M
Melanie lloyd
Guest
OFD 2 14th May 2005
This report with pics will be appearing on the Cheddar Caving Club web site soon
Andy Sparrow, Mel Lloyd, Dani Gorman, Liz Freeman, Liz's sister Claire
Andy and I met Dani at about eleven and the sisters, who look like twins, soon followed having found their way from Bristol. After a few friendly intros and a quick pre-trip study of the mega OFD survey in SWCC we got kitted-up. There was some amusement when the sisters revealed themselves in brand new gleaming white boiler suits and were immediately dubbed ‘the virgins'. A quick rummage around in the back of the car found some marigolds to protect Clairs newly manicured nails which looked fabulous, then we were ready for the off. A long stroll which seems to gets longer every time you do it, gets us up to the cave where the traditional lamp fiddle begins.
Andy tries to convince me his £20 Lidl's caving lamp is the solution to all my problems, so I stumbled into the ill-lit darkness of the cave, muttering and moaning about caving in virtual darkness being really boring. A slight pang of guilt hits when Andy points out he's trying to do his best and I think that perhaps I am being a bit picky about it. But then, Clair agrees that her 20 quid Lidl is as effective as mine, and I'm off about it again. Andy, in that well known patient way he has, makes us wait until our eyes get used to the darkness and guess what, my 20 quid Lidl is still crap. (See, I work on the basis that if I complain long and loud enough he will eventually buy me a Nova to shut me up, but don't tell him that)
Anyway we are now all inside and Andy hands over the survey saying, “Well off you go then I'm staying at the back.†And he does. Dani, who has more map reading experience than the rest of us is quickly volunteered and off we set over the slippery rocky bits past the big bit with the nice roof that looks like square bricks with little stall hanging off and then on and over big chunks of square rocks that are really slippery and catch your willies in between. Here Andy gives us a quick demonstration in boulder hoping. Jumping like a rabbit on amphetamines from rock to rock Yes, we are certainly all impressed and agreed that had we had been caving over thirty years we would probably be able to do that too, but for now we are going to take our time and not fall over.
It's about this time that we sit down for a bit of a rest and Liz apologises to Clair for failing to clarify that that OFD wasn't a show cave with a concrete floor. Being Clair's first trip underground she is pleasantly surprised. I think.
After our rest we carry on downwards over a huge slope that isn't too slippery if you do it on your bum. It's got a bit of a squeezy bit half way down where you have to go through it a bit backwards and then down a bit more to the stream at the bottom which is really nice. This is called Salubrious Passage and I think it was named after a small lane in Swansea that has some good pubs in it.
I think the stream way is more interesting than the bits above with all the boulders. It's fun trying to keep your feet dry and has some exciting traverses it in one place. Our new girls are a good laugh, very enthusiastic and brave and not at all phased by anything so far. This is turning into a lovely relaxed fun trip with lots of girlie type chat. I'm not sure at this point who has the map but it doesn't seem to matter, I sort of recognise where we are going anyway; the Trident.
So here were are having a bit of a breather, chocolate lucozade and a photo session next to the Trident. Andy asks how everyone is doing and if we'd like to go on or make our way back. We're well up for more so onwards and downwards we go aiming to get to cellulite tunnel. More rocks, more passage more things to fall over if you're not careful. My Lidl light starts annoying me even more by switching itself off and on.
Anyway, next thing I knew we were at a big drop where one false move would result in death or even worse so Andy walks across it and puts a rope on. Clair and Liz go over and I make them stop and pose half way across for a photo. Next me then Dani. Dani doesn't use a rope but then again she does have Velcro on her wellies, which somehow makes her stick to rocks.
WOW! Cellulite tunnel, it's spectacular. A big black walk through type tunnel streaked and criss crossed through with luminous white lines and with stall and other formations made out of other stuff hanging off it. You expect to see Father Christmas at the end of it. We are all amazed by it.
Out of the tunnel and on to a place where one false move could really, really result in death or even worse; Edward's Short Cut.
Its like a long crack in the ground that goes on for about 20 feet and is bottomless. It widens out in the middle and is slopey and slippery on the sides. It goes high up too. It makes you think twice about going over but there's nothing else you can do as to go back is a long way. It's worse for short people. So with Andy's considerable help and a rope that isn't quite long enough coz he didn't think we'd get that far. Dani is over first. Clair, who, remember, is on her first caving trip is over next and hardly turns a hair. Next is Liz who fairly skips across it and then me who had trouble getting off at the end coz the considerable short rope had become considerably shorter by getting caught round a rock. Andy then goes back to retrieve the rope off the other side, then he has to go back again coz, much to his annoyance, no one's thought to bring his tackle bag across. He's got lovely long legs has Andy.
It's about this time that I'm reminded of a really nasty climby bit up this passage. The last time I was here I had a hell of a job getting up it and I knew I was a bit fitter then too. News of the horrendous climb soon spread through the ranks and I think we are all a bit worked up by the time we get to it. Yes, it's still horrendous. It's about 10 foot high with very slippery walls like glass that you can't grip and it gets smaller up the top with a bit that sticks out as well. Andy suggests we try and approach it from further back and Dani manages to scramble and clamber up in this way and is followed by Andy but the rest of us just look at each other knowing that we can't do that. Still, we give it a go before Andy puts on a rope so we can try an assisted climb. And we all look at each other again knowing we can't do that either. Still, we give it another go before Andy decided to come back down and form himself into a human boulder so we can walk all over him whilst being pulled up on the rope as well. Poor Andy, how awful to be stepped on by so many women in one go!
Phew! So there we now were in Gnome passage so called because of the little short fat stal sticking out of the floor. It's here that my Lidl lamp gives up and has to have new batteries (don't tell Andy but I'd sort of gotten used to the lamp by now and it wasn't so bad after all). I still don't know who has the map I'm just going with the flow. At the top of this passage are loads of huge square slippy boulders and recognisable lumpy bits with boot marks on so I figure we must be going the right way as the boot marks are facing out. Besides Andy would have mentioned something if we'd gone the wrong way, as he wants to get back in time to see Dr Who. Loads of rocks later and we are at the Brickyard, or maybe the big rocks we came through were the Brickyard. I'm never quite sure, anyway, we're in a chamber of some sort, I think? And then we are in that place with the nice square patterned roof where we walk around a slippery side of a large dent in the floor (which Andy runs around and calls a wall of death! Like I'm so impressed innit!). And so up a bit of a stoney bank and up a bit further towards the door and daylight. Everyone is out but the time I get out and Dani takes a photo of me as I emerge so I have to stop and put myself tidy.
So everyone's smiling and happy, having had a great time. We take some photos of our now muddied virgins for the album. We've been underground for just about 4 hours and now make our way much more quickly back down to the SWCC for a quick wash and brush up. This is followed by a rather convivial time at the Copper Beech Inn where we supp drink and go over our first nearly all girl Cheddar Caving Club trip. Big thanks to Andy for making us feel safe without being overly protective. And big thanks to the girls for the wine and cigs. I was a bit tiddly when I got back home.
This report with pics will be appearing on the Cheddar Caving Club web site soon
Andy Sparrow, Mel Lloyd, Dani Gorman, Liz Freeman, Liz's sister Claire
Andy and I met Dani at about eleven and the sisters, who look like twins, soon followed having found their way from Bristol. After a few friendly intros and a quick pre-trip study of the mega OFD survey in SWCC we got kitted-up. There was some amusement when the sisters revealed themselves in brand new gleaming white boiler suits and were immediately dubbed ‘the virgins'. A quick rummage around in the back of the car found some marigolds to protect Clairs newly manicured nails which looked fabulous, then we were ready for the off. A long stroll which seems to gets longer every time you do it, gets us up to the cave where the traditional lamp fiddle begins.
Andy tries to convince me his £20 Lidl's caving lamp is the solution to all my problems, so I stumbled into the ill-lit darkness of the cave, muttering and moaning about caving in virtual darkness being really boring. A slight pang of guilt hits when Andy points out he's trying to do his best and I think that perhaps I am being a bit picky about it. But then, Clair agrees that her 20 quid Lidl is as effective as mine, and I'm off about it again. Andy, in that well known patient way he has, makes us wait until our eyes get used to the darkness and guess what, my 20 quid Lidl is still crap. (See, I work on the basis that if I complain long and loud enough he will eventually buy me a Nova to shut me up, but don't tell him that)
Anyway we are now all inside and Andy hands over the survey saying, “Well off you go then I'm staying at the back.†And he does. Dani, who has more map reading experience than the rest of us is quickly volunteered and off we set over the slippery rocky bits past the big bit with the nice roof that looks like square bricks with little stall hanging off and then on and over big chunks of square rocks that are really slippery and catch your willies in between. Here Andy gives us a quick demonstration in boulder hoping. Jumping like a rabbit on amphetamines from rock to rock Yes, we are certainly all impressed and agreed that had we had been caving over thirty years we would probably be able to do that too, but for now we are going to take our time and not fall over.
It's about this time that we sit down for a bit of a rest and Liz apologises to Clair for failing to clarify that that OFD wasn't a show cave with a concrete floor. Being Clair's first trip underground she is pleasantly surprised. I think.
After our rest we carry on downwards over a huge slope that isn't too slippery if you do it on your bum. It's got a bit of a squeezy bit half way down where you have to go through it a bit backwards and then down a bit more to the stream at the bottom which is really nice. This is called Salubrious Passage and I think it was named after a small lane in Swansea that has some good pubs in it.
I think the stream way is more interesting than the bits above with all the boulders. It's fun trying to keep your feet dry and has some exciting traverses it in one place. Our new girls are a good laugh, very enthusiastic and brave and not at all phased by anything so far. This is turning into a lovely relaxed fun trip with lots of girlie type chat. I'm not sure at this point who has the map but it doesn't seem to matter, I sort of recognise where we are going anyway; the Trident.
So here were are having a bit of a breather, chocolate lucozade and a photo session next to the Trident. Andy asks how everyone is doing and if we'd like to go on or make our way back. We're well up for more so onwards and downwards we go aiming to get to cellulite tunnel. More rocks, more passage more things to fall over if you're not careful. My Lidl light starts annoying me even more by switching itself off and on.
Anyway, next thing I knew we were at a big drop where one false move would result in death or even worse so Andy walks across it and puts a rope on. Clair and Liz go over and I make them stop and pose half way across for a photo. Next me then Dani. Dani doesn't use a rope but then again she does have Velcro on her wellies, which somehow makes her stick to rocks.
WOW! Cellulite tunnel, it's spectacular. A big black walk through type tunnel streaked and criss crossed through with luminous white lines and with stall and other formations made out of other stuff hanging off it. You expect to see Father Christmas at the end of it. We are all amazed by it.
Out of the tunnel and on to a place where one false move could really, really result in death or even worse; Edward's Short Cut.
Its like a long crack in the ground that goes on for about 20 feet and is bottomless. It widens out in the middle and is slopey and slippery on the sides. It goes high up too. It makes you think twice about going over but there's nothing else you can do as to go back is a long way. It's worse for short people. So with Andy's considerable help and a rope that isn't quite long enough coz he didn't think we'd get that far. Dani is over first. Clair, who, remember, is on her first caving trip is over next and hardly turns a hair. Next is Liz who fairly skips across it and then me who had trouble getting off at the end coz the considerable short rope had become considerably shorter by getting caught round a rock. Andy then goes back to retrieve the rope off the other side, then he has to go back again coz, much to his annoyance, no one's thought to bring his tackle bag across. He's got lovely long legs has Andy.
It's about this time that I'm reminded of a really nasty climby bit up this passage. The last time I was here I had a hell of a job getting up it and I knew I was a bit fitter then too. News of the horrendous climb soon spread through the ranks and I think we are all a bit worked up by the time we get to it. Yes, it's still horrendous. It's about 10 foot high with very slippery walls like glass that you can't grip and it gets smaller up the top with a bit that sticks out as well. Andy suggests we try and approach it from further back and Dani manages to scramble and clamber up in this way and is followed by Andy but the rest of us just look at each other knowing that we can't do that. Still, we give it a go before Andy puts on a rope so we can try an assisted climb. And we all look at each other again knowing we can't do that either. Still, we give it another go before Andy decided to come back down and form himself into a human boulder so we can walk all over him whilst being pulled up on the rope as well. Poor Andy, how awful to be stepped on by so many women in one go!
Phew! So there we now were in Gnome passage so called because of the little short fat stal sticking out of the floor. It's here that my Lidl lamp gives up and has to have new batteries (don't tell Andy but I'd sort of gotten used to the lamp by now and it wasn't so bad after all). I still don't know who has the map I'm just going with the flow. At the top of this passage are loads of huge square slippy boulders and recognisable lumpy bits with boot marks on so I figure we must be going the right way as the boot marks are facing out. Besides Andy would have mentioned something if we'd gone the wrong way, as he wants to get back in time to see Dr Who. Loads of rocks later and we are at the Brickyard, or maybe the big rocks we came through were the Brickyard. I'm never quite sure, anyway, we're in a chamber of some sort, I think? And then we are in that place with the nice square patterned roof where we walk around a slippery side of a large dent in the floor (which Andy runs around and calls a wall of death! Like I'm so impressed innit!). And so up a bit of a stoney bank and up a bit further towards the door and daylight. Everyone is out but the time I get out and Dani takes a photo of me as I emerge so I have to stop and put myself tidy.
So everyone's smiling and happy, having had a great time. We take some photos of our now muddied virgins for the album. We've been underground for just about 4 hours and now make our way much more quickly back down to the SWCC for a quick wash and brush up. This is followed by a rather convivial time at the Copper Beech Inn where we supp drink and go over our first nearly all girl Cheddar Caving Club trip. Big thanks to Andy for making us feel safe without being overly protective. And big thanks to the girls for the wine and cigs. I was a bit tiddly when I got back home.
