Theoretical UK visit itinerary?

[caving_fox]

RDCC have just come back from a great trip aborad where we were hosted by a local club and shown the delights of their area. And so with plenty of time on our hands travelling back, we wondered what we could offer a club wanting to visit the uk.

Imagine 5 or so competent cavers visiting the UK for the first time. They're staying a week (in summer? but wet days possible). What would you arrange for them? There are practical considerations ... can you get a guide/key for the cave on that day? How much travelling is reasonable? Where would they stay?

Of course one could just say here's our rope store, this is the old Eurospeleo guide to the Dales, go have fun. But surely a wider range of options might be possible.

What are the highlights they simply must see?
3 Days in Dales, 1 in Peak, 2 in S Wales and a day in Mendip .... ???
Can you get people into Otter, Titan/Peak, GG, 3 Counties, OFD, CaF?, Swildons?? in a week?

 

[mikem]

You can if they're fit enough / prepared to drive after trips, but you'd probably be better off doing Dales / Peak as one week & Mendip / S.Wales as another.

 

[LadyMud]

Never mind which caves . . . the important question is:
"Which local delicacies will you feed them on?"

 

[Babyhagrid]

If you time it right you could get cask ale in every region. I've seen the shepton and bec have them. Have seen SWCC with many casks. And the game comes with its own taproom. Not sure if there is a anywhere in the peaks??

More in line with the post. South Wales and mendip would require 3 days minimum (if you want OFD,OCaf and swildons (you could try and line up a pretty one such as shatter), an extra day for otter) and the travel up north would probably use up a full day. Unless you go down something small in peak, which titan-peak isn't.

Sounds like a two week endeavor for the full experience

 

[Fjell]

A lot of European cavers find the Dales to be a bit different due to the prevalence of active streamways, wet pitches and rock architecture. You also have the exposed karst landscape as something else to look at. A week there would be enjoyable for most and easy to sort out.

 

[2xw]

In three days Otter hole is probably the only Mendip cave worth doing, then you could pop over into South Wales for some proper stuff before driving to the Dales on a rest day and doing another three days there (avoiding the peak entirely, it's basically just easy access Mendip).

But tbh I'd find that pretty hardcore for a holiday. What's our cueto coventosa or psm? If you did one or two big trips in a week which ones would it be? Titan/RoTV/Peak? Draenen to Geryon and out via streamway? Lost John's - Notts II, GG to Bar or maybe the easegill traverse?

 

[mrodoc]

From my perspective Otter Hole is in the Forest in Dean but is part of the way to South Wales.

 

[hyweldavies]

My view is that for a week they are far better off making a choice of a week in the Dales, or week in South Wales. Both areas have a full on week's worth of top notch caving. Trying to do the whole country will be a load of hassle travelling, and more importantly the hassle of packing up and setting up elsewhere which blows a whole day.

If they had two weeks then a week in Yorkshire and another on South Wales might be a good option.

 

[andrewmcleod]

From my perspective Otter Hole is in the Forest in Dean but is part of the way to South Wales.

Otter Hole is in Wales, AFAIK?

 

[MJenkinson]

In three days Otter hole is probably the only Mendip cave worth doing, then you could pop over into South Wales for some proper stuff before driving to the Dales on a rest day and doing another three days there (avoiding the peak entirely, it's basically just easy access Mendip).

But tbh I'd find that pretty hardcore for a holiday. What's our cueto coventosa or psm? If you did one or two big trips in a week which ones would it be? Titan/RoTV/Peak? Draenen to Geryon and out via streamway? Lost John's - Notts II, GG to Bar or maybe the easegill traverse?

Jesus H - there is some fighting talk in there ha!

I'd suggest:
JH or Titan to Peak (some interesting mining bits as well as a variety of caving)

Some sort of traverse in easgill (top to Link or something)
Rowten because shes wonderful
PYG pot?
Something in GG that involves main hang

Not to sure on Mendip as not done much but there

I'd want to show them some trips that highlighted how good caving is in the UK, but also the variety - dry crawly, wet crawly, dry dangly, wet dangly, clean, muddy, natural, bits of mine, pretty.

Quite a fun thing to think about really.