The Old Ruminator
Well-known member
Oh dear. Perhaps we should get your permission if any modifications are to be made. Are you ex CSS ? For the moment we are looking at a third site so DB is on the back burner again.
Which (Mendip) cave have you visited this week?
- Thread starter bagpuss
- Start date
River is 5cm higher than it was before the storm:
check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk
River Axe level at Wookey - GOV.UK
Check the latest recorded river level and recent 5-day trend at Wookey
check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk
bagpuss
Well-known member
First time into St Cuthbert's Swallet yesterday, had been put off from going for years due to tales of the entrance rift/wire rift. Both were fine, although appreciated the offered life line for the entrance. One of the best trips I've had in a while, really appreciated so much standing up after many crawly caves of recent times. Beautiful formations, airy fixed ladder, , a streamway that reminded me a bit of Welsh caves, interesting geology and great mountain names of various features. Only scratching the surface of the complexity of the cave, really hope to be able to return in the near future 
no photos as someone else took a camera this time as I just wanted to enjoy the caving without thinking of pictures (and I need a new case..)
no photos as someone else took a camera this time as I just wanted to enjoy the caving without thinking of pictures (and I need a new case..)
bagpuss
Well-known member
I had a flapjack halfway round, a cereal bar at the bottom of the rift then a picnic at the BEC straight after
wormster
Active member
Daymmm!!I had a flapjack halfway round, a cereal bar at the bottom of the rift then a picnic at the BEC straight after
bagpuss
Well-known member
Fairy quarry, Balch Cave. A late start for various reasons (had forgotten it was digging night for Fernhill so a few of us parked down the lane) Got to the various entrances of Balch Cave to realise 3 different people had left their CSCC keys at the car
We went in the highest entrance making our way to Carpal Tunnel pitch,(admiring the fossils and helictites on the way) The ladder didn't quite reach the bottom but it was possible to step down the last bit on the life line. It's then a crawl through soft silt/ mud to a muddy thrutch challenge. Steve and I had done it before, but were at the back of the chain of people going up, so couldn't offer much advice. It's not as easy one as it goes steeply up on very slippery mud, each person was moving a few inches at a time, with the last section proving the biggest struggle. I apologised a few times for this being my idea...As you get partly up you realise a few of the rocks don't have much holding them in but mud... Once everyone had made it up the challenge (renamed lobster pot extreme) we headed out through muddy puddles and decorated passage. One of the party declared the trip should go back on the schedule next year so I think I got away with my idea!
Not sure how often we'll head out this way for a while as there were signs up saying the B road we take in will be closed for 6 months from the 13th July..
We went in the highest entrance making our way to Carpal Tunnel pitch,(admiring the fossils and helictites on the way) The ladder didn't quite reach the bottom but it was possible to step down the last bit on the life line. It's then a crawl through soft silt/ mud to a muddy thrutch challenge. Steve and I had done it before, but were at the back of the chain of people going up, so couldn't offer much advice. It's not as easy one as it goes steeply up on very slippery mud, each person was moving a few inches at a time, with the last section proving the biggest struggle. I apologised a few times for this being my idea...As you get partly up you realise a few of the rocks don't have much holding them in but mud... Once everyone had made it up the challenge (renamed lobster pot extreme) we headed out through muddy puddles and decorated passage. One of the party declared the trip should go back on the schedule next year so I think I got away with my idea!
Not sure how often we'll head out this way for a while as there were signs up saying the B road we take in will be closed for 6 months from the 13th July..
tim.rose2
Well-known member
A couple of enjoyable trips I've done in the last month:
14th June - Thrupe Lane with Sas and Courtenay. Down the main entrance, along the Ferret Run and the dropped down Perseverance Pot. Instead of the usual route up into Butts Chamber and onto Marble Streamway/Atlas we headed through the boulders, dropped down into Bridge Rift and then Avalanche Pot. It's a really nice bit of (wet) cave requiring rigging from naturals (would be nicer still with some bolts!). At the bottom of Avalanche Pot there is bit of clambering around in a parallel rift and then a downwards tube leading to the terminal rift and sump. If you've not done it, it's very worthwhile but expect to be wet and cold especially if you're waiting around for someone faffing about with ropes and slings. This was actually my second time down there, but first for the other two. On the way out Courtenay and I both climbed Perseverance & the entrance pitches rather than using SRT - if you're confident climbing rifts this is much easier.
26th June - Swildons with Courtenay. The short round trip completing the Swynne Puke round trip on route. Obviously we've done the short round many times - only comment was that there was more water in the ducks than I was expecting. All passable, but still a good soaking. Swynne Puke; again somewhere I'd been before, but not Courtenay. The 42ft rift is a bit of a grunt, but fine if you're happy thrutching up a rift and being wedged 40ft up with no foot holds. We won't mention me dropping the rope bag on Courtenay. The two pitches are good fun and nicely bolted for pull through. We'd pre-rigged Shatter Pot with a rope and used SRT to get back up as we decided jammers & a short rope was less to carry than a ladder. The downside of course with this trip was that we had to drag 2 ropes and 2 SRT kits around the short round. Similarly, if you've not done Swynne Puke it's well worthwhile if you're looking for something a bit different.
14th June - Thrupe Lane with Sas and Courtenay. Down the main entrance, along the Ferret Run and the dropped down Perseverance Pot. Instead of the usual route up into Butts Chamber and onto Marble Streamway/Atlas we headed through the boulders, dropped down into Bridge Rift and then Avalanche Pot. It's a really nice bit of (wet) cave requiring rigging from naturals (would be nicer still with some bolts!). At the bottom of Avalanche Pot there is bit of clambering around in a parallel rift and then a downwards tube leading to the terminal rift and sump. If you've not done it, it's very worthwhile but expect to be wet and cold especially if you're waiting around for someone faffing about with ropes and slings. This was actually my second time down there, but first for the other two. On the way out Courtenay and I both climbed Perseverance & the entrance pitches rather than using SRT - if you're confident climbing rifts this is much easier.
26th June - Swildons with Courtenay. The short round trip completing the Swynne Puke round trip on route. Obviously we've done the short round many times - only comment was that there was more water in the ducks than I was expecting. All passable, but still a good soaking. Swynne Puke; again somewhere I'd been before, but not Courtenay. The 42ft rift is a bit of a grunt, but fine if you're happy thrutching up a rift and being wedged 40ft up with no foot holds. We won't mention me dropping the rope bag on Courtenay. The two pitches are good fun and nicely bolted for pull through. We'd pre-rigged Shatter Pot with a rope and used SRT to get back up as we decided jammers & a short rope was less to carry than a ladder. The downside of course with this trip was that we had to drag 2 ropes and 2 SRT kits around the short round. Similarly, if you've not done Swynne Puke it's well worthwhile if you're looking for something a bit different.
bagpuss
Well-known member
Did we briefly chat to you in the Wessex on Sunday whilst buying bits from Tony?
Thanks for the info on the Thrupe trip, I wore my wetsuit last time we were there, only got properly wet once coming out of hobnail.
bagpuss
Well-known member
Ticked off a few more of the small Burrington caves last night to add a few entrance shots to the MCRA. Really lovely walking around Mendip with no-one else about. The dense ferns on the top were less lovely!
Nameless cave
Ash tree rifts
Barren Hole
Lured in by the promise of a curious pillar I'm not quite sure it lived up to its description! Was it perhaps less buried in the 70s?
Nameless cave
Ash tree rifts
Barren Hole
Lured in by the promise of a curious pillar I'm not quite sure it lived up to its description! Was it perhaps less buried in the 70s?
bagpuss
Well-known member
Novice trip in Swildon's Hole. In the long dry way, deviation to the new grottoes, another detour to a small grotto high above the streamway, down the old 40, first visit to the end of rolling thunder (its often been too wet to feel like going to the very end) top of the 20 & out via the wet way which still has water coming through it.
cap n chris
Well-known member
Gough's with some diverers..
bagpuss
Well-known member
Hunters Hole yesterday, kindly pre rigged and helped by a fellow caver. No photos as my partner managed to lock his keys in the car & thought he'd need to wait for the AA so needed my phone, turned out his Sister was a quicker option and he did manage to join us in the end!
