The South Wales "Little Black Book"

[mudman]

So a chap in our South Wales club has recently taken delivery of "Not For The Faint Hearted" and was wondering if there were to be a South Wales equivalent, what caves/trips would be included.

So, I thought I'd open it up here to see if we could come up with "50 harder caving trips in South Wales"

So, I'll start off with Agen Allwedd, Grand Circle.

[Topimo]

I've occasionally proposed the Brown Book for The Peak...

[Trig Gledhill]

Agen Allwedd "the snowman"

Inner, Outer and then Grand Circle.

Makes a Snowman! And probably take away 12+ hours of your life.

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[Huge]

I think for South Wales it's mainly going to be very long trips in the big cave systems.

But something that may be more akin to the trips in the Dales book is Llanelly Quarry Pot, visiting both ends of the streamway, similar in many ways to the Daren entrance series but much longer and harder! Involves a pitch as well but the infamous and classic entrance rift is not as formidable as it once was as some bugger has blown it up! That's something that seems to have become fairly common in South Wales, with "modifications" having been made at the far end of Craig A Ffynnon and more recently in Draenen.

[adrian paniwnyk]

Getting right to the bottom of Blaen Onneu Quarry pot a bit tricky with a few intimidating squeezes and not very much to see when you get to the bottom- I should know as I spent a few trips digging there with the Llanelly Diggers.

 Also far end of Carno  Adit - when you could get in there.  Car Crusher north a long strenuous trip with many up and down bits. Akin to being in an underground gymnasium filled with mud. At the other end of the system Blight of the Fumble Bee a truly dire section of flood prone passage.

[Pegasus]

For those not familiar with the orignal...

http://www.notforthefaint-hearted.co.uk/

[AWW]

Lesser Garth to Ogof Ffynnon Taf perhaps?

[tundrakurmitsa]

I've read the original book, and in Wales OFD is the most familiar cave for me. There are plenty of hard sections in that classic cave while some parts of the cave are beginner friendly. In the "not for the faint-hearted book" I could see the through trip from OFD I to II or Cwm Ddur via the Marble Showers traverses. Also Pendulum Passage could be there although haven't done it myself. Both places are interesting and impressive.

[slinkydan]

Clearly Darren cilau should be in there

[Minion]

Dreanen round trip 

[David Rose]

Draenen to the Geryon.

Aggie Grand Circle.

Daren to terminal sump, 7th hour sump and Dweebland.

Aggie to Courtesan.

OFD 1 to 3. Maybe also just OFD 3.

Otter Hole.

Ban y Gor.

 

[Stuart France]

Rhyd Sych

[ogof addict]

But rhyd sych is lovely!

As is the courtesan, various circle trips in Aggy, and there's some lovely caving on the way to dweebland. I'm sure we can find worse off the beaten track? Trident Passage? Frig, Frag and Frog Streets along with Forgotten Passage? I haven't got around to investigating these yet though

Apparently the duck to get to the lakes in the duo siphon series is a bit on the intimidating side. I'd more describe it as kinky

I think i need to put more effort into this

[JohnMCooper]

I well remember Trident Passage in Aggy. Two hour crawl to the end. Set up the charge on the 1 hour electronic delay timer. Crawl half-way out. Listen for the bang. Carry on crawling to beat the fumes. Ends in a small tube in solid rock.

[mikem]

"Not for the faint hearted" is hard trips that are worth doing, unlike the similar recent Dales thread that is for trips that aren't worth doing...

Mike

[ogof addict]

John, do you have to reverse all the way out Trident?

Worth doing surely depends on what you think is worth doing?

[PeteHall]

 "worthwhile" is indeed subjective however, to quote from the introduction of Not for the Faint Hearted

If it didn't keep us smiling for several days and invoke a desire for a return visit, it didn't get into the guide.

[JohnMCooper]

John, do you have to reverse all the way out Trident?

No, there are plenty of places to turn round. It is even possible to stand in a couple of places.

[Trig Gledhill]

Eglwys Faen, Main Chamber

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