Reply to: Potholing - anyone done it?

[alluvial]

Ystradfellte. Been potholing there!

That's where Porth yr Ogof is.

Another good one near there is Little Neath River Cave. You go in via an entrance at river level that takes a sizable stream and so washes you down the entrance series quite nicely. Further in you go down The Canal which is a long wide section with a low roof and so you float down there pulling yourself along, brilliant cave. First time I went in there, I was wearing a boiler suit and old clothes, pretty near hypothermic when I came out.

[psychocandy]

If that's your bag, then the upper Neath & Swansea valleys are the places to go.

Potholes & old iron & silica mines abound.

I wouldn't fecking go down any of them.

Ystradfellte. Been potholing there!

[darmstadt]

I went a few times in South Wales when I was younger and found it fantastic, quite possibly one of the best experiences I ever had when wet and cold. I remember us all sitting in a small cavern when the leader told everyone to turn off their lights and keep quiet. Not that was pitch black, you could put your hand directly in front of your face and not see anything, unbelievable. Next up was abseiling which was just as much fun and abseiling into a pothole was just the business, however I think if I did it now, nearly 40 years on I would probably tulip myself...

I have been to some touristy caves which are all well and nice but one of the best was the Sterkfontein caves in South Africa. Two things stick out, one was putting your finger into a hole in the wall which was actually the fossilised remains of one of our ancestors (unless you're a Creationist) fingers and the second was hearing a lot of singing and when we walked around the corner there was a large underground lake where people were holding some form of religious service with the baptisms being held in the lake.




(* I did manage to get my foot stuck in one part which was called the Virgin's Crack!)

[Pondlife]

IIRC, Martyn Farr describes in one of his books how, whilst diving in one of Florida's blue holes, how he came across the body of a diver who'd got lost on the way out and died when his air ran out. Just a skeleton held together by his wetsuit apparently.

When in Mexico I met someone who does cave diving in Florida. Her regulator hose was about 3m long to facilitate taking her gear off and passing though some tiny hole before climbing in after it.

That's just mental!

[alluvial]

^^^^WAS.

There's lots of ogofs.

And they extend for many miles underground.


Considering the amount of rain we get around here, it can get quite exciting down there at times.

ISTR that they recovered some unfortunate's body the other year which had been stuck down there for 40 or so years.

Found it.
took a bit of detective work though.

IIRC, Martyn Farr describes in one of his books how, whilst diving in one of Florida's blue holes, how he came across the body of a diver who'd got lost on the way out and died when his air ran out. Just a skeleton held together by his wetsuit apparently.

[alluvial]

^^^^WAS.

There's lots of ogofs.

And they extend for many miles underground.


Considering the amount of rain we get around here, it can get quite exciting down there at times.

ISTR that they recovered some unfortunate's body the other year which had been stuck down there for 40 or so years.

Could have been Roger Solari who died whilst pushing the terminal sump with Martyn Farr in the 70's. I seem to recall something about a recent body recovery but can't remember where I heard it. I shall have to do a bit of googling.

Cave diving is the really dangerous one, and not something I've done, not because I didn't want to but because I have a family and the odds really aren't that good.
Interestingly, Porth yr Ogof has the largest entrance in Wales, is relatively short but has had the highest number of fatalities. Usually due to people ignoring the "If you go past this point you will die" sign by the resurgence. Great cave though.

[alluvial]

Yep, done it lots, although in South Wales it's more horizontal than vertical so isn't often termed potholing, usually just caving. Haven't been on any trips for a while but I'm still a member of my local caving club.
I'm lucky to live on the edge of one of the UK's major caving regions and have caved all over the place. There are some incredible places to visit underground, it just usually involves some pretty serious caving to get there.
South Wales is lucky to have some of the longest and most spectacular caves in the UK, Ogof Craig yr Ffynnon, Ogof Ffynnon Ddu, Ogof Draenen and Ogof Agen Allwedd are good examples although there are a plethora of others of all types.

It can be dangerous and I've had a few scrapes. There are still teeth marks in the mud of Keyhole Chamber in which I still maintain was all that stopped me from a nasty fall and I've been underneath a shakehole as it started to collapse.
But, if your fit enough, it can be a marvellous pasttime.

[DaveB]

Not done it myself but I know people who like exploring old mines

Just as dangerous no doubt, and often with security to avoid as well

Damn site more dangerous. Having grown up in Cornwall where the pace is riddled with old Tin mines the local Mine Rescue teams made a point of going round the schools and telling you just how dangerous it was, with some graphic examples to back it up.

[Halo Jones]

BGG & I did an organised pot holing excursion in New Zealand to see glow worms, it was great. It was not expert level but defiantly not your standard tourist day visit.

I did learn that I can’t just chuck myself down a waterslide in the dark (I took the long climb around)

The glow worms were very pretty & one member of the party did not keep his mouth closed as advised & had a free dose of protein.

[vetran]

used to do it a lot when younger but I preferred climbing, I was too big for many caves (not too fat you can squidge that, I had big hips & ribcage).

[MicrosoftBob]

Not done it myself but I know people who like exploring old mines

Just as dangerous no doubt, and often with security to avoid as well

[OwlHoot]

Bit past it now but I did some potholing in Somerset when I was student. Nowt like going down a pitch black sump and pulling yourself along under water. More spectacular, but I really like this item in DE today:

Inside Britain's deepest & darkest wonders: Astonishing images of hidden underground world | Nature | News | Daily Express

Second to wandering countryside in the sun, I'd like to spend my time underground. Maybe come back as a mole in the next life. Does one need planning permission to dig a cave in the garden?

Yup, done Swildon's Hole, almost down to the first sump, and Stoke Lane Slocker, past sump 1 although sadly not as far as the main chambers

Years ago someone told me that Stoke Lane had been destroyed by gravel quarrying, but I'm glad to see it is still there, for the enjoyment of future generations.

To reach sump 1 in Stoke Lane you have to backstroke across a large flooded chamber with the ceiling about an inch from the top of your nose - and panicking isn't an option

[TykeMerc]

Done it and got the extremely mucky tee shirt as a result. Got to admit it was fun at the time, but looking back it's not all that safe a hobby compared to say Scrabble

Some pretty astounding sights in the UK and abroad.

[BlasterBates]

Went pot-holing once, didn't realise vertigo would be a problem, swinging around in a very flimsy rope ladder in the middle of a huge black hole made be somewhat nervous, as did the vertical wall we had clamber down half way round as we took the "short cut"....

Got very wet, waterproofs don't help you really do need a wet suit.

[xoggoth]

He was brill, old Fred.

Actually there is a strange place close to a footpath near me. Looks like a crumbling old stone shepherd's hut but there's a big hole behind with huge rusty wheels a bit like that picture. Not sure what it was, maybe I'll get me a rope.