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