Beth & Aoife - Sludge Pit

We all headed off early, particulary sober, on a bright Saturday morning. Prepared for anything after our caving leading lecture from Mr Walker, with lots of kinetic learning allowing us to master figure-eight knots and ladder climbs.

Dangerously making our way to the cave through barbed wire we came across 

cows.

Ferociously they came at us. Remaining calm untill Paul jumped the barbed wire, we then panicked and where thrown out of a field by cows. Eventful morning to wake us up!

Sadly, when we came across the cave we were unable to enter due to rusty locks. Avoiding the cows on the route back with Chris' own mooing, we had a change of plan. This entailed heading to the Wessex Hut where we practiced lifelining and using the ladders on a scaffold by a roof.  When not climbing, we loaded up on vitamin D.

Prepared after our training, we headed down as a group of 5, made up of Chris, Vlad, Mikey, Beth and Aoife. All raring to go, we entered. Mikey set up a fabulous ladder, which we all descended down sucessfully. Chris descended well with his chocolate fingers 'for diabetes' in his right hand.

Adventuring through the cave, we squeezed through, keeping spirits high and enjoying the rock formations. 

A tricky moment occured when Chirs got his foot, wellignton boot and ego stuck between rocks in the middle of doing the splits. Beth used her caving resuce training so we avoided a broken ankle. Chris survived. Coming across as piece of broken rock we avoided walking on the left and were warned by Vlad about tumbling down. 

Mikey leading us all through found a tight tight squeeze, here as a good leader, he went ahead to check it was safe for all. After handstanding at the end and 'having to take time to regulate his head pressure', the rest of us turned back the way we came.

Vlad disappeared a few times on his own adventure, to inform us all it was 'really good down here'.

Meeting the other leading team we had a quick catch up, discussed moles and were all blinded by Dan's light. 

We headed home after a very memorable trip, to lots of leftover breakfast items. 

-Beth and Aoife

By Daniel Nash