Following a meeting between myself on behalf of cavers with the other interested parties ? landowner Defence Infrastructure Organisation and the National Park Authority and NRW professional staff - we now have an interim cave access agreement for Ogof Gofan. In a nutshell, interested cavers should contact me first by email or phone ideally to discuss their plans, hear about any recent issues or changes to the system, learn how to find the cave itself and what gear to take, if such information is needed. I will then pass their request on to the National Park Ranger who will issue one-off permits most likely by email.
Park at the St Govan?s Chapel car park. This is only accessible when the range is not in use for firing practice, i.e. weekends, evenings, and some days midweek. To avoid disappointment, is advisable to call the range office to check on upcoming closures for live firing before travelling there midweek.
Please take clean equipment and oversuit. No digging in the cave. No removal of samples or artefacts from the cave. No new bolts or other fixtures to be placed. No novices and maximum group size of four. Only one such group in the cave at a time. No military debris to be touched nor walking further inland than the coastal path.
If everyone will please operate this simple system, we stand a very good chance of obtaining a favourable long-term access agreement which will take a little longer as there are documents to be drawn up, and some committees and approvals to clear.
Stuart France
Cambrian Caving Council
Access/Conservation Officer