Tunnel top. Swansea valley

[pitchead]

Currently there is no access to Tunnel top cave in the Swansea Valley due to problems with the gate.
Repairs will be carried out in the near future.

 

[Babyhagrid]

Currently there is no access to Tunnel top cave in the Swansea Valley due to problems with the gate.
Repairs will be carried out in the near future.

The tunnel cave above DYO that "connects" to cathedral cave?

 

[pitchead]

The tunnel cave above DYO that "connects" to cathedral cave?

Yes that’s correct. Although there is no access to cathedral cave via Tunnel cave.

 

[Babyhagrid]

Yes that’s correct. Although there is no access to cathedral cave via Tunnel cave.

I thought there were some doors at the Ned that led into tunnel? Is there no access for these anymore?

 

[pitchead]

There is no access to Tunnel cave other than the top gate which is currently inoperable.
Updates will be posted in due course. Thanks.

 

[Babyhagrid]

Are the airlock doors uninstalled now??

 

[Stuart France]

No. The air lock door between the wild cave (accessed only via the top entrance which is now closed temporarily for maintenance of the gate) and the show cave area is still in situ. As I understand it, the "air lock" door key has not been readily available to cavers for many years, so the only practical option would be to return to the top entrance by reversing your inward route but, as I say, the top entrance is closed for maintenance right now.

 

[Graigwen]

Of course in the good old days there was no airlock doors or artificial tunnel entrance at the bottom of the cave. After descending from top entrance you could leave via the original natural tunnel at the bottom.

I recall having to kick a thick curtain of ice aside to leave by this route in the winter of 1970.
Hot work in Tunnel Cave

 

[pitchead]

Are the airlock doors uninstalled now??View attachment 14905

Please see Stuart’s post. The airlock doors were installed around 10 years ago, maybe longer, and is now kept locked with no access either into or out of the show cave (cathedral)

 

[andrewmcleod]

"The tunnel top gate has now been repaired and lubricated.

Please make sure the handle operates the door from inside the cave before committing to closing up for a trip."

(and, as always, leave a callout just in case...)

 

[andrewmcleod]

Unfortunately the gate is once again causing problems (in one case preventing a party from leaving the cave), so access to Tunnel Top is again closed until the locking mechanism is improved and fixed.

 

[andrewmcleod]

"The tunnel top gate has been modified and is now working as it should be. The handles cannot now be over-turned and cause the gate to become jammed shut. It is still recommended that cavers test the mechanism before entering the cave and closing the door. Please keep the gate closed at all times unless you are actually in the process of entering or exiting."

Keys available by contacting the SWCC permit secretary (contact details on the SWCC website).

Thanks from me to the people who fixed the mechanism; the gate is up on the hillside and takes a battering from the weather.

 

[mrodoc]

Only ever done Tunnel by going in and out the top. Quite a challenging trip in places and frustrating when you meet the gate and know you are only minutes from the exit!

 

[Graigwen]

Only ever done Tunnel by going in and out the top. Quite a challenging trip in places and frustrating when you meet the gate and know you are only minutes from the exit!

In the good old days before the new bottom tunnel was driven, you could drop down from Davy Price's Hall into the original small entrance and find yourself confronted by a four inch thick wall of ice which you had to kick your way through to reach the hillside.
.