~| 1st Carmel Scouts ~ Poachers 2007 |~

1st Carmel Scouts / Poachers 14th October 2007

UCET Members : Mick (Captain & Leader), Mike (Vice Captain), Doug & Amber, Budgie, John, Les & Joshua & Ian.

Scouts Leaders : Mark & Emma.

Scouts : Alice, David, Hugo, Rhys, Matthew, Matthew, Tally & Tom.

The 1^st Carmel scouts and UCET met at 10:00am at the usual meeting place (by the bridge in Cilcain) and kitted up.

The scouts were very excited and in fine fettle.

Arriving at the cave entrance at around 10:30am, Captain Mick presided over a briefing of rules and conduct – everyone listened intently.

Mick rigged the pitch whilst Mike scrambled down to receive the scouts as they descended. John officiated at the top of the pitch belaying the scouts as they climbed down the electron ladder.

Poachers cave had rarely seen so many visitors all in one go and it was decided that the group be split into two parties.

Throughout the trip through the passages of poachers, the scouts were shown the various features (including straw stalactites, flowstone, calcite curtains, glacial sediment etc.) as well as being entertained with the history and phreatic formation of the cave itself.

The scouts (and masters) did their utmost to stay out of the small pockets of water lining the passageways but this all proved futile when the streamway within the cave was reached. Here water lifted itself well above the shoe level of the passing scouts and, to avoid any possibility of staying dry, the low ducks within the stream ensured that everyone got a good drenching!

The teams arrived at the main chamber along the streamway and enjoyed some time examining the big boss stalagmite (with some scouts venturing through the stream filled crawl underneath) as well as looking at the cave painting high upon the wall.

It was here that the investiture of Rhys & Matthew took place where they took their oath’s and were elevated from cubs to scouts.

Scout Master Mark handed around much desired flapjacks and chocolate biscuits whilst John regaled the scouts of a tale of 16 cavers who had ventured into the cave but where only 15 got out alive. Distant “moans” were heard within the cave at this time and “Mr Skeleton” suddenly appeared between some rocks. This was not, of course, our illustrious leader Mick.

The team re-grouped and headed further into Poachers to see some more of the formations beyond the boss chamber and, upon returning through the chamber, Mike lead them through the belly crawl alongside the streamway emerging at the top of the mudslide.

The scouts (and scout leaders and UCET members) slid down the slide one by one landing in the stream below.

Mike & John chose to go down head first and landed with much more of a splash than the preceding scouts. Doug was reluctant to go down but, as Mick had hold of his feet, the trip down the slide was forced and to ensure that Doug got equally wet upon landing, certain UCET members ensured he was trampled on as he tried to recover from his now horizontal position within the stream. Happily, Doug’s camera survived a drowning and there was much rejoicing.

The team headed back to the beginning of the streamway (half way into Poachers cave) where the scouts were treated to a “quick peep” into the lower series of the cave. One by one they filed down the “Helter Skelter” to investigate the water torn passages below.

Arriving back up some 15 minutes later, the entire party made it’s way out of the system and back to the waiting cars & towels (and a lurking Nicola who had materialised to collect Budgie!).

The usual frolics were witnessed in the river Alyn under the bridge with (obviously) John and Mike causing the most nuisance.

The scouts having had a fantastic time, we all parted company around 2:30pm and headed off to the sanctity of our own homes.

A DVD of the trip is available from Ian but was not posted onto youtube.com owing to the permissions needed from the parents of the scouts.

(Big thanks to Ian for the write up and pictures!)

***NEW***
Letter of thanks from Mark Pepper of 1st Carmel Scouts

What can I say about the fantastic caving trip your members took eight scouts and two leaders on except a great big

THANK YOU!

The scouts on Monday night talked about nothing else much to the annoyance of all the unfortunate ones who couldn't come. The main topics they went on about were the really long wire ladder they had to climb down into an incredibly narrow hole. The miles and miles of passage ways they walked, waded, crawled and then swam through this icy cold river underground (the exaggerations continued) and when they can go again.

All the mothers talked about was the amount of dirt that was washed out from the clothes they had worn, followed by "you wouldn't catch me doing that" and "have you seen the bruises on their knees?".

The experience was made all the more enjoyable because of the friendly way in which the club members led the trip. Even when they soaked us going down the water slide and then pasted our faces with mud just at the time when we thought we couldn't get any dirtier.

Thank you again to all the caving club members, especially Les for all his efforts in organising the trip and Ian for the fantastic DVD which the scouts will love and make the experience even more memorable.

Yours faithfully.