Climber's Cave - 12 July

Hi everyone,

So plans have changed for Sunday.
The trip will be to Climber's Cave. As the name suggests there will be a lot of climbing and a crawl or two.

The trip is open to visitors. For details of what you need to bring as a visitor or if you are new to caving go and look at: http://www.sec-caving.co.za/p/new-cavers.html

We are meeting at the corner of the N14 and R500 at 8 to leave at 08:15 at the latest. 26°11'10.22"S - 27°26'27.37"E

Braai afterwards, so bring what you need for that.

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

See you Sunday.

Steven 

Other upcoming trips:

• 7th – 9th August: Chaos and Crystal caves – SRT members only, John Dickie
• 24th – 27th September: Mbobo Mkhulu and other caves – visitors welcome, Sharron Reynolds (Let Sharron know before the end of July whether you are joining this trip)
• 13th September: Nick’s cave – visitors if willing to SRT, Peter Kenyon
• 9th - 11th October: Charnel House and Dustbowl caves – visitors welcome, Sharron Reynolds
• 8th November: Apocalypse – members only, John Dickie
• 13th December: Armageddon – members only, John Dickie

SEC Friday Night Caving, 10 July, 7.30pm; Westminster

Meet at Oaktree Engen garage, Sterkfontein.

 

Beginners and visitors welcome;  R50 day membership fee; we will cave for about 3 hours so bring sustenance if you need, let me know if you need a hardhat and headlight; bring 3 x AAA batteries; wear comfortable old clothes.

 

RSVP Selena 083 460 4828

September 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 we need Names, ID Numbers, email addresses and car make and number plates.

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

Steven

Yomtov, Rooikat and Mirkwood Caves - 28 June

Hi everyone,

Unfortunately the trip to NH3 could not be organized for this Sunday.

Instead we are going to Yomtov cave and possibly Rooikat and Mirkwood caves as well. Expect to get a bit wet in Yomtov. Even though it's wet and it's winter it's still a lot of fun and not too cold, promise!

The trip is open to visitors.

So meet at 08:30 at Oak Tree Garage - 26°02'07"S 27°44'18"E.

The trip will be about 3 or 4 hours and there will be a braai afterwards, so bring a chair, drinks and food.
I will bring a rope and harness if someone wants to play in the tree after the trip.

If it's your first caving trip, then go and have a look at:
http://www.sec-caving.co.za/p/new-cavers.html
Basically a R50 day membership fee for visitors.
Bring your own lights, and if you can't then bring 3 x AAA batteries.
Old long sleeve clothing and closed shoes are a must.
Bring a helmet if you can.

If you are joining the trip let me know, email and sms works better as I often don't have signal. Also let me know if you need any gear.

Steven
072 298 9861
sjtucker135@gmail.com

June long weekend caving trips

Hi everyone,

 

Lots of caving coming up this weekend and all trips are open to visitors!

See below for dates and times and who to contact to RSVP. Also let them know if you need any equipment. 

 

Friday night caving, Westminster – 12 June, 7pm – Selena Dickie 083 460 4828

Sunday caving, Scramblers – 14 June, 9am – John Dickie 073 985 8068

Monday night caving, Bats  – 15 June, 7pm – Sharron Reynolds 082 553 5258

 

Meet at Oaktree garage on N14 near Sterkfontein Cave.

Wear old comfortable clothes, best is one piece overall with sleeves.   

A trip will typically be around 3 to 4 hours.

You need a hardhat and lights and a good pair of shoes.

If you need a hardhat and light, let the meetleader know, but bring 3 x AAA batteries.

R50 day membership fee.

 

Enjoy the weekend,

 

Steven

Meetlist 2015

Hi everyone,

Below is the meetlist for the rest of 2015.
These are planned trips and whilst the dates will most likely stay as planned, the caves visited can change based on whether access can be arranged.
Final details for trips will be posted closer to the relevant dates.

Meetlist 2015

12^th June: Rising Star cave – visitors welcome, Sharron Reynolds
14^th June: Scrambler cave – visitors welcome, John Dickie
15^th June: Bat cave – visitors welcome, Sharron Reynolds
28^th June: NH3 cave – members only, Andre Grove
12^th July: Picnic Pot and Quartz cave– visitors welcome, Steven Tucker
7^th – 9^th August: Chaos and Crystal caves – SRT members only, John Dickie
24^th – 27^th September: Mbobo Mkhulu and other caves – visitors welcome, Sharron Reynolds
13^th September: Nick’s cave – visitors if willing to SRT, Peter Kenyon
9^th - 11^th October: Charnel House and Dustbowl caves – visitors welcome, Sharron Reynolds
8^th November: Apocalypse – members only, John Dickie

13^th December: Armageddon – members only, John Dickie

Caving Gobholo, Swaziland 2 - 7 April 2015

A fantastic caving weekend at Gobholo in Swaziland with cavers Steven, Sharron, John, Selena, Terence, Elize; friends and ESSA members Leon, Iris, Andrew, Gaelle, Frano and Salome.  The cave is situated at the end of a lovely 3km hike through plantation and indigenous forest.  The first day was a recce with cavers and Leon braving his way into a cave and owner of Swazi trails Darren.  The second day was an attempt at finding and surveying a new route but the passages turned out to be marked already.  The third day we found a new route and surveyed it adding 220m to the existing map, pushing Gobholo up from the 9th to the 8th largest granite cave in the world and only a short bit behind 7th and 6th place.  The fourth day Steven, John and Selena returned to that route hoping to push it further after rigging a rope ladder going down a tight squeeze but found that it came to an end.  Sharron, Leon and Gaelle spent a day exploring at ground level looking for potential holes along the route the underground group had gone.

 

Caving at Gobholo is best described as “underground bouldering” and the routes underground are a maze.  The cave was the 9th longest granite cave in the world, but after the additional section found this weekend, it is now the 8th longest.  The good news is that there is still more to be explored;  we saw the potential but we ran out of time.

 

Thank you to everyone who came on this trip and made it a wonderful long weekend of exploration and fun.  Thank you Sharron for organising it and the excellent catering.

 

Selena Dickie