I re-discovered this great little squeeze in one of the caves recently. The duck-under we normally go through was a couple of inches deep in mud and water these last two weekends after all the rain and most uninviting. There were a couple of other cavers sitting in front of it, contemplating going through or back.
Rather than go back, I remembered back to 1992, when I was a lot younger and skinnier, there was a way over the top that was extremely tight for me then. I didn't fancy it.
We thought we could give it a crack so I led on through the knee knocker and into the roof. The chamber flattened, ceiling dropping lower and lower every foot. After much grunting and groaning from the group as we bruised every joint, the hole turned peanut-shaped and narrowed to a dark squeeze with the depths of the chamber beyond beckoning the way on.
I remembered the other side of the hole dropped 90 degrees and a full body length to the floor, so I turned around, lay on my belly and backed into the squeeze feet first. I must have been eating well, plus the gym hasn't helped. It doesn't pay to get big.
My bum jammed. I gave another shove and it pushed through, but now the problem was my chest. I could feel the floor on my chest, the roof on my back and every time I inhaled, the rock pressed tight around me.
I remembered a bit of a horror story I read recently called
Ted's cave (don't read this if you scare easy..I mean it... you have been warned), so I thought I would try his trick. I wriggled in as far as I could, took a breath as much as the rock would allow, then prepared my muscles.
I exhaled hard and short to collapse my chest, at the same time gave an almighty shove and POP! I was through.....heart was beating rather fast I can tell you, but I am happy now that I know a bit of a creek running through the bottom of the cave is no-longer an obstacle.
I couldn't get a shot of it, but here's a similar squeeze, head first on the back.
I LOVE CAVING!! Next on the list, canyoning. Can't wait!
More photos of this excursion coming soon to my
Journal.
Baz.