Post date: Oct 10, 2011 4:10:42 PM

Cavers: Steve Muh, John, Penguin

Trip time: 16 hours

A gentle beginning

After a hearty fry from Clancy’s in Glenfarne, Steve bought a lovely scented tea light in their shop for warming the Kisu and we were on our way, via Bloodstones to buy sandwiches (didn’t appeal to me) and lighter for the candle. We got to Polltullyard at 12.30, not as early as i’d hoped for but we left a generous callout time planning a trip of up to 12 hours (10 on Sunday morning).

The way in was relatively painless. I rigged the pitch, to Steve’s later dismay. We packed John’s SRT kit as it would fit the three of us. I had packed my drysuit, bulky but it would be worth it if i had to spend some time in the sump. Steve packed a small gaybar for his dig. For sustenance we had a bag of chocolate, Steve had a sandwich, i packed four bottles of Powerade, remembering the dehydrated mess the last trip to Just Try Me had made me, and John took two litres of water. With the regs in daren drums it all packed into three medium sized bags. Steve picked up the Les’ Climb rope for accessing his dig. We made it through the Snake Escape, with only a bit of mild frustration, and into Serpent’s Curse; here John’s progress could be tracked by his language. About five hours after starting we were on the far side of Totally Traversable, and i changed into my drysuit.

Then the three of us went on to Just Try Me. My mind had tricked me into remembering a reasonably pleasant piece of caving here, but it’s really not much better than Serpent’s Curse – you can stand up in some spots; Steve claimed it was walking passage. Screw U was, mmm, interesting in a drysuit. Once at dive base i sorted out the rest of the dive kit, and started diving at 1915. Steve and John stopped at Steve’s Aven and waited for me to dive before they began climbing.

Dive report

The visibility was much better, up to a metre, although dark. I could see a much larger arch – probably what had caused Tony and Steve to name the sump Just Try Me for it did look inviting. I was briefly puzzled why i hadn’t found it on the previous dive. Nor could i see the tiny slot i’d entered then. It quickly became apparent that the gravel slope had slumped into the sump. The floor of the pot was also deeper than before.

I’d taken a couple of rocks and a lead block with me to use as belays, and placed one under the arch. The gravel slope under the roof was at a much shallower angle and so forced me closer to the ceiling, which i could now see rather than just feel. At the same distance i’d got to on the previous dive i was a metre shallower and the passage didn’t feel as spacious. I could see a rift in the ceiling and after belaying the line to the second rock i floated into it. It was quite tight and after a bit of wriggling and chest-sucking i realised that i couldn’t make any further progress in a drysuit as the inlet valve was jamming, and my lightweight sidemount system was also getting in the way as the bottles weren’t fully supported. After reaching -0.7m i wriggled my way back to the floor.

I continued inwards another few metres, checking the ceiling rift to see if it widened and tried another point, with even less success. Back on the floor again i had a good look around the walls but found no further passage. I placed the lead block beside the second rock belay and tied the line off to the reel and exited. Total dive time 10 minutes.

I’m pretty sure the sump surfaces in the rift, and with a wetsuit and more streamlined bottles this could be entered, probably to something Snake Escape-esque.

Dig report

I’ll let Steve or John describe this.

A slightly epic ending

While Steve and John dug i went back to dive base, dekitted and packed the dive kit. After sitting for ten minutes in my drysuit i decided to break out the Kisu, candle and a couple of Snickers. The lighter flint was wet and took some time to dry before the thing would light. But soon i was sitting in scented warmth, steam from my drysuit pouring out through the vent. After over an hour digging Steve and John returned with their stories and pulled me from my warm nest. Thermal shock set in and i shivered violently until it came my turn to get through Screw U. Everything seemed to snag, pockets, pee valve, crotch strap, loose material, zip, inlet valve, dump valve... I warmed up right enough and eventually thrutched my way through, breaking the zip cover zip.

Back at Totally Traversable Steve tried out the Kisu and scented candle, and John helped me out of my drysuit. By the time i’d changed and bunged manky drysuit into a drybag it was 2200. The thought came to mind that many other people in Ireland were probably dressing up for a night on the tiles while we were at least five hours from the surface and would be getting out as they went to bed. It’s a very remote place. Serpent’s Curse wasn’t too bad even lugging two bags now, but Snake Escape went from bad to worse. Donkey dicks and krabs kept tangling, and then one bag started slipping down the rift. I nearly went with it. Ten minutes of pushing (Steve) and pulling (me) from the most awkward and still wrong positions, with a lot of frustrated language from myself, finally freed it. At some point on the way through Steve gimped his left arm.

The mainstream was now in a bit of a spate, but i was so thirsty i reckoned i’d deal with any sickness out of the cave and drank a fair bit. Fifteen minutes later, just before Balcony, i was throwing up into the streamway. A bit more sickness followed Balcony, then just retching. Beyond George’s was a bottle of Powerade, and the thought of this kept me going. We got the five bags through George’s, shared the bottle of juice, abandoned the two bottles, and after a break continued. Steve carried my bag as well until JCP and i managed to keep the juice down. From JCP the end was in sight. I climbed the pitch first and left the cave, being sick again on the way to the car. John derigged, and at 0430 we were all out. For a change the night was dry. En route to kip at Les’ i had to get Steve to stop the car so i could throw up again.

Although i swore i was never going back to JTM, i’ve been thinking about tidying up my simple sidemount system and going back in a wetsuit. And subconsciously i left the reel in position for a return...

Al