Report by Martin Barnicott

Time Machine, Hard Rock, Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Cavers: Martin Barnicott, Bob Toogood

Top trip. Met Bob in Crickhowell, had a couple of pints of Rev James and dossed at Whitewalls. We had the place to ourselves as we did the cave the next day. The 600m entrance crawl (more like a sideways snake slither) was taken slowly and enjoyed; I guessed that it would not give quite as much pleasure on the way out and I was right.

This was all the cave was last time I was there. Plodding on we marched and crawled and climbed up and down the various bits and bobs till we got to the Hard Rock Café (nowhere as good as the one in Bangkok or for that matter any of the others I have been to). Bob let me have a biscuit and then we started along towards the Micron passing all manner of disconnected arms and incongruous signs. Dropping down the Micron, complete with fishing rod, we stumbled up the Ankle Grinder, a superb bit of stream passage with 1001 shin scuffing potholes to emerge at the “Restaurant”. A perfect day’s caving, topped off by a quick visit to the Blue Greenies.

Now here is the rub, you have to do the whole bloody thing to get back out. Still it wasn’t so bad and despite the pair of us moaning about stiff necks in the final 600(0)m we emerged to late for the pub, 13h after entering. The bonus was that there was no gear to wash! I Will definitely invest in some of those “Nancy” pads for the elbows next time, and there will be a next time if your up for it Bob. Perhaps we can take a couple of extra biscuits though.

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