Tag Archives: OFD2

OFD Top to Bottom through trip. Trig and Huw Jones 23/6/18

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Driving to Penwyllt on such a sunny day its hard to process that for the next few hours you are going to willingly go underground and descend a hill only to then walk back up it but classic trips are worth it.

We met up, had a quick chat with Brendan at the club who happily gave us the key and then we studied the survey.

Kit on we plodded our way to the top and by the time we reached OFD2 it felt like I had already sweat out a days worth of sweat! We quickly got into the cool and got started.

I lead the way to Maypole Inlet via the main routes stopping only at Gnome passage to get a picture with my new lamp on full (cheers Roy!) the route all seemed fairly familiar even though the last time I had been down Maypole was 17 years previous. We climbed down the free climb into the inlet itself and slid our way to the ladder where we stopped for another picture. As we approached the climb into streamway I said happily to Huw ”at least it’s not slippy” and within seconds all I could see was Huw very rapidly descending into the stream but luckily he managed to stop himself! I don’t think ill tempt fate like that again this trip.

Gnome passage

Gnome passage

Maypole inlet climb

Maypole inlet climb

Climbing down Maypole ladder

Climbing down Maypole ladder

We made good progress down the stream way which was low but stunning nonetheless and arrived at the sump for a quick look, we then back tracked up-stream and jumped out at the Great Oxbow to by-pass the sump.

Jumping back into the stream from the oxbow we continued on our way at good speed enjoying the many potholes and plunge pools en route. There always comes a point where you just have to accept your legs aren’t long enough and just enjoy the cooling water. After quite a lot of stream way the walls start to get pretty….very pretty and before you know you are in Marble Showers. What a place, never ceases to amaze me the beauty of OFD and hands down the best underground stream in the UK. We stopped for a water break and for some pictures.

Marble Showers

Marble Showers

Marble Showers

Marble Showers

Marble Showers

Marble Showers

Marble Showers

Marble Showers

Carrying on even further down stream we passed, on the right, the confluence for main and Cwm Dwr stream. We lost the stream soon after and ended up in Piccadilly. What a huge and amazing place to test out the new lamp and stop for a bit to eat.

Piccadilly

Piccadilly

Piccadilly

Piccadilly

We carried on and climbed up divers pitch which is a relatively if not ever so slightly exposed free climb with an in-situ old handline to aid. At the top we turned right into the crawls which would soon post us out of the Letterbox where obviously we had to take some pictures of the flat out backwards crawl leading to a sudden drop and a chain to assist climbing out. We had a quick scan and head down the slope underneath the Letterbox and into chokes for the way on. To say we had a quick navigational boo boo would be over exaggerating, we just wanted to spend bit more time in the lovely loose choke…..

Divers Pitch

Divers Pitch

Letterbox emerging sequence!

Letterbox emerging sequence!

Letterbox2 Letterbox3

Once through Huw mentioned about going to visit Dip Sump, the point of many of the early dives into OFD2 itself from the bottom entrance long before the days of a dry connection and a top entrance.

All that was left now was to head towards the dry Breakthrough point and choke and make our way into OFD1 which took no time at all apart from pausing in the choke to admire the old scaffold that has substantially bent in the years gone by luckily now backed up with a new one!

We made our exit through OFD1 quickly only pausing to try to find Huw’s glove which has been swallowed by the albeit dribble of a stream and also the standard swim in Pluto’s bath.

We exited the cave after 4 and a bit hours to a raging hot day, good job we’ve got a hill to climb in our caving kit……….

Top Waterfall OFD2 via The Nave Pitches 22/4/18

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After our  trip to Pwll Dwfn a few weeks previous myself, Huw Jones & Richard Gledhill decided a trip to top waterfall was in order and via The Nave pitches for a bit more SRT loving. Now i’m going to mention that Tom Williams was meant to be joining us but because he had 3 pints 3 days before the trip he decided he was still hungover (these young un’s)

We met at Penwyllt at the gentlemanly time of 10am (standard cavers meet, worldwide) had a look at the topo of the pitches and packed the bags and made the glorious journey up to the top entrance. We took the main trade route down into Salubrious and onwards to the pitches themselves which only took 15-20 minutes travelling time.

Pausing for a quick drink we started to kit up and I went forward to rig the first pitch under the watchful and critical eye of my uncle!

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The krab was turned round after this picture!.......my bad

Descending the pitch a deviation is required to avoid rope rub and the anchor point was spotted quite quickly so I clipped a deviation into place. It was this point I realised why it is called The Nave. Stunning place! and quite quickly after clambering up some boulders the second pitch was met requiring an initial natural anchor point. A suitable boulder was chosen (i.e me and Richard could not move the beast!) Now I enjoyed rigging this pitch as its more free hanging and a nice free descent to the bottom with more stunning views of this beautiful system.

Natural anchor

Natural anchor

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Posing as normal

Posing as normal

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Richard checking below before descent

After a short bit of caving and down a short traverse the 3rd and final pitch was met which Richard was going to rig. An in-situ rope is in place for pull through trips as there is only natural anchors. We decided to rig our own as we planned to prussik this way back out on our exit. After spending a short time trying to find a suitable boulder (which there is many boulders but all loose) we were all making our way down into an Oxbow at the bottom.

After a quick check nav on the survey we were on our way splashing upstream. We jumped out the stream at Pendulum passage to seek out a climb that Andy Freem had told us about back at the club but decided against the free climb. Me and Huw then carried on upstream to Top Waterfall whilst Richard had a poke around in Pendulum.

Arrived at the waterfall and photos were taken at this breathtaking underground fall. I loved it that much I decided to be at one with the streamway and slipped over straight into the plunge pool at the bottom ruining my pork pies which I had stupidly forgotten to zip up the waterproof bag! all recorded on film……

Top waterfall before my swim

Top waterfall before my swim

Me and Huw turned round at this point and met Richard on our way back downstream and agreed we would start to climb out whilst he visited the waterfall. En route we discovered a poor frog who had decided to come caving aswell (his fate unknown) and when Richard joined us back at the pitch he told us that he had seen a trout of all things.

We exited the pitches each taking a pitch in turn to de-rig and made our way out of the cave stopping for a few tourist shots on the trade routes.

An amazing medium shortish trip but with plenty to do, next time will be a pull through and downstream.

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We are good at smiling in our family.....

We are good at smiling in our family…..

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In Search of The Northern Lights, OFD2 – August 20th 2017

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Barry Burn
Tom Williams
Vicky Blümel
Zeb Zerbino

We were getting close to our destination now, the Northern Lights in Ogof Fynnon Ddu2. We were three members of Brynmawr Caving Club, Myself, Rob and Mick, and had got to a point where there was a squeeze up through a dug out section over boulders and under a low section of roof. Mick and I had slithered into the comfortable standing space beyond and were watching as Rob tried to get through. Unfortunately Rob’s efforts were coming to nothing, “It’s my chest” he groaned as he tried a different contortion. “Try moving over a bit” we helpfully suggested, “Or on your back,” but, try as he might, Rob wasn’t going to be seeing the Northern Lights that day. I had visited there on a couple of occasions and Rob and Mick were yet to see this impressive part of the system. We made a quick decision that we’d stick together as a team and retreat as one. After all, Rob could lose a bit of weight and the next time we’d be sure to get through. Life has a habit of getting in the way and I ended working the other side of the country, Rob moved away and tragically, we lost Mick at far too young an age and so it was, that return to The Northern Lights with a slimmed-down Rob was never made.
It’s now August 2017 and after the passing of nearly twenty years, I have grown a bit older, a bit greyer and also a bit outwards, but am still enjoying trips into many of the South Wales caves. Tom, a young whippersnapper caver, and I were trying to decide where we would go at the weekend. I suggested OFD and thought that I detected him mumbling something about ‘showcaves.’ “How dare he?” I thought to myself and so suggested that we should visit somewhere a bit off of the usual tourist routes and head for The Northern Lights in OFD2. I quoted the description from ogof.org to him “That is accessed through a rather complicated and sporting route” and so it was settled. It was agreed that we would head for the Northern Lights but that bearing in mind that I had a hazy memory of it being a difficult place to find, that we’d be happy with just heading to that part of the cave with the intention of getting to know the area better.
On the day we were joined by Vicky and Zeb for the long walk up the track to the entrance. Luckily, we weren’t too far from the cottages when I asked who had the survey. Blank looks all round meant that they’d been left somewhere other than with us. “I gave them to you when we were filling in the ticket” said Vicky cheerfully as this meant that she could abrogate all responsibility and it was down to me to walk back and pick them up where she’d left them. So, I placed my Pelicase with containing the ‘F—ing camera’ as it was known to some and hurried back. At least now I could claim to have travelled further than even Young Whippersnapper Tom and have a reasonable excuse for being knackered later. So, I ambled back to where they were sitting with curious smirks on their faces, retrieved my Pelicase and we were off up the hill again.
The entrance was soon reached and as everyone was adjusting their kit, I produced my camera announcing that we had to do the obligatory selfie. I’d been sure to charge my camera as I love taking photographs of trips to record the experience. Many will inevitably turn out to be ‘crap’ but even these are valuable memories to be stored for later years. So, it was with a puzzled face that I looked at my camera as it failed to turn on. Repeated pressing of the power button gave nothing and I wondered if it had frozen so opened the battery compartment to remove the battery and reset it. The empty battery compartment induced a sense of shock, horror and bewilderment which gave way to comprehension as I connected the missing battery with the smirks seen early. “Okay give it back” and a few choice words resulted in my battery being sheepishly returned. I must admit to losing it slightly, there are some things people shouldn’t mess with, redheads, The Zohan, other people’s wives, and a photographer’s camera(I like to think I can call myself one). Now it was my turn to look sheepish as I got my way with the selfie and we opened the gate and entered the cool dark of the cave..

Obligatory Selfie

The plan was to head through The Brickyard to Gnome Passage and then The Wedding Cake. From here we’d head down Salubrious and a quick viewing of The Trident and The Judge before on to The Crossroads and the beautiful Selenite Tunnel, Shatter Pillar and then sort of find our way from there relying on the surveys and my memory.
It was soon apparent that someone was having oversuit trouble as it had obviously ‘shrunk’ causing some trouble when needing to climb in the Brickyard. No worries though, we carried on and were soon out and in Gnome Passage and turning into the passage that leads to the Wedding Cake. A short stop to admire this formation and, as usual, wondering who would want a cake like this for their wedding. It would be more accurate to call it the Wedding Splat. Young Whippersnapper Tom was eager to get going and led off down Salubrious and I followed. The odd little tearing sound as we clambered over boulders seemed to indicate that the oversuit situation was gradually resolving itself and we turned off for another short stop at The Trident. I was getting twitchy at this point as I hadn’t taken any photographs, this wasn’t normal. The camera was in the Pelicase instead of my inner oversuit pocket so it couldn’t be whipped out so easily. I had taken some pictures of the Judge and Trident last time I was here but was not happy with them and want to have another go with a bit more thought to the lighting. This wasn’t going to be the time though as we were off again to The Crossroads, across President’s Leap with me again telling myself that I shall have to find out why it is called that one day. In Selenite Tunnel I was allowed to take a photo and shot a couple of Vicky looking down the passage.
Selenite Tunnel
After this, we headed to Shatter Pillar and headed down where we had a choice of passages on the survey, the ‘straight way’ and the ‘wiggly way’ as we called them. We chose the ‘straight way’ which we followed to Cross Rift where more boulder clambering brought us to Mignight Passage and then into the top of Midnight Chamber.
We were running late by this point, we’d dawdled a bit and along with getting into the cave an hour late we loitered in Midnight Chamber and pondered where to go now. Someone did mention something about a nice pint of ale in the Briton but we weren’t going to head out yet. It was decided that the elite team of Young Whippersnapper Tom and Zeb The Snake would head off toward the Northern Lights with the survey and some vague recollections from me. These amounted to the squeeze where Rob got stuck, a longish ascending squeeze into the start of the Northern Lights and an ascending tube to be climbed. “Nothing too bad though” I said.
As the others headed off, Vicky and I went for a look down Midnight Passage. It’s not an unpleasant passage and you can soon hear the streamway up ahead. Pausing to take photos, we soon had used up half our alloted time and retraced our steps back to Midnight Chamber to find our intrepid explorers moaning about squalid crawls and water, “I really don’t remember any of that” I said. “Anyway, I want to try out my bulb firer” and produced a strange contraption that I’d made up from an old bulb firer and some spare wire. Vicky was placed at the end out of sight and Tom was told to stand in an ‘epic’ sort of way. “3, 2, 1 fire!” And there was light, lots of light, it worked!
Midnight Chamber
By now, the pub was calling and we headed off. Tom and I had a quick look up the passage that goes off below Frozen River and then we returned back via ‘Wiggly Way’ where we were surprised by some nice helectites and crystals on the walls along with a band of some fine fossils.
Wiggly Way HelectitesWiggly Way Fossils

The rest of the way was uneventful and was pretty much the inward trip in reverse until we emerged back into the outside again and back down the hill to change and a welcome pint in the Ancient Briton.

I don’t think I will ever tire of Ogof Fynnon Ddu, there are always places to go and new things to see in there. It just needs you to head off of the tourist routes and have a look down the small passages on the survey that you’d never bother with usually.
Young Whippersnapper Tom is keen for a visit to the end of OFD3, somewhere I’ve never been to yet. I think I should add it to the list.

OFD2 – Salubrious and Selenite 5th March 2017 by Barry Burn

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Barry Burn
Tom Williams
Nick De Gare-Pitt

All photographs by Barry Burn

Having sampled most of what OFD1 has to offer, I needed to get back to OFD2 and start to re-discover the delights that the more complex part of this system presents. So, it was that Tom and I were joined by Nick, an old member of Isca who was returning to caving after a long break.

Meeting at Penwyllt we soon discovered that opting for a trip on a CHECC weekend has it’s own problems with the huge numbers of hung-over students that were milling around looking for their trip leaders. At one point, Tom and I were examining the survey in the common room when we heard a subtle groan and discovered a comatose male student looking up at us and wondering where in the seven circles he had found himself. We offered to show him an eighth one but he just cuddled up under his blanket and tried hard to ignore us.

Tom was on his second trip into the system that weekend having helped out with leading hordes of students around the OFD2 system the day before. He was at pains to point out that technically he’d actually done 1 and a half trips as on exiting the cave with one group, he’d been grabbed, before he could escape out of the entrance, to help show another group around. He pointed out that this was the reason for the state of his kit, although I personally couldn’t see the difference from a normal trip.
Nick GlowingMuddy Tom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The three of us did the usual trudge up the hill, Tom dripping mud, whilst Nick and I looked more respectable alongside him (although Nick was glowing slightly in his nice new oversuit), to the OFD2 entrance. A pause for a selfie and we were off into the relative warmth of cave.

OFD2 Selfie

OFD2 Selfie

We were soon heading past Big Chamber Near The Entrance and via The Brickyard into Gnome Passage. The plan was to do one of the trade routes down Salubrious and then via Selenite Tunnel to Edward’s Shortcut and then back into Gnome Passage before heading out.

We were soon at The Wedding Cake that is more of a splat, perhaps it should be rename the Wedding Cake Smash. We headed up Chasm Passage for a look at The Chasm before retracing our path back to the start of Salubrious Streamway.

The Wedding Cake

The Wedding Cake

Chasm Passage

Chasm Passage

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
 

 

 

There was a group of students in front of us when we reached the Corkscrew so we waited to allow them to get ahead.

We soon caught up with them though and they asked for directions to the Trident and Judge. We’d borrowed a copy of the old survey and using this we gave them what we thought were the correct directions. Thinking we’d let them get ahead, we decided to go past the junction and have a look around before coming back to for a look ourselves. However, we soon found ourselves at The Trident and realising that the survey may have lied, Tom went back to get them on the right path whilst Nick and I stayed to take some photographs.

Nick at The Judge

Nick at The Judge

Nick And The Trident

Nick And The Trident

Tom reappeared with the students in tow and they were suitably impressed with the formations although none of them seemed able to ‘see’ the Judge. They soon left back up Salubrious and we headed in the other direction to see Selenite Tunnel.

Tom in Selenite Tunnel

Tom in Selenite Tunnel

Nickin Selenite Tunnel

Nickin Selenite Tunnel

We now just needed to head back to Gnome Passage via Shatter Pillar and then into Edward’s Shortcut. The climb up at the end of this has always been a slippery awkward climb but since I was there last, it seems to have become a really slippery awkward bastard of a climb. However, we were soon up and then back in Gnome Passage then back out the way we had come into the cold, sleety outside for a chilly walk back down the hill.

Group Selfie

Group Selfie

Me

Me

OFD II Rescue Practice – 3rd December 2016 by Huw Jones

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Tom Williams and Huw Jones

With thanks to Helen Stewart of Morgannwg C C for the photos.

Myself and Tom attended South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team’s annual Big OFD Practice. Apparently it was big to, as the organisers hadn’t seen as many people at a practice before. Apart from the local people like us, there were representatives from the Gloucestershire, North Wales and Irish cave rescue teams.

As there were so many people, two scenarios were run. Both myself and Tom decided to join the A Team! Actually, this was the beginners team, for people new to cave rescue or who hadn’t been to a practice for a while. That suited me as this was my first practice for over 15 years!

Our scenario was that someone had fallen off the slippery climb at the start of Edward’s Shortcut and sustained a lower leg injury. The casualty, Claire, (who had volunteered!) was to be assessed, her leg splinted, then ‘packaged’ into a stretcher, hauled up the climb (which was treated as a small pitch) and carried out of the cave, where she would be loaded into the team’s land rover and driven down to Penwyllt. Also, communications needed to be established, both to the surface, where a person was stationed to relay messages to and from control at Penwyllt via radio and to the B Team involved with the second, more challenging, scenario.

The B Team were at the far end of Edward’s Shortcut and were to carry their, much heavier casualty, along the narrow winding passage and over the exposed traverse. In the end they brought their casualty all the way to the surface.

For underground communication, the team were using the new Cave Link system, which sends text rather than speech and which worked superbly.

Everything seemed to go well and I’m sure a lot was learned by everyone taking part.

Assessing the casualty. She's just out of shot on the right.

Assessing the casualty. She’s just out of shot on the right.

Carrying the casualty along Gnome Passage

Carrying the casualty along Gnome Passage

The team, with the casualty still in the stretcher, after successfully bringing her to the surface

The team, with the casualty still in the stretcher, after successfully bringing her to the surface

Ogof Ffynnon Ddu 2, Sunday 10th January 2016 by Huw Jones

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Andrew Zerbino, Michael Bergerac Young, Tom Williams, Vicky Blumel and Huw Jones

Photos – Huw Jones

Outside SWCCAfter a false start where there were no SWCC members around to sort us out with a key, we had a pleasant introductory trip into OFD 2. The passages and sights included Gnome, Salubrious, Trident, Judge, Swamp Creek, Selenite, Shatter Pillar, Cross Rift etc. Headed upto entrance with a group from Cambridge Uni and bumped into two different groups from Morgannwg CC, underground.

(2) Group in Gnome 2(5) Formations Vicky 2

Afterwards, we called into the Ancient Britton for a pint and to celebrate Vicky’s birthday with the cupcakes she brought along. One of the landlords (at least I think he was!) kindly lent us a candle! A short while later, we were joined by the Morgannwg lot.

BCC&MCC Ancient BritCupcakes

Ogof Ffynnon Ddu 2, Sunday 8th March 2015 by Steve Atkins

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Huw Jones and Steve Atkins

Photos – Steve Atkins

My first trip to OFD started well. After driving to the quarry at the top of the hill that leads to the South Wales Caving Club, the fog was that thick, I promptly turned around and went looking for the club elsewhere. Fifteen minutes later a phone call confirmed I was now a couple of miles from the club. If I’d driven 30 metres further in the fog, I would have arrived on time as planned.

When I arrived at the club, I was surprised to find two cavers of screen and still photograph fame – Brendan Marris and Mark Burkey. It was nice to meet these two after watching all their videos and admiring the fantastic photographs they’ve produced over the last year or so that I’ve been caving.

The entrance to OFD 2 is something to behold for an amateur caver like me. Alice in wonderland springs to mind, with the door being just over knee high. Once inside, the cave opens up and for the next 4 hours I’m sure Huw wished he had brought ear plugs with him, as all you could hear was me saying wow, that’s awesome, amazing and other such things, as with each step you take, more of the caves formations were revealed to us.

Near the Entrance
Gnome Passage
Wedding Cake

The first thing to see was Gnome Passage with its small calcite formations and the trickle of water in the background that makes them talk. This set the tone for the rest of the trip, as I do like to take a photograph or two hundred and Huw set off with his Japanese tourists in tow, complete with multiple cameras strung around neck.

Having not caved for just over four months, I found some of the clambering hard going and Huw had said there were a few high sections that I was not looking forward to, due to me not being a fan of anything over stepladder height.

Off we went to the next formation, the Wedding Cake. Pause for photos and a few ooohs and aaahs, then we carried on to the start of Chasm Passage and down through the Corkscrew. This is a little exposed at one point and I was trying not to look down at Huw who seemed to be 30ft below. Then it was on to Salubrious Passage, with its fine formations and the climb and traverse. We rounded a bend and there before us was the magnificent Trident. Pause for photos. I was drooling at this point. Huw then asked me to lead the next stretch. After assurances that the water was not to deep, off I went and there was the Judge. Awesome was the only word that I could mutter before I started snapping away and admiring the wonderful colours. There then followed a small streamway to Swamp Creek and more formations and you guessed it more photos.

Huw in Salubrious Passage
The Trident
The Trident
The Judge
Steve in Swamp Creek

We then headed back to Salubrious and Huw showed me the way to Maypole Inlet, which is the route to the Streamway. Then we backtracked to President’s Leap traverse and into Selenite Passage and it was time for another photo shoot. We then went onto Cross Rift, along to Midnight passage, to the bottom of Skyhook Pitch. I couldn’t remember much of this part of the trip as Huw had promised another traverse which was playing on my mind.

Selenite Passage
Selenite Passage
Cross Rift

So we went back to Cross Rift and up to Shatter Pillar, were we stopped and refiled the batteries in the cameras and had a quick chocolate bar to replace some energy. We then moved onto Edward’s Shortcut via the crystal pool and the ladder and then I’m sure we got a little lost (only a little Huw). We then faced the dreaded traverse which Huw flew across and I followed with the grace and speed of a 70 year old tortoise. I was glad to pass this without falling down the hole and with great relief it was onto the next obstacle, which Huw called the Slippery Climb which, after studying Huw’s struggle to the top, I decided to try a different approach and got to the top with the minimum of trouble and was quite pleased with the achievement.

Crustal Pool
Formations in Edward’s Shortcut
Big Chamber Near The Entrance

We were then coming to the end of our trip and headed through the Brickyard with its slippery rocks and onto the Big Chamber Near the Entrance, where we paused for a few more photos. We then headed out, passing a group of students on their way in.

Walking Back

Thanks to Huw for guiding me on my first, but not my last, visit to this awesome system.

Ogof Ffynnon Ddu 2, Sunday 12th January 2014 by Huw Jones

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Huw Durban, Taylor Durban, Morgan Specht, Huw Jones

We met at 9am at an almost deserted SWCC. There wasn’t a duty officer that weekend but one of the two SWCC members that were around sorted us out with a key.

We got changed and walked up to Top Entrance. It was a chilly morning and I was glad I’d brought hat and gloves. Morgan lead us to Gnome Passage, with a loop via the Big Chamber Near The Entrance. To start with I couldn’t see much as I could only get the two dimmest settings on my lamp plus a bit of flicker if I tried for a higher setting. When we got to Gnome, I decided I needed to do something about it and took the batteries out and then reinserted them. Sorted!

This was as far as Morgan had been in this area of the cave before. It was Taylor’s first time in OFD and Huw D said he hadn’t been in OFD2 for 25 years! We dropped down to the lovely Salubrious streamway and headed down stream. Morgan started taking photos as we went along. Unfortunately there was a problem with the memory card which resulted in there being no photos to show. We turned left after a while, to see The Trident and The Judge formations and carried on beyond, along the nicely decorated passage to the formations in Swamp Creek.

Returning to Salubrious, we turned right at the next junction. There was a passage up here, that I’d spotted on the survey, that I remembered had a really nice crystal pool. I’d only ever approached the passage from the other side before but the survey showed it was the first turning on the left so we couldn‘t miss it could we? After a little while we all felt that we’d gone too far. We should have turned around but of course we didn’t! We came to an s-bend with a funny little window in the middle and then an awkward rift. Beyond I arrived at an enlargement at a cross-roads. There was no cross-roads marked on the survey. The passage we were looking for was to the left so that’s the way I went, through a slightly muddy crawl, into a larger area with a booming echo. I called the others through but then discovered that the passage closed down at a grotto! We back tracked to the cross-roads and took the branch straight on, instead of left. This also closed down so we decided enough was enough and we should get back to somewhere that we knew where we were. Back at the cross roads again, I was certain that the remaining branch would take us back to Salubrious, upstream of the turning to The Trident and The Judge, which it did via an interesting little climb down. Later, on our way out, Morgan and I had to have another look. Morgan soon spotted the passage we were looking for – at the top of a 15’ overhanging climb!

Huw D really wanted Taylor to have a look at the Main Streamway so we decided to do that instead of heading over to the Midnight Passage area. First though, we headed for Selenite Tunnel. We briefly met another party returning from The Trident, before turning right into Selelnite and carefully crossing the chasm that is President’s Leap. Selenite really is a stunning bit of passage. Nicely scalloped walls of black limestone lined with pure white calcite, a flat mud floor and nice formations. Just a pity it doesn’t go on for longer. We waited for a short time at the other end, at Shatter Pillar, for Morgan to take a few photos and then followed an equally as nice passage down to Cross Rift. We turned left, admired more formations in the ceiling and made our way to Maypole Inlet via one wrong turning.

Here we got out the rope I’d brought and used it to line Taylor on the climb. We twisted our way down Maypole to the ladder and the climbs down to the stream. It had been very wet and we weren’t certain if we’d actually be going into the stream. It looked fine though, high but not dangerous so in we went. It was forecast to start raining in the early afternoon and it was now 12.30! We had a very quick look up and down the streamway before climbing back out. Huw said he’d definitely been there before (he had done a through trip in the past) but he had no recollection of Maypole at all.

Back up the ladder and the climbs and we had a quick bite to eat before the steep trek back to the entrance. Between Gnome and The Brickyard, Morgan pointed out a rock feature that is a useful landmark to choosing the correct route. He gave it a name that I don’t think any of use will forget in a hurry! He claims that someone else told him. You’ll have to ask Morgan.