Post date: Dec 8, 2009 12:33:25 PM

Cavers: Les Brown, Artur Kozlowski, Pavel Cesnak, Laura Nolan, Al Kennedy.

Yet another international Shannon Group trip! After visiting Cascades on New Year's Day, and reaching the Boulder Hall but not finding the way on and then spending three hours trying to find the way back out, i was keen to go back and visit the upper parts of the streamway. For some reason...

Laura and i picked up Artur from the 'Hoo and joined Pavel and Les in Bloodstones for some pre-cave stodge. Then, well fuelled against the cold, we set off. It was a bitter morning, and there were divergent strategies on dealing with the expected cold water - Artur and Laura in wetsuits, Les in a shortie wetsuit and furry, Pavel and myself in furries. Under Les' expert guidance there were no wrong turns in the entrance series by those who followed him. Artur and Pavel decided on a different route but were soon relocated and set right. After that things went smoothly again, although i was a bit disappointed to miss the letterbox.

Soon we were climbing up to the upper streamway and into the really pretty bit, with nice walking passages, making the entrance series all worthwhile. Les and Artur dropped out to do some surveying in a side passage, while Laura, Pavel and i continued, aiming for sump 6. Around the next corner the water got rather deep. No problem for Laura, but being still dry from my thighs up it made me baulk a bit. A quick wade and then a leap to a boulder over the deepest bit wasn't too bad. Pavel decided it wasn't for him and went back to join Les and Artur.

We continued upstream, and i gradually warmed up again until, just at the point of feeling cosy the next deep bit appeared. At one point a gurgling sound from one wall sounded faintly promising, but since it required immersion to check i sent Laura instead. After some heroic splashing she returned with nothing exciting to report (probably an alcove) and a dicky ear. Then the roof lowered as we approached sump 8. While Laura swam-gambolled ahead i was forced into an undignified crouch, desperate to keep as much cold water out as possible by keeping close to the roof. This took some time, but the Withywindle Inlet was successfully reached. It stank of sewerage and had some weed growing in the mud, but was mostly pleasant rift passage. After the Withywindle Inlet Sump (although we missed it on the way in!) the going became much more pleasant over pretty gour pools and some mud. From a large chamber we lost the way to Creature's End, spending some time grovelling up through a muddied and calcited boulder choke to a dead end. Returning to the larger chamber we followed the less obvious route and entered Creature's End, an impressively monstrous aven. From here the Leprechaun Crawl led back to the main stream, the Brandywine, and that to sump 6, where we had to stop...

With no watch between us and having agreed to be back with the others in an hour we turned round headed quickly back downstream. Spotting the WIS this time around again Laura had a guddle around in it but it was disappointing, besides being pretty foul. Les and Artur were still surveying, so we waited in the main stream passage and had chocolate. Then waited some more. Laura got cold and so started walking around but walking in a river wasn't very warming and so she broke out a foil blanket and wrapped up. After chivvying Les and Artur on we all regrouped and headed out.

A quite pleasant 5 and a half hour trip.

Al