Cave Gates

The gating of caves has been a subject of argument for quite
some time.  Below a member states his
views on the topic –

Lets have your opinion for the next B.B. –

“The ‘Anti Gaters’ are not going to like the latest
news.  OFD I is being gated.  (The reason why is given on page 52 Ed).

When one hears their arguments it appears they have little
to say when considered against the argument for cave preservation alone.  Of all the Mendip caves St. Cuthbert’s is the
best preserved – even this is slowly being spoiled.  Can we not instil in cavers that a cave is a
place of beauty; a place that ought to be treated as a piece of rare art.  Once formations are damaged there is little
we can do to replace them – except perhaps to install a plastic replica.  The caves that are open are usually so filthy
that a couple of sacks would not clear the places out.  If gating helps preservation; to end ‘Kilroy
was here’ scrawled on the walls; broken formations and general litter then this
is the only solution.  It takes time to
educate the cavers during which the caves are open and being spoiled for future
generations.  It’s our moral
responsibility to safeguard our caves today – LOCK THEM TO SAVE THEM.

*****************************************

Many thanks to John Churchward for his generous gift of
books and publications to the club library.

All the publications mentioned in ‘From other clubs’ are
additions to the library.

Hon. Sec: – A.R. Thomas,
Westhaven
School, Uphill,
Weston-super-Mare,
Somerset
Editor: – D.J. Irwin,

23 Campden
Road,
Bristol. 3.

Easter Caving in
S.
Wales

by Roy Bennett

The meet started in the Ystradfellte area where it was
intended to visit Little Neath River Cave. The day was fine and sunny and subvasive suggestions made that the
caving be done in the evening.  This
arrangement was quite successful, and after some hill walking and looking at
the local possibilities, the cave was descended.

A very enjoyable 2½ hour trip was had as there are both good
formations and sporty bits.  The small
entrance at river level and the low crawl which followed emphasised that this
cave is for settled weather only.

The crawl led into a pleasing stream passage (Tributary
Passage) which led eventually to a large chamber (Sand Chamber) where the main
river was met.  After a quick look at the
upstream sump into

Bridge
Cave we back-tracked
along Tributary Passage to find the bypass to the Canal, a 400ft. long duck on
the river.  This was were a small stream
entered over a brown stalagmite flow, and led, via a rough crawl over some
rather nice gours, back to the river at Junction Chamber.  Downstream the passage was mainly large and
impressive with interesting collection of boulders in places, and soon sump 2
was reached, the end for non-divers.  The
joys of the Canal were sampled on the return journey and further observations
made of white fish that inhabit the river. One of these was seen in a small pool in Tributary Passage.  It was about 15 inches long with a trace of
skin pigmentation, and showed little reaction to light or movement.  These fish were presumably washed in from the
river outside and live on food from the same source.

The Saturday was spent on the surface, and the day after in
Ffynnon Ddu II.  The top entrance was
explored using a very rough line survey, and with the aid of this the party
proceeded to go round in circles in various directions and visit interesting
places.  It failed in its objective of
finding the Main stream way however and the trip ended after 4 hours when the
party returned to the surface rather hot and bothered.  (Wet suits not recommended!!!)  There are some good formations in this part
of the cave including many stalagmites. Much of this unfortunately is rather vulnerable and it is hoped that the
S.W.C.C. will be able to avoid damage with their present fairly easy access
arrangements.

On the last day parties looked at Porth-yr-Ogof, the Taff
Fechan and the Sychryd Gorge near Pontyneddfechan.  This last place is well worth a visit in
spite of spoliation by mining and quarrying. The actual gorge is most spectacular, and there are several caves,
mainly small.  The river appears to have
once sunk before diverting by the industrial activities and there should be
more caves to find here.

 

Monthly Notes No.13

By “Wig”

WATER TRACING – Phase 3 Results

The latest tests were carried out in the streams that flow
into the BURRINGTON area:  Ubley Pot was
also traced.  The lycopodium spores were
put into the sinks in the first week of April by Dave Drew and the results are
as follows: –

SINK	RISING
	LANGFORD	RICKFORD
UBLEY HILL POT (1)	—	4 hrs. (100%)
ELLICK FARM (2)	4 hrs. (30%)	4 hrs. (70%)
EAST TWIN SWALLET (3)	15-19 hrs. (30%)	4-8 hrs. (70%)
WEST TWIN SWALLET (4)	15-19 hrs. (60%)	17-20 hrs. (40%)
READS CAVERN (5)	43-47 hrs. (40%)	4 hrs. (60%)

The percentage figures represent the proportion of the
stream flowing out of the resurgence. All other risings in the area gave negative results.

 

SOUTH WALES. – O.F.D. I

During Easter weekend vandals entered the cave and smashed
most of the stal. formations within easy reach. They continued as far as Crystal Pool chamber.  S.W.C.C. are gating all the entrances to the
system.

Access to O.F.D. II is to remain controlled.  A limited number of keys will be for visiting
clubs.  Write to the Hon. Sec. – John
Osbourne – giving at least 14 days notice. 

The connection between O.F.D. I and O.F.D. II just beyond
Coronation Aven is still open but very unsafe.

B.E.C. LEADERS for O.F.D. I

The S.W.C.C. have accepted the following members to act as
guides for B.E.C. trips to O.F.D. I: –

Roy Bennett, Dave Irwin and Tony
Meaden.

N.B.  Leaders are not
required for O.F.D. II and O.F.D. III.

DAN-YR-OGOF

During the week after Easter Alan Coase and Dave Judson
spent four days underground completing the CRG Grade 6D survey line.  A considerable amount of water tracing was
also carried out.  The survey of the Far
north (the farthest know point) appears to be far more east than was shown by
their earlier survey published by the B.S.A.  The passages seem to end under PWLL DWFN.  Certain parts of the cave rise to within
100ft. of the surface.  It is hoped that
a top entrance can be made.

B.E.C. LEADERS for DAN-YR-OGOF.

The S.W.C.C. Committee and the show cave management have
accepted the following as leaders for B.E.C. trips to Dan-yr-Ogof: –

Andy MacGregor, Phil Kingston,
Kangy King and Colin Priddle.

TUNNEL
CAVE

The management of the Dan-yr-Ogof show cave are considering
opening up tunnel cave as a second show cave. This presumably means the Davy Price Hall – a 400ft. long passage rarely
falling below 25ft. in width and quite well decorated with stal. flows.

STOKE LANE SLOCKER and BROWNES HOLE – new access details.

All cavers visiting these caves should first call at Mr.
MARKS at STOKE BOTTOM FARM.

 

EMBOROUGH SWALLET

During the Easter weekend Dave Drew placed a tracer agent in
the stream sinking at Emborough Swallet. The result is that the water resurges at Guerney Slade.  The time to reach the resurgence is something
in excess of 48 hours.  Whether Keith
Franklin and Phil Coles will continue to dig remains to be seen.

Members interested in this subject will find full details of
the
Eastern Mendip and western Mendip water
tracing results by Dave Drew in the club library.  The library is kept at Dave Searle’s at
Dolphin Cottage.

G.B.

Those wanting a regular trip into G.B. should contact Roger
Stenner as he is collecting water samples once a week, usually on Sunday or
Monday, for analysis and measuring temperatures.  The trip takes about 2½ – 3 hours.  Roger is prepared to arrange the trip to suit
the rest of the party.

Two people have already asked to come along but anyone else
interested should contact Roger as soon as possible.

The purpose of the work is to measure the ability of a
stream to dissolve CaCO2 – measuring this on the surface and at several points
in the cave to establish changes in this, correlation with discharge,
temperature, time of year, etc.

MAESBURY SWALLET

During the Easter Holiday Alan Thomas, ‘Fred’ Atwell and
others have been working at the dig.  The
latest news is that it’s reached a depth of 20ft.  Still on digs it seems that HILLGROVE SWALLET
is on the verge of going!  On Sunday 28th
April a sizable rift was opened up in the well known Cornwell manner – bang,
bang and more bang!  It looks as if John
is near making his triple.

 

From Other Clubs

by Gordon Tilly

W.S.G. BULLETIN Vol. 5  No.8 

The main feature of this issue is Part 1 dealing with the
caves of the Shepton Mallet District by K.E. Barber.  The remainder of the contents is the usual
club news.

C.R.G. NEWSLETTER No. 110 (March ’68). 

32 pages ranging from C.R.G. News, publication reviews, a
report on the Symposium on Cave Hydrology and a list of some 142 caves located
in the Rana District of Nordland, Norway.

GLOUCESTER
SPEL. SOC. NEWSLETTER.  (March ’68) 

Makes good light reading and give one the impression that
the G.S.S. is quite an active club with reports of their activities in the
Forest of
Dean,
South Wales and Mendip.  There is also an interesting article entitled
“Inside the Skycraper Rock” by John Acock in which he describes some 10 caves
he visited in
Gibraltar.

M.C.G. Newsletter No. 64 (Feb. ’68) and M.N.R.C. Newsletter No. 49 (Spring
1968). 

Both contain the usual club news.  The M.C.G. Newsletter contains a short
article on Belgian caves.

A Return to Climbing

Mike Luckwill spent Easter
climbing with some of the B.E.C. now in

Edinburgh.

Good Friday found us hanging about Jericho Wall.  The previous day we had driven from

Edinburgh and by lunch
time camp had been set up on the bank of the River Coe, just below the bridge
where the new road joins the old.  With
not a cloud in the sky and at least six hours before darkness, we picked out a
gully on the west face of Aonoach Dubh which appeared to still to contain
plenty of ice, and quickly set off in order to make most of our four days.

On closer inspection however, the ice turned out to be
mainly water and so we crossed over into Stob Coire nam Beith and plodded up a
snow field onto Ant Sron.  Making ourselves
comfortable on top we ate chocolate, admired the scenery and discussed plans
for the weekend.  I had persuaded my
companion, a well known climbing gentleman, to take charge of the more
foolhardy end of a hundred foot rope in order that I might ascend some of the
classic routes — nothing too difficult, mind you, but classics
nevertheless.  And in Glencoe we had
plenty to choose from.

So it was that having risen at a reasonable hour,
breakfasted well, and wandered up to the foot of the Clachaig Gully, we managed
coincide our arrival with that of the sun, which was beginning to illuminate
the east walls.  Shaded from the wind as
we were, we could look forward to several hours of delectable conditions.  The first pitch is a waterfall and the green
and black slime undoubtedly made its standard about XS.  However it offered us no difficulty at all,
and as we refreshed ourselves with some sweet water at the top we remarked that
the state of the route surely indicated that everyone has also followed the path
that meandered through the saplings on the west wall!  A couple of short pitches showed us why the
water had seemed so sweet – the inevitable dead sheep.  Further upstream we had another little drink
and roped up for a rather grotty series of slabs.  This led us to the foot of the Great Cave
Pitch.  We were very interested to note
later on what is in effect a series of awkward, but not too steep slabs,
appears from the vantage of the west bank of the gully to be a plane, vertical
wall; this would perhaps make for some spectacular cine-photography.  So we came to the

Jericho wall.

I should explain at this point that my companion was of much
smaller stature than myself and an awkward move some ten feet up the pitch,
combined with the black slime which coated the lower parts of the wall led him
to believe that I would enjoy the day much better if at that particular point I
took the opportunity of leading what, after all, was “only a v. diff and the
conditions are superb”.  Having received
such a challenge what could I do?  There
was no choice – I tied the rope on firmly and said, “No, you have another
go”.  However in the end it was my length
that proved the necessary and after basking in the sun for half-an-hour at the
top my nerves were more-or-less back to normal.

The next obstacle, a short cave pitch was to turn the tables
however.  Without bothering to rope up my
companion was quickly sitting at the top waiting for me to come up.  But here my length and the sack in my back
forced me further up into the roof of the cave as I attempted to get out of
it.  After three attempts my arms were
beginning to weaken and I requested the moral support of the rope and was then
able to extricate myself at the next try. Looking at the next pitch we realised that this was a caver’s climb;
straight up a waterfall.  Similarly with
the one that followed.    And so we came
to the Red Chimney.  Here the waterfall was
nearly the route not to take.  The left
hand wall offered a path of sorts over very loose rubble but the right hand
wall had a clearly marked route for two thirds of the way.  My companion set off on the latter route and
was soon surveying the last third of the climb; straight up was impossible, to
the right the holds were too sloping and greasy, he must go to the left, into
the water!  At first he managed to
straddle the water but finally he disappeared form sight, right under the water
and emerged a short time later on top. Needless to say, he was very wet. Meanwhile at my leisure, I had been able to spot all the holds he should
have used and it was quite clear that I would be able to ascend, straddling the
main jet of water and so remain comfortably dry.  With great confidence I ascended to the
critical point.  To my great
disappointment, but I must say, not to my very great amazement, I saw that my
carefully planned holds were all in fact steeply sloping downwards, a fact
concealed by the unwary observer below. Still, I thought, I must use the advantage of my height again and
entered the water.  Each step took me
into the water more and more and in the end I was forced to give up the
struggle and entering the water I ascended as quickly as possible.  Drying ourselves in the sun at the top, we
reflected what a superb pitch this would make underground – rather like an
eighty foot version of the Swildon’s Forty. So we neared the end of a very fine day.

The next day in search of somewhere quieter that Glencoe, we
drove round into Ardgour with the intention of climbing the Great Ridge on
Garbh Bheinn.  Following the main road
alongside the River Tarbert we left the car by Lochan a’Chothruim and walked up
over the col to the ridge which is on the east side of the mountain.  To our surprise there were two other parties
waiting to make the ascent, but having somne trouble in locating the start of
the climb.  With an air of condescension
we started them off on the rote and watched their labours in the initial stages
which did seem to be a little out of keeping with the grading.

After they disappeared from view we consulted the guide book
again and found the correct start was some way round the corner!  Our misdemeanour was justly rewarded a little
later however.  Although we located the
correct start and chose not the mossy chimney to the left but the slabs to the
right.  I suppose a succession of slings,
pegs and nuts left behind by others might have warned us, but as it was we soon
reached a bulging boulder which turned out to be last possible point of
return.  Above this there were no belays
of any value and the festoon of slings carefully arranged on the odd pinheads
of rock came off when I decided to belay sitting down rather than standing
up!  However the lack of belaying points
precluded abseiling off and so we, or rather my companion, had to go on.  The crux was difficult to say the least and
as the second the only protection I could offer was a series of prayers to all
the gods I could think of.

Living to tell the tale, we soon regained the correct route,
which is, as the guide book says, not difficult, but full of interesting
situations.  At the top we met up with
many others and we were very pleased that our forethought had provided us with
the shortest route back to the car, and a bottle of lemonade that was cooling
in the stream near the road.  Next
morning we moved to Glen Nevis. Unfortunately the weather broke on Monday and although we went up to
Allt a’Mhuilim with the intention of climbing it, it was quite clear that the
wind alone would have made the ridge impossible.  Despite this upset in our plans the weekend
was an excellent return top climbing.

Mike Luckwill

 

Cavers Bookshelf

By B.M. Ellis

SHROPSHIRE MINING CLUB YEARBOOK, 1965/6.  Obtainable from D.R. Adams, New Era,
Princess
Gardens,

Newport,
Salop.  7/6 (+8d postage).  58 quarto pages.

This is the fifth yearbook published by the S.M.C. and
continues in their unusual but interesting form of being a printing of their
trip reports.  The S.M.C. has a relative
small membership but the amount of ‘caving’ carried out would be the envy of
some larger organisations, especially as they are based away from all the
caving areas.  This type of publication
might be unusual but is has much to commend it; all of their members are
informed of everything that has been going on in the club and all the working
trips are published even if very little or no progress has been made.  Each issue so far has also contained two of
three articles in addition to the log entries.

The year covered by this issue deals with a wide range of
trips.  There are accounts of more than
forty caving trips expeditions to North Wales (almost all of them working trips
over thirty visits to mines, ten caving trips to Yorkshire and nine elsewhere,
and reports on more that twenty meetings. Although the price is a little high when compared with most caving publications,
it is interesting reading, is worth in place in any club library and is a must
for anyone interested in the caves of North Wales or the mines around
Shropshire.

The S.M.C. carry out most of the work on the Derbyshire
caves and with the exception of the Shepton are the only club who bother to
publish what they have done there.

Outdoors

with HEDERA

A late night reading of “The Hard Years” showed that Joe
Brown’s uniqueness can survive even ghosted writing, tape recording and spine
cringing doggerel.  From the early years
of questing experiment, through hair raising adolescent escapades, with
apparent inevitability there emerges the ultimate climber.  Since Brown began his big climbs we can no
longer believe that anything is invulnerable.

Brown has become a legend in his own lifetime and one
examines the legend more closely, the more clear it becomes that he has every
right to be so.  There is scarcely a
development in almost two decades in which he has not been in the
forefront.  Excess on Gritstone, the New
Cloggy, Himalayan rock climbing, British grade sixes, steeple jacking and
currently Anglesey Cliffs.

Not only in technique but also in attitude is he there.  The informal group if friends rather than the
formal club.  The more thrusting drive of
group motivation rather than the individual idealism of Classic Times.  The single minded week by week erosion of the
climbing problem.  All have added up to
this ultimate professional.

I suppose, as with “The History of Mendip Caving”, that a
proper appreciation will eventually be written. Until then read “The Hard Years” and wonder.

“But we live in the most regimented society even in this
country.  You practically have to have a
licence to breathe.  You cannot move
without people asking what you are doing.” I read that in a newspaper, the Duke of Edinburgh was carrying on about
something or other.  It rang true and
reminded me that walking back to Ogwen after a benighted incident and a very
pleasant chap with “INSTRUCTOR” across his jersey asked us if anyone in the
club had a Mountain Leaders Certificate. Well what do you say?  At the time
we muttered about “years of inexperience” and “it’s a nice night” and “did he
come here often” and thank goodness it was dark – it hid our blushes.  I suppose a better answer would be to ask how
Joe Brown managed without one or, could you abseil from it?  Yes, of course, intensive instruction can
help but who would you rather be with on the Coollin in a storm, a well
balanced, fit mate who had worked it all out or someone who had been to all the
lectures but hadn’t actually done any climbing this year?

Another thought provoking snippet from the press – “Four
naval apprentices, on a weekend training exercise en route from Aviemore to
Blair Atholl via Larig Ghui, became exhausted by evening in artic conditions
and could not go on.  They stayed
together and got into sleeping bags. Rescue teams alerted by other apprentices found and carried them to
Braemar.  The victims were praised for
sticking to the rules”.  Presumably the
organiser was praised for exposing the apprentices to such conditions in the
first place.

MORAL, don’t be organised. If you can’t avoid it, join the B.E.C. We individuals must stick together.

 “Hedera”

 

St. Cuthbert’s Swallet

LAKE
CHAMBER: problems solved and unsolved

a)         Problems solved

Water leaves the main Stream at the site of a dig a short
distance upstream of the Dining Room.  In
low water conditions the dig can swallow the whole of the Main Stream.  Underneath Cerberus Hall is a pool of
variable dimensions, usually about twelve feet long, one to three feet wide and
three feet deep.  Water enters the pool
through an impenetrable crack about two feet above the water level at the
eastern end of the pool and leaves through a mud choked sump at the north-west
end of the pool.  It was thought by many
leaders that water in the pool came from the mainstream and went to the lake,
but this view had its opponents.

Water temperature and hardness measurements by the author
showed that the Cerberus Pool must certainly have come from the Main Stream,
and the
Lake was thought by the author to be
made of water from the Main Stream mixed with percolation water from another
source.  This was proved to be true when
Pyranine was added to the sink at the Main Stream on January 26th 1968.  The connection with Cerberus Pool was proved
visually, and a fortnight later the water in the
Lake
was seen to be coloured with Pyranine, to the surprise of the author who had
expected the dilution to be too great for visual detection.  Thus it was proved that water from the Main
Stream flows via the Cerberus Pool to the
Lake
– to the North, flowing in the opposite way to the Main Stream.

b)         Problems unsolved

No pattern has yet been found to explain the variation of
the water level in the
Lake, and the possible
connected variation of the water level of the Cerberus Pool.  The
Lake
would appear to be fed from below, although it does receive water from a heavy
drip.

It would be extremely difficult to prove conclusively that
water from the Lake does not resurge into the bed of the Main Stream somewhere
downstream of
Plantation junction, but the
probability is that the water from the
Lake
does not re-enter the known system.

It is not known whether the pools discovered last year to
the north of the Lake are part of the drainage from the Lake, or part of
another inlet to the
Lake.

A passage in

Lake
Chamber remains
unexplored; the entrance is usually submerged. It should not be neglected because of the possibility that the Gour-Lake
Fault is breached here.  When the
Lake has been completely empty a gravel floored passage
has been seen at the bottom.

c)         The possibility of an undiscovered
breach of the Gour-Lake Fault.

The intermittent streams draining the area west of Rocky
Boulder Passage and north of Curtain Chamber are not thought to enter the known
Main Stream, and water from the
Lake would
seem likely to breach the Gour Lake Fault.

The diagram published by D. Irwin (B.B. No. 241 p 47) also
raises the possibility of two separate drainage systems being developed along
the same fault, with an exit at the Duck and an exit somewhere between marble
Hall and the
Lake.

The unknown breach at
Lake
Chamber, with drainage from the areas
mentioned above also feeding the Lake, or it may be that water from the
Lake has to flow further north along the fault until the
breached is reached.  The author favours
the later possibility because the hardness is so close to that of the Main
Stream, indicating a mixture with relatively little percolation water.  Another possibility is that yet another
breach for the drainage not accounted for. The answer may not be known for sure until the Sump or the (dry) breach
of the fault at the Dining room Dig is passed. It will be ironic of an open hole into known cave is discovered from the
other side of the fault.

R.D. Stenner
18th April ‘68

APPENDIX – Results 10-2-68.

	Concn. X 105(M) (M= ppm CaCO3)
	Bi-carbonate	Calcium	Permanent Hardness	Temp oC
Main Stream Dining Room	117.4	130.4	24.6	7.83
Pool, Cerberus Hall	117.8	130.4	24.2	7.90
Lake	124.9	138.0	26.7	8.65
Pyrolusite Stream, Gour Hall	210.2	238.4	54.6	9.55

 

Precision of results:

Bicarbonate ± 1.5 ppm Permanent Hardness ± 2 ppm Calcium ± 1 ppm Temperature ± 0.03oC

St. Cuthbert’s Swallet – Latest Discovery

On Saturday th April 1968 Mike Luckwill discovered a new
chamber in the CANYON SERIES.  He
suggested that the new chamber be called FORBIDDEN CHAMBR as to reach it means
passing a nicely decorated passage which would soon be ruined.  The chamber is said to be quite big.

 

Letter to The Editor

Dear Irwin,

I have read with great interest your article ‘Towards Wookey
Hole’ (first part).  I think the Dining
Room Dig is a good bet.

If this passage goes up and down again beyond the sump it
will confirm to the Swildons Hole by-passes and be what the Poles called a
‘corkscrew’ passage working up from a clay choked stream way to rejoin it
later. (Thousands of years in the process). Once completed and rejoined to the stream beyond the sump, there will be
a strong flow along the corkscrew passage until a sucking action by the sump it
is cleared.  So don’t be dismayed if you
find that the passage jinks about a lot with right-angle bends according to the
jointing.  There should be flow markings
on the walls and the directions of your digs should follow the indicated
current direction all the way, and if necessary dig a window to the wall at
intervals to see the marking.

The ‘rock pendants’ near the roof are probably due to
seepage water working down at the top of the clay fill after the passage was
choked.  This may indicate an aven or
open joint etc. opening to the top of the passage.

I find the best way to test current markings which are faint
is with the fingertips.  Rubbing gently
in direction of flow gives the feel  of a
slight edge down, then a smooth section and another edge down, and the opposite
of course against the flow direction. With a torch, with a narrow beam, shine it against the current direction
to get narrow brighter lines, but none if you shine it in the other direction.

Use candles to detect bad air, one placed ahead of the dig
i.e. in the air space above the clay and others further along the passage.  NO ACETYLENE LAMPS.  Electric torches for good viewing.   If you are digging in a rising and there is
a ‘pool’ of CO2 further on the routine of digging and passing clay down the
open part may act like a pump and drag bad air down the excavated passage.  I found this in a dig in

India – working up a clay filled
passage from draughty, well ventilated passage below.  After about 45 feet, the dig sloping up the
passage levelled off and then dipped gently into a wider area.  It was quite sinister to see the candles
ahead go out, then 10 seconds later the one just behind me and 20 seconds later
another at a bend would go out!  Then,
the digging party would go out and return in ten minutes or so.  After a couple of more digs like that the dig
was abandoned.  The floor beyond was a
circular basin of clay evidently full of CO2 and no continuing passages.  I have met with pools of CO2 on many
occasions and great care is need in any dig.

Yours sincerely
E.A. Glennie (C.R.G.)

 

Cave Rescues and Incidents.

The following is a shortened
version of Dr. Oliver Lloyd’s Annual Hon. Secretary’s report to the M.R.O.

SWILDON’S HOLE (26-3-67)

Two Derbyshire cavers descended the 40’ on a knotted rope –
on return one too tired to climb back up. Ordnance Survey C.G. obtained help. Both were brought out safely up the pitch without the MRO.  Corner (Surrey Y.C.) says “Nothing more was
heard from him or even a word of thanks. How anyone can be so stupid as he I just don’t know…”

EASTWATER SWALLET (5-5-67)

Member of party became stuck when moving through from
Traverse Passage into the Upper Traverse Passage.  He had entered the smaller of the two
passages.  MRO called.  Slight adjustment of his clothes soon had him
free.

SWILDON’S HOLE (11-6-67)

Three Londoners – Hawkins (24), Eswin (23) and Hammond (23)
descended about 10am.  Caving not too
frequent for 1 year.  Had good equipment
except no ladders.  They were rather good
at climbing and used a single rope on the 40’.

Whilst climbing the 20’ Hawkins fell and fractured his left
femur.  His handhold broke.  MRO alerted 12.20pm.  Hanwell took charge on the surface.  Craig (SMCC) organised the rigging of the
40’.  At 2.00pm Kenny and Thomson went
down with medical supplies.  Additional
help required.  O.C.L. notes.  “Sunday afternoon is the worst time in the
week for finding cavers”…  By 4pm Hawkins
was at the top of the 40’.  Progress was
slow because he was suffering much pain. He reached the surface at 6.15pm.

SWILDON’S HOLE (14-10-67)

At 5pm the 40’ flooded due to heavy rain.  Member of a team of bath students was unable
to climb the ladder.  UBSS party rigged
the 40’.  Hauling was done from the
bottom of the pitch.  The subject was
able to get out under his own steam.

SWILDON’S HOLE (28-10-67)

Flooding.  Parties
were known to be below 40’.  MRO on
standby.  At 3pm half of Harrow Moles
party came out of the cave leaving other half down there.  At 5pm party of 7 descended the cave to 40’

Kingston and Lewis
descended 40’ and made contact with Moles. It was difficult to determine the number of parties in the cave – in
fact there was only one. 

Bristol waterworks
started the pumps at 5pm at a rate of 22,000 gal/hr.  Operation complete 10.30pm.  OCL notes, “It is difficult to know who is
down Swildon’s since many parties do not let Mr. Main know beforehand.  If no party could get down without first
obtaining a key from Mr. Main, then the problem would be easier”.

LAMB LEER (29-10-67)

Univer. of
Surrey P.C.  Girl (19) descending main pitch when, owing
to a misunderstanding with her lifeline, fell about 20ft. and hurt
herself.  Time about 3pm.  MRO called. Hanwell took charge on surface and Thomson underground.  Subject was suspected of having a fractured
pelvis though not the case.  OCL notes,
“Life lining is no mere formality.  It
should occupy the full attention of the life-liner”.

SWILDON’S HOLE (8-11-67)

 Party of 4 went to
Mud Sump.  On return one man (21) cold,
wet and tired, unable to climb 40’.  “The
party had split into two, and it is agreed that had they remained as one party,
enough help on the lifeline could have been given in the first place to help
subject climb it”.  Davies and Thomson
went down and rigged 40’ and hauled him up via ledge on the other side.

 

CAVE RESCUE COUNCIL

This council was established at a meeting held at Settle on
24.6.67, under the chairmanship of Mr. John Plowes, at which representatives
were present from the C.R.O., M.R.O., Gloucester C.R.G., South Wales C.R.,
Durham C.R.O., Derbyshire C.R.O., together with Mr. Norman Thornber.  Not present, but supporting the principles
were the Upper Wharfedale F.R.A. and the North Wales C.R.

The Council is to be the representative body for cave Rescue
Organisations for the purpose of: –

a.                  Obtaining national recognition for cave
rescuers.

b.                  Allocating coverage for areas as yet without
effective means of performing cave rescues.

c.                  Helping to establish rescue facilities in those
areas needing help.

d.                  Providing the liaison desirable to supply
additional strength to areas, or even countries, in the event of major
incidents and where the areas or countries concerned request it.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

a.                  The Council shall never become a rescue
Organisation in itself.

b.                  It shall have no powers to interfere in the
affairs of its constituent members.

c.                  It shall only act unanimously.

d.                  Its members shall only be appointed by the
organisations they represent. 

No co-option is permissible but any relevant adviser may be
invited to assist.

The Hon. Sec. was requested to contact the Irish C.R.O.  Also to make representations to the Home
Secretary for the purposes of furthering the objectives.

The second meeting of the cave Rescue Council was held in

Bristol on 30.9.67.  Dr. Oliver Lloyd was elected to the
chair.  Eight C.R.O.’s were represented,
together with Supt. Glenning of the West Riding Constabulary.

The Hon. Sec. (John Plowes) reported that the Home Secretary
had referred him to Mr. J.A. Willison, the Hon. Se. of the Association of Chief
Police Officers of England and

Wales,
whom he visited on 9.9.67.  The
discussions resulted in the following procedure:

A.

1.                  The Cave Rescue Council to confirm base central
base or central points of Police contact for each Area Rescue Organisation in
its membership.

2.                  Agree allocated coverage of less frequented
areas.

3.                  Establish an inter-area call out system for
additional help if requested by the “Local” area concerned.  This would be via the “Central Police
Points”.

B.        

The Association of Chief Police
Officers to deal with the conveying of the information throughout the Police
Service with the authority for its inclusion in the “Emergency Instructions”
for the guidance of all Police personnel.

Mr. Plowes had summarized the two
main concerns of the Cave Rescue Council as:

1.                  Risk that cave rescue services might not be
requested by Police in areas which knew nothing about them.

2.                  Financial stringency.

Discussion of this report resulted in the following
recommendations being made by the Council:

1.                  That the information to chief constables should
remind them of their authority to reimburse “out of pocket expenses” of the
people called to assist them.

2.                  The Hon. Sec. should ascertain the Scottish
system of cave Rescue operation.

3.                  Overlapping areas should consult and devise the
coverage required.  It was estimated that
out of the 45 Police Districts would be concerned.

4.                  Co-operate with International Commission.

It was agreed that the Irish C.R.O. was a full member of the
council, but of course it was necessary for them to make their own arrangements
with their police.

 

Don Coase’s Log for 1945

Continuing reprints from the Coase log the following gives
some idea of how the BEC weekends were spent on Mendip in Victory year – 1945….

Fri. 9th Mar. – Caught train from Paddington to Wells.  Started to cycle to Priddy via Wookey hole.  Arrived at barn approx. 1 o’clock a.m.  Mr.Maine had left milk, wood, bread and eggs.

Sat. 10th Mar.  Was
woke at 9 by ‘Shorty’ informing me that tea was ready.  Had breakfast.  Then a general clear up.  Visited Vic. And cycled to G.B. arriving at
about 12.30.  Found G.B. locked so Shorty
and I went into Read’s Grotto and took a couple of photos.

Came out, found gang had arrived from Bridgwater by
car.  They tackled lock on G.B. meanwhile
I took Ron and Charles down Read’s Grotto.

Rest had opened G.B. so they went on, Betty, Shorty, Charles
and I ate our sandwiches and then didn’t feel energetic enough to do G.B.  However once we were inside the cave we felt
better.  Took several photos.  Devils Elbow comparatively dry, 2” or 3”
water at the far end.  Met rest of party
in Gorge just above Bridge.  So all went
to

Stalagmite
Bridge and sat on it while Shorty and I
took a photo of them.  As we were using
some flash powder fired by safety fuse that went off with an almighty
bang.  Expected someone to fall off the
bridge but although, they jumped they didn’t come off.

Then the four of us parted from rest and proceeded to the
sump. 

Bristol Speleo.  Have done quite a bit of digging there
recently.     Then went back to bottom of
the Oxbow,  back through the oxbow, 
Loop and so
to

Rumba alley.  Then we
returned to the surface which we reached about 8.15.  It being a pitch dark night.  We cycled back to Priddy in our damp things,
feeling rather chilly and went straight to the Vic. Till 10.  Then went back to the barn and started
cooking a stew, which we eventually consumed – about 1 am.

Sun 11th Mar.  Got up
about 9.  Cooked breakfast, visited Vic.
about 12.  Went to Cross Swallet with
2lb. P.E.  Put 1lb. in fissure at bottom
alongside some P.E. that didn’t detonate when fired on Sun. 4th Feb.  Whole lot detonated nicely.  The fumes seemed to clear quicker than usual
and when I inspected the damage I found an open fissure about 3” high and 2”
wide with a fair drought blowing out.

I placed the other 1lb. P.E. in the fissure and fired
it.  The fumes again cleared
quickly.  I went down again and had a
look around and removed one of the two boulders the P.E. had blown out.  Suddenly I heard a boulder crash down several
feet and looked around to get out of the way, but nothing in the hole had
moved.

Shorty was halfway down and he heard it as well.  It must have been inside the cave again.  Judging by the noise I estimate is was only
2/3ft. away and only about ½ cubic foot. It seemed to roll down a slope for about 3 of 4 ft.

Then I returned to the barn and demolished the rest of the
stew and other vittles.  Washed up and
put the barn tidy and then it was time for the others to leave for
Bridgwater.  I cut myself some sandwiches
for the train and packed up my stuff up. My caving clobber I arranged to leave with Mr

Maine so I was fairly light loaded to cycle
back.

It was then about 8 so retired to the ‘Vic’ where I spent a
very congenial evening.  One of the
locals told me that in connection with boring in the spring above Swildon’s
they put fluorescent in the water and it appeared at Draycott also that some
time before the war, the road near green

Ore
sunk away and he put a concrete slab about 7ft.thickm over the hole which
seemed to be 100ft. or more deep.

He also told me the same thing happened in ’41 at the top of
Rookham hill on the verge of the road. They dropped stones down which down for some seconds before hitting
anything.  They had sent to Wells for
some people to explore it (I presume Mr. Balch’s crowd) but nobody came so they
covered it with 2 or 3 feet of concrete.

At 10 went back to the barn, settled up with Mr.
Maine and set off for

Bath. Dry, slight tail wind and dark. Arrived

Bath
12.20.  Took 1¾ hours – a record for
night time.  Train didn’t arrive till
2.00a.m.  Bloody cold waiting on platform
as had no mac. Or coat.  Train
packed.  Couldn’t lie down in the
corridor as too wet with condensation off windows.  Arrived Paddington 5.30 am and cycled home.

 

St. Cuthbert’s Practice Rescue: –

Coral Chamber –

Boulder
chamber – April 21st 1968.

The second of three practice rescues planned for this year
took place on April 21st.

Coral chamber – often visited by tourist parties has seven
entrances; all are constricted or menaced by dangerous boulders.  The route for the practice was from the ‘Hole
in the Roof’ area in Coral Chamber to the boulders leading to rocky Boulder
Chamber.  From rocky Boulder Chamber a
rift to the east off the chamber was rigged for hauling to a small boulder
chamber below the northwest corner of Boulder Chamber.  A 15ft.pitch was rigged to allow the subject
(Keith Franklin) to be hauled up into the Boulder Chamber.

The carry went well until a bank of brittle stalagmites gave
way as the team was lowering the ‘subject’ down to the lower part of the
chamber.  The remainder of the party
remained at the head of the first pitch. A little difficulty was experienced in the boulders near Rocky Boulder
Chamber.  Further snags were met when

feeding the ‘subject’ into the small hole at the top of the
first pitch.  The haul up the second
pitch to the Boulder Chamber presented no problems except a watchful eye was
kept on the boulders at the top of this pitch. A few minutes before there had been a small collapse of boulders from
the top of the pitch.  The time to carry
from Coral Chamber to Boulder Chamber was just over 1½ hours – more experienced
party would reduce this time considerably.

Several observations should be mentioned: m-

1.                  Most of the people taking part had not been on
either a real or practice rescue before – this is extremely  useful. At some time in the future most if not all will be involved in a rescue
of some form.

2.                  Slight modification of the rigging of the first
pitch will help reduce the difficulty in feeding the subject through the hole
at the top.  A rawlbolt and a pulley
would be very useful at this point.

3.                  The top pitch needs ‘gardening’ before hauling.

4.                  The rawlbolts are not a permanent feature of the
head of the second pitch.  The bolts will
be found in the MRO locker at the Belfry should the occasion arise when they
are required.

Dave Irwin

*****************************************

Quote: –

“You should take up caving professionally Dave.  I’m sure there are plenty of people who’d pay
you to stay underground”

(from MCG Nlt. No.54)

 

Caving and Climbing Meets – May – June 1968

CAVING MEETS

SPRING
HOLIDAY        
Yorkshire
– Disappointment Pot and other Gaping Gill entrances, Alum-Diccan.  Camping at Skirwith Farm, Nr. Ingleton.

June 9th – Sun.             Stoke
Lane and Browne’s Hole.  Meet at cave
entrance.

CLIMBING MEETS

June 22/23       
NORTH WALES

Caving Sec.       A.
MacGregor, Railway Arms,

Station
Road, Theale,

Reading, Berks.
Climbing Sec.    E. Welch, Frenchay Lodge
Bungalow,

Malmains Drive,
Frenchay,

Bristol.

ICE AXES

You all know what they look like –

Have you seen the club ICE AXES?

HAVE YOU GOT THE CLUB ICE AXES?

If you have please contact Eddy Welch as soon as possible.

*****************************************

C.R.G. 29 JUNE            Southern
Meeting – Llangattock/Crickhowell.  St.
Edmuund’s Hall – programme –

Dr. G. Black – “Caves and the
Nature Conservancy.”

Dr. H. Lord – “Making Cave
Movies.”

INCIDENT from

Langdale
Mountain Rescue Team
Report 1967.

A soldier on an initiative exercise, phoned Sid Cross in a
panic.  He did not know where he was; he
had been going from Langdale to Borrowdale and the mist had come down and the
sun was in the wrong place and he was starving and he was cold and wet and
could Sid tell him where he was.  Sid let
him ramble on – he was in a narrow valley, a tree was on his left, a big wall
on his right, etc.,  Sid got tired of all
this.  “Look man,” he quietly told the
sergeant, “Will you what I tell you – are you ready?”  “Yes” came the quiet weak reply, then said
Sid, “Look above the telephone, let your eyes drop slowly down to the phone, do
you see the white disc on the phone – what does it say?”  “Oh, I’ve got it,” cried the boy soldier,
“I’m in Wasdale”.

Spike Rees

It is with deep regret that we announce the death of SPIKE
REES after a long illness. Our deepest sympathy go to Pam and the two children.