TheFirstCaver
New member
I was wondering if anyone has had ever lost a welly and had to cave out without it?
(Bonus points for bare foot prusiking)
(Bonus points for bare foot prusiking)
Has Anyone ever lost a welly?
- Thread starter TheFirstCaver
- Start date
aricooperdavis
Moderator
I have had a novice lose a welly in deep water (Prid lake), so I gave them mine to cave out with. It isn't a long way out though, and in was wearing wetsocks, so it didn't feel remotely noteworthy!
My wife lost a wellie crossing the Green Canal in DYO. She got so cold, she shivered it off. Silly write up using this link... Dudley Blog
I heard of someone else in the club who managed to lose a wellie when caving. Not sure of the circumstances, or which cave she was in. Bizarrely she found a spare wellie lying around. Good news was that it was the right size, bad news was that it was the wrong foot.
I heard of someone else in the club who managed to lose a wellie when caving. Not sure of the circumstances, or which cave she was in. Bizarrely she found a spare wellie lying around. Good news was that it was the right size, bad news was that it was the wrong foot.
Winnat's Caver
Active member
I lost a welly once down Winnats, and the fresher it was attached too......
deffonotmaria
New member
I had a fresher lose her welly in Showerbath passage down County on the way out after an 11 hour trip... 2 of the group said it shredded on the way down but was found the next day just down the passage a bit - poor fresh had to walk back to the farm across the fell in her socks (not even wet socks, just standard socks)
Babyhagrid
Well-known member
some fairly unpleasant one wellie caving here trying to get out of hammer pot (in Fermanagh)
paul
Moderator
A fellow club member somehow lost a welly in the Crabwalk in Giant's Hole (Derbyshire) and didn't realise it for a while! Later when reading the club log book, there was an entry from the next day from other club members after a trip in Giant's, they found a welly standing up on its in The Crabwalk...
After car troubles in France, I ended up in Matienzo with very minimal kit one year. I raided the tackle store for old abandonded kit, and in doing so found myself some Size 10 wellies... They'll do, I thought. So donned my super absorbant cotton socks, a borrowed wetsuit and boiler suit, and wellies that were 5 sizes too big. We made our way into Cueva del Molino (Agua) and soon into the water, following the river passage downstream and through some really quite deep pools.
Since then, I have found that swimming in wellies is not the easiest of tasks in itself - Swimming in size 10 wellies, when you're size 5 is near impossible and you may as well tie boulders to your feet! (Although these did have super cool shark teeth print on them)
As you can expect, the wellies didn't last all too long, and I was soon flailing in an attempt to keep afloat as my home made bouyancy device didn't seem to do much either. Luckily there were a number of people around me to scoop me out of the water - after they'd finished laughing that is.
Barefoot, Agua is really quite sharp with plenty of underwater ledges and things snag on, and, whilst it was an enjoyable trip - Doing 80% of the trip barefoot is definitely not recommended.
It's also worth noting that i'm not a massive fan of water, so I probably ended up flailing 80% more than most would anyway
Since then, I have found that swimming in wellies is not the easiest of tasks in itself - Swimming in size 10 wellies, when you're size 5 is near impossible and you may as well tie boulders to your feet! (Although these did have super cool shark teeth print on them)
As you can expect, the wellies didn't last all too long, and I was soon flailing in an attempt to keep afloat as my home made bouyancy device didn't seem to do much either. Luckily there were a number of people around me to scoop me out of the water - after they'd finished laughing that is.
Barefoot, Agua is really quite sharp with plenty of underwater ledges and things snag on, and, whilst it was an enjoyable trip - Doing 80% of the trip barefoot is definitely not recommended.
It's also worth noting that i'm not a massive fan of water, so I probably ended up flailing 80% more than most would anyway
CavingForLemons
New member
I lost a welly at the end of Roly Poly passage in Peterson. You can still see it down the rift. Funnily enough, I'm clearly not the first person to do this, as there's a second welly visible down there with mine!!
It wasn't the caving out that was the worst part but the walk back to the farm with snow on the ground. I tied a tackle sack around my foot to try to protect it slightly from the cold but still think I wasn't far off getting a touch of frostbite.
It wasn't the caving out that was the worst part but the walk back to the farm with snow on the ground. I tied a tackle sack around my foot to try to protect it slightly from the cold but still think I wasn't far off getting a touch of frostbite.
Pony
Active member
I heard that a Caver turned up to do Dowbergill passage with 2 left wellies . Carried on with the trip but half way through was complaining one of his feet was giving him grief. Cavers being cavers, one of them helpfuly suggested he swap his wellies over. Great idea lad! Was the reply. When done and then came the realisation.... Insert helpful advice givers name, YOU UNMENTIONABLE!!!!
cavemanmike
Well-known member
I had dig a friend out of roof collapse (thankfully only a few cuts and bruises) but I couldn’t reach his welly. After a long walk he had to prussic out/ 40 metre pitches 😬😬😬. What a trooper but that’s cavers for you
Pitlamp
Well-known member
I'm sure that's a strong contender - but, judging by the sheer number of cast off wellies littering the main Kingsdale Master Cave Downstream Sump, there must be an awful lot of people who hop out of the roof Tunnel!
andrewmcleod
Well-known member
I am told that many wellies were observed at the bottom of the Green Canal by a diver who went looking for someone's dropped SRT kit.
