Ogof Dan Y Rhedyn

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Ogof Dan Y Rhedyn is accessed by an 8 metre pitch located in a small shakehole. A large sized passage is entered which chokes after a short distance in both directions. The cave lies close to the North-East Inlet in Little Neath River cave being about 30 metres above the system below.
Length 85m
Altitude 366m
Grid SN 91615 14202
In the late 1980s the Greensites Project was championed by the late Clive Jones as a way of using nature to indicate the presence of unknown cave entrances. During the summer of 1991 Clive Jones was on a bike ride, checking out shakeholes as he went along when he noticed some frost sensitive ferns growing in a small, shakehole. Taking this as an indication of warm air rising from a cave below he made a preliminary investigation, and realising he would need additional manpower, it was left for another day. In the spring of 1992 he returned with Neil Weymouth and after a short spell of digging the bottom of the shakehole fell in revealing a shaft. This was quickly laddered and the 85 metres of cave seen today was explored. The cave is located on the edge of Ystradfellte common overlooking Blean Neath Isaf Farm and the Nedd Fechan valley below. The cave is best approached from Ystradfellte village following the lane up to the common, first heading to Carnau Gwynion, but then heading left at the gate through the wall. Following the wall left another gate is found near the end of the wall that takes you to the area of the shakehole containing the cave. The entrance is covered with metal sheets and rocks that need to be carefully replaced after a visit.
Ystradfellte Google map showing the location of Ogof Dan Y Rhedyn and other caves in the area. An 8 metre shaft is found in the bottom of the shakehole and drops onto the top of a large scree slope at the side of the Main Chamber which is some 15 metres x 8 metres, with passages heading off north and south. Heading south the passage closes in at a point where a 2 metre climb up on the right leads to a sandy dig, while the way on is to squeeze down through boulders on the left. This leads into 20 metres of low and wide passage that ends at a point where it is too low for further progress ending in a low dig. Heading north from the entrance chamber passes through a further small chamber to reach a climb up into a rift passage on the left. This splits and becomes too tight after about 12 metres. Beyond this climb the passage splits ending in an aven on the left and a large choke from where the stream emerges on the right. Entrance Pitch | 8m ladder | Belay with slings from rocks and scaffold bars (very rusty) South Wales C.C. Newsletter | No.111 p22-23 (1993) inc. survey
Survey | (1993) Malcolm Herbert and Helen Langford The entrance shaft is in loose friable rock, the scaffold at the top of the shaft is very corroded. Care should be taken. The photographs and information of this page has been provided to help cavers planning trips. Caving can be a dangerous activity, if you are interested in exploring caves please join a caving club so you can enjoy a safe introduction to this sport. Local caving clubs are listed on the links page or you can visit the 'New To Caving' website for more options.
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