Hunters Lodge Inn Sink Aug/Sept 12

So I've been a bit behind in updating my blog recently, allotment has been taking up allot of time an I've had some health issues. Last month we took my Dad to Hunters Lodge Inn Sink cave. It was discovered during foot and mouth after he'd stopped caving. It is underneath the pub he used to always drink/eat in as a caver. We had a great trip just doing the upper level. Dad enjoyed it and is talking about doing more caving!

Pre cave



Carefully taking a break









Zoomed in moss rocks



Getting towards the end of the cave, belly slide (only 2 of us carried on to this point and beyond)





Post cave



Great tip, think my Dad was surprised how unhapless I was underground..

Emma had seem my photos and was really keen to explore the cave so this weekend we combined it with a trip to Wookey and a visit to our usual post cave pub for lunch.


I had some free tickets to Wookey courtesy of Tesco, and having recently watched the cave diving DVD (my Dad copied an old show from video to DVD for me from the 80's all about the exploration) I felt the need for a revisit having not been since I was a kid.

The tour guide did her best (given the amount of screaming children) but it all felt pretty rushed (about 15 mins underground in total) It was interesting (but a bit sad) to hear the tales of Stals being shot down to decorate grottos (before people knew better) and the soot on the walls from when they used to toss parafin onto the walls for lighting purposes. There was no witch of Wookey, only a projected picture on the side of a rock (credit crunch biting?)



Blackened chamber



St Paul's





Huge chamber



It was interesting to visit the museumy bits afterwards and see some of the finds (including a very pristine looking alabaster ball) and to watch another recording about the cave diving. The footage of the last section they'd dived to made us all shudder, very brave people.

Next up it was Emma's first visit to the Hunters, she rated highly the Ham and Mushroom pasta and enjoyed being aloud into the front bar to have a look at the finds from the cave next door. Our next stop was a visit to the cave itself.

Emma was a bit apprehensive about the ladder climb, but once roped up(belayed by Steve) she zipped on down, pausing on the ledge to admire the now abandoned birds nests 'the best she'd ever seen' apparently..







She made light work of the slightly claustrophobic bum slide down (barmaids crawl?), and some of the awkward (for an 8 year old) bouldery sections.



A bit of scaffolding limboing later and we were into a chamber. Emma was amazed, and kept pointing out all the different types of formation.





Despite the long chat about conservation pre cave we reiterated it again, told her about the tape, and told her to crawl as much as she could in the lower sections. She spent the rest of the trip lecturing us about conservation! We carried on through the cave until we reached the climb with the handline. Emma roped up again (for a lifeline) and climbed up it very well. (climbing lessons paying off!)

Some more chamber/s and (not squeezes) for Emma and we were soon at the end of the upper section of the cave. We didn't go beyond the curtain formation as time was ticking on and it was good to end on a high note.





We carefully picked our way out of the cave, making light work of the 'squeezes' (Emma verbally directing Steve through one of them so not to touch the stal accidentely), quick work of the mini climb, then onwards and outwards to the sloped belly pull out. I had Emma behind me telling me to hurry up (when your 8 years old you can do these things on your hands and knees). We were all trying not to speak on the way out as the entire last section was swarming with insects! Trying to tie a figure of 8 onto a harness in a swam of insects is no fun! Off Emma zipped back out on the ladder into the sunny, warm daylight. We were sadly too early for the Hunters (a rare occurance for us, seeing as we're usually so late we miss it..), quick chat and key pass back to Roger (with many thanks) and it was off to Priddy for some chips and a play in the pub play park.



The rope love heart to the left was unintentional!

I've now come to the sad conclusion that my 8 year old is probably a better caver than me!