Post date: Dec 12, 2013 9:06:19 PM

Cavers: Axel, Brian, Al

Saturday

The plan for the day, to amuse those who turned up for the last Largy weekend of 2013, was to drop 'Hell's Letter Box', so named in November by its (re-)discoverers Brian and Barney. Had they in fact managed to identify it by its original name of Ivy Caverns, i probably wouldn't have rushed to it and been content with dropping Series' Three and Four. But with a name like that, and tales of a 20 second drop followed by a landslide (exagerated?), who could let it pass? Besides which, it lay in the hypothetical junction area of Series Four and Five, and was at an altitude of around 360 m (giving it a depth potential of around 240 m).

Making the Shannon Group equivalent of an alpine start - breakfast in Clancy's at 9 am - Brian and i got to the quarry just after 10. Axel's satnav told him he would be there by 1045, and he was. So with bags packed (worringly a little shy of rope for such a big cave...), survey kit, Axel's camera, and three ground anchors, we set off into the rain. It is a good hour from the quarry to HLB, made a little longer as Brian couldn't remember where the cave was, but after searching the hillside for 20 minutes we came across it. The weather was beginning to close in, and Axel was muttering about the rain, as Brian and i rigged the entrance pitch. After a couple of abortive rigs we finally got one that seemed more or less secure, and Brian was able to descend to a narrow sloping shelf of gravel. After some whooping and rock throwing, he crawled into safety and i descended. I did some more whooping and rock throwing, and then, since Axel was getting really wet, i squeezed in beside Brian in a tiny passage which threatened to shoot us over the second pitch if we slipped. Axel descended, and did some more whooping.

Pitch two looked to be about 15 m deep, with a sloped floor dropping back under the entrance into what seemed, from the echo, to be at least a substantial chamber. After some shuffling, we all stood on the narrow ledge, secured along with bags to the end of the rope, which was rigged to one ground anchor, in a cave that no-one knew we were exploring, and which was presently lost to the world in mist. There was not much selection of natural anchors, bar the usual crumbly chert, so i set about placing a spit in the soundest piece of limestone i could find, at the back of the ledge. This was over my head, and required standing on tip-toe while Axel and Brian slagged me. Then followed some considerable rock-dressing. From this anchor i was able to stand safely on the edge of the ledge and selected another piece of limestone for the second anchor, on the edge of the ceiling. This area was nice and dry, and also in a perfect position, and so it went in much faster. I discovered i'd forgotten the blowpipe, so by the end of the drilling i was covered in rock flour and crunching it in my teeth. These two anchors made a nice y-hang, from which i decided Brian or Axel could place a third spit as a deviation was needed. Axel stepped forward, and luckily managed to find a sound piece of rock in the ideal position. It did necessitate some acrobatics, and he spent the next 30 minutes braced horizontally and twisted 3/4 around while hammering behind his head; a second rope helped hold him in position. When his arms gave out, he handed over to Brian, who finished the hole off in a few blows. But without a blowtube it was impossible to clean out the hole, despite my encouragement. Not wanting to risk the loss of an anchor which was very important, we decided to leave the cave for the day and return tomorrow.

We surfaced in late dusk, and much mist, and spent some time walking in circles and zigzags over the moor, until, with the help of Google maps and a very weak 3G signal, we made it back to the quad track.

Sunday

Another early start proved too early for Axel, and he drove off the Hoo laneway. After some skidding around i managed to recover him to solid ground, and we arrived at Clancy's by 9.15 am, finding three Queen's lads scoffing their fries and planning a trip into Deep Pot. Nevertheless we were long up the hill before they'd left their car. It was mucho misty this morning, so the landmark of two turbines aligned (roughly) was not possible to see to guide us to HLB, but we made it. We dropped quickly out the rain, i assumed the position while Brian and Axel slagged, blew out the hole, drove in the spit, and then screwed in the hanger. The deviation was perfect, and i quickly dropped on down. The shaft did indeed open into a large chamber, apparently with a walking passage leading off from the far end. I landed, and then took shelter while Axel and Brian descended. In the chamber was an old Fanta can, the skeleton of a fox curled in a corner, and some large leg bones with cloven hoof marks (cow?) in the mud. And, where the chamber led down into a muddy end, welly-boot prints in the mud. From here a short crawl led into a boulder-choked aven. It seemed we had been gazumped, and worse it didn't go anywhere. Although it was still an impressive cavern.

There was one further lead that we decided to check, a bold, loose free-climb up one wall of the main chamber to an extensive open bedding against the ceiling. Axel led it, and secured a rope, and Brian and i followed. At the top was a well-decorated alcove, which it seemed no-one had been in. It was some reward for our efforts, but there were leads from this. The easiest, into an open low chamber, required digging out some straws, and i quickly entered the low chamber. It apparently closed down all around, however checking over a pile of boulders at the end i espied a small opening, which i dug out one-handed in a few minutes (i'd cut one hand on the climb). There was no floor visible, though rocks thrown in didn't make a very interesting sound. I squeezed through into another chamber, with a false floor. There was a faintly draughting bedding plane leading off from this. Axel joined me, and while tip-toeing across the floor dislodged 1/4 ton of boulders. We had a good look around, deciding to leave the on-going passage for another day, as it was getting too late to survey, photograph, and still get off the hill with some daylight. Also it would leave an incentive for the survey team. It does require a wee bit of hammering. Brian got stuck in the squeeze, so we turned him around and returned to the pretty alcove where Axel took some photos, and then some more in the main chamber. Brian derigged, and we were able to get mostly off the hill before dark.

Al