A weekend full of Mendip caving, staying at the SMCC hut in Priddy. A wide variety of trips took place over the three days, followed by very sociable evenings.
Early arrivals on the Friday evening enjoyed a good workout in Eastwater Cavern, with a short but athletic round trip to work up an appetite for food and drinks at The Hunters'. This was followed by a series of obstacles far more strenuous than any encountered underground in the squeeze box back at the hut.
Saturday saw the cave divers of the team heading into Swildon’s Hole on a trip through the sumps, while the dry cavers went on a mission to Burrington Combe where we challenged ourselves to see how many caves we could do in one day. Eight caves were explored, starting with Read’s Cavern, then Bos Swallet, Drunkard’s Hole, the Rod’s Pot/Bath Swallet through-trip, Goatchurch Cavern, Sidcot Swallet and Aveline’s Hole. This was again followed by a very social evening, with more members coming along to join us for food and drink.
On Sunday, one team headed to Fairy Cave Quarry to visit the finely decorated Shatter Cave and W/L Cave, while two other trips took place in Wookey Hole. One to the impressive new discovery Land of Hope and Glory, and another to Wookey 24 - a part of the cave previously only accessible to cave divers.
See CSS newsletter Vol. 65, Nos. 4-6 for full trip reports from this meet.
Photos from the Weekend
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Read’s Cavern, Main Chamber
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Bos Swallet entrance
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Bos Swallet entrance slope - very muddy and awkward
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Descending the pitch in Drunkard’s Hole
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Drunkard’s Hole traverse
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Drunkard’s Hole pitch
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Drunkard’s Hole
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Purple Pot, Rod’s Pot/Bath Swallet through-trip
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Ladder climb in Bath Swallet
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Bath Swallet
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Wookey 24
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The divers’ camp in Wookey Hole
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Streamway - Wookey 24 trip
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Wookey 24 trip