Known by None
Member
On to a New year then and while I find myself skiving at work I have a bit of time to reflect on it all and also write up the last two trips I did in 2007. They go a little something like this
Saturday; 29/12/07
Location;Hunter's Lodge Inn Sink... The Return!
Attending
arkplaces, Myself
At a loose end and with my usual caving partner irresponsibly out of action, I decided I would have to find someone crazy enough to join me for some quality Mendip caving, and so DP foolishly agreed to join me on a trip which I promised him would be easy and filled with joy.
Previous observations of Hunter's Lodge inn Sink include;
"I had to use my beard to filter out the mosquitoes" - Les W
"I'm never going back to that bloody coffin" - 50/50
"It's like an all you can eat invertebrate buffet!" - A.Gnome
Needless to say Darkplaces wasn't informed of this and so we kitted up and obtained the key -(in that order).....I haven't gotten myself a new oversuit yet so walked into the Hunters in my old army boiler suit, looking like I was about to go to go on military tour, which must have looked quite amusing..... or stupid.
The entrance slide is good fun and because we fully intended to SRT the pitch, we had three bags full of kit and ropes which we dragged down with us, along the way DP took lots of photos and I pointed out all manner of formations and gave them made up names.
Until only recently this was the prettiest cave I had ever visited and it was good to see DP impressed with the near perfect condition of the formations, he was especially impressed with the way the diggers had stacked the spoil and even built steps, very nice!
We soon made our way up the small ladder and to the slot that takes you to the top of the pitch, DP did some thinking and then threw himself through it, and on the other side more photos were taken.
We made our way to the top of the passage, close to the bones and then headed back down to gaze at the pitch... I'd ended up climbing about halfway down it before I realised that we were likely to be running out of time and so the decision was made to head back up.
On the way up I had to push two bags in front of me, which was all the more infuriating because we had never even used them... nevermind, there is always another day.
It was a fun little trip and we enjoyed it immensely, all the better because there were no mosquitoes!
In the pub afterwards DP had a strange and haunting visit from the CSCC C&A officers of Christmas Past and Present, full of useful information to impart/yell to him... things like "change your ways" and "BCA!" the C&A officer of Christmas future didn't show up because the chances of future persons being crazy enough to take the job on are slim to none.
The gas axe seminar was interrupted by calls for another round
Sunday 30/12/07
Location; White Pit, Talos IV
Attending; Darkplaces, Myself.
For a nice and easy follow up to the previous day I phoned DP and said he should get out of bed and come and check out another very pretty cave and that he should probably bring his camera for this one too.
DP decided he would like to SRT the entrance pitch and as there was no sense in laddering it too, I brought my SRT kit along and after pulling up by the cave then having to be driven back to the hut again (I forgot my boots) we arrived for a second time and got ready to go in.
Once again I must have looked like some kind of weird commando in my camo boiler suit and all black SRT kit (even the cowstails) and whilst walking to the cave it generated some odd looks from civilian onlookers.
As soon as DP had rigged the pitch I decided to drop down it first (What's the worst that can happen?) I dekitted at the bottom and continued the climb down where I waited at the bottom.
I didn't have the heart to tell DP I'd only been here once (Especially as he had just spotted the great big red CO2 sign) but luckily for him I managed to remember the way and we were soon at our destination, Talos IV. A very beautiful chamber with a long passageway covered in flowstone and stal along one side. It stretches on a long way and I particularly like the way that the new whiter stal grows over the older yellow and brown formations, a very interesting piece of cave and once again many photos were taken.
I originally wanted to go here to see the luminescence from the stal when subjected to a flash, apparently it glows green for a couple of seconds, which would be fascinating to behold if only we had brought a flash that worked, and so I still have yet to see it!
We were soon out, great little cave and clearly some fantastic leadership went on.
Cave commando
Later that night DP and myself ended up digging a hole at the back of the Wessex shed and trying to get a huge bit of armored cable to fit through a duct.... there was a lot of swearing. Les did a lot of watching!
A good weekend with two relaxed little trips, it was good to show DP some caves for once, my first ever cave trip some four of five months ago was with him in Swildons and when I think back to it, it all seems so very long ago. Since then I have done so much and been to a great many places that I would never have dreamt of going to, not only that but I have a new 'local' that is strangely over an hours drive away and a ton of new friends to share stories with.
2008 promises to be even better (if that is even possible).
Cheers one and all!
Saturday; 29/12/07
Location;Hunter's Lodge Inn Sink... The Return!
Attending
arkplaces, MyselfAt a loose end and with my usual caving partner irresponsibly out of action, I decided I would have to find someone crazy enough to join me for some quality Mendip caving, and so DP foolishly agreed to join me on a trip which I promised him would be easy and filled with joy.
Previous observations of Hunter's Lodge inn Sink include;
"I had to use my beard to filter out the mosquitoes" - Les W
"I'm never going back to that bloody coffin" - 50/50
"It's like an all you can eat invertebrate buffet!" - A.Gnome
Needless to say Darkplaces wasn't informed of this and so we kitted up and obtained the key -(in that order).....I haven't gotten myself a new oversuit yet so walked into the Hunters in my old army boiler suit, looking like I was about to go to go on military tour, which must have looked quite amusing..... or stupid.
The entrance slide is good fun and because we fully intended to SRT the pitch, we had three bags full of kit and ropes which we dragged down with us, along the way DP took lots of photos and I pointed out all manner of formations and gave them made up names.
Until only recently this was the prettiest cave I had ever visited and it was good to see DP impressed with the near perfect condition of the formations, he was especially impressed with the way the diggers had stacked the spoil and even built steps, very nice!
We soon made our way up the small ladder and to the slot that takes you to the top of the pitch, DP did some thinking and then threw himself through it, and on the other side more photos were taken.
We made our way to the top of the passage, close to the bones and then headed back down to gaze at the pitch... I'd ended up climbing about halfway down it before I realised that we were likely to be running out of time and so the decision was made to head back up.
On the way up I had to push two bags in front of me, which was all the more infuriating because we had never even used them... nevermind, there is always another day.
It was a fun little trip and we enjoyed it immensely, all the better because there were no mosquitoes!
In the pub afterwards DP had a strange and haunting visit from the CSCC C&A officers of Christmas Past and Present, full of useful information to impart/yell to him... things like "change your ways" and "BCA!" the C&A officer of Christmas future didn't show up because the chances of future persons being crazy enough to take the job on are slim to none.
The gas axe seminar was interrupted by calls for another round
Sunday 30/12/07
Location; White Pit, Talos IV
Attending; Darkplaces, Myself.
For a nice and easy follow up to the previous day I phoned DP and said he should get out of bed and come and check out another very pretty cave and that he should probably bring his camera for this one too.
DP decided he would like to SRT the entrance pitch and as there was no sense in laddering it too, I brought my SRT kit along and after pulling up by the cave then having to be driven back to the hut again (I forgot my boots) we arrived for a second time and got ready to go in.
Once again I must have looked like some kind of weird commando in my camo boiler suit and all black SRT kit (even the cowstails) and whilst walking to the cave it generated some odd looks from civilian onlookers.
As soon as DP had rigged the pitch I decided to drop down it first (What's the worst that can happen?) I dekitted at the bottom and continued the climb down where I waited at the bottom.
I didn't have the heart to tell DP I'd only been here once (Especially as he had just spotted the great big red CO2 sign) but luckily for him I managed to remember the way and we were soon at our destination, Talos IV. A very beautiful chamber with a long passageway covered in flowstone and stal along one side. It stretches on a long way and I particularly like the way that the new whiter stal grows over the older yellow and brown formations, a very interesting piece of cave and once again many photos were taken.
I originally wanted to go here to see the luminescence from the stal when subjected to a flash, apparently it glows green for a couple of seconds, which would be fascinating to behold if only we had brought a flash that worked, and so I still have yet to see it!
We were soon out, great little cave and clearly some fantastic leadership went on.
Cave commando
Later that night DP and myself ended up digging a hole at the back of the Wessex shed and trying to get a huge bit of armored cable to fit through a duct.... there was a lot of swearing. Les did a lot of watching!
A good weekend with two relaxed little trips, it was good to show DP some caves for once, my first ever cave trip some four of five months ago was with him in Swildons and when I think back to it, it all seems so very long ago. Since then I have done so much and been to a great many places that I would never have dreamt of going to, not only that but I have a new 'local' that is strangely over an hours drive away and a ton of new friends to share stories with.
2008 promises to be even better (if that is even possible).
Cheers one and all!
