Dan-yr-ogof

Location

Grid Reference: SN 8382 1603

Altitude: 250m

Dan-yr-ogof River Entrance © Copyright Hywel Williams and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence. From Geograph

Access

For the current access arrangements see the website of the Dan-yr-ogof CAC(Cave Advisory Committee).

Groups must be accompanied by a recognised Conservation Warden and all cavers must be covered by BCA Public Liabiliy Insurance.

Description

Length:~16km

An extensive sporting cave with a bit of everything; Swimming, walking, crawling, climbing, and formations. The cave is made up of a number of distict sections which were explored sequentially at different times. The first section is the 1912 series, which largely makes up the current show cave. Beyond the showcave, a series of lakes and river passage are crossed which lead to the 1937 series. This section is stooping passage in the main and often overlooked as the caver passes through. The way on from this section is via the Long Crawl, which was passed in 1966. The 1966 series is probably some of the finest caving in the country. It consists of an upper and lower series which forms a grand round trip passing sights such as Bakerloo straight (a perfect phreatic tube), Cloud Chamber (with its impressive clouds of long white straws) and the Green Canal - a long cold swim. The further reaches of the cave are accessed via a climb above a sump known as The Rising. From here some smaller passages and climbs lead onto a pitch down into The Great North Road. This huge canyon passage heads dead straight and northwards to the North Aven. At the foot of the aven is a beautifullly decorated oxbow known as The Mostest. A climb up the aven leads to The Far North. There are two branches of this, the left hand series being the main way on. This eventually chokes, marking the end of the cave.

History

First explored by the Morgan Brothers in 1912. Lakes crossed by dinghy in 1937. Long crawl passed in 1966.

References

• Observer Magazine, 17th July 1966.
• Cambrian Cave Registry entry
• The Wonders of Dan yr Ogof, Sarah Symons.

External Links

• http://www.dan-yr-ogof-showcaves.co.uk/ - Dan-yr-ogof showcaves website
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_yr_Ogof - Dan-yr-ogof page on wikipedia