gb cavern

[stealth]

hi , im thinking i might want to take my lot to this cave after everything ive heard about it from on here, could you please tell me how to get permits/key, i realise no novices are allowed in this cave but i dont consider us novices as we've done all burrington caves and swildons upper to the 20' pot and will be going to sump1 in the near future.
would i need any extra equipment for this cave ,we have wetsuits boilersuits etc  Mendip underground only seems to recommend 30' of rope for one drop into the gorge and it seems i may go via mud passage as it reads like the easiest route.

any advice would be most gratefully received

cheers

stealth

it seems we are on the up and up, now my lot have a lot more experience, we want to do more and more.

 

[graham]

Hi

This simplest way that you can collect a key & permits is from the Hut of any CCC Ltd Member Club, you will find people at the WCC, SMCC, BEC, MNRC, MCG most weekends; these are the nearest to G.B.

However, I do need to point out that the rules is not just "no novices" but also "no under 16s".

 

[whitelackington]

Hi Stealth no equipment needed
as long as you don't go up Ladder Dig Extention,
which is closed because of "apparently" failed "P" Bolts.
If you go in the normal route, turn sharp left through a tightish crawl, then follow your way into The gorge, go over the bridge, then up & right, then down a hole on your left, this is Rhumba Alley, double back to the left and climb down to the sump.
You can either go out the same way or clamber up the waterfall in main chamber but don't do this if in flood.

 

[stealth]

hi graham
is the wcc hut the one in eastwater lane in priddy, ( i think), what do i do just turn up and ask for permits/keys.

yep i understand about the no under 16s as well. thanks

 

[stealth]

Hi Stealth no equipment needed
as long as you don't go up Ladder Dig Extention,
which is closed because of "apparently" failed "P" Bolts.
If you go in the normal route, turn sharp left through a tightish crawl, then follow your way into The gorge, go over the bridge, then up & right, then down a hole on your left, this is Rhumba Alley, double back to the left and climb down to the sump.
You can either go out the same way or clamber up the waterfall in main chamber but don't do this if in flood.

thanks for info, much appreciated

 

[JB]

It's a while ago since I was in that place but I do remember the bloke I was with struggling on one of the short climbs down into the Gorge. I might even have belayed him down it or might have just spotted him down. Can't remember. Anyway, just be aware of it if there's anyone who's not so confident.

It's a good trip!

Jules.

 

[stealth]

just a thought is there a cost involved for permits and deposit for key.  if so is it on a per person basis or single charge.

cheers

stealth

 

[Peter Burgess]

just a thought is there a cost involved for permits and deposit for key.  if so is it on a per person basis or single charge.

cheers

stealth

Yes. Permits are per person. Key deposit. Rate varies by club. Cheapest and most convenient I know is MCG.

 

[ian.p]

wessex isues permits aswell i think its 50p a permit and then a £10 key deposit

 

[stealth]

another thought sorry guys  slight change of topic, just about to buy a ladder, what size  would i need for the 20 in swildons, would a 5m one be ok, or is it that gonna leave me too short?  or am i going to have to get a 10m one.  thought i would ask here instead of starting another thread.
might seem a daft question but i was told that it was more like 15'.
thanks

stealth

 

[menacer]

another thought sorry guys  slight change of topic, just about to buy a ladder, what size  would i need for the 20 in swildons, would a 5m one be ok, or is it that gonna leave me too short?  or am i going to have to get a 10m one.  thought i would ask here instead of starting another thread.
might seem a daft question but i was told that it was more like 15'.
thanks

stealth

Hi Stealth, if you were to join a club (such as the wessex) you wouldnt need to leave deposits for keys, just turn up and borrow it, you'd have an annual permit,(just you) you wouldnt need to buy a ladder or lifeline, you could just borrow it from the tackle store.Also your likely to have others around who can assist with a seperate trip in gb should your party size exceed 6 ?? (i think) 
Pop around to the wessex this weekend and have a chat...you would be most welcome...and we actively encourage younger cavers...

Hmmm Loose the gimp suit avatar thou.....

 

[stealth]

another thought sorry guys  slight change of topic, just about to buy a ladder, what size  would i need for the 20 in swildons, would a 5m one be ok, or is it that gonna leave me too short?  or am i going to have to get a 10m one.  thought i would ask here instead of starting another thread.
might seem a daft question but i was told that it was more like 15'.
thanks

stealth

Hi Stealth, if you were to join a club (such as the wessex) you wouldnt need to leave deposits for keys, just turn up and borrow it, you'd have an annual permit,(just you) you wouldnt need to buy a ladder or lifeline, you could just borrow it from the tackle store.Also your likely to have others around who can assist with a seperate trip in gb should your party size exceed 6 ?? (i think) 
Pop around to the wessex this weekend and have a chat...you would be most welcome...and we actively encourage younger cavers...

unfortunately i cant make this weekend as car needs an mot lol. but im pretty sure ill be up that way in near future with my lot, will call in then, could you answer  tho if a 5m ladder will do as i would still like one of my own  thanks

 

[menacer]

We have special swildons ladders at the wessex  so I dont honestly know, I think 5m is too short though...although 10 is too long.
I couldnt reliably comment having never paid that much attention... sorry. Leave it a few days someone will have the answer 

 

[damian]

Certainly it would be cheaper for you to join a club than to buy your own ladder ... and that's without all the other massive benefits that come from club membership.

As for Swildon's, I'm afraid I've only ever used a 30ft ladder, so can't tell you if a 5m will be long enough. Be careful of making a short ladder longer by attaching it with a long sling at the top - it can make it much more awkward to get off on the way back up.

 

[Elaine]

Hi Stealth

I would not recommend a 5m ladder for Swildons. About 6-7m is the shortest you could get away with here. I would go for the full 10m. It may be far too long for the 20ft pitch (about 17ft in reality) but it is fine for a lot of other pitches on Mendip that your 5m one would be too short for.

If you are new to ladders you do not want your ladder finishing 2ft short of the ground. Also, it is harder to get back onto a ladder that is not on the floor. It will swing wildly when you get on it and into the waterfall. Not recommended for newbies! A longer one would enable one of the party to stand on the end and stop it swinging.

As for GB, as JB says, there are two 8-10ft climbs on the way down to the Gorge in GB that are not novice friendly. I don't think there is a good belay point for a life line on the first one either. It is a climb down an exposed wall. Plenty of hand and footholds if you know where they are, but they slope away from you in an alarming manner. IMHO this is by far the dodgiest part of the otherwise simple usual tourist trip round GB. The second climb is down a slot and is easier to help others up and down on if one of you is confident climbing it. A very impressive cave and worth going down to see.

 

[Peter Burgess]

Gone are those good old days when the caves seem to have been designed for 10 ft and 25 ft ladders. It was almost as if the imperial measurements were conceived for cavers' convenience.

25 ft is ideal for Swildons 20 if you get someone to make one for you.

 

[stealth]

Gone are those good old days when the caves seem to have been designed for 10 ft and 25 ft ladders. It was almost as if the imperial measurements were conceived for cavers' convenience.

25 ft is ideal for Swildons 20 if you get someone to make one for you.

thanks for the advice, wonders what the cost would be gettin' one made to order, not cheap i expect

stealth

another ?,  im full of 'em today

can 2 smaller ladders be linked together with c links  or would that be unsafe.

last time i used a ladder was 15 years ago in swildons and two ladders were linked together , im not sure of modern day protocols thats why im asking.

 

[Peter Burgess]

My tongue was in my cheek when I suggested you got a ladder made for you. 30 years back, it was common for clubs to make their own ladders. 10m is the standard now. You can always join two ladders - they are designed with this in mind. You can't drop a pitch of 50ft on a ladder without joining two together, unless you are really weird and get someone to make a 50ft ladder for you, and then get someone to carry it for you. You will now witness the cleverdicks adding(?) to this discussion by suggesting that one should never use ladders on 50ft pitches nowadays as you should always use SRT blah blah blah.....

 

[stealth]

My tongue was in my cheek when I suggested you got a ladder made for yo

rofl 

 

[graham]

Having done pitches of well over 100' on ladder, I can tell you that you'd never want to carry that as one coil!!!

Get a 10 m ladder as being the most versatile and yes you can link 'em together.

In my youth, we had 50' "lightweight" ladders which had been made for (pre-SRT) expedition use. With careful packing, you could get three of them and one shorter ladder in a single ex-WD kitbag (no specially made tackle bags then, either). Bloody heavy and awkward, mind.