Karen and I arrived at the the Chelsea SS hut "Whitewalls" after only a 3 hour drive from home. We met others already there amongst them "Mad Fi" and Fay. Matt and Nikki arrived not long afterwards along with Chris and Paul C.
We were up at 0830 and had breakfast as Pete W, Keith, Dave and Simon W arrived plus Mike C and lastly Doug H. Matt and Nikki joined Fay for a trip in Ogof Draenen while the rest of us headed for Agen Allwedd. The intention was for Karen, me and Paul C to have an easy trip to the Cliffs of Dover while the rest did a round trip via Southern Stream Passage. We met a couple (Martin Grass and A.N. Other) who were CSS members who knew Kev Drakely and Mick Phipps and they were at the boulder choke looking for a way through. We soon joined them and Pete W and the rest dropped down a hole which was well polished at the end of the boulders near a third Bat warning sign (we had seen quite a few bats) and just before a blockage which was taped off.
Doug followed down as I was there and I waited for Karen and Paul to arrive. Karen dropped down followed by Paul awkwardly. I looked at the climb and it was short and easy enough to drop down, with another hole directly beneath but easily avoided, but looked very awkward to get up again so I decided to not follow down in case I re-injured my left shoulder which was healing well and told the other two to continue while I waited. We agreed for them to go on for half an hour then return. I waited for a while then got bored and had a look around and clambered down an easy climb to the low streamway which was little used as it was covered with dry sediment. I crawled a short distance to a blockage with a climb up about 3 metres through a hole which seemed to be about where the hole below the other well-used climb down was. I climbed up fairly easily and it was that hole! So I was at the bottom of the awkward climb. I decided to follow the others and wasn't sure of the way to go as there were choices. Anyway, I continued on to a short crawl and down through boulders that lead to more streamway but quite low and narrow and also a low crawl with mud. This was obviously not the way.
I returned to the bottom of the awkward climb and after a few attempts at climbing it I decided not to risk injuring my shoulder and waited for the others. Not long afterwards I heard them approaching and let them know about the easier alternative and we returned that way then after a short rest for the other two headed out.
We reach the surface just after 1500 after entering the cave at around midday.
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