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.
Sunday, 12 October 2014
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.
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.
Saturday, 11 October 2014
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.
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.
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.
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