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Out and about with Dudley
Caving Club
Some
trips and events which took place in July, August and September 2005
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Brickworks Dig, Penwyllt, South Wales
Weekend 9th/10th July 2005
A large dig team and probably a record for the amount of
infill removed - 140 buckets on the Saturday and 120 buckets on the
Sunday, but nevertheless a little disappointing. The
Club Dig Page for more details.
The Dig Team: PAn, MBa, DBo (Sun only), KEd, BMa, MNo, JSm,
ASt & CWe
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The team at close of play on Sunday |
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Longwood Swallet, Charterhouse,
Mendips
16th July 2005
A round trip - in via August Hole and out via
Great Chamber. The stream must be the finest on Mendip.
Tight, awkward and wet, but highly recommended to any caver who is not
claustrophobic or aquaphobic.
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Chris Webb negotiating one of the
cascades in the main streamway |
Chris Webb in the main streamway
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Present: KEd, CJe, BMa & CWe
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Swildons Hole, Priddy,
Mendips
6th August 2005
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A trip to the sump and back as a sporting
introduction to caving for Emma's work Colleagues.
Present: MCl, BMa & EPo + Mike Wilson (BEC), Duncan (SMCC)
& 3 members from Emma's place of work |
Mike Clayton in the streamway at the
bottom of the Old 40. |
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Swan Mine,
Mendips
13th August 2005 A late afternoon
trip into these well preserved stone workings followed by a meal and a
pint in the conveniently located pub 30 yards from the entrance.
Emma Porter and Mike Wilson in Swan Mine |
Mike Wilson by a crane in Swan Mine |
Present: MCl, BMa, EPo & CWe + Mike
Wilson (BEC) & Arthur Champion (CPC) |
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Banwell Bone Cave and Stalactite
Cave, Banwell, Mendips
Sunday 14th August 2005
A late afternoon trip into these well preserved stone
workings followed by a meal and a pint in the conveniently located pub
30 yards from the entrance.
While visiting the bone cave we entered the Stalactite cave also on the
same site. Both caves uniquely are under an impressive home. We were
requested not to enter the final boulder choke as it lies directly under
the owners Pantry!
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Emma in Banwell Bone Cave |
Mike, Emma and Chris in the Main
Chamber, Banwell Stalactite Cave |
Present: MCl, BMa, EPo & CWe |
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14th International
Congress of Speleology Athens - Kalamos
August 21st to 27th
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A smaller Congress than previous years was held in the
costal resort of Ag Agpostoli near Kalamos. Delegates from 54 countries
were joined by a group of about 25 cavers from the UK. Being in a Karst
landscape, there was some opportunity to do some caving as well as
attend the presentations. |
Sunrise over Ag Agpostoli |
Agia Triada
Tuesday 23rd August
A superb stream cave on Evia the second
largest of the Greek Islands. The cave was entered through the
resurgence at the Church of Agia Triada. After a series of traverses in
a high rift passage a superb streamway was encountered, the emerald
green water cutting its way through metamorphic limestone.Present: MCl, BMa & EPo
+ Cara Allinson (SMCC) & Hadi (Speleo Club De Liban) |
Emma in Agia Triada |
Hadi in Agia Triada |
Kapsia Cave
Wednesday 24th August
A trip by the Greek Ministry of Tourism to a
showcave under construction. A cave that was once used for the committal
of human remains, allowing the annual floods to wash the remains deep
into the system. Human bones are found in several places in this upper
well decorated chamber now being transformed into a show cave.
Present: MCl, BMa & EPo
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Kapsia Cave |
Lord Byron's Cave
Thursday 25th August
Route finding in this large chamber cave was
made difficult by the amount of formations. This is a cave with a long
history of exploration and habitation including Lord Byron who was
reputed to have become lost in the cave for 3 days.Present: MCl, BMa & EPo
+ Cara Allinson (SMCC), members of Spelo Club De Liban & Georgos our
Greek guide
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Emma and Rene in Lord Byron's Cave |
Mines near Lavrio
Sunday 28th August
We accepted an invitation by our Greek hosts
to a visit of the abandoned mines near Lavrio on the southern tip of
Greece. We saw only a fraction of the 500+ km of passages rich in a
variety of mineral deposits.Present: MCl, BMa & EPo + 4 members
of the Helenic Spelelogical Society |
Emma in Lavrio Mine |
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Ogof Tardiadd
Rhymney, South Wales
Sunday 11th September 2005
A relatively recent discovery (1996) so you won't find
this one in the South Wales guide book. It is situated in a
disused quarry, a three-mile hike across the mountains.
The cave has 1.5km of mainly walking sided passage with low
interconnecting crawls. It ends in a low muddy streamway. It
was well worth us popping our heads into and is another one to tick off.
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Emma in a side passage in Ogof Tardiadd
Rhymney |
Emma in the main passage in Ogof
Tardiadd Rhymney |
Present: MCl, KEd, BMa & EPo |
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Cwm Dwr, Penwyllt, South Wales
Saturday 18th September 2005
A trip to the Upper Smithy Series, a new
location for all members of the team. There is still one area left
to visit but it was decided that a hand line would be useful to protect
the climb, so a return visit is planned. During the trip Brendan
(Rockefeller) Marris got up to his usual tricks.
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Keith Edwards in the Upper Smithy |
Dave Hounslow in the Upper Smithy |
Present: KEd & BMa + Colin Hayward and Dave Hounslow from
WMCEG |
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OFD 1, South Wales
Sunday 19th September 2005
The usual round trip with the addition of a visit to
the Railton-Wilde Series.
Present: KEd & BMa + Colin Hayward and Dave Hounslow from
WMCEG |
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Rescue Practice,
Huglith Mine, Shropshire
Friday 30th September 2005
An evening/night time search and recovery operation to
practice communications which in spite of the dense woodland, trip
wires, pitch black and pouring rain went very successfully.
Present: PAn, MCl, KEd, AGr, MNo, EPo, GSm, JSm & ASt +
Loads of members of SMCG |
Photographic Credits: All pictures by
Brendan Marris.
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