WARNING - Craig A Ffynnon

Alkapton

Member
A warning has been issued that people should avoid this cave for the time being.

Several rock falls have occurred at or near the entrance.  The entrance is now in a very unstable state.  Until remedial action has been taken you are requested not to visit this cave.
 

Alkapton

Member
Cwmbran CC, and I guess all key holders, received a notice from the management committee sometime in the last couple of weeks - no idea when collapse(s) occurred.  Just I think it good idea to let others know.
 

Huge

Active member
I blame those bloody unicyclists!

Seriously, first Daren and now Craig A Ffynnon. Have there been any earth tremors in the area recently?
 

bagpuss

Member
Huge said:
I blame those bloody unicyclists!

Seriously, first Daren and now Craig A Ffynnon. Have there been any earth tremors in the area recently?

I'm no geologist, but is it not just due to the volume of heavy rain we had over the winter and the length of the big freeze/thaw? Looking at places we have walked in Wales lately, and other cliff/quarry areas there have been a fair few rock falls of late.
 

TheBitterEnd

Well-known member
bagpuss said:
Huge said:
I blame those bloody unicyclists!

Seriously, first Daren and now Craig A Ffynnon. Have there been any earth tremors in the area recently?

I'm no geologist, but is it not just due to the volume of heavy rain we had over the winter and the length of the big freeze/thaw? Looking at places we have walked in Wales lately, and other cliff/quarry areas there have been a fair few rock falls of late.

Nah! it's bound to be those fracking unicyclists
 

shortscotsman

New member
The advice on the MLCMAC website is

There has recently been a rock fall just outside the cave entrance. The cliff face is very unstable and there have been a number of rock falls here in the past. There is now a very large block that appears in danger of falling. Although access to the cave is available as usual, the advice from MLCMAC and NRW is that it would be better to avoid visiting the cave until the situation is resolved.

 

Alkapton

Member
I had a look 2 weeks ago.  A lot of small stuff has fallen recently but there is a lot of big stuff that could come down anytime - like everything above the gate wants to be below the gate.

Personally - in this weather I'd be happy going in.  I won't because if it all comes down while I'm in the cave I will inevitably be putting others in danger.

No nothing has changed.  The entrance this side of the gate is highly unstable.  Its hard to see how it could be made safe.
 

Alkapton

Member
Just out of interest, while I looked at the entrance I picked up an obviously freshly fallen fragment about the size of a fist, very freshly broken, clean sharp faces.  It interested me because on at least one face one could see alternating layers of what seems to me to be a couple of millimeters (at most) limestone then a millimeter thick of mudstone repeating for all of that face.  I do not know how typical that fragment is (probably not very typical) but it suggests there is a very unstable fault above the entrance that is the cause of the problem.

I do not know enough to make any proper comment, but wish I did.
 

Alex

Well-known member
Would not the best solution be to dislodge all the loose stuff and then dig it away from the entrance? Or is the idea waiting for the winter faw/freeze cycle to do that for us?
 

LizW1985

New member
Went in for a trip the other night,  yea if someone brought down whats left of the over hang above the entrance then I expect it could be cleared.  Did the nw inlet trip to the railway dig there was also a small collapse on the right a little way along the rail tracks, there was a few lose boulders above the collapse hanging by mud didn't look very safe, but im no expert.
 

NigR

New member
Hellie,

Cave is open, it was never closed.

Notice on MLCMAC website is advisory in nature and still applies.

As with any cave entrance situated in a potentially dangerous position (i.e. partway up a disused quarry face), check for any recent signs of rock movement before you go down.

Could do with some fresh pencils to fill in the logbook when you go. Either take your own or contact Stuart France and he should be able to provide you with some.

Hope this helps.
 

Pyro

New member
Has any support work been done on the loose rocks now or is it still a case of being very careful? Planning a trip in about a month if the weather is ok!

Ta
 

John S

Member
No actual work has been done as it seems that if you start, you may have to take a large part of the hillside down and where would you stop. We have kept an eye on it and the entrance arch, does not seem to have had anymore stuff come down. On the outside, the hill side has shed a few more rocks, so that area needs to be caution.
The lock did get stiff but has now been oiled and is OK.
Still don't hang around outside is the key advise.

The recent wet weather brought a tree down and a bit of a land slip in the Clydach Gorge, but I have not heard anything moving near Ogof Craig Ar Ffynnon.
 
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