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.
