Saturday 27 February 2016

Evening trip 23.2.16

Team: Kim Allkins, Vince Allkins, Lisa Boore, Phil Cullen, Paul Tarrant, Claire Vivian

This was Phil's second visit to OFD, but first visit to Top Entrance. Phil had worked in the coal mining industry for around 20 years and had contacted the club explaining how keen he was to visit OFD. Ever happy to oblige at SWCC, Vince and Kim showed Phil around OFD1 earlier this month and this was his second visit to sample some of OFD2. We showed him Big Chamber, Arete Chamber, Wedding Cake, Corkscrew, Salubrious, Trident and Judge and Swamp Creek. Phil found some aspects of the trip challenging, but still enjoyed it and thanked SWCC for enabling him to see sights he would not otherwise have seen. He even took his camera to help record the trip and has shared some photos with us below. Thanks Phil!

We all surfaced to a clear, chilly night. Meeting (and making) friends and practicing routefinding skills underground is far better than sitting at home in front of the TV or computer screen, so come and join us one evening. Contact: assistant_meets_sec@swcc.org.uk

Trip time: 2.5hrs


Formation near the Wedding Cake (Photo: Phil Cullen)

Lisa, Paul, Vince and Kim near the Wedding Cake

Vince, Paul and Kim in Swamp Creek (Photo: Phil Cullen)

Phil near Big Chamber

Lisa and Paul near the Wedding Cake (Photo: Phil Cullen)

Phil admires the Wedding Cake

Lisa in Salubrious

Lisa traversing in Salubrious


Wednesday 17 February 2016

OFD evening, 16.2.16

Team: Lisa Boore, Chloe Francis, Steve Hepple, Paul Tarrant, Dan Thorne, Claire Vivian

All the perfect ingredients for a fun evening trip tonight: good company, mild peril and cake. We headed via the walking route to the Mini Columns to start with and then completed the circuit by heading down the climb (long legs useful here!). Next it was a wander over to Speedy Caver and some exploration around the Bedding Chambers. We tiptoed around some deep holes heading in to Gnome Passage and traversed over the top of Andy and Antonia's newly rigged pitch there before taking some circuitous routes to Shale Chamber. To end the trip we had some fun looking around the Train series, where everyone enjoyed the entrance squeeze... Total trip time was around 2.5 hours and all the time we were exploring areas probably only 10 minutes from the entrance. The evening was topped off by a banana loaf made by Chloe. Excellent!



L: The team down climbing by the mini Columns; R: Dan on Speedy Caver.
Lisa climbing up Speedy Caver

Some pretties along the way.
Chloe, Paul, Steve, Dan and Lisa
Cake for all (except Steve) to end tonight's trip


2015: A Year in Trips



A lot happened for SWCC members in 2015! Here are just some of the photographic highlights that I have found from both below and above ground. Here's to an even more active 2016 for all SWCC members.

January
Whisky tasting at the Penderyn distillery, organised by Chloe Francis.
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Photos by Vaughan Budd.

Chilly white water rafting at Cardiff’s International White Water centre.
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Photos by Stuart Reedman.

14 Swansea University Mountaineering Club members visit SWCC to try out caving. 9 SWCC members supported this visit by helping to lead trips.
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February
Provisional Members’ Weekend.
18 people either new cavers or cavers new to SWCC attended this and had a great time. They were supported by an eager and helpful team of 10 current members. A further 5 of our members also helped Southampton University Caving Club find their way around OFD and cave entrances in the Clydach Gorge as well as taking them on a round trip in Dan yr Ogof. Following that trip, it was even possible for one of their members to be signed off as a DYO warden.
Thanks received from Southampton:

I wanted to e-mail to say thank you for your help during our recent visit to the SWCC (13th-15th February 2015).

Although you had your own things going on with your provisional members weekend, it was brilliant that you offered some guides to help us with the OFD through-trip, caves of the Clydach Gorge and Dan-Yr-Ogof. I very much appreciated the time taken to show us some of the lesser visited caves and to help us plan for trips there. I also was grateful for our trip into DYO as I had resigned myself to not being able to visit since an opportunity I had in 2000 where, as a committee member of SUCC, I had to give up my place on the trip so that others could go. We had an excellent weekend and I look forward to caving with some of you again sometime.
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The February Yorkshire trip was organised by Gary and Jo. Everyone stayed at the BPC hut, it was raining, there was an Easegill permit, but I can’t find any photos.

March
SRT training at SWCC.
2 days’ worth of training with the help of Helen Hooper and Andy Jones. Saturday was above ground in the quarry and Sunday was in Top Entrance and Pwll Dwfn. 12 members were involved in this.
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Whitewalls Weekend.
Staying at Whitewalls. Craig a Ffynnon and the Turkey Streamway in Agen Allwedd were visited. These were new caves for some of the trip members.
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Mendip Weekend
The Shepton Mallet hut was the base for this and trips in GB and Swildon’s Hole were completed.
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Mendips, Upper Flood Swallet
Several members also enjoyed a visit to Upper Flood and took some fantastic photos to show from it.
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                     Neverland photos by Mark Burkey.
April
Cantabria, Spain.
The club’s annual pilgrimage to Spain organised by Gary Vaughan. Trips were enjoyed in Gandara -fantastic formations and a first class through-trip and Tonio (15 pitch pull-through trip – almost 300m metres of abseiling) amongst others. If you haven’t been yet, you’ve missed out.
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May
AGM and Otter Hole
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Before and after pictures at Otter Hole. Photos by Piers Hallihan.

June
Summer Yorkshire meet organised by Jo White.
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Photos by Duncan Hornby.

North Wales Mines meet arranged by Allan Richardson.
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Photos by Duncan Hornby.

July
Dent de Crolles expedition organised by Gary Vaughan.
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Photos by Tony Baker
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                                                           Photo by Tony Baker
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                                                            Photos by Miri Pihlaja

Via Ferrata in the Dolomites organised by Andrea Lewingdon.
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August
Forest of Dean meet
Wet Sink and Miss Grace’s Lane.
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Milwr tunnel and climbing in North Wales
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Devon meet
Baker’s Pit, Bunker Hole and Reeds Cavern
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September
Parys Mountain
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Croesor-Rhosydd through trip 
Rich abseiling in to the canoe in the Chamber of Horrors

 SRT training in Yorkshire
This was the second part of the SRT training with Helen Hooper and Andy Jones. Sell Gill, Simpsons and Bull Pot were visited.
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Evening trips start
There is currently an active programme of evening trips among local SWCC cavers. Trips take place most weeks, usually on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening. All welcome! If you are interested contact assistant_meets_sec@swcc.org.uk to join in.
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Photos by Paul Tarrant and Andy and Antonia Freem

October
Box mine
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Photo: Duncan Hornby

Mendip weekend
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November
Provisionals’ weekend
17 new provisional members made their first forays underground in OFD this weekend.
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Whitewalls weekend. Photos: Mark Burkey.
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