Swildon's Mud Sump

adamgeens

Member
Last year we drove down to do the Short Round but found that Mud Sump was actually very sumped. Half an hour of four of us bailing made no difference to the water level.

We're coming back this weekend for another go, so the question is... is Mud sump passable at the moment to allow for the Short Round Trip?

Thanks very much in advance!
 

tony from suffolk

Well-known member
Sorry, can't help with the current state of the Mud Sump, but I must say I'm impressed you managed to drive down to the Short Round Trip! Did you park up at Tratman's? What sort of tyres do you have on your vehicle?
 

Badlad

Administrator
Staff member
When I was fifteen me and some mates tried to do that trip.  We bailed and bailed the mud sump but didn't make much impression and gave up.  Turned out we were bailing the wrong sump.  Years later when I returned we found the right way and it was easy.
 

adamgeens

Member
Yes Badlad that had occurred to me! But Wessex members confirmed from description that I was at the right sump, saying that they needed to pop in and sort it out. Apparently we could have been bailing there for hours...
 

paul

Moderator
The trip described here: https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=22794.0 was earlier this month. Or you could bring a large sponge!
 
There was about 2cm of water in the Mud Sump on this trip:

Sunday 19th November 2017. John Cooper, Lee Hawkswell and Roz Simmonds. Went and sorted out the syphon tube at the First Trouble. Measured it at 19.2m and worked out that we could cut it into two sections that would both be long enough to syphon. Did so and set them up. Left them emptying the pool. Brought out a pair of perfectly good blue gloves that had been abandoned by someone. There was a bat roosting at the top of Shatter Pot - opposite the bolts. 2? hours.
 

PeteHall

Moderator
I was down there on Thursday and it was pretty much dry (despite the rest of the cave being rather aquatic).

Bat was still at Shatter Pot and more bats through to Shatter Chamber. They also didn't tell me which route they came in by, but I suspect it wasn't the same way I went in!
 
From the reports I've heard it will take a bit of effort.

With the first stage it is possible to let the water flow into the Moles' Dig. However once that is full you have the choice of bailing the top dam into the Muddy Oxbow or leaving it for a week to let the Moles' Dig drain. The second is peferable as it allows the air to freshen up a bit (with the passage sumped there is no air flow). Last winter it took two good sesions to open.
 
Did a session of bailing on 7th. Went in again today for another session. Someone had been in yesterday(?) and had a good go leaving with a minimal airspace through. We left it today with a 20cm triangular airspace. Not heard how the Troubles have fared.
 

GregBrock

New member
We did the Swildons round drop yesterday (Saturday 13th). Spent about 1 hour 15 mins bailing the mud sump to get an airspace we could all get through. The first of double trouble was sumped which we bailed for about 30mins. The wet squeeze after the two double troubles (not sure what it is called) was also unexpectedly sumped by quite a long way. We probably spent about 1 hour bailing this.

A throughly wet, tiring but entertaining trip.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

mikem

Well-known member
I know the Wessex had a go at bailing it yesterday, but with no expectation of getting through.

Mike
 
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