Hi all,

My brother Joel introduced me to exploring, the catacombs was my first trip. Scary, but I've been back again since. Been to Alderly Edge copper mines, slate quarries, lime stone quarries and two salt mines in Poland. Joel suggested that I go on a few trips with you guys, maybe poachers cave? Give me a chance to give caving a go and see if it's for me. The only equipment I have is: helmet, head torch, knee pads, gloves and wellies.

Thanks

Jodie

Hi Jodie
Welcome to the madhouse,
We go underground every Thursday night so your more than welcome to come along anytime you like.
We are probably going to poachers or oha next Thursday if you want to join us
Cheers
Mike

Hi Mike,

Sounds like a plan, what time do you meet and where?

We usually meet at 6.30ish I'll get the trip organizer to put the location up, how well do you know the area

Never been there. I usually just follow the directions that my phone gives me tbh.

Jodie - If it is Poachers or OHA - Meet location is the Cilcain car-park here

CH7 5NJ - might be a bit off

https://goo.gl/maps/ACAkcYf9CzN2

If you see a man called Tim Watts, ask him about the local caver bunk house he runs - It's very modern, has showers and a nice drying room.

Suboffender wrote:

Cheeky
Where do you live Jodie, are you local or travelling a distance

Live in Rhuddlan

Make it Poachers .... not OHA



Ian

Hey,

You guys took me down OHA as my first cave and i'm still here..

Agree though, Poachers is probably better - as she's mainly done some very dry mines

Suboffender wrote:
You're a special case

Ian wrote:
It runs in the family

Suboffender wrote:

Oh no .....

If my first trip underground was the catacombs I'm sure I'll be fine

JodieColk wrote:
OHA is nothing like the catacombs. It's a very big cave system ornately covered everywhere in glacial silt (covered in shit). It requires a lot of crawling with your face in muddy water and you will get soaked and wet within yards of the entrance. Once through that, you get a chance to warm and dry before it happens again. There is perilous scrambling of slippery boulders, knotted ropes climbs in far less than awkward places, watery ducks and a canal. There is a passage you can stand up and walk along for a few metres.

Of course, coming out, you are met with the same delights ensuring you exit the cave covered top to toe in wet shit.

It is common for people to throw themselves into the river running outside upon exit and I have no doubt the cold air and freezing water (forecast to be -3 on Thursday) will be a delightful sensation.

In contrast, Poachers is a miniature version. Short electron ladder at the beginning the some "hands and knees" and plenty of walking. There is an underground river running through a large passageway at the back which generally just manages to breach wellingtons.

You should remain (mostly) dry and the covering of shite will be light (Murf and Doug are not allowed to steal that line for their poetry).



Ian

Oh, wow

Ian often tells this story, sometimes a little gory
between me and you I thinks he wants some glory
he doe,s not mention the vampire bats
that live in the roof in dung made flats

he forgot the spiders as black as night
which crawl around and give a hell of a bite
but if all think that this is all a lie
go to O.H.A next door the bastards fly.

LOL

A few spiders and bats never hurt anyone

I am meeting at the coordinates Joel posted?