Ogof y Daren Cilau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ogof y Daren Cilau |
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Caver crawling into entrance
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| Location | Llangattock escarpment |
| OS grid | SO20521530 |
| Depth | 192 m (630 ft) |
| Length | 27 km (16.8 mi) |
| Entrances | 2 |
| Difficulty | tortuous entrance series |
| Access | free |
| Translation | Rock of refuge (Welsh) |
| Cave survey | zoomable plan drawing |
Ogof y Daren Cilau is a huge cave system found in the Llangattock area of Wales. It's located near Crickhowell in south Powys. This amazing cave was first discovered in 1957. It is now known as one of the longest cave systems in the entire country.
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Exploring Ogof y Daren Cilau
This cave system is super long, stretching over 26 kilometers (about 16 miles)! Getting into the cave is a real challenge. The entrance part is long, tight, and needs a lot of effort. This means only serious explorers can reach the deeper parts of the cave.
The tricky entrance crawl is about 517 meters (1,696 feet) long. It acts like a natural guard, keeping out anyone who isn't prepared. This is great because it means the cave doesn't need a locked gate to protect it from damage.
Amazing Sights Inside
Inside Ogof y Daren Cilau, you'll find some incredible sights:
- The Time Machine: This is the biggest cave passage in all of Britain! Imagine how huge it must be.
- The White Company: This area has stunning, pure white stalactites. Stalactites are rock formations that hang down from the cave ceiling, like icicles.
- The Bonsai Tree: This is a special type of rock formation called a helictite. It branches out in different directions, looking a bit like a tiny, twisted tree.
Underground Camps
Because the cave is so vast, some explorers have set up permanent camps deep inside. These camps are several kilometers from the entrance. Trips to these far-off areas can take up to 20 hours! One of these camps is even called the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. It's about thirteen hours away from the entrance!
How the Cave Was Discovered
The entrance to Ogof y Daren Cilau was found in 1957 by a caver named Vic Howells. At first, it was just a small opening where water collected. Explorers worked hard to remove rocks and drain the water. This revealed a passage about 400 feet long. This passage ended in a "boulder choke," which is a blockage made of many large rocks.
Major Breakthroughs
For many years, the cave was mostly just this entrance passage. But in 1984, a huge breakthrough happened! Explorers managed to get past the boulder choke and into the massive system beyond. This opened up all the amazing passages we know today.
In 1986, a famous cave diver named Martyn Farr made another important connection. He linked the "Terminal Sump" (a water-filled passage) to "Elm Hole" in the next valley by diving through the underwater sections.
Even after many years of hard work and digging projects, explorers are still trying to connect Ogof y Daren Cilau to a nearby cave called Ogof Agen Allwedd. These two caves are only about 75 meters (246 feet) apart at their closest point, but a link has not been found yet!
