Post date: Nov 18, 2010 12:01:45 PM

Reaching Creature's Beginning, 13 November 2010

Cavers: Steve Muh, Al/Penguin. Trip time ~ 7 hours

After the overnight marathon of the previous week we entered during daylight this time. Kit was a bit lighter with only two bags between us and we reached Creature's End in an hour and a half. Unfortunately i was soaked to the neck, having forgotten to zip up my oversuit before running through the first deep section of the Brandywine. I piled on my extra layer and hunkered down on my favourite belay boulder. Muh continued climbing, however the prospects looked less as he topped the first vertical section on to a calcited slope. After an abortive attempt at free climbing this he went back to a bit more aid climbing and reached a ledge - Creature's Beginning. This was what had looked like a big shadowy phreatic tube from below. However another calcited slope led up to the side through a rectangular passage to either a chamber or the beginning of a large passage... Muh rigged the climbing rope and invited me up to look at the next bit, but by this stage i was in survival mode and wrapped up in a space blanket and shivering. Muh abseiled down and we packed up and left. The way out was a record breaking 1 hour 20 minutes with two bags.

Entering the Sistine Chapel, 20 November 2010

Cavers: Steve Muh, Una Donoghue, Al/Penguin. Trip time ~ 7 hours

As we needed to bring a static rope to rig the pitches to Creature's Beginning, we reckoned on three bags between the three of us, however we managed to fill four bags so the trip through the entrance series was rather tortuous, and Muh was jetlagged having just returned from America. Spirits were high though that we had found something worthwhile, and we had prepared for the next pitch of aid climbing by buying 50 new screw-in bolts. These were untested by us, but Muh had kept his eyes open long enough on the journey down to do some sums from the data provided to work out that their breaking strength was probably suitable.

On reaching Creature's End we all washed boots and suits as best we could, to preserve the pristine calcite on the climb and on the higher ledges. Muh climbed to the Creature's Beginning ledge, rigging the static rope. The whole climb is quite pretty, with calcite on the route of the first pitch. We rigged a deviation to try to preserve it as best we could. This had a rather large angle as we first set it, and was awkward to pass. The second pitch was rigged as a handline up the pretty flowstone ramp to the Creature's Beginning ledge. I belayed Muh up the next slope and listened to his rapturous sighs as he entered a very very pretty chamber. He rigged the static rope from the new type of bolts and i followed him, leaving Una determinedly battling the deviation. It was lovely, with a ceiling decorated by straws, a few of which reached over one metre in length, and a floor filled by a calcite pool. We gawked around us as Una climbed up, then carefully investigated further prospects. Muh removed his boots and tip-toed through the pool to see how the passage continued. It didn't, closing down in a calcited boulder choke. He returned, sockless as these had been muddied in a part of the pool that was silty. We tip-toed carefully over the floor before the pool to look into a narrower rift in the ceiling, into which it would have been possible to sacrilegiously climb. This did not offer any exciting prospect, closing down to a definite roof. Another small inlet was investigated and also closed down. There are no further prospects at the top of this climb.

We returned, discussing names for the high chamber, and eventually settling on Sistine Chapel.

Finishing off, 30 December 2010

Cavers: Steve Muh, Éabha Lankford, Al/Penguin. Trip time 7 hours

Determined to finish off at least one project this year i badgered Muh into a 'final' trip. Of course, adhering strictly to tradition, the project isn't quite finished yet...

After an early start before dawn from Aghnahoo we eventually entered Cascades at 11 am. We had our three SRT kits for the climb, some cord to rig it as a pull-through, a few bits and pieces to tidy up the rigging with, survey kit and camera. We estimated a four hour trip - 1 and half hours each way and an hour in Creature's End.

At the climb Muh and i kitted up while Éabha, feeling unwell, broke out her bivvy bag and embarked on a 3 hour test of its life-preserving quality. We left her, singing songs and slowly suffocating, to survey up to the Sistine Chapel. This was completed successfully, some photographs were taken, and the rigging was completed as a pull-through. However the only cord to hand was blue polypropylene, so this needs to be replaced with something white, and the climbing through-bolts still remain in place...

We found Éabha still conscious and packed up and left speedily.

Photographs

Pitchhead (P3)

Floor

Wall

Edge of the pool

Rift continues up to definite ceiling

Gour pools

Pool

Ceiling

Surveying

The Sistine Chapel