Chamber of Horrors

bubba

Administrator
This trip in Giants (the Oxlow / Giants connection) has a fearsome reputation and I've heard a few horror stories - has anyone ever done it?

What's it like?

This is one of the few pics I've found of it:

Giantscrawl.jpg


I've looked at both ends and done the squeeze at the Oxlow end (when I was a bit thinner I hasten to add :wink: ) I think this is a photo of that squeeze, looking out into Oxlow new series from the end of the connection:

Giantssqueeze.jpg
 

bubba

Administrator
Yeah, but if you ask Dearman about it, he'll just go "well, if yer not 'ard enough, ya shouldn't have come" or something like that :wink:
 

SamT

Moderator
I reckon it could be on this year - its going to be a dry one Im hoping and in the abscence of ducks they I reckon it will be reasonalby straight forward (if your head holds out and your dead skinny like me :wink: )
 
A

Ann

Guest
:roll: Hi!
You may have missed the chance of a brilliant trip. Denis and I did this on 20 April (Easter Sunday) but it has rained since then. It's a brilliant trip the only problem being the ducks (or should I say sump). The ducks are at the Giants end and you more or less immediately hit the first duck (Nose and mouth on the roof, don't make my mistake and get a mouthful of water, I nearly choked so ended up having to swallow it). The second one did have airspace until you put your body in it and it sumped. I know someone who did it late last year and this one had airspace also. Once past this bit it is flat out or hands and knees until you reach the Oxlow squeeze. Managed this by wriggling about a lot. Unfortunately no-one was in Oxlow (We were hoping to hijack their ropes) so we went all the way back. I managed in a furry suit and plastic oversuit but most people need a wet suit. Recommend a wet suit hood though.
Ann
 

bubba

Administrator
Sounds most tasty - are the ducks tight as well? Can you bail them or is that a daft idea?
 
A

Ann

Guest
Ducks are not particularly tight just low on airspace. There is a bucket (with a hole in it!) but we couldn't work out where you could put any baled water. It's hardly worth the bother anyway, the ducks are not very long and the last thing on your mind is baling - just go for it. Let me know if you decide to give it a go!
ANN
 
N

NB

Guest
Having done the connection four times I can give you a description of how I found it.
From the Oxlow end it start off as a tight sqeeze over shingle with a small amount of water flowing towards you. You act as a cork in a bottle and the water starts to back up infront of you! If you lift yourself slightly off the floor, the water flows and drops. It is very tight but it is possible to scrape some gravel away to make passing slightly easier, but still difficult. It is them head down and literally follow your nose. An inlet is eventially passed on the left (five eights inlet) and after that comes the "Chamber of Horrors." There are three ducks in all, the last one being the worst. It is best to get on your back and move through them all slowly. At the last one, have one arm outstretched in front of you because there is a big jug in the room to pull on. Shut your eyes and pull hard! After leaving the last duck you quickly end up crawling on your side along a rift. The passage then gains a silt floor and you have to roll over onto your stomach with your right arm outstretched in front of you. This is by far the most difficult bit. You crawl uphill for a very short distance but it is very tight indeed. After one metre you enter Sardine Chamber in Giant's Hole, a short distance from Ghost Rift.
 

Mark

Well-known member
Did anyone have the barbed wire nightmare here in the seventies. The nice Mr Watson who was trying to make Giants into a show cave at the time, decided to fill the Giants end of the connection with barbed wire. It was a right laugh having done the connection, gone through the end duck and then not being able to get out into Giants, I think it was South Yorkshire Caving Club who shifted it in the end.

I know this threads from last year but its good to talk
 

SamT

Moderator
Bit before my time that mark - showing your age there :wink:

I'm just really enjoying crawling up the steep exit slope of winnats head at the moment......

.... through the broken glass and litter. (I had to crawl past a used fanny pad the other day :cuss: (there isnt a spewing emoticon else I'd use that)

Its funny isnt it, I wonder what percentage of the cavers that have actually been down giants actually know that the entrace series was blasted out and that prior to that, getting to base camp chamber was an epic.
If you take into conseration all the groups that frequent the place, I reckon on about 5%.

In manyways we ought to thank Tom for opening up the cave to the masses, but on the other hand - should a similar thing happen now - there would be an outcry.

Do you think there would have been much digging in giants if the entrance had remained the same, would the oxlow connection ever have been made?????
 

Iain Barker

Member
Regarding the Giants-Oxlow Connection.
Speaking as one of Deraman's best mates (ok, probably his only mate!), your assesment of his response is accurate. If the Ann who posted is the Ann I think it is it's worth bearing in mind that she's a tougher caver than most blokes, is impervious to cold and is actually part otter.
The truth of the matter is that doing the connection is slightly more fun than chewing your own arm off - but only slightly.
 

hrock

New member
i went and had a look at this 3-5 weeks ago (from the giants end) it was wet but the first 2 duck were ducks ok and the 3rd one was verry small and blowing like a hair dryer (but colder) did not exactly no where i was going thow so i stoped there.

might tack another look on in a week or 2 and see how it is getting on.
 

Mrs Trellis

Well-known member
:)

I first went down Giants pre 1966. I think there would have been more digging as the place became over-used by adventure groups etc. and a lot of "working" cavers gave it a wide berth. Note that since those groups now use Suicide there is more investigation being done.
 

hrock

New member
hi i went on a giant-oxlow-giants trip and it was ok bit hot in my 5 mm wetsoot cos the only real wet bit is the 3 or 4 ducks at the giants end but these might be a bit to much 4 me in a ferry unless you had done them be4 and went quick. not much of ether of the streem ways. oh and no one mentioned the inpresive avonsalong the way. :D all in all i liked it but it is not 4 every one.
 
Top