Post date: Aug 30, 2010 5:01:21 PM

Total time underground 40 hours

Stephen (Bus) McCullagh, Stephen (Muh) Macnamara, Eoghan Mullen, Niall Tobin, Tim O’Connell and Éabha Lankford.

The intention was to survey areas surrounding the campsite and search for higher level passage in that section of the cave. Also it was preparation and conditioning for the four cavers taking part in the Voronya expedition a few weeks later.

This was mine and Tim’s first overnight experience and journey to the far reaches of Shannon. After meeting in Blacklion after 9.30pm on Friday it was almost 11 by the time the first group consisting of Bus, Tim and Niall descended Tullyard pot. Muh, Eoghan and I entered shortly after. It was the early hours of the morning before we reached the campsite and by that stage we were all ready for bed. With barely room for four people in the tent Steve Bus and Niall kindly opted to sleep outside.

The following morning we woke at 9am and after a surprising tasty meal, compliments to Niall, and some custard tea we were fuelled up and ready to begin. The plan was to split into 2 groups and spend the morning searching for higher level passage along the stream-way at different points. Muh, Eoghan and Niall stayed between the campsite and snake escape. Meanwhile Tim, Steve Bus and I continued further upstream past snake escape, climbing up onto higher level from the left, checking any leads we encountered. As we continued ascending upwards through a sandy passage with a scramble up a series of large slightly unstable boulders, we were led to a previously unseen large muddy chamber, approx 20 m high. Possible leads and crawls were visible at the top; unfortunately it is too steep and slippery to climb. Judging from the texture of the walls it seems unlikely that it could be bolted either. As we entered the chamber from the furthest point from stream-way we exited it through a boulder choke which led us into a tight sandy passage with some interesting calcite formations on the rocks. Bus liked the potential of this area which lay above the stream-way. Tim climbed down to the stream-way to try and make voice contact with Bus, who decided that there may be potential to dig here later. There was a dead animal smell in this area at this point and I feared I might suffer the same fate the previous Shannon Group members who drank the stream water. We continued searching for leads on the other side of the stream-way. Its sandy slopes led us up some tight muddy crawls but our findings were inconclusive. Since time was running on we journeyed back to find the others. We descended the higher level over a small bridge and inlet climb 2 m above stream-way.

On our way back we heard boulders crashing and knew the boys were close and partaking in a little gardening. Facing the campsite they were in a higher level oxbow to the right. Bus and Tim followed them up to have a look but there was little potential there. We all returned to the campsite for some lunch.

After lunch, Niall, Tim and I journeyed to the terminal sump as it was likely to be one of our few chances to see this part of the cave. None of us had been to the end of the cave before and it was 2 hours before we reach the sump. Meanwhile, the Three Musketeers planned to return to the potential dig we had seen earlier, and to retrieve the rope in snake escape left after a previous trip.

Both groups arrived back at the campsite within ten minutes of each other. Eoghan and the two Steves had abandoned the original dig to dig closer to the campsite. To my relief Eoghan informed me the dead animal, a frog, was safely out of water supply. After some chocolate and tea Niall, our gourmet chef for the weekend, kindly offered to start dinner while the rest of us went back to the dig.

Down the slope at the campsite, around to the left and after a short climb we came to a wide sand chamber. We took turns digging an easy path through the sand, soon a few metres were gained and Eoghan broke through and led the way to another wide, low bedding plane. After attempts by a few of us to squeeze in through the sharp horizontal rocks before us, we decided that we could probably get through but we weren’t willing to risk getting stuck. Eoghan and Tim continued digging to the far end of the sand bank where it got tighter, eventually returning back. At this stage we could smell the food from the campsite and although the connection had not been made we knew we had made a circle and were somewhere above the campsite. We shouted for Niall but got no reply. On returning for dinner, Niall told us that he could hear us which confirmed theories on the direction of the passage.

The following morning before exiting the cave Muh, Bus and Eoghan decided to survey the area leading to the campsite and the bedding plane to the left of it. With this successfully completed we set off out of the cave, the last of the group reaching the surface safely by 3pm.

Éabha