Post date: Nov 9, 2008 9:03:37 PM

Ian Wilton-Jones, Gaelan Elliffe 5hrs

It was the Sunday of the Symposium, and as is customary with all symposium weekends it bucketed down for quite a lot of the weekend. On the previous survey trip into Shannon I had spotted a high level climb and a mud filled tube both in the sandy passage just after the boulder choke above the main stream-way.

Both Ian Wilton-Jones and I decided we would go in for a short trip and have a closer look at the tube to see if it went and if we had time, try to climb up into the roof behind the tube.

We made good progress into the cave, despite all the rain which had fallen over the previous 48hrs, water levels were not higher than usual.

After making it through the re-birth canal and the 2005 connection we stopped in JCP passage for a short break. We discussed for a couple of minutes the best way to climb up into the hole in the roof just above the 2005 connection. Both bolting and using a maypole would both provide easy access here.

We then continued down to the dig site where I began digging with the trowel and Ian had a good look around for a safe way up into the roof.

The tube is approx 1metre diameter and runs at a right angle to the passage. Initially the digging was quite easy and good progress was made. Ian returned from his scramble around the chamber, saying there was no easy way up to the high level. We both took turns digging and after removing some 3metres of sand and mud. Happy with the digging done for the day we decided we would return another day with a longer shovel to make progress easier.

The tube is currently 3 metres long with roughly 4 metres more to be seen extending. It appears to be a solid tube which is choked with mud. With a bigger shovel progress could easily be made.

We then returned to have a look around the passage behind the dig. The high level passage appears to go rise up a long way, above a balcony of loose rocks which look quite dodgy. Climbing here without ropes would be very exposed.

Again we decided to leave this one for another day and instead had a look at the opposite side of the passage (to the right when facing the tube). We negotiated our way through some of the boulder collapse and could see openings below us. This most lightly drops back to the stream-way. It appears to be some height above the stream way. Rocks can be heard falling a good distance.

Wary of the floor falling below our feet we retreated in order to attend Aileen’s presentation on the Pico’s Expedition.

Making good progress out of the cave in about an hour and fifteen minutes, we were greeted by a lovely rainbow in a bright sky (day-light being a rarity when exiting Shannon).

This was an enjoyable short tip of about 5hrs. Now that the far end of Shannon requires a long trip, this has shown me that you don’t need to be underground all day in order to have fun, pushing parts of the cave.

If anyone fancy’s going underground on a Sunday, this would provide a short digging trip of only a few hours.

Gaelan