bagpuss
Well-known member
Indeed, partners a climber so have a variety of them at home. Need to buy an extra tackle bag when funds permit.
Which (Mendip) cave have you visited this week?
- Thread starter bagpuss
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The Old Ruminator
Well-known member
As ever lunch underground. Fernhill yesterday.
The Old Ruminator
Well-known member
The impressive Fernhill dig seeking the Ducks Pot streamway that runs below.
The Old Ruminator
Well-known member
Then onward to QWUH where these two formally in the roof were given a poke. Crash, bang, wallop.
bagpuss
Well-known member
Thrupe Lane Swallet last night. Dry going down Perseverance Pot, wet in Bridge Rift, very wet (according to those that went down) in Avalanche Pot. Some head scratching over the rigging from those sorting the rope work, I think new bolts were approved by CSCC in Feb, but currently still spits, not sure how dry it needs to bolt them but wouldn't be much fun doing Avalanche Pot at the moment! Came out via Hobnail Hole.
This is why I like to be behind the camera
This is why I like to be behind the camera
tim.rose2
Well-known member
Avalanche pot is always wet (often too wet). Great fun though - done it a couple of times. I've never looked for spits and rigged both bridge rift and Avalanche pot off naturals. Is a bit contrived. I've found taking a couple of nuts / hex's and quickdraws very useful at the top of Avalanche. Then a 5m rope to create a 'sling' around the wedged boulder as a rebelay and a final deviation to a flake approx. 6 m down to keep most of the ascent out of the water.
bagpuss
Well-known member
Swildons Hole upper series, some fairly new to caving visiting American cavers wanted an easy ish trip, along with a new member to the club. Nice to see people so impressed with the cave. In via the long dry way, down to the top of the 20, @Dingley Dell and I briefly deviated to the top of the old 40. Our American visitors decided they weren't wet enough and enjoyed an excursion up Rolling Thunder which still has quite a lot of flow
Back out via the wet way (barely a trickle now) and a deviation through the upper oxbow. Had a nice chat with Bath Speleo who we bumped into in the old grotto who'd been to Sump1 & Tratmans.
Back out via the wet way (barely a trickle now) and a deviation through the upper oxbow. Had a nice chat with Bath Speleo who we bumped into in the old grotto who'd been to Sump1 & Tratmans.
bagpuss
Well-known member
Waterwheel Swallet last night. Mendip was incredibly busy with eclipse watchers with Burrington Combe jam packed with cars en route to the parking spot. Nice atmosphere at Charterhouse/ Blackmoor reserve, with lots of people out watching it, impressed by the couple who had a table, table cloth and glasses of sparkling stuff! We also saw an impressive swarm of distant ants which appeared to be almost mumorating.
Waterwheel was as cold as it is normally prompting a few exclamations from those not in wetsuits when going along the wet passages to the top of the pitch. We all descended on a ladder/ life line. The water level is the lowest I've seen it in there, barely knee deep in places. I went as far as the first duck beyond the dam but didn't fancy the duck!
Myself and @Dingley Dell climbed up from the end of the lake pool, getting to the part where it goes horizontal, we didn't see the way up so climbed back down, the others pointed out in the pub after that we had missed the part where you can continue up. I enjoyed a swim around the shallow pool, testing out my new wetsuit. I stayed warm all the way out which is better than normal. One of our group saw a shooting star whilst changing, perhaps part of the meteor shower?
Waterwheel was as cold as it is normally prompting a few exclamations from those not in wetsuits when going along the wet passages to the top of the pitch. We all descended on a ladder/ life line. The water level is the lowest I've seen it in there, barely knee deep in places. I went as far as the first duck beyond the dam but didn't fancy the duck!
Myself and @Dingley Dell climbed up from the end of the lake pool, getting to the part where it goes horizontal, we didn't see the way up so climbed back down, the others pointed out in the pub after that we had missed the part where you can continue up. I enjoyed a swim around the shallow pool, testing out my new wetsuit. I stayed warm all the way out which is better than normal. One of our group saw a shooting star whilst changing, perhaps part of the meteor shower?
The Old Ruminator
Well-known member
There is an old Willie Stanton story about Waterwheel Swallet. He found a beautiful passage but with no hope of it going further. To save it forever he buried the entrance. Myth or truth I cannot say.
Lankyman
Well-known member
I love these kind of stories. I used to wander round the hillside near White Scar to see I'd stumble on Long's Jane Eyre Cave. I never did (or did I ....?).
cap n chris
Well-known member
My lips are sealed.
bagpuss
Well-known member
Swildons Hole, Blue Pencil and the round trip.
First time caving with @tim.rose2 who had made contact when we were looking for people to cave with at the weekend. Went in via the short dry way, 20 was already rigged and we went the mud sump way to the top of Blue Pencil. Tim provided excellent advice in getting past the awkward climb en route to the final crawl and rigged a rope in case it was needed for the chain climb. I used the rope to descend on an Italian hitch, but felt a bit silly when I realised what a short drop it was. The passage below Blue Pencil was very impressive, up stream felt like one of the big Welsh caves with some nice scalloping. Down steam was wetter with sharper rock. Going back up Blue Pencil was straight forward and we stopped for a snack at the top.
I have a bit of a long term fear of sump 1, so have never done the round trip, but we decided to head out that way with the promise of the water levels being as low as they could be. The troubles were straight forward and didn't need bailing.
@Dingley Dell showed me how short it was by sticking his hand through, with a bit of hesitation I went through and wondered why I had avoided it for so long as it wasn't as bad as I had remembered it to be.
A bit of a faff with a twisted ladder at the bottom of the 20 held us up a bit. Went back out the short dry way. An excellent trip, especially being able to tackle a fear which means I can hopefully see lots more of the cave in the future. Nice picnic in the Wessex garden after with a lovely cup of tea with @Ali M who we'd bumped into. Cheers for joining us @tim.rose2
Think this is cased caddis larvae
First time caving with @tim.rose2 who had made contact when we were looking for people to cave with at the weekend. Went in via the short dry way, 20 was already rigged and we went the mud sump way to the top of Blue Pencil. Tim provided excellent advice in getting past the awkward climb en route to the final crawl and rigged a rope in case it was needed for the chain climb. I used the rope to descend on an Italian hitch, but felt a bit silly when I realised what a short drop it was. The passage below Blue Pencil was very impressive, up stream felt like one of the big Welsh caves with some nice scalloping. Down steam was wetter with sharper rock. Going back up Blue Pencil was straight forward and we stopped for a snack at the top.
I have a bit of a long term fear of sump 1, so have never done the round trip, but we decided to head out that way with the promise of the water levels being as low as they could be. The troubles were straight forward and didn't need bailing.
@Dingley Dell showed me how short it was by sticking his hand through, with a bit of hesitation I went through and wondered why I had avoided it for so long as it wasn't as bad as I had remembered it to be.
A bit of a faff with a twisted ladder at the bottom of the 20 held us up a bit. Went back out the short dry way. An excellent trip, especially being able to tackle a fear which means I can hopefully see lots more of the cave in the future. Nice picnic in the Wessex garden after with a lovely cup of tea with @Ali M who we'd bumped into. Cheers for joining us @tim.rose2
Think this is cased caddis larvae
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