TheBitterEnd
Well-known member
Station Inn after a pleasant potter through Roger Kirk, putting together the meets list, South Wales is mentioned. Meets List sketched in, a few fixed points and some wishful thinking as usual, I''ll be scratching around to assemble something reasonable and concerned that people get trips they want to do. "I'd like to go to South Wales" said Alec on the way home. I was non-committal, not sure I wanted the effort, the drive, a whole weekend gone, not even sure whether it would fit in with life.
Cornwall; Alec jumping off cliffs trying to video himself with the waterproof camera, he goes too deep and the camera gets seawater in it. Get an email, Tatham Wife on Ladders for Andy's assessment? Try washing the salt out of the camera but just wash crap into the lens assembly, it was a gonner either way.
Rain and rain, Tatham Wife becomes Sell Gill which is fun, too wet for third pitch, Alec worried on the traverse to the second pitch head, we've waited a while to get rigging they are happy with and the 'what if' monster has got into his head. Very pleasant to take some time to enjoy the cave, just being in the environment, taking time to wonder. South Wales is mentioned again, Alec now keener than ever. At his age it is easy to get fired up about things and then go off them when they start to get real but he seems keen as anything on this.
Emails about South Wales, I semi-commit and get sucked into being Organised which I always find a bit irksome, we're a good bunch, stuff will happen. I suggest there is room in the car, a lift is accepted and I am now pretty much locked into it. Decide to buy a new waterproof camera, search the web and spend much more than I want or ought too. Take the new camera to Hardrawkin for a play, well impressed, the focusing is good and the F2 lens works well off available light. The hand-held night scene mode is great, decide the overspend is justified.
Tuesday before, feeling a bit crappy, decide not to cave Wed evening, best save myself for Wales. By Thursday, full on man-flu, hot and cold, snot, dizzyness, f***-it. Still, committed and hate nothing more than letting people down. Pack the car, tents, sleeping gear, caving gear for me and Alec. Batteries, spare batteries, more batteries. Spare lights, food, booze, more booze, some more just in case and something for Alec. Two times the people, four times the effort, two nights away, eight times the effort. M6 down to one lane, set off to Wales via Kirkby and Caton, not the best start. Motorways slow and now caught in rush-hour, later and later. Finally starting to get some open road. Get text saying the others are out of Aggy, I am their call-out. Stop at a supermarket for a pee, roads quieter now, start to fly. Hit the Penwyllt turning no problem. Good to arrive, met by the welcome and comforting presence of good mates. I find getting to the meeting point is often the most tense part of the trip, even in the old familiar haunts, sometimes it is just too much. SWCC cottage and students expected, we are camping so tents pitched in the dark. Relax into a bottle of red and plans are made for Saturday.
DYO Saturday; Alec keen as mustard and this is probably the longest trip he has done; me worried about how I'll perform with the man-flu as well as the usual twice dislocated patella, the cartilage in the other knee and the shoulder. It's probably better to just concentrate on the one good limb. Off we go, through the show cave, stop for pictures at the formation near pot sump. The long crawl no real issue. Down the ladder to DYOII and some go under the camel but the sounds emanating from the end of it encourage me up the climb over. Then up the polished climb and the spiffy stainless ladder. I go up and belay Alec then he carries on up the hand line. Talk turns to the Green Canals, Alec seems nervous about these which surprises me a bit but we press on. By the green canals I have found what might laughingly be called 'my stride' Alec really not keen but me having fun, take care of Alec pushing him in front of me then go back with inner tubes, come back, go back again with tubes and PFDs. Cloud chamber and Flabbergasm but the brand new camera has packed up well before this point. Thoughts of the Far North for some of the party are dropped and out we go. I had forgotten about the joys of the trough at the end of the long crawl. but we are soon back in the stream way before the show cave and emerge to a pleasant late afternoon knackered from the man-flu.
Back at the cottage the students have arrived in force and Mr Seddon is there with his pretty, shiny things. My AV is more glue than suit and I was planning on a replacement so one is purchased. The evening meal is warmed, a few beers downed and then we settle in to another few bottles of red, my bullshit tolerance drops too low and I end up shouting over the student clamour probably making the rest of the gang cringe. The night is fitful; students, dogs, the aches and pains but the morning is pleasant. The plan is OFD1 to Cwm Dwr. Feel like shit, nowt new then. Trudge down to OFD1. Down the entrance past the show cave remnants along the streamway, over the scaffold poles almost blas? to this fine streamway. Arrive at the choke and Alec disappears into it. Thinking of calling it quits, so is AG, the feeling of crappyness has not improved. What to do? I call Alec back, he wants to go on, I check with the others they are OK with him if I go back. It's not fair to struggle on and slow everyone down and I just know it would be a slog and no fun. Slight sense of quitting, of wanting to do it but I just don't even seem to be in the same human race as everyone else, in fact I'm not in any race at all, I have no need to struggle on, not a competitive bone in my body. Alec couldn''t be in better hands. Back we go, AG and me, anyone who can put up with those long slogs up to the dig all summer with me has to be the best of sorts. Unease at my abilities gone now enjoying the passage at a slower pace, push downstream as far as I can then Pluto pool and a look at the Gothic sump. Out to sunshine and the uphill slog.
Shower, brew, food, a few hours to kill before the rest of the gang appear; the almost miraculous wallet opening powers of Mr Seddon's display.
More brews, go for a potter around. Start packing gear, they are due back by now, no sign of them but no definite overdue time. Wander over to Cwm Dwr, not really expecting them to appear, wander back again. More time killing, getting a bit twitchy now; then they appear, some route finding issues but all OK, certainly not something Alec is going to forget.
I am told that Alec said he likes caving without me, he doesn't have to worry about me getting stuck; cheeky little sod!
The lad himself
Cornwall; Alec jumping off cliffs trying to video himself with the waterproof camera, he goes too deep and the camera gets seawater in it. Get an email, Tatham Wife on Ladders for Andy's assessment? Try washing the salt out of the camera but just wash crap into the lens assembly, it was a gonner either way.
Rain and rain, Tatham Wife becomes Sell Gill which is fun, too wet for third pitch, Alec worried on the traverse to the second pitch head, we've waited a while to get rigging they are happy with and the 'what if' monster has got into his head. Very pleasant to take some time to enjoy the cave, just being in the environment, taking time to wonder. South Wales is mentioned again, Alec now keener than ever. At his age it is easy to get fired up about things and then go off them when they start to get real but he seems keen as anything on this.
Emails about South Wales, I semi-commit and get sucked into being Organised which I always find a bit irksome, we're a good bunch, stuff will happen. I suggest there is room in the car, a lift is accepted and I am now pretty much locked into it. Decide to buy a new waterproof camera, search the web and spend much more than I want or ought too. Take the new camera to Hardrawkin for a play, well impressed, the focusing is good and the F2 lens works well off available light. The hand-held night scene mode is great, decide the overspend is justified.
Tuesday before, feeling a bit crappy, decide not to cave Wed evening, best save myself for Wales. By Thursday, full on man-flu, hot and cold, snot, dizzyness, f***-it. Still, committed and hate nothing more than letting people down. Pack the car, tents, sleeping gear, caving gear for me and Alec. Batteries, spare batteries, more batteries. Spare lights, food, booze, more booze, some more just in case and something for Alec. Two times the people, four times the effort, two nights away, eight times the effort. M6 down to one lane, set off to Wales via Kirkby and Caton, not the best start. Motorways slow and now caught in rush-hour, later and later. Finally starting to get some open road. Get text saying the others are out of Aggy, I am their call-out. Stop at a supermarket for a pee, roads quieter now, start to fly. Hit the Penwyllt turning no problem. Good to arrive, met by the welcome and comforting presence of good mates. I find getting to the meeting point is often the most tense part of the trip, even in the old familiar haunts, sometimes it is just too much. SWCC cottage and students expected, we are camping so tents pitched in the dark. Relax into a bottle of red and plans are made for Saturday.
DYO Saturday; Alec keen as mustard and this is probably the longest trip he has done; me worried about how I'll perform with the man-flu as well as the usual twice dislocated patella, the cartilage in the other knee and the shoulder. It's probably better to just concentrate on the one good limb. Off we go, through the show cave, stop for pictures at the formation near pot sump. The long crawl no real issue. Down the ladder to DYOII and some go under the camel but the sounds emanating from the end of it encourage me up the climb over. Then up the polished climb and the spiffy stainless ladder. I go up and belay Alec then he carries on up the hand line. Talk turns to the Green Canals, Alec seems nervous about these which surprises me a bit but we press on. By the green canals I have found what might laughingly be called 'my stride' Alec really not keen but me having fun, take care of Alec pushing him in front of me then go back with inner tubes, come back, go back again with tubes and PFDs. Cloud chamber and Flabbergasm but the brand new camera has packed up well before this point. Thoughts of the Far North for some of the party are dropped and out we go. I had forgotten about the joys of the trough at the end of the long crawl. but we are soon back in the stream way before the show cave and emerge to a pleasant late afternoon knackered from the man-flu.
Back at the cottage the students have arrived in force and Mr Seddon is there with his pretty, shiny things. My AV is more glue than suit and I was planning on a replacement so one is purchased. The evening meal is warmed, a few beers downed and then we settle in to another few bottles of red, my bullshit tolerance drops too low and I end up shouting over the student clamour probably making the rest of the gang cringe. The night is fitful; students, dogs, the aches and pains but the morning is pleasant. The plan is OFD1 to Cwm Dwr. Feel like shit, nowt new then. Trudge down to OFD1. Down the entrance past the show cave remnants along the streamway, over the scaffold poles almost blas? to this fine streamway. Arrive at the choke and Alec disappears into it. Thinking of calling it quits, so is AG, the feeling of crappyness has not improved. What to do? I call Alec back, he wants to go on, I check with the others they are OK with him if I go back. It's not fair to struggle on and slow everyone down and I just know it would be a slog and no fun. Slight sense of quitting, of wanting to do it but I just don't even seem to be in the same human race as everyone else, in fact I'm not in any race at all, I have no need to struggle on, not a competitive bone in my body. Alec couldn''t be in better hands. Back we go, AG and me, anyone who can put up with those long slogs up to the dig all summer with me has to be the best of sorts. Unease at my abilities gone now enjoying the passage at a slower pace, push downstream as far as I can then Pluto pool and a look at the Gothic sump. Out to sunshine and the uphill slog.
Shower, brew, food, a few hours to kill before the rest of the gang appear; the almost miraculous wallet opening powers of Mr Seddon's display.
More brews, go for a potter around. Start packing gear, they are due back by now, no sign of them but no definite overdue time. Wander over to Cwm Dwr, not really expecting them to appear, wander back again. More time killing, getting a bit twitchy now; then they appear, some route finding issues but all OK, certainly not something Alec is going to forget.
I am told that Alec said he likes caving without me, he doesn't have to worry about me getting stuck; cheeky little sod!
The lad himself
