Post date: Jun 23, 2009 12:34:54 PM

Black Burn Cave, 1 June 2009

Steve Bus, Steve Muh, Tony, Roisín, Damien, Ed, me.

A short evening trip to investigate a small downstream sump before the boulder choke.

After seeking some refreshments and garden hose in LIDL Larne we rocked on up the coast.

The surveyed cave entrance took a few minutes to clear but the small tube that Jock, Emma, Artur and i had cleared on the last trip was still open, so we were soon sweating along the small tubes and rifts in wetsuits. First some high-level rifty, muddy passages were investigated with a distinct scent of fresh air even among all the smelly cavers (!) (this is the dashed bit on the survey just before section 'G'), then on to the main event of the evening, draining the downstream sump just before section 'J' (the shape of this on the survey is a bit odd...). With many willing hands a dam was constructed across the passage to divert the water, and then bailing with buckets started, eventually turning to dredging gravel and stones from the bottom. Soon the sump was a small muddy puddle and some investigation was made but it was all a bit disappointingly tight

En route out Roisín, Bus and i had a look at the upstream sump (side passage near 'H'), reached through a chilly duck. This looked quite promising, with a decent body-sized tube visible apparently in some sort of U-bend, and nice clear water. Diving or (sacrilege!) draining should be possible. Finally we looked at an odd pool in an alcove in the side of the passage (the corner between 'E' and 'F' i think), this may be a sump? Without neoprene hoods it was too cold to make any sort of prolonged investigation underwater.

A pleasant trip!

I'm sure there was more but my memory is poor...! :)

Al