Agen Allwedd - Priory Road Exploration

[stalacmike]

They are indeed, I was just trying to narrow the search.

Your best bet are the Chelsea log books. I would definitely have written it up in there. It was I who bolted the two avens in that area using spits (no drill in those days). I thought that I'd left them both with hangers/carabiner plus a nylon rope on the big one and electron ladder on the smaller, though it was a while ago or they may have been removed.
They were abandoned because I was last man standing; all interest had waned. I also got married which limited my availability somewhat.
Good luck in pushing that area, a Daren connection would be fantastic.

 

[Goydenman]

Odd that Willerup just stopped. The blog was a good read. I think a couple were fell runners and exceptioally good at " Speed Caving ". I remember looking at Isles many years ago and thought it promising.

I too enjoyed following their posts on exciting excavations

 

[marsrat]

7/06/2024 - 9/06/2024: Resurvey + crowbar surprise

Afternoon all.

With another weekend over the horizon comes yet another camp at Priory Road.
This digging camp consisted of: Alex Stacey CSS, Paul Stacey CSS, Andrew Thompson CSS, David Kinzett CSS, Andrey Kozhenkov Croydon CC, Adrian Fawcett CSS. Brilliant efforts by all.

The camp was split into 3 main teams.

A resurvey of isles inlet and Aggy past Severn beach was needed following the breakthrough in Trafalgar - this was done by Andrey and Paul. This culminated in 760m ish over 11h, culminating in 10.4m ish loop closure error (not too bad given the obstacles). This will be merged with the current priory road survey and used for future leads. Very well done to the two + Dave for assisting them midway.

A team consisting of Alex and Adrian went off to push potential leads in Isles Inlet which showed results. This was done in 3 separate areas in isles inlet, with around 7-8h of digging. We also cleared the debris from Trafalgar following the last camp making it passable. Many thanks to Adrian for dealing with my constant frustration with the capping rod and the firing pins getting stuck.

Another team consisting of Andy and Dave who committed to capping and preparing the route for the round trip and the survey team alongside seeking out potential leads along the way.

All in all, the round trip is now possible by visitors. The first person to do the round trip (twice!) was Dave Kinzett. I will post a description shortly.

Yours aye,
Marsrat.

 

[asheshouse]

Looking forward to seeing the survey.

 

[marsrat]

4/08/2024 - 7/08/2024: Broadside and Avalanche Aven


Morning all, I write this with a hangover after drinking Whitewalls dry (many thanks to John Stevens for joining us and bringing a steady supply of alcohol and company).

This digging camp consisted of: Alex Stacey CSS, Sarah Warren RUCC, Benedict Hyland SWCC.


(If you don't want to read a spiel, we dug N of broadside before hitting the clay bed and moving onto avalanche aven. We've dug about a metre vertically and several alcoves).
Somehow I had managed to invite myself onto a spontaneous 4 day digging camp in Priory Road coming straight from Derbyshire, and as such off I went. The intention was to push a lead hard hopefully yielding results by the end of the camp and hopefully introduce Sarah to the wonders of digging (given the last time she had been in priory road was the first ever priory road camp a fair few months ago).

We set off on the Sunday evening reaching camp relatively early before hitting the sack for a day of digging ahead. I had intentioned to head to Grolsch following direction from JS and take a look (and possibly solo survey), which would be completed while Benedict and Sarah headed to the north of Broadside to determine a possible lead and to follow the ever present draught (where does it go???).

Eventually I had returned, and prospecting in several locations had occurred with Sarah digging out a boulder choke with void, Benedict following a void and draught in the back wall and myself attempting to find the source of the water. This had gone on for 2h or so before deciding to dig out the (what had become apparent when we returned to Whitewalls was a backfilled hole) for the rest of the day before hitting clay unfortunately.

Nonetheless we retired back to camp to recover for the next day of digging: avalanche aven. Avalanche aven, as the name suggests, has been the most fun bit of digging in recent time: you poke the ceiling above you with the hopes of dislodging mud and rocks with it quickly falling down the aven and conveniently depositing itself on the other side of the entrance (no spoil management needed!). We had been taking turns, and in my round I managed to accidentally dislodge a massive boulder (looking back on it now, I shouldn't have trusted when people told me the max size would be that of a football) with it making a loud thud and placing itself in a reasonably stable position below me. I immediately shot back out and let the others now, and with a valiant effort by Sarah and Benedict - they had managed to crowbar the boulder into the corner while I waited outside ready to cap if it so happened to block the entrance. Nonetheless this went on for the day and we removed a substantial number of rocks, I look forward to digging this out again soon (maybe with a scaffold bar to stand on). We removed perhaps a metre vertically and have dug out several alcoves for cover.

We retired back to camp for good conversation food and drink - while in isles inlet I had suggested to Benedict that we attempt a commute through the series without lights (I highly recommend doing it, it was quite fun and the squeezes seemed so much easier when you couldn't see them) with Sarah waiting outside isles giggling to herself as me and Benedict attempt to make our way out.

All in all, a brilliant camp and I hope to see Benedict in the near future (and Sarah when she comes back from the US for a year abroad).

Pictures to come shortly.

Yours aye,
Marsrat.

 

[marsrat]

Photos by Alex Stacey and Sarah Warren.

Pre-Camp

Post-Camp (no smiles permitted!)

A view of one of the larger boulders dislodged in Avalanche Aven by Benedict Hyland

Alex Stacey in a dig in Broadside

Priory Road Camp

Sarah at dinner time

Benedict post lunch

 

[Goydenman]

thanks for the write up and photos really interesting

 

[marsrat]

12-14 July: Digging the wormhole & new passage/chamber
Team:
David Kinzett CSS
Andy Thompson CSS
Rich Woollam UCET

Write-up (Done by Andy Kinzett + David Thompson):

Set off into Aggy at 1830
Arrived at Rock Hard Cafe at 2230
Old digging camp near bunker was cleaned up of its various moulds + remnants of god knows what + turned into a museum.
Returned to RHC at 0100

Wake up 1000
End of faff and commuted to dig 1200
Started digging by clearing a runway for the drag tray
After lunch at 1445 realised we didn't need a drag tray and moved spoil to sides of wormhole
By 1700 Dave emerged with promising news of a large mound heading upwards in front.
Andy took lead to size up the situation and selfishly made an andy size hole to end the wormhole so he could explore the virgin passage beyond.
At 1800 Dave descended and struggled with the andy sized hole before exploring the chamber, taking some photos and then enlarging the obtuse opening slightly.
On the way out he measured the length dug as 13m, chamber wasn't measure but approx 15m in length and varying between 3-5m wide, with some pretty formations and a possible continuation under some stals at the end of the passage, but not explored.

We then returned to camp for merryment and celebrations at 1920
Got up at 1000 and faffed until 1340
Got out 1645 for the euros finals.

All in all:
- Decorated passage and chamber discovered next to Crowbar Surprise. Total length: 27m
Named Wormworld (given the wormlike dig to get in) before being changed to Arrakis.

Photos (David Kinzett):

 

[marsrat]

16/08/2024 - 18/08/2024: Avalanche Aven, Broadside, Surveying and Arrakis

Morning all.

With another weekend over the horizon comes yet another camp at Priory Road.
This digging camp consisted of: Alex Stacey CSS, Paul Stacey CSS, Andrew Thompson CSS, David Kinzett CSS, Andrey Kozhenkov CSS, Adrian Fawcett CSS. Brilliant efforts by all.

The camp had a various amount of activities going on spread through Friday evening to Saturday:

• Alex/David continued pushing Avalanche Aven.
• Adrian/Alex continued pushing possible continuations in the North of Broadside.
• Paul/Andrey surveyed Arrakis and resurveyed the Bunker.
• Paul/Andrey/Andy/David continued pushing a possible lead next to Arrakis.
• A succesfull draught test/audible connection between S broadside and Arrakis.
• Andy pushed mudchoke lead in Arrakis
• Alex/David taped and took photographs of Arrakis before continued digging efforts.
• Alex/David pushed S Broadside.
• Alex pushed Nightcrawler to bitter end (it's solid wall ).

Photos:

 

[asheshouse]

It would be very interesting to see a full survey of the area showing all the passages around the end of Priory Road and its relationship to the end of Daren Cilau.

 

[Jedexertus]

It would be very interesting to see a full survey of the area showing all the passages around the end of Priory Road and its relationship to the end of Daren Cil no closer lol

 

[Graigwen]

...one day...

 

[Stuart France]

It's both inspiring and fascinating to read of these ongoing exploration reports and see the photos of virgin passage on this thread. As to the distance apart from the "old camp" which was above the Bunker (i.e. acting as a brew stop near the Mother of All Battles choke) and Daren Cilau (the walking size passage adjoining DADES choke on the Daren side) that is about 25m roughly west and on much the same level as determined by a horizontal radiolocation in the days before digital cameras. The Northern leg of Dweebland heading roughly north towards the old camp would also appear from the cave surveys to be ~25m apart. This was not radiolocated, at least not by us. This suggests that the Bunker area is too low to be the sought after connection.

We gave up on MOAB due to dwindling interest and the need to scaffold and platform it , since this was an upwards dig into the bottom of a very strongly draughting but unstable boulder choke. The 'usual means' were employed to cause parts of this choke to drop in stages, but it became too risky to continue pushing further up with the scaff that was to hand. The air cleared fully, and I mean fully, after each such 'treatment' in a matter of a few minutes but the loose material that did not fall down out of the new roof space was too serious an issue.

It suggests there is something massive up there, running in between these two caves as we know them. I imagine DADES choke is the other side of whatever this is, since it too is an upward-going choke - but from a Daren side perspective. I imagine the "something" is a pretty big fossil passage heading along the usual fault line angle in this area back towards Eglwys Faen in the one direction and to who knows what else in the other.

I'd like to suggest too, from the style of the pretties and general character of this end of Aggy, that one is already in Daren by the time you get to the end of Priory Road etc. If so then the connection point that formed between the caves aeons ago has already been passed, and what the present exploration efforts are dealing with is more of a blockage due to faulting that separates one part of Daren Cilau from another .

 

[Jedexertus]

...one day...

All in good time Im sure once Arrakis data has been calculated and added the survey will be uploaded 👍

 

[Jedexertus]

No closer no 😐

 

[Jedexertus]

It's both inspiring and fascinating to read of these ongoing exploration reports and see the photos of virgin passage on this thread. As to the distance apart from the "old camp" which was above the Bunker (i.e. acting as a brew stop near the Mother of All Battles choke) and Daren Cilau (the walking size passage adjoining DADES choke on the Daren side) that is about 25m roughly west and on much the same level as determined by a horizontal radiolocation in the days before digital cameras. The Northern leg of Dweebland heading roughly north towards the old camp would also appear from the cave surveys to be ~25m apart. This was not radiolocated, at least not by us. This suggests that the Bunker area is too low to be the sought after connection.

We gave up on MOAB due to dwindling interest and the need to scaffold and platform it , since this was an upwards dig into the bottom of a very strongly draughting but unstable boulder choke. The 'usual means' were employed to cause parts of this choke to drop in stages, but it became too risky to continue pushing further up with the scaff that was to hand. The air cleared fully, and I mean fully, after each such 'treatment' in a matter of a few minutes but the loose material that did not fall down out of the new roof space was too serious an issue.

It suggests there is something massive up there, running in between these two caves as we know them. I imagine DADES choke is the other side of whatever this is, since it too is an upward-going choke - but from a Daren side perspective. I imagine the "something" is a pretty big fossil passage heading along the usual fault line angle in this area back towards Eglwys Faen in the one direction and to who knows what else in the other.

I'd like to suggest too, from the style of the pretties and general character of this end of Aggy, that one is already in Daren by the time you get to the end of Priory Road etc. If so then the connection point that formed between the caves aeons ago has already been passed, and what the present exploration efforts are dealing with is more of a blockage due to faulting that separates one part of Daren Cilau from another .

We have currently been trying to look for new leads that haven't been pushed or really investigated, as something could have easily been missed or not even likely to be a connection to daren and overlooked, possibly a longer but easier route into Daren maybe rarther than a shorter brute force approach. Obviously our main goal is the connection but we are not in a race and we are happy to find / connect more aggy even if that's all we can achieve 🤷‍♂️. The bunker is more than likely not gonna produce the connection but you never know. Lots of drafts around that area and broadside, so these need pushing imo especially now we have likely sorted most of the bad air issues that were had previously in the area by connecting trafalgar to bunker. MOAB would be hard and require alot of stuff scaff/ bang etc as you mentioned Hence why we have currently not done anything there atm. I and most agree that the far reaches of Priory are Daren its finding the missing pieces. The core team is highly motivated and will continue pushing in this area for the foreseeable future, hopefully adding considerably to the amazing efforts of all the previous explorers and diggers in both aggy and daren.

 

[asheshouse]

Keep up the good work.

 

[DaveyDubz]

I thought some of the avens on the way to Priory road camp looked interesting, I wonder if anyone has climbed them / flown up them with a drone.
Certainly a very determined team and good to get the updates.

 

[Muddy Funkster]

We have currently been trying to look for new leads that haven't been pushed or really investigated, as something could have easily been missed or not even likely to be a connection to daren and overlooked, possibly a longer but easier route into Daren maybe rarther than a shorter brute force approach. Obviously our main goal is the connection but we are not in a race and we are happy to find / connect more aggy even if that's all we can achieve 🤷‍♂️. The bunker is more than likely not gonna produce the connection but you never know. Lots of drafts around that area and broadside, so these need pushing imo especially now we have likely sorted most of the bad air issues that were had previously in the area by connecting trafalgar to bunker. MOAB would be hard and require alot of stuff scaff/ bang etc as you mentioned Hence why we have currently not done anything there atm. I and most agree that the far reaches of Priory are Daren its finding the missing pieces. The core team is highly motivated and will continue pushing in this area for the foreseeable future, hopefully adding considerably to the amazing efforts of all the previous explorers and diggers in both aggy and daren.

A great read of your efforts over what appears to be quite some time. It was my son and I that met you all on the slope by choke one the other weekend as you were on your way out from your weekend of digging.

 

[Jedexertus]

A great read of your efforts over what appears to be quite some time. It was my son and I that met you all on the slope by choke one the other weekend as you were on your way out from your weekend of digging.

Cheers nice to have met you both 👍