JAUNTER – 26 – 27 October 2024
I think when I write up the details of this trip, I might have used the words “Jaunter, the caves you do when you’re REALLY committed”. And that’s pretty accurate, most of the caves are small and squeezy, not my favourite place to cave but I’ve been there about four times now – shows true commitment! 
Four of us signed up for the trip, Rod, John, me and Liz. Poor Liz she really didn’t know what she was headed for! We were to survey a few caves (that’s mostly what we do at Jaunter).
The weather was great (bonus), and on the last trip the participants cleaned up a shit-load of blackberries, AND they hadn’t grown back so that was a bonus too.
Rod & I drove down to where we park the car, Liz and John decided to walk down – lovely county!
Rod, Liz and me out the front of the River Cave entrance.
Rod in place doing the survey. Liz was on point setting up the stations and I was using the Disto. The cave was actually ok at this point, whilst you couldn’t actually stand up it was fairly easy.
Until we got to this point, quite close to the end. Liz went all the way to the end but I got to the spot where you can see Liz and gave up, at least I was able to back out! Was very muddy.
We actually spent a lot of time in River Cave, so we poked our heads in some other holes and then decided to call it a day. The verandah, beer and chips were calling.
Next morning we went to Luths Hole to survey that. There were two daylight holes, one you definitely couldn’t get through, the other was a bit squeezy and a 3 or 4m pitch. Liz had gone home this morning, so it was just Rod, John and me. Rod wouldn’t have fitted down the entrance at the pitch, so John went down first, and I followed. Quite a lot of decorations in this very small cave (which is unusual for Jaunter).
The cave was only small, deep but only about 3 or 4sqm. Here I am looking up at the small daylight hole.
And me surveying, I was apprehensive about the surveying but think I did a good job.
John on the exit. I had no problem because of my height and the fact that my leg bones aren’t that long, but poor John with his 6’+ height really struggled getting out of the hole.
Once John and I were out we packed up and headed back to the cars and then took a quick look at a potential “dig”. What’s a dig you ask? Well, it’s a small hole in the ground, in amongst the karst and you think that maybe if you dig out some rocks and dirt, then it might develop into something big or at the very least a bigger hole. We went down to take a look, our host Peter had joined us at this point and he and Rod moved a rock at the entrance, but Rod didn’t like his chances of getting down, so I was volunteered to take a look. My only concern was coming face to face with a snake on the way down (fortunately didn’t), but I was able to confirm that it had potential, sooooo, next Jaunter trip will be a dig – we’re all very excited, you don’t get to do a dig very often these days.
Big thanks to our host Peter, and Rod and John (and Liz), had a great time!