Down and dirty in the Forest!

Team: Bill Buxton, John Cliffe, Duncan Hornby, Ollie Jones, Sanita Lustika, Sally Richards, Richard Sore, Anna Stickland, Claire Vivian

Dates: 6-8th September 2019.

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Last weekend saw a trip to the Forest of Dean with two teams: one visiting Big Sink the other Otter Hole. Some of us stayed at the Beeches farm campsite, a convenient base for accessing the caves and Saturday nights curry in Chepstow.

Otter Hole - Photo by Sanita

Saturday

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Big Sink

This is a cave that has been on our caving radar for some time and this weekend was our first trip into this seldom visited system. John kindly offered to lead it. Alarm bells should have gone off; in an email exchange with Paul Taylor he referred to it as a tough trip and John said last time he entered it his caving friend vowed never to return … How bad can it be?

John unlocking the entrance to Big Sink.

Duncan post trip rating - delete as applicable:

• This is an arduous trip with serious implications for a rescue
• Just shoot me now you’ll be doing me a favour
• Hell will freeze over before I ever go back in that cave
• It was a nice relaxing bimble of trip with no stress.

Duncan when he was still smiling before he met the 200m rift.

The entrance is another one of those amazing scaffolded sections which leaves you seriously impressed by the amount of effort the diggers had done to open it up. It was also extremely rusty, wooden planks rotted out and loose boulders held back by nothing more than our collective will power.

The entrance shaft...

The time-honoured road sign in any dug out section...

A short crawling section leads to the top of a 14m pitch. Bolts are a bit rusty but it gave a nice clean hang, ideal for people wanting to learn SRT. We had a 27m rope backed up to several other rusting bolts and had length to spare. Suggest you use a maillon on the main hang. The pitch descends into the impressive first chamber.

John at the pitch head.

Claire descending the pitch.

With all down and SRT kits removed we walked about 5m around the corner to discover it closes down into a tight gnarly rift…

This rift is the show piece of the system, 200m long, impossible to follow at a constant height, it required 200m of thrutching at multiple levels in severely restricted space. Anything that could snag did, it’s also a suit shredder! I (Duncan) am about 1.7m tall and of average build (and a little bit overweight). This was right on the limits of what I could physically fit in, anyone larger than me would find this even more difficult if not impossible. With committing horizontal moves over 3-4m drops it was frankly constant fear all the way until we finally exited it.

Duncan in a section of the 200m rift (such an innocuous name…). Here he is having to thrutch along at roof level the only space large enough.

Duncan moving horizontally through rift whilst not trying to slip down further into the rift.

Claire’s hand for scale, it’s going to be tight!

Duncan in a section of the rift where he can actually stand vertically!

Sometimes the only space large enough is at the bottom of the rift.

Claire says if there are people out there who do not like the Daren Cilau entrance series, then don't come here, because the Rift is more awkward and technical than the Daren entrance series, especially with tackle sacks.

Duncan half way through the rift and exhausted. It's a dry cave, so that's pure sweat.

Of course, John and Claire seemed not to be phased by the experience. Not impressed! (Claire says give the smallest person the bag to carry).

The exit out of the rift is awkward and requires a 5m rope as it is over hanging. An in situ rope was there but this cannot be assumed to always be there. While the rift is great for short people, this climb is not a friendly one at all and Claire was not keen on this.

We visited Yorkshire Pot, an aven that apparently does not lead anywhere and then onto Formation Passage via a set of flat out crawls.

Mud formations at Yorkshire Pot.

After admiring a set of straws, the sort you past and give no acknowledgement in say OFD, we headed out.

There are formations, but all Duncan can think of is the return trip through the 200m rift...

Claire in Formations Passage. Not a bead of sweat on her!

With adrenaline fuelled fear I entered the rift for 200m of straight up misery, weirdly it felt quicker getting out. Man was I glad to see the pitch!

We retraced our steps out, exited the cave and found Bill chillin’ out next to the cars.

For route finding the cave is essentially a Y shape so you can’t get lost, get stuck maybe but not lost!

Duncan suffered, several days after knees were still sore and a horrible rash appeared on his elbows! A recent visit to the Doctors suggested it was some sort of contact dermatitis.

Duncan's arm - itchy rash on both elbows. Doctor says it's contact dermatitis.

We survived!

Trip time: 5 hours

Otter Hole - Over the tide trip

Trip time: 9-12 hours
Group size: 7 people
Report and photos by Sanita

We started about an hour later than we originally thought due to one of the group being stuck in traffic. So our way to the cave was at a brisk pace and then a full speed to the sump to make sure we get there before it closed. This involved a lot of sliding in the mud. The very slight downwards angle helped to slide, but you don’t really notice it until you are coming up and it suddenly feels way more difficult than what you remember. After all the crawly bits we got to the sump. There was way less water than what our group leader, Henry, had expected. This made getting through it a way more pleasant experience (as much as getting stuck in the mud can be.) After the sump we got to the area with a river and brushes, indicating it’s time for cleaning up! This marked the point past which the pretties began and, oh boy, they were well worth every bit of mud we accumulated on the way in and out. We took our time to make sure we don’t have to spend a lot of time waiting for the sump to open in the end. Possibly too much time as we reached the end of the cave at around 5pm. Our callout time was 8pm and at a speed, it takes 2.5 hours to get back out. At this point, we split into two groups and the race to get back out began. While coming in, I was shining my light on every pretty I spotted and trying to capture as many as I can, going out I only ever remember muddy rocks, a lot of them!

The following photos were taken on the way in and speak for themselves, a cave full of amazing formations.

Anna and Sally taking photos

Sally taking photos in a comfortable spot.

Anna showing the muddy side of Otter Hole!

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Sunday

With everyone feeling too trashed from their Saturday adventures everyone elected for a nice stroll at Symonds Yat as the weather was nice and sunny. We walked to the spectacular view point, had tea and cake then Richard showed us various climbing spots. These were all trad-climbs (no bolts in place) and were hidden away in a wooded section.

The view point at Symonds Yat.

The gang (Duncan, Claire, Sanita & Richard).

Eventually we had to go our separate ways and Claire was yet again let down by our wonderful modern rail system so rather than leaving her stranded in Chepstow I dropped her off with Sanita at Bristol Parkway for what I can only assume was an epic journey home…

We even managed to do a short through trip near the climbing walls!

Forest of Dean Caving

SWCC Team - Jill Brunsdon, Bill and Doreen Buxton, John Cliffe, David Eason, Mark Hampton, Duncan Hornby, Andy Jones, Barbara Lane, George Linnane,Darren Mackenzie, David Mullin, Angie Peacock,Claire Vivian, & Tarquin Wilton-Jones

Otter Hole Leader - Paul Taylor

Trip Dates - 17th - 19th August 2018

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Base of operations was the Beeches Farm Campsite. A fully featured campsite with a great view of the Wye valley...when it’s not raining…

Sunday morning breakfast in the rain… Photo by Angie Peacock.

Cavers were split across two teams on Saturday with team A having a very early start for Otter Hole lead by Paul Taylor whilst team B had a leisurely start visiting Miss Graces Lane down the road.

On the Sunday various people left leaving a core team of 5 joined by John and Tarquin allowing us to split into two teams for Wet Sink. John lead the faster team as Andy and Darren had a long return trip North whilst Tarquin thrashed the hell out of the rest of us taking us on a flat out crawling, chest crushing, high traverse knee shaking tour of the system!

Saturday

Otter Hole

A team of four from SWCC (Andy, Darren, David and George) lead by Paul Taylor were gone by 6am to ensure they were at the entrance as it opened. Andy and Darren pushed through to the bitter end whilst the others were content with getting as far as Long Straw Chamber. If you don’t fancy slogging through slippery mud for hours and tight squeezes then you can watch from the comfort of your armchair a short video on the making of a film of Otter Hole by Paul himself.

Miss Graces Lane

David arrived at the campsite and patiently waited for us to stop faffing. We then drove down the lane, parked and changed, the cave entrance being only 30m away in a depression.

After my rigging was made safer we abseiled into the cave down the 28m concrete shaft.

Team at entrance of Miss Grace’s Lane

All the way down were spiders galore, so an arachnophobic nightmare!

One of the many spiders guarding the entrance…

Only 3 of us had visited the system before but none of us were confident in knowing the way. Thankfully we had printed off the map and guide and were able to navigate the system reasonably well. We visited Dog tooth chamber, passed through Dome Chamber, Nurden Hall, Canyons Hall,Phreatic causeway, Phreatic drop, Satanic Traverses and as far as Fin Pillar Junction.

Angie in Dogtooth Chamber

Phreatic drop had a tricky drop, easy to get down but without a sling awkward to return, Angie and Jill decided against continuing. Duncan dropped out at the Satanic Traverses (the clues in the name) and only the brave continued to Fin Pillar Junction.

Dome Hall

On the return we decided to pop into the Winter Storm series, which turned out not to be some squalid failed dig but a surprisingly long section with Jill and Duncan pushing to the bitter end of some dig, well worth a poke around.

Meanwhile on the surface Barbara went on a circular walk taking in the local scenery.

Trip time was about 5 hours.

After freshening up back at the campsite, 5 of us visited the Devil’s Pulpit, a stone outcrop with a spectacular view of Tintern Abbey in the Wye Valley.

Devil’s Pulpit

At the end of the day we all reconvened at the campsite, then headed off for an excellent curry at the Sitar Balti in Chepstow.

Team enjoying the Saturday night meal.

Sunday

Wet Sink

John Cliffe arrived at the campsite, the rain set in and breakfast was consumed standing up. After tents were packed up we split into walkers and cavers.

Today needed to be a shorter caving day for some as two needed to return to Yorkshire that evening. Consequently, we split in to 2 groups. One did the standard round trip in Wet Sink (John, Andy and Darren) and the other group added extensions on to the trip such as Flow Choke and the Snow Gardens (Tarquin, Duncan, Mark and Claire). This part of the blog records the longer trip.

Tarquin’s memory for caves knows no bounds. Despite this being only his third visit to the cave, he still had the survey and place names virtually perfectly in his head. Don't know how he does it!

We set a good pace and sped through the earlier sections of the cave. It was not long before we were up Zurree Aven, through the Graveyard and Gnome Garden then onto the Three Deserts where a mix of stooping and crawling was required, finally slowing us down. We first visited Flow Choke before heading back to look at the Dog’s Grave.

Mark in a taped section of system.

Tarquin some how knew of a short cut to the Dog skeleton, involving a vertical squeeze that you "simply" drop through to end up a matter of metres away from the skeleton. Whilst the other slithered through I breathed out and completely wedged. That horrible feeling of dread set in that induces instant panic and I desperately moved myself as I could not physically breath. Thankfully gravity won over size and my chest passed through. Anyone large should not attempt this squeeze.

Tarquin helping Duncan through the squeeze

Norman the dog

The trek up to Snow Gardens starts beyond Dog's Grave. Be prepared for exposed traversing and some splendid formations! Duncan got only so far along the high traverses before the fear kicked in and he dropped out whilst the rest pushed onwards.

The spectacular Snow garden formation

Mark at the Snow Garden

With Duncan de-rigging the entrance and Tarquin bringing a frog to the surface we exited the system around 6pm.

A successful team (Tarquin, Duncan and Claire, Mark taking the photo)

Forest of Dean: cider, cold nights and hot caves

Trip Date: August 1st-2nd 2015

Team:    SWCC: John Cliffe, Lel Davies, Duncan Hornby, Iain Miller, Claire Vivian
              RFDCC: Paul Taylor


What’s better than arriving late on a Friday night at someone's house looking for keys to local caves? Arriving late on a Friday night and having a glass of homemade cider shoved into your hand then walking out into a garden with a spectacular nighttime view of Chepstow Castle on the banks of the river Wye! This was how Jan Karvik welcomed us, a local key holder for the Forest of Dean caves we had planned to visit. Claire and I drank our cider, marveled at the view and eventually headed off to the Beeches campsite a few miles north to find Iain and Lel huddled in their camper van. With a clear night and a full “blue” moon the campsite took on an almost magical appearance and plummeted to 5°… At midnight we all retired to our respective tents as we could not take the cold any more.

Trip 1 - Wet Sink

The following day Claire and I met up with John Cliffe at the Apex Outdoor shop North of Coleford, had a quick coffee and headed off to Wet Sink which was a few minutes drive North. John lead the trip from behind to allow Claire and I to learn the route. I rigged the two pitches (we used a 20m & 30m rope) with John providing best practise advice. As a side note the two pitches are beginner friendly with easily accessible pitch heads, so no shaky legs whilst desperately hanging over bottomless pitches. Anyone wishing to learn or improve their rigging skills would find Wet Sink a great cave to hone their skills.

After some cwm dwr style crawling we popped out into the main stream way and headed downstream. We went as far as sump one to have a look then tracked back upstream a short distance and entered Coal Seam passage. The nature of the cave changed and became very dry and dusty. This section seemed to go on for ages with non-stop stooping and crawling. We eventually came to a T junction where I collapsed in a sweaty heap! We rested a while then navigated our way through an area of break down to pop out into another T junction and into the large passage known as the Chunnel. Going left we entered a section known as the three deserts which involved flat out crawling and much overheating! After the three deserts it was at least standing and we eventually made it to the Dog’s grave passage. Walking down this passage you are soon confronted with a sign, beware of the dog!

The sign warning you of what’s around the corner

Around the corner is the partially fossilized remains of a dog with it’s lead and rubber chewy!

Claire, John and the dog skeleton.

We headed back through the three deserts and continued along the Chunnel, passing the Coal Seam turn off. At the end of the Chunnel the nature of cave changed again becoming wetter and finally some formations (Gnome garden). We then descended a set of wet climbs, followed by some crawling to pop out into the main stream way which we followed downstream eventually returning to the start of our round trip. On the way out Claire de-rigged the pitches. Total trip time 5 hours.

We headed back to the campsite and met up with Lel and Iain. In the evening we all went to The George Inn in St. Briavels.

Lel, Claire, Iain, John and Duncan at the George Inn, St. Briavels

After the meal John headed home and the rest of us went back to the campsite for another night of cloudless skies, spectacular full moon and a balmy 6°…

Trip 2 - Miss Grace’s Lane

On Sunday Paul Taylor (RFDCC) met us at the campsite at 9.30am. After much chatting we left about 10:30 for the cave.

A classic example of Faff now, cave later!

Iain was planning to come on this trip but had been recovering from a recent shoulder injury and decided not to join. The Miss Grace’s Lane cave is only half a mile from the campsite at an obvious lay-by. The cave is in a dip just over the fence and is a concrete entrance with a 30m fixed ladder. We decided to abseil in which you can rig off the metal frame shown in the image below.

Claire and Paul preparing to abseil the 30m entrance

After the initial entrance there are a couple of fixed ladders with the last requiring you to step off to the side to get into the main cave (Break through chamber).

The cave is dry, dusty and the limestone has a red colour to it. There was lots break down which created a rabbit warren of climbing over or crawling under and I very quickly got disorientated. Thankfully Paul knew exactly where he was at all times. We passed through sizable chambers such as Dome chamber and Nurden Hall. I was overheating whilst Paul and Claire looked unphased.

We passed through interesting water sculptured passages and then descended a committing rift which would have been difficult in reverse. The bottom of this rift marked the beginning of the canyons and started with a squeeze. Not an area for the larger person! We travelled along these impressive canyons to arrive at The Satanic Traverses. These traverses have no rope protection and are really quite deep (i.e. I could not see the bottom). Whilst I was busy soiling my pants Paul and Claire were cartwheeling across these…

With more canyon walking and passing under an unbelievable gravity defying bit of “hanging death” we finally got to Plummet Chamber. This marked the limit of our trip; we turned round and to my horror headed back over the traverses…

Paul took us back via a different route passing some extremely dodgy sections. These were taped off to indicate do not to touch otherwise they would be the last thing you touch! Eventually we entered Nurden Hall and into Dome Chamber. At this point we did a short diversion into Dog Tooth Chamber to see some impressive crystal formations.

“Sweaty” Duncan at the Dog Tooth formation

Close up of the crystal formation

After Dog Tooth Chamber we returned to the entrance and powered up the 30m fixed ladder to discover Iain patiently waiting at the entrance. Total trip time 4.5 hours.

These trips were excellent adventures; with a mixture of impressive engineering, stream ways, large chambers, flat out crawls, pitches, scary traverses, fossils and formations. My only bit of advice is make sure you bring drinking water, you are going to need it!