More caving stories

Mon

New member
  :read:
Hi there, I'm Monika. Living in Australia for the last 29 years.
Sorry no stories to tell from the caves in south Australia. I live in south east QLD.
My story is a collection of small incidences, and stories I heard, listening to the guys in the know while having a pint or two in the nearby pub.
I got into caving through a couple of friends from the earby and colne clubs. Namely Paul (flash) from Earby and Alan (beeky) from the Colne rescue club. This were fun days, getting changed on the side of the road, stripping down to nothing and squish into the thick 4/6mm neoprene suit designed for caving. Bought of course at inglesport. No care in the world, no laws and bylaws, no restrictions, but a lot of respect for nature and safety in numbers.
Haha, and in winter, I could tell how cold it was outside, by looking at the guys, the naked guys 😇
Giving into bodily functions was tricky....nobody would wait to unzip, pull down down, tidy up and ask for help to zip up !! It was secretly done on the go. Except the one time, when David (a newbe from Wales ) had to do a number 2 and really, really could not hide the fact of stink from anyone. We had to push it out (on the go) out of his neck opening. It was a big laugh and scream and just plainly disgusting! I don't have to say, he was at the end-tail until the water washed him kind of clean.
Poor David was also the one who burned his arse with battery acid (old style lamp) and forgot his wellies (rubber boots) and lend some from a guy with a size 2 or 3 times bigger than would fit him. He was wearing them, or better tried to wear em in the muddiest cave in Wales! He had to go back of course! That was twice, he tried to enter a cave in Wales. He gave up after the holes in his behind, his wife protected him from getting himself harmed and laught at any further.
I myself got into trouble three times in my 3 years of caving.
1st) a syphon. I have a phobia of water, especial, my face under water! Being the third to go through I froze in front of it, 6 or so men behind me.....it taken an awful lot of swearing to get me through, the way back was easy.
2nd) stuck in a very very tight passage, while a train run above me!!! I froze again, and swelled up that nobody could get me unstuck. It has taken two nice people to talk sense into me, to relax enough to continue. 
3th) traversing. I'm terrified of heights. Easy in caves, too dark to see the ground and anyway you are busy to hold on to rope or ladder. But traversing? It was in one of the Belgian caves near Mon. Maybe 5m deep and 60/80 cm wide 6/8m long, I froze again, but not my voice, I screamed my heart out half way through! The swearing was in more than one languish, and of course I was banned by the group leader to go again, very disappointed, but there were about 30 cavers there that weekend and they didn't need a GIRL in their midst!
While in Elsass , Germany, just a small group of us searched for caves, we found one, and started digging out the entrance, sadly after weeks of digging there was no end to be seen. There was a lot of cave/moon milk on the roof indicating, old and water. But we run out of places to depose the gravel as there was a train line below.
While boys were digging I've gone for a walk....found a hole on the side of the hill and entered, save in there I looked around (5x5m) only to found the whole interior covert in shiny black cave spiders! I have a phobia of spiders and everything 6-8 legged. I was in there......my heart almost giving up on me, I know I had to get out somehow...
        I got in....I got out, shaking and still frightened of spiders.
Two pub stories, that stayed with me. The guys from the earby or colone club found a cave/diving suit in one of the Lancashire water caves. The finder was really happy about his find (money was hard to get by in the late 60s) by shaking it out, bones fell out. Comes to, a lone caver got missing years back after a heavy rainfall miles away obviously in the fallowing flash flood. He was found almost complete.
The next tale is from a cave rescue. A 6 month pregnant girl ( under 20, still a girl in the 60s) got lost  from her group. She was found of course, and while carefully helping her up the steel ladder, the male rescuer, were struggling to clime behind her........her pant seems were  split in the crutch, and without undies the sight was haven, so they said.

I loved the dark caves, finding new ones, the clean air and the comradeship.
But now, with most caves padlocked and under heavy Gard, it is like the 60s . Gone forever.........no more free love. No more free caves.
PS
Pls don't criticise my gramma, I'm German.
 

royfellows

Well-known member
Mmm, I'm a bit particular about personal functions, one spent 10.5 hours in a wetsuit when I was digging the falls in Caplecleugh high Level, 9 or 10 was regular.
Once took short, found a suitable spot, stripped off naked to do what I need to do, buried my spoil and then went to water to wash. Worse part was putting the now freezing cold wetsuit onto my now freezing cold body.

Warm up secret; karate. Found a flat area for some kata and warm in five minutes.

But this is me, I'm me

Another of Roys secrets, I talk to myself a lot, only company I have when I'm on my own underground for 10.5 hours.
:LOL:
 

Mon

New member
Howdy Rhy.
I would love to write a book about my life, but funny thing is: my memory is shot!
Only in the last 2 month is my caving button activated through to the fact that there is a lot about Britain on the telly. It started with the pendle and surroundings, last one was about Wales, Exeter and Mendip.
Bits and pieces of memory reappeared, and I got homesick for clean limestone air and the beautiful smell of my little carbide lamp.

@Peter
My gread gran 98y, was a survivor.
Gran 89y, was a fighter to the end.
Mums 102, still fighting to survive this nasty world.(politics)

@ Roy
Our group would not stop for me or anyone, we had to hold it till break time or let it loose on the go.
Btw: the wetsuit the guys found, and his headless occupant, was a solo caver too, like you! So I would not be so proud, and advertise my lone adventures..because a broken limb will never get you out of a windy narrow shaft by yourself.
And here is another story I listened too: rescuing a lone caver with broken limbs ( not life threatening ) the rescuer in my time would not wrap you in cotton wool to get u out! Using explosives, to widen the shafts......they very much dislike doing it, and let you feel it too!
Nevertheless I wish u all the luck experiencing caving alone.
I tell everyone: I can see in the dark! I'm a caver.  (y)
 

rhychydwr1

Active member
"Howdy Rhy.  I would love to write a book about my life, but funny thing is: my memory is shot"

Hi Hi Monica.  You already have the chapter heading for a book

zB:

Caving in Germany

Caving in  in Yorkshire

Caving in Mendip

Caving in in Oz

etc
 

royfellows

Well-known member
Mon said:
@ Roy
Our group would not stop for me or anyone, we had to hold it till break time or let it loose on the go.

Nail on the head!
Exactly why I prefer my own company.
;)
 
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