South Wales Caves

Ogof Craig A Ffynnon Description

This cave is located in the Clydach Gorge, off the old Heads of the Valleys road behind the Rock and Fountain Inn (map). The cave is a resurgence for some of the water from Llangattock Mountain, the spring lending its name to the Inn and cave. This finely decorated cave is gated to preserve the formations and offers a range trips from gentle photographic forays to longer and more sporty trips to the Promised Land at the end of the system. Notable parts of the cave are the section of the stream after the first boulder choke - Gasoline alley that can flood to the roof in wet weather. This then leads to a junction where North West Inlet enters, this is a very aqueous passage - wetsuit essential that ends at a long dig with an installed railway below the Hall of the Mountain King. From the junction a short crawl leads to the base of a pitch split into two halves, the bottom section has an iron ladder that leads to a ledge where a slippy freeclimb (with handline) gains the top of the pitch where a ladder can be rigged for those who follow. This enters the bottom of the Second Boulder choke which is long and tight and eventually enters a large mud floored chamber. Several low sections are followed in this passage until this opens out into Travertine Passage, which proceeds large and wide with many gour pools and calcite formations to enter the massive and impressive Hall of The Mountain King. A long and initially tight crawl on the right of the Third Choke gradually increases in height to become the Severn Tunnel, a long and linear passage. This leads to the Fourth Boulder Choke passing a passage on the left that leads down into the Blean Elin Streamway. The passage after the Fourth Choke leads to passage on the left that quickly reaches a small pitch down into the Promised Land. This can be followed for a good distance the passage eventually terminating close to Ogof Daren Cilau. The main passage from the Fourth Choke passes Helictite Passage on the right before ending at the unpenetrated Fifth Choke.