Porth yr Ogof

When the roof comes down - it's time to get into the water...

We were dashing about the cave - doing as much as poss in 3-4 hours...

This is coming out of the corkscrew - the team were helping each other - no space to move...

Going up the washing machine - after this we had a great slide down...

Battling against the water...

Obviously we had to jump in at the end... Obviously just to clean the suits, not because it's fun or anything...

So at the end of the week, on Friday, we only had a short training day, but still time for a 3-4 hour dash about Porth yr Ogof. We started with a half hour pitch black session... Then moved on to some real scenarios, to help them prepare for the fear they may face in Afghanistan!

Trewern OEC

This week I'm working at Trewern Outdoor Education Centre in Hay-on-Wye. Today I took a group of Police Cadets caving at Porth yr Ogof - a wet, fun filled day of squeezing, squirming and swimming... Awesome...

Abseiling, Swimming, Ducking, Squeezing - Caving !

This is the abseil rig into the right of the twin avens (entrance H)

Today with Year 9, I set off for Porth Yr Ogof. We started the day with an abseil into entrance H, the right twin aven. After this we set about 'The Letterbox', 'The Corkscrew', 'Deathledge 3', 'White Line', 'Sarah's Passage', 'Washing Machine', 'Main Entrance Swim' etc. I even had time to swim the 'Sump 4', upstream - only had to hold breathe for a second :) (not the group !). A better than average day in the cave...

Today I was working for Glasbury House OEC.

17th June, Caving

Here we are - about to go into Porth Yr Ogof

From inside the entrance

A bit of adventure :)

I took the year 6 to Porth yr ogof, for their caving 'adventure' ... Of course they loved it (kinda !)..

Caving With Mr Hunter

Mr Hunter (Angus) going into the 'Letterbox'

On Friday I was working for Woodlands, and took the group caving to Porth Yr Ogof with Mr Hunter ! How lucky could the group be, getting 2 Mr Hunters !

Back To Caving

Back in Porth Yr Ogof

Finding some tight spaces

And some ledges above water


And some water...

Back working at the Soldier Development Wing, I found myself caving again. Not all of the Soldiers under training like caving, but they all 'man up' and get on with it... I ask them what their fears are - and then give them exaclty that, generally tight spaces and water without much space for air, all good stuff..

Adventure Training

Another week of Adventure Training for the Army.

Pushing their courage in a variety of environments.

Testing their Selfless Commitment.

Testing their loyalty to the group.

The week went well, despite difficult weather. We had a lot of rain and at times the temperature dropped. All week the Soldiers were pushed testing their ability to maintain maximum performance under difficult circumstances - this will help them in their difficult future careers...

19th Aug, Sennybridge

Today we took the Soldiers under training (SuT's) caving, to Porth yr Ogof. It was a great session. they rose to the challenge and made themselves proud.

Making Waves At Porth

A day at Porth. A chance to meet friends from Kilvrough, Woodlands etc. This was my last day in the cave for possibly months. Another hot day in the car park, so we enjoyed all the watersports the cave had to offer..

Beautiful Day - Let's Go Caving !

Nope, I still can't read the Welsh..

Kilvrough Manor

Back at Kilvrough Manor today - off caving. We went to Porth yr Ogof. I was with Ben and his group of 11 Year 6. Above Ben is in the 'Letterbox' and below he is enjoying the delights of the 'Washing Machine'. We also did the 'Corkscrew' and the 'White Line' etc..
Of course the day finished with everybody thouroughly wet, we got changed out of our wet clothes into our dry - in the rain - so ended up as wet as before... A typical day.

Porth Yr Ogof

Working for Trewern OEC we decided to go caving in Porth Yr Ogof, before the flood struck. After weeks of very dry weather the Afon Mellte going into the cave was very low - but the rain had started...

After 3 hours in the cave and on the way back to the centre the heavens opened with thunder and hail.. The roads were hard to see in the downpour. According to Richard Hill, later, the cave had flooded by late afternoon and the resurgence had sumped.

I visited the cave entrance early Sunday morning, and found that the cave was still flooding - photo below. The Brecon Beacons had had an enormous amount of rain in 24 hours.



Where would we cave on Sunday?