Ogof Fechan, South Wales
Sunday 2nd July 2006

The clue was in the name "Small Cave", but with 1km of passage, it was one to be ticked off. Picking one of the hottest days of the year and praying to avoid thunderstorms we set off to explore this 'sporting streamway' The cave is formed in gently dipping bedding planes often following bands of washed out shale. The cave is very flood prone with much debris in the entrance passages and further into the cave the walls and roof covered with silt. The route follows the stream, but you often have to climb up over collapses. A long silted up flat out canal brings you to sump one, where a sporting duck with a rope handline leads you to the sump bypass. A exhibition in comedy climbing techniques followed as we tackled the 15 foot tight chimney up into the rift passage that bypasses the sump. A large oppressive passage is gained before it reduces in size and sump 2 is gained.

Mark Rollinson

Mark Rollinson

Present: BMa, MRo & CWe

Ogof Pwll Swnd, Black Mountains, South Wales
Sunday 16th July 2006

We found it this time after a 2 mile trek over the Black Mountains due to the advent of GPS technology!  It's not the easiest cave to find and almost impossible if you only have the instructions in the guide book to follow.  Also the description in the guide book appears to be incomplete.  We explored most of the 'old series' and dropped the second pitch to explore some of the new.  Lots of places in the cave to still explore next time.

Mark, Chris and Keith in the main chamber

Keith  in the main chamber

Present: KEd, BMa, MRo & CWe

Lathkill Cave, Lathkill Dale, Derbyshire
Sunday 23rd July 2006

The idea was to attempt a through trip from the resurgence to top entrance.  This can only be done in drought conditions so we hoped that after many weeks of very dry weather it would be possible.
We rigged top entrance for our exit and then walked down the valley and entered the system at the lower entrance.  None of the cave is easy going.  Most of the passage is flat out crawling and everything is covered in a thick layer of sticky dark brown mud.  The cave feels gloomy and uninviting.  After about half an hour we were forced to turn back where the way on was flooded and would have required helmets to be removed and noses to be pressed to the roof.
We then went back and dropped into top entrance to explored the nicely decorated Waiting Room and Latherkiller Hall.

Present: KEd & BMa

Eisriesenwelt Werfen, Austria
Tuesday 2nd August 2006

The world's largest ice cave.  See http://www.eisriesenwelt.at/

Present: KEd & JRa + other members of the Edwards tribe.

Tatham Wife Hole, White Scar, Yorkshire
Saturday 5th August 2006

Emma rigging and great SRT practice. Quite a trek to get there, 2.12 miles to be exact!! With heavy bags, but well worth the effort. A pleasant mixture of everything for me, SRT (5 pitches) an interesting 'ramp' on third pitch, short climbs, crawls, ducks and waterfalls, just enough to keep us damp, with plenty to look at along the way.... and I was the only one who didn't have to lug a tackle bag round with me!! Approx 5hr trip, a 'sprint' back across the Dales and back in time for curry at 9:00pm in Settle. Great day and excellent caving trip.

Present: MCl, EPo & DeWi plus Mike Peters (Craven Pothole Club)

Brickworks Dig, Penwyllt, South Wales
Weekend 12th/13th August 2006

Weekend 12/13th August  We now have 150, 13" x 30" sand bags - each one holds more than a bucket full.  On Saturday we filled 100 bags (approx. 120 buckets) and stacked them at the bottom of the main railway track.  With only 4 people we had to initially stack the bags in the cross-rift and then move positions to get them to the bottom of the entrance passage.
On Sunday we pulled 80 bags out to surface before the front wheels of the main dig truck were worn so badly that they splayed out and came off the railway track.  We took both trucks back to the workshop and swapped two wheels between the trucks.  We were then able to drag out the remaining 20 bags.  After this we filled another 50 bags and stacked them in the cross-rift.
Over the course of the weekend we added approx. 10 feet to the system.  Near the dig face we have lost the roof again, but we think that at the dig face we may have got the roof back.  Also on the left there may be a side passage.

Keith in the cross rift stacked with sand bags.  This view is looking back towards the entrance

Keith under the wedged boulder in the roof. This view is looking back towards the entrance

The Dig Team:  JDu (Sat and Sun morning only), KEd, CJe (Sun only), BMa and DRo

Dan-Yr-Ogof, South Wales
Saturday 26th August 2006

Present: KEd, BMa, DRo and CWe

Swinsto Hole, Yorkshire
Saturday 26th August 2006

Despite taking 1 hour to set the ladder at the cave exit, a successful and pleasant trip.
Swinsto hole starts with a pleasant short pitch, but is soon followed by around a 1000 ft crawl in water.  We developed a system, Mike C rigged, I carried the rope to the pitch head and Emma removed the rope behind us and passed it forwards. All went well until around the fourth pitch. When the knot in the bottom of the rope was not undone before starting to pull it up, fortunately this was noticed when the knot was only 12 ft from the floor, although under the waterfall. Despite fears of cutting the rope, it was recovered by climbing the pitch and being lowered on the rope.

Present: MCl, ACr & EPo + Cara Allison (TSG), Mike Wilson (BEC) & Zot (BEC)

 Snail Beach Lead Mine, Shropshire
Saturday 2nd September 2006

SRT exchange trip with Shepton Mallet Caving Club, Shropshire Mine and Caving Club and four members of Dudley, Mike Clayton Andrew Cross, Dave Williams and Emma Porter. The Scenic Route was particularly impressive.

 Surface walk above Dudley Limestone Mines
Sunday 3rd September 2006

Surface walk above Dudley Limestone Mines and trip into Dudley tourist mine with Shepton Mallet Caving Club, Dave Bowdley and Steve who kindly led the walk, Mike Clayton and Emma Porter.

Ogof Draenen, Pwll Du, South Wales
Sunday 17th September 2006

A trip to Canyons East and Canyon West with the purposes of a) visiting a part of the cave we haven't been to before and b) introducing Del to something a little tastier like the traverses in Indiana Highway.  No real formations to talk about but some fantastic guano deposits.

Present: KEd, BMA & DRo

Hidden Earth Conference, Leek
Weekend 22nd/24th September 2006

This year the conference was relatively close to the West Midlands and once again was a great success thanks to the hard work of the volunteer staff. It was a great opportunity to catch up with friends, buy new kit and to be inspired.

Attendees: Acr, BMa, DWi
Lecturer: EPo
Technical Support: MCl

Brickworks Dig, Penwyllt, South Wales
Weekend 30th September/1st October 2006

At the dig face nearly all of the in-fill from the 'lost' roof of the passage had slumped in revealing back space in the ceiling. After some digging we were able to climb up into this. The passage here is around ten feet high. Ahead appears to be the continuation of the chocked narrow rift, above is a 4 inch square hole in the roof which is another inlet, but to the left is (as we suspected from last time) another passage and the in-fill does not go quite up to roof level - more black space! We can see about six feet along this passage before it appears to turn right again. This is a very interesting area.
For more details of the weekend see the Dig Page.

The Dig Team:  MCa, KEd, BMa (Sat only), DRo, GSm (Sat & first 15mins of Sun only), JSm & ASt