Trips & Reports

Rigging practice for Debbie. I sat around in the sun for a bit, then I sat around half way down the cave for a bit, then I went to the bottom, and then I derigged. It was the first time I have actually bottomed Jingling, last time I went with people doing rigging practice I gave up due to boredom. It is a big hole. It is a good cave for rigging practice. There is not much else to say... read more

Mechano passage! No way! Very tight connecting passage between Hillocks and Knotlow, almost suicidally tight! Would require a very slim and bendy team indeed. We weren't!

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmUD!!!!! :o :o :o

I've wanted to go back to Vesper for about 3 years! I didn't make it to the bottom last time so was glad to this time, but we must remember that as of today, the last pitch isn't p-hangered!! Thankfully we managed to knock up some rigging with some odd spits that Gover had and one I randomly found on a rock. This was helped by the spanner we also found on a rock!!

Well I've never done a handstand in a cave before so that was quite amusing!! Head first in the entrance, fun fun fun!! Fairly tight bits at the beginning which were obviously made all the more enjoyable by the tackle sacks, but nothing too dramatic i dont think - although i've never heard matt swear so much in my life! There were also some really beautiful bits of cave formations and decorations etc high up on the... read more

It was only a handful of tastefully utilised swearwords. And only in the tightest parts. I'm not as bendy as the rest of you remember! Tight entrance for 5m then flat out crawl for 20m and then a bit more spacious though some interesting contortional passages to negotiate. Really enjoyed the trip, which was my intention as last time I came, I didn't enjoy it at all, so I'm gradually coming round to liking tight caves.... read more

Very straightforward and uneventful descent. Only got interesting on way out. Derigging was enjoyable, carrying the bag out was a pleasure. As always, caving is boring if you don't get involved in the rigging, only when you contibute to the work is it rewarding. (Is he being genuine or is he trying to scam freshers into carrying all the tackle sacks??!!!)

First trip this year that we actualy got changed in bright sunshine! Only thing is... don't walk up a hill in a wet suit - its bloody hot! No real problems, the normal Long Churn fun. Loads of other people down there as expected on a bank holiday weekend. We met a really nice guy from Red Rose CPC who was chatting to us about a new dig they were doing in Lancaster.

Super fun trip. We emptied thousands of litres of water from the cave. Hope the iron stains will come out of my clothes. Dom slid down the bank and I hoofed a load of shale off my shovel at him (sorry didn't mean to). We need to get some wide bore flexible pipe so we can siphon the rest of the water out as the entrance as the floor is too hard to lower any further.... read more

Best trip ever. Ever. (we played underground rounders)

not sure 'best trip ever' is appropriate but was a fun little jolly. riducuolous amounts of water prevented more hardcore trips. The guide talks complete horseshit when it says abseil 9m to a rift going off to the right. the rift is 4m down if that. After some preliminary faff and swingage to get to the start of the 'technical' route was straight forward rigging down to the scrotty bottom (beware dead sheep). Another thing learnt is that cave rounders (played with... read more

A rather rainy day!!! We parked as for Little Neath, and the streamway was already gushing. It took around an hour to walk to Pant Mawr, along the pathway as far as the concrete bridge over the stream, and then bearing left along the line of trees. Garys GPS then took us the remaining 0.5km or so to the pothole, which is surrounded by a fence. I rigged the entrance which has a fun large Y-hang, and we... read more

Emma is slighly mad in a night club! Much dancing fun, a great addition to a caving week in wales!

Sooooooooooo pretty!!!!

A nice walk from Pont-ned-fuchan (or wherever it's called) up the river towared Ystrafellte. Along route we passed the old Silica mine workings, which were fallen down old stone building, surrounded by lots of rusty rock and slag heaps, and numerous evidence for former workings. In fact, we found the building where they probably did the melting part of the extraction, and if you run your finger roughly against the blackened stone, some soot comes off, and is smells of... read more

Well, no one else seems to want to document this trip... A complete cock up. Lessons: Take a watch.

Thoroughly enjoyable fun cave. Though I was rather annoyed that after the first 10 minutes my brand new wetsuit had developed a tear! Was treading rather cautiously after that which spoiled enjoyment slightly. ALWAYS WEAR AN OVERSUIT OVER A WETSUIT... WETSUITS ARE NO MATCH FOR A JAGGED ROCK!!! It's easily repairable however :-) The water levels were fairly low I reckon. After the first 15m or so, the entrance crawl narrows and stooping through a low... read more

Dinosaurs! SRT! Not so clear clear pools! Fizzy Pop!

I blame this walk for my blisters!! :( it was fun but I was really tired from the uphill bits which there were a lot of! fave part was the trees- I love running in and out of them in a forest! hehe what a weirdo

I did it! The round trip! I'm so happy! I'd been looking forward to this one for a whole year since I got a taste for this cave last time (on my second trip ever). Really pleased I got down into the sewers and got nicely wet. Matt - you've proved your wooseyness by finding the dry alternative route (but well done). Would be interested in exploring some of the other parts of this... read more

A superb trip and well done to Andy and Dom for remembering the way and navigating so well. With the exception of a few minor detours we hardly went wrong. The trip gets a 4 for hardcore, because of the entrance series being rather damp and grotty, and the 7 hour epic adventure being very tiring indeed. Forget the gym, or circuits... this has to be the ultimate test of cardiovascular fitness! Constant climbing and stomping! Owing... read more