sbss blog

What on earth could drag Marek out of his summer hibernation if not the prospect of watching an attempt Swildon’s Sump 2.  The prospect of this 25 foot free dive hadn’t draw a big crowd, even while changing at the barn Trev was still undecided whether he’d join Dave and I through the sump or not. 

There were a lot of cars parked at the barn and we wondered whether congestion in the cave would prevent us getting far enough in time. We had to wait a few minutes to enter as a large group were coming out and then we met a couple more along the ‘short dry way’. One of the pair had just done Sump 2 for the first time a few weeks previously and assured us that it was good. He said it just needed full commitment but it only took about 15 seconds. As we got to the 20 foot ladder we met another group doing the round trip and the large collection of ladders meant there were at least another 3 groups somewhere in the cave. 

We arrived at Sump 1 to find it was completely covered with a thick layer of foam (as it so often does in high water). Trev and I decided here was as good a place as any to put on our neoprene balaclavas and face masks, Dave on the other hand was obviously made of sterner stuff as he didn’t have either (although he did zip up his second wetsuit). Marek on the other had was about as keen on going through the sump as he is on turning up for a dig night, so we agreed we’d be back in 30-45 minutes and the three of us popped though Sump 1. 

After a few minutes in the stream just before Sump 2 my head light decided that it was no longer going to work and I had to switch to my emergency light (not ideal). We arrived at the bucket of lead weights at the entrance of Sump 2, whilst Dave and Trev already had diving weights (although to be fair Dave had only shoved his in the inside of his suit), I had a few bits of lead pipe strung together. I put on 4 weights (which was about as many as I could have got on my belt) and headed off. 

We agreed a system of rope ‘tugs’ which went something along the lines of: 2 tugs means “I coming back”, 3 tugs means “next one though” and loads of tugs means “I’m panicking and coming back really fast”. I was the first to go through; I took a deep breath and as I sunk down I started to pull the rope through my hands. I’d put my face mask on although why I bothered I don’t know, the water is so muddy you can’t see anything; if you’d have dropped the rope you could have been in big trouble. 

The guys we’d met said just take it steadily and don’t rush and after what only seemed like only a few pulls your head hits the part where the roof lowers (if you were pulling along too fast you’d get a fair whack). At this point you have to pull yourself down a foot or two to get under then end and then you immediately start to surface.  I gave the signal and turned off my light to see if I could see Trev coming through. The water is so murky from the silt at the bottom of the stream way Trev’s light was just glow. Trev came though next, gave the signal to Dave who came through last. The passage between Sump 2 and Sump 3 is an echoey chamber where you stand chest deep in water. As we waded/swum off to Sump 3 there is a small duck just before the last chamber before it sumps again.  

Sump 2 doesn’t seem to take long at all, much shorter than expected and I was half tempted to carry on and see what the third sump was like but decided to leave that for another day. On the return Dave went first, followed by Trev with me brining up the rear. 

The return trip though the sump seems very different; from the initial dive down to pulling through the water you seem to be constantly knocking your head on the roof. This is probably due to the rope on the return being attached to the ceiling and you pull yourself up to it where as on the way through the rope goes under the end and you pull yourself downwards all the way. With a brief stop at the bucket to return the weights we headed back to Sump 1. A short pull though found us back in the frothy pool where Marek had been joined by a group of 3 cavers. One of them was a novice who was trying to decide whether he fancied going though the first sump or not. 

As we all headed back to the 20 foot ladder we caught up with a group from Bristol University and as they left with their ladder we dropped down one of the 3 ladders still remaining.  We got back to the barn about 10:20 and were in the pub by 10:35 where we found Sean at the bar – his ribs still a fair way off from caving. Reading the book over a pint we found that Sump 3 is only 10 foot longer than Sump 2 at 35 foot although it’s about 7-8 feet deep and at the bottom constricts to around 18 inches. Still as Sump 2 was much easier than we were expecting so we’ll have to put Sump 3 on the trip list for next time..!!! 

Well what a cave fest Mike, Sean and I had on Saturday…!!!

We started with the Bath Swallet to Rods Pot through trip which was only connected a week and a half earlier. The first job is to rig Bath Swallet to the bottom, you could get away with just putting a hand line in the bottom; we elected to ladder the whole thing with a belay. Next we went into Rod’s Pot and after a quick excursion down the Bear Pit (to see if Mike could get out) we found the dig site. What a squalled mud fest that is. We dropped down through the new connection in Purple Pot and came back up in Bath where our ladders were. It’s a nice little through trip and there has been some impressive walling in the diggers shaft in Bath. After climbing out and de-rigging, we headed back to the car park for some lunch.

Mike had a crazy idea that we should go and dig some fly infested hole in the Quarry above the Burrington Inn to see if it went anywhere. Quite why we might succeed where so many had failed before still escapes me. So Mike and I made the epic decent down the entire 12m shaft, pausing only to cough up flies until we reached the inevitable bolder choke at the bottom just like the book said. After a very un-scientific smoke test at the bottom of the ‘cave’, the few rocks Mike had managed to move out of the way do not yield any promising draughts – or in fact any air movement at all. All we did manage to do was fill the ‘cave’ with smoke and that didn’t even put off the massive indigenous winged population who were obviously having some sort of festival.

Not disheartened, we headed off to East Twin Swallet to check the dig out. We stopped off on the way to ‘bottom out’ Avenline’s Hole; a promising side passage we’d found some years ago now seems to be back filled…At the dig we successfully shifted 20 or so buckets and Mike vented his frustrations on some large rocks, mauling them up over the bottom dam. We’re now in a position to put another bar across the bottom dam which we’ll do in the week.

All in all a grand day out, 5 caves, including a through trip, a good bout of digging and a 4 hour point …!!

The only draw back, we were late back to the car, Mike had to get home so we missed our well deserved pint (and cup of tea…)

BoB.

The trouble with not going caving for a while, is that you forget your repertoire of excuses.  So when Trev phoned me this afternoon asking me if I fancied exploring some of the lesser known caves in Burrington Combe, I ended off saying “okay then”.

So, with a bit of help from a GPS we found Foxes Hole.  Not much of a cave, but a couple of chambers - in and out in 10 minutes.  Apparently used by the Home Guard during WW2 - goodness knows what for.  Still, if WW3 ever breaks out, I know where to go.

Next on the agenda was Elephant’s Hole.  Hole is about right.  No sign of any elephants.

We then spent a strenuous half hour trying to dig away the spoil in front of the door to West Twin Adit.  It’s a, err, “underground feature” I’ve not been in for about 12 years.  That was with the late Mark Weston, who introduced me to caving and SBSS.  It would have taken us another half hour to dig deep enough to open the door, and we were thirsty!

On the way down the Combe we nipped into Aveline’s Hole.  Points are issued per cave trip aren’t they?  On that basis, I’ve tripled last year’s score in one evening.

Then in the Miners’ Arms it was nice to meet up with Dave X, Ed, Lisa, Otte and BoB, who’d been in Waterwheel Swallet.  For some reason they seemed somewhat surprised to see me.

It was a very enjoyable evening.  Not much in the way of Spider Crabs.

Tim Fell.

The entrance to Compton Martin Ochre Mine is protected by bars which turn out to be just a little too narrow for Bucket Dave to fit though (although he did take his helmet off to help get his chest through…). Unlocking them with the key is much easier!

Inside, the mine was once supported by wooden pit props which vary in condition. Most still appear to be in place, although it’s impossible to say if they are performing any useful function and touching them to see if they are sound is ill advised. Some have rotted away completely to a snow like frosting on the floor while others have rotted to the heart wood and appear as thin stems with crowns of truncated branches.

The red ochre (iron ore, haematite) has turned the whole mine red and it doesn’t take long to cover everyone else too…!! Although neither Trev, Otte or I managed to get quite as much on us as Dave…

The whole place is probably very unstable and great care must be taken but it’s a nice little trip and the pub at the end of the road does a lovely pint.

BoB.

Despite the rain during the previous day the water level in the stream outside the entrance was still low when Chris, Sean and I arrived. We took a leisurely pace down the short dry way to the 20 where Sean had his 2nd introduction to a ladder - which this time comfortably reached the floor..!!

After taking Barnes’ Loop we popped up into Tratman’s Temple for a look around. Returning to the streamway we continued to Sump 1 where we stopped - the sump not being the best introduction to caving for a non-swimmer; we’ll save that for another day… :o)

Retracing out steps it was back to the barn to get changed before stopping off for a well deserved pint (or two) in the Vic.

BoB.

Twas a fine evening when Lisa, Ed, Sean & myself set off for Rod’s Pot, a simple cave, ideal for novices.

We dropped a ladder down the 14m pitch and off went the intrepid Sean into the Abyss…

“I’ve reached the end of the ladder” came the shout…

“…are you down…?”

“No, another 12ft to go…”

………………! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

This came as a bit of a surprise and, with the words “don’t send the novice down first” ringing in my head, there then followed some ingenious improvisation to get Sean safely to the floor (with a little help from Ed who had free climbed the other pitch to meet him)

…For some reason Lisa now seemed less keen on following him down than she had only minutes before…

With a little little adjustment half way up Sean returned to the top of the pitch, undeterred by his less than ideal introduction to a ladder !!

We then dropped down past the main chamber and to the top of the bear pit.

Lisa was not keen on repeating the difficulty she’d had on her last try and Sean had proved himself for the evening. It was left to me and Ed to show the Bear Pit was not as hard as some make out.

Exiting up the parallel rift, the round trip was complete and a good night was had by all, the only remaining task was to check the Butcombe was a tasty as it had been the previous night.

Lessons Learnt:

•  - Don’t send the novice down first
•  - Do check the guide
•  - Do bring the right number of ladders
•  - Don’t buy a Ford unless you want to bump start it on the way back to the pub
•  - Don’t drop your mobile while bump starting the Ford

All in all a cracking night !!

BoB.

Went diving off Brixham Breakwater Beach yesterday evening.  Quite nice actually.  Had fish and chips and a couple of pints afterwards.  Not much in the way of calcite formations.

Three musketeers, Bob, Chris and Sean, who is on a mad pre 40’s frenzy of adrenalin junkyness.  Fair play.  Standard trip down to the sump and back, taking in all the resplendent beauty.  Not allowed up the bats passage at the moment, until the P bolts are replaced, could always go for the old method but will have to have a few more people down there. Sean seemed to enjoy and even said he might go digging next week!!  Trev as always attended the pub afterwards.

This is the sbss blog. It’ll take a while to customise it and get things organised the way we want, but at least something is here …

We’ve got a blog … that means you’re all free to let the world know what we’ve been up to! It’ll take me a little while to get it looking like the rest of the site, but at least it’s here!

If you want to write a trip report (good for you!) stick it in the Trip Reports category. Everything else can go in the General category.

Enjoy