Ogof Ffynnon Ddu Top Entrance trip 14/12/2019
Unless otherwise stated, camera, setups, lighting, edits and gallery effects by Tarquin. Modelling and lighting at various points will be Lydia Foulkes, Celestine Crabbe and Josie Wilton-Jones.
This was Lydia's first caving trip, taking 4 hours and 10 minutes.
Snow on Fan Hir.
Lighting by Sol
Walking towards Top Entrance, on the flanks of Carreg Lwyd. The entrance is just in front of the grey hills on the left.
Modelling by Josie, Lydia and Celestine, lighting by Sol
Just inside the entrance, the passage is surprisingly large, one of the largest in the cave. For a Welsh cave, this is unusual, since most have an entrance series that takes some time to get through first, while your eyes get accustomed to the lighting.
Modelling by Lydia, Josie and Celestine, lighting by Tarquin, Lydia, Josie and Celestine
The first formations, which look like upper and lower teeth. From here, we head through The Brickyard, down Gnome Passage, past The Wedding Cake into Chasm Passage, then down The Corkscrew.
Modelling by Lydia, Celestine and Josie, lighting by Tarquin, Lydia, Celestine and Josie
Traversing in Salubrious Streamway.
Modelling by Lydia, Celestine and Josie's arm, lighting by Tarquin, Celestine and Josie
The Trident, the longest free hanging stalactite in the UK.
Modelling by Josie and Lydia, lighting by Tarquin, Celestine, Josie and Lydia
The Judge, a very large stalagmite boss.
Modelling by Josie and Celestine, lighting by Tarquin, Lydia, Josie, Celestine, and a random passing caver
The curtain formation in Swamp Creek, known informally as The Fairy Castle.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin, Celestine and Josie
A really slippery climb at The Crossroads, which presents a fun challenge.
Modelling by Lydia and Celestine's hand, lighting by Tarquin, Lydia and Celestine
President's Leap, a traverse over a deep rift - part of Maypole Inlet. This is named after a president of a local caving club, who unintentionally took a rapid journey to the bottom, and fortunately survived.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin, Celestine, Josie and Lydia
Selenite Tunnel, a beautiful phreatic passage.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Josie
Selenite Tunnel.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin and Lydia
Selenite Tunnel.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Josie
Fossil crinoid, the skeleton of a sea lily.
Modelling by Lydia's right index finger, lighting by Tarquin
Crinoid.
Returning to the high levels, we visited Arête, a huge gaping hole dropping 20 metres, two levels down through the cave.
Modelling by Lydia, Josie and Celestine, lighting by Tarquin, Lydia, Josie and Celestine
Grotto in the passage linking The Brickyard, Arête, The Labyrinth and Big Chamber Near The Entrance.
Vadose notches on the wall of the passage approaching Big Chamber Near The Entrance. Vadose notches are formed by slow moving water absorbing carbon dioxide, and dissolving limestone near the surface with the resulting carbonic acid. They therefore show the old water levels within the passage. We went through Big Chamber to return to The Brickyard.
Modelling by Celestine and Josie, lighting by Tarquin, Lydia, Celestine and Josie
The climb up into White Arch Series from The Brickyard.
Modelling by Lydia, Josie and Celestine, lighting by Tarquin, Lydia, Josie and Celestine
Roof of the passage.
First chamber in White Arch Series, with stal columns. This is clearly a collapse chamber, with the roof layers having peeled down into the passage below. This area is very close to the surface.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin, Celestine, Josie and Lydia
Second chamber in White Arch Series, with its distinctive sloping flat roof. A roof passage is the highest part of the series.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin and Lydia
The comical route out of the chamber's collapse into the continuing passage.
Modelling by half of Lydia
The Mini-Columns, a distinctive set of formations that is a popular destination in the series.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin, Celestine, Josie and Lydia
Close up of the Mini-Columns stalagmites.
Helictites in a side passage from the first chamber.
The passage ends at a beautiful grotto.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin and Lydia
The grotto.
Side grotto.
The crawl into Bedding Chambers. This is not particularly tight, but a nice test of nerve.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin and Lydia
Bedding Chambers.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin and Lydia
Bedding Chambers.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin and Lydia
Bedding Chambers.
Lighting by Tarquin and Lydia
Bedding Chambers.
Formations in the biggest of the Bedding Chambers.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin and Lydia
Drinking from the pool in The Brickyard, one of the many places where the water is considered safe to drink. While underneath the falling water. Time to head out and dry off.
Modelling by Mini Mouse and Lydia
Snow on Fan Hir.
Lighting by Sol
Walking towards Top Entrance, on the flanks of Carreg Lwyd. The entrance is just in front of the grey hills on the left.
Modelling by Josie, Lydia and Celestine, lighting by Sol
Just inside the entrance, the passage is surprisingly large, one of the largest in the cave. For a Welsh cave, this is unusual, since most have an entrance series that takes some time to get through first, while your eyes get accustomed to the lighting.
Modelling by Lydia, Josie and Celestine, lighting by Tarquin, Lydia, Josie and Celestine
The first formations, which look like upper and lower teeth. From here, we head through The Brickyard, down Gnome Passage, past The Wedding Cake into Chasm Passage, then down The Corkscrew.
Modelling by Lydia, Celestine and Josie, lighting by Tarquin, Lydia, Celestine and Josie
Traversing in Salubrious Streamway.
Modelling by Lydia, Celestine and Josie's arm, lighting by Tarquin, Celestine and Josie
The Trident, the longest free hanging stalactite in the UK.
Modelling by Josie and Lydia, lighting by Tarquin, Celestine, Josie and Lydia
The Judge, a very large stalagmite boss.
Modelling by Josie and Celestine, lighting by Tarquin, Lydia, Josie, Celestine, and a random passing caver
The curtain formation in Swamp Creek, known informally as The Fairy Castle.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin, Celestine and Josie
A really slippery climb at The Crossroads, which presents a fun challenge.
Modelling by Lydia and Celestine's hand, lighting by Tarquin, Lydia and Celestine
President's Leap, a traverse over a deep rift - part of Maypole Inlet. This is named after a president of a local caving club, who unintentionally took a rapid journey to the bottom, and fortunately survived.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin, Celestine, Josie and Lydia
Selenite Tunnel, a beautiful phreatic passage.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Josie
Selenite Tunnel.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin and Lydia
Selenite Tunnel.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Josie
Fossil crinoid, the skeleton of a sea lily.
Modelling by Lydia's right index finger, lighting by Tarquin
Crinoid.
Returning to the high levels, we visited Arête, a huge gaping hole dropping 20 metres, two levels down through the cave.
Modelling by Lydia, Josie and Celestine, lighting by Tarquin, Lydia, Josie and Celestine
Grotto in the passage linking The Brickyard, Arête, The Labyrinth and Big Chamber Near The Entrance.
Vadose notches on the wall of the passage approaching Big Chamber Near The Entrance. Vadose notches are formed by slow moving water absorbing carbon dioxide, and dissolving limestone near the surface with the resulting carbonic acid. They therefore show the old water levels within the passage. We went through Big Chamber to return to The Brickyard.
Modelling by Celestine and Josie, lighting by Tarquin, Lydia, Celestine and Josie
The climb up into White Arch Series from The Brickyard.
Modelling by Lydia, Josie and Celestine, lighting by Tarquin, Lydia, Josie and Celestine
Roof of the passage.
First chamber in White Arch Series, with stal columns. This is clearly a collapse chamber, with the roof layers having peeled down into the passage below. This area is very close to the surface.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin, Celestine, Josie and Lydia
Second chamber in White Arch Series, with its distinctive sloping flat roof. A roof passage is the highest part of the series.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin and Lydia
The comical route out of the chamber's collapse into the continuing passage.
Modelling by half of Lydia
The Mini-Columns, a distinctive set of formations that is a popular destination in the series.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin, Celestine, Josie and Lydia
Close up of the Mini-Columns stalagmites.
Helictites in a side passage from the first chamber.
The passage ends at a beautiful grotto.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin and Lydia
The grotto.
Side grotto.
The crawl into Bedding Chambers. This is not particularly tight, but a nice test of nerve.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin and Lydia
Bedding Chambers.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin and Lydia
Bedding Chambers.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin and Lydia
Bedding Chambers.
Lighting by Tarquin and Lydia
Bedding Chambers.
Formations in the biggest of the Bedding Chambers.
Modelling by Lydia, lighting by Tarquin and Lydia
Drinking from the pool in The Brickyard, one of the many places where the water is considered safe to drink. While underneath the falling water. Time to head out and dry off.
Modelling by Mini Mouse and Lydia