Swildons STONERS!!!!

[Dave]

We had a fantastic trip down Eastwater yesterday, we got out and fancied a quick trip down Swillys. We had just passed the 20 when we came across 2 lads one, about my age 18 , and the other who must be at least mid 20s. My friend asked as he passed them "where have you been then?" as you do when you see a group-ITS POLITE!! They blanked us and muttered something about sump1-it was then i smelt the stink of fag smoke, we didn't say anything-WE SHOULD OF-but it was obvious it was them and they must have been smoking right up to when we met. Any way we followed the stink down to sump 1 and when we reached the boulders you go over down to the sump we smelt a very different smell. Leading down to the sump was the smell of weed, wacky back, CANABIS! When we reached the sump we found sweet wrappers and coke bottels floating in the sump pool-we went through down to sump 2 and all was fine so they must have sat at the sump and got stoned and then 'flown' out! We removed the rubbish and several dog ends-but the air wasn't good.

If they want to do drugs then fine i don't care its their lives-but why do it in caves, i have caved in France and i know they smoke in systems over there but i have never heard of people going in to a cave to get stoned.

Oh and i forgot to mention it was obvious they were not caver's as 1 was dressed in full 'road worker' waterproofs with a tikka light (this is half suitable for caving) and the other had trainers tracksuit bottoms and a 1mm wetsuit rashvest, and as they passed one said to the other in a hushed voice "they must be caver's".

I am so annoyed we didn't stop them and batter them there and then-but blood may have spoiled the cave walls. We did shoot out to try and catch up and have a...word or two but they had a big headstart on us. After speaking to the group behind us it appeared they didn't use the ladder that had been put down-coming down the 20 and going back up it as they free climbed it both ways-this is not good i can imagine the news line- 'Two caver's die after a climb in swildons goes wrong. The autopsy has also revealed they also had traces of a class C drug in their system, or they may have just fallen and we would have had to lug them out or if it was bad get cave rescue.

Why do we have such TWATS in the world?

I thought i would post this just to give people a heads up and also to apologize for not turning back as soon as we smelt smoke to catch up with them and give them both the beating of their lives (once outside the cave)

  Dave

 

[graham]

I wonder if this the same people who caused the damage down the cave recently. If not, then does this mean we are going to be seeing more of this crap?

 

[wormster]

I wonder if this the same people who caused the damage down the cave recently. If not, then does this mean we are going to be seeing more of this crap?

I was thinking the same, but I have a feeling that they're separate gruops of individuals.

see this thread:
http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php/topic,2527.0.html

 

[finster]

Hey thats biazzare as we took a group down Swildons, Sunday 28th Jan.  We got out quite early about 12 ish and waited for one of our other groups to follow us out.  Whilst waiting by the car, there was a small escort type van parked next to us, the back doors opened and a bloke jumped out followed by a big cloud of smoke and the smell of weed! Then two chaps got out from the front and all three wandered off in the direction of Swildons dressed in a smilar attire to which you desribe, no helmets just tikkas!

We stood there in dismay! surely these guys were not going caving, too astounded we said nothing! At the end of the day I don't care what happens to them is the poor buggers who have to rescue idiots like these or the poor other individual who gets caught up should they or when they make a mistake!

 

[Dave]

Was the group you were waiting for a group of novices?

were the 2 leaders wearing black helmets? If so they are the group we talked with-nice guys BTW  .

 

[finster]

It was a group of novices, 5 with 2 leaders as was my group, usual trip short dry way down to the top of ladder and then back the long dry way. I think the leaders were wearing one red and one yellow helmet though.  I did have another more experienced group down there as well who did go to sump 1 and through 3 and two leaders, but again I think  both helmets were red? So I guess not, but we are all nice guys...really!

 

[Dave]

I'm sure they are, any one who gives up their time to take novices caving are great people-thats why i do it lol  :

I am just so angry about these twats      :spank:  :chair:. If i ever see that sort of thing again 

Any way I'm a chilled out person really-but i do promise that i will beat anyone i see doing that sort of thing underground+if you break pretties then we break you, the beating is usually in places that wont mark e.g kidneys or i may just make you eat what you break!

Any other ideas for punishments to give to the cave vandalizing SCUM?

  Dave

 

[Peter Burgess]

Those round things on top of the gateway to London Bridge are not lollipops.

 

[Stupot]

It's the litter that gets to me  It's just a blatant disregard for the cave and another cavers who have to tidy up after them.

Sadly there is not alot you can do to stop pricks going down there apart from the obvious involving a padlock, but that another debate altogether.

Rise above it Dave, you did the right thing by tidying up after them and making other people aware of the incident, if you had beaten seven bells of shit out of them (like most would feel like doing I am sure) the law would probably favor on their side.

Every dog has it's day.

Stu.

 

[Dave]

Unfortunately you are right Stu, the law will be against any actions similar to my descriptions-even if the recipient is a drugged up idiot.

oh and whilst on the topic or rubbish in Swildon's, does anyone know why there were candles throut Swildon's yesterday-there was a big red one opposite Jacobs ladder-i thought it was a shrine of someting to someone who has died in there in the past, but there were normal white candles in the streamway (these i picked up and took out as they must have been dropped) ?

 

[Dave]

sorry forgot to say that the big red candle was lit!

 

[Stupot]

The Shepton CC had a 60th Birthday trip in there on Saturday as I passed them coming out from sump 9, I am suprised they left them down there  :-\

Stu.

 

[Peter Burgess]

Those round things on top of the gateway to London Bridge are not lollipops.

There's two guys on the top floor smoking something pretty strong.

 

[Dave]

I really like the idea Peter but i think something where the guilty party keep their heads-so they wont DIE may be better, but the punishment must leave a lasting mark so the person will never forget the sin and also to make anyone else who would do such a thing think twice-maybe branding 'I'm a cave vandalizing scum bag please kick me' on their forheads-  :-\ then again it may not fit as they are so thick and have such small brains their heads wont be very big+would probably have shrunk with all the weed thy smoke!

Dave

 

[Peter Burgess]

It's OK, I just wanted to get in before everyone else with the 'let's string 'em up' messages. Those heads were soaked in pitch to protect them from the elements, so we could just do this bit, without actually removing said appendage. Them stick 'em on poles on Priddy Green as a deterrent. (I'm sure they're really nice guys if you got to know them.)

 

[Hughie]

I would imagine the culprits were cavers. Most unlikely non-cavers would free climb the 20'. Also they must have a basic understanding of the cave to know what Sump 1 was. Surely the uninitiated would say "it's the end"?

Also, it sounds like several of you were in there with novices. The guide book categorically states that "No novices are allowed to descend this cave". Bearing that in mind, do you think the media would be any more sympathetic to you, in the unfortunate event of a rescue?

 

[Peter Burgess]

I would agree with you Hughie. My guess is they were taken caving when younger, or have had some peripheral involvement with caving, and are going to the effort to get underground to enjoy themselves in their own way. Littering is symptomatic of many people, not just 'fringe' cavers. They will either 'come good' or wander off to find some other way to spend their spare time.

 

[Peter Burgess]

If the overheard comment was correct, they don't think of themselves as cavers, but neither did I when I started. I was under a false impression that I was somehow a lesser being looking up in awe, whereas now I realise I was dragged down to their level when I started caving properly. 

 

[Dave]

There may have been novices down there but i feel the route that i saw the group doing was more than acceptable, they went to the top of the double pots and than back out, now talking to the leaders of the group they both new the guys they had in it,i think that this is acceptable as they would know the ruff capability of the members of the group and did not drop them in the deep end by going right into the cave. Finsters groups sounds the same, and I'm sure they were not complete novices. Why would they have to be caver's to be able to climb the 20, yes it is a hard and exposed climb but they could have just scrabbled up it-if they are stupid enough to smoke weed in a cave i can see they will be stupid enough to do that-but i do agree this was not their first trip i to Swildons and was not their first caving trip as they were more than happy in the cave and as you said Hughie they new what the sump was. Sorry if my insulting of the low form of life that is the drug users has offended you?

 

[Deeply Mendippy]

If the overheard comment was correct, they don't think of themselves as cavers, but neither did I when I started. I was under a false impression that I was somehow a lesser being looking up in awe, whereas now I realise I was dragged down to their level when I started caving properly. 

Literally of metaphorically?

Incidentally I was down Swildons on the 28th as well at about 12ish and we met no end of groups down there but nobody that fits the description.