Manor Farm Swallet

By Martin Beale

By Martin Beale 11 October 2001

We had an exceptionally successful trip down Manor Farm Swallet last night. We made it to the Boulder Fall Hall (?). This required maypole techniques which were adeptly executed by Tim. The club performed extremely well with all of the logistics about sorting out the maypole (and ordering lager at the end of the affair).

Many thanks to Gary for lending us his maypole equipment. Let this be an inspiration to us all: when there are distant objectives, equipment will overcome.

The Fleet Street passage is truly amazing. There was a metre long straw that amazed everyone. The straws at the roof of the aven were pristine and most impressive. The hole (sic) passage was well decorated and generally spondacious. There were a couple of tight squeezes, but nothing to put off the HPCC / ESS. Roy Stone reckons there are ways on from Boulder Fall Hall. This might be true. It would be safer if we had a traverse line in up there : all the more reason for an HPCC Hilti (equipment will overcome).

The trip out went smoothly. Dave was the only one to require the ladder for aid on the third pitch, the others all fired up the climbing alternative. I popped out the top at 10:40pm. The race was clearly on. A pipelined approach saw the kit packed and in the car with minutes to go before closing time.

A squeal of tyres on muddy Mendip roads and the cavemobile was whisking its way to the Hunters. I was in (not very) close pursuit. Tim and I arrived at the bar with the landlord already pulling our pints.

After the Hunters, we retired to the Kingsdown beer depot for some more après-cave.

Next week's trip should be a bit more mellow, though the end rift might offer sporting opportunities for the more fearless amongst us.

Roy Unstone adds:

"Actually, it was the landlady doing the pints, I think she is a softer touch for this after-hours pint business that we seem to be making a habit of. Our president (and hpcc negotiation sub-section secretary) delegated the delicate task of obtaining pints to me, clearly believing that i am in a career ghetto as secretary of the lock-picking sub-section.

Or perhaps it was because he was still naked from the waist down and believed an approach to the bar might have been misinterpreted.

In future I suggest we plan to have enough time for the president to change into his cave approach clothes after trips.