An action packed weekend based at the SMCC caving cottage in Priddy, with nine different caving trips over three days, local walks in the sunshine and social evenings in The Hunters’ Lodge Inn.
As is traditional for Mendip weekends, the caving trips started on Friday evening, this time with a visit to the awe-inspiring feat of engineering that is Templeton Pot, descending an array of fixed ladders and gantries to the dig currently being pursued by Mendip based CSS/SMCC members. At the same time an SRT trip to Hunters’ Hole for the purpose of rigging practice also took place, with all three routes to the bottom of the cave rigged and de-rigged by team members wanting to hone their ropework skills. Multiple descents, ascents and exchanges were had before it was time to meet up with the Templeton team and other arrivals at The Hunters’ Lodge Inn for late dinner and drinks.
The main Saturday trips were to the well-decorated cave systems of Upper Flood Swallet in Blackmoor Valley to see the wonders of Neverland and the Pork Pie formations, and to Reservoir Hole in Cheddar Gorge to visit the Frozen Deep, the largest chamber (by floor area) in the UK. The impressively lofty Golgotha Rift was also visited before exiting to the sunshine of the gorge. Elsewhere in the environs, a more sun-seeking trip was taking place with a circular walk starting and ending in Cheddar Gorge and taking in a hostelry on route. A return visit to Templeton Pot was also made by the digging team. Those back at the cottage in time embarked on a short walk around the Mineries, then another social evening was had after everybody had returned from their various trips.
Four different caving trips took place on Sunday, including Withyhill in Fairy Cave Quarry, another well-decorated cave featuring such highlights as the Elephant’s Trunk and the Green Lake, an eventful trip to Wookey Hole 23¾, a visit to Sump 1 in Swildon’s Hole going in via The Dry Way and out The Wet Way, and a tour of the lofty wonders of G.B. Cave, another Mendip classic.
