stuck in a cave

Well, it has finally happened, the thing I dreaded has come to pass: I got stuck in a cave. I don't mean that I was unable to make forward progress and had to reverse (that has happened many times): I mean that I was wedged in tight and could not move in any direction.

This happened in Eastwater Cavern on 15th November when I was on a trip specifically chosen for its challenging squeezes, so in a sense I got what I asked for. And before you ask: no, I was not alone, I was with some very sound friends. A more detailed account will appear in the UK Caving Forum in the next few days.

For me, the most interesting aspect of the experience was that it had been far worse in my imagination beforehand than when it actually happened.

In my imagination, I was going to have a complete psychological breakdown ("freak out"), scream and thrash about until I was exhausted, then either suffocate and die or be rescued hours later, unconscious and traumatised for life.

In reality, it was pretty horrible, and scary at the time, but none of those things happened. I maintained a constructive dialogue with my companions, wriggled in a controlled manner to try to free myself and stopped wriggling when it was clear this was making things worse, was able to continue to breathe, kept still so as not to drive myself to panic and exhaustion, and eventually, with the help of my companions, was able to find out why I could not reverse, fix that, then then free myself for a second attempt.

And was I traumatised? On your Nellie! At the second attempt, even before my torso and head were out of the obstacle, as soon as my feet and bum had got through, I felt a huge sense of relief and achievement, and just stopped moving so that I could have a good look and really take in the sense it all. Within half a minute of clearing the obstacle I became elated, and this elation stayed with me for days and days.

I would go back and do the same route again, and meanwhile, it has made me a better caver.

The lesson of all this is an obvious one, and one we all have been given but may have not acquired first hand: for something we are actively afraid of, the fear of it is worse than the thing itself.

It was horrible being stuck, but not utterly horrible. No-one got hurt. I have grown from the experience. and I am glad that it happened. 

Scafell Pike reconnaissance

On 17th October I went north to reconnoitre Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England, to fill one of two gaps in my professional repertoire, the other being Ben Nevis. I was supposed to have reconnoitred both of these mountains during the summer, but the summer lurgy of which I have written previously prevented this, which was quite a nuisance. Actually, I had to turn down some Three Peaks work in the late summer because of not knowing Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis, which was very annoying.

My friend of two or three years standing, Sheena, came with me, for her first hike in her new boots. It was also my first hike in my new Mountain Equipment Lhotse mountain jacket, my old faithful Mountain Morpheus jacket having seen better days.

On the morning of 18th October, a Saturday, we made a deliberately late start from YHA Wasdale Hall, a rather fine building, and drove to the shops and café at Wasdale Head for some last-minute supplies and kit, and warming cups of hot chocolate, then started at the gate at just south of the loos and followed the established footpath around the ridge and up beside Lingmell Gil, then up Brown Tongue to the interesting area around the Hollow Stones, then forked left to take the more commonly-used route to the left (north) of Pikes Crag. By this point we were in fog. We swung round to the right for the final stretch to the summit, and arrived there in a strong wind with poor visibility. It wasn’t actually cold, but it certainly felt it.

We huddled at the summit with the other twenty or so walkers there, chomping on our flapjacks, then headed down via the south-westerly path rather than the path by which we had arrived, and reached the emergency kit depôt at Scafell Crag, then deciding against a descent via the short way to Hollow Stones, retraced our steps until the north-west path from the summit was in sight through the fog, then made our way carefully over, and resumed our descent the way we had come up.

Back in the valley conditions were warm and gentle again, very mild, in fact, for the time of year.

The purpose of the walk was to have a reconnaissance for future Three Peaks work, and to that extent the objective was achieved. However, I was really not in the mood to be up a mountain that day, and would have much preferred to have been curled up under my duvet at home with a good book and a large teddy bear. My companion Sheena, however, was full of beans, and for most of the day had been bounding ahead of me as I trudged behind: I am glad one of us had had a good walk, at least.

Back at the hostel, I was dog tired, and after a hearty supper and pint of local real ale, I went to bed early and slept very soundly for a good eleven hours. It wasn’t the best weekend’s walking I have ever had, but as they say in Bristol, “Job’s a good ‘un!”.

The remaining gap in my repertoire is Ben Nevis, but now it is winter and the days are short, so I will leave my reconnaissance until the Spring.

What an adventure!

via ferrata, 29th September to 4th October

At the end of September I went on holiday with Rachel Sparrow and Nicky Dennis, two friends I go caving with, and a friend of theirs, Anne Vanderplank-Brady, and went to the French Alps for four days' via ferrata, an activity which I had not tried before.

I'm not going to describe via ferrata, but here is a link the website of the British Mountaineering Council, so that if you don't already know what it is, you can find out for yourself: https://www.thebmc.co.uk/tech-skills-via-ferrata-equipment

I could write pages and pages about this, but I will keep it short.

Doing via ferrata is the most exciting thing I have ever done, in a life packed with excitement, including doing aerobatics and playing in a baroque ensemble in Dartington Great Hall. Crumbs, what an adventure! I experienced an intense mix of excitement, exhilaration, and fear. Yes, I have to admit, I was scared some of the time (and really scared at one point), but I would do it all again, and more, at the drop of a hat. I'm going back next September.

Also, the landscape was absolutely gorgeous in its early autumn splendour, and we had soft, warm weather.

You do need a head for heights, especially if you want to be able to look down to enjoy the sight of the dizzying drops below, but if you feel safe in a climbing harness, then you might really enjoy via ferrata. Also, as with just about any physical activity, it is easier if you are fit. Go with friends whom you can really trust and who have done it before, and have the time of your life.

Aren't we lucky in Britain to have France as a neighbour! Long may our rights to play, live and work in each others' countries continue.

Porth yr Ogof, 27th September 2014

Another day's work for Wales Outdoors: this time I was working as an assistant cave leader rather than as a Mountain Leader, taking a group of people from the adventure club of a well-known international firm of accountants into Porth yr Ogof, an exciting watery cave in the Brecon Beacons with a huge celebrated entrance and a large resurgence (stream exit to the surface) with a troubled history.

The morning started with a surface ramble over the cave system, starting at the road that crosses the valley, and heading downstream along the abandoned surface-level streamway past the two avens, as far as the resurgence.

We set up an abseil down one of the avens (the more vertical one), with Andy Lamb at the top and me at the bottom; I was sent down first to show the clients what to expect, and to show that the Italian hitch we were using to belay them relied on the position of un-weighted rope, not on the strength of the person doing the belaying.

At the bottom of the aven, in a large low-roofed chamber, we pottered around a little, then climbed out of the other aven, some of us using a hand-line to help.

That was enough for the morning, so we all had a lunch, then got kitted up somewhat more warmly for the afternoon's watery adventures.

Up on the left side of the gorge which forms the approach to main entrance to the cave is a tiny awkward entrance requiring a three point-turn before dropping down into a short committing chute into a low chamber. This was to be our route in for all those so inclined, except for one tall fellow who was just too long-limbed for the strict geometry. From the low chamber we wriggled flat out on our tummies along a very low but wide gallery to the huge main entrance, to join those who could not fit the way we had come, or just did not want to.

Reunited, we explored the main features of the cave, including the Lavatory, which had a decent amount of water in it, and a water ride in a tube about three or four feet in diameter -- as before, I was sent down first, to show the others what to do and what to expect.

We left the cave by the small up-stream exit known as the Tradesman's Entrance.

The clients looked and sounded as if they had a great time. I certainly enjoyed taking them on their adventure, and look forward to working there again before too long.

teaching the basics of navigation to children, 25th September 2014

This was a pleasant day's work for Aardvark Endeavours, leading one of several groups of children from a nearby school. Well, not so much leading them, but looking after them while they completed a navigation exercise.

The exercise was designed by my colleague Martin Torbett, and had a sequence of bearings to follow for specific distances, with landmarks described, and a jig-saw map the pieces of which were gradually handed to the children; the object was to collect hidden objects on a set route in sequence. My job was to look after the children, to show them how to follow a given bearing from a protracting compass, and to make sure that they arrived at the destination on time. I had the support of a school teacher with my group, which is always welcome.

The weather conditions were very favourable, and the task just challenging enough, and the children all enjoyed it, as did I.

gorge walking, 7th September 2014

As a treat after the work the day before on Pen y Fan, and to give Becky some practice at leading, I joined some of the staff and two of the other freelancers of Wales Outdoors for an afternoon's gorge walking in a remote valley in the Brecon Beacon.

As an experienced caver, I have many times swum in underground streams, so this was not an entirely new experience, but it was the first time I has done anything like it on the surface, and over such a distance. The gorge was at the bottom of a narrow glacial valley deepened by a vigorous stream, and varied in width between a few yards and about eighteen inches.

Dressed in wetsuits, buoyancy aids, and helmets, we lowered ourselves into the water, and proceeded down the gorge, feet first and hands crossed over our chests.

There were various exciting features to negotiate, including a rock ring to pass through, and a small waterfall to fly over, and one or two submerged trees to avoid, but for me the most remarkable feature of the ride was the astonishing beauty of the gorge, especially where it was safe for me turn and face upstream and see the sparkling water and the sunlit verdant sculpted rocks; it was just like fairy grotto. I have seldom, if ever, seen any place so beautiful in my whole life.

Thank you, Andy and Becky, for giving me the experience.

Pen y Fan, 6th September 2014

This was a day's work for Wales Outdoors, working as part of a team of five guides, looking after about 120 walkers on a fund-raising sponsored walk for the Parkinson's disease charity Parkinson's UK.

After a briefing for the walkers and a chance for them to see us, the five of us left briskly from car park at Pont Ar Daf straight to where we were to man checkpoints on the 9km route. I went to the summit of Pen y Fan, where I stayed for about two hours directing walkers either to retrace their steps back to the previous checkpoint at Bwlch Duwynt (for those on a 4km route), or to proceed to the next checkpoint, which was at the saddle just west of Fan y Big (for those on the full 9km route), and administering minor first aid as necessary. 

Later, I joined a colleague at the Bwlch Duwynt checkpoint, where I put up my little Hilleberg tent, (much to the fascination of two small children, who used it as a play tent), in case the expected drizzle turned out to be rather more vigorous. 

About two hours after that, we walked off the mountain with the last of the walkers, one of whom needed some gentle encouragement and support as she had accumulated some minor injuries and a wasp sting.

It was not a physically demanding day, but one requiring gentle leadership skills to support and guide the walkers, some of whom were very unfit and unused to any kind of upland environment -- fortunately the weather was fair and the route was well established and easy underfoot. A pleasant day's work.

feeling better again

Phew: the lurgy is over, and I am back in action, and available from next weekend (28th to 31st August).

After that, I'm available on Saturday 5th September but only in the Brecon Beacons (not Snowdonia of further afield), as I am working on Pen y Fan the day after and I have an early start. I'm probably not available for the weekend of 12th to 14th September, and I'm definitely not available from 28th September to 3rd October.

I might be available on 4th and 5th October for work in the Brecon Beacons, but not in Snowdonia or up north.

After 3rd October there's a yawning gap in my diary, but there are still plenty opportunities for gorgeous autumn walks, so if that takes your fancy, send me an e-mail or give me a call.

summer lurgy

Oh no: I've caught a summer lurgy (probably from a colleague with whom I was doing some caving work: you know who you are!).

Because of this, I won't be doing any outdoor work until 15th August. However, I hope to be fighting fit soon, so do give me a call for anything after that.

July and August

July

A busy and exciting two-month period is coming to an end as we head into August.

I've spend two long weekends in Snowdonia exploring new routes and re-visiting old favourites. Under the June full moon I led a walk all the way to the top of Snowdon and back without the use of torches, just finding our way by moonlight, which was magical! 

There's been lots of caving work, assisting on several trips for school groups and youth groups in Goatchurch cavern on the Mendips, and also one trip with three dads and their sons, in the same cave. I absolutely love taking first-timers underground, and especially children, with their wide-eyed enthusiasm and sense of wonder.

A few days ago I was out on top of the Mendips assisting a colleague who is a bushcraft instructor: it was fascinating to learn something about what can and what cannot be safely eaten in the wild, and exciting to watch and help the clients make their own fires from the natural tinder and fuel lying around.

If you had been on the Somerset Levels one fine day a few weeks ago you might have seen me in a faded purple wetsuit (not a colour that suits me, really) wading chest-deep along the bed of an opaque river, taking care of a group of lovely boisterous people on a stag weekend who had just built a very sturdy raft from bits and bobs, and who were paddling it enthusiastically towards their target, a submerged crate of beer.

Despite the heavy load of outdoor work, I have managed to find time to do some outdoor activities with friends, just for fun, poking about in dark holes underground in the never-ending quest to discover more chambers and more passages, and hiking solo in the Brecon Beacons.

August and beyond

August looks like being another busy month.

I am busy in Snowdonia from 31st July to 3rd August, but I may be free for a few days after that.

I am busy again in Cumbria from 7th August to 10th August, but I am free for some of the weekends and some of the weekdays after that for a while.

In late September I will be working in the Mendips, then away in the Alps with friends doing via ferrata for fun.