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Ogof Craig-a-Ffynnon - 18th March 2023 21 Mar 2023 20:39 #21373
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- dchadwick
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David Chadwick, Alex Ritchie, Long Bob (Riley) and Ros White.
We decided a visit to the Pagoda and Helictite Passage was a good idea, but Alex was keen to go to the end of the Promised Land. I was keen not to do too much as it was 12 years since my last visit
and I am not as fit as I used to be.
David struggled for a while with the padlock whilst the rest of us kept back far enough to hopefully be out of the “danger zone” for falling rocks near the entrance.
Once in I did not remember Gasoline Alley, but did remember it was a bit squalid but with fine calcite formations at intervals. The memories then came flooding back, the drippy ladder climb and the now easy climb above (metal plates to step on), followed soon by the 2nd boulder choke and mud. This is a special sort of very sticky mud, with deep slimy pools and “tram tracks” to knee-slide along, but I knew that we now were not far from Travertine Passage and the fabulous Hall of the Mountain King (David was ahead trying to hum the tune).
We rounded the lump at the end of the passage. Alex was right in insisting we should go left to get to the Promised Land and so we grovelled along Hurricane Highway. I remembered it as a long crawl, but had forgotten how much of it is negotiating the 3rd boulder choke. It is not difficult, just awkward. Finally we emerged into the impressive Severn Tunnel. This is easy walking, but was narrower than David and I remembered.
We turned off towards the Promised Land, wandered round the big hole and faffed a bit around the 4th boulder choke. Soon we were at the hole down into the Promised Land. Bob free climbed down, whilst Alex and David used the ladder we (David and Alex) had carried in. I decided to stay at the top. I had been to the Pagoda before and had no desire to trek down the Promised Land, so clipped into a hanger, switched my light off and snoozed.
After quite a while David reappeared. He had just gone to the Pagoda. Bob and Alex had gone down the Promised Land. We thought Bob and Alex could do the free climb, so packed up the ladder and rope and waited. Eventually the wanderers returned having completed most of the 900m plus of Promised Land to a chamber near the end.
Bob set off straight out whilst the rest of us went to Helictite Passage. This has huge numbers of amazing helictites. We didn’t linger or go all the way down as we thought we should try to find Bob. We all joined together before the long crawl and had an uneventful exit.
Time : about 6 hours. My log shows this was my 8th trip in CYF and it is a normal time for a trip this far in. My log also says it is hard work. I won’t disagree. It is still a fabulous cave, but I think I am getting too old for this!
Ros
We decided a visit to the Pagoda and Helictite Passage was a good idea, but Alex was keen to go to the end of the Promised Land. I was keen not to do too much as it was 12 years since my last visit
and I am not as fit as I used to be.
David struggled for a while with the padlock whilst the rest of us kept back far enough to hopefully be out of the “danger zone” for falling rocks near the entrance.
Once in I did not remember Gasoline Alley, but did remember it was a bit squalid but with fine calcite formations at intervals. The memories then came flooding back, the drippy ladder climb and the now easy climb above (metal plates to step on), followed soon by the 2nd boulder choke and mud. This is a special sort of very sticky mud, with deep slimy pools and “tram tracks” to knee-slide along, but I knew that we now were not far from Travertine Passage and the fabulous Hall of the Mountain King (David was ahead trying to hum the tune).
We rounded the lump at the end of the passage. Alex was right in insisting we should go left to get to the Promised Land and so we grovelled along Hurricane Highway. I remembered it as a long crawl, but had forgotten how much of it is negotiating the 3rd boulder choke. It is not difficult, just awkward. Finally we emerged into the impressive Severn Tunnel. This is easy walking, but was narrower than David and I remembered.
We turned off towards the Promised Land, wandered round the big hole and faffed a bit around the 4th boulder choke. Soon we were at the hole down into the Promised Land. Bob free climbed down, whilst Alex and David used the ladder we (David and Alex) had carried in. I decided to stay at the top. I had been to the Pagoda before and had no desire to trek down the Promised Land, so clipped into a hanger, switched my light off and snoozed.
After quite a while David reappeared. He had just gone to the Pagoda. Bob and Alex had gone down the Promised Land. We thought Bob and Alex could do the free climb, so packed up the ladder and rope and waited. Eventually the wanderers returned having completed most of the 900m plus of Promised Land to a chamber near the end.
Bob set off straight out whilst the rest of us went to Helictite Passage. This has huge numbers of amazing helictites. We didn’t linger or go all the way down as we thought we should try to find Bob. We all joined together before the long crawl and had an uneventful exit.
Time : about 6 hours. My log shows this was my 8th trip in CYF and it is a normal time for a trip this far in. My log also says it is hard work. I won’t disagree. It is still a fabulous cave, but I think I am getting too old for this!
Ros
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