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Out and about with Dudley
Caving Club
Some
trips and events which took place in October, November and December 2006
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OFD I and Cwm Dwr
through trip,
Penwyllt, South Wales
Sunday 15th
October 2006
This was to have been a day on the dig to see if it
would be possible to pump water into the cave along the newly discovered
roof space, however when we went into the dig the water levels were too
high, so instead we went caving.
Present: KEd, BMa, DRo & CWe |
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Limestone Mines, Olwyn Gogh Shaft,
North Wales
Sunday 12th
November 2006
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Keith with the assistance of Brendan navigating
found the mine this time. (Last
time we failed to find it - both believing that the other one knew
where it was!) A 400 foot ladder climb led us
down into the tunnel, to breath in the diesel and smoke fumes from
the recently departed train. (An audible
sob was heard to escape from Keith.)
We then headed to the limestone working where we spent about 4
hours taking photos in some of the larger galleries. We then
headed out via the upper limestone workings. |
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Present: MCl, KEd, BMa, EPo, DRo & DeWi |
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Ogof Ffynnon Ddu II,
Penwyllt, South Wales
Saturday 25th
November 2006
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Carol Northall in Straw Gallery |
The team:
Brendan, Keith, Del, Carol, Chris, Mel & Andy G
The route:
Top Entrance --> Big Chamber --> Bagpipe Chamber
(for Del) --> Arete Chamber Top (for Andy) -->
Birthday Cake --> The Clay Figures (for Andy) -->
Chasm Passage --> Poached Egg Climb --> Straw
Gallery (Photo stop) --> The Crevasse -->
Bhowani Junction (to look at the pretty) --> Chasm
Passage --> Timo's Table (short break for Brendan and
Keith to explore the route to the Prokofiev Series - we'll do this
next year and need a back-up team of the thinnest members in the
Club) --> Arete Chamber Bottom --> Salubrious Stream
--> Trident --> Judge --> Out by the normal route
except Keith decided to take the crawl past White Arch.
A good time was had by all. |
Derek Robertson in Straw Gallery |
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A Yorkshire Weekend
Saturday 25th
& Sunday 26th November 2006
Saturday - Lancaster Hole
Present: Mike Clayton - DCC/Craven PC, Emma Porter - DCC/Craven PC,
Andrew Cross - DCC, Dave Williams - DCC, Neville Lucus - Craven PC, John
Allonby - Craven PC, Hadi Kaassamani - Speleo Club du Liban, Firas Fayad
- Speleo Club du Liban
The projected route was into Lancaster Hole
through to the main drain and exiting from Wretched Rabbit. The
trip took longer underground than expected as Wilf Taylor's Passage was
carrying a significant stream. At one waterfall, it was decided to turn
back. On the return journey, Neville lost a wellie (never to be seen
again) due to the force of the stream. We exited from Lancaster Hole.
Sunday - Bar Pot
Present: Mike Clayton - DCC/Craven PC, Emma Porter - DCC/Craven PC,
Andrew Cross - DCC, Joanna Campbell - ex-DCC, Shepton Mallet CC, Graham
Salmon - Yorkshire Ramblers Club, Hadi Kaassamani - Speleo Club du Liban,
Firas Fayad - Speleo Club du Liban
The intended pot was Swinsto Hole, but this was
abandoned due to the high water levels in the Dales. Bar Pot was
a suitable trip with the main chamber very impressive as Fell Beck
was carrying a significant stream. After the main chamber we visited
Sand Chambers, Stream Passage streamway on the way to the
start of the South East Extension. After Saturday, this
constituted an uneventful trip. |
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Iles Inlet, Agen Allwedd,
Llangattock Escarpment, South
Wales
Saturday 16th
December 2006
A long and arduous trip taking in most of the length
of Southern Stream Passage which had to be negotiated in both
directions. We wasted a lot of time trying to find the way into
Priory Road as our written laminated route description has suffered
from water ingress and was virtually unreadable, and the survey seemed
to imply that we should climb up above the stream and find a passage on
the right. The route is actually much easier but requires a fair
amount of hands and knees crawling. Eventually three members of
the team got to see the formations in Trafalgar Passage but with
two members left behind in separate locations we ran out of time and
were forced to exit without taking any photographs.
A rash decision was taken to abandon the photographic gear in the cave
and to return during the week after Christmas to find Corkscrew
Chamber and take the photos.
A very tired team, regretting the decision to ditch the photographic
gear emerged after ten and a quarter hours underground.
The Team: AnCr, KeEd, CoJe, BrMa &
ChWe |
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Iles Inlet, Agen Allwedd,
Llangattock Escarpment, South
Wales
Thursday 28th
December 2006
The return trip to retrieve the camera and take
photographs of the formations in Iles Inlet and here is a taster
of what we found.
Keith Edwards and the Courtesan in Corkscrew Chamber |
Keith Edwards and some of the amazing formations in
Corkscrew Chamber |
Formations in Corkscrew Chamber |
Chris Webb and the Courtesan in Corkscrew Chamber |
This time the trip took ten and three quarter hours!
The Team: AnCr, KeEd, BrMa & ChWe |
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Ogof Pen Eryr,
Llangattock Escarpment, South Wales
Saturday 30th December 2006
Chris Webb negotiating the corkscrew
squeeze |
This had been arranged
for some time as a Christmas trip for some of the newer members of
the Club and the chosen cave was Craig A Ffynonn, but extremely wet
weather on the day meant that we had to look for an alternative.
We spent a highly amusing few minutes listening to Andy
unsuccessfully trying to lead through the corkscrew squeeze before
being shown the correct way to do it by Mel.
Afterwards several members of the team spent a few minutes proving
that it is possible to turn round within the few few metres of the
Daren Cilau entrance crawl. |
The Team: KeEd, AnGr, BrMa, CaNo, MaRo,
MeWa & ChWe |
Photographic Credits: All pictures by Brendan
Marris
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