East Twin Swallet, Burrington Combe, Mendip.

When:  25 April 2013 7.30 – 8.45 pm.
Where: East Twin Swallet, Burrington Coombe Mendip.
Who:    Darren T, Rich T.

 We arrived in the Coombe and parked in the lay-by closest to the cave and were soon changed and following the path to the cave entrance. The stream was lightly flowing into the entrance. To avoid getting wet you can go in to the right of the stream and climb down a 2 metre rift. Once inside the cave resembled a builder’s yard, there were bags of spoil and plastic pipes all over the place. This cave is an active dig site. We followed the scaffolding pipes down into the first chamber where a rift on the right takes most of the stream water.
Ducking under some rock into a smallish passage takes you into the main chamber where the haulage system is set up to remove the dig spoil from the bottom of the cave. The chamber floor is very steep and the diggers have built a series of steps to get down to the bottom. As I had been a numpty and left the survey in the car we decided that it was probably best to retreat and come back another day for the cave didn’t really resemble the survey as there had been so much digging going on.


We exited the cave with some ease which is surprising as the pitch looks quite difficult in reverse lol.
As we had not been long in there we had a look for Foxes Hole cave up the road but couldn’t find it.
We then thought we would have a look at Toothache dig in cheddar gorge. This is one of the clubs digs.
We parked at the gates to Black Rock and put our helmets and wellies on and followed the track. By now it was pitch black and not knowing where the dig is we went back to the car and headed home.

____________________________________________________________________

Goatchurch Cavern, Burrington Combe, Mendip.

When:  21 April 2013 7.30 – 8.45 pm.
Where: Goatchurch Cavern Mendip.
Who:    Darren T, Rich T.

 First caving trip in for a while. Just a short trip to the drainpipe and back again and a look around at the bottom the tradesman’s entrance. We exited the cave via the main entrance and had a look in Sidcot Swallet on the way back down the hill.

___________________________________________________________________

Devils Cave, Bathampton.

When:  6 February 2013 7.30 pm to 9.00 pm.
Where: Devils Cave. Bathampton Rocks
Who:    Darren T, Rich T.

 Mine explore.

 We arrived at Bath university car park and parked up near the hedge on the edge of the university campus. This is quite handy as you can walk onto the public footpath which takes you to bathampton downs.
After wondering around trying to find the entrance we stumbled across it almost by accident.
The gate was open so in we went.

The entrance tunnel is a hands and knees crawl for about twenty metres then opens up into the Quarry proper. The quarry is an abandoned Bathstone Mine. The tunnel divides into two passages, ending in a complex and confusing maze of workings.
There is a lot of graffiti in the mine with the most impressive piece being a devil in underpants.

Being that the mine is so close to the university it has a lot of rubbish in it including a five aside football goal post. Quite how or why it’s there is a mystery to me.

___________________________________________________________________

Swildons Hole, Priddy, Mendip.

When:  27 January 2013 3.30 pm to 7.00 pm.
Where: Swildons Hole, Sump one.
Who:    Darren T, Rich T, Steve, Steve’s Son and Max Fisher.

 ChCC trip to sump 1.


 Rich and I arrived at the usual meeting place outside the barn on Priddy Green. Next arrived Max and then Steve and his son.
We all changed quickly and walked across the fields to the entrance of Swildons Hole. On route to the entrance we met two other club members Chris and Nikky who were on their way back to the barn they looked very wet and very cold, there had been a lot of rain recently and this had thawed the previous week’s snow. The stream going into the entrance looked more like a river.
Rich was our leader for the trip as he wanted to learn the route to the twenty foot pitch.
We opted for the long dry way so we would not get wet too early. It was good to crawl around the stalls etc. We followed the stream way and the water was in full flow going down the pitch into the bottom of the old forty.
We soon reached the top of the twenty pitch and the waterfall was roaring. Steve sorted the kit out and did all the life-lining. I was the third to descend down the ladder. I was a bit apprehensive as this was the first time on a ladder since breaking my foot but my inexpensive safety wellies did their job. The water was very cold and quite powerful.
Once Steve had descended the pitch and sorted out the kit we regrouped and headed for the twin pots. This was my second time here. I had negotiated the pots easily first time but with the water rushing down the stream way it was going to be a different story this time and I was forced to let go and landed in the second pot. Under the water I went. As the story goes I have now been baptized a son of Mendip.
We headed into Barnes Loop and had a quick rest before carrying on down, we also popped up into Tratmans Temple quickly to point out the route into St Pauls and the other bits of the cave.
It wasn't long before we arrived at a very foamy sump 1, Rich and Max did the sump and soon returned, I was getting cold and tired by now so didn’t do it. Next time I will do it.
By now we were all cold and fatigue was setting in so we started the climb back to the twenty.
On the way back we opted to go through a tight rift which I struggled with and had to retreat and climb up the old washing pot. Back at the twenty we soon realised that it was going to be a struggle to climb the ladder as we were tired and the water was now coming down the waterfall quite heavily. It was a team effort to get everyone back to the top.
On we went heading for the exit. The waterfall at the bottom of the old forty turned out to be a bit of a mission and in the end Steve managed to climb up and put a hand line in. We continued via the short dry way and exited to the cold dark Mendip hills with thunder and lightning in the distance.
Once back at the changing barn we hurriedly changed in time for the club meeting.
This was my first proper caving trip after breaking my foot.
 All in all it was a cracking trip.

_______________________________________________________________________

Singing River Mine,

When:  29 Feb 2012 7.00 pm to 10.00 pm.

Where: Singing River Mine, Shipham.
Who:    Darren T, Rich T, Burt, Sean, Steph and Judi.

We met at the square in Shipham got changed and made our way down the lane to the garden where the entrance shaft is. Burt had the key but it would not open the lock. After much faffing we were about to abandon the trip (if only we had) when another group arrived and their key fitted perfectly. The shaft was soon rigged and Judi was the first down the ladder then me followed by the others. We assembled at the bottom and set off for our explore. We headed for sixways chamber and the west end to see if there was any movement at the bottom of Burts dig. On the way we had to climb down an 8ft pitch, I slipped the last 2ft and landed awkwardly on my right foot, the pain was excruciating but I thought I had twisted my ankle so on we went. We headed upstream and over the wobbly plank to the lake at the east end. By now my foot was giving me hell and I was beginning to worry about climbing the 42ft ladder pitch to get out. Can’t really remember much of it except Rich went first and I followed. Steph lifelined me (more like hauled me up) as I couldn’t really put any weight on my foot. Rich pulled me out onto the grass.

We got changed and headed home, Rich had some paracetamol in his car and I had a couple. The pain soon subsided. It turned out I should have only had one as they were double strength lol. Got home and my foot was twice the size as the other one. Time for the hospital I thought. My wife and I finally got home at 4.30 am the next morning. I had broken my 5^th metatarsal and it took nearly eight months to heal.

My wife Michelle now calls this mine, “A very bad mine L” and banned me from ever returning there!

 

 

 

SRT Training, Browns Folly Tower, Monkton Farliegh.

When:  22 Feb 2012 7.00 pm to 10.00 pm.

Where: Browns Folly Tower, Monkton Farliegh.
Who:    Darren T, Rich T.

SRT Training.

 Our objective was to practise rigging and general SRT. We climbed to the top of the tower and rigged our own ropes to the bar and thought it would be a good idea to descend feeding the rope out of our bags as we went. I went first and descended without a hitch. Rich however ran into some difficulty as his rope seemed to knot as it came out of the bag. We discovered that this was due to the bag being closed and the rope running through the suspension ring.
We practiced ascending and descending and did some basic changeovers then we decided to have a go at passing a rebelay. we managed to rig a rebelay off of the stair handrails. Rich decided that he would go first and proceeded to abseil from the top of the tower down to the rebalay. This being our first attempt at a rebalay lets just say it was probably one of my most eventful times on a rope but the upshot he managed to get in a bit of a tangle and gave up. We decided it would be better to read the complete caving manual and then try again. We could hear the wind and the rain outside the tower so we climbed the stairs to untie our ropes. It was very wet at the top of the tower and was quite slippery under foot this was also not helped by the wind blowing in through the windows. We successfully packed away our ropes and our SRT gear and ventured outside to walk down to the car. Once outside we realised how much the weather had changed since we had started, It was blowing a gail and raining also the fog allowed us to see around 10ft in front of us and Rich managed to slip over and rip the button from his trousers and looked a bit silly limping back to the car holding his trousers up and carrying all his gear.

____________________________________________________________________

Rods Pot, Burrington Combe, Mendip.

When:  7 December 2011 7.15 pm to 9.30 pm.
Where: Rods pot, Burrington.  Digging trip.
Who:    Darren T, Flexx, Andy Sparrow.


 This was our second trip since joining the Cheddar Caving Club and our first digging trip. We met Andy Sparrow at the carpark just passed the cattle grid on link lane. Once we were all ready we walked off to find the entrance. Andy was telling us all about the numerous digs going on in the area and we were soon at the entrance. It’s quite a tight cave and you have to crawl round the edge of some large and deep pots, we soon arrived at the top of the 45ft pitch whereby we climbed down freehand using the flying angel technique. Andy went first and I followed, Flexx brought up the rear I think he was out of sight and couldn’t really see how we descended the pitch so he struggled to get to the bottom. We sat and chatted about the dig for a bit and then heard movement way up above us. It was Burt coming down to join us. It was decided Burt would stay at the bottom of the pitch and distribute the spoil from the digging, I would sit at the entrance to Bone Chamber about 20 feet along a passage from Burt and do the change over of the bags of spoil from one drag cart to the other, Flexx and Andy would go to the dig face about another 20 feet along the passage. While Andy was digging Flexx was busy filling the bags with spoil and loading them into the drag cart. I would then drag the cart to me by hauling on the rope, I would then transfer the bags to the next cart and Burt would then haul them to his position. All was going well until the rope became undone between me and Burt and I ended up with no cart on the end of it, and then had to crawl down the passage to retrieve the lost end of rope. A good job was done and I think we must have moved about 30 to 40 bags of spoil in all.
I even had time to crawl into bone chamber and can see why it’s got that name. Not sure what animal remains are in there but it has been there a long time.
We all decided that we had done enough for one evening and Flexx went back up the rift first. Glad Andy had told us to bring a hand jammer to aid free climbing back up with the aid of the rope. I think we both got up there reasonably well considering how much of that sticky Mendip mud we had stuck to us. Flexx’s new warmbac didn’t look too new now.
It didn’t take long to get to the last Z bend and we could smell the cold night Mendip air coming through the small rabbit hole that is the entrance and exit of Rods pot.
That was our first cave digging trip, did we make any great discoveries of new cave systems, no not this time anyway.

______________________________________________________________________