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Josh Bratchley
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Josh Bratchley
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joshbratchley

Expeditions, adventures, caving and cave diving. Often found looking for Type 2 fun 👍.
@therescuefilm
@thirteenlives

Hiking, caving, paddling and running adventures th Hiking, caving, paddling and running adventures the last few days on lovely local loops in the Gorges du Tarn. 😊#caving #hiking #paddling #packrafting #france
Gorges du Tarn week started well with a varied via Gorges du Tarn week started well with a varied via Ferrata and lovely views. 😊#viaferrata #france #groupholiday #views
Last weekend was the BEC Annual Dinner. Always rea Last weekend was the BEC Annual Dinner. Always really good fun with lots of lovely people. Just like last year I slotted a week at Center Parcs between Hidden Earth and the BEC dinner. Nice to chill out a bit between two of the booziest events of the year... 😂
Summary of my entire weekend at @hiddenearthuk nat Summary of my entire weekend at @hiddenearthuk national caving conference. 😂Lovely to see so many people as usual, along with the usual excellent standard of talks. Looking forward to next year already!
A busy few weeks but I've finally finished going t A busy few weeks but I've finally finished going through all of my Kruger photos.Here's a bunch of giraffe, elephant, buffalo, antelope, wildebeest, zebra and warthog! ☺️#safari #kruger #southafrica #wildlife #animals
Based on my previous experience in Kruger I expect Based on my previous experience in Kruger I expected that we would either see no Rhino at all, or might get a distant glance from a bridge or hillside. How wrong I was! 😆In a single day we experienced 4 separate sightings of White Rhino, totaling 6 individuals and all either right next to the road or in the mix with us. They are magnificent creatures and we were seriously pleased with how the day panned out!#kruger #safari #southafrica #whiterhino #wildlife
Lions of Kruger! 🦁 We were so lucky to come acros Lions of Kruger! 🦁We were so lucky to come across as many lions as we did across our two weeks, and almost every sighting was a very close encounter with these beautiful animals.#kruger #safari #southafrica #lion #lioness
We're back on Welsh soil after a few weeks hiding We're back on Welsh soil after a few weeks hiding from reality in South Africa's magnificent Kruger.Last year in the park I regretted only having a phone camera, and upon finding my DSLR & lenses were full of damp and cave mud last month having been in the garage for ~10 years I replaced the whole lot. As a result, I now have about 2000 photos to sort out! 😬For now, here's some phone snaps of the scenery...#kruger #sanparks #southafrica #safari #wildlife
Some pictures from the first couple of days in far Some pictures from the first couple of days in far northern Kruger with @e.l.l.e.n.c 🇿🇦We're very lucky to have had a long lasting close encounter with a leopard already. Last time I was here it wasn't until my final day in the park that I saw one on the prowl, all of the others I saw were sleeping high in trees.We'll be moving slowly south through the park over the next week or so.#southafrica #kruger #safari #wildlife #sanparks
On Tuesday last week, after an extremely difficult On Tuesday last week, after an extremely difficult month, we held a lovely small ceremony for dad at Tamar Valley crematorium. Carrying his coffin is the toughest thing I think I've ever had to do, but it was a beautiful private start to his send off.Yesterday was the main funeral event in the village and it made me so proud to see so many people there to say goodbye. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone and all of your kind words. Standing up there and reading his praise filled eulogy out loud for the first time in front of all those people was painful but he deserved every choked back word of it. We will miss him every single day.It was really touching to find that the donations box held at the church in aid of Breathing Matters raised a beautiful £500, which we will be passing on to them straight away.Today we went down to the family woodland along the Tamar river, his favourite place and somewhere he was close to for over six decades. We sat on his new memorial bench, lay some flowers and scattered ashes in various places we knew he liked. It's exactly what he wanted.Lastly, we know a number of people who cared about Dad were unable to make it yesterday. We still have a few picture-filled Order of Service booklets left that we will be happy to give out to remember him by if you wish. Please just ask if you'd like one.
A couple of days this week paddling the Tweed Vall A couple of days this week paddling the Tweed Valley Canoe Trail (in packrafts), with a riverside bothy/camp and maze, before meeting friends for some Edinburgh Fringe things. 😊#paddle #river #tweedvalley #packraft
Words simply cannot explain just how hurt I am to Words simply cannot explain just how hurt I am to be saying this, but dad passed away on Wednesday at Derriford Hospital with his loving family by his side. We are all heartbroken and in total disbelief.After a few months of inpatient hospital investigations for his breathing, he suffered a heart attack induced by a diagnostic procedure last Friday and died from kidney failure only 5 days later as a result. It was awful to watch his confusion through his final days, but his final moments were peaceful and in his sleep, which brings some comfort.A builder by trade, Dad was diagnosed with silicosis & COPD years ago, and had been through tuberculosis, lung cancer and multiple stents for related heart trouble but his outlook had always been positive. We expected he'd have been home this week, so we were entirely unprepared for the horrendous news that he only had days left.Dad was a gentle, loving man who had time for anyone. He didn't have much to his name in later years, no house or shiny cars, yet was extremely generous, kind hearted and always content with what he had, possessing a profound ability to let things go and take life at face value. He loved his work, loved being outside and had the everlasting tan to show it.Although my emergency travel home from Cyprus wasn't quick enough for me to have a conversation with him before he passed, I'm grateful that I was able to see him recognise me and hopefully know I was there at the end. Spending my birthday with him in hospital last month was the biggest gift I'll ever receive, I just didn't know it at the time. I'm so grateful that my mum and sister were able to spend so much time with him in his final weeks and I know he felt dearly loved.A wonderful teacher, he taught me how to do everything myself with my own hands, especially construction, machinery and mechanics. I'm extremely proud to have been his son, proud of how hard he worked, proud of his unwavering resilience to the many difficulties life threw at him, and proud of his continuous selflessness. He shaped who I am and what I am capable of and I will continue to try and do him proud in return for the rest of my life.Love you, Dad. ♥️
A busy week getting up to speed with work in Cypru A busy week getting up to speed with work in Cyprus after 5 years away. Still found time for cooling off in the sea at least, warm and clear as always. Usually I'm here in winter, and I don't think I'll be cycling or running much on this tour! 😅#freedive #snorkel #cyprus #mediterranean #hot
Finally got my phone replaced, having drowned it o Finally got my phone replaced, having drowned it on our sea kayaking adventure the other week in the Scillies. I then dropped the first replacement and broke the screen! Couldn't make it up... 😅A wonderful week away with friends. Thanks @belton6479 for planning it all! We saw loads of cool scenery, and lots of puffins and seals. Here's some pictures, some are mine but the better ones are not because my lens probably had water in it. 😬#paddling #kayak #scilly #atlantic #foggy
Dealing with the incredibly hot weather over the l Dealing with the incredibly hot weather over the last few days by swimming a lot and plodding slowly up Fan Brycheiniog when a little bit of cloud showed up earlier today! 🥵🌞#summer #wildswimming #rivers #lakes #heatwave
Enjoyed @culturewars with Ellen at @theklabris yes Enjoyed @culturewars with Ellen at @theklabris yesterday evening.Not as heavy as my usual live music preference as I must admit I do love a mosh pit, but I'd see these guys again. Really good from start to finish, and fortunately not as hot as it was out on the high street! 🔥
Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes! 🥰 Emb Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes! 🥰Embarked on a fun week sea kayaking in the Scilly isles with friends beforehand and then a shared birthday/father's day spent on Sunday with dad. We couldn't go far or do much as he's currently in Derriford hospital but we caught a bit of sun together outside before Ellen and I went to Cadover Bridge in the evening for a swim, somewhere I hadn't been since my teenage years!
Day 1 of sea kayaking on the Scilly Isles… ☀️ # Day 1 of sea kayaking on the Scilly Isles... ☀️#kayak #paddle #scilly #sun #sea
A lovely trip out to the Skerries with the RSPB ea A lovely trip out to the Skerries with the RSPB earlier this week. The weather was lovely which meant it was ideal for exploring the beautiful islands. 🙂As usual for Anglesey, seals were bobbing at the shore, and puffins were everywhere, however the resident seabirds were in full nesting season and quite aggressive (as expected). With the majority of the population being arctic terns, it was cool to see the island's only breeding pair of roseate terns.To top it off, shortly before leaving the birds intrigued a large 'dread' and we spotted a peregrine falcon as it swooped in for prey! It was successful, and plodded off back to the mainland.#skerries #island #arctictern #anglesey #rspb
That's a wrap on another year's Gaping Gill winch That's a wrap on another year's Gaping Gill winch meet, only 49 weeks to go until the next one! 🗓️After nearly 3 weeks on the hill we've just got home and the comforts are rather welcome! 🏡 🛏️ 🚽#caving #pothole #winch #gapinggill #ingleborough
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ABOUT

Josh Bratchley is a caver, cave diver and all-round adventurer.

Though known for his involvement as a cave rescue diver in the 2018 Thailand Cave Rescue, he is also an experienced explorer having travelled on numerous overseas expeditions.

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To contact Josh please email [email protected], or use the Contact page here.

 

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