Which (Mendip) cave have you visited this week?

[The Old Ruminator]

Grebe Cave/ Mine. There may be some photos at some point. I am the oldest caver to reach the end of the cave.

 

[cap n chris]

Behold the Ancient Ruminator and his Capable Gang prior to descending to the current arse end of Grebe..

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Cap'n you are an inspiration to all cave diggers. I shall add my poor photos to a separate post and hope to see you back in your emporium in another ten years

 

[cap n chris]

Cap'n you are an inspiration to all cave diggers. I shall add my poor photos to a separate post and hope to see you back in your emporium in another ten years

You're welcome, and thank you! - you won't need to wait a decade; the breakthrough is calendarised (is that a word? - tis now) for March/April 2028 so only 20+ months to go.

 

[Sid]

On the way back to the car after a great afternoons digging, called by White Woman's Hole. A minor Mendip classic as has three entrances.

More info at https://www.mcra.org.uk/registry/sitedetails.php?id=1351

 

[bagpuss]

On the way back to the car after a great afternoons digging, called by White Woman's Hole. A minor Mendip classic as has three entrances.

More info at https://www.mcra.org.uk/registry/sitedetails.php?id=1351

Briefly went in there earlier in the year, just in one hole and out the other as on a hike with no oversuit on. Does it extend very far?

 

[mikem]

At 18m length you can see most of it in the photos!

 

[bagpuss]

At 18m length you can see most of it in the photos!

My bad, I misread the post and thought @Sid had been digging there!

 

[bagpuss]

Back in Swildons again today, bit of SRT practice on the old 40, down to sump 1 and on to sump 2 where we turned around. Water seemed even lower than last weekend despite the rain, still an air gap in sump 1. Out in time for tea at the Hunters & tales from Roger about caving down the 40 on rope ladders back in the day.

The scene of the caption comp

Pleased to have possibly got over my sump 1 fear.

 

[bagpuss]

Wookey Hole, Wookey 24 trip.
Wasn't sure if I would ever manage this trip, but have spent the summer trying to build up more cave fitness/strength.
Really great, but challenging trip. Thanks to those that have put in all the work with digging, setting up the fixed lines/stemples & arranging access, arguably one of the best trips on Mendip. 3 of our group opted for the short swim in the Axe, I was disappointed not to, but didn't want to risk getting cold & then having a struggle with getting up the many upwards climbs.

 

[bagpuss]

Eastwater, Regent St. Good to see more of the lower series of the cave, especially the helictities, which I think are some of the best I've seen on Mendip. Despite the excellent route description from @tim.rose2 to suppliment Mendip underground we still managed to go wrong once. I think the squeeze in the wet tube with the bend in is probably worse that the Blue Pencil one.

 

[bagpuss]

A short trip into Rods Pot for a few of us last night with someone new to the club, but not new to caving. Didn't go far, but a nice social trip. Missed the cave entrance at first due to amount of bracken and being busy chatting.

 

[bagpuss]

Swildons Black hole series with @tim.rose2 and @Dingley Dell
A really nice bank holiday trip to visit the Black Hole series. Another chance to face my fear of sump 1, most on my fear of it is getting water trapped in my ears (weird life long phobia) I forgot to bring anything to put over my head this time and of course ended up with water trapped in my ear which didn't resolve till I got home, perhaps exposure to weird that scare us is the way forwards. . I was soon distracted by the terrifying looking hole into the Black Hole, initially thinking there was no way I could do it. Tim rigged up a rope which are some persuasion I used to get down the the shelf, and then he very patiently explained how to get across the bold step which turned out to be not as bad as it looked. Some pretty formations in the passage beyond and impressive large Chambers where the digs had taken place. We opted to turn around at the scaffolding. Coming back out was uneventful until we were just before the double pots and heard two loud booms, I initially thought it was rock fall, forgetting how close we were to the pots, turned out it was a group coming in making the noise! Tea and cake enjoyed in the Wessex afterwards, thanks to the Wessex for their hospitality& Tim for his route finding/ bag carrying

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Swildons Black hole series

Did you see the helictites??

 

[bagpuss]

Did you see the helictites??

No! I did look but must have missed them. Have you seen them there? Will need to return and take another look.

 

[Sid]

The underwhelming Crook Peak Hole but with fantastic views

Crook Peak Hole - Mendip Cave Registry Site Details

 

[Tricky Dicky]

No! I did look but must have missed them. Have you seen them there? Will need to return and take another look.

Yes, as I recall they were very delicate and quite impressive.

 

[bagpuss]

Sidcot Swallet, no access to a car and a kind offer of a lift to the Wednesday club trip, which turned out to be only 2 of us. Only provisio of a lift was that the cave needed to be in Burrington & not up link lane.. A quick trip to the bottom of the cave, took another look at the tight squeeze into Garden of Eden, but still didn't fancy it, even though it was dry. Managed to get out the lobster pot reasonably quickly. Lazily opted for the pub rather than to include some of the other nearby caves.

 

[mikem]

I used to fit through the squeeze even when damp, so you'll have no problem (not that there's much left to see!)

 

[bagpuss]

Took my daughter to GB for the first time last night with our club. She didn't get to visit when she was younger due to the previous 16 plus rule, then the pandemic and uni getting in the way. She was very impressed and deemed it to be her new favourite cave. Still very little water underground.