The 1968/69 Committee and Club Officers….

Chairman of the Committee D.
Irwin (Wig)
Hon. Sec.: A Thomas (Senior)
Hon. Treas: R. Bagshaw
Hut Warden: P. Townsend
Hut Engineer:  J. Riley
Caving Sec: A. MacGregor
Climbing Sec: M. Holt
Tacklemaster:  N. Petty
Minute Sec: G. Tilly

PUBLICATONS:  B.B.
& Caving

Reports: –

Editor: D. Irwin
Asst. Editors: – R. Stenner & G. Tilly

M.R.O. WARDENS:  K.
Franklin, D. Irwin, Dr. O.C. Lloyd & B. Prewer

New Belfry Co-ordinator: S.Collins (Alfie)

Ian Dear Memorial Fund Comm:

R. Bagshaw, R. Setterington
(Sett), R. Bennett, M. Luckwill and M. Holt.

St. Cuthbert’s Report Sub-Committee: R. Bennett D. Irwin, R.
Stenner & G. Tilly.

LIBRARIAN: D. Serle.

Our apologies to all for the inexcusable error on the first
set of ballot papers – and to Phil Townsend whose name it was that did not
appear in the list of candidates.  We can
though gain some comfort from the quote of the month – angry WXXXXXX members
staying at the Belfry cleaning the place said, “This is one club that isn’t
going downhill”.

In this issue readers will find the latest membership list
and those people not included have the remedy in their hands and should get
their sub into Bob Bagshaw NOW. Incorrect addresses and Address changes should be sent to Alan Thomas.

Club Headquarters: – The Belfry,

Wells Road Priddy, WELLS,
Somerset,
BA5 3AU
Hon. Sec: –  A.R. Thomas,
Westhaven
School,
Uphill,
Weston-super-Mare, Somerset
Hut Warden: – P.T. Townsend, 154,


Sylvia Ave.,
Bristol.
3.
Editor: – D.J. Irwin,

23 Campden
Road,
Bristol. 3. BS3
1QA

 

Climbing in the Otztaler Alpen and the Bernina

By Malcolm Holt & Eddy Welch

The first week was spent in the Otztaler Alpen, staying at
the Iaschach Hut (2,434m). the way to the hut is via a pleasant valley road
from Imst to Mittelberg, then via the track to the hut – three hours laden with
food, climbing gear, clothes etc.  The hut
comes into view very early on the walk, and seems more arduous.  The hut is situated at the junction of the
Iaschach and the Sexergerten Glaciers and the surrounding peaks are ideal for a
first time visit to the
Alps the area having
snow, rock and ice climbs.  Behind the
hut to the right can be seen the Henter Olgruben Spitze.  This is attempted via a long walk up the
Sexegerten Glacier, then via an easy snow slope to the summit (3,296m).

To the left of the hut and behind is the nearest peak – the
Pitztaler Urkund (3,201m) a rock summit, nowhere difficult and was climbed by
the south ridge.  From the summit good
views of the second highest peak in

Austria, the Widspitze (3,770m)
were obtained (Gross Glockner is 23m higher). The peak was not attempted due to the soft condition of the snow, a party
which attempted it set off at 03.00 hours and reached the summit at 16.00 hours
reporting snow conditions waist deep, but this was very warm weather.

Having given the sun the chance to sort out the snow
conditions an early start was made the next day for the Widspitze region.  Initially came a walk across the Iaschach
Glacier, taking care to be past the avalanche zone before the sun came on it,
then the Iaschach Wand (3,365m) was climbed. This is a snow slope fairly steep and heavily corniced on the face.  A traverse to the Peterson Spitze (3,484m)
followed.

Finally a rock peak was attempted the Mitlle Eikasten Kopf
(3,260m).  The main ridge is about 1½
hours from the hut and is about V.D. standard, the hardest move is beneath a
window in the ridge with considerable exposure, the route can be continued to
the Bligg Spitze (3,454m) if time permits.

These are some of the climbs that can be attempted from the
Iaschach Hut, the summits being reached in less than hours and thus pre-dawn
starts are unnecessary and returns can be made by early afternoon.  The area is ideal to those with little or no
Alpine experience.

The Bernina, visited on the second week, is a more serious
undertaking.  The range is very compact
but is higher than the Otztal and is much more beautiful.  Again the hut – the Ischierva (2,573m) is
three hours from the car, initially through sweet scented pine woods which can
be traversed using a horse drawn vehicle to the Roseg restaurant.

The first peak attempted was the Piz Roseg (3,937m).  A start was made at 03.30 hours to cross
Ischierva Glacier before dawn approximately 2,000m in distance.  Initially we were competing with about eight
others to get on the ridge first but were soon outpaced and afterwards
discovered them to be trainee guides. The ridge is gained is rock giving way to a hard packed snow slope where
crampons were an advantage.  The route is
quite spectacular, the second summit being the higher one.

The next day the Piz Scerscen (3,971m) was climbed.  The party consisting of Roy Bennett, Malcolm
Holt and Terry Taylor.  The crux of the
climb is the Ice Nose, a 200ft. nose of steep snow and ice, which led out onto
the final ridge before approaching the summit. Several routes were obvious, one leading up the centre and traversing right,
around the overhanging ice walls, another to the left climbing up the least
inclined angle of the nose seemed the most worn route, the third, which we
took, involved a series if ice chimneys then joining with the left hand route.  Terry led, making a quick work to the first
stance, no serious difficulties were apparent. 

Roy
followed managing admirably, despite lack of forward points on his
crampons.  The three were soon at the
top, and reached the final summit at 10.30 hours.

The descent conditions proved hazardous due to sun melting
the top layer of ice, and great care had to be taken when descending the
nose.  The hut was reached at 15.00 hours
with them feeling pretty tired.

The following day we intended to do the Piz Bernina (4,049m)
the highest peak in the area, requiring a midnight start and an overnight stay
at the Marco Rosa refuge (3,597m) in

Italy.  Unfortunately weather conditions, up to now
perfect, started to deteriorate, so a day was spent on the glacier improving
snow and ice techniques.

On Thursday, the last day, we did one of the smaller peaks,
Piz Morteratsch (3,751m).  This proved
more of a slog than anything else, although a deviation of route took us up a
steep ice slope necessitating much step cutting since we had left behind our crampons.  We descended the climb in traditional English
style, arseadding, passing a roped party of Swiss plodding steadily upwards,
who from the looks on their faces didn’t approve.

Members in the
Alps – Roy
and Joan Bennett, Terry Taylor, Malcolm Holt, Eddy Welch and Bob Chapman.

 

B.E.C. Trip to Steepholm

By Andy MacGregor

On Saturday 7th September 1968, a party of B.E.C. members
made a weekend visit to Steepholm accompanied by two members of the Steepholm
Trust.  The party consisted of Alan
Thomas, Andy Macgregor, Dave and Jane Glover, John Riley, ‘Fred’ Atwell and
Martin Webster.

After an uneventful crossing we established our camp in the
barracks on the south side of the island, Victorian and Georgian cannons were
looked at, also remains of more modern gun emplacements.  The island was used as a gun emplacement from
Napoleonic times until the Second World War except during the First World War.

The tide was going out, so we decided to walk around the
island and look at the caves around the sea shore.  Most of the caves are on the north side, but
there are a few on the south side.  There
are about 20 caves from 10ft. to about 200ft. in length.  Sunday saw more caves looked at and then an
uneventful boat trip back to
Weston-super-Mare.

Extracts from the Caving Log

Edited by Phil Coles

28-7-68 to 20-9-68.

Now that the Log Book has been divided into two (Cuthbert’s
and Non-Cuthbert’s) it would seem more suitable to deal with the extracts in a
likewise manner.  15 trips have been
recorded in St. Cuthbert’s including 5 digging trips, 4 surveying, a full-scale
practice rescue and a further 5 of a general tourist nature.  Rule 7 of the new Cuthbert’s log states that
all members of a party descending the cave should sign the log before the
trip.   Many people seem to have a warped
sense to remain anonymous; their signatures look like a bunch of politician
autographs (perhaps it is! Ed.).  as it
is important to know exactly who is down the cave will those gents of the
feeble handwriting please make an effort to be legible.

On the non-Cuthbert’s scene, the BEC have been active in
Burrington Coombe, centring on East Twin and adjoin digs – totalling eight
trips in all (See Monthly Notes No. 18 p.150). East Twin has been now surveyed and apparently the digs are quite promising.  An old MNRC dig on the opposite side of the
Higher Twin valley has been dug but has been abandoned for the moment because
of unstable boulders.  Water sampling has
continued in GB and Swildons has been visited on several occasions.  The Hunter’s Hole dig in Dear’s Ideal (See BB
138) has at last got under way and in my view is the most promising dig since
Emborough! (and fell in!!  Ed).

The club is now in the happy position of running six digs
concurrently – Cuthbert’s – Sump and Dining room; Hunters; East Twin; Maesbury
and South Wales – is this a record?

On foreign soil there have been trips to South Wales and I
hear that Alan Thomas and company have been pottering around in

Austria!!!

ST. CUTHBERT’S
SWALLET – Traverse Chamber Choke – reported changes at upstream end of the
choke.

On 3rd September 1968 during a surveying trip base at
Traverse chamber, measurements were made at the upstream end of the Choke to
establish the extent of the reported changes. By comparing the results with measurements made on 27/28th October 1963
it is possible to say that the floor has been lowered a maximum of 1” and the
passages extended a maximum of 1 foot. The reported changes here are therefore practically non-existent.

Roger Stenner.

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

 ‘There are caves so
ancient that not only are they completely dry, but they are actually
disappearing as they gradually become silted up’ – Norbert Casteret.

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

’In chambers deep, where waters sleep, what unknown
treasures pave the floor?’ – Edward Young.

 

Outdoors

with Hedra

Have I got OUTDOORS for Christmas yet? Sez Wig.  Ye gods, I don’t even know what they are
doing in October (apart from dine)! However, I do know what Ron Pepper and Dick Loxton did in August.  They were fortunate enough to mop up a W/E’s
worth of that extraordinary Northern spell of fine weather, staying at Nant
Peris at Mrs. Smiths B and B.

They climbed the Flying Buttress watched the ritual ascents
of the Gates and then walked across to see Cloggy because they had never
been.  Please, where does the pendule
above Curving Crack belong?  Incredible
to note that their climb on Idwal Slabs on Sunday was done with a fine film of
dust on polished holds.

Pete Sutton too was in

Wales and had a number of fine
ascents during the week after the main party had left.  He threatens to tell us.  (Do you mean a Climbing article for the
BB?  Ed.)

Dave Steel and mates from Aces went to a rather horrid
Chamonix. 
Mont Blanc was fab however and apparently a complete
justification for going wog.  Their stay
was curtailed by a crevasse accident which fortunately only cost them money.

Derek Targett has removed a wobbly piton from Mercavity and
has been caving.

Some of us have been to lectures and seen pictures by Ken
Wilson who has become the new Editor of ‘Mountain Craft’.  This event has given a completely new slant
to the magazine.  The slant seem mostly
overhanging with Big Gorgeous Pix amongst which ones are those taken on the
North Face Direct of the Sondre Trolltind by Baille and Amat and a breathtaking
Matterhorn shot by Gerald Lacey.  Yum
Yum!  Plenty of interesting information
including new climbs.  After reading
about how you just had to have Skyhooks, (your actual Yosemite Skyhooks that
is) I demanded to see these prior to purchase. Close examination revealed that you can’t afford to sneeze whilst
dangling from one of these things and so I quickly explained about my influenza
and wondered about walking sticks instead. At half a crown “Mountain Craft” we thought.  So that’s why Mark went up then down the

Ordinary Route on
Idwal Slabs – in the wet.

Traditionally yours
                        Hedera

Dan-yr-Ogof…..

Notes from Our Man in
South Wales… Alan Coase.

Work on the new survey (Grade 6D) has shown that the Lower
Series in II is much more under the Upper Series than had been thought.  A water tracing experiment from one of the
Waen Fignen Felen sinks gave no connection to the

Great North Road, but an apparent
connection to the stream in Dali’s Delight. Digging in Hanger Passage is continuing and a break through was recently
made into an imposing passage which went round to another corner – to another
boulder choke.  Success here could well
lead to large extensions to the west towards Sink-y-Giedd.

R.B.

 

Monthly Notes No. 18

By “Wig”

Since the July floods
a few B.E.C. members have switched their attention to Burrington – East Twin
Swallet in particular.  At first a probe
was made at the end of the Third Chamber but interest soon wavered.  A close inspection was made of the west wall
through the main passage.  Small probes
revealed little except a possible site between the 1st and 2nd Chambers.  This was dug for a short time by Keith
Franklin, John Riley and Dave Irwin. There was sufficient found to encourage further digging at the site
(permission being sought from the UBSS). Attention then switched outside to the stream bed made by the flood
water lower down the valley.  Roy
Bennett, Keith Franklin and others attacked a site leading to an open (?) but
very tight rift.  Soon interest lapsed
and Keith’s attention switched to the old MNRC dig on the opposite side of the
valley.  Further notes on the sites will
appear in MN in the future.

EAST TWIN SURVEY
‘Wig’ has produced a new survey of East twin Swallet to CRG Grade 6 c-d – a
small scale reduction will appear in the B.B. shortly.  Sidcot Swallet, previously only surveyed to
CRG Grade 4 (

Barrington
– Caves of Mendip) by Stride Brothers (1944), is to be resurveyed in the near
future.

Levelling Burrington!  No! the bulldozers weren’t called in, though
I’ve no doubt that Bill Smart could have called them from Costains quite easily
if he so wished.  To obtain accurate
levels of the Burrington caves a line was taken from Ellick House to several
entrances.  This was carried out in two
‘trips’ one of 2 hours on a Saturday evening and the other a nine hour trip on
the following day.  The line was tied
into the entrance of Avelines.

A full list of O.D. levels will appear in a later issue of
the B.B. but here are some to be getting along with:-

Spider Hole 572.24ft.
East Twin swallet 470.61ft.  (

Barrington 520ft and UBSS
Proc. 600ft.)
Avelines Hole 324.82ft.  (

Barrington 380ft.)
Trat’s Crack 528.69ft.

S.
Wales – Roy Bennett has commenced digging another site near
the first backfilled earlier in the year. Looks interesting – might go through the pundits don’t think so!

ST. CUTHBERT’S –
Dining Room Dig.

Since late April work has been carried out at the digging
site above the Dining Room.  Digging
takes place on Tuesday evenings, although there has been some work carried out
on weekends on odd occasions.  With the
establishing of a regular digging team (basically John Riley, Dave Turner, Bob
Craig, ‘Wig’ and others from Bath, Bristol and Bridgwater)  work has progresses at a good steady rate.  The first problem that had to be overcome was
to enlarge the dig to a workable size. The small rabbit burrowing technique had outlived its usefulness and so
all the dug passage was opened up to a walk through tunnel.  Corners of the passage were removed and the
floor lowered by some 4ft. – more in places until bedrock was reached.

The spoil tipping has presented little problem; all of it
being thrown down into the Dining Room. There will, however, come a time when the dump will be impracticable –
what then?  At the moment the spoil heap
slopes up beyond the climbs to the entrance of the dig, the foot of the cone
has covered the cement table and is slowly creeping to the entrance and on to
the streamway!

Digging continued along the top passage for over 25ft. and
later another site at the entrance to the ‘Upper Passage’ was dug.  This lower site attracted a few weeks
attention as there were two pointers indicating that the main flow of water had
entered this lower passage.  The first
was the apparent multi-directional flow of the water at the ‘T’ junction and
secondly, the late discovery of vadose markings at the top of the slope in the
upper passage.

Both indicated that the upper passage was an inlet.  Digging at the Arch revealed another passage,
possibly running parallel with the upper passage.  To date insufficient digging has taken place
to confirm its direction.  If this is the
way on it will no doubt be a very long term project and our only hope is that
the roof of these passage will lift soon. However all is not lost as there are at least two more choked passages
in the dig and a return to the upper may well pay dividends even though the
water seems to have flowed in towards the cave – time will tell.  At the moment the digging team is still
prepared to do battle with site!

Change of C.C.C. Secretary.

At the last C.C.C. Committee meeting Tim (Hodgoon) Hodgson
resigned as its secretary and has been replaced by Tony Knibbs (M.C.G.).

 

Books from the Library 2

Cave Hunting – by W.
Boyd Dawkins.  Pub. 1874.  This is one of the classics of caving
literature and should be read by all keen cavers.  This book shows clearly the 19th century
interest in caving and how it stemmed from the science of Archaeology.  Balch himself was a part-time archaeologist
and so is Professor Tratman today.

Dawkins (biography in Cave Science Vol. 5  No.39 April 1966) although not involved in the actual exploration of major
systems as was Martel, did much to show the interest that could be found
underground and allay the superstitions that were still rife at the time.

O.F.D.

A fine cluster of columns, claimed to be the finest in the
country, has been found in O.F.D. II. Many of the cavers who have visited this chamber are, probably quite
deliberately, very vague as to its whereabouts. They claim that it is in an extremely complicated part of the cave.

Hepste
Valley.

Wild rumours have being spreading about Mendip that a large
cave system has been discovered there. S.V.C.C. have been suggested as the discoverers, but as they have been
on Mendip several weekends recently it does not appear to be them.  What about the U.B.S.S.?  Apparently O.C.L. was seen hairing along the
road in his car towards the valley….one wonders!

The Annual Dinner

I was told I enjoyed the Dinner.  One or two other people also followed the
traditional to ‘excess’ – notably the Hon. Secretary who was seen, on several
occasions, to attempt to fly nimbly from table to table.  Despite the lack of formally organised
entertainment there was no lack of interesting personnel to survey – would you
believe bagpipes?  Vicars!  Regency costumes (hic) and yet again a
‘Joseph’ Thomas in a coat of many colours.

I have heard no complaints about either dinner or
service.  In fact the B.E.C., as usual,
have started the Dinner Season with, of course, the Best Dinner of the Year.

Nibs Parker (pen name)

Cavers Bookshelf

By B.M. ELLIS

1967 EXPEDITION TO
THE GOUFFRE BERGER by K. Pearce. Published by the British Speleological Association in 1968.  Not priced.

In 1967 there were two expeditions to the Gouffre Berger,
one organised by the Pegasus Club and another by the BSA.  Both teams were at the cave at the same time
but the original intentions was for the two to be independent of one another
except for communications in the cave, medical facilities and tackle.

The report on the Pegasus expedition was published at the
end of 1967 and was reviewed in ‘Cavers Bookshelf’ for April 1968.  This is a report on the B.S.A. expedition
written by the leader.

The report is generally well produced, being printed and
consisting of fourteen pages and including six photographs.  As the other report has been published
earlier, this one seemed to be written in a defensive style, the leader
defending himself against implied criticisms of his expedition made in the
Pegasus report, and elsewhere.  The
reason for some of these criticisms were mentioned in my earlier review.  Whatever the cause, and several possible
explanations have been put forward, the B.S.A. expedition suffered a rebellion
against the leader and several of the members refused to enter the Gouffre
Berger, or made a hurried exit from it. The possible reason put forward by Pearce in the report is that several
of them had been closely associated with the Mossdale incident only a few weeks
earlier, though he does admit that the first few days of the expedition were
very hectic and it would have been more sensible if he had allow the members to
get to it more gently.  However this does
not excuse the behaviour of those members who just turned round in the cave,
without a word to anyone, and left.  It
must be added though that Pearce did manage to get himself and others to the
bottom of the cave and to get further than he had previously.  How this was achieved is outside the scope of
a review and would have to be discussed by someone with more intimate knowledge
of the two expeditions.

The sections into which the report is divided cover a
summary of the expedition, the expedition log, a medical report, and reports on
photography, diving, food and communications. There is also a piece on the laddering of the cave below

Camp
II.  This is stated to be to correct errors that
could arise if any future party based its tackling arrangements on the Pegasus
report.  To me it read as though Pearce
is trying to say that he knows better than the Pegasus (perhaps he does) and
that they were lucky that their incompetence did not give rise to trouble.

Apart from the defensive style of the writing there is only
one criticism of this publication.  It is
full of spelling mistakes which could have been removed if more care had been
taken.  Unfortunately the price is not
known as the report is un-priced and it was a complimentary copy that was seen.

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

Footnote from’ Delineations of N.W.

Somerset’ by John Rutter… “The water which
forms the springs at Cheddar, is, probably, a stream which sinks into the
chasms of the rock above, at Longwood, and in another place, on Charterhouse
Farm”.

                        (1829)

 

 “So What?”

By ‘Senex’

Most of us, when some older caving types starts to talk
about life in the caving world of twenty or so years ago, quietly drift off and
find somebody with a more interesting line of conversation.  We all know – or we’ve been told, that conditions
were different on Mendip a generation ago. So what?

After all, it would be trifle odd if things hadn’t changed
and our reaction on being told that life was tougher, or quieter or something
is to go off and find out who is buying the next round of beer.  Reminiscences may well be all very well for
those who only have the past to remember, but we want to get on with things.

Yet, if some time machine were possible, and the Caving
Secretary could announce a trip for the weekend to Mendip of the immediate post
war years; most of us would probably queue up for the experience and the chance
to actually seeing for ourselves.  In the
absence of such a machine, it might be interesting to one, which sets us down
in the

London
of 1945 or 6, with a weekend on Mendip in the offing.

The trip has been planned for some time.  It had to be. Like many cavers of that period, we do not belong to any club.  Cavers are very few, and our two or three
caving friends in

London
have got to know a handful of people who are sometimes able to get to
Mendip.  There are few clubs, but these
are things we have mainly heard about rather than been in contact with.  For example, we have heard about the Wessex
Cave Club, but we have yet to meet a

Wessex member, and have no idea at
all as how to get in contact with one. Amongst the few cavers we know are some members of the Bridgwater Caving
Club, and we have heard that some of them will be on Mendip next weekend and
will bring some tackle with them.  We
hope to be able to do a ‘full’ Swildons – something we have been hoping to do
for nearly a year now.  We hope that the
weekend will be a success.

Managing to leave work early on Friday, we make our way to
Paddington and onto the crowded train to

Bristol.  From there we walk to

Prince Street to catch the 27 bus to
Priddy Turning and from there we walk the last three miles to Priddy
Green.  Lifts are out, as there is so
little road traffic.  Indeed, it will be
most unusual if a single vehicle passes us in either direction on our walk from
the main road to Priddy.  Even in a few
years timer, it will still be possible in the middle of the road up Deer Leap
after a ‘midnight Wookey’ and sleep the rest of the night on the road with no
fear of being run over.

So we arrive at Priddy Green.  This is the caving centre for Mendip, and Priddy
Green consists of the Vic and

Maine’s
barn as far as we are concerned.  It will
some years yet before the Speed brothers get used to serving strangers at the
New Inn, or caving huts appear.  There is
the U.B.S.S. hut at Burrington, but, under normal transport conditions, this
might be at the North Pole.  The Vic is
therefore the place where we meet our friends, keep warm, and refresh
ourselves. 

Maine’s barn see to our cooking and sleeping
arrangements, and Swildons and Eastwater are the local caves, unless we walk
over to G.B. or the newly discovered Longwood Swallet.

Dumping our gear in the barn (this consists only of caving
gear and food.  Sleeping bags are rare;
costly, and very bulky to carry over long distances) we make for the Vic, where
our little party completes the assemblage of Mendip cavers.  We are in luck, for with our party included,
there are almost a dozen and we should be able to get some caving in.  The B.C.C. types have not only got the
tackle, but also have a motorbike with them, on which three of them have
travelled from Bridgwater.  One
compensation for the lack of transport is that regulations are very lax
compared to today’s standards, and one stood a good chance of doing an illegal
journey of this length, with the possibility of nothing more than a reprimand
if caught.  The bike is one of the few
machines of the late 1920’s or early 1930’s which occasionally comes onto the
market.  It has a hand gear lever on the
tank which limits its passengers.  The
days of the excellent ex-WD bikes are still to come, and the record of seven
cavers on one bike – all in line astern – is a few years off yet.

The bike does mean that we shall be able to roam further
afield during the weekend – on a relay system if necessary, so we retire to the
inner room and plan the weekend in detail. Most of us have had some difficulty getting there, and we don’t want to
waste any time.  Having done this, we
walk across the green, to ‘stack out’ for the night in the hay – after removing
our boots, or course.  Breakfast helps to
remove the cold and stiffness, and we set off for Swildons.

The bit of the weekend would be familiar with us, apart from
the huge and heavy ladders which have to be manhandled through all the tight
bits, and which are continually coming unwrapped.  At the Old Grotto, the party pauses while one
of the members takes a photograph.  To be
more accurate, at least two of the party are involved, as an assistant has to
set off the flash powder.  After some
time, this finally ignites and fills the whole place with a dense white fog,
through which we blunder onwards.  Our
photographer assures us that the fog will be gone by the time we come out.

Below the twenty, progress is faster, as we have no ladder
to carry, and finally we reach the end of the known cave ‘the sump’.  This is not quite true, as it has been dived,
but only found to lead to a small extra bit

of passage length. Coming back, we are slightly relieved when our first ladder pitch is
behind us and we start the process of dragging the wooden-runged and rope-sided
ladders back to the surface

Back at the barn, stew follows and then off to the Vic for a
beer; talk beer; shove ha’penny; beer; singing; beer etc.  Apart from any other reason, a fair quantity
of beer helps us to ignore the cold in the barn, and gets us to sleep
later.  During the evening, the landlord
tells us that he has heard that two other cavers are about.  He thinks they come from

Bristol. This news does not excite us much, for we know that the locals usually
cycle out for the day and return home at night. However, just before closing time (an elastic hour in those days) they
appear, and closing time is postponed. We gather that they belong to the B.E.C. – another club we have heard
of, but whose members we have never met. They tell us, although there are only about a dozen of them actively
caving, there are a lot more members at present in the forces, and that we
shall see more of their club in the future. This starts a discussion as to whether we should all join a club and the
Bridgwater boys point out that theirs is about to be disbanded when the works
at Puriton close down.  We don’t arrive
at any conclusion – this problem can wait for another day.  Instead, we get down to some serious drinking
with our new companions, who finally stay at the barn with us, having become
incapable of cycling.

Next day, over breakfast, we decide that the B.E.C. lads
will use the B.C.C. tackle to do Eastwater with a few of the others, while the
rest of us go to G.B. using the motorbike to tow two of us on cycles, while it
carries three more.  (This bit is not
invented, as it actually happened – although a few years later and in
South Wales). There is, of course, only one way down the cave – via the Devil’s
Elbow.  Luckily, the weather is pretty
dry and there will be no chance of the elbow sumping.  If there had been, the trip would have had to
be abandoned.  With nobody around to get
a party out of trouble, no party could afford to risk getting into any.

Back at the barn again, we pause for a meal, pack our
belongings, hope to see the others again soon, and start walking to the Main
road.  There is plenty of time, so on the
way, we stop at a pub called the Hunters, as opening time has just come round.  This pub is not frequented by cavers, but occasionally
used, as we are using it, as a pause on the walk.  We take our beer on to the grass which comes
almost up to the front door.  There, we
start to talk about the weekend, which we all agree was affine one.  We know that we shan’t be able to talk about
it at work when we get back, as caving is regarded as such an odd occupation
that it isn’t talked about outside caving circles.

As we lie on the grass, in the evening sunlight, relaxed
after a good weekend’s caving, we wonder what the others would say if the time
machine could whisk this gathering into their future and deposit them in the
same spot in 1968.  How would they react,
we wonder, if the grass under them suddenly turned into asphalt; if the space
between the pub and the road became full of cars; of the pub doors opened to
disgorge cavers in large numbers, going back to the Wessex Hut, to the Belfry,
to the Shepton or the M.C.G?

They would hear talk of St. Cuthbert’s, of

Stoke Lane, and
many other caves new to them.  They would
hear of Journals, Bulletins, Surveys, Caving Reports.  They would hear of foreign expeditions.  In short, they would see all their dreams
come true.

For this is what we all wanted in those far off quiet
days.  Every time we talked over our
beer, we would come round to wild suggestions about building our own hut, about
discovering caves on Mendip for ourselves, about starting a magazine.  Almost as we set foot on Mendip, we wanted to
change it all.

So we did.
So what?

Sennex.

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

DON’T FORGET THE CUTHBERT’S LEADERS MEETING NOV. 10th
Hunters at 2.30pm.  All are welcome to
attend.

 

Membership List of the B.E.C.

If anyone notices wrong membership numbers, addresses etc.,
contact Alan Thomas,

Westhaven
School, Uphill,
Weston-s-Mare.

666	P. Allen	7 Westbourne Place, Bristol 8
306	T Andrews	186 Courtlands Ave., London S.E.12
236	J. Attwood	64 Main Road, Shortwood, Nr. Mangosfield, Bristol
665	G. Atwell	57 Sandy Leaze, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol
20	R.J. Bagshaw	699 Wells Road, Knowle, Bristol 4
392	M. Baker	‘Morello’, Ash Lane, Wells, Somerset
358	D Balcombe.	36 Rotherwick Close, Horley, Surrey
653	J. Ball	4 Church Row, Stratton on the Fosse, Bath, Somerset
685	W. Ball	13 Beechwood Road, Sanderstead, Surrey
619	K. Barnes.	24 Missile Regt., R.A., Paderborn, BFPO 16
617	R. Bater	20 Woodlands Glade, Swiss Valley, Clevedon, Somerset
618	Mrs. R. Bater	20 Woodlands Glade, Swiss Valley, Clevedon, Somerset
214	R. Bennett	8 Radnor Road, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol
390	J. Bennett	8 Radnor Road, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol
417	P. Bird	City Museum, Queens Road, Bristol
364	P. Blogg	Hunters Field, Chaldon Common Road, Chaldon, Surrey
145	Miss S. Bowden-Lyle	17 Rokeby Ave., Redland, Bristol 6
663	B. Britton	108 Cheltenham Road, Bristol 6
696	R. Brooks	87 Wyatt Road, London SW2
687	V. Brown	3 Cross St., Kingswood, Bristol
689	J. Bugler	c/o Squirrel Cot., Horton Scar Lane, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Yorkshire
551	G.A. Bull	37 Norlands Square, London, W11.
607	G. Butler
679	R. Chandler	83 Spring Plate, Pound Hill, Crawley, Sussex
526	J. Churchward	1 Jamaica Street, Bristol
655	C. Clark
211	Mrs. C. Coase	5 Mandalay Flats, 10 Elsiemer St., Long Jetty, N.S.W., 2262, Australia
620	P. Coles	213 Cheltenham Road, Bristol
89	S. Collins	c/o Homeleigh, Bishop Sutton, Bristol
377	D. Cooke-Yarborough.	Lot 11, McKay Crescent, Orange, New South Wales, Australia
576	N. Cooper	3 West Terrace, Westbury, Sherborne, Dorset
	B. Crew	5 Redstone Drive, Ashleigh Gardens, Highley, Nr. Kidderminster, Worcs.
680	R. Cross	42 Bayham Road, Knowle, Bristol 4
684	A. Cullen	68 Stoke Lane, Patchway, Bristol
609	I. Daniels	‘Handsworth’, Pilgrim Way, Chilham, Canterbury, Kent
405	F. Darbon	1933 Upland St., Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
677	A. Davies	9 Queens Road, Clevedon, Somerset
423	L. Dawes	223 Southwark Park Road, Bermondsey, London S.E.10
449	G. Dell	23123511 L/Cpl. Dell, Printing Press, 30 BN3. BOD, Singapore
164	K.C. Dobbs	85 Fox Road, Pinhoe, Exeter, Devon
601	N. Downes	18 Coombe Street Lane, Yeovil, Somerset
325	A.J. Dunn	63 Oakdale Road, Downend, Bristol
331	J.A.Etough	116 Newbridge Road, Brislington, Bristol
322	B.M. Ellis	‘Knowkauns’, Combwich, Bridgwater, Somerset
232	C. Falshaw	23 Hallen Cross Crescent, Lodge Moor, Sheffield
269	T. Fletcher	The Old Mill House, Barnack, Nr. Stamford, Lincs.
278	G. Fowler	Officers Mess, R.A.F. Locking, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset
404	A. Francis	22 Hervey Road, Wells, Somerset
468	K. Franklin	213 Cheltenham Road, Bristol
469	P. Franklin
569	Mrs P. Franklin
676	M. Fricker	36 Summerhill Road, St. George, Bristol 5
643	M. Gaskell	23663966, Pte. Gaskell M, IOVE H Coy., ROAC, BFPO 56, El-Adem, Libya
470	P. Giles	Manor Farm Cottage, East Lydford, Somerton, Somerset
459	K. Gladman	29 Shenfield Road, Brentwood, Essex
647	D. Glover	‘Leisure’, Green Lane, Pamber Green, Nr, Basingstoke, Hants.
648	J. Glover	‘Leisure’, Green Lane, Pamber Green, Nr, Basingstoke, Hants.
670	C.D. Gooding	43 Monmouth Road, Bishopston, Bristol
434	D. Greenwood	42 St, David’s Drive, South Anston, Sheffield
478	S. Grimes	15 Forrester Rd., Corstophine, Edinburgh
582	C. Hall	67 Fishponds Road, Eastville, Bristol
432	N. Hallett	26 Cotham Vale, Bristol 6
693	A. Handy	2 Colehill Drive, Hartcliffe, Bristol 3
104	M. Hannam	‘Lowlands’ Orchard Close, East Hendred, Berks.
304	C.Harris	Diocesian registry, Wells, Somerset
581	C. Harvey	‘Byways’, Hanham Lane, Paulton, Somerset
4	Hasell D.H.	‘Hill House’, Moorlynch, Bridgwater, Somerset
638	Miss A. Henley	23 Maynard Road, Hartcliffe, Bristol
691	D. Herbert	33, Traingle East, Oldfiedl Park, Bath, BA2 3HZ
587	B. Hewitt	21 Clarendon Road, Redland, Bristol 6
436	J. Hill	14C the Orchard, high Street, Lower Cam, Nr. Dursley, Glos.
373	S. Hobbs	Hokerstone Cottage, Townsend, Priddy, Wells, Somerset
671	T. Hodgson	19 Alfred Place, Kingsdown, Bristol 8
697	E. Holley	140 Novers Lane, Knowle, Bristol 4
387	G. Honey
588	B. Howe	48 Martins Road, Hanham, Bristol
	Mrs Howe	48 Martins Road, Hanham, Bristol
631	P. Hudson	15 Glantawe Park Estate, Wind Road, Ystradgynlais, S. Wales
97	J. Ifold	5 Rushgrove Gardens, Bishop Sutton, Somerset.
150	P. Ifold	‘The Cedars’, Blackford, Wedmore, Somerset
540	D. Irwin	23 Camden House, Southville, Bristol 3
340	R. Jenkins	18 Camberley Close, Downend, Bristol
51	A. Johnson	Warren Cottage, Station Road, Flax Bourton, Bristol
694	D. Jones	24 Shortwood View, Kingswood, Bristol
560	F. Jones	c/o 8 York Gardens, Clifton, Bristol
438	Mrs. P. Jones	13 Braichmelyn, Bethesda, Bangor, Caernarvon
285	U. Jones	Marsh Farm, Askem In Furness, Lancs.
567	A. Kennett	22 Parkfield Rank, Pucklechurch, Bristol
316	R. King	22 Parkfield Rank, Pucklechurch, Bristol
542	P. Kingston	3 Kingsely Road, Eastville, Bristol 5
413	R. Kitchen	25 Fruse Hill Road, Tidworth, Hants.
260	J. Lamb	‘Broadmeadows’, Padstowe Road, Wadebridge, Cornwall
475	B.J. Lane	37 Pendennis Park, Brislington, Bristol
667	T.E. Large	16 Meade House, Wedgewood Rd., Twerton, Bath, Somerset
659	J. Laycock	41 Woodlands Park, quedley, Glouster
656	P. Littlewood	257 Chichester Road, Bognor Regis, Sussex
657	Mrs. Littlewood	257 Chichester Road, Bognor Regis, Sussex
574	O. Lloyd	Withey House, Withey Close West, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol
495	M. Luckwill	8 Greenslade Road, Sedgley Hall Estate, Sedgley, Dudley, Worcs.
58	G. Lucy	Pike Croft, Long Lane, Tilehurst, Reading, Berks.
550	A. MacGregor	The Railway Arms, Station Road, Theale, Reading, Berks.
651	P. MacNab	121 Gilmore Place, Edinburgh 3
561	J. Major	Saint Cross, Green Down, Litton, Bath, Somerset
573	Mrs. J. Major	Saint Cross, Green Down, Litton, Bath, Somerset
591	J. Manchip	121 Gilmore Place, Edinburgh 3
275	C. Marriott	Brulbergstrasse 15, Apt. 21, 8400 Winterhur, Switzerland
662	R. Marshall	23 Highbury Villas, Bristol 2
415	T. Marston	3 Maple Grove, Plymton, Devon
106	E. Mason
558	A. Meaden	The Post Office & Stores, Cross in Hand, Nr. Heathfield, Sussex
640	N.J. Monk	7 Little Soke Road, Bristol 8
308	K. Murray	17 Harrington Gardens, South Kensington, London, S.W.7
386	A. Nash	c/o 22 Stuart Lane, Bristol 3
610	H. Oakley	45 Groveway, Stockwell, London SW9
624	R. Orr	81 Honiton Place, Newton Aycliffe, C. Durham
557	D. Palmer	29 John Wesley Road, St. George, Bristol 5
396	M. Palmer	c/o 2 Hooper Avenue, Wells, Somerset
675	A. Parker	Ham Green Hospital, Pill, Nr. Bristol
698	R. Parfitt	‘ Hillside’, Bishop Sutton, Somerset
492	Miss S. Paul	21 Lovelace Road, Surbiton, Surrey
637	J. Pearce	6 Lyveden Road, Blackheath, London S.E.3
22	L. Peters	21 Melbury Road, Knowle, Bristol 4
160	N. Petty	12 Bankside Road, Brislington, Bristol
499	A. Philpot	3 Kings Brive, Bishopston, Bristol
56	G. Platten	‘Rutherford’, Fernhill Lane, New Milton, Hants.
568	Miss B. Plummer	2 Hogarth Walk, Lockleaze, Bristol
337	B. Prewer	East View, West Horrington, Nr. Wells, Somerset
342	R. Price	18 Kingfisher Crescent, Lightwood Park, Cheadle, Staffs.
622	C. Priddle	367 Fishponds Rd., Bristol 5
481	J. Ransom	9 Archfield Road, Cotham, Bristol
668	I. Rees	30 Ramsey Road, Horfield, Bristol 7
343	A. Rich	c/o Pox 126, Basham, Alberta, Canada
672	R. Richards	11 Tennison Road, South Noorwood, London S.E. 25
682	John Riley	School Farm House, Chew Stoke, Nr. Bristol
443	R. Roberts
616	A. Rushton	Rectification Flight, RAF Conningsby, Nr. Sleaford, Lins.
240	A. Sandall	43, Meadway Avenue, Nailsea, Somerset
359	Mrs. A. Sandall	43, Meadway Avenue, Nailsea, Somerset
237	B. Scott	59 Fairthorne Rise, Basing, Nr. Basingstoke, Hants.
577	D. Searle	‘Dolphin Cottage’, Priddy, Nr. Wells, Somerset
578	Mrs. D. Searle	‘Dolphin Cottage’, Priddy, Nr. Wells, Somerset
482	G. Selby	913 N. Olive St., Corona, California, U.S.A., 91720
597	R.J. Sell	51 Swiss Road, Ashton Vale, Bristol 3
508	A. Selway	15 St. Martin’s Road, Knowle, Bristol 4
213	R. Setterington.	4 Cavendish House, Cavendish Road, Chiswick, London, W 4
78	R. Setterington	4 Galmington Lane, Taunton, Somerset
565	W. Smart	37 Norland Square, London W11
473	D. Smith	Flat 15, 193 Wensley Road, Coley Park, Reading, Berks.
276	J. Stafford	‘Bryher’, Badgworth, Nr. Axbridge, Somerset
38	Mrs. I. Stanbury	74, Redcatch Road, Knowle, Bristol. 4.
1	T.H. Stanbury	31, Belvoir Road, St. Andrews, Bristol
575	J.D. Statham	43 Coates Gardens, Edinburgh 12
365	R. Stenner	38 Paultow Road, Victoria Park, Bristol 3
381	Mrs. Stenner	38 Paultow Road, Victoria Park, Bristol 3
60	P. Stewart	11 Fairhaven Road, Redland, Bristol 6
690	D. Stuckey	34 Allington Road, Southville, Bristol 3
572	P. Sutton	56 Arley Hill, Redland, Bristol 6
583	D. Targett	16 Phillis Hill, Midsomer Norton, Bath, Somerset
284	A. Thomas	Westhaven School, Uphill, Weston s Mare, Somerset
681	A. Thomas	83 Coronation Rd., Southville, Bristol 3
348	D. Thomas	‘Mantons’, 2 St. Paul Road, Tupsley, Hereford
571	N. Thomas	Holly Lodge, Norwich Road, Salhouse, Norwich, Norfolk
673	S. Thompson	51 Hayward Road, Redfield, Bristol 5
	G. Tilly	‘Gable’, Digby Road, Sherborne, Dorset
74	J. Tompsett	11 Lodge Avenue, Great Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex
80	Mrs. D. Tompsett	11 Lodge Avenue, Great Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex
692	R. Toms	22 Lancing Gardens, Edmonton, London N9
326	E. Towler	5 Boxgrove Gardens, Aldwick, Bognor Regis, Sussex
544	P. Townsend	154 Sylvia Avenue, Lower Knowle, Bristol 3
157	Mrs. J. Tuck	48 Wiston Path, Fairwater, Cwmbran, Monmouthshire
382	S. Tuck	27 Woodbury Avenue, Wells Somerset
678	D. Turner	12 Westbourne Place, Clifton, Bristol 8
646	P. Turner	12 Northfield, Stanshawes Estate, Yate
635	S. Tuttlebury	24 Victoria Rd., Fleet, Nr. Aldershot, Hants.
654	R. Voke	8 Pavey Road, Hartcliffe, Bristol 3
175	Mrs. D. Waddon	32 Laxton Close, Taunton, Somerset
652	R. Wallis	174 Bryants Hill, Bristol 5
642	D. Warburton	20 Beverley Court Road, Quinton, Birmingham 32
695	Miss C. Warren	2 The Dingle, Combe Dingle, Bristol BS9 2PA
627	G. Watts	59, Southbrown House, Duckmoor Road, Ashton, Bristol 3
645	M. Webster	43 Shroud Road, Patchway, Bristol
592	E. Welch	18 Station Road, Frenchay, Bristol
525	D. Weston	‘Maryvale’, 2 Folloton, Totnes, Devon
553	R. White	8 Regent Court, Stoke Poges Lane, Slough, Berks.
608	R. Wickens	2 Cherry Garden Road, Canterbury, Kent
593	P. Wilkins	51 Constable Road, Lockleaze, Bristol
559	B. Wilton	22 Wedmore Vale, Knowle, Bristol 4
683	D. Yendle	59 Egerton Road, Bristol 7

 

October Trip to O.F.D.3

By Martin Webster

Early on Saturday October 12th 1968, Dave Irwin, Dave
Yendle, Dave Turner, Bob Craig (SMCC) and myself set out for
South
Wales with the intention of finding our way to the O.F.D.
streamway.  After 2½ hours of driving
through torrential rain, and getting lost in Mid-Wales, we arrived at the
S.W.C.C. cottage.  At this point “Wig”
and Bob Craig decided to fester for the day because, so they thought, the
chances of getting into the streamway would be pretty remote due to the heavy
rain.  So, after a fruitless half-hour of
trying to change their minds, the rest of us changed and staggered off up the
hill to the O.F.D. top entrance.  Two of
us had been down before but the way to the ‘3’ streamway had not been visited,
so armed with only a rather lengthy piece of rope, and a lot of hope, we strode
forth into the abyss!

After about 20 minutes we entered passages which were
unknown to us.  Large corridors stretched
away in all directions, and short drops and climbs made the caving quite
interesting.  Some way ahead we could
hear voices, and suddenly a hairy apparition appeared before us.  Apparently he too was looking for the ‘3’
streamway.  When we mentioned we had
removed our rope from a rather difficult climb, at what is known as ‘The Chasm’
(we had pulled the rope down after us) but thought we could climb back up, he
looked rather worried and asked who were we expecting to come and rescue
us.  With this he rushed off and
announced to the rest of his party that a group of ‘weegies’ had arrived!  Our thoughts can be imagined, when, 20
minutes later the same apparition re-appeared and announced that he had
crippled himself against a rock!

After what seemed an age, it became obvious that the other
party didn’t know the way either, so we went up one of the wide side passages
that we had seen.  The way we had gone
seemed very promising and after a short while came across a S.W.C.C. party who
cheerfully stated we were on the right track, but only half-way there.  With renewed spirit we hurried on; up climbs;
down climbs, through boulder piles.  One
of the main obstacles was a vast rift, darkness below and darkness above, and
in our case, three quaking cavers trying to traverse along the middle.

The ‘3’ streamway could be heard a long time before reaching
it, so it was no surprise when we reached our goal.  It took 2½ hours for the return trip and we
emerged from the cave after a serious, but very enjoyable 7 hour trip.