Acronyms:

R = right; L = left;

p = pitch (e.g., p30 = 30m pitch)

c = climb (e.g., c10 = 10m climb)

N = north, S = south, E = east, W = west

QM or ? = question mark meaning an open, unexplored lead

PT = point marked on survey

Bold text indicates passage / series names.

The main route is described in normal text and side passages / oxbows are described in italics.

Homecoming is a significant cave found in 2018 on the western edge of our area. This is the first cave that breaks into complex and extensive horizontal passage that we have explored so far out onto the Loser Plateau. The entrance is in a gully with thick vegetation on either side. It is an obvious, open pit with a snow plug in the bottom.

Entrance series

The entrance pitch (p5) drop onto a snow plug. Heading downslope leads to a stance on jammed boulders. A p4 drops onto a narrow ledge which is traversed for a short distance to the head of a p7 which lands on a second snow plug. (The p4 is very wet if it is raining on the surface but it would not be hazardous to exit the cave in these conditions, just unpleasant.)

From the bottom of the second snow plug a short, draughting crawl over boulders leads directly to two more pitches, a p5 then immediately a p10. Below here a short wriggle through boulders on the L side of the passage leads to a short section of rift passage ending at a p3 to a ledge. The ledge looks out over a large chamber with jammed boulders in the roof directly opposite the ledge. (There may be passage leading off from these jammed boulders, QMB - unclear if this QM remains). The p30 from this ledge to the boulder floor of the chamber is Radagast.

5m below the top of Radagast it is possible to swing into a series of small phreatic tubes and immature vadose shafts trending SW at point PT01 and leading past PT02. This leads to a pitch series, Welsh Engineering, which, in 2024, was eventually connected to Hobnob Hallway via the Eye of Sauron. This therefore provides an alternate entrance series. However, in 2024 it was flood prone and the rigging caused problems and would need considerable effort to make safe so it may not be revisited despite the survey not being connected in or completed.

From the bottom of Radagast a traverse on the L along a bedrock ledge with jammed boulders leads to a p5. Here the route narrows to a meander which is followed as close to the roof as possible to a point where the floor opens out and there is a short traverse that drops to a boulder-floored aven chamber. Downslope in this chamber chokes; the way on is an up pitch onto another boulder floor, from which a tall meander leads off (Definitely not the Dachstein).

Definitely not the Dachstein leads (via a number of traverses, two short pitches down and one short pitch up in 2019; extensively rerigged in 2023; problems with this new rig and loose boulders in 2024) to the top of Wallace (p30). This drops down to the base of a large meander then lands on a ledge. From the ledge, two short hangs lead to a very exposed stance below which the continuing meander bells out into a large free hanging rift pitch, Grommit (p55). Traversing S along the walls of Grommit is likely to gain entry to the upstream continuation of The Second Coming; this is QMA 2019-12A). .

Around 10m from the base of Grommit pitch it is possible to swing onto a ledge on the W wall (this is awkward to rig; the easiest option is to descend to the base of the pitch and climb up the wall protected with jammers on the pitch rope). Traversing along the ledge leads to an abandoned meander with a very strong outward draught. A short p5 down at PT03, at the far end of the traverse, drops down to the start of The Second Coming, described next, whilst a p8 up from just beyond PT03 leads to a small phreatic tube on the R which is the start of Propane Nightmares, see below.

Continuing to the bottom of Grommit lands on a rock floor with a vadose trench and a stream in the bottom. This leads via a p10 to a short series of narrow tubes which end in tight sumps and chokes.

The Second Coming

The Second Coming starts below the p5 N of PT03 (which is at the end of the traverse from the Entrance Series). The passage continues as a very draughty phreatic tube with a vadose trench to quickly reach a junction at PT04. (Heading L at this junction leads to Hobnob Hallway (described separately below). Continuing directly NE along The Second Coming the passage immediately passes a small L passage (this immediately goes to a junction. Here, L oxbows down Kitkat Connection and immediately back to Hobnob Hallway whilst R goes to a passage which soon connects back in to The Second Coming at PT05). After a further section of straight, high rift to the NE it quickly reaches a junction at PT05 with a large, abandoned meander. Dropping down 3m to the floor here and heading back L goes SW. The roof gradually lowers - soon passing a junction on the L that goes to Kitkat Connection - until a high aven with a flowstone floor is reached. Beyond this aven a short section of passage leads to a series of holes that may still be QMs after 2024 (2018-10C, 2018-11B, 2018-11A. Continuing SW this passage, Cawodydd Cachlyd leads via a 15m drop to a further connection at the bottom of Papsi Passage in Hobnob Hallway with several unexplored avens in the connection area.

From PT05, drop down 3m (handline from bolts helpful but do not use any further bolts for unnecessary traverse, see below) to the base of the canyon and head ‘upstream’ (though there is not always any water flowing). Sideways walking along the meandering canyon soon reaches an area of boulder collapse (ignore the unnecessary traverse that used to be rigged 4m above the canyon as far as the boulder collapse). Climb under the boulders and then climb up into a traverse, Wilfully Endangering Lives that goes above the meander below to a junction at PT06 ; it is also possible to continue along the bottom of the meander although the passage is narrow. At PT06 a phreatic tube on the L comes in at the height you are now traversing, around 8m above the floor of the meander. (If you instead reached PT06 along the base of the meander you can continue along the meander from here by turning sharp right at PT06 and then left, passing a number of pools and sections of crawling to reach a large pool across the entire passage. This pool (or perhaps sump) has not yet been crossed. Alternatively, this pool can easily be reached by climbing 5m down from the usual Wilfully Endangering Lives traverse route at PT08, see below .

From the end of the Wilfully Endangering Lives traverse at PT06, enter the phreatic tube. This passes through several stooping sections and a well decorated canyon with pools (traverse rope needed for one pool to ensure dry wellies). It also passes some open leads in the roof and wall including ?2018-9A at PT07, and there may also be a loop here that needs surveying (the whole meander of The Second Coming needs resurveying). This route eventually reaches a hole in the floor at PT08. This is the top of a free-climbable 5m drop down to a deep pool or sump (?2018-8A) which can also be reached by caving from PT05 at the base of the meander. Crossing this hole and, immediately, a second hole (the latter using a strenuous traverse on the left wall) reaches some jammed boulders about 5m E of PT08. From here the passage continues as a pleasant but very draughty canyon. (At PT09, at the first corner, there is a climb down on the L into a passage which is presumed to be the continuation of the lower level passage. This QM B, ?2018-7B, has not been surveyed but there is a wide pool and it may have been explored further in 2024.

Continuing past this junction at PT09, the passage becomes maze-like and needs fully surveying, this is Swiss Cheese. It eventually ends at a deep, draughty rift. Crossing the meander at the far end of Swiss Cheese arrives at PT10 at the start of a deep, draughty rift. This can be traversed at roof level for about 40m though it needs properly anchoring to make it safe. This terminates in a Y-hang leading to another poorly anchored, roof-level traverse. Following this for 13m leads to the pitch head for Salamander Queen. From this point The Second Coming has only been explored down a series of pitches although there are probably many other leads. Unfortunately, these have not been properly documented.

Salamander Queen is a p30 which is best rigged as a 3-bolt hang. The rigging below here is both poor and confusing but it will eventually pass between 2 and 3 re-belays before reaching the floor of Salamander Queen at PT11. This is in a large canyon with a sump and two or more waterfalls at the southern side which can be easily freeclimbed (the second of which may require a rope to descend). This is expected to lead south or perhaps south west towards Swiss Cheese. This whole area has no survey, just a centreline, and needs fully resurveying.

From this point it is not clear how the description relates to the survey given that only the final section has a drawn up survey. The centreline shows a p40 where PT12 is marked on the survey and a p70 where PT13 is marked but it is not clear how these 2 pitches relate to the following description.

Heading north from PT11 leads to a high-level traverse for 20m to another pitch-head. Descending this leads to a 1-bolt wonder in good rock and then to a Y-hang which is descended to another traverse. The deviation MUST be used to prevent catastrophic rope rub. At the end of the traverse there is a brief section of walking passage then a further traverse which terminates at a pitch-head with rope rub.This can be descended to a Y-hang which MUST have a rope-protector placed to prevent concerning rope rub. Bottoming this chamber leads to a small calcified aven and small stream at the south side and a large, clean washed, aven at the north. The northern aven can be descended into via a 1-bolt wonder (about 7m) and leads to a high-level, clean-washed rift traverse which quickly opens over a very large chamber (maybe 20m wide, very long and something like 40m+ deep. This may be part of the same rift system seen at the end of Brief Respite and connects back towards Watershed as a hydrological connection at minimum). Continuing in the traverse leads to a phreatic tube on the left, Brief Respite. This is easy stomping passage with a few small waterfalls. After about 80m the passage constricts and leads to an airy traverse over a huge chamber where a distant waterfall can be heard. A Y-hang is in place to drop the chamber. The chamber is expected to be around 50m+ deep.

Hobnob Hallway to Lassitude Canyon

This description needs checking. It omits the short pitches / handlines en route to Goose Box and mentions leads that have likely been eliminated.

Heading L at the first junction along The Second Coming at PT04 leads to Hobnob Hallway. This starts as a sand floored phreatic passage. A short distance along a hole in the floor leads N to Kit Kat connection which loops back to The Second Coming in two places and to further along Hobnob Hallway. Continuing, a fine false floor crosses a small stream, not explored (perhaps too tight?). A small sandy slope leads down to a canyon on the R, with a phreatic passage at the top. A short way along this phreas, Phil Lynn’s Concert Hall, a small chamber, is reached. From here a scramble up loose boulders on the R leads to a chamber whilst a hole to the R (check this, it looks like it is on the L / south) leads to Dead Bat Dead End. Beyond the chamber the canyon continues. A small passage can be followed to another junction, returning to the canyon. To the R is unsurveyed, but the L continues along a phreatic named Papsi Passage, with the canyon in the floor. Occasional smaller (barely body sized) phreatics break off from this and at PT14 Cawodydd Cachlyd in The Second Coming enters from below. Eventually the canyon is lost, and the phreatic continues. A further junction is reached at PT15. To the R here Papsi Passage continues as phreatic until it reaches a canyon. There may still be leads (?2018-24A and 2018-23B) remaining here. To the L at PT15 leads down Dead Flies Passage.

Dead Flies Passage leads to small climb down at PT16. An inlet on the left here leads up steeply and ends in a QM C that would need climbing to progress. Ahead, the passage becomes too tight but a small passage on the right leads to a steeply descending crawl that pops out onto a 12m pitch. This lands in a small chamber with a pool and a canyon leading off. A short distance beyond is Goose Box, a broken p50 consisting of a 10m drop then a 40m drop.

Goose Box pitch lands in a loud, active streamway that takes considerable water in flood conditions, most of it entering from a waterfall on the right. The water exits east in a canyon and soon reaches an undescended p6 with an open QM A beyond. In 2023 the start of this canyon was traversed on bolts in the roof for a short distance beyond the p6 but progress was slow. Continuing at this level would be a QMC

Propane Nightmares to Strained by Gravity

At the end of the entrance series described above, just beyond PT03, a p8 leads up to a small phreatic tube on the R (before PT04) which is the start of Propane Nightmares. Initially this is a stooping phreatic tube formed on a fault plane heading E. (Around 10m from the start of the passage a narrow canyon leads up on the R and then heads steeply down towards the sound of a waterfall. This ends in a steep slope which the survey suggests connects with Grommit). The main passage goes up a c8 with a handline which is immediately followed by a p12 down. Continuing east soon reaches a three-way junction at PT21, in a confusing, mazy area. The usual route is to go right to a second junction, where right again leads the the top of a p5 down. Just before PT21 a tube high on the right leads to a passage which emerges above and opposite the p5 after a few metres of crawling.

At PT21, if you instead turned left at the junction then keep left at a second junction (right here loops you back to the bottom of the p5 described earlier; this route thus bypasses the p5 but it is not recommended as falling into the static sump would likely be fatal) you reach a steeply descending phreas with a squeeze to a steep sided static sump. A 12m traverse line over the static sump leads to a phreatic tube that pops out at the basin of Heifer. From here, a p5 climb up then a p7 up takes you into a rift. Beneath (behind you?) the rift is the Great Heifer, a now superfluous bolt climb. (The previoius and following section does not fit with the survey - is it describing the superceded bolt climb? "This is a very awkward traverse to climb into. This traverse then continues for 20m"). There is then a deviated p15 that drops you down into the Cow Trough, a large, static sump. Traverse over this sump to a small rift that continues for about 20 meters. To the right is a QMC bolt climb into a rift. This is not marked on the survey.The passage continues as a low, difficult traverse over a pool. This can be drained slightly by digging. The passage opens up on the other side to a tall rift which continues to Cowlick Aven. This is a large aven with some pheatic leads going onwards and a large aven in the roof that discharges bunde. A large passage goes upwards to the right requiring a bolt climb to enter.

From the bottom of the p5 that follows soon after PT21, the passage develops a deep trench in the floor so a traverse line is needed and soon leads to an obvious T junction at PT22.

To the R at the T junction at PT22 leads to a splashy aven and the head of an immature canyon, a QM ?2019-3C. The pitch in the floor at PT22, Simple Pleasures, drops into a small chamber which leads quickly into a larger chamber, Cupids Cavern. This has a streamway rift in the floor entering from the right with water entering from an aven. This rift on the right is a QMC, possibly coming from the QM ?2019-3C above. Straight across Cupids Cavern another short section of rift leads into a small aven chamber with water entering on the left. A short traverse to the right leads to a phreatic keyhole passage, with the easiest going at roof level in the phreas. This drops down a c2 and ends at a very promising QMA (whereas the survey describes this as a QMB that needs bolting).

To the L at the PT22 junction continue on the roped traverse which leads to a crawling sized phreatic tube that soon arrives at a p4 with a tiny wet inlet in the roof at the head of the pitch. Below the p4 the phreas continues as a crawl until a canyon develops in the floor which, after a couple of short climbs down, arrives at the top of Strained by Gravity, p75.

Strained by Gravity to the end of Watershed

The p75 of Strained by Gravity is broken by four large ledges (care needed in rigging to avoid rubs and severe rub problems have occurred from the rope being pulled into the wrong position) and lands on a boulder floor in an irregular chamber with a waterfall entering on the E side. (A passage leads off directly behind the waterfall - necessitating getting wet - and traverses over a pit in the floor with a streamway at the bottom; after the traverse it is possible to drop down into the streamway on the main route (described next) or to continue to traverse into a phreatic tube in the roof, QMB, probably ?2019-6B).

At the bottom of Strained By Gravity, follow cairns ahead then immediately left along the right wall at floor level to scurry under a drippy waterfall area to enter Watershed, a fine streamway that trends east then turns abruptly to head south. (Just past the waterfall the passage passes beneath the traverse mentioned above, below ?2019-6B).

Watershed continues for over 100m as a significant streamway with some unusually impressive speleothems for the Totes Gebirge. This section is reminiscent of the great stream caves of the Mendip Hills until the water begins to cut down into a trench in the floor. At this point progress is made by climbing up and traversing at roof level in a phreatic tube above the deep rift. This traverse may be at PT23 or at PT24 where ?2019-7B is marked. The initial climb up is at a 90 degree right hand bend followed around 10m later by another climb up at the 90 degree left hand bend. This passage continues to be finely decorated. Two more challenging sections towards the end are protected by bolted handlines. Watershed eventually reaches a T-junction at PT25. R immediately arrives at a large, wet pitch, Peculiar Pot, whilst to the L the phreas continues in the direction of Flowstone Canyon.

Beyond Watershed: Flowstone Canyon and Peculiar Pot to Alpine Showers and on to Paradise Lost

Heading R for ~10m from PT25 at the end of Watershed, descend a p20, Peculiar Pot. At its base, flattened ground can sleep 3 comfortably and 4 at a squeeze - used in 2024. Continuing down another small pitch leads to a narrow rift that continues to Perverse Passage where a few short pitches allow you to rejoin the main route in Sound of Water. The route to here from Flowstone Canyon is better as less rope is required.

Going L at the end of Watershed at PT25 enters Flowstone Canyon. This has holes to the left and right but the main route descends steeply down a narrow rift with some fairly awkward, thrutchy down climbs. The holes to the right all join except one QMC which likely just connects to Peculiar Pot. The hole to the left appears to still be an open lead, QMB, in a rift that needs bolting for protection. Beyond these holes, a climb up leads to Portcullis Passage , a loose, sandy passage which follows the top of Flowstone Canyon before dropping back into it.

At the end of Flowstone Canyon a 16m pitch drops to PT25 in the Sound of Water with a large aven above. At the top of this 16m pitch a short traverse to the left leads to easy, walking passage that ends at a continuing rift with a waterfall (QMA). This lead may just drop into nearby Alpine Showers but it needs to be definitively checked out.

At PT25 in the Sound of Water the way on is right up the slope to a broken (16m then 10m) 27m pitch that lands at PT26. Peculiar Pot enters from a rift a few metres down this pitch whilst left at PT25 quickly loops around to overlook Alpine Showers. From the bottom of the pitch at PT26, right (upstream) leads to a waterfall (bolt climbing required). From PT26, turning left (downstream) is Alpine Showers. This follows a tall, narrow, winding rift to two small pitches beside waterfalls (care needed to keep away from water as levels can rise rapidly). This leads to a traverse and another pitch. The streamway is rejoined but soon drops away again and the roof of the rift lowers to a traverse and then a 20m pitch that drops you down to Paradise Lost.

In Paradise Lost, from the bottom of the p20, there is a 4m pitch. From here left leads to a QMC which could perhaps bypass the duck. whilst right goes along a traverse that descends several small pitches and down climbs and twists around to eventually end at a ~10m long, draughting duck. Pursuing this QMA would require neoprene and enthusiasm for cold misery.