M
Melanie lloyd
Guest
Devon Weekend 16th to 18th July 2006 Chudleigh Rock Climbing Centre.
Though I'd better write this one up seeing as I got most of the photos.
Attended by: Andy P and Sharon.. Ken, Danni, Neil, Judi and Robin, Me, Mum, Ben, Alex, Elaine, Ben(2) Andy H. Barry, Trish, Megan and Mark. Andy S. Hope that's everyone?
Chudleigh Rock Climbing Centre, wow what a place to hold a weekend event. Not only was there everything you needed for a cavers weekend jam packed with pleasurable activity (and some blatant lazing around I might add) but there was glorious sunshine too.
Arriving late on a hot Friday evening, we set up camp on a shady gladed plateau, set to the side of the quarried floor. For anyone not familiar with this center it is a mysterious secret garden, lushly cocooned from the outside world. Full of tantalizing adventure and exotic plant life. Scattered amongst the trees and shrubs, wood sculpted animals lie inanimately waiting to surprise the unsuspecting walker. Around every bend, every corner there is some new delight to take in least of all the sympathetically arranged assault course type activities roped and tied and bound around the trees and quarry walls. Rock climbs, rope climbs, woodland walks, aerial walkways, traverses, waterfalls Via Ferratas and of course… caves. Chudleigh seemed to have it all. It's no wonder we all wanted to go back next year.
Friday evening saw us meeting, greeting and eating and generally settling in with lots of excited chat about the weekend ahead. Some loose plans were boozily made for the following day and then, at the stroke of midnight, an impromptu tikka illuminated ghost hunt began with lots of running through the woods, in search of spirits of another kind.
Saturday morning saw us up bright and breezy-well some of us- and the deal was struck to go to Priddamsleigh Cave. A speedy, if not slightly fraught jaunt down the M-way, some faffing about with kit and we were all eventually standing inside the gawping entrance. Judi then gave us an informative introduction as to what lay ahead before doing a wonderful job of leading the novices around its slippy, sludgy, sloppy slopes and passages and making sure we got thoroughly muddy. The keener members of the party had already sidled off to do more ‘serious stuff.'
An unexpected bonus, and one that seemed uncannily planned, happened when we arrived at the end of the cave just in time to see a diver in all his rubbered, tubed and head lamped glory doing his final checks before softly casting adrift. We turned our lights off and in an awed silence we watched him as he quietly disappear into his watery underworld leaving nothing but gently rippling wakes and a gloop of bubbles. We sat and watched and eventually an eerie fading green glow was all that was left of him
Happily we made our way out. But hell, were we muddy. Someone suggested we wash it off in the nearby river and a short walk later saw us splashing child like in the shallows.
A breakdown in communication later saw the party being split up as some went one way to the pub whilst others went another but eventually we all got together again and began preparations for the BBQ where Andy Hebdon impressed us all with his perfectly fingered renditions of the Captain Pugwash theme tune on the squeeze box whilst I, dressed up in full belly dancing gear, gave a performance which Ken, I seem to remember, particularly enjoyed….sorry, I have no photos of either and that is probably just as well.
Sunday morning dawned a little less bright and breezy due to the effects of indulgence the night before but some of us still managed a big breakfast. Funny how things get jumbled up in the memory and the order of things might not be as I write but I remember a number of us going on a woodland walk down to the waterfall where a relaxing hour or so was spent taking turns on a makeshift rope swing and clambering the mossy rocks up the side of the fall in order to dip our feet in the cool pools. The children in the group were a little more adventurous and followed the fall up stream for a short distance.
The party split up, each to do their own thing and I with other members went off exploring the rock faces and caves on the other side of the quarry. Journeying on upwards we eventually reached the very top of the world and could look down on our ludicrously small camp site which, to me, seemed hundreds of feet below. I'm comfortable with heights as long as I'm tied to a rope but if not, I become anxious. At that point all I wanted to do was get back down.
Lazy Sunday afternoon indeed. Some went caving others walking others just talked amongst themselves and then it was time for most to leave. A few sad farewell hugs later and that was it. The Cheddar Caving Club's Delightful Devon Weekend over.
A Very big thank you to Wendy (I don't think I ever knew her surname.) who let us stay there and use the facilities for almost next to nothing. Lady, I salute you!
Big breakfast
Robin
Ben
The group
Happy smiles
Taking the plunge
sump Practice
A womans work is never done.
ken
It was hot
Cup size?
Wee Willie Hebdon
Happy Campers
Waterfall
Cooling off
Though I'd better write this one up seeing as I got most of the photos.
Attended by: Andy P and Sharon.. Ken, Danni, Neil, Judi and Robin, Me, Mum, Ben, Alex, Elaine, Ben(2) Andy H. Barry, Trish, Megan and Mark. Andy S. Hope that's everyone?
Chudleigh Rock Climbing Centre, wow what a place to hold a weekend event. Not only was there everything you needed for a cavers weekend jam packed with pleasurable activity (and some blatant lazing around I might add) but there was glorious sunshine too.
Arriving late on a hot Friday evening, we set up camp on a shady gladed plateau, set to the side of the quarried floor. For anyone not familiar with this center it is a mysterious secret garden, lushly cocooned from the outside world. Full of tantalizing adventure and exotic plant life. Scattered amongst the trees and shrubs, wood sculpted animals lie inanimately waiting to surprise the unsuspecting walker. Around every bend, every corner there is some new delight to take in least of all the sympathetically arranged assault course type activities roped and tied and bound around the trees and quarry walls. Rock climbs, rope climbs, woodland walks, aerial walkways, traverses, waterfalls Via Ferratas and of course… caves. Chudleigh seemed to have it all. It's no wonder we all wanted to go back next year.
Friday evening saw us meeting, greeting and eating and generally settling in with lots of excited chat about the weekend ahead. Some loose plans were boozily made for the following day and then, at the stroke of midnight, an impromptu tikka illuminated ghost hunt began with lots of running through the woods, in search of spirits of another kind.
Saturday morning saw us up bright and breezy-well some of us- and the deal was struck to go to Priddamsleigh Cave. A speedy, if not slightly fraught jaunt down the M-way, some faffing about with kit and we were all eventually standing inside the gawping entrance. Judi then gave us an informative introduction as to what lay ahead before doing a wonderful job of leading the novices around its slippy, sludgy, sloppy slopes and passages and making sure we got thoroughly muddy. The keener members of the party had already sidled off to do more ‘serious stuff.'
An unexpected bonus, and one that seemed uncannily planned, happened when we arrived at the end of the cave just in time to see a diver in all his rubbered, tubed and head lamped glory doing his final checks before softly casting adrift. We turned our lights off and in an awed silence we watched him as he quietly disappear into his watery underworld leaving nothing but gently rippling wakes and a gloop of bubbles. We sat and watched and eventually an eerie fading green glow was all that was left of him
Happily we made our way out. But hell, were we muddy. Someone suggested we wash it off in the nearby river and a short walk later saw us splashing child like in the shallows.
A breakdown in communication later saw the party being split up as some went one way to the pub whilst others went another but eventually we all got together again and began preparations for the BBQ where Andy Hebdon impressed us all with his perfectly fingered renditions of the Captain Pugwash theme tune on the squeeze box whilst I, dressed up in full belly dancing gear, gave a performance which Ken, I seem to remember, particularly enjoyed….sorry, I have no photos of either and that is probably just as well.
Sunday morning dawned a little less bright and breezy due to the effects of indulgence the night before but some of us still managed a big breakfast. Funny how things get jumbled up in the memory and the order of things might not be as I write but I remember a number of us going on a woodland walk down to the waterfall where a relaxing hour or so was spent taking turns on a makeshift rope swing and clambering the mossy rocks up the side of the fall in order to dip our feet in the cool pools. The children in the group were a little more adventurous and followed the fall up stream for a short distance.
The party split up, each to do their own thing and I with other members went off exploring the rock faces and caves on the other side of the quarry. Journeying on upwards we eventually reached the very top of the world and could look down on our ludicrously small camp site which, to me, seemed hundreds of feet below. I'm comfortable with heights as long as I'm tied to a rope but if not, I become anxious. At that point all I wanted to do was get back down.
Lazy Sunday afternoon indeed. Some went caving others walking others just talked amongst themselves and then it was time for most to leave. A few sad farewell hugs later and that was it. The Cheddar Caving Club's Delightful Devon Weekend over.
A Very big thank you to Wendy (I don't think I ever knew her surname.) who let us stay there and use the facilities for almost next to nothing. Lady, I salute you!
Big breakfast
Robin
Ben
The group
Happy smiles
Taking the plunge
sump Practice
A womans work is never done.
ken
It was hot
Cup size?
Wee Willie Hebdon
Happy Campers
Waterfall
Cooling off
