Post date: Sep 12, 2011 5:10:05 PM

A minor get together in the 'Hoo coupled with some reminiscense and caving. A bit thrown-together and worked-out-at-the-last-minute where no one plan survived for more than a few moments.

Propping up the 'Hoo sofa were Jock, Emma, Una, Aileen, Steve Muh, Petie, Davie, Conor, Adam, James, Al.

From Aghnahoo Log:

10-Sept-2011

Teams - Petie, Steve Muh, Aileen

- Alasdair, Jock, Emma

After a planned Shannon trip fell through there was much debate as to what we should do. We eventually decided to spend the morning faffing. After much faffing we went to the Showcave to faff there. Later we went faffing in Blacklion for a while. After more faffing we went back to the Showcave and had a quick faff eventually heading back to the Hoo. To everyones dismay we decided to go caving. Muh, Petie and Aileen went to Lower Cradle but didn't have a key so we went to Pollthanarees to push the elusive Cats Hole connection. We ambled around for a while before reaching the end of the cave. Here Petie dug out a low wriggle leading into a new chamber. Crawling to the end of this we started digging at a blind hole with a good rattle. We had hopes of connecting to Cats Hole when, sliding down I reached the end of the extension, the draft going into the ceiling.

End of story.

While Petie, Muh and Aileen were engaged in some faffing, Jock, Emma and i had a relatively faff free morning, although we did nip to Belcoo for some supplies, an act which proved fatal for the cohesion and coherence of the group. We had a mahoosive bunch of keys for Marble Arch and planned for a trip from ICC to Legnabrocky Way and Mexican Passage and then out by Lower Cradle, taking in two of Artur's digs on the way (in Mexican Passage and Lower Cradle).

Back at the 'Hoo the three of us were soon changed and champing at the bit, wondering where the other three faffers were faffing. Eventually we locked the 'Hoo and walked to MAC. Apparently the others drove by on the MAC road and thought we were going to Lower Cradle. We dropped into MAC via the ICC entrance and wandered up the showcave. Legnabrocky Way was very enjoyable and we found a ICRO comfort sack containing Alex's long lost lid and light. Very pretty cave too. We had a look at the beginning of Mexican Passage and then went on to the end of Legnabrocky Way, first at the aven above the sand bank chamber and then along the final section of stream which presented some fun caving. At the bouldery end we made several loops back to the same place (Emma and i dug out one section to make a fun, sporting squeeze to where we'd been 20 minutes before). Eventually we headed out, the streams being a little higher than we'd have liked we passed on the Mexican Passage for another time. At Skreen Hill 2 the water was chest deep, and from the bypass to Journey's End we had to do a bit swimming. We hoofed it down the showcave.

Out again by the ICC Entrance, we decided to have a look in Lower Cradle since we had the key. The water was pretty high already. We cleared out some washed up dive line, crawled to the Lost Marbles duck and Emma and Jock made a high level traverse. Back on the surface we met Steve Muh and the QUBCC lads, on their way to making the longest descent of Pollnagapple in living memory. Sometime later Aileen and i were toasting our undersuits to go and find them when they finally surfaced.

From Aghnahoo Log:

Sep 10 2011

It has been a shit week so some caving was required. Billed as a Shannon diving mission, as it turns out we ended up at the end of Legnabrocky Way for a good poke as the water rose behind us. Tourists were informed that the cave was flooding by - FUN TIMES.

Al Emma + Jock.

Sunday 11 September

Yet more uncoordinated faffing. However Steve Muh dropped Aileen and myself in a wet Tullyard, where we changed in the house and walked through the gales and rain to Polltullyard. Our aim was to pick up the scaf from JCP and shore up the Les' Climb choke. In Polltullyard there was a fair old waterfall, and water running down towards Rebirth. Expecting a wet trip we pushed on. When i rejoined Aileen on the other side of Rebirth Canal, she commented on what were obviously new holes in the floor at the z-bends. Closer inspection revealed them to be fresh and we also spotted loose stuff in the ceilings, particularly on a couple of the corners. There was some puddling in the area so we thought a flood had shifted things around (closer inspection revealled no evidence of any flooding beyond what might usually be expected following the last few weeks' weather). A little further, and fresh cracks became apparent in the walls, giving a stacked rubble appearance; there were some minor collapses from the walls as well as collapses of existing loose rock.

At the beginning of JCP we collected and packed the scaf and continued, to find more instability beyond the canyon section. The mud bank to the downstream-right of the pretties had slipped and run in a few places, in some cases undermining larger boulders. Some minor damage to the stal has been done, mostly to the flowstone on the floor. We continued downstream, now very wary and keeping a sharp eye out for fresh collapses. (Interestingly, the water level in the stream was fairly normal, and not what we had expected given the wetness in Polltullyard.) The most spectacular fall we found was just after the wet, black choke. After the vertical climb from the passage and once through the lowish chamber above, we started descending over fresh debris on the slope back to the stream. As Aileen was spotting this, i looked into the ceiling, and could not miss a large column which had detached from the left wall and fallen across the passage, forming a bridge. It was split through the middle and the foot of the column rested on mud and very small rocks. We tiptoed through cautiously.

At the Les' Climb Choke we managed to place 5 of the 6 pieces of scaffolding we had before running out of clips. A 90cm and 60cm piece and 3 swivel clips should be enough to finish this. Surprisingly, given the collapses upstream, none of the offending rocks here had moved. We took a closer look at the recent collapses on our return, surfacing to wind-whipped rain. In the expectation that Muh would be some time with the QUBCC lads we changed and hitched back to the Black.

Al with additions from Petie and Jock's 'Hoo reports.