Bailing out on Mendip...

Team: Bob Clay, Paul Collier, Alex Hannam, Duncan Hornby, Barbara Lane, Arwel Roberts & Claire Vivian

Dates: 16-17th November 2024.

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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

Paul negotiating his first ladder

Claire navigating one of the pots in the main stream way.

Paul in Barnes loop.

Paul in a tight spot!

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.

Mud sump.

Alex using the ingenious pump, we found that pouring a little water into the top lubed up the pump…

Bob ensuring the pump tube feeds the water into the collector strung up into the ceiling.

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.

Paul and Claire beyond Sump 1

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.

Duncan soaking up water in Ladder Dig, yeah it was tight!

Paul at some white stall in Bat passage.

Bat Passage

Bob in Great Chamber

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!

50 and caving!

Team: Duncan Hornby & Claire Vivian

Trip date: 4/5/21 & 6/5/21

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So... I've finally reached the big 5 'O! Tradition dictates getting friends, family and all my caving chums together for a big party.

Unfortunately for me, COVID stomped on that idea and although lockdown restrictions have eased up, there is no way I would be allowed to party with my friends... 😟

Thankfully Claire came to the rescue, saved me from a lonely birthday and dragged me underground (to be fair I didn't need much persuasion). Over 2 days last week we visited 3 caves on the Mendips.

So by way of kick starting the SWCC blog for 2021 I invite you to join me in my some what scaled down 50th birthday caving trips!

Fairy Cave

We parked at the Cerberus hut, got very lucky and bumped into a member staying there who informed us the code to the padlock had changed. Armed with the new code we headed off to Fairy Quarry to do the Fairy Cave to Hillier's through trip, a trip that Claire has never done.

My birthday cake at the entrance of Fairy Cave.

Keen to keep reminding myself it was my 50th birthday trip I kept the candles...

You try getting through that squeeze with candles!

We made our way to the connection to Hillier's, the flat out crawl in a puddle, which seemed like an obvious place to celebrate...

Yes, I have lost the plot...

So it was now time to sing happy birthday! Click on the video below to join in.

With my birthday candles finally giving up we entered Hillier's, and headed to the pretty Cambridge Grotto.

Cambridge Grotto formations.

Cambridge Grotto formations.

Claire back lighting a curtain.

Running out of time we quickly headed out passing through Tar Hall and the spider infested entrance to exit into late afternoon May sunshine.

Bath Swallet to Rod's Pot

2 Days later we returned to the Mendips to do the through trip. This is a short trip but with lots of variety. The entrance of Bath Swallet can be found in the first obvious depression on your left after the end of the track.

Claire and I at the entrance of Bath Swallet.

After a short scramble and crawl you get to the top of Shower Pot. This is a nice pitch, good for beginners, although the start of it is a bit awkward. There are several P-bolts and naturals to rig off at the pitch head and a 25m rope is more than enough. Having descended the pitch we leave the rope but take our harnesses.

Descending Shower Pot.

At the bottom of Shower Pot (with the pitch behind you), turn left and head down the obvious hole in the floor. Some crawling then you pop out at the bottom of Purple Pot. There thankfully is a handline in situ as purple pot is a bit slippery.

Claire climbing out of the top of Purple Pot.

You eventually pop out into Main Chamber in Rod's Pot and then it is a steep route finding ascent out of the cave. On the way back to the car I popped back into Bath Swallet and retrieved my rope.

Swildons Upper Series

With the through trip completed we headed over to Swildons Hole. We decided to keep this trip shorter and rather than blast our way down to sump 1 and back we were to explore the upper series and tick off as many circular routes that can be done.

Claire and I at the entrance of Swildons.

We are both familiar with the short dry way in so we attempted the long way in and ended up in a reasonable well decorated chamber before connecting with the main stream.

A chamber in the upper series of Swildons.

We then headed back out along the wet way out, which by its name implies you get quite wet! A word of caution there is a fairly tight squeeze along this route near the exit, large people will find that very difficult.

Although this trip was short it was really useful to link up sections of the cave and now provides alternate routes in/out.

So I hope you enjoyed my birthday caving and it will be great to read about others caving as more people get back underground?

Mega Mendip!

Team: Andy Freem, Antonia Freem, Tim Lewingdon, Andrea Lewingdon, Brendan Hoare, Chloe Taylor, Collin Hoare, Duncan Hornby, Liz Bristow, Mark Lee, Tenzin Lee, Matthew Jones, Jill Brunsdon, Paul Meredith, Haley Meredith, Phill Thomas, Sanita Lustika, Simon Protheroe, Steve Johnson, Clive Westlake, Claire Vivian

Trip Date: February 9th - 10th 2019

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With an astonishing 21 people meeting up on the Mendips there were trips for everyone. For a number in the group, it was their first away trip with the Club and it was great to see their enthusiasm! Most people turned up Friday with others arriving Saturday morning or Sunday for the Wookey Hole experience.

With so many people turning up we had a dilemma on how to assign people to appropriate trips. With some (beer powered) fast thinking on the Friday evening at the Hunters we worked out who should go with who balancing out experience alongside new trips for new people.

Curtain, back lit with lume cube, Upper Flood.

Saturday

Team SWCC split into 3 teams: a group visiting GB Cave, a team visiting Swildons Hole and the remaining visiting Upper Flood Swallet.

The GB Cave team (6 people) had a dodgy start discovering the key that had been provided to them did not extend to Charthouse caves and they made a mad dash back to the Wessex Club to pick the correct key. With the correct key they entered GB and made it all the way to the ladder dig extension and Bat passage.

The Swildon’s team (4 people) walked to the cave from the Shepton and got as far as the main pitch but were deterred by the volume of water. It had been raining quite heavily the previous day, so a smart move. They took the opportunity to explore the upper reaches of Swildons, sections that people often pass through without a thought as they head for Sump 1.

The Upper Flood team (4 people) were guided by Mike and Mike reaching the famous Neverland and Pork Pies. Due to the high water levels, sections of the trip required laying flat out in 8°C water for what seemed unnecessarily long periods making for a very cold and arduous 5 hours return trip. As always the formations make up for the misery!

The Pork Pies, Upper Flood.

Mike and Claire, admiring the main pure white formations.

Freem Productions were busily filming in Fairy Quarry with local cavers.

Everyone met up early evening for a meal at the Queen Vic then eventually head back to the Shepton hut were Mr P. Meredith showed off his caving skills using the awesome caving table!

New Club members: Steve, Sanita, Chloe and Simon

Paul, squeezing one out...

Sunday

Sunday was a bit unusual in that the organised caving trips were in Wookey Hole on the Wild Wookey experience. Again with so many members turning up we had to split into a morning and afternoon session. It was very entertaining, introducing people to abseiling, via ferrata, classic caving crawls, a short boat ride and even a zip wire! Whilst the more experienced cavers amongst us would have been familiar to many of these challenges there were members who had not done such things so for them it was blast!

With the trip integrated into the show cave there were classic crawls mixed in with show cave lighting which made for a surreal but entertaining experience.

Welcome to the underworld...

Traversing around a lake.

Andrea beginning her abseil.

Duncan climbing up ‘n’ out from the lake.

Stemple highway!

Formation in the part of the cave that was recently opened up to the public.

Our guides were Chris and Becca who were both professional and very knowledgeable about the cave, so many thanks to them!

Our newer members loved the trip and are now keen to try out SRT in caving as a result of it.

Black Hole's and Bear Pits

Mendips Meet, 17-18 Nov

Team: Bill Buxton, Celestine Crabbe, Andy Freem, Antonia Freem, Duncan Hornby, Stephen Johnson, George Linnane, Sanita Lustika, Phill Thomas, Claire Vivian, Clive Westlake. With Miri and Duncan Simey in support.

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This was the last official club away meet of the year and with over 10 members taking part, it was well-attended. It also meant we needed to run caving trips side-by-side as there were too many people for one group. Friday saw the obligatory visit to the Hunters for a quick pint and catch-up.

Saturday

The team getting ready to enter Swildon's Hole

George showing his love of caving ladders

Saturday saw all members pass through Sump 1 in Swildons. This was particularly exciting for Sanita and Stephen as it was the first time they had come across a free-divable sump. Both passed through with varying degrees of enjoyment.

Sanita and Stephen shortly before Sump 1

From there one party moved on to explore the Black Hole Series and the other went to Sump 2 and an explore of many side passages including Barne's Loop on the return.

The way up to Black Hole Series involved an acrobatic manoeuvre up a climb and then a bold step across, you guessed it, a black hole.

Antonia showing how the climb should be done.

Clive and George at the Black Hole.

Then very soon we were at the Black Hole itself. Clive went first across this and made it look easy. The rest of us were then ably belayed across from both sides by both Clive and Phill. It was an intimidating step, but everyone felt safe on the rope.

The bold step.

We reconvened on the far side of the Black Hole and set about some exploring. There were some lovely formations there. A trip is very much recommended to this area of Swildon's!

Antonia in a well decorated section.

Phill admiring the formations.

As ever, Sump 1 seemed pretty chilly on the way back out. But we made fast progress and exited before sunset. It had been a great energetic trip for all involved.

Trip time: 5 hours.

The team emerging successfully.

It was off to the Queen Vic for food that evening where we caught up with Miri and Duncan.

Enjoying a meal at the Vic.

Sunday

Once again two different trips evolved today. Trip 1 was a visit to Sandford Levy and trip 2 was a Bath Swallet-Rod's Pot through trip.

The Sandford Levy team.

We explored the dig in Bath Swallet before heading off on the through-trip. The entrance abseil is a nice and friendly one. Apparently it's free-climbable, but I wouldn't fancy doing that. The rest of the trip is fun, sporty in places and muddy. Only downside is it is fairly short - but ideal for a Sunday, especially when you add in extra bits and pieces, such as the Bear Pit.

Duncan climbing out of the Bear Pit in Rod's Pot.

Trip time (Bath to Rod's Pot): 3 hours.