Post date: Apr 8, 2013 7:22:52 PM
Cavers: Steven 'Muh' Macnamara, Claire Dunphy, Becks Kelly, Alasdair Kennedy and Petie Barry
Following on from Al and Kayleigh's breakthrough into a fine vertical rift in mid-march, an assault was planned for the mucky climb up into the roof of the passage. Al had packed a considerable amount of gear, prepared for the possibility of a bolt climb up into the ongoing passage. It was perhaps the finest day I've ever encountered up on Largy, the sun shone brightly and a shimmering heat-haze rose off the limestone pavement, coupled with a cool breeze to cool us off on the hike up. At the head of the Window Series Al and Muh scarpered off leaving a three person photo team to take our time going down the cave, taking an excursion into the Phantom Disconnect. When eventually we had squirmed down through Snakes and Ladders we heard the voices of Al and Muh off down the muddy pot. We followed down, wriggled through the connection squeeze and up into the new rift. Here the echoing voices of Al and Muh could be heard high up in the distance, beyond the muddy climb. After a roared conversation with Al I started up the muddy climb, which Muh had forced his way up. Luckily he'd managed to place a handline, to make it somewhat easier. Becks and Claire passed up the tools and I clambered up the rift to the bottom of another climb. Here Al was waiting at the top, arms outstretched for tools. Soon the rest of us made it up the climb and along a horizontal rift to where Muh and Al were digging a muddy choke just beyond The Largest Stal on Largy - a fine russety formation about half a metre high. It took about an hour to claw enough mud and rocks out of the rift for Al to slide through and slither penguin-like down a mud slope into a well-decorated chamber. We all followed through, and Becks was shoved into the low muddy continuation of the rift before being pulled out. It's possible to see about 4-5m down this bit of rift to a flowstone obstruction, though there might be a hole below this. Digging would be needed.
We began our exit from the most remote part of Deep Pot leaving the hand-lines in place for a surveying trip. There was fine sunshine on exit, and Steve and I walked the full way down the the jetty at Lough Glenade to clean the sticky mud off of our gear and wash the ropes. A very picturesque and practical place to wash ropes it is.
Total extension: about 50m from Al and Kayleigh's dig point. Deep Pot is now approaching the half kilometre mark.
Stuff left to do:
Survey extension and remove handlines.
Check end of No Glory rift.
Remove scaff scaling pole from Old Glory dig.
Climb Rectorig and see where that goes.
Notes: The eyehole above the window series dropped a few loaf-sized rocks down the pitch. The area under the slab you climb over to reach the pitch is just loose fill and comes off without touching it. Usual precautions at the bottom of the pitch to be carefully adhered to.