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Written by: Rob Eavis

Published: 10 March 2025

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It was only after working my first week in a dusty quarry in Somerset that I realised I was quite so close to the caves of Mendip (or lack thereof), so at the start of my second week away I rocked up at the Shepton Mallet caving hut hoping for some dirt cheap digs and possibly some digging. I met with a few of the local diggers who were younger than I expected of Mendipites. However I have to confess that their stories of a surface dig in its +20th year did not really enthuse me. Instead I opted for a lonely bimble around Swildons, which suited me better as I only had a wetsuit which I chucked in last minute. Unfortunately I had no ladder so this was going to be limited to the Entrance Series (above the 20ft ladder pitch), which they told me I could easily lose a good few hours in. A quick snap on my phone of the survey on the wall of the hut and off I went.

Heading across the field at dusk, totally alone and with a massive smile on my face, I realised I’m pretty lucky to be doing this on a work night. I’d not been in Swildons since 2008 so I head into the entrance and straight away have no idea where to go. I bumble along the Long Dry route, occationally checking the survey on my phone to stay orientated, and quickly end up at the top of the 20. I scout about a little to judge it’s freeclimbability (zero, when on your own!) then head off to explore some tiny little passages and oxbows, ending up doing some much harder pushing than I had ideally wanted in my wetsuit. After completing a few loops and generally getting a feel for the place I then returned to that stary night with an even bigger smile on my face! What a way to kill an evening while working away.

Selfie at the old 40

The next day was the start of SCHECC and the Shepton was going to be full of +100 drunk and probably partly naked students, and I was glad to be missing it entirely. How old and boring I am becoming. Little Ben was drip feeding me pics and vids of some of the shenanigans throughout the weekend, but I was pleased to hear he too had been down Swillies and even made it through Sump 1. Supposedly some UBSS fresher had made it to 9, a feat I achieved back in 2008 with my friend Stu Gardiner. However she had done it without a pony, whereas I had basically cheated.

Me n Stu cheating at Sump 2, back in 2008

The next week I packed a little more caving gear and arrived at the hut a little anxious that the sofas would be through the windows. I was a little disappointed to walk in to find the place as spotless as before; even some of the condiments were left in the kitchen! CHECC has certainly changed over the 15 years I’ve not been going. The new Marks Audio Solutions stickers dotted about the place were basically the only give-away that indeed the event had happened.

Proof CHECC did actually happen!

After the long drive down and then a hard afternoon on the ropes I was questioning whether a little digging session might be a more sensible (and sociable) option, but it sounded again like they would just be surface hauling 100s of pre-packed sandbags of shit so I decided Swildons would be my temple again tonight. Over my pre-beer I had a quick read of the guide book (hilariously bolted to the wall of the hut to stop if being nicked) so that I could find my way on beyond the 20. It is basically just follow the water so I skipped forward to Sump 2 and 3. Each were described in quite a lot of detail so I just skim read it, as I wasn’t planning to attempt them tonight.

After hilariously missing the entrance and ending up in the wrong field I eventually got in and navigated along the “Wet Way” to the 20 with ease. Unlike last week I hadn’t brought my phone but this route is basically following the water so a bit easier than last week. Descending the slightly overhanging wire ladder in the waterfall was very slightly more committing than I had anticipated, making me even more glad I didn’t try freeclimb it last week! I really enjoyed descending the streamway beyond, through the endless cascades and the Double Pots, and got the expected little buzz upon reaching Sump 1. I’d brought a mask and hood for this and enjoyed passing through the extremely short sump slowly and totally in control. It was tighter than I remembered but even if I had to dig a little I was easily ready for it. Seemingly those last few years of freediving in Cussey and SMMC have allowed me to approach these challenges relatively relaxed, and it felt great.

The other side the passages are more wide and aqueous, especially once you turn left and start to progress along the strike of the bedding. Just before Sump 2 a small alcove has 2 buckets full of lead weights, a helpful yet slightly ominous indication of what is to come. My enjoyable experience in 1 encouraged me to at least put a couple weights onto my belt and go take a look a 2. When I get there it was weirdly inviting and before I knew it I was laying at the sump taking deep breaths and preparing to go through. I mean, I’m all setup and ready to go. A female fresher did it only a few days ago. I had read the guide book a bit, something about 8m with the line in your right hand. Deep breath and I was in. So much for just taking a look.

I pop up in Swildons 3 feeling great, and find that it is basically two airbells separated by a short duck. The entry into Sump 3 looks good also, but I realise this is a bigger undertaking. 11m long and 2.5m deep, with a few obstacles in the way. Maybe I should have read the book a bit more. I remember hearing about possibly the last Eldon jaunt here back in 2003 which involved John Taylor freediving to this point from the other side of Sump 3. Hilariously that team had gone down Blue Pencil and thought they were at Sump 1! Obviously JT went through first. Realising he’d fucked up and unsure of where he was and what was the way on, and rather than repeat what was presumably a pretty scary dive, he sat (swam) and waited for rescue. Luckily some local divers were in the system and went in and evacuated him before he died of hyperthermia! Whilst not exactly the story I wanted to be thinking about right now, it proved that this sump is obviously possible even when you’re not expecting it, so I went for it. Probably about halfway along I rotated slightly onto my side which seemed to give me better visibility ahead, just in time to miss one of the fins of rock jutting out. After a few more pulls I surfaced. Wow! The guide book had suggested this would take about 15 seconds, and that felt about right, I think. I was ready to breathe, but not desperate.

From here I mooch along Swildons 4 feeling 90% ecstatic and 10% concerned. I pass the famous chain up into Blue Pencil passage but as I have absolutely no idea of the route up there I am committed to heading back through the sumps. I get to Sump 4 and whilst it looked quite inviting I hadn’t read this bit of the book so knew I had to turn around. With each step back to Sump 3 that 10% slowly increased but I told myself to stay relaxed and focus. I didn’t waste time getting into the sump, deep breath and I was in. The depth is more noticeable on the way back, but mostly on the way up the other side. I seemed to be ascending for ages but yet still not surfacing. I pull faster, staring ahead in hopeful sight of the reflective air surface, feeling my lungs starting to complain. Eventually I surface and shout out aloud “Well, that was long!”. The shorter dive through Sump 2 felt like child’s play now and I rose the other side now 100% ecstatic. Stupid grin on my face I float out the cave, nearly forgetting to take off my weights on the way passed. I can’t actually remember what route I took through the entrance series, but I once again emerged into a stary night and I can assure you that stupid grin lasted for a good few days more.

Me n my stupid grin

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Written by: Jeff Wade

Published: 08 January 2025

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Grace aux chaussons néoprènes de JP on a survécu la sortie…

Il faisait froid dehors, moins quelque chose, donc un temp idéel d’aller sous terre avant la réunion mensuelle du club au ‘Mechanics’ à Eyam à côté.  Une sortie à Flower Pot était prévue, mais pour ma part je ne savais pas où dans le réseau de Carlswalk on va aller.  

En arrivant au parking pour quelques pré-bières au chaud, deux équipes se forment ; un qui va agrandir une fissure qui va shunter un boyau pénible pour aller facilement vers le fond de Clog Passage depuis Flower Pot, et le deuxième équipe (que je faisais parti) va aller vers Dynamite Rift qui était très peu visité depuis sa première exploration et qui pourrait avoir les points d’interrogation à reprendre.  

À ce moment là j’ai rendu compte que cette sortie sera très aquatique, et Jon Pemberton de ‘équipe 1’ m’a prêté ses chaussons néoprènes, comme il va aller aux galléries sèches.  Quel ange !

Pour arriver au Dynamite Rift il faudra traverser les Dynamite Series qui consistent de plusieurs salles (Midnight, Success et Dynamite Chamber) avec les boyaux aquatiques entre eux.  Grace de Rob et Joe, j’ai eu la chance à faire celui le plus aquatique en premier qui commence avec une étroiture qui s’ouvre sur un angle droit et un petit boyau plus que la moitié rempli avec de l’eux car il a bien plu pendant les derniers jours.  J’ai enlevé mon casque et puis avancé tout doucement au dos pour garder la bouche dans l’air, il avait un bon 10 à 15cm d’espace d’air, donc ça va.  Par contre, les chaussons néoprènes de Jon n’étaient pas suffisamment pour autant d’eau, et moi comme les autres nous étions bien trempés. 

On a vite fait avancer vers notre objectif du jour Dynamite Rift, et Rob a attaqué le puit montant décrit dans les mémoires de John Beck comme un point intéressant.  En haut, Rob a trouvé un tout petit boyau qui part avec malheureusement très peu d’intérêt.  On a fouillé dans les alentours de ce puits montant mais il avait les pincements dans la gallérie phréatique qui se forme quelques mètres au-dessus le sol sans suite.  

Par contre la gallérie continuait tout droite vers le nord-ouest jusqu’une flaque d’eau.  J’ai eu la chance d’y aller en premier dans de l’eau bien fraiche pendant que les autres m’attendaient.  La fissure assez rectiligne jusqu’à ce point-là viendrait s’ouvre sur un laminoir au plafond qui part à gauche avec quelques fistuleuses, et au sol il avait du sable bien colmaté où quelqu’un avant avait creusé.  En lançant les cailloux il me semblait qu’il avait un petit réseau tout à gauche, mais c’était impossible à voir, et il avait un plafond pas de trop stable car quelqu’un avait mis en place deux barres de fer assez optimistes.  Dans la fissure en amont, et la flaque d’eau, il avait un fort courant d’air aspirant qui était perdu en rentrant dans cette petite salle à la fin.  En cherchant j’ai trouvé une lucarne en haut à droite qui prend le courant d’air et qui va suivre la faille sans doute.   

On était gelés, donc on est filé vers l’entrée pour voir comment les autres avaient avancé.  Ça faisait des années depuis j’avais fait le Porth Crawl, et pour les trouver on était presque obligé le prendre, et on a bien chauffé là dans.  

Malheureusement l’autre équipe n’avait pas fini, et on était coincé.   Joe nous a dit << j’entends les frissons >>, pour ma part j’étais en train de me cailler !  Après dix minutes de bruit du frissonne et perfo, la fissure était agrandie par les autres, et delà les explorations à l’avenir à Clog Passage peut être fait sans stress et peur des étroitures difficiles.  

Tout ensemble on est sortie vers une nuit gelant, et puis le Mechanics pour quelques verres bien mérités et la demi-finale aux fléchettes sur le grand écran !

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Written by: Victoria Kocher

Published: 15 December 2024

Hits: 685

Well it was a busy week of festivities and I wanted to thank everyone for making the effort and spreading the cheer. Eldon Pothole Club met up in the Peak hotel for a fine meal and catch up. It was great to see those that were able to make it and BOB TOOGOOD too . Lucky us . We stopped by that other club in Castleton to spread our cheer… some stayed late and spread all kinds of stuff.. allegedly.

The Tuesday nighters made it out for our Christmas Caving. The food was wonderful and the company even better . Many different clubs are represented in this group and we all bring a different bit of expertise to each trip out. If you could not make it it is ok ..  but make it soon . Let’s keep it up for the New Year! Happy holidays and cave on x