Ogof Ffynnon Ddu Top and I trips 05/10/2019 and 06/10/2019
Unless otherwise stated, camera, setups, lighting, edits and gallery effects by Tarquin. Modelling and lighting at various points will be Harry Everitt, Chris Sweet, Sim Chandramouly, Jon Abrahams, Imogen Tytler, Chime Ngawang and Elliot James Ong.
These were two separate novice trips through two separate parts of the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu system, each team did admirably, since for most attendees, these were their first ever caving trips.
Part of a weird art installation, with a pile of stacked chairs, a misplaced doorframe, and a bus shelter pretending to be a chapel. This is the wheelchair-accessible viewing platform, with the information sign perfectly positioned to block the view for any wheelchair on the platform. The Top Entrance to OFD II to is at the foot of the distant grey bumps, to the right of Harry's head. (The real name of the entrance is Ogof y Nos Hir, but that name is hardly ever used.)
Modelling by Harry, lighting by Sol
Gnome Passage, one of the largest and oldest passages in the Top Entrance area.
Modelling by Imogen, Harry, Sim, Jon and Chris, lighting by Tarquin, Imogen, Harry, Sim, Jon and Chris
Clambering over and squeezing along the side of the boulder obstacles in Edwards Shortcut.
Modelling by Imogen and Harry, lighting by Tarquin, Imogen and Harry
The crew at the top of the 35 Foot Climb down into Maypole Inlet.
Modelling by Jon, Imogen, Sim, Chris and Harry, lighting by Tarquin, Jon, Imogen, Sim, Chris and Harry
Traversing in Salubrious Streamway.
Modelling by Chris, lighting by Tarquin and Chris
Traversing along the passages between Arette and Big Chamber.
Modelling by Harry, Jon and Sim, lighting by Tarquin, Harry and Sim
Returning through Big Chamber Near The Entrance. This is one of the largest chambers in the cave, and the rather limited lights were not able to show its real grandure.
Modelling by Jon, Imogen, Chris, Sim and Harry, lighting by Tarquin, Jon, Imogen, Chris, Sim and Harry
The squeeze in White Arch Series, rather comically popping up through the floor of a chamber. This squeeze can be bypassed, but it is fairly spacious anyway.
Modelling by Imogen
The Mini-Columns, highlight of White Arch Series, and the final destination for the first day's trip.
Modelling by Imogen, Sim, Jon, Chris and Harry, lighting by Tarquin, Imogen, Sim, Jon, Chris and Harry
The second day's trip was into OFD I. This is Gothic Passage, the lowest dry part of the cave.
Modelling by Chime, lighting by Elliot
Skeleton Chamber's choke, where a stone age burial skeleton was found.
Modelling by Elliot, lighting by Tarquin and Elliot
Climbing out of Skeleton Chamber. Chime made it look quite easy, but this climb is quite a challenge.
Modelling by Elliot, Harry and Chime, lighting by Tarquin, Elliot, Harry and Chime
Harry and Elliot did a much better demonstration of just how difficult this climb is, with a fair amount of effort to work out how to climb up with a complete lack of handholds. It requires an unusually twisted foot on the wall ledge, while pushing off the ceiling, and looks like it should never work.
Modelling by Harry and Elliot, lighting by Tarquin, Chime and Elliot
Crossing Pluto's Bath, a novice-trap that usually ends up with someone getting a complete soaking. The pot in the middle is a lot deeper than the edges, so a possible prank is to walk through, dirtying up the water so that others do not realise that it is very deep, and they walk through the middle into the pot. Even simply traversing often results in someone failing.
Modelling by Elliot, lighting by Tarquin and Elliot
Sadly even with this upside-down footwork, no failure here.
Modelling by Harry, lighting by Tarquin and Harry
Or here. How very disappointing, all managed it perfectly.
Modelling by Chime, lighting by Tarquin, Elliot and Chime
Flood scum showing a very high flooding level, 4 metres above the current stream, which was still running high after the rain overnight. The flood scum was from a week beforehand, indicating that the river had risen nearly 14 metres above the height of the downstream sump.
Modelling by Harry, lighting by Tarquin and Elliot
Upstream, the river charged down a series of water chutes. It was possible to cross it, but it was nearly at the limit where it would wash your feet out from under you.
Lighting by Tarquin, Harry, Elliot and Chime
Downstream it washes into the low beddings, leaping over boulders on its way to a sump. Today, it seemed to be sumped 6 metres higher than its normal level, even though it was normal further downstream in Gothic Passage.
Lighting by Tarquin, Harry, Elliot and Chime
Another chance! Maybe this time?
Modelling by Elliot, lighting by Tarquin and Elliot
Wading around the edge of the pot? That's just cheating!
Modelling by Harry, lighting by Tarquin, Harry and Chime
They all let me down.
Modelling by Chime, lighting by Tarquin and Chime
Crossing the Bolt Traverse, 8 metres above a roaring river.
Modelling by Harry, lighting by Tarquin, Harry and Elliot
Checking out a side passage from Bolt Passage, which seems to head under Pi Chamber.
Modelling by Chime's head
Into the jumble of boulders. There seem to be a few different routes here, none of which seem to pass the choke.
The base of The Elephant's Arsehole, a very slippery tube, and the normal route up into the choke.
Modelling by Chime
Near the top of The Elephant's Arsehole.
Modelling by Chime, lighting by Tarquin and Chime
A pretty grotto on one side in the Helter Skelter choke.
The grotto.
The grotto.
Gypsum Passage in Rawl Series, whose walls are covered in gypsum formations. This is another of the very old passages in the cave - not as old as the Top Entrance area, but still very old for OFD I.
Modelling and lighting by Harry, Elliot and Chime
At the end of Rawl Series, we took Don's Crawl, following a ledge 15 metres above the floor.
Modelling by Elliot, Chime and Harry
Grotto crossing over the top of Low's Chamber. The floor here is just boulders wedged into the roof of the passage below.
More low crawls lead into another chamber.
Modelling by Elliot, lighting by Tarquin and Elliot
Side grotto in the chamber.
Stal in the undercuts of the chamber.
Stal in the chamber. The way on is into the bedding ahead, but it is easier to drop to floor level and pass under the first section of the bedding.
Modelling by Harry and Elliot, lighting by Tarquin, Harry and Elliot
The way on is Double Beds Crawl. This quickly becomes the widest passage in the whole cave, but it is deceptive, since most of it is too low to follow, with a couple of useless routes that end at the walls. The main route is just high enough to use the roly-poly technique.
Modelling by Elliot, lighting by Tarquin and Harry
The bedding ends at Starlight Chamber, one of the two largest chambers in the cave. The enormous pit in the floor sits directly above the Boulder Chamber choke, but over 40 metres above it. The lighting for this picture is done with two modern caving lamps, with their regular club lamps not even registering a silhouette - the picture would have looked better with good lighting. There is no way on from here, so we returned through the bedding crawls.
Modelling by Chime, Harry and Elliot, lighting by Tarquin, Chime, Harry and Elliot
Descending Low's Chain from Low's Passage and Low's Chamber down to Upper Flood Passage. The passage's stream was only the water from Waterfall Series, but flood scum showed that overnight the water had flooded over 30 cm deep along this passage from Hush Sump. In those conditions, it is too dangerous to descend Low's Chain. In Boulder Chamber, we could still hear the pulsing roar from the stream, and it was not really a comfortable place to be.
Modelling by Harry and Elliot, lighting by Tarquin and Elliot
Downstream, we joined the main stream at The Sump. The flow was very impressive, and it was not easy to cross, but it gave a great idea of the power of the river in high water. It was definitely not safe to take novices into the river, so we returned the same way - at The Step, it was about 20 cm higher than the "safe" level. Overnight, this must have been a far more threatening place, and week before, it would have been a vision of insanity.
Modelling by Elliot, Chime and Harry, lighting by Tarquin and Harry
Part of a weird art installation, with a pile of stacked chairs, a misplaced doorframe, and a bus shelter pretending to be a chapel. This is the wheelchair-accessible viewing platform, with the information sign perfectly positioned to block the view for any wheelchair on the platform. The Top Entrance to OFD II to is at the foot of the distant grey bumps, to the right of Harry's head. (The real name of the entrance is Ogof y Nos Hir, but that name is hardly ever used.)
Modelling by Harry, lighting by Sol
Gnome Passage, one of the largest and oldest passages in the Top Entrance area.
Modelling by Imogen, Harry, Sim, Jon and Chris, lighting by Tarquin, Imogen, Harry, Sim, Jon and Chris
Clambering over and squeezing along the side of the boulder obstacles in Edwards Shortcut.
Modelling by Imogen and Harry, lighting by Tarquin, Imogen and Harry
The crew at the top of the 35 Foot Climb down into Maypole Inlet.
Modelling by Jon, Imogen, Sim, Chris and Harry, lighting by Tarquin, Jon, Imogen, Sim, Chris and Harry
Traversing in Salubrious Streamway.
Modelling by Chris, lighting by Tarquin and Chris
Traversing along the passages between Arette and Big Chamber.
Modelling by Harry, Jon and Sim, lighting by Tarquin, Harry and Sim
Returning through Big Chamber Near The Entrance. This is one of the largest chambers in the cave, and the rather limited lights were not able to show its real grandure.
Modelling by Jon, Imogen, Chris, Sim and Harry, lighting by Tarquin, Jon, Imogen, Chris, Sim and Harry
The squeeze in White Arch Series, rather comically popping up through the floor of a chamber. This squeeze can be bypassed, but it is fairly spacious anyway.
Modelling by Imogen
The Mini-Columns, highlight of White Arch Series, and the final destination for the first day's trip.
Modelling by Imogen, Sim, Jon, Chris and Harry, lighting by Tarquin, Imogen, Sim, Jon, Chris and Harry
The second day's trip was into OFD I. This is Gothic Passage, the lowest dry part of the cave.
Modelling by Chime, lighting by Elliot
Skeleton Chamber's choke, where a stone age burial skeleton was found.
Modelling by Elliot, lighting by Tarquin and Elliot
Climbing out of Skeleton Chamber. Chime made it look quite easy, but this climb is quite a challenge.
Modelling by Elliot, Harry and Chime, lighting by Tarquin, Elliot, Harry and Chime
Harry and Elliot did a much better demonstration of just how difficult this climb is, with a fair amount of effort to work out how to climb up with a complete lack of handholds. It requires an unusually twisted foot on the wall ledge, while pushing off the ceiling, and looks like it should never work.
Modelling by Harry and Elliot, lighting by Tarquin, Chime and Elliot
Crossing Pluto's Bath, a novice-trap that usually ends up with someone getting a complete soaking. The pot in the middle is a lot deeper than the edges, so a possible prank is to walk through, dirtying up the water so that others do not realise that it is very deep, and they walk through the middle into the pot. Even simply traversing often results in someone failing.
Modelling by Elliot, lighting by Tarquin and Elliot
Sadly even with this upside-down footwork, no failure here.
Modelling by Harry, lighting by Tarquin and Harry
Or here. How very disappointing, all managed it perfectly.
Modelling by Chime, lighting by Tarquin, Elliot and Chime
Flood scum showing a very high flooding level, 4 metres above the current stream, which was still running high after the rain overnight. The flood scum was from a week beforehand, indicating that the river had risen nearly 14 metres above the height of the downstream sump.
Modelling by Harry, lighting by Tarquin and Elliot
Upstream, the river charged down a series of water chutes. It was possible to cross it, but it was nearly at the limit where it would wash your feet out from under you.
Lighting by Tarquin, Harry, Elliot and Chime
Downstream it washes into the low beddings, leaping over boulders on its way to a sump. Today, it seemed to be sumped 6 metres higher than its normal level, even though it was normal further downstream in Gothic Passage.
Lighting by Tarquin, Harry, Elliot and Chime
Another chance! Maybe this time?
Modelling by Elliot, lighting by Tarquin and Elliot
Wading around the edge of the pot? That's just cheating!
Modelling by Harry, lighting by Tarquin, Harry and Chime
They all let me down.
Modelling by Chime, lighting by Tarquin and Chime
Crossing the Bolt Traverse, 8 metres above a roaring river.
Modelling by Harry, lighting by Tarquin, Harry and Elliot
Checking out a side passage from Bolt Passage, which seems to head under Pi Chamber.
Modelling by Chime's head
Into the jumble of boulders. There seem to be a few different routes here, none of which seem to pass the choke.
The base of The Elephant's Arsehole, a very slippery tube, and the normal route up into the choke.
Modelling by Chime
Near the top of The Elephant's Arsehole.
Modelling by Chime, lighting by Tarquin and Chime
A pretty grotto on one side in the Helter Skelter choke.
The grotto.
The grotto.
Gypsum Passage in Rawl Series, whose walls are covered in gypsum formations. This is another of the very old passages in the cave - not as old as the Top Entrance area, but still very old for OFD I.
Modelling and lighting by Harry, Elliot and Chime
At the end of Rawl Series, we took Don's Crawl, following a ledge 15 metres above the floor.
Modelling by Elliot, Chime and Harry
Grotto crossing over the top of Low's Chamber. The floor here is just boulders wedged into the roof of the passage below.
More low crawls lead into another chamber.
Modelling by Elliot, lighting by Tarquin and Elliot
Side grotto in the chamber.
Stal in the undercuts of the chamber.
Stal in the chamber. The way on is into the bedding ahead, but it is easier to drop to floor level and pass under the first section of the bedding.
Modelling by Harry and Elliot, lighting by Tarquin, Harry and Elliot
The way on is Double Beds Crawl. This quickly becomes the widest passage in the whole cave, but it is deceptive, since most of it is too low to follow, with a couple of useless routes that end at the walls. The main route is just high enough to use the roly-poly technique.
Modelling by Elliot, lighting by Tarquin and Harry
The bedding ends at Starlight Chamber, one of the two largest chambers in the cave. The enormous pit in the floor sits directly above the Boulder Chamber choke, but over 40 metres above it. The lighting for this picture is done with two modern caving lamps, with their regular club lamps not even registering a silhouette - the picture would have looked better with good lighting. There is no way on from here, so we returned through the bedding crawls.
Modelling by Chime, Harry and Elliot, lighting by Tarquin, Chime, Harry and Elliot
Descending Low's Chain from Low's Passage and Low's Chamber down to Upper Flood Passage. The passage's stream was only the water from Waterfall Series, but flood scum showed that overnight the water had flooded over 30 cm deep along this passage from Hush Sump. In those conditions, it is too dangerous to descend Low's Chain. In Boulder Chamber, we could still hear the pulsing roar from the stream, and it was not really a comfortable place to be.
Modelling by Harry and Elliot, lighting by Tarquin and Elliot
Downstream, we joined the main stream at The Sump. The flow was very impressive, and it was not easy to cross, but it gave a great idea of the power of the river in high water. It was definitely not safe to take novices into the river, so we returned the same way - at The Step, it was about 20 cm higher than the "safe" level. Overnight, this must have been a far more threatening place, and week before, it would have been a vision of insanity.
Modelling by Elliot, Chime and Harry, lighting by Tarquin and Harry