Ogof Daren Cilau Old Main Chamber trip 26/08/2019
Unless otherwise stated, camera, setups, lighting, edits and gallery effects by Tarquin. Modelling and lighting at various points will be Tim Ball, Pete Jeffrey, George Linane and Trev Rogers.
This was actually a through trip to Ogof Cnwc. However, since that route was already covered in an extensive gallery, this gallery concentrates only on the parts that were not photographed previously. Old Main Chamber is accessed via a side passage that is almost never visited by cavers since 1986, perhaps one trip per decade.
The team before entering the cave, with nice, clean oversuits.
Camera by a passing cyclist, modelling by Tim, Tarquin, Trev, George and Pete
The Vice, the notorious squeeze in the Entrance Series, which is not actually very tight, just awkward.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Old Main Rift, the first piece of grand cave, but normally ignored as it is not the way on.
Modelling by Pete and Tim, lighting by Tarquin, Pete and Tim
The rift starts out with a series of awkward climbs.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin, Pete and Tim
The rift becomes narrow, but impressively tall.
Modelling by Tim, lighting by Tarquin and Tim
The small chamber part way along, which I had mistaken for the main chamber on my previous attempted visit. Now with cavers for scale, it looks rather nice.
Modelling by Pete and Tim, lighting by Tarquin, Pete and Tim
Rather impressively, this substantial way on is invisible from the entry into the chamber.
Modelling by Tim, lighting by Tarquin and Tim
Hidden above the passage is this surprisingly spacious chamber, but ending in digs.
The continuing sculpted rift.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Old Main Chamber appears rather abruptly, and is a surprisingly large space; no wonder this was the highlight of the old cave, since its discovery in 1963. Roughly two thirds of the chamber (which is really a large passage) can be seen in this picture. Easter Maze (discovered in 1986) lies off to the left near the camera.
Modelling by Trev, George, Pete and Tim, lighting by Tarquin, Trev, George, Pete and Tim
The final third of Old Main Chamber. The end of the chamber (passage) is 90 metres from its start, with a maximum width of about 15 metres, and height of about 8 metres. At the far end on the left is Puzzle Passage, a small way on that nearly connects with Ogof Gwaliau Gwynion.
Modelling by George, Trev, Pete and Tim, lighting by Tarquin, George, Trev, Pete and Tim
Elaborate fractures on the wall in Epocalypse Way.
A truly awful picture of anthodites in Epocalypse Way. Hey, I hadn't photographed them before, because they are too far from the taped route.
Admiring anthodites in Urchin Oxbow.
Modelling by Tim, lighting by Tarquin and Tim
One of the collapse chambers in Busman's Holiday, just before the start of the crawling section.
Modelling by Tim, lighting by Tarquin and Tim
Cryostal on the floor of the chamber.
Cryostal that is transparent, almost looking like fish bones. This is similar to the deposits in Aggy's Scree Passage.
Oversuits remain largely clean until the end of Bussman's Holiday. After that, Ogof Cnwc ensures a thorough coating of mud.
Modelling by Tarquin, Pete, Tim, Trev and George
The team before entering the cave, with nice, clean oversuits.
Camera by a passing cyclist, modelling by Tim, Tarquin, Trev, George and Pete
The Vice, the notorious squeeze in the Entrance Series, which is not actually very tight, just awkward.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Old Main Rift, the first piece of grand cave, but normally ignored as it is not the way on.
Modelling by Pete and Tim, lighting by Tarquin, Pete and Tim
The rift starts out with a series of awkward climbs.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin, Pete and Tim
The rift becomes narrow, but impressively tall.
Modelling by Tim, lighting by Tarquin and Tim
The small chamber part way along, which I had mistaken for the main chamber on my previous attempted visit. Now with cavers for scale, it looks rather nice.
Modelling by Pete and Tim, lighting by Tarquin, Pete and Tim
Rather impressively, this substantial way on is invisible from the entry into the chamber.
Modelling by Tim, lighting by Tarquin and Tim
Hidden above the passage is this surprisingly spacious chamber, but ending in digs.
The continuing sculpted rift.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Old Main Chamber appears rather abruptly, and is a surprisingly large space; no wonder this was the highlight of the old cave, since its discovery in 1963. Roughly two thirds of the chamber (which is really a large passage) can be seen in this picture. Easter Maze (discovered in 1986) lies off to the left near the camera.
Modelling by Trev, George, Pete and Tim, lighting by Tarquin, Trev, George, Pete and Tim
The final third of Old Main Chamber. The end of the chamber (passage) is 90 metres from its start, with a maximum width of about 15 metres, and height of about 8 metres. At the far end on the left is Puzzle Passage, a small way on that nearly connects with Ogof Gwaliau Gwynion.
Modelling by George, Trev, Pete and Tim, lighting by Tarquin, George, Trev, Pete and Tim
Elaborate fractures on the wall in Epocalypse Way.
A truly awful picture of anthodites in Epocalypse Way. Hey, I hadn't photographed them before, because they are too far from the taped route.
Admiring anthodites in Urchin Oxbow.
Modelling by Tim, lighting by Tarquin and Tim
One of the collapse chambers in Busman's Holiday, just before the start of the crawling section.
Modelling by Tim, lighting by Tarquin and Tim
Cryostal on the floor of the chamber.
Cryostal that is transparent, almost looking like fish bones. This is similar to the deposits in Aggy's Scree Passage.
Oversuits remain largely clean until the end of Bussman's Holiday. After that, Ogof Cnwc ensures a thorough coating of mud.
Modelling by Tarquin, Pete, Tim, Trev and George