Thin Pus Mk1
July `97 : Issue 241 of Sumpthink.
President: Mike Wood 477-0909 PO Box 71, Wellington
Secretary: Judith de Wilde 528-9267 Sierra Way RD.1 Upper Hutt
Treasurer: Rob Sowerbutts 04-298-8584 52 Riwai St., Paraparaumu
Gear Officer: Noel Pepperell 586-0279 70 Mulberry St., Lower Hutt
Membership Convenor Rob Sowerbutts 04-298-8584 52 Riwai St., Paraparaumu
Sumpthink Editor Barry Cullen 527-4132 bcullen@ibm.net
Committee:- Noel Pepperell, Ann Pepperell, Barry Cullen, Jonathan Ravens, Mike Coburn
Mike and Martin before Pant Mawr trip in early sixties (See article latter in Mag), photo by.Mike Coburn
ClubNight
Wednesday 9th July 1997
6:00pm:
The Backbencher for a feed and a Guinness if you're that way inclined.
7:30pm:
How old's that Cows Tail? Odds on it's past it's use by date and in need of replacement Here's your chance to make up a new one using the best knots. Purchase yourself 2.5 to 3 meters (depending on your height) of 10 - 12ml dynamic rope (depending on your risk profile), and we'll tie them up at clubnight with the assistance of an expert (Noel).
Speaking of Noel he is also going to show some of Sue's slides from Aussie and even try and persuade her to come along and talk to them. Sue being the kind, generous and considerate person that she is, I sure will only be to happy to oblige

Ask not what your club can do for you;
ask what you can do for your club.


<Serious-mode ON>

It is hereby announced that an Annual General Meeting of the Wellington Caving Group is to be held on Wednesday, 13 August 1997 at 7:30pm in Turnbull House, 11 Bowen Street, Wellington. Nominations for the committee for the coming year are now required, and may be posted to any committee member, or handed to the committee immediately before the meeting.

<Serious-mode OFF>

<Nag-mode ON>

While it may not be the most exciting meeting of the year, the AGM is still very important to the running of the club. If nothing else, you will find out the financial status of the club, get to vote on the subs for next year, and elect a new committee. This last one is usually the most difficult part of any AGM - everyone wants a club, but it takes an effort to put together the committee that performs the business of the club. If you can attend six committee meetings a year and can perform a few jobs for the club as needed, then you are one of the people needed; please let someone know so that you can be nominated, or even nominate yourself.

<Nag-mode OFF>

<Bribery-and-corruption ON>

To entice a good turn out to the AGM, nibbles will be provided - come and eat some of your subs!

There will also be the annual photographic prizes for best print, best slide, and worst print. Please bring along your entries. There will also be the presentation of the second annual literary prize for the best Sumpthink article.

<Bribery-and-corruption OFF>

That's all for now,

el Presidente.

Treasurer's Report:

The club is, at the moment, in a very healthy position financially. As at the 30.06.97 our net assets were $899.54. We recently bought 10 metres of 25mm tube tape at a cost of $26.55 and apart from monthly room hire at Turnbull House of $27.51 we have had no major expenses. It should be noted however, that at the last committee meeting it was decided that a rope and a stitch plate would be purchased. These items will cost about $120.00. It is intended that they be used for belaying on ladders and become part of the clubs inventory, available for hire and for use on club trips.
I have also written to Pete Entwhistle during the last month. Pete is the NZSS member responsible for their membership data base. I sent him a list of all our club members who have joined the NZSS by way of the Wellington Caving Group. So to you members who have not received plastic membership cards, NZSS literature or renewal stickers, please be patient, I'm sure the matter is being attended to.

Look forward to seeing you all at the Mid Winter Swim.

Robert
Editors bit

What no colour this month? Yeah I knows it's a bit rough but it did seem rather a waste of money, not ours of course, when the photo was a black and white. We'll try and sneak back to colour for the next issue.

One of the perks of being editor is that you get to plug your trips. Puketiti 19-21 July 1997 will be the place to be. For most of us, two new caves and a chance to catch up with our distant member Craig and his charming wife Glenda who makes truly scrummy cakes.

Speaking of whom, I bumped into the pair of them separately at the Mystery Creek Agricultural Field Days a few weekends ago. Amazing how you bump into people you know amongst 30,000 others on a 50 acre site. They are both well and had a great naughty holiday week in Taupo.

Also this month, we have the ever popular WCG Mid Winter swim. Popular I suspect not so much for the swim but for the Bar B Que, home brew and hospitality of Rob and Pip afterwards. Debbie has once again offered to be official photographer, which we all know is a good excuse not to have to swim herself. Bring a change of clothes Deb's. Herewith you will find Robs blurb sheet on the swim with a map of how to get there.

Where's those trip reports from the Queens Birthday weekend Waitomo trip. What caves did you do?, Wasn't it a bit wet?, Did you do anything a bit different? Yeah I know I know, but not every one out there does Come on good people but pen to paper, so the speak.

Just got the latest Tomo Times. Good reading and I'm sorry to see it will be Jon Terry's last. But, NZSS truly have a real problem with their membership data base. Despite having paid my subs for the last upteen years I am still not shown as a member, never mind appearing on the e' mail list. What the hell, I still get all the publications and I've never had to produce my now, two years out of date, plastic card anyway.

Many thanks to Mike W, Mike C and Rob, and for their contributions to this Sumpthink.

All correspondence will find me at any of the addresses below.
E Mail bcullen@ibm.net
Home Moonshine Road, RD Porirua.
Work c/o Mitsubishi Motors NZ Ltd., Private Bag, Porirua.
Ed


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NZSS AGM - Labour weekend Nelson 25-27 October 1997

NSG are hosting this years AGM. They will be providing more information closer to the occasion, but want to give as much notice as possible. They reckon that the effort to get down for the weekend will be well worth it.

They will be arranging a diverse range of trips and activities (not all caving) to suit everyone including families.

The feeling among Nelson cavers is to have the weekend activities based on Takaka Hill with emphasis on participation. They hope that most people will be able to stay up on the hill. Communal facilities will be provided.

They would appreciate any feedback for this proposal with they think tank being able to be contacted as follows.

Don 03 546 9768
Oz 03 547 7395
Cathy 03 540 3020
Fred 03 540 3020


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Quotes of the month


WCG Events Calendar

Date Event
29th June WCG. Abseil/Climbing Day at Titahi Bay Cliffs. Organiser Noel (586-0279)
6th July WCG. Mid Winter Swim, BBQ at Robs place to follow . Organiser Rob (04-298-8584)
9th July WCG. Clubnite, Turnbull House
19 - 20th July WCG. Puketiti Trip (Caves - Long John, Pompeii and ??). Organiser Barry (237-4132)
2nd August WCG. Mountainbike adventure. Organiser Barry (237-4132)
6 - 7th Sept. WCG. Makuri/Coonoor. (Caves - Waimarara, NittyGritty). Organiser John (567-8596)
18 - 19 Nov. WCG. Whakapunake trip. Organiser Any Volunteers?? ()

A trip report from Mike (el Presidente)....
Exam Celebrations

I had my exam for the year on the second Wednesday of June, so of course I went to the Back Bencher for a drink before the caving group meeting. While there, John, Noel, and Adam mentioned that they were leading a group of scouts through PT17 (or is it Indecision? - I can't make up my mind). As I no longer had to study in the weekends, I invited myself along, and added Daniel to the list for good luck.

Things went well until 05:45 on Sunday morning when I had to wake both myself and Daniel. After a little thought Daniel finally decided that he would rather go caving than have some more sleep, so we had a quick breakfast and headed off to meet the rest of the leaders in the Hutt. We were all heading up in one van, so in we got and away we went.

The first stop was in Pahiatua where we met the scouts and parents, and also managed some morning tea. Then off to Makuri. We tried visiting the farmer, but the big, noisy, toothy dog put us off, so we didn't stop and went on to the entrance.

Everyone changed and we were sorted into four groups. Thinking I knew what I was doing, Noel gave me a group of four to lead. In the group were Daniel, Justin, Elizabeth, and her mum, Catherine. Then it was off to the cave. A handline was dropped down the entrance, and off we went. We all headed off in various directions, crawling in the stream, climbing up into the worm tower, sending the boys climbing over some of us and through a squeeze, and washing off under a waterfall (a couple of them did anyway!). Most of the cave was visited.

Getting out was fun. At one place I ended up acting as an elevator - kids stood on my shoulder and I stood up to make it a little easier for them to get up. It was good to get back out into the sun, although the breeze was a bit cool while getting changed.

A rescue from Pant Mawr pothole

Many years ago in the early sixties, a young Mike Coburn and two friends discovered caving. After several trips to the Lesser Garth cave and the nearby iron mines we started looking for bigger and better caves and in the Cardiff library under 'caving' we found them. More specifically we found a map and a grid reference to Pant Mawr pot. 'Like WOW big cave, this is it!. A trip to Pant Mawr, from Ystradfellte side of course and we eventually found the hole, it went straight down for 40ft. or so; we would obviously need a rope.

We had practised climbing hand over hand up ropes in school gymnasiums and thought that it would be 'no problem' to slide down and later climb back out; Jumars and S.R.T. techiques were of course still well in the future but from somewhere we borrowed a great hairy rope and the big adventure was on.

Martin, Brent, and myself parked my mini at the Ystradfellte side again as we did not want the South Wales Caving Club getting wind of our intentions, for we suspected that they might ban the trip for some reason or other. It was late afternoon as we slid down the rope and we intented to spend the whole night exploring this vast cave. It was all that we had hoped, but somewhat shorter and returning to the entrance chamber we spent a cold night staring up the rope and willing the patch of sky above to lighten; at last it did and I climbed the rope into a chilly dawn.

Then our troubles began. Martin and Brent both attempted the climb but couldn't do it, I pulled up the rope and tied knots in it, then pulled it up again and tied knots between the knots, then lowered another rope and tried to pull them up, but by now they were becoming steadily weaker. Due to one of those cave accoustical oddities while they could barely hear me shouting I could hear them talking and they were making noises about calling out cave rescue. This infuriated me as I considered that they were not really trying so I shouted down the hole, "try a bit harder or I'll bloody well leave you there". There was a moments shocked silence then I heard Martin say to Brent, "He would too, he's like that"!

What else could I do? I walked back to the car, combed my hair and drove till I found a phone box and rang S.W.C.C. It was still early on a Sunday morning and the sleepy voice on the other end didn't seem too impressed when I asked to speak to someone connected with cave rescue, "Does this concern a rescue?" yes, "what now?" yes, OH.

However, it seemed that a visiting club was preparing to leave for Pant Mawr pot and they were informed of the problem. After a well deserved tongue lashing, "ladder pitches must never be done on a rope", I slunk back onto the moor in time to see my friends being hauled up a ladder. We profusely thanked the visiting club and promptly scarpered and I never approached S.W.C.C. again until some five years later when I had moved to Neath, taken up scuba diving and met up with Bruce Faster at Neath Sub Aqua Club.

Mike Coburn.

MID-WINTER INSANITY


Date: 6th July, 1997.
Time: 10:30am.
Venue: Robert S's place.
Address: 52 Riwai Street, Paraparaumu.
Event: 3rd Annual Mid winter swim.

Once again it's time for the annual mid-winter swim. The weather was very fine for last years plunge. With the Indian summer we've been having so far this year, hopefully it will be for this years event. With luck this means the dip won't be too cold for all you hardy cavers. Rules are the same as usual, NO wetsuits, NO drysuits and TOTAL immersion once in the water.

P.S. Don't forget some sausages and we'll have a sausage sizzle for lunch at my place afterwards. Refreshments courtesy of Kapiti/Moonshine Independent Breweries. Look forward to seeing you all there.

How do you get to Robert's place? Easy, just follow the map below.



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Sender - Sierra Way RD. Upper Hutt