Dates: 16-17th November 2024.
Friday
This was a special evening trip to see the amazing Wells Carnival. It is one of the largest illuminated carnivals in Europe and proved to be a spectacular 2.5 hours worth of entertainment for Paul, Barbara and Claire. Fortunately, the weather was kind being cold, but dry. You've definitely missed out if you've not seen one of the Somerset carnivals before, so make sure you rectify that next year!
Saturday
The planned trip was to enter swildons hole, get to the mud sump, pass this and then head towards shatter series. |
| The Team left to right - paul, Claire, Arwel, Bob & Alex |
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| Paul negotiating his first ladder |
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| Claire navigating one of the pots in the main stream way. |
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| Paul in Barnes loop. |
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| Paul in a tight spot! |
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| Claire passing through a squeeze on her way to mud sump. |
Upon arriving at the mud sump the team set about bailing out the pool to lower it so it could be passed. After 1.5 hours of concerted effort the consensus was to abandon the some what futile exercise. We did manage to lower it 3-4 inches but this was no where near enough for the sump to open up as a duck.
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| Mud sump. |
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| Alex using the ingenious pump, we found that pouring a little water into the top lubed up the pump… |
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| Bob ensuring the pump tube feeds the water into the collector strung up into the ceiling. |
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| Claire and Paul lifting the water into the next collector, back breaking work! |
We returned to the main stream headed down to sump 1, passed this and went as far as sump 2, all new territory for Paul.
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| Paul and Claire beyond Sump 1 |
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| Paul and Duncan near Sump 2 |
In the evening we had food at the Queen Vic in Priddy then a couple of cheeky pints at the Hunters.
Sunday
Sunday was a gentler affair with a visit to GB cave. Arwel and Alex were replaced by David, a mate of Bob’s also from the South Bristol Speleogical Society. We made our way through the system to Bat passage. Some of the team wormed their way into Great chamber.
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| Duncan soaking up water in Ladder Dig, yeah it was tight! |
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| Paul at some white stall in Bat passage. |
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| Bat Passage |
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| Bob in Great Chamber |
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| Bob belaying Claire back down the ladder dig pitch. |
Upon exiting GB cave we were greeted by a torrential down pour, as if we didn’t need more wetting!
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