A day caving in Bullpot of the Witches

Be part of OutdoorLads' next caving trip, where we will descend the Bullpot of the Witches cave.  The cave begins with an open pothole, descended via a steep path... followed by a secret side tunnel to get into the cave.  Inside the secret side tunnel is the only (short) section where a rope may be required to assist on a short scramble down.  From there, we will venture back into the bottom of the open pothole and follow the main streamway deeper into the cave.  For those feeling adventurous, there may be an excursion into the beautifully decorated calcite chamber... but this is guarded by two squeezes!  Following this we will return to the main streamway and head along a crawling route, exploring as we go, before eventually ending up in an enormous chamber and returning to the surface.

What gear do we use / wear?  We cave wearing a robust one-piece caving oversuit, wellies, gloves and a helmet with a headtorch attached.  A full-length wetsuit is also a reasonable alternative (even for dry-ish caves) as long as you don't mind it getting scraped.  Please review the full kitlist below and contact the event leader if you do not have the required equipment. Please also bring a caving/climbing harness if you have one, otherwise it will be provided.

Do I need prior caving experience? No, but this will be have a few challenging climbs and some large drop offs at the start, so a head for heights and some climbing experience is a must. 

Will it be physically demanding?  We anticipate spending 2 - 3 hours underground in Bullpot of the Witches.  There will be some scrambling up and down slopes and over boulders, and the optional parts of the trip may involve some narrow passages that require some work to squeeze through.

Is caving safe?  Caving is a very safe sport.  Ropes are used for ascending and descending sections of cave which are steep and difficult to climb, and the event leader will explain what precautions to take in narrow passages to avoid getting stuck.  In the worst and very unlikely case, the cave rescue organization have ways and means of getting you unstuck (lubricant or other methods 😉).  Please also read the safety information given below prior to the event and contact the event leader if you have any concerns or questions.

What if the weather is bad?  The cave can be difficult to access in very wet weather.  In this case an alternate cave nearby will instead be chosen, meet points will remain the same.

Photos: All photos by J Proctor and A Ritchie and used by OutdoorLads with full permission. 

IMPORTANT! - Participation Statement

You MUST complete a Participation Statement, in addition to booking your event space before attending an OutdoorLads event. You only need to complete this Participation Statement once, not for each event you attend.

Please note that every person participating should be aware of (and accept) that those members perceived as ‘in charge’ or leading the event are not necessarily qualified, do not need to be qualified, and are not regarded by OutdoorLads, or themselves as ‘technical experts’ but are amateur cavers with some experience and who are happy to impart their knowledge. Any advice given should be considered with this in mind by the recipient.

In addition to the precautions taken by the event leader, all participants are expected to give due care and attention to their own safety throughout the event.  In particular, participants are expected to move carefully through the cave system to avoid unintended slips / trips, participants must not hesitate to ask for help if they feel that they are struggling to keep up with the group, and participants who wear contact lenses are encouraged to contact the leader prior to the event to discuss what measures need to be put in place to deal with ingress of mud into the eyes.  Any participant who has an open wound (even minor) at the time of the event should chat to the leader at the beginning of the event to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to reduce infection risk.  Participants who suffer from vertigo or claustrophobia should make the leader aware of their condition prior to the event.