Ogof Draenen

[ChrisJC]

Over the years I've read a lot on here about problems at Draenen, which has somewhat put me off visiting.

But I just happened across a survey in Descent (reproduced below).

It's so small that it hardly seems worth the trouble! All that hot air for such a little place, I would have thought there were more interesting ways to spend time, like connecting Daren Cilau with Agen Allwedd for example.

Chris.

 

[Speleofish]

There are parts of the country where that would be a good day out

 

[Graigwen]

Over the years I've read a lot on here about problems at Draenen, which has somewhat put me off visiting.

But I just happened across a survey in Descent (reproduced below).

It's so small that it hardly seems worth the trouble! All that hot air for such a little place, I would have thought there were more interesting ways to spend time, like connecting Daren Cilau with Agen Allwedd for example.

Chris.

As I thought. Only one entrance!

 

[David Rose]

Be careful. People who post about this cave sometimes get a lot of hate, grief and misery. It has ruined people's mental health, and even their whole lives. It is cursed.

 

[Wardy]

Sorry Dave are you suggesting Draenen is cursed or do you really mean UKCaving and if so does that make Badlad the devil, as I just thought that was a Southern myth?

 

[ChrisJC]

STOP PRESS: I was mistaken. Draenen is now 15km long. I just read the next edition of Descent (121 - Dec '94).

Looks like I will have to visit after all.

Chris.

 

[Huge]

I would have thought there were more interesting ways to spend time, like connecting Daren Cilau with Agen Allwedd for example.

Chris.

A couple of years before the Draenen breakthrough, I was involved with a project to try to connect Aggy and Daren. It's incredible to me that they are still not connected all these years later! They are so close!

 

[Pitlamp]

I remember exactly the same words being expressed about Gaping Gill and Ingleborough Cave until 1982/3

 

[Graigwen]

The opening words of the article in Descent 121 posted by Chris JC are "Every decade in recent years has seen a major break through in South Wales."

I have a bad memory, I can't recall the last couple....


.

 

[Huge]

Aggy in the 50s
DYO, OFD & Little Neath in the 60s
Craig A Ffynnon in the 70s
Daren Cilau in the 80s
Carno in the 90s

The article was written in 1994.

There have been finds made since but nothing to compare to what I've listed above, unfortunately.

 

[David Rose]

I suppose the cave most likely to offer scope for a major further breakthrough with many kilometres of passage now is... Ogof Draenen. 

 

[Huge]

There's certainly 10s of kilometres of passage associated with Draenen still to find David but there's also the other half (maybe two thirds) of Dan Yr Ogof to be discovered too.

And then there's all the major catchments with relatively little know cave in them. There's whole new systems to be opened up at Trefil, Pant Mawr and the other three Black Mountain catchments, draining to Ffryd Las, Ffrydiau Twrch and Llygad Llwchwr.