Fairy Cave to Hilliers Through Trip
Lesw
Maggot
Keen
Alex
Darren
Known
Arrived at the Wessex hut at 7, everyone was there except Les and Darren. Les got there shortly after, and Darren about 20 minutes later. After a bit of banter about wellies, for Keen's benefit, and trying to persuade Known to go underground with his screaming headache, we eventually piled into the cars and hared off to East Mendip. All got changed in the Cavers Car Park at Fairy Cave Quarry; Les told Alex 'don't piddle here, cos you'll be crawling through it soon'!
Off we went to the entrance to Fairy Cave and down the hole. Over some crawly squeezy bits, and I was surprised to see so many nice stal formations so close to an entrance. Then we got to the first tight bit, dropping down a small rift and feet first through a tiny hole which Les described in a rude way. I was last through but probably quickest.
I was a bit slower following on after that, I spent too much time admiring the formations, Keen overtook me at one point (elbowing me in teh nuts, thanks mate!) but I eventually caught up to the tail end of a traffic jam, where I could hear much cursing, splashing and general sounds of incompetence coming from somewhere ahead. They'd reached the duck; it wasn't too deep, and Les had gone through followed by Alex who then came back out. There was some muffled shouting from the other ent of the hole, and Dean was sent on ahead. What went on in the duck is only known by Les and Dean, but Dean was out the other end before Les, and was sent on to scout the route. After a bit of misdirection (he'd found the dig) Alex went through the duck, then I followed and found a really tight squeeze at the end of it. Going upwards at about 45 degrees it was a bit of a rib tickler but after a bit of faffing about I expelled every ounce of air I had in me, thought thin thoughts and gave an almighty shove with my legs which launched my through the hole like I was propelled by a Chicken Vindaloo and ten pints of Butcombe. "It's a Boy!" was the celebratory yell. I waited while Darren followed through (don't mean that the way it sounds), nearly doing his ribs in as well. Carefully avoiding the dig, we followed the others and after a crawl under a bedding plane we'd made the connection to Hilliers.
The nature of this cave was completely different to Fairy, more formations and rifty bits, and there was even room to stand up at times! The floor of the streamway was quite gravelly, but the going was quite easy apart from one point involving a climb down. Then, the others having beggared off into the distance, Darren and I came to a bouldery bit. I started crawling under, and soon realised the gravel floor looked undisturbed, so came back out and we went over, Darren now leading. Up past the tarry bit, and Darren went straight on while I, hearing some scrabbling, looked up and saw Alex going up the rift to the exit. Darren caught up with Dean, who'd also gone straight on, and they came back too. Eventually we were all out, and after a swift change we answered Roger's psychic shouting from the Hunters.
Lesw
Maggot
Keen
Alex
Darren
Arrived at the Wessex hut at 7, everyone was there except Les and Darren. Les got there shortly after, and Darren about 20 minutes later. After a bit of banter about wellies, for Keen's benefit, and trying to persuade Known to go underground with his screaming headache, we eventually piled into the cars and hared off to East Mendip. All got changed in the Cavers Car Park at Fairy Cave Quarry; Les told Alex 'don't piddle here, cos you'll be crawling through it soon'!
Off we went to the entrance to Fairy Cave and down the hole. Over some crawly squeezy bits, and I was surprised to see so many nice stal formations so close to an entrance. Then we got to the first tight bit, dropping down a small rift and feet first through a tiny hole which Les described in a rude way. I was last through but probably quickest.
I was a bit slower following on after that, I spent too much time admiring the formations, Keen overtook me at one point (elbowing me in teh nuts, thanks mate!) but I eventually caught up to the tail end of a traffic jam, where I could hear much cursing, splashing and general sounds of incompetence coming from somewhere ahead. They'd reached the duck; it wasn't too deep, and Les had gone through followed by Alex who then came back out. There was some muffled shouting from the other ent of the hole, and Dean was sent on ahead. What went on in the duck is only known by Les and Dean, but Dean was out the other end before Les, and was sent on to scout the route. After a bit of misdirection (he'd found the dig) Alex went through the duck, then I followed and found a really tight squeeze at the end of it. Going upwards at about 45 degrees it was a bit of a rib tickler but after a bit of faffing about I expelled every ounce of air I had in me, thought thin thoughts and gave an almighty shove with my legs which launched my through the hole like I was propelled by a Chicken Vindaloo and ten pints of Butcombe. "It's a Boy!" was the celebratory yell. I waited while Darren followed through (don't mean that the way it sounds), nearly doing his ribs in as well. Carefully avoiding the dig, we followed the others and after a crawl under a bedding plane we'd made the connection to Hilliers.
The nature of this cave was completely different to Fairy, more formations and rifty bits, and there was even room to stand up at times! The floor of the streamway was quite gravelly, but the going was quite easy apart from one point involving a climb down. Then, the others having beggared off into the distance, Darren and I came to a bouldery bit. I started crawling under, and soon realised the gravel floor looked undisturbed, so came back out and we went over, Darren now leading. Up past the tarry bit, and Darren went straight on while I, hearing some scrabbling, looked up and saw Alex going up the rift to the exit. Darren caught up with Dean, who'd also gone straight on, and they came back too. Eventually we were all out, and after a swift change we answered Roger's psychic shouting from the Hunters.
which made it not very nice for a while :thumbsdown:
