Llethridd Swallet and Tooth Cave

[Keith P]

Hello All,

Devon SS are visiting the Gower next weekend (weather looks OK) and hope to do Llethridd and Tooth.

I've heard that Llethridd entrance series may be blocked by roof fall - does anyone have firm information about this.

Also, is a wetsuit really essential (as Tim Stratford advises)?

Thanks in anticipation

 

[robjones]

is a wetsuit really essential (as Tim Stratford advises)?

Not for Tooth - based on one trip 25 years ago in dry summer weather.

 

[Keith P]

Thanks for the kit advice.  You've probably saved us from expiry from heat exhaustion !

 

[ptpeaty]

Hi,
I presume you have managed to get a key for Tooth as it is gated? SWCC may be able to help out there if you haven't got one. Tooth has small muddy tubey bits before you hit the main stream passage. We have had a lot of rain in the last fortnight after a long dry period in the Swansea area so you may find a sump blocking the main stream. Note that if the stream way is running, then you really should get out of the place quickly! As for gear to wear, normal fleece onesie and over suit should suffice.

WRT Llethrid, Chelsea had a trip there a year ago and we failed to get in more than 100'. There has been a considerable build up of vegetation that has been washed in and blocked the main way on and it appears the roof has moved about a bit. A wetsuit is  probably best when exploring Llethrid, although the water in there will be warm at the moment.

Ogof Bishopston, near to Barlands Quarry has been quarried away. Bishopston Valley is worth a visit as it has several speleological features of interest.

 

[robjones]

Tooth has small muddy tubey bits before you hit the main stream passage.

The character of the sediments must have changed markedly since the 1980s. On the only trip I did down Tooth Cave, the route to the streamway was full of wet gravel to the extent that we swam through it: scooped the gravel from in front of us to behind us so that at any given moment both our way on and our way back was virtually blocked.

Note that if the stream way is running, then you really should get out of the place quickly!

It was dry weather when we did it; there was the merest dribble of water along the streamway: we bitterly regretted wearing wetsuits! Frequent flood debris in the roof and the very clean-washed nature of the passage emphasised its propensity to flooding. 

 

[Keith P]

Thanks to robjones & ptpeaty.

I have had a look at some 'historical' posts 2005-2010 from Gus Horsley and NigR.  Sounds like frequent diversions caused by sediment and washed-in vegetation are a feature of both caves.

 

[gus horsley]

I've done Llethrid on several occasions and I think I took a different route each time.  The first several hundred feet are part of a huge unstable boulder choke which the stream selectively undermines.  The same goes for the Main Chamber where there is plenty of evidence of movement, as witnessed by the large fractured column near the top of the boulder slope.  Any route descriptions are likely to be redundant by the time you get there - try following the stream as much as you can but be prepared to deviate away from it in places.  It's a good cave despite all that and the Main Chamber and Annexe are definitelt worth the effort.

Tooth isn't my favourite cave.  Again I've done several trips, each time becoming increasingly fed up with the gravelly/muddy nature of the crawls which are easy but long.  The main streamway, when you eventually get there, doesn't really live up to the name.  I'm going to get a clobbering now from the Tooth afficionados.

 

[ptpeaty]

I'm going to get a clobbering now from the Tooth afficionados.

Yup you are Gus! Tooth Cave is a bit unpleasant on account of its crawls and that distinct possibility that the sump may not have broken, but the Main Stream does boast some very fine phreatic passage. Have a look on Flickr where Brendan Maris AKA Dudley Bug, has posted a great selection of photoes that give a good feel for the place. The approach to the Main Stream is made interesting by the gravel crawls that you might have to swim through. Tooth is well worth making the effort to explore, so long as it's been dry and is forecast dry! Take something to drink with you.

 

[Huge]

I'm going to get a clobbering now from the Tooth afficionados.

Only done one trip in each cave - both on the same day. I preferred Tooth to Llethrid!

It was during very dry weather. The crawls in tooth were bone dry. Wasn't that impressed with Llethrid. Big formations yes but all very muddy and not very nice passages. I like a nice bit of finely formed passage me and the Main Streamway in Tooth is very impressive.