Sun 30th November 2014 – Eastwater Thirteen Pots

Group: Sam, Jemma, Paul, Charlie, Jo, Will and me.
Duration: Four hours max.

This trip was a great opportunity to cave with some of the EUSS alumni (and current students) who I haven’t seen as much of since graduating. Charlie, Paul and Jo drove all the way up from Devon / Cornwall on the Saturday and we had a nice, relaxed evening. Sam and Jemma got the bus down on the Sunday morning, via Cave Climb to pick up some hire kit. This was the last trip for my old oversuit, which sadly began to disintegrate partway round, but I have a shiny new AV suit now – much nicer.

Saturday 7th July – GB and Ladder Dig

Group: Charlie, Will, Fran and me.
Duration: Four hours?

This was mine and Will’s first trip up Ladder Dig, Charlie’s second, and Fran’s first ever time down GB(!). We did the round trip down, and climbed up someone else’s rigging (which definitely saved some time). On through the crawl and the duck, which we optimistically bailed for about 5 minutes. I did it on my front both ways, but Charlie did it on his back so I may try that next time. Amazingly, we found the way to Bat Passage, which is quite pretty. Basically just go left and keep going that way, sticking close to the walk on your left. When you get to the pile of rocks, go down the fairly obvious hole, and keep going.

Saturday 16th November 2013 – Pridhamsleigh Cavern

For more posts on Prid, select Pridhamsleigh Cavern on the left or click here.

Group: Jenks, Will, Big Mike, Charlie, me!
Duration: I don’t know, two hours maximum?

This weekend was a Jenks weekend because he was back in Exeter for the first time since the end of last uni year. So naturally, we went to Firehouse for pizza on the Friday night and to Prid for mud on the Saturday.

We spent approximately 10 mins getting to the lake, an hour in the Mystery Pools, 10 minutes returning from the lake and half an hour following Will who swore he knew the way to the Deep Well. It turns out he doesn’t. The Mystery Pools were loads of fun though!

2nd November 2013 – Eastwater Cavern + 13 Pots

Group: Me, Lydia, Charlie and Will
Duration: Three hours?

I’ve been down Eastwater a few times before, but this was my first time down to the lower series. Lydia had done the 13 pots trip once before, so armed with her hazy knowledge and Mendip Underground’s directions, we set off. We arranged to use another groups rigging for Dolphin Chimney, in exchange for packing it away and bringing it out with us.

In down the boulder choke, through the Woggle Press to the Crossroads and then it was time to head down Dolphin Chimney which I would guess is somewhere around 40ft long. We rigged a handline as the book suggests – not necessary on the way down but definitely useful on the way back up! I was nervous about this bit of the trip but it’s really a very simple climb, though the bottom does bell out a bit. From there, it was a brief crawl to the top of Dolphin Pot. As there is very little room for people at the head of the pitch, we spent some time re-arranging our group here. In the end, I belayed Will down first and then re-arranged the rigging so that Will could belay everyone else down from the bottom. The climb was straightforward, even if the ladder did end a few feet short of the floor!

Saturday 4th May 2013 – Baker’s Pit Trip Report

A trip to see ‘all of Bakers’
Group: Will, Charlie, Mike and I.
Duration: About 2 and a half hours I think.

Our plan was to go around all of Baker’s Pit, including Crystal Corridor and the end of the streamway which I hadn’t seen before. We also planned to do the Plymouth Climb and maybe have a look at the extentions if everyone made it up the climb. Charlie was also determined to show that he was KEEN. You may remember Charlie as one half of the Cavers Who Don’t Like Caving from this entry. He took exception to my suggestion that he wasn’t always keen or enthusiastic and has been desperately trying to prove me wrong!

1st – 13rd March – An unofficial EUSS weekend trip to WCC

A weekend trip for Cavers Who Don’t Like Caving (otherwise known as Lauren and Charlie).

Saturday: GB round trip
This was Lauren’s first trip into GB and only third time underground so it was just a simple, careful round trip to start the weekend off.

Sunday: Swildon’s Hole
Sadly, the plan get the Cavers Who Don’t Like Caving enjoying themselves underground sort of failed, as Lauren declined to go caving at all on the Sunday. But this did give us an opportunity to take Charlie, who had never been in Swildon’s, down to Sump 1 and back. I don’t know if he enjoyed it, he’s not the most expressive of people while caving, but it was a great, event free trip and I think he was glad he did it.

15th – 17th February 2013 – Weekend trip to TSG

Saturday: Peak Cavern.
Group: Charlie, Ellen, Lauren, Will, me.

A casual bimble down to the main streamway in Peak cavern. We had no idea where we were going or where we were, but it turns out we made it to the far side of Ink Sump and back (using the oxbow bypass, not going through the sump).

Sunday: Giant’s Hole
Group: Big Mike, Lucy, Will, me.

A very very quick SRT trip down the pitch in Giant’s and back up again. We didn’t intend to be so quick but got absolutely frozen waiting for another couple of groups to ascend. Very very very cold. Got some nice pics in the snow though.

Big Mike, Lucy, Will and I outside Giants in Derbyshire.

The evening’s activities consisted of many new and inventive caving games, including mid-air sock wrestling.

Mid-rope Sock Wrestling: Me vs Big Mike (I lost…)

11th – 13th May 2012 – South Wales

A weekend trip to SWCC before the start of final year university exams!

Saturday 12th May – OFD ii (top)
Group: Ian, Will, Charlie, Fran, Lydia, me.

On the Saturday, Ian was looking for a group to cave with and decided to lead us on a very varied trip around Top. He knows the cave absolutely inside out, and was a great person to cave with. We went to the Nyth Bran series and saw Timmo's table, Arete Chamber and Straw Gallery (I'm a little fuzzy on the details of what order we did all of this in as we were moving so fast). I remember going up and down Poached Egg climb, using a sling as a handhold, which was fairly simple but would, I imagine, have been much harder without the sling.

TO BE FINISHED.

12 October 2011 – Pridhamsleigh Cavern.

Fresher’s trip.
Group: Will, Ellen, Sandra, Amy, Charlie, me.

On the 12th of October I had my first trip underground, courtesy of Exeter University Speleology Society (EUSS). We were met at the tackle shed on campus to be given all of our kit, and headed off to Buckfastleigh. I did-not realise how short the Warmbac oversuits are and got myself one which fitted me widthways but in which I was unable to stand up (solution was tying the arms round my waist!). Despite this, it was an amazing trip that was the starting point for my obsession with this sport.

We went in in two or three groups of five, with two leaders. My group made fairly slow progress because of one or two very nervous first-time cavers but we made our way to the lake where we met up with a few other groups. I did the maggot-hole squeeze, and even managed not to plunge into the lake on the climb back down! I passed on attempting junction squeeze however, although Charlie in my group did give it a go.

This trip going so well is definitely the reason I’m still caving a year later, and I had an amazing time (even if I did nearly fall asleep in my burger in the Impy later!).

At the lake!

My improvised cave suit.

Me attempting to come back down the climb from Maggots. It seemed about 100 times as big as it actually was!