Ogof Ffynnon Ddu White Arch Series trip 18/11/2023
Unless otherwise stated, camera, setups, lighting, edits and gallery effects by Tarquin. Modelling and lighting at various points will be Pete Bolt.
The climb up from the Top Entrance passage.
Modelling by Pete
The climb is 9 metres in a few steps, and the upper part is a little more awkward than the lower ones.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
A crawling passage ends at a climb up to this larger tube. In one direction, this passes through a collapse zone to arrive at the Minicolumns.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
In the other direction, it passes through another collapse zone.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Fallen ochre stalagmite, with a rippled texture.
Lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Straws, each coming from their own helictite.
Lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Climb up beside a stalagmite which blocks a blind alcove. The way on is to the right at the top.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
The passage ends abruptly at a 17 metre pitch down to the passage between the entrance passage and Big Chamber Near The Entrance. Part way down is a short side passage. The pitch is rigged from spits but they are horribly rusted.
A side passage along the last section is crawling sized, ending at this distinctive pair-of-nostrils Swiss cheese junction with the main passage, where the Minicolumns are to the right, the wet crawl route is to the left, and the easier route through the large chamber is right then left.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Minicoloumns.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
In the large chamber is a side rift, which leads down a tricky climb, then onwards with a stream to this tube. A side passage goes nowhere just before the passage ends.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
We headed into Bedding Chambers. Immediately, we took a side passage to the left, which started small, then passed below a previous side passage's pitch (the survey shows it incorrectly) to reach the other side of the choke from the White Arch, which is usually climbed up to enter the series. There is a tight squeeze route through the boulders to get here directly. This crystal pool tide line is in that passage.
Visible calcite layers in decomposing calcite.
Rather than go directly through Bedding Chambers, we took a detour through some small oxbows on the left, which includes a few small sections like this.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Rotten calcite.
Detail of the rotten calcite.
The passage ends at a drop down to Gnome Passage. A handline might be needed to reverse the first climb, but the second stage is a 13 metre pitch.
Stal in the oxbows.
Back in Bedding Chambers, the passage promptly drops down a pitch into Gnome Passage. This has unofficial hangers, and is a bit wet, but it works well as a 17 metre pitch.
Either traversing over the pitch to the climb down seen here on the right, or taking a bedding bypass and looping back later, ends up at this crater down into Gnome Passage. The bedding route is much safer.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
The passage beyond the crater splits. To the right are these mud formations.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
The passage ends in a V-shaped sediment fill.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Stalagmites in the end.
Stal in the left passage.
The stream flows out through a low archway. We followed it until it became too miserable, but the survey shows it continuing until it becomes too tight.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
The ... er ... gaping hole. Look, it's not my fault. That's what it looks like. Deal with it.
Does it get any better if I say that it is full of immature cave pearls? A bit like beads.
Stal at the same junction as the cave pearls. The right branch turned out to be low and muddy, ending in a small chamber that looks lik a comic book man with a nose on the survey. The branches ahead and left formed a loop through a calcited choke, with one side passage dropping down boulders to become small and miserable, and the other side passage being small and miserable from the outset.
We returned to the start of Bedding Chambers, but were not comfortable descending Speedy Caver without a rope. As a result, we took the normal route via the White Arch, and then took the most convoluted route possible through the Brickyard.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Shale Chamber. And that's it.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
The climb up from the Top Entrance passage.
Modelling by Pete
The climb is 9 metres in a few steps, and the upper part is a little more awkward than the lower ones.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
A crawling passage ends at a climb up to this larger tube. In one direction, this passes through a collapse zone to arrive at the Minicolumns.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
In the other direction, it passes through another collapse zone.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Fallen ochre stalagmite, with a rippled texture.
Lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Straws, each coming from their own helictite.
Lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Climb up beside a stalagmite which blocks a blind alcove. The way on is to the right at the top.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
The passage ends abruptly at a 17 metre pitch down to the passage between the entrance passage and Big Chamber Near The Entrance. Part way down is a short side passage. The pitch is rigged from spits but they are horribly rusted.
A side passage along the last section is crawling sized, ending at this distinctive pair-of-nostrils Swiss cheese junction with the main passage, where the Minicolumns are to the right, the wet crawl route is to the left, and the easier route through the large chamber is right then left.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Minicoloumns.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
In the large chamber is a side rift, which leads down a tricky climb, then onwards with a stream to this tube. A side passage goes nowhere just before the passage ends.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
We headed into Bedding Chambers. Immediately, we took a side passage to the left, which started small, then passed below a previous side passage's pitch (the survey shows it incorrectly) to reach the other side of the choke from the White Arch, which is usually climbed up to enter the series. There is a tight squeeze route through the boulders to get here directly. This crystal pool tide line is in that passage.
Visible calcite layers in decomposing calcite.
Rather than go directly through Bedding Chambers, we took a detour through some small oxbows on the left, which includes a few small sections like this.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Rotten calcite.
Detail of the rotten calcite.
The passage ends at a drop down to Gnome Passage. A handline might be needed to reverse the first climb, but the second stage is a 13 metre pitch.
Stal in the oxbows.
Back in Bedding Chambers, the passage promptly drops down a pitch into Gnome Passage. This has unofficial hangers, and is a bit wet, but it works well as a 17 metre pitch.
Either traversing over the pitch to the climb down seen here on the right, or taking a bedding bypass and looping back later, ends up at this crater down into Gnome Passage. The bedding route is much safer.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
The passage beyond the crater splits. To the right are these mud formations.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
The passage ends in a V-shaped sediment fill.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Stalagmites in the end.
Stal in the left passage.
The stream flows out through a low archway. We followed it until it became too miserable, but the survey shows it continuing until it becomes too tight.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
The ... er ... gaping hole. Look, it's not my fault. That's what it looks like. Deal with it.
Does it get any better if I say that it is full of immature cave pearls? A bit like beads.
Stal at the same junction as the cave pearls. The right branch turned out to be low and muddy, ending in a small chamber that looks lik a comic book man with a nose on the survey. The branches ahead and left formed a loop through a calcited choke, with one side passage dropping down boulders to become small and miserable, and the other side passage being small and miserable from the outset.
We returned to the start of Bedding Chambers, but were not comfortable descending Speedy Caver without a rope. As a result, we took the normal route via the White Arch, and then took the most convoluted route possible through the Brickyard.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete
Shale Chamber. And that's it.
Modelling by Pete, lighting by Tarquin and Pete