Present: Al, Chris, Phil
Mendip caving got off to a typical start in this cave that one of Chris’ friends got lost for 4 hours in, in an area aptly named the labyrinth. Found the entrance after some faffing and an ice-cream detour, got to the bottom of the entrance chamber before I (Al) remembered we should have gone half way. Wriggled into the boulder chamber and promptly disagreed over which wall was the left one – didn’t help that we’d found different ways into it I guess. Failed to find/see ‘The tent’, failed to find the dead end. Did find one way that was through boulders, go a bit unsure of where exactly we were and climbed down to a stream upstream of what might have been a grim duck after a low wet crawl, but just as easily may not have, neither of which sounded correct. Climbed around, got hot and breathless, so probably good air circulation again! Climbed back up to the boulder chamber emerging in another place. Looked about and at the hand drawn and written directions, sat for a bit and decided the way on was most likely to go out, look for cider and cook tea (well it was fairly late in the afternoon). Got out to a phone call from Louise, who had been ‘delayed leaving Buckingham Palace’ and hence would be arriving later than planned! Honest!
All in all, a really really good cave, well worth it and most certainly the ideal place to go back to, especially with novices…..especially if they’re willing to waste a day trying to wriggle through boulders getting lost.
PS. Chris later commented that some caves feel friendlier than others. This one was particularly unfriendly, uninviting and had a sense of foreboding.
Al