GUPA

pub meets every Thursday!

If you fancy a pint or to exchange tales of derring-do come and   meet us in the pub. Anyone with an interest in caving is welcome.

We meet on Thursday evenings in the Uisge Beatha on      Woodlands Rd in Glasgow: the pub website can be seen here.      We may be in any of the rooms depending on how full it is; if         you can’t find us ask the staff.

We are usually there from 9pm.

Outwith termtime the old lags who are still in Glasgow are        usually there but it’s worth checking with us first.

The nearest subway station to the Uisge Beatha is Kelvinbridge and there’s a map here: View Larger Map

take a Croatian caving…

20 July 2010

At the end of last year a group of Croatian cavers made contact with the GSG while on a non-caving holiday in Scotland. I met them and they were really keen to come back and do some caving – and of course will show us some of their caves if any Scottish cavers can do a trip over there. They have confirmed and are coming for two weeks in August.

It’s an excellent opportunity to make some new caving friends and I have said that we should be able to round up some Guppies to take them caving as well, so if you fancy making some new caving mates get in touch.

The dates are:

5 August: Croatians arrive

6 – 13 August: Assynt

14 – 17 August: Dales (Farm booked, Lancaster permit on 14th)

17 – 19 August: South Wales (SWCC booked, OFD permit on 18th)

20 August: Croatians leave

A couple of Cardiff cavers have kindly offered their leadership services for the OFD trip so that would be a good chance to do this amazing Welsh cave. See the cave website here.

So, Guppies, come along on some trips and help show the Croatians a good time! Contact Hugh for more details.

Sunday 18 July 2010 – Rowten Pot

just back from a cheeky one-night trip to the Dales, where Amy, Joe and Hugh did Rowten in wet conditions! The main shaft was mightily impressive and below it was like being in a wind tunnel. Here’s Joe’s logbook writeup…

“Rowten – Amy, Hugh, Joe – 18/7/2010

After battling our way through nipple-high bracken, we made it to said pot in decent weather. Amy started us off by rigging the first pitch quicker than a sadomasochist, getting us down to the bridge and second pitch. Following a tight rift we came to the waterfall, which was magnificent and somewhat eased the ominous and looming task of prussiking back up the second pitch of 55 metres rigged by our gracious and handsome tour guide Mr Hugh Penney. At the bottom of the big one we were met by a bit of splash and wind, but nothing us three Motherwellian WAGS weren’t used to.

Our last two ropes took us along an airy traverse and down the final shaft – Hugh’s. He rigged it, that is. At the bottom your dearest narrator was chosen to de-rig. Honored by the decision my chest puffed like that of a virile pheasant in the merriest of springtime, only to be humbled like the lowliest of plague cleaners by the dogleg that caught Amy on the way down. After swinging to-and-fro like a blind pianist I made my way up the pitch to the ledge at the bottom of the big cavern.

Only being able to drink in the beautiful and daunting waterfall for a moment due to the fact that I was actually drinking it, I continued on up.

After finding Hugh at the top we proceeded to tap our sacks up the cavern walls before tying off on the final rope, ready for the last push. By that point our voluptuous cohort had made her way to the top and was freezing her metaphorical tits off in the sheets of rain and belting wind. After dragging the tackle up we made our way back to the dryish car.

We were stopped by a woman and her son who were missing some friends down Valley Entrance and Swinsto. We advised them of the VERY wet conditions underground and Hugh explained the procedure for calling CRO if necessary. We hope they have returned safely and in good health.

It is time for me to take my leave – the car smells of carbide and we’ve all used LEDs. With that I shall bid you, faithful reader, a flatulent ‘Good day’.”

Joe Norat

Update: there was a rescue mounted for the (non-GUPA) people trapped in Swinsto but the water levels were too high so CRO had to withdraw. The cavers were located on Monday and escorted out safely. More details on the CRO website here.