, If you want to know why a couple of Aussie cavers have had two new species of cave spider named after them get your mitts on the new issue of Descent, which brings you caving news from around the world. Descent 280 should now have reached you by now, but if not, it’s time…
This account of a caving holiday in South Wales has no exciting discoveries, no dramatic incidents, and no unusual activities. But we hope Peter Burgess’ account of a caving trip to South Wales reminds our readers of the pleasures of simple caving that we have all been missing this year. I returned to one of…
One of the oldest and largest cave rescue teams in the country has put out an urgent plea for fundraising help to modernise important kit. Several of the South & Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team members played important parts in the Thai cave rescue and the team has helped in mining disasters, searched for missing persons and…
Due to the large volume of recent rainfall in the region, information has been received from Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru that a planned release of water from an upstream dam will start on 1st November and will continue for several days. This will affect the River Mellte and the cave of Porth yr Ogof. The effect…
Bob Hall, on behalf of SWCC and the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu Cave Advisory Group, has sent the following information: Changes to the Administration of Access of the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu System Background The Ogof Ffynnon Ddu cave system lies within a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest administered by Natural Resources Wales who own the…
Mike Moore reviews a valuable addition to any mine explorer’s book collection. This new book is a detailed study of the lead, silver and zinc mines of the Cwm Rheidol and Ystumtuen orefield, covering the history of all 40 mines in the valley, with archaeological descriptions of the surface and underground workings, and is supported…
Cavers, no matter how carefully they abide by access arrangements, should always be conscious that for some of our most treasured caves, access can never be taken for granted.
The following information has been released by South Wales Caving Club regarding a revised access route to the entrance of Ogof Ffynnon Ddu 1. Due to some tensions with a local landowner, please note the following: If you are walking from the SWCC HQ: take the road down the hill, past the start of The…
Roy Fellows would like the following safety advice to be published: With regard to the ladder at the top of a very loose slope of rocks on the climb up / SRT route above to skipway, please heed this advice for your safety. Following a recent incident, it is felt that there is a need…
In today’s Information Age we’ve all become used to having what we want to know at our fingertips – literally! At times it seems as though everything we want or need to know is available online, but most of us probably mainly use the internet to argue with strangers and watch videos of cats! I…
Here are some brief snippets of news, courtesy of Roy Fellows. Filming for “Hidden Wales” Lazerbeam Productions has been filming surface and underground at Cwmystwyth for a forthcoming series “Hidden Wales”. Roy accompanied a filming team underground and he will probably feature quite a lot in the Cwmystwyth episode, which he hopes will provide a bit of…
Following an incident on Saturday 27th January 2018, it has been reported to the Pwll Du Cave Management Group (PDCMG) that there has been some movement in the area of the squeeze in the 2nd boulder choke in the Ogof Draenen Main Streamway. It is possible that this squeeze may have got slightly tighter. Please…
Taping, for good or bad, is a vital aspect of caving that ensures most of the cave is kept safe for future generations, restricting the wear and tear from cavers to the controlled paths. In Draenen, conservation tape has been successfully used to protect the cave. However, the original tape was laid quickly, with little…
A new print run of Rhosydd Slate Quarry, by M.J.T. Lewis and J.H. Denton, is now available. In 1974, the list of available literature covering mining history of any kind was not particularly long. In Cornwall, The publication of numerous popular books by Bradford Barton on the mines of S.W. England was well-established, but by…
Joint Statement by the Secretaries of Pwll Du Cave Management Group (PDCMG) and Cambrian Caving Council (CCC). There is a new entrance to Ogof Draenen, excavated within a Scheduled Monument. Following recent publicity, it has come to our attention that some cavers are contacting Cadw to question the closure of Twll Du. Cadw’s position in…
Information has been received from Robert Griffiths at Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru that they will be carrying out a scour test at 10am on the morning of the 24/01/2018 as part of their inspections. This may have an impact on Porth yr Ogof. For safety reasons, cavers are advised to avoid the cave and the river…
Following recent reports of the opening of a new entrance to Ogof Draenen and the statement from the Trustees of the Pwll Dhu Cave Management Committee, additional information has been received from Cadw who have confirmed that the hole that was excavated to open a new entrance to Ogof Draenen has been dug through, and…
Cambrian Mines Trust will be hosting the NAMHO 2019 event in association with Dr Peter Claughton as lecture programme organiser. Peter has extensive experience in organising events and the trust is extremely grateful for his expertise. Cave Access Ltd will be providing access to mines on land owned by the Welsh Government. The theme of…
Roy Fellows has sent us an update about the the underground works in Cwmystwyth Lefel Fawr. These are now completed and the Steel Road which replaced the second (awkward) tube is now open. The truck which was right up against the new roadway is currently being relocated further in, it has now moved back about…
Ogof Draenen in South Wales has once again been plunged into an entrance-related controversy following a connection made to the surface from inside the cave. This leads to the main cave via a series of short pitches equipped with fixed ladders, and there is also a rope traverse and a free-hanging pitch to negotiate. Rumours…
The October edition of Wales Underground, the Newsletter of the Cambrian Caving Council is now available. The newsletter leads with news of the discovery of a new entrance to Ogof Draenen, opened from inside the cave, after dangling bracken roots gave a clue to how close to the surface that area of the cave lay….
Information has just been received from Terry Northam at Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru that due to a severe weather warning forecast for Saturday 21st October, they may need to release water to control the levels in the reservoir. The situation will be monitored and a decision will be taken based on the rainfall. For safety reasons,…
Information has been received that Costain will be blasting in the Clydach Gorge on Friday 6th October, and as a consequence of this, Ogof Nant Rhin, including the upper Pont Gam entrance, will be closed through to Sunday 8th October while work on the new A465 is completed. Correspondent: Adrian Wilkins
Due to the large volume of recent rainfall in the region, information has been received from Terry Northam at Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru to confirm that a planned release of water from an upstream dam will be taking place this weekend. This will affect the River Mellte and the cave of Porth yr Ogof. For safety…
Information has just been received from Nathan Walding at Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru that due to rainfall experienced yesterday and that forecast over the coming weekend, in particular tonight, they need increase releases out of Ystradfellte reservoir today for to Dam Safety reasons associated with their spillway work. They intend to keep this to a small…
Due to the large volume of rainfall today in the region, information has been received from Terry Northam at Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru to confirm that a planned release of water from an upstream dam is taking place today at 6.30pm, Friday 21st July and through the night until 8am tomorrow, Saturday 22nd July 2017. This…
The July edition of Wales Underground, the Newsletter of the Cambrian Caving Council is now available. The newsletter contains details of the Welsh Government’s consultation on improving recreational access to the countryside and urges cavers to make their views on this known and to attend an open meeting on Sunday 23rd July 2017. In other…
The Welsh Government has produced a consultation document entitled Taking Forward Wales’ Sustainable Management of Natural Resources. The overview states that the government’s intention is to consult on a number of proposals, which seek to further deliver their commitment to managing their natural resources more sustainably to deliver lasting economic, social and cultural, as well…
Due to the heavy rain forecast for tomorrow in the region, information has been received from Terry Northam at Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru to confirm that there is to be a planned release of water from an upstream dam today at 4pm, Monday 10th July, and also tomorrow, Tuesday 11th July 2017. This will affect the…
UPDATE: 6th April 2018 – the work described below has now been completed. Roy Fellows has been in touch with the following notice: Cwmystwyth Lefel Fawr Please be advised that the route through the second tube is temporarily closed, don’t try it unless you want steel RSJs down on your head! A diversion route to…
The bone caves of north Wales have received increased attention from archaeologists in recent years. Excavations have taken place at Llanarmon Cave (Llanarmon-yn-ial) and Ffynnon Bueno Cave (Tremeirchion) by Rob Dinnis, then of the British Museum, and his team. John Blore issued his final report on his fifty years work at Lynx Cave (near Eryrys),…
Information has been received from Welsh Water to confirm that the planned water release in the Mellte River on 8th December 2016 is no longer taking place, therefore water levels at Porth yr Ogof will be unaffected.
Information has just been received from Terry Northam at Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru to confirm that due to high rainfall predicted for tonight in the relevant area a planned release of water from an upstream dam is taking place now on Friday 9th September 2016. With the amount of rain predicted tonight this will affect the…
Information has been received from Terry Northam at Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru to confirm that there is to be a planned release of water from an upstream dam on Monday 8 August 2016. This will affect the River Mellte and the cave of Porth yr Ogof. For safety reasons, cavers are advised to avoid the river…
The latest edition of the British Caving Association’s Newsletter for July 2016 is now available. The contents include: a message from the Chairman, Andy Eavis, about the recent AGM which has information on the newly appointed officers and other council members; details of Council meetings for the rest of the year and information on some…
Roy Fellows reports another completed stage in the stabilisation program in Cwmystwyth Mine. The underground works phase 1, support of the stull above the skipway, is now completed and the area cleared. Normal access to Roman Level is now open, the path has been widened at the bottom as the work has encroached on this…
South Wales Caving Club has recently celebrated its 70th anniversary on April 30th. SWCC has been based in the Upper Swansea Valley for all that time, and has always made cavers welcome to their impressive headquarters at Penwyllt, where the club has been established since 1960. With the closure of the railway, and the end…
Information has been received from Terry Northam at Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru to confirm that there is to be a planned release of water from an upstream dam on Thursday 14 April 2015. This will affect the River Mellte and the cave of Porth yr Ogof. For safety reasons, cavers are advised to avoid the river…
A recent article in Descent based on a letter from Ashford Price, member of the Association of British and Irish Show Caves (ABIS), expresses the Associations strong objection to the BCA proposal to alter the present CRoW Act and states clearly that in their opinion any “amendment or change of interpretation of the CRoW Act” to…
The landowners who own access to the UK’s second longest cave, Ogof Draenan, have made it clear that they won’t be bullied by threats of legal action made by cavers Stuart France and Nigel Rogers In a post on UK Caving yesterday the landowners who between them own the land on which the entrances to Drws Cefn…
We reported on 24 November 2015 about the legal action threatened by cavers Stuart France and Nigel Rogers against Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and the landowner concerning their claim to have access rights to Drws Cefn under the CRoW legislation. In the latest development in this long-running issue, their solicitors have now been sent a…
A new cave has been found in Carmarthenshire by a team of ten cavers from South Wales. The cave was dug throughout much of 2015, and the new cave passages did not come easily. An account on the South Wales Caving Club blog describes tight squeezes, awkward drops and boulder blockages. Added to this, flowing…
Cavers Stuart France and Nigel Rogers are involved in the on-going dispute over closing or gating the Drws Cefn entrance to Ogof Draenen in South Wales. On the 20th November 2015 their solicitors, Richard Buxton of Cambridge, wrote to Natural Resources Wales, sending copies to the Pwll Du Management Group and also to the landowner….
