CAVING in North Wales is a claustrophobic affair. Not just because of the tight twists and turns of the passages themselves, but also because it is centred on a very small part of the region - the Alyn Gorge near Cilcain. The big three North Wales caves are all located in this tranquil wooded valley: Ogof Hesp Alyn, Ogof Nadolig and Ogof Hen Ffynhonnau (better known as Poacher's cave). The Alyn is only a small river rising in the nearby Clwydian hills and eventually feeding the River Dee near Mold. Most of the cave systems were originally underwater until mining activity near the coast drained them of water. The engineering connected to this mining is a story in itself - with the Milwr tunnel near Bagillt stretching 10 miles into the Dee estuary, built in the nineteenth century. Of the dry(ish) caves that now dot the valley, Poachers cave is probably the best known, with over 2,600 feet of passageway discovered so far. There is an interesting tale behind its discovery which also explains the intriguing name. It was originally discovered by the Northern Pennine Caving Club who started digging in the area in 1978, suspecting a cave system was nearby. However, they had to leave the dig for several months, by which time it was discovered by two members of the North Wales Caving Club, who took over and discovered the full system. Hence 'poachers cave'. The cave is not too difficult. When absorbed in its twists and turns, it is easy to lose track of time. It culminates in a dramatic subterranean stream which flows through the system. This leads to a grand chamber, from which traffic in the village of Cilcain can be heard above the sound of the stream. It is truly remarkable that men had walked on the moon almost a decade before any human beings had ever seen this cave below a North Wales village! Even now, when exploring beneath this beautiful valley, there is a feeling of entering a secret world. Ogof Hesp Alyn was discovered in 1973 by the North Wales Caving Club. The cave marks the original resurgence of water sinking from the river Alyn near Loggerheads. In caving parlance, it is more 'sporting' than Poachers. It involves getting neck deep in water, numerous sandy crawls and some ladder pitches. It is also much longer and more strenuous than Poachers, with almost 7,000ft of passageway. Definitely not a place for the casual visitor! Ogof Nadolig (Christmas Cave) is probably the easiest trip for beginners. A big industrial pipeline in the woods marks the entrance! This was put in place by cavers to make the entrance easier. Further into the cave, a chamber has to be climbed to give access to a series of tight crawls higher up. Although these three are the best known, there are lots of other caves in North Wales. Some longer caves and mines can be found around Minera, between Wrexham and Llangollen. Smaller caves dot the many limestone areas of North Wales - especially around Denbigh (where Cefn Caves are a famous archaeological site), Prestatyn and Llandudno. | 
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