What have we been up to?
2022
December 2022
Christmas Weekend Away 2022
Snowed on the first day, to the extent that no one but James could get their car up the hill, which was quickly put right when James tried to save the minibus and also got stuck. Everyone got to the hut at 2am, only 5 hours after they were meant to leave Cardiff, which probably broke a record for faff. Congrats to us!! Christmas dinner was lovely and even the water tank freezing over didn't cause to many problems. Overall a very successfull caving weekend!
Pwll Dwfn: Ely, Lizzie, Hannah, Emma and Standardised Tom
Cwm Dwr: Big Tom, James, Deepesh and Yusuf
Cwm Dwr Confluence and Picadilly Round Trip : Lil Tom, Jemma, Dan Gorst and Amelia
We never meant to go Pom Pom, so of course we didn't bring a ladder. I didn't forget to bring it at all. Was a lovely trip, I especially enjoyed looking round the boulder choke. Actually Is quite a nice alternative round trip to top entrance.
18/12
Nyth Bran Series: Lil Tom and James
Oxbow Series: Big Tom, Dan Gorst, Amelia and Standardised Tom
Cwm Dwr around the Smithy : Ely, Hannah and Emma
11/12
Daren Cilau Through Trip: Lil Tom, James, Lizzie and Dan Gorst
was loving the snow vibes as we searched for the entrance, eventually James found it, where we discovered (more accurately, me and Lizzie discovered) that the entrance crawl is not as bad as people say it is. (Honest). By this point Charlie the caterpillar was a miserable muddy lump. The Time Machine is well worth the effort, turning right when you reach the questionable dolls at the log book. Going through Antler Passage is painful as it goes on. And on. And on. And when your thinking you've definitely gone wrong, even though you can't possibly have done, it will end, and luckily the route to Ogof Cwnc is quite well signposted, and the description quite clear. When we got back to CSS Whitewalls a hasty welfare check was undertaken on Charlie only to discover all that was left of him was a smartie and a toe. :( Overall, well worth the trip, definitely bring a survey with you, put cake in a suitable daren drum, and don't give up hope in Antler passage. Prices' Prophecy, Time Machine and Epocalupse Passage (Urchin Passage) were the highlights for us. 9 Hours caving.
-Lil Tom
4/12
Pant Mawr Pot: Lil Tom, Marc, Leah, Standard Tom, Dylan and Emma
A long walk to the cave, but it's worth it for the formations along the streamway, the ladder pitch is quite fun to get into as well. Definitely a bucket list cave!!
3/12
Aggy to Turkey Streamway: Lil Tom, Ely, Dan Gorst, Gina, and Susan
Susan navved to past the first boulder choke, we managed to find our way to turkey streamway, before turning back at the calcite formations just before turkey junction. Very Pretty! Main Streamway is very slippery, as Ely demonstrated to our amusement.
CHECC!! November 2022
27/11
Shatter Cave and Balch Cave (Erratic Passage) : Lil Tom and Dan Gorst (w/ Martin Grass, and Bangor )
We went to Fairy Quarry as St Cuthbert's was flooded, shatter cave is a incredibly pretty decorated cave, with lots of flowstone everywhere. Worth a trip as you need a leader to take you in. Balch cave has been almost destroyed by quarrying, but we went into erratic passage for 5 mins to see about 60 batst roosting on the ceiling. Very Spooky!!!
26/11
Swildon's Hole to 1st Chamber: Lil Tom, Dan Gorst and Dylan (w/ Stu Gardiner, 6 other CHECCers)
Went into Swildon's as part of the Photography Workshop at CHECC, took some really good photos here. Definitely Recommend!!
Goatchurch Cavern: Jemma, Marc, Ned, Jack, Standard Tom (W/ Aber Fresh)
"GOATchurch", "Goatchurch is the Best Cave on the Planet"
2020
14/03 - OFD1 to Cwm Dwr via Flood Escape Route: Olly, Marc, Freddie, Ely, Laura (NUCC). Really good run only spending 3h underground, staying dry until Divers Pitch.
12/03 - Daren Cilau to BCNNTE & Old Main Chamber: Olly & Laura (NUCC). Got a bit lost and turned back (but only 4h underground!)
11/03 - Pwll Dwfn SRT to P3: Olly, Lauren, Tom. Krystal and Laura (NUCC) continued to sump). Demoed a counterbalance on P1.
23/02 - OFD 2 to Northern Lights. Krystal, Marc, Patrick.
22/02 - OFD 2 to Crevasse. Marc (Rigging), Olly, Patrick.
15/02 - Oxlow to Oxlow. Olly, Tom.
Oxlow to Maskill. Hal (SUSS), Jennine (UBSS), Patrick.
Maskill to Oxlow. Botch (CHECC), Marc, Jess.
02/02 - Tunnel Cave to near Airlock (scary drop!). Olly, Jess, Liam. Jess rigged.
Cwm Dwr. Marc, Bobby, Ely. Sadly had to turn around after boulder chocke.
01/02 - OFD 2: to Northern Lights (ish). Krystal, Jo, Liam, Patrick. Krystal free climbed a pitch?
01/02 - OFD 1: Round trip, and round again when streamway was particularly sporting after 3rd & 4th pots.... Olly, Andy, Lauren, Bobby. Also Andy went for a swim in the Ffynnon pool!
26/01 - OFD 2: Timo's, Straw Gallery, halfway up Nyth Bran. Olly, Marc, Bobby, Sam T. Gave up at a particularly loose and muddy slope. MR decided to fall over (twice!).
25/01 - Ogof Pen Eryr: to large chamber at end. Olly, Marc, Freddie, Ali, Sam D, Issy.
25/01 - Daren Cilau: various distances into crawl. Laura, Jemma, Bobby, Sam T. Apparently it was very cold and very wet. None of them had kneepads - brave.
18/01 - Pwll Dwfn (SRT): to bottom of 4th pitch. Olly, Jessie, Lizzie, Ely. Rigged by SWCC, with some rigging practice for JV over the top (or sometimes inbetween!). Some slippery footloop knots created difficulty during ascent.
12/01 - Llanelly Quarry Pot: Dickon, Marc, Olly. A lot of effort, some questionable improvisation and a few moments of wondering if we'd even make it!
2019
27/11 - OFD1: to Low's Crawl. Olly, Lizzie, Ely. Good fun! Ely decided he doesn't like bolt traverses...
22/11 - OFD2: Edward's round via President's Leap. Olly, Krystal, QUB stragglers.
17/11 - Ogof Pen Eryr: Olly, Lauren, Ely, Tom.
17/11 - Agen Allwedd: to Music Stand; Marc, Caty, Kieran...
17/11 - Agen Allwedd: who knows??: Krystal, Freddie, Ben Slack.
26/10 - Lesser Garth: To Ogof Ffynnon Taf and back. Olly, Tom Louisa. Tom had a fun time in the puddle...
Ogof Draenen: To War of the Worlds & thru; Dickon (BEC), Marc, Lizzie. Long slog followed by roast dinner courtesy of Rich & Ruth.
20/10 - OFD 1:
Cwm Dwr: to Big Shacks. Olly, Tom, Kaan, Jo, Cambridge guy?
OFD 2:
GIAG Weekend - Mendips!
13/10 - GB (Group A): Marc, Thanush, Jemma, Patrick, Inge, Tom.
- GB (Group B): Alex Hannam, Olly(SMCC), Dale, Andy, Lizzy, Lewis.
- Hunter's Hole: Olly, Jessie, Ben, JJ (EUSS). SRT rigging training.
12/10 - Swildons 1 (Group A): Pete, Jessie, Jemma, Thanush, Andy, Ben, Issy.
- Swildons 1 (Group B): Alex Hannam, Marc, Tom, Louisa, Veronica, Dale.
- Rod's Pot: Sabrina (Plym), Zara (Plym), Lizzie, Lewis, Inge. Thru to Bath abandoned given the damp!
- Eastwater, 13 pots: Krystal, Dickon(BEC), Patrick, Liam, Laura. Waterfall like at the entrance, but enjoyable trip for most overall.
GIAGs
06/10 - OFD2: Edwards round; Marc, Freddie, Ted, Liam, Evi, Ely.
OFD2: Chasm round; Olly, Krystal, Hannah, Helen and Issac.
05/10 - OFD2: Salubrious, J&T: Marc, Thanush, Georgia, Yiwen.
OFD2: Chasm round: Pete, Freddie, Louisa, Charlotte.
29/09 - OFD2: Edwards shorcut; Marc, Lauren, Harry, Tom.
OFD2: Salubrious, J&T; Krystal, Freddie,
OFD2: Chasm round; Olly, Liam, Patrick.
28/09 - OFD2: Salubrious, J&T; Marc, Krystal, Louisa,
Cwm Dwr: to boulder choke; Olly, Freddie, Simon (Swansea). Cosy and moist....
27/09 - OFD2: Edwards & mini columns; Olly, Marc, Krystal, Jessie. Exploration/GIAG prep trip.
Digging
Over Summer, various members (Pete, Freddie, Marc, Krystal, Laura, Issy...) supported a dig in Cwmavon. This is an ongoing project.
Dachstein Expedition
Various pushing and bolting trips to max depth of -240m. Krystal, Olly, Jessie.
July - Olly led various trips in the Vercors region of France.
22/06 - JH to Peak Cavern; Olly, Krystal, Laura (NUCC), Ben (NUCC) & others. Aborted after Bitch Pitch. Very cold and slow going, and rescued a poor soul who got hung up on a rebelay for 2 hours.
18/06 - Daren Cilau: Time Machine & thru trip; Krystal, Laura, Jacob (NUCC), Sabrina (PUCC). Got lost trying to reach Restaurant. Exhausting! Just shy of 10h.
16/06 - Wet Sink Rescue practice at Dachstein Training; Olly, Krystal, Marc, Jessie, Laura, Sabrina (PUCC) & plenty others...
15/06 - Bixhead Stone Mine: Survey training with Rich Smith (CHD/BEC) et al. Olly, Marc, Krystal, Jessie, Laura, Sabrina (PUCC).
13/06 - Agen Allwedd to Aven Series & North Wing; Olly, Krystal, Jessie, Sabrina (PUCC).
Yorkshire
28/04 - Aygill Caverns to Cascade Pitch; Olly, Marc, Krystal, Jessie. Moist and miserable.
27/04 - Lancaster Hole to Fall Pot; Olly, Krystal, Jessie, Tim (MUSC). Good atmosphere, fun bimble. Tim did some rapping!
27/04 - Link Pot (and some others too!); Hannam, Marc, Laura, Sabrina (A+E). Tight, muddy, worth it.
26/04 - Alum Pot: NW Route & Dolly Tubs Exch; Olly, Krystal, Marc, Jessie, Laura, Sabrina (A+E). Despite going to the wrong Selside (props to Marc). Stunning and well worth the effort. Krystal's first solo rig.
24/04 - Bull Pot of the Witches; Olly, Krystal, Marc, Jessie, Laura, Sabrina (A+E). Evening trip on arrival, bit of rigging practice.
AGM - RIP the hire bus
7/04 - Pwll Dwfn: to Divers' Platform for derig; Olly, Krystal, Jessie. Raced past SWCC group -good effort!
7/04 - OFD II: Edwards Shortcut; Marc, Grainger, Tim (MUSC), Nush. Spooky little traverse innit.
SCHECC
31/03 - Pant Mawr: went upstream to waterfall base, dropped into streamway from boulder choke and turned round; Olly, Krystal, Marc, Jessie, Lauren C, Nush, Chris (NUCC). Fab day out and we amazingly didn't get lost!
30/03 - OFD II to Cwm Dwr; Olly with mixture of NUCC, CUCC. 2h30, 11min to Judge and Trident turning - time to beat!
29/03 - Pwll Dwfn: to top of P5 for rigging; Olly, Krystal, Marc, Jessie, Jacob (NUCC). A lot like hard work!
24/03 - Daren Cilau: through trip to Price's; Pete (CHD), Ivar (CHD), Freddie (w/o kneepads!!), Olly, Jessie. 5hrs, not a bad effort!
24/02 - Agen Allwedd: to vicinity of Music Stand??; Olly, Krystal, Blessing, Lauren, Marc, Nush (with that damn camera case!). Got a bit navigationally challenged at times.
10/02 - Tunnel Cave: to bottom of freeclimbable pitch; Olly, Krystal, Marc, Jessie (v hungover!!). First SRT trip for Krystal, Marc, Jessie.
2018
GIAG Weekend
16/10 - Rose Cottage Cave; Olly, Krystal, Jessie, Callan. Tighter and tighter as it went on... very pretty at the bottom though.
15/10 - Swildon's Hole: to Sump 1; Pete, Laura, ....
15/10 - Eastwater Cavern