what is the best cave?

[Tree Monkey]

well it would have to be the Monster system!!    that I spend my weekends pushing to find even more highly decorated passages. No prizes for guessing which cave. Upperflood Swallet (currently the 6th longest cave on Mendip) :tease:

Abroad it would have to be The Berger! and Calista in northern spain.

 

[Ouan]

For foreign caves see the expedition report

http://www.axbridgecavinggroup.org/international_expeditions/thailand_and_malaysia/index.shtml

the cave to look out for is Tham Tham Phuphaphet about half way through the report. We surveyed the main chamber was which was 1.3km abound its outside and never saw the roof. We also proved the link with the river cave below - Tham Khong Khalod.

Tham Phuphaphet is now a showcave - visited it last week. Wooden walkways throughout, bloody big chamber and will be even better in the new year when they've finished installing all the lights. Well worth the 20 baht (30p) entry fee.

 

[cap n chris]

Throwing the question "What is the best cave?" into a forum of cavers is similar to asking "What is the best mountain?" to a bunch of Mountaineers, "What is the best view?" to ramblers etc.. Unless everyone you're asking has done the same trips then you're going to get a wide variety of answers drawing on the personal experiences of the respondants - the problem you've then got is to work out the degree of technical proficiency you will require to reach until you are in a position to have a go at the most frequently occurring "best cave(s)".

There's no harm in asking such a question but I think it's fair to say that you won't get a definitive answer to your question - there's lots to choose from if you pick superlatives such as "Largest single chamber", "Deepest", "Highest Entrance", "Greatest length of passageways surveyed", "Greatest estimated volume", "Most visited by cavers", "Great profusions of formations" etc. etc..

On Mendip, the best cave is probably St. Cuthbert's Swallet for reasons already mentioned - it's got a great variety of passages, obstacles, technical elements, formations, water features etc.; it's also hard work! - the Mendip caves with the largest numbers of visitors will be Goatchurch Cavern and Swildon's Hole (in that order) and the cave with a popular "Wow!" factor is GB Cavern.

 

[Tree Monkey]

Throwing the question "What is the best cave?" into a forum of cavers is similar to asking "What is the best mountain?" to a bunch of Mountaineers, "What is the best view?" to ramblers etc.. Unless everyone you're asking has done the same trips then you're going to get a wide variety of answers drawing on the personal experiences of the respondants - the problem you've then got is to work out the degree of technical proficiency you will require to reach until you are in a position to have a go at the most frequently occurring "best cave(s)".

There's no harm in asking such a question but I think it's fair to say that you won't get a definitive answer to your question - there's lots to choose from if you pick superlatives such as "Largest single chamber", "Deepest", "Highest Entrance", "Greatest length of passageways surveyed", "Greatest estimated volume", "Most visited by cavers", "Great profusions of formations" etc. etc..

On Mendip, the best cave is probably St. Cuthbert's Swallet for reasons already mentioned - it's got a great variety of passages, obstacles, technical elements, formations, water features etc.; it's also hard work! - the Mendip caves with the largest numbers of visitors will be Goatchurch Cavern and Swildon's Hole (in that order) and the cave with a popular "Wow!" factor is GB Cavern.

  All the things you have mentioned above, are in Upperflood! :tease:

 

[axbridgecaver]

For foreign caves see the expedition report

http://www.axbridgecavinggroup.org/international_expeditions/thailand_and_malaysia/index.shtml

the cave to look out for is Tham Tham Phuphaphet about half way through the report. We surveyed the main chamber was which was 1.3km abound its outside and never saw the roof. We also proved the link with the river cave below - Tham Khong Khalod.

Tham Phuphaphet is now a showcave - visited it last week. Wooden walkways throughout, bloody big chamber and will be even better in the new year when they've finished installing all the lights. Well worth the 20 baht (30p) entry fee.

Hope you had a great time there. It was free when we were there. You didn't happen to see if they were using my survey (not that I mind) -

 

[andymorgan]

  All the things you have mentioned above, are in Upperflood! :tease:

Apart from 'most visited by cavers'  Change that to ' most cavers want to visit'!

 

[darkplaces]

Turning the question on its head I now hate Giants with its bloody never ending crab walk!

 

[Pitlamp]

I was always impressed with GB Main Chamber.  In some ways like GG, only a lot smaller.

Finest cave I've ever been in is Boreham - but I agree with Rob; the Peak Cavern system is absolutely fascinating.

 

[Les W]

I was always impressed with GB Main Chamber.  In some ways like GG, only a lot smaller.

Did you not have your glasses on that day. 

 

[whitelackington]

I take very slight exception to Anne's view,
I think Cow Hole  is the best.
Certainly got a lot of potential, it is very high up for Mendipshire and has an excellant pitch and excellant aven, it is not for beginners though, only for hard barstads :halo:

 

[Katie]

In my very biased opinion... The Peak- Speedwell system.
Got pretties, Big pitches, Long crawls, Stomping streamway, Free diveable sumps and lots of ways in an out.... 

 

[Pitlamp]

Didn't need glasses Les, the walls were quite close enough to see.

 

[Les W]

Didn't need glasses Les, the walls were quite close enough to see.

I think you must have been in a side passage, Main Chamber is clearly huge and you would not have seen both walls at the same time (well...not with my light anyway  )

 

[JB]

Agree with Pitlamp, Bat girl and Rob. Peak-Speedwell is a great system with lots of fun and varied caving. It's the best cave I've been in...























...outside of Bradwell dale 

 

[SamT]

Personally - I think Giants is one of my personal favourites.

 

[racingsnake]

Personally - I think Giants is one of my personal favourites.

And to be honest In that part of  the country its  most peoples first taste of real caving . I cut my teeth in there many years ago (sigh)

 

[AndyF]

Didn't need glasses Les, the walls were quite close enough to see.

I think you must have been in a side passage, Main Chamber is clearly huge and you would not have seen both walls at the same time (well...not with my light anyway  )

hehe the only way you can't see the roof in GB is to turn your light off......

C'mon Les, upgrade from that candle......

 

[whitelackington]

If you by an FX5, fit the ten watt bulb, enter the main cave from entrance crawl, stand directly underneath the celing and look up, you can just make out a few rungs of rotting ladder but not quite actually see the roof as it is too high.

They old boys mustaf beenard to climb a 300 feet high mapole.

 

[Limestone_Cowboy]

My favourite cave in Britain has to be the Lancaster/Easegill system mainly for vast potential for through trips and exchanges between the various entrances and the massively varying passages.
For foreign caves I,ve only been to spain and two caves in Bulgaria but my favourite would have to be Coventosa for the superb Los Fantasmos chamber with it's stunning formations hopefully one day I'll pluck up the courage to do the through trip from Ceuto.

 

[caverholic]

In my very biased opinion... The Peak- Speedwell system.
Got pretties, Big pitches, Long crawls, Stomping streamway,

I agree its amazing

Free diveable sumps

Yep but they are all a bit pointless.

I think the best idea is to like all caves