Wednesday 2 December 2015

Armageddon Cave - 13 December

Hello everyone,

We are going back to Armageddon on the 13th of December. Some of us will be going to the back of the cave to continue scaling the mudwall and hopefully extend the cave. What else will happen depends on group size and who is going - there are still places which need to be explored, pushed and surveyed.

The trip is only open to SRT proficient members. Trips are usually very long, so be prepared.

Meet at the corner of the R28 and N14 at 08:15 or at the cave at 08:30 on Sunday the 13th of December.

RSVP with John Dickie at 073 985 8068 if you are joining us and let him know if you need any equipment - SRT kits are limited.

See you there,

Steven

Friday 20 November 2015

Upcoming trips for 2016

Hi everyone,
Here is a list of upcoming trips for 2016:

13th December 2015 Armageddon  (John Dickie)
10th January 2016 Wonderfontein (John Dickie)
14th February 2016 Nico’s 2 (Steven Tucker)
13th March 2016 NH3/Summerville Caverns (Steven Tucker)
10th April 2016 Climbers Cave (Gerrie Pretorius)
8th May 2016 Chaos Cave (John Dickie)
12th June Various Sink-holes (Gerrie Pretorius)

25th – 28th March 2016 Echo Cave and others in the vicinity (John Dickie)
27th April – 1st May 2016 Gobholo, Swaziland (Sharron Reynolds)

Remember you can still download the SASA bulletin at:

SASA Bulletin Vol 41 2015 Final.pdf

Wednesday 18 November 2015

Friday Night Caving 20 November, 7.30pm, Scramblers

Meet at Oaktree Engen garage, off Hendrick Potgieter on N14 near Sterkfontein at 7.30pm.
Beginners and visitors welcome.
Cost R100 day membership fee per person
Caving involves some climbing, crawling, squeezing. Scramblers is mainly climbing.  Wear comfortable old clothes and shoes.
Let me know if you need a hardhat and headlight; bring 3 x AAA batteries.
We will be caving for about 3 hours.
RSVP Selena 083 460 4828

Tuesday 3 November 2015

Apocalypse - 8th November

Hi everyone,

John Dickie​ is organizing a trip to South Africa's largest cave, Apocalypse, on Sunday the 8th of November. The trip will go through the majority of the cave, a favorite round trip through the new world.

Expect a long trip and expect to get very very dirty.

The entrance is a 56m deep shaft, so you have to be a member and you have to be SRT proficient. If you attend on joining the trip, talk to John and let him know if you need any gear: phlygh@gmail.com or 073 985 8068.

Meet at 8:45 at the Caltex garage on the Northern side of Carletonville on the R500. 26°20'17.88"S & 27°23'17.38"E

Cheers,

Steven

Thursday 29 October 2015

‘n BESOEK AAN DIE RISING STAR GROT deur Jannie du Bruyn





 Below is an article written by Jannie du Bruyn, who, at 77, joined us for a trip through the Rising Star System. The photo attached is written by his 7 year old grandson. We entered the cave at the walk in entrance and went all the way through to upside-down-turnaround and both of them thoroughly enjoyed the experience.


Op 12 Oktober 2015 ontvang ek ‘n e-pos van my dogter Estra met die volgende strekking: Pappa, ‘n dame wat saam met my werk gaan ‘n aantal persone deur die Rising Star grot neem. Stel Pappa belang om dit mee te maak ?

Na deeglike oorweging, my ouderdom van 77 jaar in aanmerking geneem, besluit ek dit kan net opwindend en verrykkend wees. Ek stem toe in om die uitnodiging te aanvaar.

Saterdagoggend 17 Oktober sit ons, ek; Hanré my persentseun; my dogter Estra en my kleinseun Jandré van 7 jaar af na die bymekaarkomplek. Ons ontmoet mekaar By die Oaktree motorhawe naby die Wieg van die Mens.



Eers moet daar knibbelgoed aangekoop word, toilette vir oulaas besoek asook administratiewe reelings afgehandel word.

In die proses ontmoet ons ook een van ons gidse, Irene Kruger, wat seker maak administratiewe reelings word op papier afgehandel. Volgens die omstanders lei ek af  dat hulle almal “grotbesoekers is” wat daar rondstaan. Na alles afgehandel is neem Irene en haar vriend, Steven Tucker, per motor die voortou om ons te begelei na die grot toe.

Vanuit ‘n grodpad draai ons in by ‘n plaashek, wat blyk ‘n plaas te wees. Daar word netjies onder die bome parkeer, kennis gemaak en onsself te oriënteer ten opsigte van die omgewing. Irene stel ons voor aan Steven Tucker haar verloofde en medegids. ‘n Skraalgeboude jongman, kaalvoet met ‘n baardjie  in ‘n oranje oorpak. Baie vriendelik en ‘n aangename persoonlikheid.

Daar word seker gemaak dat ons almal korrek toegerus moet wees.Veiligheids hardehoede, kopligte en verkieslik oorpak aan.Irene lig ons besoekers toe ten opsigte van veiligheid; die moets en die moenies. Sy en Steven het ‘n kenmerkende, rustige kalmerende persoonlikheid wat opmerklik waargeneem kan word.

Dit is duidelik dat daar planmatig, doelgerig en vasberade leiding geneem word deur hierdie twee gidse.Gaandeweg sou ons verneem dat Steven en ‘n kollega die eerste twee persone was wat die Homo Naeledi fossiele ontdek en gefotografeer het.

Ons stap ‘n hele ent van die voertuie af na ‘n bebosde koppie, bedek met lae bome, bosse en klip.Nie ‘n noemenswaardge plek nie. Normaal ten opsigte van die omgewing. Dit is ‘n heerlike lenteoggend, stil en ‘n heerlike atmosfeer.

Gebukkend gaan ons onder die bome ‘n opening in die grond binne. Die ingang van Rising Star is glad nie versier, gemerk of ‘n “fancy” ingang nie.Met die een gids voor en die ander een agter is dit duidelik, hier kom ‘n ding. Ek meen as ek reg onthou was ons 24 persone in die groep wat die toer meemaak.

Vanuit die staanspoor is dit duidelik dat hierdie besoek aan die grot absoluut tegnies, sielkundig en sonder pretensies benader word. Ons gidse het ‘n besondere kalmerende, aanmoedigende en motiverende effek  op die groep.Hulle weet wat om te doen en die groep volg gehoorsaam en gewillig.

‘n Grot is ‘n grot.Ons weet dit bestaan uit openinge,stalagmiete, stalagtiete, rotsformasies wat verbeeldingryk kan wees en wat nie al nie. Rising Star is so ‘n grot. Die manier van beweging in die grot blyk van die begin af hier anders te wees as ander grotte wat ek ken.

Van meent af word daar behoorlik gekruip, op die maag geseil, selfs op die sy geseil tusse baie laag en nou openinge deur.Daar is heelwat “ kamers” waar ons kan rus, asem skep en selfs lekker gesels.Wanneer almal in die groep aangesluit het na ‘n “deurkruipery”,word daar weer gebeur, gekruip  en geklouter na die volgende rusplek.

Dit is duidelik in hierdie stadium dat hierdie ‘n moeilike ervaring gaan wees.Indien jy effens rond gebou is sal jy nie deur die nou openinge kom nie. Plek plek
 seil ons plat op die maag,  met 250 tot 300 mm is nie snaaks nie. My rugsak moes ek ple plek met my arms vooruit stoot. Ander plekke weer met my voet aan die band agter my saamsleep.

Niemand kla nie.Almal is positief en gedrewe om enduit te gaan. Ons gidse is behulpsaam; gee suiwer tegniese raad en niemand word oorgeslaan nie.Met tye wanneer ons in ‘n “kamer” is, word ons gevra om ons kopligte af te skakel sodat ons ‘n idee kan kry van doodse stilte, pikdonker en geen idee van rigting nie. Dit was nogal baie “scary”.

Die grot is eenvoudig groots, asemrowend en oorweldigend. Hier kom jy tot die besef dat die werk van die Skepper is onbeskryflik wonderbaarlik en jy voel klein om alles te aan- skou. Selfs die gedagte dat jy bevoorreg is om hierdie grot te besoek. Onthou in gedagte die grot is nie oop vir die algemene publiek nie.

In ‘n stadium is ons in ‘n” klein kamer”. Ons word uit gewys dat ons min of meer 5 meter vanaf die opening is wat lei na die kamer waar die fossiele van Homo Naeledi ontdek is deur Steven en sy vriend.

Van hier af was dit nog klim, regop loop, op jou sy deur beur en ook op jou maag seil. In hierdie stadium kan jy voel jou elmboë het dit al ontgeld enjy voel duidelik jou knieë bly ook in die slag.Die laaste uitdaging was ‘n vertikale uitklim van omtrent 4 meter. ‘n Nou opening tussen twee rotswande moes jy hoofsaaklik staatmaak op jou vingers se vasvat aan rotspunte en  stut met jou voete. Van hier af kon ons die ligopening waarneem. Die hoop en vooruitsig om naby die uitgang te wees is aamoedigend.

Jy kan nie glo hoe ons voorkoms gelyk het van grond, vuil oorpakke en klere nie. My persentseun het self erge skaafmerke opgedoen as gevolg van effens vassit skuur in nou deurgange, net een man kon nie verder gaan nie. Ek meen dit was as gevolg van engtefrees. Steven en Irene het hom pragtig kalmeer  en rustig laat rus totdat Steven hom persoonlik uitgelei het deur ‘n ander uitgang.

Toe ons by die motors kom is daar fotos geneem, toerusting terugbesorg en vertrek na  vy f en ‘n half uure in die grot. Die sukses van die besoek is absoluut te danke aan die bekwame leiding van Steven en Irene. Ons salueer julle .Baie dankie.

Sondagoggend na die besoek, het ek besluit om die fossieluitstalling te Maropeng te gaan besigtig. Hier het ek vir die eerste keer bewus geword van Maropeng en  die museum daar. Dit is waarlik’n indrukwekkende wetenskaplike plek.Die uitstalling van Homo Naeledi fossiele is ongelooflikom te sien. Die kersie op die koek was vir my om Dr. Lee Berger, professor van die Witwatersrand Universiteit  te ontmoet wie die navorsing van die fossiele hanteer.

Ek het ook Marina Elliott ontmoet wat die eerste wetenskaplike was  wat die fossiele uitgehaal en verwyder het saam met haar span. Hierdie twee mense se baie vriendelikheid is opmerklik en hulle bring jou onder die indruk dat hulle ‘n passie het vir dit waarmee hulle besig is.

Ten slotte besef ek, ek was baie bevoorreg om saam met my kinders en kleinseun en andere die besoek aan Rising Star te kon meemaak. Ek waardeer opnuut die werk wat mense doen op die gebied van ontdekking en wetenskaplike navorsing. Gaan gerus daarmee voort.

Jannie du Bruyn
26 Oktober 2015



Tuesday 27 October 2015

SASA Bulletin Volume 41 - 2015

SASA Bulletin Vol 41 2015 Final.pdf

Above is a link to download the latest SASA Bulletin.

It has articles on Armageddon, the Rising Star Expedition, expeditions to Botswana and other articles.

Enjoy! 

Monday 19 October 2015

SEC Freaky Friday Caving 30 Oct 7.30pm

Meet at Oaktree Engen garage, off Hendrick Potgieter on N14 near Sterkfontein at 7.30pm.
 
Beginners and visitors welcome; however no beginners over 90kg. Cost R50 day membership fee per person.
 
Caving involves some climbing, crawling, squeezing. Wear comfortable old clothes and shoes.
 
Let me know if you need a hardhat and headlight; bring 3 x AAA batteries. 
 
We will be caving for about 3 hours.
 
RSVP Selena 083 460 4828

Monday 5 October 2015

SEC AGM and rope training / rescue practise, Saturday 24 Oct

Venue:  House Dickie, 64 Patton Place, Tedderfield, Midvaal
              S26 20 756  E027 58 773
 
12pm:  Rescue practise and rope training
3pm:    AGM
 
Bring and braai after AGM.  Salads and bread will be available.
Bring your costumes if you want to cool off after a hard rescue excercise.
For those wanting to stay over to go to Armageddon on Sunday, please bring your tent to pitch on the lawn.
 
RSVP John 073 985 8068 or Selena 083 460 4828

Tuesday 29 September 2015

AGM Venue Change

Hi Everybody,

Please note in your event-planner (or diary if you are anywhere near as old as me!) that the SEC AGM scheduled for 3pm on 24th October will now be at Selena and John Dickie’s home. John is planning for a SRT and general rope-training few hours before the AGM so lock out the whole day for loads of fun and serious caving stuff: we have IMPORTANT STUFF to announce! (And as an extra sneak preview………………..John just MIGHT……….have a members-only trip to ARMAGEDDON (SERIOUS SRT!!!) planned for the next day!!!!) Like the last few AGM’s I can promise you some knock-out news!

REMEMBER: THIS IS YOUR CLUB! To take part in it is to take the responsibility of our future. We started in 1954…………………and we are still making new discoveries and HEADLINES!! AND………………..just maybe……………..you may be part of the next breaking news.

If you are a member or prospective member of SEC I EXPECT you at our AGM. If you really CANNOT be there I want your apology AND proxy ASAP!

Thank you.

Dave Ingold, Hon Secretary.

Wednesday 9 September 2015

Notice of AGM and proxy form for 24th October 2015

Please see attached files for the AGM of SEC:

SEC AGM Agenda 2015

SEC Proxy Form 2015

Many thanks,

Dave

Monday 31 August 2015

Nicks Cave now Sunday 6th

Hello

To fit in with the landowners timing we are moving the trip to Nick's Cave to this coming Sunday 6th. We will meet at Oaktree garage and depart 08:30 promptly as its an hours drive. Nick's is relatively small but with some large chambers and awesome dendrite formations on the roof of one section and a notoriously hard to find chamber. It can be a little dusty. There two ways to get, abseil and SRT out or ladders and a belay, we will use both. Visitors are welcome but please let me know.

Cheers

Pete KENYON
082 455 4480
pete.kenyon@kerneos.com

Armageddon 29 August 2015 by Karin Human

A full moon peeks over the horizon as I step back on the canvas serving as rope protection and covering Armageddon’s edge. Sweat drips from my forehead as clumsy, over-worked hand attempts to clip my safety line. A deep sigh pauses an endless moment of courage, determination and strength. Instinctively I know none of us will stand at this very same spot tonight and claim nothing has changed. Armageddon has seeped into our lungs with every breath, rushed into our veins and nestled itself in our cells. We are transformed.

                A long dusty road snakes through the barren landscape leading to the infamous Armageddon. Winter is still prevalent in this area with rolling yellow brown fields stretching to the horizon. A long, narrow strip of hills follow our progression with anticipation. After a few right and left turns we make our way up a slight rise. A blackened field signifies a raging fire not too long ago and I can’t help to think it quite fitting. The dust settles when the last vehicle finds a parking spot. I watch in my rear view mirror as the edge of Armageddon becomes visible. The sinkhole seems much smaller than I anticipated. Muffled, cheerful chatter from the rest of the group moves me to open my car door. The day has just become significant.

                Slowly gear is being inspected, adjusted and donned. A few of us walked to the edge to find some clarity on depth and an insane idea of how we’re going to attempt this. A contraption reminding me of an oversized calliper stood at the edge with a rope running in the middle of its silver legs, stretching from the Landrover to a Ford Ranger parked on the other side of the gaping hole. Watching with interest, my fuddled mind refused to comprehend what we were about to do. My idea was more along the lines of abseiling down the side, but the truth of this specific cave becomes vivid when it is explained that the sides are too unstable. John works quietly to secure the rigging.

                By now the whole group was standing around to see what was happening. A deafening sound when metal hits metal tears through the quiet morning when John lets go of the rigged pulley and it abruptly stops in the middle of the hole. A few nervous giggles and immediate word mash up allows the more experienced cavers to pull the Mickey out of this situation. A few laughs later it is time to get serious. David is first. He threads the line into his stop, link his safety to the safety loop and lowers himself to the middle slowly by letting go of the rope leading to the Landrover. From there it is fairly easy. A few gear checks and then, after unlinking the safety, he descends and disappears from our view. Quiet, controlled and fairly quickly we get the ‘Rope Free’ call. Next one... And another... Somewhere in this moment I started to lose my nerve. All the what-ifs of a million scenarios simultaneously created a personal hell through which I had to find a way. I decided to jump at the opportunity to go down next.

                Standing at the edge, I took note of my surroundings. The wasteland around me seemed more friendly that this hole. The brown red soil had big holes and crevasses, probably from water in the raining season. It stretched down to what seemed to be a rock face. My eyes darted back a few leafless bushes surrounding the entrance.  A few encouraging words from behind became a soft whisper as the wind brushed past me. I turned to Steven, begging him to come with me. This was totally an impulse thing because I knew and understood it will be my journey into Armageddon and mine alone. I was shaking badly and asked him to lower me to the middle. I did my gear checks, unhooked my safety and slowly started my descent. My eyes stayed fixed on the edge.

                A green glow from below caught my attention. I looked down and Armageddon had me at that very first hello. Ferns were growing abundantly on the sheer cliffs. It seemed like a spirally edge, snaking lazily from the bottom towards the top, became the perfect place for them. I was awestruck. It was like walking into a rainforest with the coolness enveloping me and the fresh, earthy smell that filled my nostrils. The stream-like sound of running water comforted me into a state of tranquillity. Calm and at ease I finally made it to the bottom. The steep slope was not something I prepared for. What made it even worse was the loose gravel. Moving from one place to the next required some planning, but even that failed at some points when footing became bumming. I soon realised that this would be the norm for the rest of the day.

                The slope disappeared into utter darkness further down where a huge gap in the sinkhole wall awaited our somewhat careful entrance.  The very first chamber is impressive to say the least. The slope continues down and with a few intuitive moves and slides you make it down relatively easy. Going down the right side of the entrance has a few hidden obstacles. We came across quite a few off cuts of barbwire which would be easily avoided if the slope was not as slippery and rocky.  A few tyres also found their way down. The slope on the left side is a quick slide down, but I think you have to know it well enough to attempt it. Standing at the bottom and looking back, the slope could easily be 20m to30m high.

                Our first stop is the most amazing stalagmites, formed from magnesium. I’ve never had the privilege of being a witness to something this great. Shiny black and almost like flowstone, covering parts of the boulder. We moved on, climbing over huge boulders, watching every step because of loose rocks. It’s like this cave did everything possible to protect itself from peering eyes. The cave floor is strewn with razor sharp rocks and I have found many looking stable enough to step on, but waving arms and grasping at surrounding (just as loose rocks) to prevent a sure fall. The climbs are high, the slopes just as intimidating.

                At one point Rick triumphantly said something and everybody scrambled over the scattered rocks to get to him. I followed suit. It turned out to be Gerrie’s little lava lamp. The smoky white column of what seems to be a stalactite and the size of a litre bottle, stood upright on a huge boulder. It was found on the floor and placed there. Steven shone his light through it and revealed an amazing jewel. The top part was cobalt blue and bled into green at the lower parts. Irene asked if we could have a moment to eat and refresh before we continued.

                We were nearing the first pit. There was a rope rigged from one side of the gaping hole to the other on the right side, hugging the wall tightly. A small ledge, just big enough for one foot became our way of passing the hole. With a safety clipped onto the rope, one by one we moved past this obstacle. A few metres on and we were standing at the precipice of a 20m gap. Our way over would be via a pulley system and a rope, spanning from one side to the other. Obviously some of us had some self-convincing to do at this point. I for one has never done anything like this, but Rick guided us through this. After being linked up to the pulley you fall off the edge.  The rope slopes down and you climb hand over hand, pulling yourself over to the other side. I was not surprised to find another torturous slope and the ever present loose rocks on the other side. Luckily Steven and a few of the group were already on the other side and a few pulls assisted me up the little slope.

                Thinking that we’ve nailed it that thought evaporated at the sight of a 40m gap we have to cross next. A shiny silver cable dissipated into blackness as it gave safe passage to the other side. Standing on a pile of rocks, just as stable as the rest of this cave, you hook yourself up to the pulley and off you go. It turned out to be fun filled ride, but of short duration. Nearing the other side you have to turn your body and get your feet on the side to prevent a sure collision. A Few metres on you have to turn to the other side and do the same.   

                As we progressed, I could hear the anticipation in Rick’s voice of our next chamber. All he could say was “just wait, you’ll see”. You don’t see this chamber. You experience it. The first impression is something like a void. The size of this chamber nullifies any attempt to take it in all at once. You are brought to your knees and you become one with the darkness that surrounds you. Your light travels eons away and sees nothing. It’s in this moment that you truly experience the raw soul of Armageddon. In this vast chamber you find a way to yourself and realise that life just happened to you.

                We found a spot in the centre where most of the group already gathered. It was decided that this will be the turning point. Steven decided to push a little further. There is always more to see. I decided to follow, but Steven’s light disappeared quite quickly. Even though the floor seemed more walk friendly, I realised it was just another facade when my foot disappeared ankle depth into the soft soil. Your steps become light and with purpose. We pushed forward. We had a time limit we had to stick to and we wanted to get to the deepest part of this cave. Up steep slopes and down the other side. Another big, gaping hole made for easy stepping because if you catch a loose rock you might just end up at the bottom of it. I remember looking up at yet another slope and realised I have to come back this way again. I was at the verge of giving up, but decided to push on. The hard part about these slopes is that you can’t follow anyone. Every person going up changes the route and you have to find your own route up. It’s like an individual thing. Dig your toes in and crawl like a gecko. I’ve learned to use the palm of my hand to climb. Clawing with fingers is much more risky when it comes to the amount of loose rocks.

                This part of the cave is wet and clay covers most of the climbs. Truly inspiring when I think of what I’ve accomplished. We met Steven on our way as he was making his way back. He moves in these caves like a ghost. You see him and then he’s gone. I had a bit of a slip and fell. Rick was standing in a peculiar crack running through and exceptionally thick part of the mud. Might this be the beginning of something great? We were basically at the deepest part of the cave. A whopping 230m and with that thought lingering we had to turn back.

                Crossing the 3 pits weren’t as challenging as the first time. As we progressed towards the entrance the group got away from me and Rick. We stopped to have a look at the site that gave essence to being in the oldest cave in the world.
                The walls are made up of rows and rows of shelves neatly on top of one another.  Pressed between these shelves is the history of earth, written in the strange formations of degenerating dolomite, slowly turning to dust. It’s like an old forgotten library, with mystical secrets and phenomenal revelations. A small section of this cave, easily overlooked because of focussed climbing, is one such place. The walls are covered in a white, bubbly kind of formation. Rick was kind enough to stop here and explain the absolute significance of this particular spot. It is evident that the dolomite layer was heated rapidly and turned to liquid. The cooling process was also fast and left an ancient message cast in stone. Armageddon, millions of years back. It is at this very spot that the dating for this cave was done. We were standing at a holy place of history. A glimpse of a world, crippled and regenerating into a home for us and that fact had me humbled. I could only stare in silence as words were as evasive as the roof of this magnificent place.

                We also found a speleothem dating back to the start of life on earth. Shaped like a broken shell, it holds the truth of life’s intent in the hard, rocky formation. All you can do is staring in wonder of all the wisdom that is locked away in this seemingly uninteresting piece of rock. It is unimaginable to comprehend the time gone by before modern life has touched it.

                We made it into the sinkhole and the final journey up the rope sent a last few shivers down my spine. Steven was almost at the top when we arrived and we patiently awaited our turn. We used the time to refresh and rest. Climbing the rope was tiring, to say the least. Dusk was the call of nature to some bats to come out, joining the comedy of working my way up the rope. Like Gerrie says: “One does not simply SRT up Armageddon’s sinkhole”.    

Karin Human

Monday 24 August 2015

Armageddon Cave - 29 August

Hi everyone,
Finally a trip back to Armageddon!
The trip is for members only, who are SRT proficient. There are only four spare SRT kits available if you don't have your own. So first come first serve. Also there won't be a winching system, so you will have to climb the 50 meters out of the cave or stay down there permanenently.
Trips to Armageddon are often 8 hours or more inside the cave, so make sure you have enough food, water and battery power.

Meet at 08:10 at the corner of the N12 and R28 on Saturday the 29th of August.
John Dickie is organizing the trip, so if you want to join or need any kit phone him at 073 985 8068

Saturday 22 August 2015

Mpumalanga Caving Sept 24th to 27th

Hi everyone,

The club is planning a trip over the long weekend in September, from the 24th to the 27th of September in Mpumalanga.

The caves will probably include Sudwala and Mbobo Mkhulu (one of the top mineralogical caves in the world) and others. The area really has some amazing caves.

The weekend is open to non-members.

The accommodation will most likely be rustic camping.

We need details of how many people are interested, but more importantly we need to organize permits to visit the areas, so if you are going Sharron needs scanned ID urgently!

We need these details by the end of August! So if you want to join the weekend please email Sharron at sharronre@mweb.co.za

Steven

Monday 17 August 2015

SEC Friday Night Caving 21 August - Westminster

Hi,

Meet at Oaktree Engen garage, off Hendrick Potgieter on N14 near Sterkfontein at 7.15pm.
Beginners and visitors welcome. Cost R50 day membership fee per person.
Wear comfortable old clothes; caving involves some climbing, crawling, squeezing. 
Let me know if you need a hardhat and headlight; bring 3 x AAA batteries. We will be caving for about 3 hours so bring water if you need to.
RSVP Selena 083 460 4828

Friday 14 August 2015

Chaos Writeup

By David Groenewald

This last weekend (8‐9 August 2015) saw 9 intrepid explorers descending down to Chaos cave for a weekend of caving fun. We met at the Engen garage on the corner of the R500 and R501 in Carletonville where some of us did some last minute shopping for odds and ends before driving out to the farm. The Group consisted of John, Selena, David, Noah, Natasha, Suegne, Stian, Steven and Irene.

John and Selena drove ahead to meet the farmer and get the keys. Once at the farm, we headed out to the fenced off sinkhole filled with bits of forgotten metal that is the entrance to the 4th largest cave in South Africa. A memorial plaque to Conrad Potgieter at the entrance served as a stark reminder that caving can be hazardous, and potentially fatal. Luckily that is rare, and we ventured forth.





The entry into the cave is down some steep bits of rock and a handline was rigged to aid in the descent. Once in the cave, you pass through a smallish gap and then skirt around to the top of the first of two abseils. The first is around 15m and the second a bit longer at about 25m. For a number of us in the group, it was our first time SRTing into a cave and was a fantastic experience, even if it was a bit scary. At the base of the first abseil, fellow cavers were clumped together on a steep slope of loose ground and scree and we had to be super careful not to knock down any rocks onto the person on the rope. In the meantime, we were also careful not to disturb the numerous bats that were hanging, on the roof above our heads. The second pitch went through a tighter spot than the first, but you had rock infront (and behind) you for more of the abseil than on the first pitch. A bit of manouvering and adjustment of my bag, and I was through and coming in to land. There is a recess at the base of the second pitch where the cavers at the bottom could wait for the others to descend, but were safe from any falling rocks.



And now, we were in a MASSIVE chamber. One in which everyone’s torches (except John’s) seemed wholly inadequate and your light just disappeared into the darkness to light up some feature way in the distance. The plan was to head down to Saharah, on the lower level, but finding the way down was a bit trickier than expected. Nonetheless, we went through chambers and corridors lined with incredible flowstones, crystals, columns, pillars and pools of water. We finally found a way down to Saharah through Metro Station and went past Shrimp Pool, where some small shrimp‐like critters could be seen swimming amongst floating calcite in turquoise coloured pools. We also saw some of the impressive sounding, but visually not so impressive volcano formations before having lunch.


No caving trip can be complete without the piles of bat guano and thousands of spiders, and finding a lunch spot took some of us a wee bit longer than others as a result of either trying to find a spot devoid of spiders, or just through spending time observing them. We headed out of Saharah towards the upper level and the surface via a boulder‐choked scramble, being super careful to avoid tumbling down the slope along with the many loose rocks. We then climbed up a flowstone lined passage, enthralled by the many awesome formations we were moving past as we climbed up. Once again a handline was set up to get over some of the steeper bits.

We headed back to the ropes and the SRT mission to get to the surface began. Steven, John, Noah and myself headed down to the canyon to have a quick squiz. Upon returning to the ropes, we discovered Selena hanging around with a jammed chest kroll. It took a few minutes, but Noah, Joh and Steven managed to sort it out and she was able to descend to rest before attempting the climb again. The SRT out was tiring, but was merely the final bit on a good days caving.

Back on the surface, we cleaned off the dirt as best as we could and then drove to the hut where we pitched tents, lit the braai and John set up his famous Keg. John and Selena pulled out some champagne and we discovered that it was Selenas birthday!

On Sunday morning, Steven and Irene left, both feeling a bit under the weather and it was decided that we would head back in the afternoon since we had not got access to Crystal Cave. It was only after they had driven away and the dust had settled that we realized tha nice big laminated survey of the cave had hitched a ride with them. Luckily John had a smaller copy, even if it was unlaminated.

Dave Ingold joined the group as we once more descended into Chaos. We went and explored Decorated Passage, awestruck once again by the towering columns, hanging stalactites and glittery walls of white‐washed wonder. Noah and myself ended up doing some further exploring, crawling, squeezing and digging our way along some narrow tunnels after having climbed up a couple of tricky sections of flowstone. Unfortunately the many passages we tried all led to dead ends and we had to turn back, dirty and sweaty but satisfied.






We then headed back to the rope and Dave began to head out due to his torch battery beginning to give in, followed shortly afterwards by Selena. The rest of us headed off into the canyon in search of the mythical Maypole that was apparently left in the cave over 20 years ago. We didn’t find the maypole, but did see floating calcite pool and had fun exploring numerous passages and holes, climbing up and through arches to look down upon clear blue water below. Stian and I ended the caving trip off with a refreshing swim at the bottom of the cave before heading back to the rope and the surface. The SRT out was better the second time round and we all made it out safely to the sunshine above.

Thanks to Selena and John Dickie, Steven Tucker, Irene Krüger, Noah Hobbs, Natasha van der Nest, Suegne Botha, Stian Steyn adn Dave Ingold for a great weekend! Until next time...

Wednesday 29 July 2015

Crystal and Chaos Weekend

Hi everyone,

On the weekend of the 8th to 10th of August we are going to Crystal and Chaos caves! These are two caves not to be missed as they are the third and fourth largest caves in Southern Africa and are just stunning.

The trip is for members only and you have to be SRT proficient. If you don't have your own gear (Stop or Rack as abseil device), then space is limited as the club only has 5 spare SRT kits... so first come first serve...

We will meet at 08:30 at the garage at the crossing of the R500 and R501 in Carletonville.  26°22'22.90"S -  27°24'23.86"E.
We need to leave there at 08:40 at the latest to meet the landowner, so please don't be late.
The landowner will open the gate on Saturday morning and open it once more when we leave early on Monday afternoon. For the rest of the weekend the gate will stay closed!

For accommodation you can either camp or stay in a very old farmhouse. The farmhouse has a few beds and old  mattrasses.
For everything else you need to be self sufficient. That means there is no water, electricity or toilets and no shops etc. So bring everything you need for the weekend including a lot of batteries and warm clothes.

If you want to join the trip, phone John Dickie at 073 985 8068. You have to confirm with John, especially if you need any gear!

See you there for this awesome weekend of caving!

Steven

Sunday 26 July 2015

Batcave, evening of 24 July 2015 - By Jannus van der Walt

I was under the impression that Batcave will be a dry-cave, but this was not the case…. Actually the 200m walk from the garage where we parked to the entrance through pouring rain, was the wet part… the cave dry and warm.

As I have never visited this cave, I joined Gerry Pretorius and 5 other cavers to this magical place. Yes, that was my expectation from read-ups and other’s comments, and they were not wrong. Batcave officially became my new favourite cave to explore. A combination of big caverns, long wide passages you can walk and explore, narrow passages requiring you to eat dirt, together with climbs and drops requiring you to hang on for dear life…not to mention a very exciting fixed steel-cable ladder – a cave that provides something for all enthusiasts!

With the group being pretty small (7 in total) we had to opportunity to explore all over the cave. Some nice crawls and slides as well as spectacular rock formations and a huge wall with flowstone formations left us with some spectacular images from the cave.  Batcave is however one of those caves where you will do quite a bit of squeezing and crawling. I will therefore advise for you to leave the backpacks at the entrance as this will hinder you with your progress through these spectacular passages.

Batcave did not disappoint and I cannot wait to go back and explore even more of this magical place!
Thanks to Gerrie Pretorius, Hani Williams, David Groenewald, and the other 3 gentleman of which I cannot remember their names at this point, apologies. Till the next adventure….

Hidden Cave – July 2015 - By: Karin Human

A cataclysmic event almost two billion years ago, the Vredefort Asteroid, gave birth to some of the greatest places we can explore today. Whether big or small, caves give us a glimpse of our planet’s history and on some occasions, unexpected treasures defining our meagre existence.
Hidden Cave is one such place. Whilst getting ready for our journey into the dark unknown, my eyes swept over the boundless grasslands surrounding us. Here, a few metres under our feet, a maze of crannies and nooks awaited our somewhat eager exploration. A few clouds lazily moved about in the blue sky and an exceptionally cold wind made us anxious to get underground.

A bowl-like area surrounded with wild trees, courtesy of the resident bats, and a few dolomite boulders masks the small crevice giving access to the cave. A flexuous route follows, creating a decent dust cloud as bodies twist and turn to get through some of the restrictions. The soft sand covering the cave floor in the last corridor made for an easy crawl-through and with one last body-twisting curb we landed on a very accommodating ledge.

Steven was already working on proper anchor points for the cave ladder. Peeking over the ledge the cave wall disappeared into darkness. On the opposite side a small winding corridor loomed an alternative. Dave Ingold encouraged the group to attempt getting to the chamber beneath via that route. A tight squeeze and short climb would see us down there. Suegne, Natasha and Stian opted to try and subsequently succeeded. The ladder became the rest of the group’s option. Snaking down, the silver glowing cable dissipated into darkness. The narrowness of the ladder really only sinks in when you’re working your way down. And by saying that, I really mean working your way down. The slit becomes a bit limiting and you have to twist sideways to get past a small ledge. When the free-hanging ladder gets under the roof of the chamber, it yanks in all directions to counteract your weight and movement.

Finally down and waiting to regroup in the chamber, we used the time to explore the cave floor. Some bones were found and upon questioning the possibilities of how it got there, Steven was ready with an answer. During the summer rains it gets washed in. The interesting bit was that seeds also get washed in and actually sprout in the fertile soil being found here. Sadly they die soon after this because of obvious reasons. The imagery of a newly sprouted garden deep in a cave is something one should truly experience. It brought to mind that life lessons are always at our disposal, even here in a world always cloaked in darkness.

The climb down progressed slowly. Lots of loose rocks made for careful stepping. We found a bat all by itself glued to a rock face on one of the descending climbs. His little body was cosily enfolded in its wings and you could see him breathing as his body heaved at almost lightning speed. To me it was a precious moment of being there in his space, his world, his time for a few seconds.

The stalactites were really interesting at this point. Growing high on the roof, blade-like formations enfolded one another to create flowery-cone like structures. Calcite on the walls and some droppings on boulders exhibited nature’s profound ability to create amazing art.

Steven disappeared in small slit in the floor and within seconds his light was gone. We patiently waited our turn to go down this worm hole and due to the danger of rock falls, only one at a time was allowed. It turned out to be a short, body shovelling, twist and turn and you ended upon a very small ledge with what seemed to me at that point, a sheer wall of shiny black manganese in my way of reaching the next chamber. Staring at it in disbelieve I didn’t even notice Steven sitting right across from me in a small cavity. He talked me through getting hand and foot holds and encouraged me to climb down. After what felt like a life time I was standing in the chamber below. It’s in moments like this that I know we grow a bit by doing stuff we deemed impossible. It wasn’t as sheer as my mind told me and really not as high as it seemed. My first ever free climb went really well.

Another wait for regrouping gave us a chance to look around. Stian found the perfect position to sit and a huge boulder became our vantage point. Pity our lights were about to give up, but David’s light was revealing some amazing stuff. A steep slope led to Stalactite Garden. The roof was high and more stalactites resulted in us staring in wonder. Steven eventually joined us after assisting most on the climb down. A pair of fresh batteries for our lights and we were ready to move on.

Stalactite garden turned out to be a garden of awe. Multi coloured stalactites were decorating the low ceiling in astonishing ways. New stalactites grow in all directions. Some have little horizontal branches growing from them. Some are twisty while others formed little rings over time. In between all of this, thin straw stalactites also found some space to grow. Over time they will also form incredible structures like the older ones surrounding them. Being human and wanting to use all our senses to experience beauty like this, it’s hard not to reach out and touch, but this will mean a sure death of wherever our finger prints remain. Moving carefully on a slightly sloped rock floor, we reach the end of stalactite garden and another slit gives entry to the final chamber.

The prized Waikiki Dancers patiently awaited us and instilled quiet wonder as we circled it in an almost holy moment. This cave was once a water cave and these speleothemes were once cone shaped. When the water disappeared from the cave, they slowly started deteriorating and water dripping from the stalactites on them assisted in this process. Because of the aforementioned, most of them are hollow. The caramel coloured dust surrounding them is evident of their breakdown. Two perfect holes in the dust on the far side was also the work of water dripping, although it looks like someone stuck their fingers into it. Would love to see what grows out of that, but I assume none of us will be around that long. One of the Waikiki Dancers has managed to form a hat-like structure at the top and from the right vantage point seemed like the sculpture of someone standing with their hands behind their back.



Another five metres down and we were at the back of the cave. Halfway up the slope we found a really small opening and whilst joking and daring one another to a sheer display of guts, Natasha walked up and decided to attempt a squeeze through to see what is on the other side. The slit was so small she had to remove her helmet. Needless to say, it went nowhere and just became smaller as she progressed. A few wiggles further and she gave us the thumbs down. Suegne had to pull on her legs to assist on getting out. We had some serious explorers in this group and it was really inspiring to watch as they eagerly moved forward. Dave told us the opening to the chamber we so badly believed were there and wanted to see was just around the corner. An obvious joke as it turned out to be just another opening going into the slit Natasha tried squeezing through. Alas, there might be a chamber, but it remains hidden, like this cave, for this moment.
    
We decided to switch of all our lights to experience the cave on its own terms. As the lights went off one by one and at random, shadows merged as darkness grows. The first minute or so everyone was quiet as we sat in a big half circle with the Waikiki Dancers being centre. Everything felt vast, unreachable. It was as if existence ceased in that moment and nestled within one self, a move closer to greatness. We talked, joked around and had some advice regarding climbing in caves and caves in general while enveloped in darkness. The information was sound and the decision was made from my side. This is by far the best place to learn and gain experience in caving. Steven, Dave and Allen have an obvious passion for what they do and don’t mind sharing their knowledge. Hidden Cave was an exceptional experience, covering a lot of skills needed for caving and still has a lot more to offer to those who need to feed their hunger for knowledge and experience.

Upon exiting, a herd of cattle was grazing not far from where we parked our vehicles. The stark sunlight blinded us for a moment and the wind still raced though the long, yellow-brown grass with a serious note of chill accompanying it. Smiles were abundant and a nice cup of coffee from Allen and his wife completed a perfect symmetry.

Tuesday 21 July 2015

Hidden Cave - 25th July

Hi everyone,

I am organizing a trip to Hidden Cave on Saturday the 25th of July.

Visitors are welcome to join, if it's your first time check this link:
http://www.sec-caving.co.za/p/new-cavers.html

Meeting at 08:30 at the corner of the N14 and R500.

Planning on going to search for Termite City, which evaded me in February and then for the adventurous, we could try and fit through Squeezeball.

Please let me know whether you are joining the trip and whether you need any gear. Sms 072 298 9861 or email sjtucker135@gmail.com

See you Saturday:

Steven 

Monday 13 July 2015

Climber's Cave - 12 July 2015 - By Georg Laing



On Sunday the 12th of July we visited Climber’s Cave, one of the more appropriately named caves. Our always patient and very experienced guide Steven, along with members Pedro and Hani, were joined by soon-to-be member Georg (that’s me!) and three very enthusiastic visitors: Stian, Suegne and Natasha. 

One of the unsung joys of caving is experiencing it through the eyes of people from very diverse backgrounds. There’s something about crawling and climbing (and slipping and falling and rolling) that reveals hidden recesses of the human spirit that are otherwise obscured by the comfort of every day life. It’s difficult to emerge from a pit of utter darkness not knowing yourself a little bit better.
Pedro was on a mission to discover the cave’s hidden treasures (a secret which we will keep under wraps for now), so we left him near the entrance. The six of us journeyed onwards (or rather downwards), finding the drops bewildering but also exhilirating. We had the added burden of carrying bags containing caving ladders and other gear that tested our muscle and teamworking skills (something I think we passed with flying colours). 

It was at around the sixty meter level that we came to the realisation that going down was the easy part. An arduous climb was in store for us on our way back, a fact we quickly forgot though as we entered the longest and most exhausting crawl that most of us have done so far. Not to mention muddy and spider-infested! (It is a cave after all). At this point, Steven calmly informed us that any rain outside would flood the crawl space and we would be trapped on the other side (if we were lucky) until it abated. Thank you Steven.

Hani unfortunately could not join us for the entire crawl, as she was waylaid by an eight-legged menace. The rest of us pushed (and in one case quite literally rolled!) onwards. On the other side of the almost infinite crawl, another twenty meters of drop awaited us. Beyond this drop was the first descent that could not be done without the aid of a caving ladder. Putting our very lives in Steven’s hands, we helped him set up the first ladder.

Halfway down the ladder a very tight squeeze welcomed us. It was here that I discovered my buns of steel (#wishfulthinking) would not allow me to progress deeper into the cave. Dejected, I held watch over the ladder anchors while the others continued.

There was still about twenty meters of descent left, and the next drop required two adjoined ladders to climb. Beyond this, with no ladders left, the remaining four slid down a drop with practically no grip, into the final chamber where they reached the water table. Steven and Stian tested the waters, but wisely decided that it was probably not a good idea to venture deeper than shoulder height.
And thus began the long trek upwards. Fortunately Hani and I did not have to worm our way up that first ascent by wedging ourselves between walls. Exhausted as we were from that first forty meter climb, the crawl-from-hell did not offer any respite (on the contrary!) and we experimented with new ways of dragging ourselves and our bags through (except for our friend who once again rolled right through). On the other side a surprisingly sane Hani welcomed us. But we were still sixty meters below, covered in scrapes, bumps and muscles on the verge of striking.

How we finished that last sixty meters, I do not know. The climbs looked a lot more precipitous going up, and at times seemed insurmountable. However, courage and teamwork prevailed. The sunlight was a welcome sight and we were back in time to catch up with Pedro, who gave us a short talk on the local geology.

Naturally, Steven made Climber’s Cave look like a walk in the park, but for those of us who are still highly inexperienced cavers, it was a gruelling but thoroughly enjoyable challenge.
Thanks to Steven for taking us down (and more importantly, returning us) safely and for an all-round wonderful experience!