November's
been a busy month for caving, starting with the traditional Bonfire
Weekend and ending with the now equally traditional CHECC weekend, this
time held in the snowy north. We're pleased to report that everyone made
it back safely, as you'll see from Henry's write up. the UBSS
contingent have no idea if they won any prizes or not, they had more
important things on their mind, like having fun.
However, we do have some prizes of our own to hand out! The one for this month's student write up goes to Elliott McCall for his description of an OFD through trip, entitling him to claim a UBSS buff! We'd love as many trip write ups as people can throw at us, and for next month, there's a competition open to all in two categories, student and non-student for the best description of a cave or a caving trip in no more than 20 words, with a further prize for whoever guesses the cave, so no spoilers in your write up! No more than 20 words, how hard can that be? Go for it! Entries on a postcard to us, or to avoid problems with the Xmas post, just click here to submit your entry!
Our Countdown to Caving slot will be back in the next issue, but we rapidly went from 'Help! We need content' to 'Erm, better hold a couple of things over to next time or no one will get to the end!
Do keep the newsletter material coming for next time, folks! Remember, Zac's threat to fill the newsletter with computer science still stands!
Many thanks to Adam Henry for supplying the base image for our header this month, and to all the people who wielded sparklers to such excellent effect.
Back issues of the newsletter can be found here.
However, we do have some prizes of our own to hand out! The one for this month's student write up goes to Elliott McCall for his description of an OFD through trip, entitling him to claim a UBSS buff! We'd love as many trip write ups as people can throw at us, and for next month, there's a competition open to all in two categories, student and non-student for the best description of a cave or a caving trip in no more than 20 words, with a further prize for whoever guesses the cave, so no spoilers in your write up! No more than 20 words, how hard can that be? Go for it! Entries on a postcard to us, or to avoid problems with the Xmas post, just click here to submit your entry!
Our Countdown to Caving slot will be back in the next issue, but we rapidly went from 'Help! We need content' to 'Erm, better hold a couple of things over to next time or no one will get to the end!
Do keep the newsletter material coming for next time, folks! Remember, Zac's threat to fill the newsletter with computer science still stands!
Many thanks to Adam Henry for supplying the base image for our header this month, and to all the people who wielded sparklers to such excellent effect.
Back issues of the newsletter can be found here.
Zac and Linda
CHRISTMAS DINNER AT THE ELDON!
Xmas dinner at the Eldon December 2019. The last one before the Plague started. Zac and Merryn in the Santa hats.
Yes, we know it's still November, but we need sign ups for the Christmas dinner by no later than this Friday, 3rd November at 5pm!
The dinner is being held at the Eldon House on Tuesday 14th December at 7.30pm. The cost for one course is likely to be around £11, with the option of ordering and paying for a dessert separately. Drinks to be bought at the bar. Xmas hats optional!
If you would like to come, please email student treasurer Imogen Clement no later than 5pm on Friday 3rd December. Or drop her a message on Facebook.
Xmas dinner at the Eldon December 2019. The last one before the Plague started. Zac and Merryn in the Santa hats.
Yes, we know it's still November, but we need sign ups for the Christmas dinner by no later than this Friday, 3rd November at 5pm!
The dinner is being held at the Eldon House on Tuesday 14th December at 7.30pm. The cost for one course is likely to be around £11, with the option of ordering and paying for a dessert separately. Drinks to be bought at the bar. Xmas hats optional!
If you would like to come, please email student treasurer Imogen Clement no later than 5pm on Friday 3rd December. Or drop her a message on Facebook.
NEW YEAR'S EVE DINNER AT THE UBSS HUT
No, it's not always like this at New Year, but it is very pretty like this!
The club's longest standing unbroken tradition will be taking place as usual at the our hut on New Year's Eve, with people gathering from 7pm for a full turkey dinner and the usual midnight rituals.
The dinner has been held every year since 1919. It is said that during the Second World War, Bertie Crook (current member Lauren Manton's great grandfather) ate a turkey sandwich there by himself. And last year, during covid restrictions, Elaine and Si, along with Graham and Linda sat outside the hut all evening, n compliance with covid restrictions, eating goose baps with Aunt Bessie's roast potatoes. The goose and some trimmings were kindly provided by Clive and Wanda! We stayed out until about 2am on New Year's Day, wrapped in blankets and singing caving songs! Some traditions are too important to break or the sun might not rise in the morning!
The cost is usually no more than £10 per head. Please bring your own drinks. If you would like to be part of history and have a fun evening, let Linda know so we know how many people to cater for. It helps to have sign ups before Xmas, but the usual UBSS maxim of 'never knowingly under-catered' applies and no one has ever been turned away, no matter how late! If you need a veggie option, please let Linda know. And likewise if you need help with transport. Most of us come back to Bristol afterwards, but there's always the option to stay overnight and cave the next day if you're feeling particularly energetic.
No, it's not always like this at New Year, but it is very pretty like this!
The club's longest standing unbroken tradition will be taking place as usual at the our hut on New Year's Eve, with people gathering from 7pm for a full turkey dinner and the usual midnight rituals.
The dinner has been held every year since 1919. It is said that during the Second World War, Bertie Crook (current member Lauren Manton's great grandfather) ate a turkey sandwich there by himself. And last year, during covid restrictions, Elaine and Si, along with Graham and Linda sat outside the hut all evening, n compliance with covid restrictions, eating goose baps with Aunt Bessie's roast potatoes. The goose and some trimmings were kindly provided by Clive and Wanda! We stayed out until about 2am on New Year's Day, wrapped in blankets and singing caving songs! Some traditions are too important to break or the sun might not rise in the morning!
The cost is usually no more than £10 per head. Please bring your own drinks. If you would like to be part of history and have a fun evening, let Linda know so we know how many people to cater for. It helps to have sign ups before Xmas, but the usual UBSS maxim of 'never knowingly under-catered' applies and no one has ever been turned away, no matter how late! If you need a veggie option, please let Linda know. And likewise if you need help with transport. Most of us come back to Bristol afterwards, but there's always the option to stay overnight and cave the next day if you're feeling particularly energetic.
STICKERS!
Winning design, by Nell Fellows.
Hands up who would like some lovely stickers to .... er ... stick on things? Well, what else would you do with a sticker? Other clubs have them so we need them, too.
A recent sticker design competition was won by new member Nell Fellows! Congratulations, Nell, you've won a back up light for caving! Henry Morgan is arranging for Nell's design and one with the UBSS crest on to be printed. These will be available to purchase and we might well even be persuaded to give some away as prizes, so we'll let you know when we have more information.
UBSS crest, digitally remastered.
Winning design, by Nell Fellows.
Hands up who would like some lovely stickers to .... er ... stick on things? Well, what else would you do with a sticker? Other clubs have them so we need them, too.
A recent sticker design competition was won by new member Nell Fellows! Congratulations, Nell, you've won a back up light for caving! Henry Morgan is arranging for Nell's design and one with the UBSS crest on to be printed. These will be available to purchase and we might well even be persuaded to give some away as prizes, so we'll let you know when we have more information.
UBSS crest, digitally remastered.
HIDE AND SEEK IN ROD'S POT
Our latest fresher, Ms Liz Truss, looking a little white-faced at the prospect of a Rod's Pot to Bath Swallet trip with Zac.Luckily, the club didn't have to pay her BCA insurance for long.
Bonfire Weekend is notable for many things (undercooked dead animal, Haydon making loud bangs, not eating before midnight, you know - the usual stuff) but there's not often much caving, however, on this occasion, one of your hard-working editors was dragged underground, and Zac even lived to tell the tale, despite incipient man-flu ...
“Right, I can take two small, non-squeamish people…” I said upon arriving at stores the morning of the 6th November.
The front seat was occupied by a faceless effigy and one of the back seats taken up by a lamb in a bin bag. Contrary to my expectations two people did come forward and a few minutes later our diverse band was on the way to the hut.
To keep it brief, I emptied the firepit and got the fire started while others collected wood. The lamb was eventually put on the fire by 1pm, an operation slowed by an incredible amount of faff.
Roast lamb, UBSS style. Move over, Delia Smith!
Despite my protestations that I would not be going caving due to ill health I still found myself in an oversuit trudging to Rod's Pot for a through trip with Simon, Rosie, Dan, Gabriel and Oliver.
I led down to the main chamber and then beyond down to the Bear Pit, which I was also first to escape. It was while we were waiting in the main chamber that I began to hear voices. Experienced cavers know that this is often just a mild hallucination, particularly when near running water; your brain tricks you into interpreting certain sounds as people just around the corner but anyone who knows Rod's knows there’s no running water in the main chamber. Soon the voices were loud enough for all to hear, and they were coming from the bypass so Si decided to investigate. He came back a protracted time later to inform us that there was indeed a group coming the other way through the bypass and that they were using SRT gear… on the mud pitch (Purple Pot).
Being polite we waited for them to arrive but as the time dragged on, we realised we’d have to occupy ourselves and so decided to play a round of hide and seek with Dan being the seeker. In the 30 or so seconds we had; I found a small nook in a chamber just off the main passage above the main chamber. It was here I waited for several minutes (trying not to cough) while the others were found one by one, all except Oliver. I was second last to be found and as I descended back to the main chamber Oliver crawled out of his hiding spot just inside the entrance to the Bear Pit.
This proves that hide and seek in a cave can work and is in fact quite enjoyable! You just need the time and an excuse for it.
Mia Jacobs on an entirely different trip in Rod's showing how much fun the place is. Yes, we definitely need some underground shots of the cave, pretty please!
It felt like a further age until the other group arrived. One popped out first and then headed down to the Bear Pit while we chatted. They even had time to return before the rest of their group arrived upon which their leader promptly lectured Si on how to cave after he simply asked them if he’d need to untie their rope from the pitch. This thankfully brief encounter over we proceeded onwards with me at the back.
The connection is quite crawly and muddy (particularly the Mud Pitch) but a through trip on Mendip? I shouldn’t complain. Body belaying on the Mud Pitch was also quite interesting (personally I can’t see how they SRT'd up it). It was at the bottom of the ladder climb that things slowed down. Si ascended and rigged the pitch then belayed Rosie who took up position at the top while Si came halfway down to stop the ladder tangling. I then clipped in each of the three freshers in turn and got them going before free climbing the bottom half myself up to Si. I then belay climbed the rest of the way before helping derig.
The Rod's entrance leaves much to be desired but thankfully there’s a stream just outside to wash off in.
For a trip I was reluctant to go on it went very well! As I think most trips of that kind do). I’d never done Rod's to Bath before and it’s certainly a very good trip! Although no connections made to the Burrington Super System yet!
Our latest fresher, Ms Liz Truss, looking a little white-faced at the prospect of a Rod's Pot to Bath Swallet trip with Zac.Luckily, the club didn't have to pay her BCA insurance for long.
Bonfire Weekend is notable for many things (undercooked dead animal, Haydon making loud bangs, not eating before midnight, you know - the usual stuff) but there's not often much caving, however, on this occasion, one of your hard-working editors was dragged underground, and Zac even lived to tell the tale, despite incipient man-flu ...
“Right, I can take two small, non-squeamish people…” I said upon arriving at stores the morning of the 6th November.
The front seat was occupied by a faceless effigy and one of the back seats taken up by a lamb in a bin bag. Contrary to my expectations two people did come forward and a few minutes later our diverse band was on the way to the hut.
To keep it brief, I emptied the firepit and got the fire started while others collected wood. The lamb was eventually put on the fire by 1pm, an operation slowed by an incredible amount of faff.
Roast lamb, UBSS style. Move over, Delia Smith!
Despite my protestations that I would not be going caving due to ill health I still found myself in an oversuit trudging to Rod's Pot for a through trip with Simon, Rosie, Dan, Gabriel and Oliver.
I led down to the main chamber and then beyond down to the Bear Pit, which I was also first to escape. It was while we were waiting in the main chamber that I began to hear voices. Experienced cavers know that this is often just a mild hallucination, particularly when near running water; your brain tricks you into interpreting certain sounds as people just around the corner but anyone who knows Rod's knows there’s no running water in the main chamber. Soon the voices were loud enough for all to hear, and they were coming from the bypass so Si decided to investigate. He came back a protracted time later to inform us that there was indeed a group coming the other way through the bypass and that they were using SRT gear… on the mud pitch (Purple Pot).
Being polite we waited for them to arrive but as the time dragged on, we realised we’d have to occupy ourselves and so decided to play a round of hide and seek with Dan being the seeker. In the 30 or so seconds we had; I found a small nook in a chamber just off the main passage above the main chamber. It was here I waited for several minutes (trying not to cough) while the others were found one by one, all except Oliver. I was second last to be found and as I descended back to the main chamber Oliver crawled out of his hiding spot just inside the entrance to the Bear Pit.
This proves that hide and seek in a cave can work and is in fact quite enjoyable! You just need the time and an excuse for it.
Mia Jacobs on an entirely different trip in Rod's showing how much fun the place is. Yes, we definitely need some underground shots of the cave, pretty please!
It felt like a further age until the other group arrived. One popped out first and then headed down to the Bear Pit while we chatted. They even had time to return before the rest of their group arrived upon which their leader promptly lectured Si on how to cave after he simply asked them if he’d need to untie their rope from the pitch. This thankfully brief encounter over we proceeded onwards with me at the back.
The connection is quite crawly and muddy (particularly the Mud Pitch) but a through trip on Mendip? I shouldn’t complain. Body belaying on the Mud Pitch was also quite interesting (personally I can’t see how they SRT'd up it). It was at the bottom of the ladder climb that things slowed down. Si ascended and rigged the pitch then belayed Rosie who took up position at the top while Si came halfway down to stop the ladder tangling. I then clipped in each of the three freshers in turn and got them going before free climbing the bottom half myself up to Si. I then belay climbed the rest of the way before helping derig.
The Rod's entrance leaves much to be desired but thankfully there’s a stream just outside to wash off in.
For a trip I was reluctant to go on it went very well! As I think most trips of that kind do). I’d never done Rod's to Bath before and it’s certainly a very good trip! Although no connections made to the Burrington Super System yet!
Zac Woodford
BONFIRE NIGHT AT THE HUT
Yep, there was definitely a bonfire!
A picture is worth a thousand words, and as we don't have a thousand words, here are some photos instead! Thanks to Zac Woodford and Adam Henry for supplying the piccies.
We're pleased to report that Stu Walker didn't actually dismember anyone!
Haydon had to be allowed one big one or he would have been sad panda.
And talking of one big ones... Of course it had to be done, why do you ask?
Where we like drinking after a caving trip!
Yes, there was some caving done, too! Cat and Eddie in Goatchurch.
Yep, there was definitely a bonfire!
A picture is worth a thousand words, and as we don't have a thousand words, here are some photos instead! Thanks to Zac Woodford and Adam Henry for supplying the piccies.
We're pleased to report that Stu Walker didn't actually dismember anyone!
Haydon had to be allowed one big one or he would have been sad panda.
And talking of one big ones... Of course it had to be done, why do you ask?
Where we like drinking after a caving trip!
Yes, there was some caving done, too! Cat and Eddie in Goatchurch.
A VERY SALBRIOUS OFD TOP TO CWM DWR TRIP
The Judge, OFD Top. Photo by Linda Wilson.
One of the great pleasures in life is an OFD Top to Cwm Dwr trip, as Elliott McCall reports from a recent Wales weekend.
We were a group of four going on a through trip to Cwm Dwr from OFD Top. After hiding the keys to the cave behind a fluorescent pink rock, we entered OFD. It was a pleasant change from the Mendips being able to fully stand as opposed to the half-crouch-crab-walk that is so ubiquitous in Mendip caves. We went through the Brickyard and past the Wedding Cake formation (which I must confess bears no relation to an actual wedding cake…). Then went down through the corkscrew climb which was quite fun; at the bottom we ran into a group of cavers, largely children. The leader coincidentally was one of the rescuers called to Eastwater the previous Wednesday; we had apparently disrupted his packing for the weekend.
We took a small detour to visit the Trident and the Judge. I preferred the Judge (see above), although the group consensus was that the Trident was more striking (see below).
The Trident, OFD Top. Photo by Linda Wilson.
We then followed a small streamway for a bit, at which point I got one welly wet – oh the horror!! (Not really but melodrama is fun.) We then climbed down a rift, which was fine for the longer legged, but was slightly more challenging albeit manageable for the shorter limbed. We followed the wonderfully named Salubrious Streamway, which was indeed salubrious (Meaning of salubrious in English: salubrious: adjective: formal: A salubrious place is pleasant, clean, and healthy to live in – Cambridge Dictionary) until we reached Maypole inlet and the most stable ladder I have been on in a cave that led down to the main streamway.
Salubrious Streamway. Photo by Linda Wilson.
This streamway was lovely to follow. A perfect 5/7 section of cave passage. This part was very serpentine and the geology was (sorry geologists I study engineering!) pretty cool. We followed this till the marker in the wall that signifies it’s time to climb upwards to the Great Oxbow which allows you to circumvent the sump. This climb was somewhat interesting for the vertically challenged so Henry deployed the time tested climbing technique of providing his shoulder and helmet as footholds.
Re-entering the streamway and following it for a distance led to the most stunning section of cave: the Marble Showers series. This section had a stunning black floor with zebra stripes of white marble running through it. Very pretty. We followed the streamway for a long way with lots and lots and lots of pots. Impossible to stay dry but very fun. After a while, this leads to the very Alien looking Confluence Stone, my favourite sight from the trip. We then climbed up into Piccadilly Circus where we got ever-so-slightly lost. We met a group from Nottingham who were also ever-so-slightly lost; we promptly lost them too and had a great time doing some route-finding in the Smithy. We eventually doubled back to the Confluence Stone and climbed up directly into the Smithy. This climb was quite exposed but relatively easy. This allowed us to get our bearings and find our way out.
At this point we were somewhat less confident in the route-description we were following, especially when it said turn right when calcite drops away to your left… this never happened, though we suspect we still found the correct turn with the calcite on the right instead??
After this it was just the crawl out. Not too bad a crawl, only 100m or so if I recall correctly, although we were relatively tired at this point which made it worse. Kneepads are recommended if you bruise easily. Then it was sunshine, sheep, and a cuppa at the SWCC hut.
The Judge, OFD Top. Photo by Linda Wilson.
One of the great pleasures in life is an OFD Top to Cwm Dwr trip, as Elliott McCall reports from a recent Wales weekend.
We were a group of four going on a through trip to Cwm Dwr from OFD Top. After hiding the keys to the cave behind a fluorescent pink rock, we entered OFD. It was a pleasant change from the Mendips being able to fully stand as opposed to the half-crouch-crab-walk that is so ubiquitous in Mendip caves. We went through the Brickyard and past the Wedding Cake formation (which I must confess bears no relation to an actual wedding cake…). Then went down through the corkscrew climb which was quite fun; at the bottom we ran into a group of cavers, largely children. The leader coincidentally was one of the rescuers called to Eastwater the previous Wednesday; we had apparently disrupted his packing for the weekend.
We took a small detour to visit the Trident and the Judge. I preferred the Judge (see above), although the group consensus was that the Trident was more striking (see below).
The Trident, OFD Top. Photo by Linda Wilson.
We then followed a small streamway for a bit, at which point I got one welly wet – oh the horror!! (Not really but melodrama is fun.) We then climbed down a rift, which was fine for the longer legged, but was slightly more challenging albeit manageable for the shorter limbed. We followed the wonderfully named Salubrious Streamway, which was indeed salubrious (Meaning of salubrious in English: salubrious: adjective: formal: A salubrious place is pleasant, clean, and healthy to live in – Cambridge Dictionary) until we reached Maypole inlet and the most stable ladder I have been on in a cave that led down to the main streamway.
Salubrious Streamway. Photo by Linda Wilson.
This streamway was lovely to follow. A perfect 5/7 section of cave passage. This part was very serpentine and the geology was (sorry geologists I study engineering!) pretty cool. We followed this till the marker in the wall that signifies it’s time to climb upwards to the Great Oxbow which allows you to circumvent the sump. This climb was somewhat interesting for the vertically challenged so Henry deployed the time tested climbing technique of providing his shoulder and helmet as footholds.
Re-entering the streamway and following it for a distance led to the most stunning section of cave: the Marble Showers series. This section had a stunning black floor with zebra stripes of white marble running through it. Very pretty. We followed the streamway for a long way with lots and lots and lots of pots. Impossible to stay dry but very fun. After a while, this leads to the very Alien looking Confluence Stone, my favourite sight from the trip. We then climbed up into Piccadilly Circus where we got ever-so-slightly lost. We met a group from Nottingham who were also ever-so-slightly lost; we promptly lost them too and had a great time doing some route-finding in the Smithy. We eventually doubled back to the Confluence Stone and climbed up directly into the Smithy. This climb was quite exposed but relatively easy. This allowed us to get our bearings and find our way out.
At this point we were somewhat less confident in the route-description we were following, especially when it said turn right when calcite drops away to your left… this never happened, though we suspect we still found the correct turn with the calcite on the right instead??
After this it was just the crawl out. Not too bad a crawl, only 100m or so if I recall correctly, although we were relatively tired at this point which made it worse. Kneepads are recommended if you bruise easily. Then it was sunshine, sheep, and a cuppa at the SWCC hut.
Elliot McCall
JUDGING THE JUDGE - THE AUDIENCE DECIDES
So, which is it to be? The Trident or the Judge?
Have your say!
The results will be announced in the next newsletter!
So, which is it to be? The Trident or the Judge?
Have your say!
The results will be announced in the next newsletter!
HANGING AROUND IN RHINO RIFT
The second pitch in Rhino Rift. Photo copyright Mark Burkey and used with his kind permission.
Zac Woodford finally got the chance to take his shiny new SRT kit underground. Here's his account of a recent Rhino Rift trip
Since acquiring an SRT kit over the summer I’ve been eager to give it a try and there’s no other place on Mendip like Rhino for doing just that. So on a dark Wednesday evening Haydon, Lucy and I wandered down through the Longwood valley, stopping to observe the hard work invested in clearing Top Sink (I was surprised how clear the water was). Reaching the Rhino entrance Haydon took point with Lucy following while I brought up the rear. The small crawling entrance section is the polar opposite of the rest of the cave which soon opens into voluminous pitches.
We made a smooth decent down to the last pitch. The trouble began when I was waiting for Lucy while sat in my harness on the traverse. I think this might have cut some of my circulation and the following re-belay further diminished my energy reserves. This had the cumulative effect that meant when I got to the deviation, I didn’t have the energy to re-attach it above me. I then had to re-ascend to the loose rubble shelf where I spent several minutes catching my breath while waiting for the others to ascend. I then continued to lead out with Haydon de-rigging.
Apart from a little bit of entanglement on my part on the last rebelay our exit was smooth, and we were soon parked outside a disappointingly closed Plume of Feathers…
I learnt a lot from this first foray with my SRT kit and have since practised with a different configuration. Despite the fact that I didn’t make the bottom it was still a brilliant trip and I’m glad I’ve an excuse to head back soon!
The second pitch in Rhino Rift. Photo copyright Mark Burkey and used with his kind permission.
Zac Woodford finally got the chance to take his shiny new SRT kit underground. Here's his account of a recent Rhino Rift trip
Since acquiring an SRT kit over the summer I’ve been eager to give it a try and there’s no other place on Mendip like Rhino for doing just that. So on a dark Wednesday evening Haydon, Lucy and I wandered down through the Longwood valley, stopping to observe the hard work invested in clearing Top Sink (I was surprised how clear the water was). Reaching the Rhino entrance Haydon took point with Lucy following while I brought up the rear. The small crawling entrance section is the polar opposite of the rest of the cave which soon opens into voluminous pitches.
We made a smooth decent down to the last pitch. The trouble began when I was waiting for Lucy while sat in my harness on the traverse. I think this might have cut some of my circulation and the following re-belay further diminished my energy reserves. This had the cumulative effect that meant when I got to the deviation, I didn’t have the energy to re-attach it above me. I then had to re-ascend to the loose rubble shelf where I spent several minutes catching my breath while waiting for the others to ascend. I then continued to lead out with Haydon de-rigging.
Apart from a little bit of entanglement on my part on the last rebelay our exit was smooth, and we were soon parked outside a disappointingly closed Plume of Feathers…
I learnt a lot from this first foray with my SRT kit and have since practised with a different configuration. Despite the fact that I didn’t make the bottom it was still a brilliant trip and I’m glad I’ve an excuse to head back soon!
Zac Woodford
HIGH WINDS, SNOW, CAR TROUBLE AND CAVING GAMES - CHECC 2021
CHECC,
aka the Combined Higher Education Caving Clubs is a great way to get to
know other student cavers and learn new and creative uses for household
furniture and kitchen equipment. It's rumoured that there's even some
caving occasionally. Last weekend, undeterred by severe weather
warnings, the UBSS contingent ventured up to the frozen north, as
Student Prezz Henry Morgan relates ...
Five cars left Bristol late on Friday night for the drive up to Yorkshire Dales Guides near Settle. The first car arrived and gave warning to the rest of us about a tree down on the road to Clitheroe … it turned out storm Arwen wasn’t quite done yet as the remaining cars came across multiple trees down, bins flying everywhere and sheets of corrugated iron in the middle of the road.
All that before the snow! It was decided that setting up the large tent that night would be impossible given the 40mph winds (in the valley!!) and so we quickly set about the business of partying and meeting other clubs. Once everyone had arrived, it was time to show off our fancy dress for this year. Gabriel, Omri, Elliott, Ewan, Merryn and myself all came through the door in our fire engines, followed by a series of sad and cold looking cavers in foil blankets.
(Left to right) Merryn, Omri, Elliott, Gabriel and Henry.
We have no idea who won the fancy dress competition but a number of people were impressed by our Eastwater cave rescue theme with an accurate number of fire engines! (See the previous newsletter!) Following this and much more stomping, most of UBSS and the rest of CHECC found a flat(ish) spot on the floor, or a table, and passed out for the night.
The next morning we awoke to the aftermath of the previous night's storm; Multiple tents that had been erected before the wind got really bad had been squashed, and one was even hanging in a tree at the opposite end of the field (apparently it later fell down and got washed away by the river Ribble!). After the longest queue since social distancing was a thing, we grabbed breakfast and set about plotting the days caving. Sam and Lucy took a group to Sunset Hole for some more horizontal caving (but unfortunately were unable to locate the entrance in the snow!), Ash and Jakob took a group for some SRT to Sell Gill, and myself and Merryn took a group up to Gaping Ghyll for some classic Yorkshire caving.
To prove that some caving did go on!
Getting to the caves was not as trivial as we had hoped, given the amount of snow and ice on the roads, but we did still get two trips underground. (More than could be said for a lot of clubs apparently!). Of the remaining cavers Sorcha, Gabriel and Ewan did training sessions and after that Megan, Omri and Ewan went on a hike in the now more agreeable (but still just as snowy) weather. By 9pm, all the groups had returned from their various activities for the day and we set about the important business of caving games for the evening.
There was an impressive display of suspended sock wrestling, with pretty much the whole of CHECC as an audience! Gabriel from UBSS produced a splendid display to defeat his opposition as the sole UBSS representative in this event. Ewan and I had a good effort at Pan and Sling, but unfortunately, we failed on the last round as it turned out that we were just too large at the hips, even when employing the handstand manoeuvre!
A great evening was had by all, including a gorgeous set of glitter tattoos for Sam and Imogen. Most of UBSS retired by 1am as the cold inside the barn was even making partying seem less appealing than the bunk room filled with sweaty bodies (there were six beds in here, and I am informed that no less than 17 people claim to have slept in this room!).
The alternative to the bunk room.
In the morning we set about the mandatory faff before trying to work out series of caving trips so we could get some more people underground who has unfortunately been unable to the day before. Unfortunately, Ash’s car had other ideas. We jump started it but it kept cutting out, leading to a call to the RAC. Meanwhile, Imogen’s car and Lucy’s car managed to escape back to Bristol as snow once again started falling in the Dales. It turned out Ash had a broken alternator, so me and Michael had to cram our cars full of people for the drive back, leaving Ash behind stuck with his broken motor to be towed back to Bristol (fear not, he got home shortly after 11pm).
Those of us not dealing with the RAC set about the CHECC clean up (cleaning up the left over breakfast food as well as the floors), and before too long headed off Bristol bound. Unfortunately, this meant no caving happened on Sunday (though by the state of the roads, getting to any caves was going to prove very tricky!). My car, with Gabriel, Merryn, Ewan and Omri, decided to go for a little walk in Ingleton before the long drive south, with Merryn leading the way on a little tree climbing before Gabriel took it upon himself to try (unsuccessfully) to be a sheepdog. Shortly after this, we hit the M6 and got back to stores around 8:30pm. It turns out that cleaning caving kit is much easier if you didn’t go caving at all, why don’t we always do that! We abandoned any plan of going to the pub as it was getting late and all headed back home for a well earned sleep.
Let’s hope that next time we go to time we go to Yorkshire that we are blessed with more favourable weather conditions and more compliant cars. Despite the lack of caving, everyone had a great weekend full of partying and snow, here is hoping the future is full of some more underground adventures!!
CHECC,
aka the Combined Higher Education Caving Clubs is a great way to get to
know other student cavers and learn new and creative uses for household
furniture and kitchen equipment. It's rumoured that there's even some
caving occasionally. Last weekend, undeterred by severe weather
warnings, the UBSS contingent ventured up to the frozen north, as
Student Prezz Henry Morgan relates ...Five cars left Bristol late on Friday night for the drive up to Yorkshire Dales Guides near Settle. The first car arrived and gave warning to the rest of us about a tree down on the road to Clitheroe … it turned out storm Arwen wasn’t quite done yet as the remaining cars came across multiple trees down, bins flying everywhere and sheets of corrugated iron in the middle of the road.
All that before the snow! It was decided that setting up the large tent that night would be impossible given the 40mph winds (in the valley!!) and so we quickly set about the business of partying and meeting other clubs. Once everyone had arrived, it was time to show off our fancy dress for this year. Gabriel, Omri, Elliott, Ewan, Merryn and myself all came through the door in our fire engines, followed by a series of sad and cold looking cavers in foil blankets.
(Left to right) Merryn, Omri, Elliott, Gabriel and Henry.
We have no idea who won the fancy dress competition but a number of people were impressed by our Eastwater cave rescue theme with an accurate number of fire engines! (See the previous newsletter!) Following this and much more stomping, most of UBSS and the rest of CHECC found a flat(ish) spot on the floor, or a table, and passed out for the night.
The next morning we awoke to the aftermath of the previous night's storm; Multiple tents that had been erected before the wind got really bad had been squashed, and one was even hanging in a tree at the opposite end of the field (apparently it later fell down and got washed away by the river Ribble!). After the longest queue since social distancing was a thing, we grabbed breakfast and set about plotting the days caving. Sam and Lucy took a group to Sunset Hole for some more horizontal caving (but unfortunately were unable to locate the entrance in the snow!), Ash and Jakob took a group for some SRT to Sell Gill, and myself and Merryn took a group up to Gaping Ghyll for some classic Yorkshire caving.
To prove that some caving did go on!
Getting to the caves was not as trivial as we had hoped, given the amount of snow and ice on the roads, but we did still get two trips underground. (More than could be said for a lot of clubs apparently!). Of the remaining cavers Sorcha, Gabriel and Ewan did training sessions and after that Megan, Omri and Ewan went on a hike in the now more agreeable (but still just as snowy) weather. By 9pm, all the groups had returned from their various activities for the day and we set about the important business of caving games for the evening.
There was an impressive display of suspended sock wrestling, with pretty much the whole of CHECC as an audience! Gabriel from UBSS produced a splendid display to defeat his opposition as the sole UBSS representative in this event. Ewan and I had a good effort at Pan and Sling, but unfortunately, we failed on the last round as it turned out that we were just too large at the hips, even when employing the handstand manoeuvre!
A great evening was had by all, including a gorgeous set of glitter tattoos for Sam and Imogen. Most of UBSS retired by 1am as the cold inside the barn was even making partying seem less appealing than the bunk room filled with sweaty bodies (there were six beds in here, and I am informed that no less than 17 people claim to have slept in this room!).
The alternative to the bunk room.
In the morning we set about the mandatory faff before trying to work out series of caving trips so we could get some more people underground who has unfortunately been unable to the day before. Unfortunately, Ash’s car had other ideas. We jump started it but it kept cutting out, leading to a call to the RAC. Meanwhile, Imogen’s car and Lucy’s car managed to escape back to Bristol as snow once again started falling in the Dales. It turned out Ash had a broken alternator, so me and Michael had to cram our cars full of people for the drive back, leaving Ash behind stuck with his broken motor to be towed back to Bristol (fear not, he got home shortly after 11pm).
Those of us not dealing with the RAC set about the CHECC clean up (cleaning up the left over breakfast food as well as the floors), and before too long headed off Bristol bound. Unfortunately, this meant no caving happened on Sunday (though by the state of the roads, getting to any caves was going to prove very tricky!). My car, with Gabriel, Merryn, Ewan and Omri, decided to go for a little walk in Ingleton before the long drive south, with Merryn leading the way on a little tree climbing before Gabriel took it upon himself to try (unsuccessfully) to be a sheepdog. Shortly after this, we hit the M6 and got back to stores around 8:30pm. It turns out that cleaning caving kit is much easier if you didn’t go caving at all, why don’t we always do that! We abandoned any plan of going to the pub as it was getting late and all headed back home for a well earned sleep.
Let’s hope that next time we go to time we go to Yorkshire that we are blessed with more favourable weather conditions and more compliant cars. Despite the lack of caving, everyone had a great weekend full of partying and snow, here is hoping the future is full of some more underground adventures!!
Henry Morgan
BATS IN CAVES
Lesser Horseshoe Bat in flight in Great Swallet. Photo taken by Lewis Hillier and Daniel Whitby under the necessary Licence, and used with their kind permission.
Most people who cave for any length of time will come across bats in caves, so it's a good idea to keep some simple pointers in mind. Linda Wilson has put together some information, accompanied by fantastic photos used with permission of Lewis Hillier and Daniel Whitby, who are both ecologists working with bats. The photos were taken under the necessary licences to permit photography of bats near their roosts, as Linda explains ...
As part of my role as conservation officer for the Charterhouse Caving Company Ltd (the access body responsible for GB, Charterhouse, Longwood and Rhino, of which UBSS is a part), I recently met Lewis Hillier, an ecologist working wth Somerset Wildlife Tust, the landowner for these areas. Lewis is monitoring bats in Gruffy Field, the area overlying GB and Charterhouse, and he mentioned he had some good photos of bats in flight coming out ofTyning's Great Swallet, the depression in Gruffy Field. He sent the photos to me and has very kindly agreed to them being used here.
Lesser Horseshoe Bat in flight in Great Swallet. Photo taken by Lewis Hillier and Daniel Whitby under the necessary Licence, and used with their kind permission.
The main things to bear in mind aboutbats are very simple:
- Don't disturb them.
- Don't shine your lights at them.
- Don't take photographs of them.
- Don't touch them.
- Do treat them with care and respect by leaving them alone.
- Do stay as far away from them as possible if you encounter them underground.
- Do take special care from October to May as that is when they are likely to be hibernating.
Fun facts:
- You're most likely to see Lesser Horseshoe bats.
- Greater Horseshoes are (surprise, surprise) like Lessers but about twice the size.
- Bat Passage in GB is called that because a bat skeleton was found there. As Bat Passage was dug into, the bat must have got in there by a different, now blocked route.
- I once came back from the end of Great Oone's Cave in Cheddar Gorge and said: "I've just seen this weird bat with really long ears. I wonder what it was?" Everyone else: "How about a Long-Eared Bat?" Me: "Smart-arses."
- Bats won't get in your hair when they're flying around. That's a myth, despite Chris Shirt thinking they would down a trip to Box Mines many years ago, He didn't even have very long hair at the time!
Lesser Horseshoe Bat in flight in Great Swallet. Photo taken by Lewis Hillier and Daniel Whitby under the necessary Licence, and used with their kind permission.
The Legal Bit:
- Bats species are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and there are ginormous fines for contravening this.
- There's a simple statement of the law here and a link to use to report any crimes against bats.
Lesser Horseshoe Bat in flight in Great Swallet. Photo taken by Lewis Hillier and Daniel Whitby under the necessary Licence, and used with their kind permission.
Most people who cave for any length of time will come across bats in caves, so it's a good idea to keep some simple pointers in mind. Linda Wilson has put together some information, accompanied by fantastic photos used with permission of Lewis Hillier and Daniel Whitby, who are both ecologists working with bats. The photos were taken under the necessary licences to permit photography of bats near their roosts, as Linda explains ...
As part of my role as conservation officer for the Charterhouse Caving Company Ltd (the access body responsible for GB, Charterhouse, Longwood and Rhino, of which UBSS is a part), I recently met Lewis Hillier, an ecologist working wth Somerset Wildlife Tust, the landowner for these areas. Lewis is monitoring bats in Gruffy Field, the area overlying GB and Charterhouse, and he mentioned he had some good photos of bats in flight coming out ofTyning's Great Swallet, the depression in Gruffy Field. He sent the photos to me and has very kindly agreed to them being used here.
Lesser Horseshoe Bat in flight in Great Swallet. Photo taken by Lewis Hillier and Daniel Whitby under the necessary Licence, and used with their kind permission.
The main things to bear in mind aboutbats are very simple:
- Don't disturb them.
- Don't shine your lights at them.
- Don't take photographs of them.
- Don't touch them.
- Do treat them with care and respect by leaving them alone.
- Do stay as far away from them as possible if you encounter them underground.
- Do take special care from October to May as that is when they are likely to be hibernating.
Fun facts:
- You're most likely to see Lesser Horseshoe bats.
- Greater Horseshoes are (surprise, surprise) like Lessers but about twice the size.
- Bat Passage in GB is called that because a bat skeleton was found there. As Bat Passage was dug into, the bat must have got in there by a different, now blocked route.
- I once came back from the end of Great Oone's Cave in Cheddar Gorge and said: "I've just seen this weird bat with really long ears. I wonder what it was?" Everyone else: "How about a Long-Eared Bat?" Me: "Smart-arses."
- Bats won't get in your hair when they're flying around. That's a myth, despite Chris Shirt thinking they would down a trip to Box Mines many years ago, He didn't even have very long hair at the time!
Lesser Horseshoe Bat in flight in Great Swallet. Photo taken by Lewis Hillier and Daniel Whitby under the necessary Licence, and used with their kind permission.
The Legal Bit:
- Bats species are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and there are ginormous fines for contravening this.
- There's a simple statement of the law here and a link to use to report any crimes against bats.
Linda Wilson
Conservation Officer, CCC Ltd
Conservation Officer, CCC Ltd
ON PULL THROUGHS
A handful of caves allow us to enter one entrance and descend passageways and pitches one at a time, pulling our ropes after us as we go, to emerge blinking in the sunlight at a completely different location. Priddy Green Sink is a classic Mendip example, featuring such constricted and leechy delights as Blasted Bastard, Shit Sump, and the legendary El Crapitan. But during the Alpine training week in preparation for the club’s recent Berger trip, talk soon turned to a different cave beginning with B: the Scialet du Brudour. Elaine Oliver tells the tale (and all the photos in this write up were taken by her) ...
Reportedly, you could crawl into a little hole at the top of a ski run (the Trou des Anciens), descend 327m into the earth down pitches, climbs and cascades with naught but a small personal bag apiece, and pop out into a wildflower meadow further down the valley. The most appealing bit was that unlike Priddy Green Sink, there was no constant stream of shit from a barn floor to make you fear for any uncovered cuts or scrapes.
Which is how I found myself playing three-person conkers clipped to a couple of bolts quite a long way above the floor. It was thrilling.
Oi, where are the conkers?
The thing with pull throughs is they’re very committing, allowing no retreat (whatever MU5 might suggest about the free-climbability of El Crapitan). Preparation is key. To this end, the day before the trip, we split into two groups: one to go in through the out door to check they could find the way and pre-rig a few pitches; the other to try and locate the top entrance to save time the following day. We then readjusted groups to share our expertise, and set our alarms bright and early.
The vanguard consisted of Brian, Elaine and Jon, with Haydon, Jakob and Merryn following an hour later to avoid bottlenecks. We all took turns at rigging - there was plenty of it! - with the more experienced members checking the newer recruits’ knots before committing. But it wasn’t all pitches: we crossed hanging traverses, squeezed through constrictions and scrambled over boulders the size of cars. Down and down we went, admiring the spires of rock carved by the passage of water, the shockingly blue pools and the unusual white mud (which was much more slippery than it let on).
A picture is worth a thousand words ...
“It’s super awkward to bridge this pool,” said Jon at one point.
“I don’t think it’s that deep,” I replied.
The next thing I know, Jon is in up to his neck and cursing me vigorously. Oops.
All too soon, we were abseiling next to the waterfall Jon’s group had reached the previous day, which meant the home straight. The cave had plenty more treats in store for us yet, though, with prolific stal forming every imaginable shape, several bats, and a flood gauge for interest.
“Not too much more crawling to go!” Jon kept saying cheerfully, then “Oh, I forgot about this one… well, not too much more after this!” before the next barely-larger-than-body-sized tube would emerge before us.
Still no conkers. The Trades Descriptions Act is about to be invoked.
At last, though, we could smell the surface, and after around eight hours, we popped out the pre-rigged Scialet du Brudour with a car conveniently parked just a couple of hundred yards away to whisk us back to cassoulet and vin rouge. Très bien, would cave again!
A handful of caves allow us to enter one entrance and descend passageways and pitches one at a time, pulling our ropes after us as we go, to emerge blinking in the sunlight at a completely different location. Priddy Green Sink is a classic Mendip example, featuring such constricted and leechy delights as Blasted Bastard, Shit Sump, and the legendary El Crapitan. But during the Alpine training week in preparation for the club’s recent Berger trip, talk soon turned to a different cave beginning with B: the Scialet du Brudour. Elaine Oliver tells the tale (and all the photos in this write up were taken by her) ...
Reportedly, you could crawl into a little hole at the top of a ski run (the Trou des Anciens), descend 327m into the earth down pitches, climbs and cascades with naught but a small personal bag apiece, and pop out into a wildflower meadow further down the valley. The most appealing bit was that unlike Priddy Green Sink, there was no constant stream of shit from a barn floor to make you fear for any uncovered cuts or scrapes.
Which is how I found myself playing three-person conkers clipped to a couple of bolts quite a long way above the floor. It was thrilling.
Oi, where are the conkers?
The thing with pull throughs is they’re very committing, allowing no retreat (whatever MU5 might suggest about the free-climbability of El Crapitan). Preparation is key. To this end, the day before the trip, we split into two groups: one to go in through the out door to check they could find the way and pre-rig a few pitches; the other to try and locate the top entrance to save time the following day. We then readjusted groups to share our expertise, and set our alarms bright and early.
The vanguard consisted of Brian, Elaine and Jon, with Haydon, Jakob and Merryn following an hour later to avoid bottlenecks. We all took turns at rigging - there was plenty of it! - with the more experienced members checking the newer recruits’ knots before committing. But it wasn’t all pitches: we crossed hanging traverses, squeezed through constrictions and scrambled over boulders the size of cars. Down and down we went, admiring the spires of rock carved by the passage of water, the shockingly blue pools and the unusual white mud (which was much more slippery than it let on).
A picture is worth a thousand words ...
“It’s super awkward to bridge this pool,” said Jon at one point.
“I don’t think it’s that deep,” I replied.
The next thing I know, Jon is in up to his neck and cursing me vigorously. Oops.
All too soon, we were abseiling next to the waterfall Jon’s group had reached the previous day, which meant the home straight. The cave had plenty more treats in store for us yet, though, with prolific stal forming every imaginable shape, several bats, and a flood gauge for interest.
“Not too much more crawling to go!” Jon kept saying cheerfully, then “Oh, I forgot about this one… well, not too much more after this!” before the next barely-larger-than-body-sized tube would emerge before us.
Still no conkers. The Trades Descriptions Act is about to be invoked.
At last, though, we could smell the surface, and after around eight hours, we popped out the pre-rigged Scialet du Brudour with a car conveniently parked just a couple of hundred yards away to whisk us back to cassoulet and vin rouge. Très bien, would cave again!
Elaine Oliver
DOMME WITH DOGGIES
The Perigord region of the Dordogne is famous for many things including truffles, medieval villages, show caves and wild caves. Jan Walker describes the cave of Domme, entered through a building in the middle of the town square.
On a sunny day in October, on holiday with Linda and Graham in the Dordogne, we took a nice leisurely trip to the hilltop town of Domme, high above the river, intending the visit the show cave there. Linda, Anthea, and I purchased our tickets while Graham stayed at the lookout with the the lurcher and the greyhound. About five minutes before the tour started, Linda discovered that dogs are allowed in the cave (on leads, of course!). I took off at a run to ask Graham if he'd like to come (he would), and Linda got his vaccination passport from him and snagged a ticket at the last second.
The cave was discovered in 1912, and first embellished for visitors in 1954. In 2021, they added some new LED lighting and improved the paths.
The cave is absolutely lovely. It's chock-full of stal. Crystals, calcite, stalagmites and stalactites, curtains and columns abound. According to Graham and Linda, it’s been improved by a factor of about a 1,000 from 30 years ago, when they first visited, when the formations were covered with thick green algae from too much light for too long.
The path is solid, and the lighting is now in perfect places to light up the various areas. The tour started with about 40 steps down, then through a locked door and into the cave. The guide was super, giving just enough time for us to take in all of the beauty of the various areas, but not hurrying either. There were a number of places where the stal had been broken during settling of the ground, and then started to "heal" with very thin strands of stal joining the top and bottom of the break.
A few places had dozens of curtains, some of which had joined at the bottom to make almost a cradle.
At one point, the guide turned off all of the lights and we stood in complete darkness for a few seconds (and the dogs were fine with it!), then various sections around us would light up for a moment in turn. Beautiful.
View from the cafe window.
We came out on the side of the cliff, and took a glass-sided lift up to ground level, giving us a fantastic view of the valley on the way up. We then stopped for a coffee/beer/drink in the café at the exit, and basked in the fantastic view out of the huge floor to ceiling window.
All in all, this was a very worthwhile trip. And Trigger and Gwen are now considered to be experienced showcavers!
All visits are guided and cost 9 euros (7.50 for students). There are visits both morning and afternoon throughout the year.
The Perigord region of the Dordogne is famous for many things including truffles, medieval villages, show caves and wild caves. Jan Walker describes the cave of Domme, entered through a building in the middle of the town square.
On a sunny day in October, on holiday with Linda and Graham in the Dordogne, we took a nice leisurely trip to the hilltop town of Domme, high above the river, intending the visit the show cave there. Linda, Anthea, and I purchased our tickets while Graham stayed at the lookout with the the lurcher and the greyhound. About five minutes before the tour started, Linda discovered that dogs are allowed in the cave (on leads, of course!). I took off at a run to ask Graham if he'd like to come (he would), and Linda got his vaccination passport from him and snagged a ticket at the last second.
The cave was discovered in 1912, and first embellished for visitors in 1954. In 2021, they added some new LED lighting and improved the paths.
The cave is absolutely lovely. It's chock-full of stal. Crystals, calcite, stalagmites and stalactites, curtains and columns abound. According to Graham and Linda, it’s been improved by a factor of about a 1,000 from 30 years ago, when they first visited, when the formations were covered with thick green algae from too much light for too long.
The path is solid, and the lighting is now in perfect places to light up the various areas. The tour started with about 40 steps down, then through a locked door and into the cave. The guide was super, giving just enough time for us to take in all of the beauty of the various areas, but not hurrying either. There were a number of places where the stal had been broken during settling of the ground, and then started to "heal" with very thin strands of stal joining the top and bottom of the break.
A few places had dozens of curtains, some of which had joined at the bottom to make almost a cradle.
At one point, the guide turned off all of the lights and we stood in complete darkness for a few seconds (and the dogs were fine with it!), then various sections around us would light up for a moment in turn. Beautiful.
View from the cafe window.
We came out on the side of the cliff, and took a glass-sided lift up to ground level, giving us a fantastic view of the valley on the way up. We then stopped for a coffee/beer/drink in the café at the exit, and basked in the fantastic view out of the huge floor to ceiling window.
All in all, this was a very worthwhile trip. And Trigger and Gwen are now considered to be experienced showcavers!
All visits are guided and cost 9 euros (7.50 for students). There are visits both morning and afternoon throughout the year.
Jan Walker
COME ON IN, THE WATER'S BRR ... BRR ... BRILLIANT!
La Grande Moucherolle, above Villard de Lans, Vercors , France. Photo by Brian Goodman.
Wild swimming, or swimming as it is also known, has seen a surge in popularity since Covid hit and staycations became the in thing, but for those of us in the know, a quick strip and dip has long offered just the tonic to shake off the cobwebs after a long week. UBSS Prezz Elaine Oliver extolls the virtues of some character-building cold water. We even have a UBSS wild swimming chat on Facebook, so if you'd like to be added, let us know!
I was introduced to the concept one New Year’s Day at Bullpot Farm. You’re all fans of a good caver party, so I’m sure you can picture the hangover - but a quick crunch over the icy fell, a mass splash in Cow Dubs, and I was a convert. All trace of the previous night’s libation was gone, and I decided there and then that my New Year’s resolution would be to swim somewhere new every month. I had three rules. I wasn’t allowed to have swum in the same body of water previously; it had to be freshwater, and I considered wetsuits cheating. Somehow, I stuck to it: from Mendip to Malta, exploring plenty of rivers, loughs and even the Thames in between. This year, in the depths of lockdown, I decided to do it all again. Travel bans made things difficult - February’s swim in a “washpool” with a “stream” was essentially a glorified puddle - but in July I took part in a race in Windermere (and wasn’t last!), while September saw me “enjoy” an exclusive paddle through the pseudo-siphon of the Gouffre Berger.
The Prezz enjoying a dip in the pseudo-siphon in the Gouffre Berger.
A question I get a lot with cold-water swimming is “why?”. I don’t like cold water. I don’t like the cold full stop. But a little birdie told me that cold water swimming helps teach your body to control its temperature and improves your ability to deal with cold, and even stimulates white blood cell production to boost the immune system. Like caving, it shakes up your exercise regime: the act of outdoor swimming puts you in an environment you’re unfamiliar with, which adds an element of fun and exploration that encourages you to keep coming back. It’s good for your mind, too: it decreases stress hormones like cortisol, and gives you a little time to yourself to clear your head. And the best part is that it doesn’t take long at all to feel alive after a quick dip - no slogging necessary! (But if you do want to extend your swim, I highly recommend a wetsuit - I managed half an hour in 6c water with snow falling this weekend just past).
Elaine swimming in Crummock Water in the Lake District. Photo by Brian Goodman.
Top tips:
- Make sure you’re warmed up before you get in - run on the spot for a few minutes to get the blood flowing.
- Don’t jump straight in - cold water shock is real, but the initial effects will pass in around a minute.
- If it’s really cold, you can repeat a mantra to help hold your focus. I sometimes repeat my address and phone number!
- It is the ultimate luxury to have a towel and a flask of hot chocolate ready for when you get out. You can even bring an extra flask of hot water and a hot water bottle!
- Just like caving, never swim alone!
- There's an interesting and useful blog post about cold water swimming here.
I know the snow this weekend probably means we can’t deny it’s winter any longer, but all that means is you’ve a high chance of finding beauty spots all to yourself - and if there’s anything I’ve learned from hanging around cavers, it’s that following the crowd tends to be the last thing we like to do (“you did WHAT at the weekend?!”) So take the streamway less travelled, and see which pools you find at the end of it. And if you know of any secret spots you wouldn’t mind recommending for my December swim, I’d love to hear them!
La Grande Moucherolle, above Villard de Lans, Vercors , France. Photo by Brian Goodman.
Wild swimming, or swimming as it is also known, has seen a surge in popularity since Covid hit and staycations became the in thing, but for those of us in the know, a quick strip and dip has long offered just the tonic to shake off the cobwebs after a long week. UBSS Prezz Elaine Oliver extolls the virtues of some character-building cold water. We even have a UBSS wild swimming chat on Facebook, so if you'd like to be added, let us know!
I was introduced to the concept one New Year’s Day at Bullpot Farm. You’re all fans of a good caver party, so I’m sure you can picture the hangover - but a quick crunch over the icy fell, a mass splash in Cow Dubs, and I was a convert. All trace of the previous night’s libation was gone, and I decided there and then that my New Year’s resolution would be to swim somewhere new every month. I had three rules. I wasn’t allowed to have swum in the same body of water previously; it had to be freshwater, and I considered wetsuits cheating. Somehow, I stuck to it: from Mendip to Malta, exploring plenty of rivers, loughs and even the Thames in between. This year, in the depths of lockdown, I decided to do it all again. Travel bans made things difficult - February’s swim in a “washpool” with a “stream” was essentially a glorified puddle - but in July I took part in a race in Windermere (and wasn’t last!), while September saw me “enjoy” an exclusive paddle through the pseudo-siphon of the Gouffre Berger.
The Prezz enjoying a dip in the pseudo-siphon in the Gouffre Berger.
A question I get a lot with cold-water swimming is “why?”. I don’t like cold water. I don’t like the cold full stop. But a little birdie told me that cold water swimming helps teach your body to control its temperature and improves your ability to deal with cold, and even stimulates white blood cell production to boost the immune system. Like caving, it shakes up your exercise regime: the act of outdoor swimming puts you in an environment you’re unfamiliar with, which adds an element of fun and exploration that encourages you to keep coming back. It’s good for your mind, too: it decreases stress hormones like cortisol, and gives you a little time to yourself to clear your head. And the best part is that it doesn’t take long at all to feel alive after a quick dip - no slogging necessary! (But if you do want to extend your swim, I highly recommend a wetsuit - I managed half an hour in 6c water with snow falling this weekend just past).
Elaine swimming in Crummock Water in the Lake District. Photo by Brian Goodman.
Top tips:
- Make sure you’re warmed up before you get in - run on the spot for a few minutes to get the blood flowing.
- Don’t jump straight in - cold water shock is real, but the initial effects will pass in around a minute.
- If it’s really cold, you can repeat a mantra to help hold your focus. I sometimes repeat my address and phone number!
- It is the ultimate luxury to have a towel and a flask of hot chocolate ready for when you get out. You can even bring an extra flask of hot water and a hot water bottle!
- Just like caving, never swim alone!
- There's an interesting and useful blog post about cold water swimming here.
I know the snow this weekend probably means we can’t deny it’s winter any longer, but all that means is you’ve a high chance of finding beauty spots all to yourself - and if there’s anything I’ve learned from hanging around cavers, it’s that following the crowd tends to be the last thing we like to do (“you did WHAT at the weekend?!”) So take the streamway less travelled, and see which pools you find at the end of it. And if you know of any secret spots you wouldn’t mind recommending for my December swim, I’d love to hear them!
Elaine Oliver
UBSS MUSEUM AND LIBRARY - WET ROT AND ACROW PROPS!
This was what was revealed when the ceiling was removed. Photo by Jan Walker.
As we reported in July, there's more drama in the museum, as the ceiling in the museum display area seemed to have dropped by a few inches, naturally just after the curator had gone on holiday! A team consisting of student museum curator, Nathan Cubitt and librarian Tony Boycott, ably assisted by seasoned collection movers Helen and Jan got stuck in and evacuated all the exhibits from the cabinets so that Estates could arrange an investigation. Matters have progressed from there, as museum curator Linda Wilson reports.
Yep, it was bad news! The joists on the outside wall on the left of the building (as you face it from the front) are all badly affected by wet rot. These are the original joists, so are probably 100 - 150 years old, so they've not had a bad innings. As soon as the extent of the problem was known, the floor of the room above was promptly supported on a line of acrow props to prevent further collapse. This enabled us to work safely up there in limited numbers to move everything. I met Estates down there and the good news is that they are going to get the work done to get us back in there. The plan is that they will jack the floor back up into the correct position, cut off the affected parts of the beams, and bolt new ones in place. This should all be able to be done from below and they think they can work around the big museum display cabinets in there.
A team consisting of myself, Tony, Helen, Jan and Nathan, assisted by Henry and Zac moved as much as we could into the museum stack room (Estates were confident that those beams were up to the job as they were only put there in 1990, but for belt and braces there are now three acrow props in the library room to support the extra weight). In all, that was a day's hard labour. More work has been done by Tony and Jan to get rid of some surplus stocks of old publications.
Nathan and Zac working, Helen and Tony supervising. Photo by Jan Walker.
Tony, Helen, Jan and myself went back on 30th November and moved all the empty Ikea 'Billy' bookcases downstairs. There were 15 in total and we got pretty good at it by the end! It was bloody hard work as they are heavy, and awkward, but no damage was done to either people or property! There is still one metal rack that needs dismantling and more Proceedings stock to be brought downstairs and put onto the bookcases that have been relocated to the library/committee room. By creative stacking of the fragile stuff from the cabinets (protected under tables) with drawers piled on top, we got everything in, playing a gigantic game of drawer tetris.
There's a lot of stuff under that plastic sheet! Photo by Jan Walker.
Work can't start until sometime in the New Year due to the double whammy of Brexshit and Covid causing a massive labour shortage in the University contractors. Estates have been brilliant and I can't praise Gary Spillane too highly for all his help! Obviously, the Stables is now totally off-limits and the entire collection is inaccessible for the immediate future. All researchers waiting for visits have been notified.
When we are back in there, we will have a massive job of redecoration, moving and resorting on our hands, and may as well take this opportunity to re-do all the cabinet displays from scratch as well as getting on with other work on both the museum and library collection. Lots of help will be needed then!
This was what was revealed when the ceiling was removed. Photo by Jan Walker.
As we reported in July, there's more drama in the museum, as the ceiling in the museum display area seemed to have dropped by a few inches, naturally just after the curator had gone on holiday! A team consisting of student museum curator, Nathan Cubitt and librarian Tony Boycott, ably assisted by seasoned collection movers Helen and Jan got stuck in and evacuated all the exhibits from the cabinets so that Estates could arrange an investigation. Matters have progressed from there, as museum curator Linda Wilson reports.
Yep, it was bad news! The joists on the outside wall on the left of the building (as you face it from the front) are all badly affected by wet rot. These are the original joists, so are probably 100 - 150 years old, so they've not had a bad innings. As soon as the extent of the problem was known, the floor of the room above was promptly supported on a line of acrow props to prevent further collapse. This enabled us to work safely up there in limited numbers to move everything. I met Estates down there and the good news is that they are going to get the work done to get us back in there. The plan is that they will jack the floor back up into the correct position, cut off the affected parts of the beams, and bolt new ones in place. This should all be able to be done from below and they think they can work around the big museum display cabinets in there.
A team consisting of myself, Tony, Helen, Jan and Nathan, assisted by Henry and Zac moved as much as we could into the museum stack room (Estates were confident that those beams were up to the job as they were only put there in 1990, but for belt and braces there are now three acrow props in the library room to support the extra weight). In all, that was a day's hard labour. More work has been done by Tony and Jan to get rid of some surplus stocks of old publications.
Nathan and Zac working, Helen and Tony supervising. Photo by Jan Walker.
Tony, Helen, Jan and myself went back on 30th November and moved all the empty Ikea 'Billy' bookcases downstairs. There were 15 in total and we got pretty good at it by the end! It was bloody hard work as they are heavy, and awkward, but no damage was done to either people or property! There is still one metal rack that needs dismantling and more Proceedings stock to be brought downstairs and put onto the bookcases that have been relocated to the library/committee room. By creative stacking of the fragile stuff from the cabinets (protected under tables) with drawers piled on top, we got everything in, playing a gigantic game of drawer tetris.
There's a lot of stuff under that plastic sheet! Photo by Jan Walker.
Work can't start until sometime in the New Year due to the double whammy of Brexshit and Covid causing a massive labour shortage in the University contractors. Estates have been brilliant and I can't praise Gary Spillane too highly for all his help! Obviously, the Stables is now totally off-limits and the entire collection is inaccessible for the immediate future. All researchers waiting for visits have been notified.
When we are back in there, we will have a massive job of redecoration, moving and resorting on our hands, and may as well take this opportunity to re-do all the cabinet displays from scratch as well as getting on with other work on both the museum and library collection. Lots of help will be needed then!
Linda Wilson
Museum Curator
Museum Curator
BOOTLE BEARKINS READ TO THE END, DID YOU?
Meet Bootle Bearkins, adopted from Ailwee Cave in Co Clare many years ago. He has a twin, in the possession of Steve Cottle, and if we're lucky, he might send in a photo, if he's reading this! But we digress ....
We're delighted to inform you all that .... *drum roll* .... the winner of last month's Read to the End Competition was .... *more drum rolls* .... the very lovely Dr Andy Farrant, who - yet again - was procrastinating before starting work for the day! We'll dig out something nice as a reward for him. And from the students, the winners were Ewan Aitchison-Hough and Mahmood Ali, who win wonderful UBSS keyring torches and pens! These can be delivered in the pub or at the Xmas meal if you'll be there!
So, yet again, there's all to play for! If you've read this far, there's only a bit further to go before you really do read The End, just after all the lovely emails that make your busy editors very happy bunnies, so please do keep them coming!
- Awesome read and an excellent way to start the day! [Andy Farrant]
- Great newsletter, and welcome to all the freshers this year! The Grottes de Douyme were delightful caves, and I didn’t even injure myself to get out of being the model! [Jan Walker]
- Yes. I read it to the end and am very impressed with what the younger cavers are up to. (both in caves and on the surface!) [Eve Gilmore]
- You've stolen my dog! [Si Hadfield] [Editors' note: nope, we only borrowed him, honest! But maybe he wants to stay with us now...]
- I loved seeing the first picture with so many at the hut - really heart-warming. And Manor Farm Swallet too, Mike Norton seemed to live there much of the time - and the flattering photo of Dick Willis. [Steve Trudgill]
- I’d have been faster, but Dick’s piece slowed me down because I enjoyed it so much I read it twice. Good on you, Wick Dillis. [Chris Howes]
- Really enjoyed doing my first few caves, and looking forward to plenty more! [Ewan Aitchison-Hough]
- I actually did read to the end yesterday when I should have been listening to my lecture. [Mahmoud Ahmed]
- I read it first thing in the morning and sent it to all my family members!! Haha, I am glad my piglet rolling got me there - I wouldn't be a vet student without slipping in a little animal comment in there. [Klaudia Kaluza]
- Well I read to the end, as usual, but at least 24 hours too late. Another brilliant read! [Carol Walford]
- Another cracker of a newsletter. Great photos and fun stories. UBSS is alive and kicking! [Hans Friederich]
I did it, I got to the end, go me!
THE END
Meet Bootle Bearkins, adopted from Ailwee Cave in Co Clare many years ago. He has a twin, in the possession of Steve Cottle, and if we're lucky, he might send in a photo, if he's reading this! But we digress ....
We're delighted to inform you all that .... *drum roll* .... the winner of last month's Read to the End Competition was .... *more drum rolls* .... the very lovely Dr Andy Farrant, who - yet again - was procrastinating before starting work for the day! We'll dig out something nice as a reward for him. And from the students, the winners were Ewan Aitchison-Hough and Mahmood Ali, who win wonderful UBSS keyring torches and pens! These can be delivered in the pub or at the Xmas meal if you'll be there!
So, yet again, there's all to play for! If you've read this far, there's only a bit further to go before you really do read The End, just after all the lovely emails that make your busy editors very happy bunnies, so please do keep them coming!
- Awesome read and an excellent way to start the day! [Andy Farrant]
- Great newsletter, and welcome to all the freshers this year! The Grottes de Douyme were delightful caves, and I didn’t even injure myself to get out of being the model! [Jan Walker]
- Yes. I read it to the end and am very impressed with what the younger cavers are up to. (both in caves and on the surface!) [Eve Gilmore]
- You've stolen my dog! [Si Hadfield] [Editors' note: nope, we only borrowed him, honest! But maybe he wants to stay with us now...]
- I loved seeing the first picture with so many at the hut - really heart-warming. And Manor Farm Swallet too, Mike Norton seemed to live there much of the time - and the flattering photo of Dick Willis. [Steve Trudgill]
- I’d have been faster, but Dick’s piece slowed me down because I enjoyed it so much I read it twice. Good on you, Wick Dillis. [Chris Howes]
- Really enjoyed doing my first few caves, and looking forward to plenty more! [Ewan Aitchison-Hough]
- I actually did read to the end yesterday when I should have been listening to my lecture. [Mahmoud Ahmed]
- I read it first thing in the morning and sent it to all my family members!! Haha, I am glad my piglet rolling got me there - I wouldn't be a vet student without slipping in a little animal comment in there. [Klaudia Kaluza]
- Well I read to the end, as usual, but at least 24 hours too late. Another brilliant read! [Carol Walford]
- Another cracker of a newsletter. Great photos and fun stories. UBSS is alive and kicking! [Hans Friederich]
I did it, I got to the end, go me!
THE END