spelunking!
Ah it's all good. Went down to the hut yest morning, ably demonstrating my navigational skills by failing to leave Bristol on the A37 and consequently going the long way round. Got to hut, met up with Jude and Adrian who were persuading their friend Helen that Eastwater Cavern was a nice cave, really it is.

I don't have particularly *bad* memories of it - which is a fair assessment. We did the round trip at the top - Upper traverse, Hallelulujah Hole, came back through Boulder chamber and Woggle press (where rumour has it a scout got stuck and died once), found the string and exited. Hour and a half all told, dry, squeezey, and better than a trip to the gym.

In the afternoon Jude and I went down Swildon's to bring back some diving gear. What I remember as a pleasant enough bimble, especially going the short dry easy way, turned out to be hard work. I got tired on the way back, didn't even bother climing round the first of the two pots (there or back coz water was shallow anyway). And I freaked at Sump One - body hit the water and I just couldn't do it. Still, I'll be back - another time. And I forgot the climbing protocol.

On the other hand, it was like going home. My arms and feet and knees remembered the rocks and the best way round, even when I didn't. And I climbed the 20 better than I ever have before. And for someone who hasn't been underground in 4 years, two trips in one day isn't too bad.

Rounded off the day with hamandpasta at The Hunters, and sneaked in to the Cave Divers Group slide show on 'Caving beyond the sump'. I still think *that's* mad though.