La Grotte Aux FÃ©es – second trip

Reading Time: 2 minutes
15A

Cave exploration is really fun. You go from an autumn day, lie down and pull yourself forwards with your elbows and push yourself with your feet. You turn your head sideways so that it fits through. The gravel moves under your hands and body and eventually you are through in to a large chamber. You can duck waddle from this tunnel to another chamber.

You get to a pile of rocks and you look around until you find a path where you can cross. You angle your body one way, and then the other. You lift yourself with your arms and you clamber in to another chamber. This one has a tall roof and pitons in the wall where climbers have come, before you. From here you go sideways and back down through rockfall and squeeze through. As you squeeze through you come in to another chamber. This one is shaped like an eye. You crawl along this one. Sometimes you go through gravel and dirt. As you do this you get wet and dirty. You try to avoid puddles but still your clothes get wet. Luckily at this point you are not cold.

This segment is where I was most uncomfortable. As I have only been in this cave once before I was not certain of where I was going. I was also lying down in pebbles and silt. This cave floods when it rains. I was uncomfortable because of the amount of rock fall. It had probably been around there last time but I only felt uncomfortable as I squirmed through it last time. At this point you continue to a drum shaped room. This time we went further

In this drum shaped room you notice a small slot above. You look at this slot and so you push your head through, then your arms and shoulders. You inch forward and there is a puddle to your right. In front you see some nice rock formations and deposits. You advance a little more and you are now in a vertical cylinder. To the left you see some footholds and hand holds. You grab on to these and you clamber up. As you clamber up you see where water has worn away the rock. You understand that either you can clamber over the obstruction or go through a small gap below. You go through the small gap below and then you look down another tunnel. That is as far as we got with the Petite Grotte aux fees. Time to plan yet another journey.

The issue I had in this cave is unfamiliarity. I know I can squirm my way forward but I do not have the right clothing ad I do not know what to expect. I don't know how long I will be cramped for. Cave exploration is really fun but I think I would like to be with more experienced explorers, at least whilst I get familiar with the sport or adventure, whichever term you prefer.