OFD cave in South Wales

Caving in Ogof Ffynnon Ddu (OFD), South Wales

Following three days of excellent caving in South Wales, here are photographs of caver Neil Montgomery in Ogof Ffynnon Ddu, taken on the third day.

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Cavers

Caving can be a challenge, crawling through tight passages, climbing up walls of mud and traversing gaps in the rock. These images show cavers in OFD, Brecon, South Wales.

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Neil Montgomery clinging onto 'Poached Egg', so called because if you fall off - that's what you'll look like...





Nick Moulton negotiating 'the Cork Screw'







Andrew Hammond climbing up the 'The Cork Screw'

Charlotte Griffiths, news and features editor of Digital SLR User magazine - goes caving.....

It was in November last year that I emailed Charlotte Griffiths, news and features editor of Digital SLR User magazine, suggesting a feature about cave photography technique.

I was surprised by her reply – she wanted to come caving…..

”We have a feature in the magazine called 'Masterclass' where I go out with a professional photographer from different areas of photography and learn the tricks of the trade.”

So a few weeks later, following lots of organising and borrowing of kit for Charlotte, she arrived at Croydon Caving Club cottage, Ystradfellte, in the heart of the Brecon Beacons, South Wales, for her first caving experience.

She quickly snaffled the two pieces of toast I gave her, got kitted up and we headed over to Ogof Ffynnon Ddu (OFD) Top entrance for the first of two days of caving.

See Charlotte's Masterclass article in the June ‘08 issue of Digital SLR User magazine, to see how she got on and what she learned about caving photography. But in the meantime, here are a few pictures of Charlotte's caving weekend….

Thanks to Chris Crowley, Neil Montgomery, Steve ‘President’ Murray and everyone else who helped with access, travel and caving kit.

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All images Copyright Annette Price

Cave formations

Ogof Ffynnon Ddu (OFD), South Wales, cave at Penwyllt, near Abercrave in South Wales.

These photographs were taken in 'OFD Top', the entrance being at the top of a hill.

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Please note these photographs are copyright Annette Price and cannot be used without permission.



This tiny formation is no lager than a small finger nail, look at the water drop and you can clearly see crystals just above it, from which the formation is formed.







These cave formations are called helictites, and are growing upwards. They are tiny, only a few millimeters long and no one seems to know how they are formed, although is is thought their growth is influenced by drafts flowing though the cave.



A helictite



Straw formations - for more information please see http://h2ophotography.blogspot.com/2007_11_01_archive.html






Tiny straw formations, the one on the right has a helictite beginning to grow on it.



A curtain formation about two feet long.

More caving in Ogof Ffynnon Ddu (OFD), South Wales

OFD cave at Penwyllt, near Abercrave in South Wales.

These pictures were taken in the 'Escape Route' of OFD 1 which is the lowest of three entrances into the cave system, the entrance being at the base of a very steep hill.

Just click on any picture to see it larger.....

Please note these photographs are copyright Annette Price and cannot be used without permission.



The flat, wet floor seen here, is called 'flowstone'. It looks like a rough concrete floor, but is actually stone. It has been formed this way by sheets of water flowing down the rock walls and washing over the floor, smoothing the surface over thousands of years, washing particles over the rock 'sanding' it down and depositing minerals.







Annie Wakeham looking down through a hole in the cave chamber roof, which is also the floor of the passage above.