Ogof Draenen Picture Gallery

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The photographs in this gallery were taken by:

Ian Wilton-Jones, Brynmawr CC
Mark "Tarquin" Wilton-Jones, Brynmawr CC
Peter Wilton-Jones, Brynmawr CC
Chris Poole, Brynmawr CC
Other Brynmawr CC members
Anonymous contributors

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Surface

Abergavenny to the left, then the mountains; The Blorenge, Gilwern Hill, and Mynydd Llangatwg, as seen from the Sugar Loaf. Between The Blorenge and Gilwern Hill is Cwm Llanwenarth, ending at the ridge of Pwll Du. Between Gilwern Hill and Mynydd Llangatwg is the Clydach Gorge. The Clydach Gorge is home to many small caves including Llanelly Quarry Pot. Mynydd Llangatwg is home to many large systems, including Agen Allwedd, Daren Cilau, and Craig A Ffynnon.
Gilwern Hill (ahead) as seen from Llanelly Hill, above the Clydach Gorge. The tip of Saint Giles series almost makes it to the edge of the escarpment. The stream that flows North through Gilwern Passage, Galeria Garimpeiros and Saint Giles, resurges at the base of the quarry in the picture.
Gilwern Hill as seen from the road between Crickhowell and Abergavenny. Waterfall Series ends under the radio mast on its left side (almost meeting Ogof Ddwy Sir, which starts in the obvious quarry near the mast). Galaria Garimpeiros and Saint Giles series take up the middle and right side, a little lower than the quarries.
Gilwern Hill (ahead) and Pwll Du (left). On the far left is the Lamb and Fox pub, and the white building is the Pwll Du Adventure Centre, above the entrance. Waterfall Series ends under the radio mast on Gilwern Hill, The Nunnery ends near the tree line on Pwll Du, and the camera is situated over the top end of Big Country.
Pwll Du as seen from The Blorenge. On the right, the prominent white building is the Pwll Du Adventure Centre, with the entrance at the tree line on the slope below it. The white building to its left is the Lamb and Fox pub, with Lamb and Fox chamber approximately below it. Megadrive runs behind the quarry, with Canyon, Raiders, The Score and Beyond a Choke Streamway behind it. The Nunnery, Players Tunnel, and Erection Series end in the green patch to the left of the quarry. The little valley to the left (The Tumble) is on top of The Wyvern Extensions. Big Country starts at the left edge of the picture.
The top of The Blorenge, with the camera on top of Life On Mars. The Keeper's Pond is at the left edge of the picture, and is on top of the end of The Wyvern Extensions. Big Country spans the area beyond Keeper's Pond, and also ends under it. Lucky 13 is beyond Keeper's Pond. War Of The Worlds spans the area in the distance, with the largest parts under the radio masts. Hexamine Highways ends under the road on the way to the masts. Dollimore Series takes up most of the area to the right of that road, ending in the indented part of the valley to the right. Beyond A Choke Streamway ends further to the right in the same valley.
The ridge of tips above Pwll Du, seen from The Blorenge, over the top of War Of The Worlds. Beyond A Choke Streamway runs under the ridge. Gilwern Hill is barely visible to the right. The Keeper's Pond can be seen in the middle, and Big Country is under the area between that and the camera.
Mynydd y Garn-fawr on the far side of The Blorenge. Prisoners Of War nearly reaches the surface here.
Blaenavon, seen from Big Pit. Beyond A Choke Streamway runs under the ridge on the left, and ends under the housing estate (not the industrial estate) slightly to the right of the middle of the picture. The largest part of War Of The Worlds South is under the two masts on the left of the picture, and Luck Of The Draw ends under the green fields above the houses on the right side of the picture.
Rifleman's Arms pub. Rifleman's chamber, the end of Beyond A Choke Streamway, ends under the housing estate just behind it. In the distance on the Right are the fields which are over the top of the end of Luck Of The Draw in Dollimore Series, the furthest point of the cave.

Entrance Series

Spare Rib and Darling Rifts

Fossils

Strawberry Passage

Waterfall Series

Beyond A Choke

The North West

Gilwern Passage

Galeria Garimpeiros

Tea Junction to Fault Chambers

Lamb and Fox Chamber

Indiana Highway

Raiders Passage

Megadrive North

Megadrive

Perseverence

Fault Chambers

Wyvern Extensions

Wyvern

Land Down Under

Republican Plot

Lucky 13

Midwinter Chambers and Snowball

Hexamine Highways

Sleepcrawler Series and War Of The Worlds

Sleepcrawler Series

Cold Fusion Passage

The Reactor

War Of The Worlds

Sendero Luminoso

Dollimore Series

The reasons for placing these photographs on the Web are twofold; first, the trip to these locations involved almost four hours of steady caving, so to visit this area and to do the place justice would involve a round trip of ten hours or more. Should cavers who might not feel up to such a trip be deprived of the opportunity to see these wonderfully intricate formations? Second, these photgraphs form a record of one of the most valuable conservation areas in the whole cave. Taking some of the pictures required the utmost care in extreme proximity to these delicate masterpieces of nature. On one occasion, we had our boots off for a period of three hours - by which time our feet were totally numb! By making these pictures available for all to see, we sincerely hope that subsequent visitors will respect the conservation areas, view from an appropriate distance and use these pictures to enhance their enjoyment of the place.

Ian Wilton-Jones

For the technically minded, Ian used a Nikon EM with a 50mm Nikon E lens for all the close-up work and a Hoya 28mm wide angle lens for the "chamber" shots, with a moderately powerful electronic flash for direct aiming and a weaker flash for fill-in. This enabled any subject closer than about 3m to be taken at f16, giving a good depth of focus. The film was 400 ASA Kodak Gold Ultra.