Post date: Jul 15, 2014 10:34:12 PM

Steve Muh, Claire, Aileen, Brian McGavin, Rob Mulraney, Michal, Pavel - 4 hours

PnaL had been on our list of prime targets since our last trip of August 2013. Claire and I were on a mini expedition in the Hoo from 10th to 15th July, so this was the perfect opportunity. We had reinforcements in Aileen and Brian, and we caught up with some of the Breifne crew (would have been rude not to invite them to a cave on their doorstep). Bus was marching for the glorious Twelfth and Jock was catching butterflies on an island in Mayo, so missed out on the fun this time.

Quite a bit of faffing in the morning as we waited on Aileen arriving from Belfast, and Brian trying to find an open pharmacy for some Compeed, but we eventually got onto the hill at 3. The new gate at the windmill road was locked. However, a farmer on a quad soon arrived with keys and opened it up for us. The new road is a massive stone affair, passing some 5 windmills, and the last one was where we left two cars - literally under the propeller blades! It's the strangest place to park and change for caving. The entrance to the cave is 500m away.

Put in a second bolt at the surface to make a y-hang with our spit from last year. This time all the bolts were rock screws. Down to the same bouncy, mossy tree (suppleness is strength), and then the lovely freehanging pitch to the rock arch about 20m down. This is where the northwestern rift leads on from. I initially placed a screw here to start a traverse, but soon realised that it was easier to abseil to the base of the main pitch and then scramble up an easy climb to the window continuation.

The window was through a flowstone blockage, and a natural thread here provided backup for the steep rubble slope on the far side. A few metres later, the head of the next pitch came. Directly above was a dripping aven. Straight ahead (traversing across the pitch head), there appeared to be a continuation. The pitch head didn't have too much in the way of good rock, but with concrete screws (as opposed to expansion bolts) we could get away with what was available. A Y-hang was soon rigged in a band of cherty limestone (later we realised that an old and very rusty bolt was a few metres above in better limestone). The pitch was approximately 15m deep.

At the bottom, we reached a very loose, steep, rocky ledge. Here the limestone was excellent and plentiful, and we put in a backup and a Y-hang for a further pitch. This one was impressive, expanding out towards the bottom. There was a small trickle in one corner. Alas, about 20m down I reached the knot that Brian had thankfully put at the end of the rope, and at that stage we were also out of bolts. With light on full power, I could see what appeared to be two pots at the bottom. Brian went down for a look and Aileen also came to the pitch head, but with the amount of loose rock and the size of the party, we decided to call it a day. There was a bit of debate on whether we should return the next day or leave until next weekend, but we agreed on the latter to give Bus and Jock the chance to join (they had better not miss it).

Consulting the survey from the comfort of home, our rope ran out at approximately 225 feet's depth. The second pot at the bottom appears to be the far side of a rock bridge, with the cave reaching a bedding plane at 275 feet. The cave has a good feel to it - loads of nice limestone and a big feel with plenty of potential IMHO.

That's all for now folks, see you next weekend!

SteveMuh.