‘Not here. Don’t panic, Becky! Not much water comes this way, these days’

That was a relief. I don’t mind getting a bit grubby, but I didn’t fancy the idea of drowning. It just didn’t appeal to me!

‘So we stay dry?’ I suggested.

‘Not exactly,’ he said.

‘And what’s that supposed to mean?’

‘If you want to have a look at this end of the through trip,’ he explained, ‘we’ll have to go down to the streamway. Which is certainly not the place to be if it’s raining, or if there’s been snow and then the sun comes out’

‘But how will we know if it starts raining?’ asked Cobley. ‘We can’t see what the weather’s like outside!’

‘And you claim you’re not a moron!’ Nic rounded on him. ‘Don’t worry. Good old Nic – that’s the one with common sense – watched the weather forecast!’

‘Essential viewing if you’re going caving,’ agreed Rick.

‘Don’t trust weather forecasts,’ said Cobley.

‘Cobley!’

‘What?’

‘Don’t start that!’

‘But…’

‘Shut up!’

He subsided, and Rick explained that there was another wet bit, before we got to the streamway.

‘How wet?’ I asked.

‘Quite wet’