christine
Active member
Nicky in The Frozen Deep
A weeks back I happened across a FB message from a lady who lives in Cheltenham, who wanted to get out midweek to do some more caving, as weekends were a struggle with young children.
Following an ankle injury in July which almost ruined our annual trip to France, I figured I needed to get back on the horse and do some more regular caving for myself. After all, I live on Mendip now so no excuses..
I messaged Nicky Richens and we arranged to meet up on Mendip first of all to go to Reservoir Hole.
Nick Chipchase kindly obliged as leader for us as the old dosser is good for midweek trips.
(See his own post on the Mendip thread - I should point out that I wasn't actually as unkind to him as he makes out - but it was so funny I let it stay
)
Crystals in TFD
Calcified bat in TFD
Calcified Bat in TFD
Roll on a few weeks and it's my turn to head over the bridge and we decided on Pant Mawr pot. Nicky had always wanted to go there and I hadn't been in many years - and did it on ladders then. I didn't much like that so we opted for SRT this time.
Nicky in Pant Mawr
The 4km walk to the cave was in glorious sunshine and we found it fairly easily.
I rigged while Nicky grabbed some lunch and we soon set about working out the boulder choke, photographing pretties and boulder hopping down the stream-way.
Nicky in Pant Mawr
Straws in Pant Mawr
Straws in Pant Mawr
Nicky on the pitch in Pant Mawr
It was remarkably hot in there! We regretted only taking small juice drinks and were gasping for gallons of water. We made the return trip in good time, stopping to get some macro shots of baby straws.
We opted to walk back on the quarry track rather than up hill and down dale and it was much flatter and quicker.
Many thanks to Mick and Judy of SWCC for loaning the key so we could use the showers and to Sue Mabbett for picking up the phone, even though she has not been a permit person for a decade....the CCC contacts page could do with an update...
and thank you to Brendan who happened to be at the club so he could sort us a permit.
I was somewhat lame this morning after the longest walk I'd done since damaging my ankle, so we aimed for a shorter, easier trip. In any case, Nicky had to collect her children from school early afternoon.
I have to admire her. I can barely keep my chilli plant alive so feeding, watering and nurturing two children and still being an active caver is quite a job.
We couldn't sort a key in time for Wigpool, which is where we actually wanted to go, so we ended up in Noxon Park Iron mine.
Now, I've been to Noxon a few times, mostly for diving and it's as acutely dull underwater as it is in the dry. We decided to make it more fun by trying to get some nice photos.
This is the best I could do with a canon S110 barely manual point and shoot. After seeing the Hidden Earth quality entries this year, I think I'm going to have to give in and get a DSLR...
Nicky in Noxon Park
Nicky in Noxon
I got home at a decent hour to find my other half had dinner on the go (the way it should be) so I set about turning the garden red, trying to clean my gear....
Not sure where we are headed next but I think Nicky has a score to settle with a certain sump...
