Wales Trip Suggestions Please!?

[ianball11]

We are off to Wales soon and although a good read of a guide book is planned for sometime tonight I was just wondering what people thought were good trips, easily findable aswell!

It's out first time in South Wales without a checc forum to point us in the right direction! Suddenly feeling a little out of my depth.

Ian B.

 

[mudmonkey]

What sort of stuff? Where are you staying? How hard/long a trip do you want? Is it surface or underground navigation that worries you? The area has the longest cave, biggest passages etc. in Britain as well as some excellent sporty stuff so a few more details on what you're after could be useful - no point recommending 1 hr bimbles down Bridge when you wanted 24hr epics in Daren.....

However - I'd recommend something in Draenen to anyone. Personally like the Round Trip - navigation is OK with the excellent online description, takes 6-8hrs but be aware that there is LOTS of cave to get lost into - if you're bothered about route-finding try going up Gilwern Passage until you get bored. Little Neath is also a superb wet sporty trip for dry days with a few short holes nearby.

 

[ianball11]

We are staying at Swcc in the Swansea Valley, Penwyllt cottages?

I was looking at; OFD II (Cym Dawr?), Tunnel Cave and Pant Mwar.

As far as navigation goes, pretty much both! Although I'd rather get lost inside the cave rather than looking for it!

I've got the book Caves of South Wales and have been scanning that but they don't say how easy it is to find these caves and rather than leave iut totall to meeting a nice swcc member when we get there I'm hoping to have a back up plan.

Anything over 4 hours would be beyond a few of the guys going, so anything like that would be wicked?
Thanks dude,
Ian B.

 

[dunc]

I would have said Top-Cwm Dwr through trip in OFD as thats a superb through trip but more than four hours, so not of use to you...
So... Cwm Dwr - fair bit of crawling involved to get to something worthwhile (IMHO) but if you plan on going back to OFD at a future date its useful for route finding next time! I would recommend a trip in and out Top Entrance - plenty of big stuff, some nice formations and plenty of passages to wander around in (get lost in) within a short distance of the entrance..

Finding Cwm Dwr is very easy as its in a quarry very close to Penwyllt, Top Entrance less so but not too bad - I'm sure someone at SWCC would give you an idea of where it was if in doubt.

Pant Mawr - looks good, never done, but would like to - I do believe its a looong walk though!

Little Neath is also a superb wet sporty trip for dry days with a few short holes nearby.

Access is an issue at present in the Little Neath area - check out the http://www.cambriancavingcouncil.org.uk/ for info if you are considering anything in that area.

 

[rich]

We are staying at Swcc in the Swansea Valley, Penwyllt cottages?

I was looking at; OFD II (Cym Dawr?), Tunnel Cave and Pant Mwar.
[...]

Anything over 4 hours would be beyond a few of the guys going, so anything like that would be wicked?

I'd recommend doing OFD since you're staying on top of it -- it's one of the nicest caves in Britain. There are lots of good trips you can do, many of them short. I've never been very far into Cwm Dwr but the first part is reasonably entertaining and not too difficult. It's about a minute's walk from SWCC. Top entrance is about 15 mins away and gives you more choice of trips.

Pant Mawr Pot is very well decorated. It'll take you a while to walk there though -- probably well over an hour including time for getting lost. Make sure you have an o/s map and compass with you. If you're worried about finding caves, pick somewhere else.

Tunnel will also take you a while to find. It's not quite as elusive as PMP, but isn't as interesting. Finding your way around underground can also be a bit tricky. Like PMP, it's a good choice for a beginner SRT trip and if you have a range of abilities in your team you can do the more technical Pwll Dwfn nearby at the same time.

 

[ianball11]

Thanks guys.

We went down Cwm Dwr twice in the end, and had a good trip to see the columns on Bank Holiday Sunday. And with a trip down the Top Entrance again to see the Judge and Trident we were in OFD 4 times yet you wouldn't be able to tell, that is one big cave system right by the hut, magical!

We also got down Pwll Dwfn so a good caving week.

Thanks for your ideas,
Ian B.

 

[cap n chris]

Pwll Dwfn = string
Left or right route on 2nd pitch? Bet you liked the 3rd (*]
Take off on 4th a bit leery
Trip report?

 

[ianball11]

Pwll Dwfn = string

Eh? I don't follow!
We took the left route, away from the vdlb, the third was alright once I had gotten there with a couple rope bags. I didn't miss the passage to the left about 4 meters of the ground, I was prewarned by the ultra helpful librarian the day before.

The fourth was fine, one of those, I'll just check again that I've fully done up the maillons and the next thing you are hanging! We ran out of rope though so no fifth pitch, I got about 3 meters from the floor when I hit my big dobba knot, but we were approaching our turnaround time so I didn't go back and alter the traverse line between the third and the fourth which I rigged as an abseil line so had a y-belay and a vertcal drop on it, I reckon, using one termination and tightening the rope would have got us the the bottom.

Live and learn.
Ian B.

 

[ianball11]

I put a brief trip report of our week to Wales on the trip report section, the main reason to sing the praises of SWCC, a most helpful bunch.
Ian B.

 

[SamT]

Pwll Dwfn = string

= twine, cordage...ROPE!!!

sounds like you didnt take enough though.

 

[ianball11]

We had enough rope, just not enough time to re-rig the pitch, the last pitch and get back for our minibus ride home. It took us about an hour to find it after the walk up the hill, which was quick for us!
Ian B.