going in the show cave but got interesting when we rejoined the river as it is quite deep and fast flowing. We was car ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (07-Jan-01)

    Back to Swildons 7 this time on mass to have a look at the wall just the other side of sump 6. We split up into groups on the way in so as there was not lots of standing around. By the time I arrived at the climb Rob was a fair way up continuing where Pete and Andy and left after previous weeks of bolting. While this was going on MA, KT, TC and I w ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (06-Jan-01)

    Only 1 trip away from the magical fifteen when I can become a Cuthberts Leader. High water conditions meant we had to arrange for someone to release the dam when we had all got down the rift and close it after a couple of hours. We made our way from the Boulder Chamber to Long chamber and then to Pearl Passage. No one really knew where they were go ...

  • Caving: Top Sink (31-Dec-00)

    Now the only bit of this trip we needed to learn was, firstly where the entrance was and secondly how to get from Top Sink to the Ease Gill main drain. The latter didn't have much room for error as we were pulling our ropes down. The entrance proved difficult to find but eventually found it after retracing our steps back down the river after de ...

  • Caving: Pool Sink (30-Dec-00)

    Another trip into pool sink but with a purpose. We wanted to learn the route from where pool sink hits the main drain to Lancaster Hole so as the following day we could do a through trip from Top Sink to Lancaster. Getting to the main drain from Pool Sink was easy as we had done that same trip the previous day. We didn't follow the main drain f ...

  • Caving: Pool Sink (29-Dec-00)

    The worst thing about this trip as with most Yorkshire caves was the walk to the entrance. Once there I went ahead with Mike and rigged the first pitch for a pull-through. Eventually after teaching OUCC threshers how to abseil we were at the bottom of all the pitches and almost down at the main drain. We followed the main drain downstream and event ...

  • Caving: Gaping Ghyll (28-Dec-00)

    Once at the GG depression after a treacherous walk up in the ice and snow, we rigged a rope of a boulder to get us safely over the ice and over to jib tunnel. Once inside it was immediately warmer and I started rigging the traverse while the others made there way in. The rigging looks technical on the topo but is pretty simple. A lot of the deviati ...

  • Caving: Meregill (27-Dec-00)

    My first caving trip after a rather adventurous trip to Scotland (See next Belfry Bulletin). My legs were still very painful but a trip down here was to good to miss as usually it is flooded but as everything on the surface was frozen we were able to get down. We planned to do the trip in two waves, us rigging and five other people from BUSS follow ...

  • Caving: Cwm Dwr (17-Dec-00)

    A hungover Sunday morning saw us back down Cwm Dwr. The purpose of the trip being to collect Steve Thomas diving bottles which were just the other side of the long crawl. An easy going trip on the way in and only slightly more strenuous on the way out due to the two diving cylinders we had in transport. ...

  • Caving: Cwm Dwr (16-Dec-00)

    The plan for this trip was to go in Cwm Dwr and exit via OFD1. These plans changed after reaching the main stream from Cwm Dwr we followed it and after a short while it sumped. Water levels at the time were very high so we looked briefly for a high level By-Pass but as we didn't really know where we were going we thought it must have been sumpe ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (10-Dec-00)

    Extremely high water levels (upper pipe in entrance) but we still made it all the way to Sump9. No major epics which is quite unusual for our diving trips. Sump 7 by-pass was quite sporting as water levels were higher than normal. Once at sump 9 we turned round and headed back out. The way out, after sump 1 was extremely tiring but we eventually ma ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (09-Dec-00)

    Mike and I led a trip while Rich long led another trip. We went in via pulpit which was quite slow as we only had one abseiling kit then down to the sump and back out through by-pass passage. ...

  • Caving: Carlswark Cavern (02-Dec-00)

    An ECSCT team trip around carlswark. We abseiled down the top entrance and with some navigational errors made it to the streamway which we followed down to rift sump. From here we went back out via cockles crawl and out the gin entrance. Sunday was taken up with a late start, lots of indecisiveness and finally SRT practise of the bridge by the Orph ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (26-Nov-00)

    A painful trip but I needed to get some exercise after injuring myself on a drunken Friday night trip down Eastwater. Going was slow first off and that was just getting to the entrance. Caving was painful but got better the more I did. We got to the approach passage to Black Hole Series without any problems and the way to the black hole from here w ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (25-Nov-00)

    A Rescue Practise with an amazingly good turn out. A lot of time was spent by Mike and I (BEC Rescue Co-ordinators) in the preceding months gathering people and promoting interest. We assembled at the Belfry where the scenario was explained and equipment was gathered. We all gathered on the top green where everyone kitted up and headed underground. ...

  • Caving: Eastwater Cavern (25-Nov-00)

    After lots of drink in the hunters and then the Belfry we all decided to go caving. After lots of talking only Tangent and I actually went underground. It took longer than usual to get changed let alone find the actual entrance. The boulder ruckle was nice and wet and started to cure the headache. We went in through upper traverse then down through ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (19-Nov-00)

    Look for possible avens to climb between sumps 6 & 9 ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (12-Nov-00)

    A quick trip practising diving techniques. We got the kit together, and after a sober night we left early in the morning and headed down to Sump 2. After getting all the kit on and to our amazement it all working properly we went to the sump pool. Mike was having confident problems as it was his first ever dive but netherless we both went through t ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (05-Nov-00)

    A comical trip to Sump 2 where we tried to go as far as possible without getting wet. Sump 1 was obviously the limit. Which reached my staying out the water for the majority of the time. The pitches proved difficult so did some of the streamway below the 20' pitch. We also looked at the Mud Sump en-route to Sump1 but staying dry here was not an ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (04-Nov-00)

    On this trip we were let loose to go explore the system and increase our knowledge of the complex route finding. Sump 1 was reached via the stand tourist route in 15 minutes from here we went back upstream and explored By-Pass passage where we eventually found our way back to the streamway and on up to Pulpit. Lots of side passages were looked at, ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (28-Oct-00)

    Very Wet Tourist trip to the gours. Entrance pitch a bit exiting. ...

  • Caving: Hunters Hole (28-Oct-00)

    Rescue practise with yet another bad turnout. The rescue kit was gathered and we all headed underground. We stopped at the first chamber just below the 2nd pitch, where the drag sheet was laid out and mike chosen as a casualty to be strapped in. This was only to demonstrate the use of the drag sheet and when we started hauling mike was swopped for ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (27-Oct-00)

    Standard tourist trip to sump 1. In via Everest Passage and out Railway Tunnel etc. ...

  • Caving: Stocks House Mine Shaft (16-Oct-00)

    We started off the day by placing fluroscein in the stream over at the minieries. We then progressed underground where we dug more collapsed boulders out from the floor of the upstream level. While dragging the boulders/mud back to the bottom of the shaft we looked at the treasury of the aeops level and the upstream level for traces of the flurosce ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (15-Oct-00)

    A good trip for me as I led most of it because Rich and Zot had better things to look at. Standard tourist trip to sump 2 including all the pretty bits. The way out, especially the entrance rift, was quite wet. Also had a look at the potential dig site above Sump 2. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (08-Oct-00)

    ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (07-Oct-00)

    A quick trip after the AGM and before the dinner so as we got some caving done and also try to sober up a bit after the AGM before more drinking at the dinner. The trip consisted off a slow amble to sump 2 and back. Water levels were very high. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (01-Oct-00)

    What was meant to be Mick's proving trip to become a Cuthberts leader turned out to be quite an eventful trip. The first part of the trip went as planned, we headed to the 'Gours' via a slightly different route to normal. From 'Upper Mud Hall' we climbed down to 'Lower Mud Hall' then across to 'Sentary Passage' w ...

  • Caving: White Pit (30-Sep-00)

    Third trip of the day took us down White Pit. We all met at J-Rats house got changed and headed over to the shaft. As always it was high in CO2. Me, Mike and someone from the Brighton lot went down to St.Helectites chamber then back up the climb and through the awkward squeezes where we met up with Tony and his group. We then went onto Talus 4 wher ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (30-Sep-00)

    For a Saturday afternoon Swildons was amazingly quiet ' we were the only two down there. We just had a quick trip to sump 2. Freeclimbing the 20' as there was no one else to rely on to have a ladder in place and on the way back freeclimbed the 40'. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (30-Sep-00)

    This trip was originally meant to be lead by Roger but due to deteriorating fitness he turned back at ledge pitches and it was fortunate that Martin was with us so we could carry on. We looked at the crystals under 'Friday Night Traverse' ands then onto the 'Vantage Point' to look at the cascades, this was Neil's first Cuthbert& ...

  • Caving: Eastwater Cavern (16-Sep-00)

    After our Austria expedition presentation at Bristol University for the BCRA conference we decided a trip to 'Dark cars and Sunglasses' was in order. We got back to the Belfry got changed and headed over to Eastwater. It was nice to be in a cave where the rock was smooth and the environment was of a tolerable temperature - as opposed to wha ...

  • Caving: G5 Eisturner Hohle (08-Aug-00)

    (8Hours Sleep) Yet another trip into G5 to try and push the system deeper. I went as far as the campsite with Tangent who had previously not been through the dreaded 'Fit for Insane Worms and Geckos'. It was even more amusing going through this time with camping gear as well. Once through and down 'Daft Invaders' we had a look at th ...

  • Caving: G5 Eisturner Hohle (05-Aug-00)

    Another trip through the night to rig the last couple of pitches into the streamway to last years previous limit of exploration. We had planned to go in the previous day but large amounts of water delayed the trip. As always 'Fit for Insane Worms and Geckos' was a nightmare with large amounts of stuff. When we eventually arrived at the camp ...

  • Caving: G5 Eisturner Hohle (01-Aug-00)

    With lots more rope and rigging gear we descended G5 again to rig the last few pitches down to the camp. Everything went smoothly until 'Fit for Insane Worms and Gecko's' (It's a narrow rift meander with tight bends and the only possible way through is at roof level) where getting all the kit through was some what hard work. After & ...

  • Caving: G5 Eisturner Hohle (31-Jul-00)

    Another trip was now underway to rig more of the pitches. We carried over lots of tackle (ropes, carbide, tapes, tethers). We descended individually to try and avoid waiting at pitches, as the cave is so cold. We all met up at the bottom of 'Action Reaction' where we also met Snablet who had just finished taking the Austrians on a 'tour ...

  • Caving: G5 Eisturner Hohle (30-Jul-00)

    My first trip into an Austrian cave (in fact my first cave outside the U.K.). The cave was unusual as the rock was extremely sharp (very hard on gear) and as the name suggests it was very cold, about 2?. There was a little bit of ice in the entrance but not enough to cause a great problem, we had prepared ourselves for lots of ice as we were the fi ...

  • Caving: Diccan Pot (23-Jul-00)

    After a late start because of a)deciding what to do and b)buying more expedition kit (thermals, bivi bags, sleeping bags) we eventually arrived at Sellside where we parked up and got changed. Snablet and I went down Diccan while Tangent and Mike messed about in upper and lower long churn before heading off to rig Alum Pot. Diccan was good, quite we ...

  • Caving: Large Pot (22-Jul-00)

    After meeting Snablet and Pete at the cafe in Ingleton we headed off to Ireby to do Large Pot. We were going to do an exchange trip with Rift pot but didn't have enough rope. We descended down until what rope we had had run out. This did not stop us continuing as we tied everyone's SRT kits together and descended the next couple of short pi ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (16-Jul-00)

    After a lot of time sorting out equipment we headed down Swildon's for my second cave dive. I was much calmer this time and when we arrived at Sump 2. I set up my own kit (Si checked it though). The sumps were how I remembered them from last time (cold and zero visibility). The first problem occurred in sump 4 where one on the nodules of rock c ...

  • Caving: Singing River Mine (15-Jul-00)

    After some fun trying to work out which field (or actually garden) the entrance was in we got changed then had to walk back down into Shipham to take our stuff back to the cars (not allowed to change in the village). Once at the bottom of the 40' shaft it was anyone's guess which way to go. At the bottom there are two choices of routes, we ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (09-Jul-00)

    A fun sporting trip to Shatter series. As the mud sump is still well blocked up we reached shatter pot by going through the troubles from the landing. The one that caused us the most problems was the last trouble we came to. This was completely sumped but we constructed a makeshift dam and bailed enough water out to allow a small airspace to be fou ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (25-Jun-00)

    More digging in rhino rift and also some surveying. We cleared lots more mud and the occasional boulder from the horizontal passage and soon a large stalactite/column came into view. Only the top can be seen and at present it can't be reached. At the end of the digging session we surveyed what we had found over the last couple of months of digg ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (18-Jun-00)

    Unfortunately this trip turned out to be quite eventful. I was taking a speleo group and the fun started at double pot where the scout leader on the trip while climbing down the second pot slipped and fell awkwardly. Once helped out the pot his ankle was quite swollen and he decided to sit and rest it while I took the others to sump 1. On our retur ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (17-Jun-00)

    Ladder climbing in the entrance to Pierres. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (17-Jun-00)

    In the main entrance round to the coal chute to do a bit of rope work and then out the tradesman entrance. ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (17-Jun-00)

    Bottom of the lobster pot and back with caver badge. ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (17-Jun-00)

    Normal scout caver Badge course to the top of the main chamber. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (11-Jun-00)

    After a heavy night because of Mendip Caving 2000 we made our way to the village hall because there was meant to be a MRO practise rescue, but not enough people turned up so it was cancelled and we went to Bat instead, we also looked for Mike's watch as he lost it in the mineries last night. After a pub lunch we met up with Pete and went down C ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (10-Jun-00)

    After mike forgetting his wellies, light and most of his caving kit Tim and I went in to rig the pitches while mike went back to the Belfry to get his kit. Tim and I got to the last pitch and put another fixed line on it just as mike caught us up. We soon got to the chamber where the dig is. We started by clearing the dig of spoil and loading up a ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (28-May-00)

    We did the standard tourist trip to sump 1 and back. Ric pointed out some crystals under the Friday night traverse, which I had not seen before. We also had a look at the pearls under the cascade where there is a good view of the fingers. We also saw the pearls up in high chamber. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (27-May-00)

    When Tony dropped me back at the belfry Nick and Elaine were off down Swildon's as they had been walking all-day and wanted to go underground. As I was still in my wetsuit I decided to go on my third trip of the day. We all got down to double pot but Nick and Elaine turned around here but I continued to sump 1 and met up with them again at the ...

  • Caving: Stocks House Mine Shaft (27-May-00)

    As Simon was leaving to go home I walked across the mineries to meet Tony at Stocks House. We spent the majority of the time moving bags from the upstream dig back to the bottom of the shaft. We also bagged up spoil in the upstream level from a previous collapse. The bags are to be hauled out Wednesday night. ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (27-May-00)

    I was hoping to get some digging done on this trip after last weekend's attempt. Unfortunately Si and Rob didn't make it through the crawl after the third pitch. I went down to the dig to have a look and a lot of water was coming through the scaffolding and a sizeable stream was going down our horizontal passage. Because of the amount of wa ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (26-May-00)

    A trip to the troubles in Swildons. I managed to get through both troubles but the second one was lacking airspace. Good and uneventful trip. Water levels were high which made it more sporting. ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (21-May-00)

    An unusually early start to what was to turn out to be quite a productive day. We got down to the dig site within about 1/2 hour as the ropes were already pre-tied. We managed to get the turfer up and running after beating it with a hammer and eventually were hauling boulders out the bottom of the pitch. 2 hours later and with some adaptions to the ...

  • Caving: Stoke Lane Slocker (20-May-00)

    After eventually finding Stoke St. Michael we parked in the village and walked to the cave from there. The entrance has quite a lot of rubbish in it washed in from the streamway but once in the cave you are following a excellent stream. Eventually after following the river you come to sump 1. Just before this there is quite a tight wet squeeze. The ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (07-May-00)

    We went in with the intention of retrieving all the old fixed ropes from the cave. After struggling through Priddy green with our own ropes and kit we eventually made it through to cowsh avens. Here we de-rigged the existing ropes packed them into spare tackle sacks and rigged our rope as a pull through. We eventually made it through to the Swindon ...

  • Caving: Eastwater Cavern (06-May-00)

    MRO Rescue practise. We met at the Belfry where a casualty was decided on and sent down eastwater. Then an advanced team went in with the molephone located the casualty and radioed up equipment requirements. Rescue kit was organized and various teams descended the cave. I went with a team to rig the traverse while another team rigged Bakers Chimney ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (29-Apr-00)

    In the afternoon we took the other MAC group caving. We split into two groups this time; I went down the short dry way and on to the Sump. At the sump we met up with kev's group and everyone in both parties went through. Kev's party turned back straight away whereas my group went to sump 2 where I picked up Trebor's diving bottle to tak ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (29-Apr-00)

    ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (29-Apr-00)

    This trip was for MAC (Maplin Activity Camp) while one group were caving the other lot were walking. A short trip to the Lobster pot once I had convinced a claustrophobic girl that caving was safe. ...

  • Caving: Stocks House Mine Shaft (16-Apr-00)

    I took more water samples and temperature readings of both the upstream level and treasury of the aeops. This is because the upstream level has almost turned 90? and it is now possible the water is the same as the treasury level. We will soon find out. Hauled out 76 bags using the new hydraulic winch which Ivan bought over. Then J-rat and I continu ...

  • Caving: Wigmore Swallett (16-Apr-00)

    Excellent sporting cave. Lots of tight awkward bits. 3 easy going pitches once you're actually on them - this applies especially to the second pitch. Once at the bottom the main streamway that happens to feed Cheddar is excellent. A cave that must be done again even if it is quite hard wearing on the oversuit. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (15-Apr-00)

    Rocky boulder area. Short trip because water was rising from snow melt. ...

  • Caving: Stocks House Mine Shaft (09-Apr-00)

    After the cave diving trip I went straight to stocks house via The Hunters to do some digging. Tony was already down there and I continued digging the upstream level with him. We broke through after clearing a lot of boulders to a small tube about 6ft in length and through into a small chamber. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (09-Apr-00)

    This was my first ever cave diving trip, well first ever diving trip. On the Saturday I got a selection of diving kit of various people and also went climbing down at Split rock because it was such a nice day. We all met at the belfry and Trebor checked my kit over. It was then off down Swindon's. The most difficult bit was getting through sump ...

  • Caving: Sell Gill Holes (02-Apr-00)

    It was quite a lazy day but I learnt a fair bit as in the morning we went to the Bouger rescue training in Dent at the Lyon centre, we left this at lunch time to go and do sell gill. After a 1/2 hour walk down the Pennine way in the rain we made it to sell gill. We went down the dry route. I rigged the entrance pitch and the traverse of the second ...

  • Caving: Cow Pot (01-Apr-00)

    This trip was planned as one of the training weekends for people going to the Bouger from the Craven. We did it as a exchange trip. The team I was with rigged cow pot and we descended down into Lancaster system. Where we passed the other group who had rigged Lancaster pot so we could get out. The last pitch from cow pot into Lancaster was amazing a ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (26-Mar-00)

    When I got out Swildon's earlier on I went with the intention of going digging down Stocks but for some unknown reason J-Rat did NOT want to go digging. So I headed down Swindon's to try and find the others. I finally met up with them just after the 20' and we all went down to sump 2 and then headed back out. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (26-Mar-00)

    Yet another time down Swindon's where we had forgotten the ladder for the 20'. We had remembered a rope though so we could abseil the 40' pot. Not surprisingly there was a ladder already on the 20' when we got there. We then went down to the landing and up to the round trip to have a look at the troubles. At the top of the landing C ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (25-Mar-00)

    This trip was hopefully going to be the first of many to re-open the dig at the bottom of rhino. 10 scaffold bars and a tackle sack of clips were collected from the belfry and dropped off at rhino by Cardiff uni. We then had the job of dragging them over the hill and down the valley to rhino. We later found out that the landowner was more than happ ...

  • Caving: Stocks House Mine Shaft (19-Mar-00)

    Continued lowering the streamway underneath the rat trap. We got so enthusiastic that we blocked ourselves in with spoil and had to dig ourselves out again. I took water samples and temperature readings from the upstream level and planned to do the treasury of the aeops level as well but it was dry. Other samples were taken on the surface to try es ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (19-Mar-00)

    This trip was basically to allow roger to get back into doing the entrance rift as he had not done for a little while. We went in via pulpit pitch then down the water chute to traverse chamber. From here it was sentry passage, mud hall, Friday night traverse and out wire rift. ...

  • Caving: Barrel Rake (18-Mar-00)

    After fixing the new keypad lock on the Belfry we decided a caving trip was in order. There was one advantage of this and that was you park right next to the entrance shaft. After the 20' entrance of vertical concrete tubes you go round a difficult corner and down a steep rockslide to a very sticky muddy chamber, where digging commences. Its no ...

  • Caving: Carlswark Cavern (12-Mar-00)

    This is another trip I haven't done for quite a while. We went in the way we came out last time and considering no one really knew the way, we did quite well. We found the stream way and we also found the shaft we abseiled into last time -found out that this is free climbable. After some more exploring we left via the way we came in. ...

  • Caving: Giants Hole (11-Mar-00)

    Quite an easy going trip but it was quite interesting trying to remember the way as I had only done it once and that was ages ago. We found Garlands Pot o.k. and then once in the crabwalk it is almost impossible to get lost. Kev and I explored the higher-Ievel routes of the crabwalk. Once at the end of the crabwalk a decision was made (by LUCC) to ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (05-Mar-00)

    One of the best trips on Mendip. Descended the very unpleasant priddy green streamway before turning off into RAF chamber. Here on was tight difficult passage leading towards the first pitch. We eventually arrived back at the priddy green streamway where we kitted up for the descent and reluctantly went through shit duck. The pitches were not that ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (04-Mar-00)

    This trip we decided to go down the old route, which was something different. We then went on to Pulpit Pitch, which is a nice abseil. Explored some of the further reaches of the cave and realized how big and complex this cave actually is. Returned via wire rift and up to Arete chamber back to pulpit pot to fetch our rope before the sporting climb ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (20-Feb-00)

    After making our way down all the big pitches we got to the last pitch where there was a fixed rope that on prussiking back up snapped, we later found out this was meant to be a handline. Luckily no one was injured. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (19-Feb-00)

    A very interesting trip taking down an old caver whose last trip was 1962. He was surprised about the sump being 4ft shorter and the 40ft not being there. We took him to the landing and back. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (13-Feb-00)

    After a quick trip down to sump 1 on the way back out we visited the mud sump where the water was exceptionally high. On our way back to the streamway we met up with some cave divers and decided to follow them back to the mud sump and watch them dive through. After that we went out via the wet way. ...

  • Caving: Gb Cavern (12-Feb-00)

    We went in via the standard route through to the main chamber. Down past the bridge to ladder dig where upon climbing past the two p-hangers on ladder dig we found the chain had been left coiled at the top. A bit of searching in the main chamber found a bit of old timber, which we tied to the rope and tried to catch the chain to pull it back down. ...

  • Caving: Stocks House Mine Shaft (23-Jan-00)

    Yet again more digging in Stocks House this time I was on the surface the whole time winching out and emptying bags. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (23-Jan-00)

    Down to sump 1 to wash off after Priddy green sink ...

  • Caving: Priddy Green Sink (23-Jan-00)

    A thoroughly disgusting slimy cave, but good in the end. We got the first bit over quite quickly because of the smell and muck and it was good to get to RAF chamber which is clean. After that we came to an L- junction we turned left went through a tight squeeze and came to a pitch. Guy said this was the wrong way so we exited the cave. We later fou ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (22-Jan-00)

    After such a short trip down reads we decided to have a look down rods. At the bottom I found an interesting tight wet crawl, which I thought best tackled with a wetsuit. ...

  • Caving: Reads Cavern (22-Jan-00)

    An exploratory trip to try and see how much of this cave had collapsed. We started of going down Zed-alley but after a short bit of passage came to a boulder choke which we didn't go through because of roosting bats. We then went back to the main chamber and tried to find lads luck but couldn't. ...

  • Caving: Stocks House Mine Shaft (09-Jan-00)

    After an hour on the surface winching out bags and emptying them we went down to blow up the boulder choke and fill more bags up. ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (08-Jan-00)

    Obviously an excellent trip down Cuthbert's. We had a look at all the pretties then went on to sump 2. The entrance rift was fun on the way out due to the large amount of water. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (08-Jan-00)

    Down to and through Sump 1 to find the entrance to Black Hole series. ...

  • Caving: Stocks House Mine Shaft (13-Dec-99)

    I Dug more of my little side passage, it now went in about 8ft. We also lowered the streamway floor, filled bags and took them back to the bottom of the shaft. ...

  • Caving: Redcliffe Cave (12-Dec-99)

    A historical tour by ACG around Bristol, first about using the sand in glass manufacturing. Then into the old mine that is in sandstone to see how the sand was excavated for use in the ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (11-Dec-99)

    I met up with some other cavers staying at the Belfry and because of high water levels we went down Swildon's. When we got to the blockhouse water was flowing in the upper pipe. We went in via the short dry way, which was sporting as Jacob's ladder had a lot of water coming over it. Once in the main streamway it was tough as the water level ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (28-Nov-99)

    When Tim finally sobered up we attempted to do the traverses in OFD 3. None of us had been there before so route finding was a problem. After some searching we found a long deep traverse but after a little while decided this was the wrong way, which we later found out it was. At least we will know for next time. ...

  • Caving: Ogof Fynnon Ddu (28-Nov-99)

    On the Sunday we were lucky enough to find an OFD 1 leader who took us down and showed us how to measure the water levels in the stream way. OFD 1 streamway had a lot of water in it and it was quite difficult to walk up it but it was excellent fun. ...

  • Caving: Cwm Dwr (27-Nov-99)

    This was an excellent and quite sporting trip. We went in Cwm Dwr which was just like a typical Mendip cave but when we was in the main part of the cave it all changed. The stream way was outstanding with some big deep pools to encounter. A trip we must do a again. ...

  • Caving: Bar Pot (13-Nov-99)

    After travelling up from Loughbourgh in the morning a good trip down GG was in hand. We went the normal way in straight down to the main chamber . To my amazement I could remember the route from when I had last done it. We spent a little while exploring passages from the main chamber before exiting through bar pot, the same way we had came in. Toni ...

  • Caving: Darren Cillau (05-Nov-99)

    This trip didn't quite go as planned as it was meant to be a 3 day camping trip but unfortunately Tim and mike, the two who knew the route were unable to make it. We still went ahead with the trip and went in Friday afternoon. After battling with all our camping stuff in the entrance crawl we were soon out into superb open cave. Caving from her ...

  • Caving: Stocks House Mine Shaft (17-Oct-99)

    We entered the cave that had been extended a great deal since I was last there. Two dams had been put in and there was now a nice chest deep streamway. J-Rat and I surveyed the upstream section to the boulder while Tony clipped bags to the winch operated by bob smith. ...

  • Caving: Eastwater Cavern (17-Oct-99)

    A nice short trip to find Dark cars and sunglasses after being given a survey drawn on a mars bar packet by Tav in the hunters the night before. Once you've done the exposed chimney up to this place and got through some tight squeezes there are some stunning formations. Quite surprising for Eastwater . ...

  • Caving: Thrupe Lane (16-Oct-99)

    After fixing a winch me and Bob Smith had pulled down the hill from Halloween Rift, I headed off with some other BEC members to do Thrupe Lane. A nice easy entrance abseil leads down to a very sharp descending rift, which trashes your gear. There was a bit of a queue at Perseverance Pot as it took a little while for everyone to squeeze down. From t ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (10-Oct-99)

    After taking the scouts in the short dry way up to the pitch and back out the wet way me and simon clow went back in to assist the other speleo group. This was to be longer than expected, as we had to wait an hour at the pitch head before we could get down by which time our group was coming up. ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (09-Oct-99)

    Down to the top of the avens. ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (09-Oct-99)

    Down to the lobster pot ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (09-Oct-99)

    To the top of the coffin slab. ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (09-Oct-99)

    The entrance series to Pierres on a scout caver badge course. ...

  • Caving: Rhino Rift (03-Oct-99)

    A good cave for SRT. The P-Hangers make it a lot easier. The first three pitches are the good ones and the next three are smaller. The 4th and 5th being free climbable and the 6th having a fixed line leading into a boulder chamber with a dig at the bottom. ...

  • Caving: White Pit (02-Oct-99)

    A nice cave with excellent formations. Problem with it is it is very high in CO2. Not good after a BEC AGM. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (16-Sep-99)

    A normal trip in Swildon's we went in the short dry down and past the 20' pitch to sump1 everyone went through the sump and onto sump 2 where we turned around and headed out the cave via the wet way. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (15-Sep-99)

    We went in the main entrance and down into the main chamber where I decided to squeeze through the ridiculously tight third way into the water chamber, everyone else followed via the coffin slab. Once all in the water chamber everyone explored different routes off, nothing major was found. After this cave we went down to Cheddar police station so I ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (15-Sep-99)

    A weekend taking some of Maplin district scouts away. This time in rods we went down the avens, nothing special but something different in this cave. After that we went down to the bottom of the cave and out. ...

  • Caving: Swinsto Hole (12-Sep-99)

    An excellent through trip cave. The big pitch was outstanding. The only problem was finding valley entrance but eventually we got out. ...

  • Caving: Lancaster Hole (11-Sep-99)

    After getting down the 15' climbable shaft you enter an excellent canyon which you follow all the way down to the first pitch. From the pitch a short climb down brings you out in a chamber with a few routes coming off. We took the dry one higher up in the chamber on the right, which soon became wet. We followed this small stream which emerged o ...

  • Caving: Stocks House Mine Shaft (05-Sep-99)

    A nice 50' shaft took us down to a muddy cave. Here there were various ways on that didn't lead very far so we dug. 51 bags were hauled out the shaft before we blew up a boulder choke j-rat had previously been stuck in. Digging continues there. ...

  • Caving: Eastwater Cavern (05-Sep-99)

    A good trip exploring various parts of eastwater. We went in the upper traverse and down to the crossroads then along to dolphin chimney and down dolphin pot. We then explored the upper series and did 13 pots. After that we came out via dolphin pot route and through to the entrance boulder ruckle avoiding the upper traverse. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (04-Sep-99)

    As water levels were quite low we decided to attempt the short round and shatter series when we arrived at the mud sump it was almost dry so we passed it with ease. We then descended shatter pot and went into shatter series we had no idea where we were going and no survey so it was guess work. We made it to the overhang which we climbed using the f ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (06-Jul-99)

    We went in the wet way down to sump 1 through sump 1 and along to sump 2 We then turned around and headed out the cave via the wet way. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (05-Jul-99)

    After getting kited up at the green we realised we had forgotten the ladder for the 20' pitch. So we entered the cave trying to make as much out of it as possible. We went in the wet way and at the bottom of the 40' pitch we decided to try and free climb up it. We did this with ease after remembering there was a lower entrance to the head o ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (05-Jul-99)

    To the bottom of the drainpipe and back out. ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (05-Jul-99)

    Lobster Pot and back. ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (05-Jul-99)

    Another trip with novices. We just went to the bottom of the cave and then back out. ...

  • Caving: Attbourgh Swallet (04-Jul-99)

    Tony gave us the key to this wonderful cave after we had finished in 'His Lordships'. We walked across the field to a depression almost full of cow crap. In the middle was the top part of the sewage pipe we had to descend. After climbing down this tube we were in more cow crap. We went further on into the cave that was getting muddier the f ...

  • Caving: His Lordships Hole (04-Jul-99)

    Our first digging trip that turned out to be well worth it. We went down the 45? angled sewage pipe and after crawling through some low cave passage we came out into a chamber. His Screaming Lords Such Memorial Chamber. In a small hole in the bottom of this chamber was a small stream. One at a time we got into this hole and started chiselling away ...

  • Caving: Eastwater Cavern (04-Jul-99)

    After discussing this cave down the pub we were quite sure of the route. We went in following the guideline through the boulder ruckle entrance and down to the start of the 380' way. We then went along the upper traverse, then left at the T-junction up to baker's chimney then back round to the canyon through the s-bend and then the lower tr ...

  • Caving: Longwood August (03-Jul-99)

    Luckily for us as this was our first time in this cave we met some other cavers doing rhino rift who showed us how to get to longwood and also the knack for undoing the lock. Once in we got down to the twin verticals which we passed without the need for the ladder, and decided to explore longwood system first. Navigation was quite easy until we got ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (02-Jul-99)

    A nice trip down to see what the mud sump was like, after a hour of bailing we gave up and went down to sump 2 and then back out again. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (13-Jun-99)

    In the short dry way, up to pitch and back out via wet way. ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (12-Jun-99)

    To lobster Pot ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (12-Jun-99)

    ECSCT caver badge course. Down to the avens and back. ...

  • Caving: Gb Cavern (09-May-99)

    We went in the long way via devils elbow and when we got to the main chamber it was massive. After seeing the bridge in the main chamber we proceeded down to bat passage, where we climbed up to the higher level to see the excellent formations. That was the good part of the trip the bad part was when we got to the entrance the lock was jammed and We ...

  • Caving: St Cuthberts (08-May-99)

    A excellent cave with great formations. Thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (08-May-99)

    Again we attempted the round trip. We went in the wet way down to tratmans temple up to the mud sump. There was no pump there this time and we bailed it for about an hour. With no luck with the bailing we free dived through the sump, this proved quite difficult as it is tight in the middle but eventually we all got through. We then went down to blu ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (02-May-99)

    In short dry way down to sump 2 back up wet way. ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (02-May-99)

    Lobster Pot. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (02-May-99)

    This trip was for Maplin activity camp. We went to the bottom of the drainpipe and explored side passages off the water chamber. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (12-Dec-98)

    My first attempt at the short round trip, and shatter Pot. We went in the wet way and down to tratmans temple where we found our way to the mud sump. Here we bailed the sump non-stop for an hour until it became a duck. We then passed the mud sump and descended shatter pot. We only went a short way into shatter series before turning around and going ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (11-Oct-98)

    In short dry way to sump 1 and back out the wet way. ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (10-Oct-98)

    Lobster Pot ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (10-Oct-98)

    A change of groups and I ended up in goatchurch again. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (10-Oct-98)

    To the bottom. ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (10-Oct-98)

    To the bottom of Rods Pot. ...

  • Caving: Bull Pot (13-Sep-98)

    Another great cave for SRT. I did all the rigging in this cave. We went to the top of the 5th pitch. ...

  • Caving: Bar Pot (12-Sep-98)

    An excellent cave to do my first trip to Yorkshire. Also my first major SRT trip. GG main chamber was outstanding ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (14-Jun-98)

    In short Dry way up to ladder pitch and back out wet way. ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (13-Jun-98)

    To lobster pot, one member of party was cold because of rain so went back to the bus for this one. ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (13-Jun-98)

    Entrance series ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (13-Jun-98)

    To coffin Slab. Rained heavy all day ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (10-May-98)

    Filming again. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (10-May-98)

    More filming down Goatchurch. ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (10-May-98)

    While everyone else was getting changed we had a quick trip down to the lobster pot. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (09-May-98)

    In short way down to sump and back out. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (18-Apr-98)

    A day trip to Goatchurch to try and make a promotional video for ECSCT. It all went well and we got some good clips. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (15-Mar-98)

    Short way in down to sump and back out wet way. ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (14-Mar-98)

    Entrance series ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (14-Mar-98)

    To lobster Pot ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (14-Mar-98)

    To water chamber ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (14-Mar-98)

    Bottom of main chamber ...

  • Caving: Carlswark Cavern (07-Dec-97)

    ...

  • Caving: Jackpot (06-Dec-97)

    Unfortunately we only got to the top of the first pitch as the cave was in flood. ...

  • Caving: Gaultries Hole (06-Dec-97)

    My first trip using my carbide lamp, not very successful as it flooded in a muddy crawl when the cable came unattached. Good experience though as it was everyone's first time in this cave and we had fun finding the way. ...

  • Caving: Knotlow Mine (07-Sep-97)

    We laddered the 50' climbing shaft and the 15' pitch and onto the 25' waterfall pitch into the main chamber. We then went out the cave the same way leaving the kit in place and abseling back down to the main chamber via the adjacent 210' main shaft. After exploring the side passages we went out the cave using the ladders we had prev ...

  • Caving: Jackpot (06-Sep-97)

    We abseiled the first and second pitches and carried on down to the lower streamway where we went to both sumps. On the way out at the first pitch we hauled another caver up the pitch and assisted them out the cave as they were suffering from exhaustion and hypothermia. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (31-Aug-97)

    A very interesting trip. Went in short dry way, past the 20' pitch and got as far as double pot where we noticed the water was rising. We made a quick exit out the cave via the short dry to find the water going through the overflow and MRO on standby. ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (30-Aug-97)

    Entrance series ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (30-Aug-97)

    To the lobster pot ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (30-Aug-97)

    Coffin Slab ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (30-Aug-97)

    This trip was my first where I was the only instructor in the group, acting on someone else's form C .To the Avens ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (15-Jun-97)

    In long dry way up to pitch and out wet way. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (14-Jun-97)

    To coffin Slab ...

  • Caving: Avelines Hole (14-Jun-97)

    ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (14-Jun-97)

    Entrance Series ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (14-Jun-97)

    To avens ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (14-Jun-97)

    To lobster Pot ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (13-Oct-96)

    In long dry way up to pitch and out short dry way. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (12-Oct-96)

    To Coffin Slab ...

  • Caving: Avelines Hole (12-Oct-96)

    ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (12-Oct-96)

    Entrance series. ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (12-Oct-96)

    To lobster Pot. ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (12-Oct-96)

    Assistant instructor on a caver badge course. To the avens and back. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (15-Sep-96)

    In the short dry way and this time past the 20' pitch and up to the sump. Back out the wet way. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (14-Sep-96)

    Bottom of cave ...

  • Caving: Lionels Hole (14-Sep-96)

    Up to the traverse. ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (14-Sep-96)

    On an ECSCT badge course doing my speleo instructor scout badge. To the bottom of the cave. ...

  • Caving: Giants Hole (01-Sep-96)

    Same as above ...

  • Caving: Giants Hole (01-Sep-96)

    Halfway down the crabwalk. My first bit of SRT on Garlands Pot. ...

  • Caving: Jackpot (31-Aug-96)

    Same as above ...

  • Caving: Jackpot (31-Aug-96)

    My first trip to Derbyshire. We went down the first pitch abseiled the second and back up the iron ladder to the first pitch. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (16-Jun-96)

    In the long dry way, up to the pitch and out the short dry way. ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (15-Jun-96)

    Entrance series. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (15-Jun-96)

    Avens and back. ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (15-Jun-96)

    Lobster pot and back. ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (15-Jun-96)

    On an ECSCT caver badge course as an assistant instructor. To the Avens. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (12-May-96)

    In the short dry way up to the 20' pitch and then back via the long dry way. ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (11-May-96)

    Entrance series. ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (11-May-96)

    To the coffin slab and back. ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (11-May-96)

    To the top of the avens. ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (11-May-96)

    This time doing the caver instructor scout badge. To the lobster pot and back. ...

  • Caving: Avelines Hole (14-Oct-95)

    ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (14-Oct-95)

    This was when the entrance to Swildons was changing so we did Sidcot Swallet on the Sunday instead, a bit disappointing. ...

  • Caving: Lionels Hole (13-Oct-95)

    Up to the traverse ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (13-Oct-95)

    All the way to the bottom. ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (13-Oct-95)

    Back on one of the ECSCT courses as we enjoyed the last one so much. This time doing the Speleologist scout badge. This time we went to the bottom of the cave. ...

  • Caving: Swildons Hole (14-May-95)

    A cold and quite exhausting trip but a lot better than the Burrington Coombe caves. To the 20' via the long dry way. ...

  • Caving: Pierres Pot (13-May-95)

    Just in the entrance ...

  • Caving: Goatchurch Cavern (13-May-95)

    To the coffin slab. ...

  • Caving: Sidcot Swallet (13-May-95)

    To the lobster pot and back. ...

  • Caving: Rods Pot (13-May-95)

    A good first trip that got us started into this excellent sport. This was us on a ECSCT caver badge course as scouts. The weather was good and we couldn't wait for the next cave. We just went to the avens in Rods. ...