Gaelan Elliffe (little spoon), Roisin Lindsay, Aileen Connor, Ian Wilton Jones & Stephen McCullagh

5 Hours

Roisin was home from Edinburgh for the weekend and it was her choice of cave. Last year when we visited this cave we noted that it was a lot more interesting than what the survey was suggesting. On that trip we descended the main pitch down to a series of climbs to find the bottom of the cave. On exiting and reviewing the survey it appeared that we had missed a large parallel pitch noted. With that in mind our plan was to find that pitch and descend it.

The survey suggested that the pitch started at a level just below the entrance pitch. I suspected that it was just beyond a traverse over the second pitch. I rigged down and then made my way to the traverse. The traverse was easy and I found myself at the top of a large drop, however it was obvious that this lead straight down to the same chamber the second pitch brought us to last year. Beyond the hole there appeared to be a small window into another chamber. Thinking that this might be the way on I started to traverse the drop; this was infinitely more intimidating than the first traverse. The ledges were made of chert and they were breaking faster than I was moving. Speeding my traverse movements up I managed to get to the other side and gladly pushed through a small window into a roomy chamber. The chamber had a small waterfall coming in from the top and the water flowed back through the chamber and down a small slot in the floor in the direction of the rift that I had just come from. There are no further prospects here.

Back at the bottom of the entrance pitch the rest of the group joined me and Roisin rigged down the second pitch into the large main chamber. Last year we rigged from the top of the second on down to the bottom however, around the top of the third pitch there appeared to be a passageway leading off. Going round the top was easy however a traverse rope was installed as there was a number of loose boulders situated precariously around the ledge.

The passageway continued past a stunning array of stalagtites and stalagmites to a small hole through which it looked to continue. I removed my harness and pushed through. The passage went past a couple of blood red stalagmites then down a slope cum climb to a pitch. By-passing this slope the passage lead up a climb and through a calcite squeeze to an ominous looking hole in the ground.

The choice we had was either to do the first or second pitch. After a bit of inspection we opted for the ominous looking pitch. Going back to it I positioned myself carefully and threw a couple of stones down. Seconds later a massive reverberating booming sound erupted from beneath; the pitch was a lot deeper than we thought. Around the top there was only one safe natural, a stal boss, which wasn’t ideally situated. I opted for placing two bolts. One placed far back to protect the top and the second directly above the pitch so that a Y-hang could be formed with the stal. The first bolt was easily placed but the second bolt required a bit of stretching and this was achieved by standing on a flake over hanging the pitch. I descended first. After the first five metres, massive but fragile chert ledges encroached upon the rope. I broke one or two and made my way further down. 15 m deeperI rigged a deviation bringing the rope away from sharp edges. At the bottom there was a large deep pool/sump and no dry land. I found it impossible to get off the rope so I prussicked back up noting a potential lead heading onwards. I left this for the Aileen. At the top the other four were getting cold. A quick conversation and it was reasoned that everyone would abseil down individually. Aileen went first. At the top she squeezed past the flake that I had stood on previously and it moved. A couple of small movements later all 100 kg of it crashed down the pitch! Slightly chastened by the experience, Aileen carefully got on the rope and gingerly abseiled to the bottom checking as she went that there was no damage to the rope - there was none. Aileen had a go at swinging into the potential lead but had no success as every swing was accompanied with an avalanche of broken chert ledges. It appears it doesn’t go.

Everyone took their turn at carefully going down the pitch.

The cave was derigged by Gaelan and Roisin and we exited and made it back to the cars for 7 pm.

Notes: The traverse over to this area has been travelled by cavers previously however there are no notes in caving records to its existence. Certainly from the virgin state of the top of the booming pitch it doesn’t look like it was bottomed before. It is not the one noted in the survey (I figure the one in the survey is the one I traversed at the top of the second pitch). I guestimate this pitch to be about 28 m deep. In a dry period the sump may go down further so it would be worth going back. The cave needs resurveying.