OFD - deepest point without diving?

[benshannon]

Hi,

Im looking to do OFD at some point and wondered what the deepst point is without diving, and whats the trip to get there entail roughly?

Thanks

 

[andrewmcleod]

Hi,

Im looking to do OFD at some point and wondered what the deepst point is without diving, and whats the trip to get there entail roughly?

Thanks

Well any of the passages at the bottom of OFD 1 at sump level will be the lowest non-diving point, so you can just go and splash around in Gothic Sump? Which of course takes about 3 minutes from the entrance (at a leisurely pace).
Water levels do vary, so do this in a drought and you will get slightly lower.

Assuming you mean 'deepest' as 'lowest altitude' and not 'greatest depth under the surface' which would be much harder to work out but would probably be somewhere in the OFD2 streamway.

 

[Crustyface]

The original entrance to OFD is right at the bottom of the hill and the bottom of the cave. It is possible to travel uphill in the cave all the way to Smith's Armoury which is the point furthest from any entrance, travelling almost the whole Nant Newydd "Main Streamway", which is split into OFD I, II and III (Roman numerals). Dry routes to bypass the sumps between these sections of the stream are well-trodden and well-described on ogof.org.uk, but it is a very long trip and it's advisable to learn each section first. The "Top" entrance which provides easiest access to the OFD II and OFD III streamways, and the routes between them, is notoriously complex and a survey will serve you better than a description. Smith's Armoury lies not far from where the water sinks on the surface and enters the cave, so it's not really that deep underground, but given the effort, skill and hazard required to get there it definitely feels very far from home.

As Andy says the deepest below the surface is probably in the streamway. I would guess somewhere near the Top Waterfall but there's bound to be some absolute nerd who can tell you exactly.

There are many places that are even more obscure and less frequented, taking a longer time to get to and arguably further from the entrances. Merthyr Vale is apparently rather difficult to get to from anywhere and could also be a contender.

 

[Babyhagrid]

There are many places that are even more obscure and less frequented, taking a longer time to get to and arguably further from the entrances. Merthyr Vale is apparently rather difficult to get to from anywhere and could also be a contender.

Having visited merthyr vale on Sunday I can say that it's not too bad to visit , but that it is on the more "remote" side of what there is to visit in OFD.
But IMO there's not really anywhere in the cave that feels remote in the same manner as other caves that only have one entrance.
Five mile chamber (in prokofiev), and the blockhouse (in northern lights) , and smiths armory do come to mind as more remote sections but there is nowhere in the cave that's more than approx 2 hours from an entrance

 

[mikem]

... but there is nowhere in the cave that's more than approx 2 hours from an entrance

Provided you know where you are (going)!