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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
1st 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
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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.
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