Ogof Llyn Parc - 14 Jun 2008
Saturday June 14th 2008
Members present: Andrew Vick, Andrew Gilmartin, Gary Douthwaite, Imogen Shepherd, Kevin Francis, Lauren Ellis, Laz Abbott, Matt Ewles, Nicola Gover, Richard Gover
Report by Nicola Gover
Very efficient start as we had to be there at 9.30 (almost too efficient due to andy g putting the kettle on at half 6!), and a lovely sunny day. They had put the winch up when we arrived, so after some peering down the hole we nominated gary's car to go first and test it :) they went off to change while gover and laz competed in manlyness to get the winch started (laz won). One of the guides headed down with the telephone ( :) ) then it was andy v's turn as "test dummy". Advice of "dont touch the sides", "dont swing" etc to scare him, and off he went! Our group took photos and played with the dog, then got ready to go.
Quite scary setting off down the hole. Wierd not having control of your own descent! Once i got used to it it was really fun though, and cool seeing all the levels disappearing off as i went past. A short wait later and all our group was assembled-its very quick! couple of squeezes and water, then off down several fixed ladders to the lowest mine level, just under crotch deep in water. Eventually this breaks through into the river, where there is some original miner's signatures(they graffitied in more swirly writing then!). Really nice streamway, over some boulders continues for a while, then you climb up on the left with a rope. Lots of large chambers and passageways follow, mostly covered in mud or sand (mind the mud formations), but my memory gets a bit vague here. At one point theres a climb up to the right to an aven where an ENORMOUS stal has fallen down and you can see all the layers like tree rings-really cool. Wouldnt have liked to be there when it fell though! On through some squeezy bits, past some ammonitey type fossils and a dead bat skeleton, and several formations then eventually to a muddy climb down, then back up a muddy climb up with awkward rope loops (half static half dynamic!) and some phreatic passage (this bit floods to the roof in winter!), with some crawls in sand until the vadose passage is reached, with a rather nice smooth rock floor.
As we had plenty of time left we decided to do the longer route back via fault inlet, with a climb up a waterfall (washes the mud off) and some nice streamway, and we popped out to find the north wales photography trip, who imo and laz posed for (imo looked happy!). Then off back to the original streamway where we found the others about to head out, and having a bath :)
A quick trip upstream to see Quarry chamber (very big, bouldery and loose) and go slightly further than the other group went :p then back and out to the bottom of the winch. Very pleased to be winched as the ladders where quite tiring and i would not have enjoyed prussicking 100m! Short wait, then off up the pitch, trying and failing to not bump my head, then i popped out to lovely sunshine!
Really fun trip, much bigger and prettier than i expected ("they" lied about north wales being small and scrotty!)
Lets go back! :)
