Hello looking for some advice, sorry if this is a smple question but just trying to practice safe caving. on my last trip down the cave i got to great bedding cave and wondered if it was safe to enter streamway pool in wetsuit of course to exit at shakehole exit in normal conditions ie water level no more than just above ankle deep at enterance . Many thanks for advice

In response to your question I would advise the following:

If you have crossed the passage near the upper entrance and entered the beddings on the right (looking downstream) then eventually come back out onto the streamway, then provided the water is shallow (knee deep ish or less) then you should be fine to cross the stream here and exit through the shakehole entrance. The stream should be shallow all the way to the shakehole.

Other notes:
White Horse Pool is very deep and very cold. Do not go in here without a wetsuit and bouyancy.
You can bypass the pool by using the bedding crawls.

Resurgence Pool. It is very tempting to swim out through the exit pool.
Firstly, lots of people have drowned in the area of the resurgence pool. Lots.
I don't know your ability level so I will not make any judgments about if you can or should swim through to the resurgence.
The air gap you can see is small in comparison to the passage size under water and there is a strong undertow. If you are swept under you will probably never see daylight again.
If you decide to swim through then a wetsuit is a very good idea. You really ought to have some flotation as well. You will need to be a strong swimmer and it would really be a bad idea to try and encourage others to join you if they are not fully aware of the facts or strong swimmers themselves If there is any doubt in your mind then don't do it.

FFI: http://www.ukcaves.co.uk/cave-porthyrogof

Many thanks les and chris. I have a lot of respect for the water at the cave and would never cross th resuagence pool having heard all fatalities over the years thats why wondering about pool by shakehole just thought it would be a nice alternative to  tradesman exit or main enterance

After White Horse Pool it shallows again and doesent get deep until the start of the resurgence pool.

You should be fine if you stay out of the deep water (in normal flow of course).

i have another question, theres a dry  enterance to the left of resurgence which leads to a flat out crawl, if i followed streamway down from shakehole enterance would i find this exit route before the deep pool?

andrew y said:

i have another question, theres a dry  enterance to the left of resurgence which leads to a flat out crawl, if i followed streamway down from shakehole enterance would i find this exit route before the deep pool?

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If you are below the cave looking upstream then I don't think there are any other entrances that connect with the main cave there.

However there are a reputed 15+ entrances into the system.  8)

If you are looking for a bit more intrest then you can enter the cave from by the Paul Esser Memorial Bench (if it is still there  :-\ ) Follow this passage down stream and eventually you will come out in the main cave just by the White Horse Pool. The water is deep at this point but can be bypassed back up the passage a short way to bring you out near the entrance.

Hi, Just to add to this as have taken hundreds of kids in this cave. Downstream from the great bedding chamber does not stay shallow, which ever way you go the roof lowers and the water deepens, in normal low water conditions like you are saying just before you reach the collapsed avens entrance (shake hole) it usually gets about waist deep, however year on year the depth changes here due to shale being washed in or out by winter floods, sometimes its chest deep and others knee deep. It will be fine just dont get alarmed if it gets deep. Happy exploring.

Thanks for replies :bow: the paul esser bench is still there at moment!! disgusts me that people could vandalise that. Was thinking of going again next week weather dependant

Les W said:

andrew y said:

i have another question, theres a dry  enterance to the left of resurgence which leads to a flat out crawl, if i followed streamway down from shakehole enterance would i find this exit route before the deep pool?

Click to expand...

If you are below the cave looking upstream then I don't think there are any other entrances that connect with the main cave there.

However there are a reputed 15+ entrances into the system.  8)

If you are looking for a bit more intrest then you can enter the cave from by the Paul Esser Memorial Bench (if it is still there  :-\ ) Follow this passage down stream and eventually you will come out in the main cave just by the White Horse Pool. The water is deep at this point but can be bypassed back up the passage a short way to bring you out near the entrance.

Click to expand...

Check out http://www.ubss.org.uk/resources/Proceedings/vol15/UBSS_Proc_15_3_259-0.pdf

Excellant link thanks graham. having looked at the survey the other enterance i explored was point k left of resurgence, the passage went right and led to a flat out crawl and i could hear the streamway quite loudly looks like would have crawled into some water

sorry passage went left :-[

Are any of the sumps free-diveable?

Chris.

Dont think so chris, ive heard the " Rat trap" at the head of the creek is a good duck though

andrew y said:

Dont think so chris, ive heard the " Rat trap" at the head of the creek is a good duck though

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Even sump 4?

A collegue told me sump 4 is passable in very dry weather , the oxbow next to sump 4 often called the washiing machine is a safer alternative in my experience