Trip Report - In Full... Enjoy! EXERCISE DRAGON DESCENT PIERRE SAINT MARTIN EXPEDITION DIARY
Saturday 05 Aug 2017 At 0500 four of the team meet up in Grantham and begin the epic journey to the South of France. We traveled from Grantham picking up another five team members in Folkestone before catching the Euro tunnel and heading south towards the Pyrenees via Le Mans, Poiters, Bordeaux, and Pau. As we skirted Pau and started the final leg of our journey to Saint Engrace we were subjected to heavy rain and an impressive thunder storm which was to pretty much set the scene in terms of weather, for the next week. We finally reached Saint Engrace at 0330 hrs on Sun 06 Aug (22.5 hr journey), and rather than wake everyone up in the camp site we decide to get a few hours’ sleep in the vans a couple of hundred meters up the road. At about 0700 we wake up and get booked into the Iberra camp site. Several other caving groups were already settled in, including cavers from the Avalon (Belgium Caving Club), the Red Rose Cave and Pothole Club and the South Wales Caving Club. The remainder of the day is spent setting up camp and sorting out equipment for the caving to come. Later that morning Si, Connor and Cameron head into Arrete (30 mins North) and do a small food shop to see us through a couple of days. In the afternoon whilst Connor sorted out the boats and ERV kit that would be left at the tunnel de Vent the following day, Si and John took a drive up to Saint Engrace village to recce the Verna show cave visitors centre to confirm their bus timings (they have priority on the route up to the cave and cavers must follow their bus up and down the route when they are conducting tours); café Auberge (opposite the church in Saint Engrace) where the cavers key for the EDF tunnel can be collected, before doing a short recce up towards the cavers car park where we would park our vehicles and walk up to the entry point. That evening, administration and initial recce complete we had a BBQ for evening meal and discussed the plan for the next few days. Monday 07 Aug 2017 EDF to Tunnel de Vent Trip - Bruce, Si, John, Neil, Mark, Connor, Cameron, Liam, Andy, Chris. The plan of the day was to enter the system through EDF tunnel, through Salle de la Verna, El Metro to Tunnel De Vent to lay boats and provisions to cross the water, to assist in the through trip from SC3 to Salle de La Verna. Everybody carried either food and water, or the boats and provisions to leave at the planned ERV point which was to be sited west of the Tunnel de Vent. We started with a hearty breakfast of cereal, coffee, and a sausage sandwich. Leaving at 0900, the day started badly with one unfortunate member being bitten on the male appendage by a red ant. Having collected the key to the EDF tunnel we drove up to caver’s car park 2, prior to the Verna tours starting. We parked up at around 0945, 15 minutes’ walk from EDF tunnel entrance. The EDF Tunnel was created after the cave was discovered as a means of the energy company creating a hydroelectricity station to tap into the river that runs through the PSM system. Upon arrival, we were all very surprised by the strength of the drought blowing out of the tunnel leading to Salle de La Verna. After approximately another 15 minutes walking through the EDF tunnel, the group arrived in Salle de La Verna. Following the description and splitting into two groups, with Si and Bruce going in one direction, and everybody else going in a different, correct direction, leading across a metal gangway and further into the system. We carried on through to just past Sala Chevalier. The description at this point described heading right at the river through a small tighter passage. Unfortunately, the group peeled off to the right too early, which lead to a two and half hour excursion in the wrong direction. However, it did lead to some fantastic formations and tunnels, and was a great experience to see. Upon realising the mistake, we headed back to the river, keeping high right at river level to keep out of the water, and pressed right which led us through Salle Adelle and eventually led us to the Metro. Once in the Metro we travelled along the right hand wall, always heading uphill and following the well-marked route, making very few navigational mistakes pushing through. The group continued to climb towards the East, and after about 6 hrs caving we passed the memorial of Marcel Loubens, who died on the 24/08/1952, after his winching system failed and he fell around 10m, and rolled downhill a further 30m. He remained alive for two days while rescuers attempted to get him out, but unfortunately he died still underground in the system. Having reached the highest point of the massive boulder pile above Loubens memorial we changed direction and started heading South down the other side of the boulder pile into Salle Nevarra. After a last short climb on the other side of Salle Nevarra we dropped down a final boulder pile and finally arriving at the Tunnel du Vent. The group unpacked the ERV gear and the boats were inflated. John made a trip across the lake in the Tunnel de Vent to place a second boat and buoyancy aids and also a line so that the boats could be pulled back and forth for the through trip. There were already a couple of tractor inner tubes in place (SWCC) and so one of these was also laced on each bank of the lake as a reserve. Rope, emergency rations, a group shelter and first aid were also left as an emergency cache. After a quick stop for a brew and some food, the group made the return trip, replacing an in-situ rope along the route. Unsurprisingly, it had very little navigational errors. Finally, after 11 hours underground, the group exited through EDF Tunnel into a truly magnificent thunderstorm. We enjoyed a spectacular pasta bake and some wine before heading to bed for the night. Tuesday 08 Aug 2017 Aranzadi Gallery Trip - Bruce, Mark, Andy and Mike. Having spent 11 hours caving the previous day, decided to have a relatively short trip to explore the awesome La Verna chamber. After a twenty minute walk from the parking area we arrived at the EDF tunnel just as a large group of tourists were leaving. Before the expedition members entered the cave they were approached by a tourist guide. The tourist guide questioned as to why we had left the door open the previous day as a stranger had wandered into the cave in jeans and a t-shirt. The tourist guide had assumed that it was our fault as we had had the key the previous day, but it soon become apparent that the door wouldn’t lock when shut and that no key was required for entry. With the name of the British MOD cleared, we advanced into the cave. We walked through the EDF tunnel, a flat tunnel of approximately 700 metres that leads straight into La Verna. The chamber was so large (over 200 x 200 m) that even with the group’s torches on the highest setting, only a fraction of the cave was visible and it was impossible to see the ceiling and opposite walls. After a few minutes of searching for a path, we headed down a steep incline that meandered down the boulder strewn sides of the chamber to the bottom of the cave. The bottom of La Verna was on the opposite side to the EDF entrance, which was visible due to a dim orange light and provided the first indication of exactly how large the chamber was. We then headed up a separate steep path searching for an in situ rope on the right hand side. Upon reaching the top of the path, it became apparent that the group had walked too far and had started to head toward the East hitting a massive boulder slop. Having retraced our steps the group fount the base of the 55m climb up to a series of traverses that climbed the remaining 70 m up to the Aranzadi Gallery. Bruce and Mike free climbed the crumbly 55 m climb and rigged a rope in place for the remainder of the group to use, whilst Mike climbed higher and recced a higher chamber. Due to time constraints, the group did not manage to all get into the Aranzadi Gallery but planned on returning later in the week to continue their exploration. As the group climbed back up the Northern boulder slop towards the EDF tunnel a group of tourists were led into the chamber by the Verna show cave staff. All of the lights placed around the cave were switched on, allowing everyone to see exactly how big the cave was. Despite years of caving experience, nobody in the group had seen any caves comparable in size. The chamber was an order of magnitude bigger than anything in the UK. The group then exited through EDF tunnel, and were surprised to find that the weather was pleasant. Tete Sauvage / SC3 Entrance Recce – Si, John and Neil. We left the campsite at 1200 having conducted some administration post storm the evening before which left everything/one pretty damp. We drove up the valley for about 30 minutes to the Pierre Saint Martin ski resort before breaking off the main track and heading up the ski slope / road towards Peak D’Anni. After a few km the track became unsuitable for our vehicle and we parked up and got changed into caving gear. The weather was still pretty damp as we headed off up the hill on foot. Within 15 minutes we had located the Tete Sauvage entrance, 15 m off to the right hand side of the ski slope / road. The entrance was marked with a blue and a red pole and consisted of a depression with a small (awkward) rift in its Southern side which led to a small pitch after 10 m. We then dumped our safety bags and SRT gear before heading a further 1100m up the hill on the Ski slope / Road to the SC3 entrance. The point where we left the ski slope / road prior to SC3 was marked by a cairn on the right hands side, and a series of cairns led us the 25 m to the SC3 entrance which had a tree above a small Southern facing rock face with vertical rift entrance at its base. The entrance was covered by a wire net to stop skiers inadvertently plunging down its 355 depth. Having located both entrances we headed back down to Tete Sauvage and after a quick lunch we descended the first 150 meters through the surprisingly tight and awkward first 5 pitches. The ‘Parrot’ ladders put in place by the original explorers of the system proved to be awkward to negotiate past as our bags and rope became entangled within the protruding steps. The pitches were pretty much on top of one another, with 2 short awkward meanders between a few of them. Having satisfied our curiosity and successfully recce each site we climbed out and returned to our van. An hour later we were back in camp and the surface team had a BBQ on the go for evening meal. Admin done and bellies full we made our plans for the following day’s main rigging trips and a cross over between the two vertical pitches. Wednesday 09 Aug 2017 SC3 Rigging trip Connor, Cameron, Liam, John, Andy and Bruce breakfast, Connor’s and John’s groups joined together for a forty-minute van ride. This led us to our stop in the ski resort where we all disembarked for the trek to our cave, SC3! I was totally blown away by the mountain range, despite my heavy breathing. After a brisk 30 minute walk, Si’s team left us to attempt the Tete Sauvage through trip to the base of SC3. 20 minutes later we found ourselves at the entrance. The cave’s entrance was covered by a metal net kept closed by mallions, this was installed to stop skiers finding themselves at the bottom and having a very bad day. Connor was heading up the rig, with Cameron and myself acting as pack mules. We would follow close behind, bring him bags as he needed the next one. John’s team was also doing this, but with a delayed start. Other than the first pitch the SC3 entrance is a series of roomy free hanging pitches which drop straight from pitch to pitch, with the exception of a very short meander to the top of the final 55m Liberty Bell pitch at the base of the 355 m pot hole. Connor’s rigging was going well, and the riggers soon found the other team bearing down upon them. They gave the remaining 3 bags of rope to the rigging team and followed them down slow time. I could not get over the cave, it was like nothing I had ever experienced before. This was my first caving overseas and could not get over the differences it had, as a classic French system. The depth we were generating was crazy, I knew we would get down to -355 metres. However, I was so shocked at how much of that was on the ropes. Progress was quick down through the system, with Connor in his element. We found ourselves at the top of the final pitch, in just over 2 hours. This was the one that was the most impressive. It was just a quick dash from the bottom of the last pitch and it looked innocent enough upon approach. Walking along the ledge the floor seemed to just fall away, with this bottom less void below. I could feel excitement building more and more, this pitch was going to be sick! Connor quickly rigged the pitch and dropped the rope down, there was a pause from him dropping it to the rope hitting the ground. Connor was quick to be down and I follow suit. A 55 m free hanging drop below me, a true classic. As I started my decent my light was barely able to see the sides, I just seemed to be descending into a dark abyss. I finial reach the bottom of the pitch, after what seemed like one of the longest descents of my life. Finally, on the floor my attention was drawn to a flag located in the cairn in the centre of the chamber, it indicated that the ‘Hotel Bar’ was close by, you have got to love caving humour! The rest of the team joined us at the bottom, with the team having a real sense of achievement to have got the primary rig completed, ready for the through trips later in the week. John’s team decided to make their way straight out of the growling 355 metres of ascent, as with Simon’s team no doubt close to the base, it was going to take some time to make it out of the cave. With this in mind our team decided to go for a stroll in some of the connecting passageway between SC3 and Tete Sauvage, it quickly came apparent that the style of the caving changed from large open French caving into classic Mendip-esk crawls and squeezes. After 10 minutes we bumped into a relieved looking Si as seeing us confirmed that they were going the right way. The two groups began the journey back to the bottom of SC3 but this was abruptly halted when Mark got stuck in a tighter part of passageway. This was quickly fixed with Si’s calm, gentle and caring motivational words, followed by a generous shoulder boost. Once we reached the base of the ‘Liberty Bell’ pitch Connor began the arduous climb out whilst the rest of us got a brew on and hid in the warm group shelter. At this point Mark divulged that he had been carrying a whole fruit cake with him in his Darren drum so to lighten his load for the climb ahead we helped him devour it with a hot veggi stock to wash it down. My time had come for the longest assent of my life. Due to the size of this task a steady and continuous approach was needed, to aid this I turned off my head lamp so I wouldn’t continuously look up at how long I had left to climb. After the tiring first pitch out we only had 300 tiring meters until daylight. For this I had to dig deep to find my inner strength to fight the burning in my legs to get out. It was safe to say this counted as leg day. Moral was kept high on the way up using a combination of weak banter and good tunes from the whole group. On the surface John’s team were ready to great us with warm drinks and cold hands as they had come out two hours prior to us. This really put into perspective what we had achieved as the first man of John’s team exited at 1600 hrs, whilst the last man of the Si’s team didn’t exit until 2000 hrs. Tete Sauvage / SC3 through trip Si, Neil, Mike, Mark. The normal direction for this route is from East to West as part of the SC3 to La Verna Chamber through trip. This trip report is for the reverse direction; not because Si got lost, but because the team’s intent was to do a through-trip entering the system at Tete Sauvage, caving through to meet the team rigging down to the base of SC3 before exiting through the SC3 entrance. Other reports describe the horizontal part of the trip as ‘typical Yorkshire caving’; which could mean pleasant stream passages, grovelling through bedding planes or contortionist squeezes. Fortunately we were prepared for all three. The day started sunny and dry, a relief after the weather of the preceding days. It was not to last. And so off to the ski resort at top of the valley and as far above this as the road permitted. This left a 25 minute walk to a non-descript entrance at the top of the ski area, which Si had fortunately recc’ed the day before. The descent starts with some scrappy abseils past parrot ladders to two short descents down parrot ladders alone, followed by increasingly airy and impressive pitches. It was reminiscent of a Yorkshire descent, just MUCH deeper. At the bottom a white arrow points to the 1m crawl half filled with water. Si went first with the video camera and encouraged us all to smile for the picture as the family jewels were cooled to 5 Centigrade; dream on. 10 minutes, two short climbs down and a short pitch down lead to a rope above the main stream passage. This is descended to a step halfway down the rope and the passage followed up-stream. The way on is now almost exclusively to the East, following the stream, whilst avoiding the deepest of the chilly water and taking half a dozen bypasses when the stream passage is either too deep or too narrow. At the two junctions, the correct route is clearly marked with tape or reflectors; after about an hour’s horizontal caving (heading uphill throughout) we reach a point where the route on climbs up above the stream which is not seen again for the next 20 or 30 minutes. So far it had been similar to pleasant Yorkshire stream passages. It was not to last. After a couple of hundred meters the stomping passage way closes in before we negotiated a couple of narrow (but not tight) horizontal bedding planes appear which must be grovelled through – just like Yorkshire. An apparently impenetrable boulder choke is next, the route through being up 10m through a narrow and heavily scraped route, then 40m along the top. Once back at the water, there is a left turn 5m upstream where we met Connor’s team who have just rigged down through SC3 and are having a nosey about. It’s good to see them, not least of all as it confirms Si is on the correct route! Connors team tag on to the back of ours as we negotiate the final few metres of the horizontal element of the trip; a bizarre squeeze with one arm up and one down, across a vertical rift with the ground 2m below. Mike was svelte enough to fall through to bottom and walk to the end (‘Oh, was there a squeeze?, I didn’t notice’). Combined tactics were required to get Mark unstuck. 15m later, a drippy Liberty Bell is reached – the chamber at the bottom of SC3. After an hour wait for other teams to descend the first of many pitches, we made our way up the 355m of spectacular pitches, past a complex series of canyons and bedding planes awash with fossils - awesome. Above ground the weather was Baltic – windy, cloudy and cold, brrr; is this really Southern France in August or Leck Fell? Solid wire netting then needs to be reattached to the entrance to save snowboarders falling down (is this interfering with Natural Selection?) In summary, a Yorkshire cave on steroids. The way is generally well marked, though it is better marked for those going in the opposite direction. This route does not get as much traffic as the routes of Yorkshire. There is still lots of loose rock to be pulled down. A cracking day out which made Yorkshire caving look like La Verna’s baby brother. Allow 1.5 to 2.5 hours for the descent of Tete Sauvage. 1.5 – 2.5 hours for the horizontal journey to SC3. 3 to 4 hours to climb out of SC3. 6 to 9 hours for the whole trip depending on the size of your team. Thursday 10 Aug 2017Gallery Aranzadi Trip – Si, Mike, Neil, Connor, Cameron, Liam. A gentle drip to the forehead from a leaky tent and the sound of neighbouring tent zips indicating it was now time for the older members of the exped to empty their bladders harked the start of day 6. Rolling off of the torture device commonly referred to by my Army colleagues as a “camp bed” I dragged my aching muscles (which seemed intent on reminding me that they were less than pleased with yesterday’s 8 hour through trip of the Tete Sauvage to SC3), to the “Mess tent” (not quite to RAF standards but still better than pay as you dine!) and had a strong black cup of coffee to kick start the day. With the bags packed and admin sorted the night before all that was left for us to do was the usual breakfast and clean up faff before jumping on to the van and heading off once more to the PSM system and the marvel of engineering that is the EDF Tunnel. I was pleased to hear someone say that today was to be an “easy days caving” but that joy was short lived when I found that those soothing words had actually come from Si who in reality wouldn’t know an easy days caving if it sneaked up and kicked him right in the Petzl Stop! As the road up to the EDF Tunnel is a single track, one that snakes round the mountain at a very steep rate of incline with severe drops to port side and nowhere to pass an oncoming vehicle we were required to wait and follow the official La Verna tour bus. A bus full of happy paying members of the public in nothing more than jeans and jumpers, how I wished I had just paid £10 and took the tour! Before too long we were parked the 1km or so from the entrance and tabbing (apparently some Army term for what we in the RAF would call a walk!) up the steep path to the metal door that greets anyone wanting to enter the EDF tunnel. The tunnel is some 700m of passage dug in to the side of the mountain to directly enter the La Verna chamber, a chamber so big that the draft it forces down the tunnel can be heard screaming through the gaps in the metal door and flings the door open at such a force that the unsuspecting chap who turns the handle for the first time is taken quite by surprise. To give some idea of La Verna, imagine London’s Millennium Dome, then imagine someone had put a tunnel into the side of the dome that pops out about 200m from the roof. The roof of the chamber is perfectly domed just like its London twin but instead of a flat concrete floor beneath the viewing platform you find yourself on it is a mass of boulders the size of houses and the steady flow of the underground river which had managed to escape the hydroelectric damn within the chamber. This was our second trip into La Verna but to our complete amazement this time it was lit up for the benefit of the paying customers of the La Verna tour company. Our group had some very experienced cavers in the ranks but even those amongst us who had seen large chambers on previous excursions were awestruck at the size of the place. At approximately 250m wide by 270m high it was a wonder to behold. Manikins clad in caving attire had been strategically placed throughout the chamber to give a perspective of its size. Looking straight ahead to the far side of the chamber there was a crescent moon shaped cave entrance, a cave within a cave!, with 2 tiny manikins highlighting it’s size and its distance from our current location. That was our day’s objective and so we began our scramble down to the floor of the chamber and then the arduous scramble up to the foot of the climb below the Aranzadi Gallery. There was a little confusion amongst our group to the actual terms of our permit. Some had thought that helmet lamps were not to be used on the viewing platform others seemed to think it was anywhere within the chamber. After a quick debate the latter ruling won the day and so we gingerly stepped from boulder to boulder in the half-light provide by the spot lamps far above us. Eventually we arrived at the fixed rope that would assist us in the 100m scramble to our destination. The climb was loose and slippery, and after a few false starts and a slight slip when a piece of rock decided to come off in my hand I had found my form (which would have seen me descend and chin the climb right royally off if it wasn’t for the fact Connor would never have let me forget it!) and within 25 minutes I was stood admiring the view with Mike and Si, the pioneers who had gone before me. Once inside the Gallery we unanimously decreed that back in the UK this alone would be a quality days caving on its own, never mind the effort it had took just to put us here. I was amazed at the depth and contours of the mud formations, I was looking an actual physical time line of the earth’s history. Each layer depicting a period of the earth’s history, Si was clearly less impressed judging by the response I got when I asked to borrow his camera, “don’t fill it up with crappy pictures of bloody mud!” it was clear that my caving partner was not a fellow mud enthusiast. Cleary fearing for the remaining space on his SD card he ordered me to take a “poesy pic”. To be fair, his picture complemented the mud quite well! Mike was less easy to please. After I showed him the 2 pictures I’d taken of him next to a wonderful speleotherm he threw the camera back at me with the words “they are rubbish, take it again” ringing in my ears. No photo of the year for me then Mike! The Aranzadi Gallery is the original course of the river that flows through the PSM system and now drops away at the far side of La Verna and is lost at its base. Many years ago the river actually flowed above the chamber below and continued down the Aranzadi disappearing a through a now chocked passage a further 250 m to the West. When the floor of the river fell away into a secondary chamber below, creating the massive Verna chamber, the Aranzadi Gallery was effectively frozen in time. About 100 m into the cave a small stream cascades into the passage way from the roof and follows the original river course for a further 100 m before cutting into a well washed tight rift which initially heads North before swinging back to the West. We followed the rift, sometimes 10 m above for some way until it disappeared into a deep pot below. Having had to discard our SRT gear to get this far, we backed off and returned to the Gallery. After a look around a very impressive system it was time to head back. The return to the viewing platform was a steady and gingerly affair in the dim light. Once at the platform there was just enough time to check the water levels at the damn before tagging on to the back of a tour group and wandering out through the EDF tunnel. A fantastic trip of about 4 hours which has enforced my appreciation of cave mud and highlighted the complete ignorance of my caving peers for what is such an interesting subject. No matter how much I enjoyed the trip it paled in to insignificance compared with watching Si try to ask the French tour guide if the keys for the tunnel door where his or ours. Bilingual he clearly is not, imagine if you will Neanderthal man pointing at fire for the first time, but replace fire for a bunch of keys and you will have an accurate picture of our exped leader communicating with the natives. The sound was much the same! Connor, Liam and Cameron (Team Connor) headed up to the La Verna chamber through the EDF tunnel with Si’s team (Si, Neil and Mike) who took the lead up so no one had to wait too long at the bottom of the pitch that lead to the gallery. That was the plan, but unbeknown to us there was another group of cavers who were ascending the pitch ahead of us which resulted in both of our groups waiting at the bottom, Connors group ended up waiting for an hour and a half which left him less than impressed. This gave us plenty of time for us to watch people make their way up the 55 meter climb and get a brew on. Once we had made the scramble to the Gallery we took the time to appreciate the commanding view of La Verna, the image of the cavern was overwhelming and will stay with me until the end of my days. Having taken in the view we explored deeper to see what other gifts this section of cave held for us, it did not disappoint. The helectites were out of this world, with them growing in all directions and the calcite making shapes that were truly unbelievable. Si’s team explored down a rift with a fast flowing stream in the bottom of it. The rift was fairly tight and they had to remove SRT kit as they progressed through following the well washed and decorated stream passage. Having followed the stream for some time it disappeared into a deep pot (approx. 60 m) which unfortunately couldn’t be accessed due to a lack of SRT kit and they made their way back and descended the 55 m pitch and headed off out of the cave. Team Connor meanwhile came across a sump at the back end of the cave, the sump had a bucket which gave our cave diving leader the shivers and brought a smile to his face. Before we knew it all the members of our team were bailing out the sump in hope to make it a duck. Half an hour had passed, the sump had dropped a foot but we had to head home with determination to face this foe another day. Friday 11 Aug 2017 Bexanka Trip Bruce, John, Chris and AndyAfter a recommendation from members of SWCC, we decided to visit Bexanka cave, about 40 minutes’ drive from the campsite to the North West of the village of Cihigue. The cave was then a steep 10 minute walk from the parking spot and was easily identifiable because of an empty wooden hut by the entrance. Upon arrival, there was a large group of French cavers from Toulouse Caving Club descending one by one. The entrance to the cave was a 55 metre pitch with a single re-belay, however it was obviously popular as the entrance had been rigged 4 times before we arrived. About 5 minutes after we arrived, several members from SWCC arrived. Given the number of people in the cave they decided to leave almost immediately, with John agreeing to de- rig the rope that they had previously left there. After waiting for the last of the French to descend, John descended down to the first re-belay to de-rig the SWCC rope. Bruce, Chris and Andy attempted to pull the rope up from the top of the pitch, but it got completely tangled meaning that John had to jam back up the rope to get it unstuck. The re-belay knot had spun around and tangled itself with 2 other ropes, even lifting up a bagged coil of rope from the bottom of the pitch, pulling the rope tense in such a way that it could not be lifted or lowered until it was untwisted. Once the ropes were untangled, John descended, followed by Bruce and then Andy. As Andy reached the bottom of the pitch, John and Bruce made the decision for the group to head back out as the cave was too busy and the pitches had already been over-rigged too such an extent that it wasn’t safe. Heading into the cave would have also have meant waiting for large amounts of time whenever we encountered a pitch or series of ladders. John went up the rope first, showing off his impressive rope walking skills in the process. Bruce went up second, followed by Andy carrying an unused rope. Andy, aware that everyone would be watching him at the top, appeared to have jammed up the rope as quickly as he could. When he reached the top of the pitch, he took his helmet off and was covered entirely in sweat. Saturday 12 Aug 2017 SC3/ Verna through trip Connor, Liam and Cameron (Team Skinny!)After a slightly later start to allow Si’s group to push ahead, our group had a quality breakfast and got ready to depart for SC3. The sun was shining, and morale was high, making it the ideal time to commence the trip. We left at around 1030, with a short 45 minute drive to the ski resort. The views were phenomenal, walking above the cloud level on the way to the cave entrance. The higher the peak got, the more limestone became exposed, and so by the time we arrived at SC3 about 30 minutes later, the majority of open ground seemed to be levels of limestone, which was a surreal sight. After getting kitted up, Liam led the descent down. Having done the trip a few days ago to rig the system, the 355 metre trip down only took 45-60 minutes. The pitches were no less breath-taking than before, with the final pitch being a 54m free hanging drop. After a quick drink of water, we pushed on down Rio Bassaburunko towards Tête de Sauvage (“Savage Head”). This route seemed to be classic Yorkshire-style caving, with tight squeezes all along the route, with some fantastic formations along the way. The navigation was relatively straight forward, following markers and the obvious route, it was difficult to get lost. The cave began to finally open up as we hit Tête de Sauvage, and pressing onwards towards the canals and wet section of the trip. Our first serious stop came at just over two hours in, at Salle Susse. Here, we donned wetsuits or neofleeces, had a hot brew, an entire Soreen loaf and some snacks, before following the cold and wet river. The navigation here was notoriously tricky, with advice from different groups basically centred on us following our compasses, and keep pushing west. The passage was surprisingly long, and just seemed to keep going. The water levels seemed to vary hugely, from less than ankle height, all the way up to deep, chest high wading. On occasion, there was an option to take a traverse line about a meter above the water level, however, after trying unsuccessfully to keep my arse from dipping into the river, and as it was chilly anyway, I dropped from the lines, and Liam, having the same issue, followed suit. Several boulder chokes made for some interesting squeezes, with one choke leading us around in a circle. This was close to Gallery Marmites, a smaller, almost dry refuge along the passage. This is where we bumped into Si’s group, and overtook as they settled down for a brew and a sandwich. In this drier section, there was even a little bit of SRT, dropping down short, in-situ lines and back up again. However, following the compass, we successfully pushed through and back onto the river. The final section of the river was much of the same, however it was eerily pretty. The water was crystal clear, with a slightly blue tinge, and the walls were smooth and almost seamless in places. Finally, after around four hours in the wet and cold, and about two hours of needing a wee, an excited and cheery shout from Connor indicated we’d found the boats at the start of Tunnel du Vent. However, one boat, having been used without permission by a French group two days before, had a large puncture in the front that we couldn’t seem to patch. With the other boat on the other side of the tunnel, we pumped the boat up as much as we could, and Connor volunteered to make the dash to grab the other boat, despite having the option to use a rubber ring instead. A line, having been installed on the first cave day by John, allowed Connor to pull along the route. Although screams of water coming in could be heard all the way from the other side, he made across before the boat sank, and brought the good one back. While Liam ferried across the bags, Connor and I discussed a way of indicating that the punctured boat was no good to Si’s group. Fortunately, as Liam returned to ferry me across in the good boat, Si himself showed up, and Connor told him about the issue. The crossing, although cheery, was lethal with Liam at the helm, and the boat nearly capsized at least four or five times, as it was overloaded by around 50kg. Upon arrival at the other side, I headed over to the refuge point and moved the bags over. Liam and Connor followed shortly, Liam looking a little damper than before, having finally capsized the boat, in front of the other group and Connor, who also nearly fell in, laughing so hard at Liam’s idiocy. To reinforce this, he also set fire to Connor’s Jetboil, terrifying me in the process. We’re still not sure how he managed it. We all stopped at the refuge point, and everybody got a hot brew and a meal, and changed into a dry furry if they had one. Morale increased within our group, with terrible jokes making the forefront of conversation. We set off on the home stretch, towards the Metro and la Verna. We passed the memorial to Marcel Loubens, finding the old winch that failed him, and the stretcher they used to carry him out. Again, this was familiar passage, with huge chambers leading to more huge chambers, the navigation was simple, following the markers and the river through. Some more incredible formations, a quick game of “My Vagina Is…”, and we were soon at the gangway to Salle de La Verna. The cave was dark, as it was just before 2200, and all tourist visits had stopped, but the size was not lost on us. Finally, we reached EDF tunnel, and left the system into the night, having completed the full trip in just under ten hours. Team Si SC3 / Verna through trip Si, Neil, Chris, Mike and MarkHaving had a relaxing day preparing equipment the day before the team awoke in good spirits raring to get underground. Mark had coffee and sausage butties on for us all by the time we had showered and shaved, and by 0730 we were on the vehicle heading up towards the PSM Ski resort where we would be dropped off by John before making the last couple of km up hill to the SC3 entrance on foot. By the time we got to halfway up the ski slope on route to SC3 the group was fairly spread out, with Mike and Neil racing ahead whilst Si, Chris and then Mark some way behind moving at a more deliberate pace. This was to set the tone for the remainder of the trip. Mike was first onto rope, with instructions to get a brew on for the remainder of the group when he hit the base of the final Liberty Bell pitch, Chris followed him with Neil on his heels. Mark was next and Si took up the rear in case there were any issues on route down. The decent into SC3 was incident free, and we all enjoyed the roomy pitches Connor’s group had rigged earlier in the week. The final Liberty Bell pitch was fantastic, although the rope (which was new) hadn’t quite been de-coiled properly which resulted in some spinning as we descended the 55 m pitch. On reaching the base everyone enjoyed a hot brew and Si spent 10 minutes de-twisting the rope so that the following groups wouldn’t end up spinning during the final descent. Admin complete we began the horizontal phase of the trip and headed off down towards Salle Cosyns at the base of Tete Sauvage, approximately a km to the West. As has been described in previous reports the first 300 m is fairly tight and crawly, navigation is generally easy going and the route is well marked, although there are a few bolder chokes and climb downs to negotiate before the ‘stompy’ passage is gained. Mark was a bit nervous about the squeezy bits, having had a bit of a mare on the Tete Savage / SC3 through trip two days before, so we took our time and stayed together to make sure he got through ok, which he did. This led us to a climb down of approx. 4 metres, due to loose rock I got those following to pause whilst the person in front got down safely and moved away from the base of the climb. I descended first, quickly followed by Chris. We pushed 5 metres from the base of the climb, around a slight corner where we would be out of the direct line of any falling rocks. Mark followed, or at least that was our intention, but Mark had other ideas and rather than climb down he climbed up over the drop and forged a new higher level route down towards Salle Cosyns. Neil and Mike, totally oblivious to the fact that the group were now split followed Mark unaware that there was an issue. Chris and I sat for about 5 mins, waiting for Mark to climb down to us, he is a very deliberate caver and so we thought nothing of the delay. After 5 or 6 mins Chris popped his head back around the corner to see what was taking Mark so long, only to come back two mins later to report that there was no sign of the rest of the team! Chris pushed back towards the Liberty Bell pitch for 5 mins, until it became obvious that they had not gone that way and returned to me. I then climbed up over the missed climb down and pushed west for about 400 m hoping to catch up with the group who by now must has realised they were not being led by us and gone firm. No such luck! I reached the stream without seeing or hearing hide nor hair of the trio. I made my way back to Chris and we debated our best course of action. I was pretty sure that the group had pushed on West, and had simply stumbled on an alternative route to the one I had pushed down and would continue down to Salle Cosyns. If by some chance they realised their mistake and retraced their steps back to the base of SC3, they would be picked up by Team Skinny who were 2 hrs behind us. Chris and I set of West, already dripping with sweat from our exertion’s and slightly concerned by our lack of luck in linking back up with the rest of our wayward team. We made good progress down towards the Salle Cosyns, moving at speed once we gained the bigger, stompy river passage of Rio Bassaburuko. Just short of Salle Cosyns, we stopped. Mark is a deliberate caver, and we had been moving at speed, we should have caught up with the remainder of the group by now! The voice in my head was screaming out that we should go back to the bottom of SC3, as that would be where the group would have headed once they realised they had become split from us. We made the decision to head back, but as we went to set off I changed my mind opting to head the 3-400 m down to Salle Cosyns just in case they were sat there wondering where on earth we had gone. As we approached the Salle at the base of Tete Sauvage, to my great relief, we heard a group ahead. I called out to them and was relieved to hear Neil’s dulcet tones respond. On catching them up, Mike and Neil seemed completely oblivious to the fact that their group were not in fact following Chris and I, and that Mark had taken on the mantle of team leader for the 2 hrs since we had last seen them. With a valuable lesson learned and my pulse rate slowly recovering the now complete group headed on through Salle Cosyns and into the virgin territory (as far as we were concerned) towards Salle Monique and Salle Susse. Navigation through this part of the cave was fairly easy, we had detailed surveys of the Max Couderc junction just before the Salle Monique, and the route was well marked. Salle Monique has, in the past been used as a camp site for explorations. As a result the place is in a very poor state with rubbish and faeces strewn around the chamber. At the far Western end we found a relatively clear area, just before a fixed traverse which leads into the wet connection between Salle Monique and Salle Susse. We stopped here for 20 min for a snack and to change into wet suits / neo fleeces before entering the chest deep water that connects the chamber to Salle Susse. Salle Susse is a well-known point on the traverse where cavers get disorientated; the Rio Larrumbe River heads south from the middle of the chamber, and cavers can inadvertently end up following its course rather than the PSM River that runs west. We negotiated the chamber on a well-marked route on the Northern (Right) side of the chamber, climbing high amongst the boulders, with the river rumbling below us. At the western end of the chamber we dropped down into the start of the Grand Canyon and entered the river which we would follow for the next three hours. Going in the Grand Canyon was good. The water, which fluctuated between ankle and chest height was cold, but not as unbearable as had been described to us, although Neil (who screamed like a girl every time the level hit his groin) might disagree with that statement. The route was devoid of any markers, but there was essentially only one way to go; West. There were four boulder chokes on the route through the Grand Canyon, these are easily negotiated, the last of them marks half-way point where a kink in the rivers flow briefly flicks your direction of travel back towards the East for approx. 50 m before swinging back to the West. From here the river is fairly consistently knee height, with regular sand/shale banks along the route. Three hours after entering the Grand Canyon, we finally climbed out of the water into dry passage way and 200 m later were climbing up into the fossil passage of the Marmite series. As we climbed up into the Marmite series we hear Connors group (team skinny) behind us; we had put a safety rope in to protect the climb up into the series, and rather than them have to re-rig it, we decided to have a brew and allow them to catch up and use our rope. 5 mins later team skinny, full of moral, but clearly feeling the cold more than our more ‘robust’ team members joined us on the balcony which marks the start of the marmite series. After a quick brew and a bit of crack they headed off at speed, whilst we followed at a more deliberate rate. The marmite series is a series of awkward climbs (up and down) interspersed with horizontal sections of fossil cave and old camp sites. The stream is regained after about 30 minutes caving, before making a final climb over a break down and heading back to the river. An obvious ‘big’ hole leading to the river should be disregarded, and the group squeezed through a hole five metres higher on the left to enter a crawly passage that dropped us out at the Easterly side of the Tunnel du Vent where we linked back up with team skinny who had taken a few wrong turns in the Marmite Series. On arriving at Tunnel du Vent it soon became apparent that the French guys John’s team had met the previous day who had boasted ‘Pirating’ SC3 on preplaced equipment had punctured one of the boats we had left in place to make the crossing. Connor, having shepherded his guys across the lake (Liam had lost his balance and capsized on route!!) was whizzing back over with empty boat and inner tubes in tow on a rapidly deflating boat. Flotilla delivered, Connor quickly re-inflated his boat and made a mad dash across the lake with the boat once again deflating around him as he frantically paddled across. Our team now had a boat and two inner tubes, one of which was looking decidedly deflated to make the journey across the lake. I headed across in the boat with Mark and Mike in the inner tubes, before returning for Chris and Neil. By the time I had returned the smaller inner tube was pretty much deflated, so Neil took the big inner tube and Chris and I took the boat, which made for an interesting journey across the lake as neither of us could be called skinny and the wind through the tunnel was forcing us towards the sharp walls which had clearly shredded the other boat. Once we were all safely across I made the journey across one more time to put the big inner tube and some buoyancy aids in place for the next team through to get across. Once back over the other side we got a brew on, had some food and the majority of us stripped off our wet suits / neo fleeces and got back into furry suits ready for the arduous route back. We had a bit of banter with team skinny, who were obviously feeling the cold a lot more than we were and after 30 mins we were ready for the next part of the journey. It was 1800, so far the journey had taken 9 hrs and we knew that the next section of cave would take at least 3 hrs, and possibly longer as Mark’s energy levels were beginning to wane. Team skinny left before us, speeding off in part due to the fact that they were freezing. We followed on, now in familiar territory at a more deliberate pace, stopping regularly to allow Mark to catch up and stay as a team. After about an hour it became obvious that Mark was really struggling, he hadn’t taken his wet suit (suits as he had two on!) off and was now overheating. We stopped again at the top of the climb before dropping down to Loubens memorial in Salle Lepineux to allow him to strip out of his wet suit before continuing. At the top of every climb we stopped to allow Mark (and Neil who stayed with him throughout) to catch up and catch his breath before heading off again. Route finding was relatively straight forward and the route, which we had travelled five days earlier was well marked and the only area which caused any debate was at the top of Salle Casteret where a split in the route had the potential to take us back around on ourselves. The right route chosen we entered the Metro and soon found the traverse at the ‘Wall of Death’, which isn’t half as scary as its name might suggest. One last break at the top of the long climb that marks the connection between Salle Queffelec and Salle Adelie and we were on the home straight past the watery connection to Salle Chevalier (now burnt into my memory having got the group lost there earlier in the week!) before the last climb up to the ropes we had fixed in place that lead to the Verna. Our tired group exited the EDF tunnel just after 2200, thirteen hours after entering the cave to find that team skinny had (in a moment of generosity) moved the van all the way up to the EDF tunnel from Cavers Car Park 2, negating the 20 min walk and lifting our moral. Bexanka Trip (2nd Attempt) John, Bruce and AndyHaving given up on the previous day, we set out to do the same cave again. They decided on an earlier start in an attempt to avoid other groups. This strategy worked, as when they arrived at the top of Bexanka there were no ropes rigged besides their own. They descended and made their way into the cave, where they were soon met by a series of ladders. They then made their way over a series of boulders before encountering a steeper series of ladders, this time steeper. Due to some of the bolts on the ladders being questionable, Bruce rigged a rope alongside the ladders to be safe. There was then a steep muddy climb assisted by an in situ rope. A few muddy slopes later and the team explored Salle de Gour, a small chamber isolated by a steep drop with a vertical in situ rope. The group explored, looked at several features and posed for a few photos before heading back up. They then headed up some steep stone slopes unassisted by rope to reach La Cathedral, a chamber that was home to several massive features. Several photos later and the group decided to sit down and have a brew. Once the group had rested and had a hot drink fruit drink, they headed towards the Chinese. This was a relatively small couple of chambers filled with large stalactites and Stalagmites. The path to proceed was partially blocked by a large stalagmite, which played a musical sounding note when tapped. More photos were taken, and the group proceeded out. They climbed back up the steep muddy hill and Italian hitched down the other side. At the bottom, Bruce and John chatted to two French cavers who had done the SC3 to La Verna through trip the day before. It turned out that they had used our ropes and Boats without permission! We then proceeded back towards the ladders. The climb through the first set of ladders was uneventful, as were the boulders. When Bruce climbed through the top set of ladders, he climbed all of them and then once at the top and approximately 100 yards from the entrance pitch, he fell over and hurt his ribs. This was despite the relative lack of obstacles. The entrance pitch was 54m high and all 3 of the team ascended without incident. Sunday 13 Aug 2017 SC3/ Verna through trip John, Bruce and AndyEager to start what was the biggest and most exciting trip on the exped, Bruce, John and Andy set off from the foot of the mountain towards the entrance of SC3 at the top. As this was the hottest day of the exped, the group decided to wear minimal clothing as they hauled their caving gear up the mountain. This tactic was fully embraced by Bruce, who strolled up the mountain in just a thin top, wellies and his boxer shorts. After a steep and sweaty 40 minutes of hiking, the group arrived at the entrance to La Verna. They then got changed into their caving gear, deciding to prepare for the wet sections of the cave by putting on neofleeces or wetsuits. Bruce descended first, followed by Andy and then John. The descent involved over 400 metres of rope, and 350 metres of vertical descent. As everyone had descended SC3 before and knew what to expect, the descent was relatively uneventful. Once at the bottom, the group then had to navigate their way through a series of tunnels. Whilst these tunnels were tight by French standards, they were roughly comparable to caves in Yorkshire. The group were relatively slick with navigation, only stopping to check different routes a couple times, and never choosing an incorrect group. The group passed the entrance to Tete Sauvage, a vertical route comparable to SC3, and once passed the Spanish border sat down for a cereal bar and drink of water. This was Andy’s first visit to Spain and he retains the rare distinction of having only visited Spain whilst underground. Once the group started moving again, they soon encountered wet sections of the cave. There were bodies of water that had to be waded through and were at almost freezing temperatures. Bruce and John were fine in their neo-fleeces, however Andy seemed to regret only wearing the cheap shorty wetsuit that he got from the British high street. After passing the Grand Canyon, climbing up several faces with the assistance of ropes that seemed to vary from questionable to unsafe and wading through shoulder high water, the group arrived at the Wind Tunnel. The group had prepared for this on the first caving day by dropping off supplies and inflatable dinghies. As one of the dinghies had deflated, John had to move across on an inflatable ring and bring back the remaining dinghy for Bruce and Andy to sit in as they moved across. The group then decided to remove the deflated dinghy from the cave, as it had been severely punctured, so they packed it into a bag and redistributed the group’s kit. With the wind tunnel passed, the group were in familiar territory, as they had all done the remainder of the trip when they dropped off supplies. The group seemed to get a sudden burst of energy, knowing that the cave was dry from that point onwards and that they would finally warm up. Approximately an hour after the wind tunnel, the group encountered two other British cavers that they recognised from the camp site. They were doing a similar through trip to the group, but had started from Tete Sauvage and swam across the wind tunnel. As the pair looked tired, the group invited them to share a brew. John then made brews for all as they sat down for 10-15 minutes. Once everyone had drank and eaten, the group set off, leaving the pair to set off behind them at their own pace. The remainder of the trip was uneventful, with the exception of both Bruce and Andy each falling over, though they remained unhurt, and John almost taking a wrong turning by missing an in situ rope completely. Once out of the EDF tunnel, the group sat down outside and opened up their self-heating ration pack meals with a brew on the side. Aching and sore from what was effectively 10km of scrambling through a cave, the group were extremely happy with having done the cave in just over 10 hours. Aranzadi Gallery trip (2nd Attempt) Connor, Liam and Cameron With moral high and grit determination of true explorers strewn across their faces we attacked the cave, pushing through the EDF tunnel, blasting through Le Verna’s main chamber, before flying up the 55 meter climb and rushing to the sump we were set to pick up where we left off on the 10th Aug 2017. Our old enemy, ‘the sump’ had filled up to its original level making the work we had done on the previous trip redundant. Ready for a solid bailing session two of us dug in deep to lower its level so that we could push through and explore the virgin passage beyond (in our naive young minds anyway!) . The spare member put the jet boil on ready to warm up the workers and jump in when someone got tired. We all put in a solid effort but as the water went down (very slowly) so did our time, energy and the integrity of the bucket we were using. After a couple of hours we were forced to give up when our time and bucket had ran their course. The cave had won and got the best of team skinny! Arphidia 1 Si and Neil With muscles screaming from the previous days marathon trip I dragged myself out of my dripping tent and started the day with a hot cup of motivation. With the usual morning faff complete we boarded the minibus and headed up once again to the EDF Tunnel at La Verna. This time we were heading for new ground, a part of the cave system where information and surveys were few and far between. This felt like exploratory caving, or at least it would once we left the electric lights of the manmade tunnel we were wandering down. Approximately 300m into the tunnel we turned left and 200m further on we found the tunnel came to an abrupt end with a medium sized hole to crawl through. This was a perfect example of when miners meet cave. On the other side was a perfect subterranean stream passage narrow, high and lined with razor sharp rock. You can imagine the cries of “Oh merde” as the French miners were expectantly brought to a sudden halt by Mother Nature before turning there drills around and heading off to try another route. We followed the stream keeping high in the narrow passage to try and prolong the inevitable wetting for as long as possible. A little further on we found ourselves at a flaky pitch head of about 15m. With a quick recce complete Si commenced the rig and with a bit of ingenuity had managed to improvise a deviation to keep the sharp edges of nature away from our rope! Once down we continued to follow the stream a couple of hundred meters or so through a boulder choke before breaking out into a huge chamber. We were clearly on a shelf of about 30m in diameter and after a wander about discovered that the wall on the left had been bolted. It was now my turn to experience the thrill of an unfamiliar rig. All of a sudden I found that my safety checks needed a second and third safety check and then another check just to check the checks had been checked properly! Judging by the muted tuts and sighs coming from my colleague my attention to safety was clearly border line ‘bobbing it’ so I started my descent into the unknown. About 12m down I found myself stepping over a flowstone ledge and looking below me to what I initially thought was the floor another 20m down but what later revealed itself to be just another shelf. I dropped the remainder of my rope to confirm that it reached the floor below me and started to look around for suitable anchors. Directly in front of me I noticed 2 spits which on closer inspection proved to be far from safe. Around them were 6 other holes that the pioneers before us had clearly tried first before settling on the two I had no intention of committing my life to. Above me was a 17mm bolt protruding out of the rock about 2” with a loose metal plate connected to it and a very dodgy looking mallion that seemed to be waiting to accept an adventurous cavers rope. Sadly, it wasn’t going to be this cavers! After sending my verbal report up to Si and expressing my dissatisfaction of the local cavers approach to safety he clearly must have thought that judging by my cautious descent I was over egging the safety. After a quick exchange of places he assessed the situation and agreed with me that it was a rig too risky to take! Back up the rope whilst enjoying a Snickers bar (other brands are available) I noticed a small tight hole in the floor that seemed to head off in the direction of the shelf below us. Maybe that was why the rig I had just inspected was so suspect, maybe our pioneering French forefathers had discovered a safer way down which now made the spits and bolts redundant!? A brief discussion, a quick check of the compass and it all made perfect sense. This was the way down, tight and awkward but the way down it had to be. It being tight it was clear that of the two cavers presenting themselves to the enticing hole I should be the one to commit! Besides, in the spirit of pioneering adventure if there was glory to be had it had to be mine! Without delay I thrust myself in to the hole and after several minutes of squeezing, pushing, grunting and world glass gurning I popped through the hole, I couldn’t wait to follow the passage round the u-bend immediately in front of me and pop out on to the shelf bellow. Excitedly I adjusted myself and peered around the corner into the unknown. With the subtlety of a right hand from Mike Tyson the “spirit of adventure” was punched right out of me. Instead of being faced with a passage to the unknown I was faced with what was clearly the chosen toilet of our blessed French pioneers! The result of years of cavers pooping into bags and throwing it down a hole, this hole (with scant regard for whether it split the bags open or not, which in numerous cases it had!) was scattered about my feet! An eager Si was above me impatiently awaiting a report of my current situation. The verbal report he received was brief and to the point! In disbelief he stuck his head down, (having the presence of mind to set the Go-Pro on his helmet recording first obviously), to witness my predicament. It was at that point he muttered the fateful words “Oh, can you smell that!” The thirst for adventure had clearly temporarily disarmed my sense of smell which had now decided to come back with a vengeance. It wasn’t long before I was feeling sick which rapidly turned to me being actually sick! I hastily retreated out only to find that to pop out of this unique toilet I had to strip out of my SRT kit. Obviously the quicker I tried to remove it the longer it took, the longer it took the more I vomited the more I vomited the less assistance I received from my buddy up above me. For it appears that Si suffers from a rare condition of hysterical laughter which is clearly induced by cavers becoming entombed in an actual toilet! A few choice words later I popped out cursing my rotten luck and the invention of the Go-Pro camera and once Si had recovered himself we removed ourselves from the cave by the same route we had entered. The only difference being that on the outbound journey I found myself the victim to what I suppose is called “squaddie banter”! A 3 hour trip that will stay in the memory for quite a while! Monday 14 Aug 2017 Bexanka Cave Neil, Si, Mark, Conner, Cameron, Liam, Chris, Mike and AlexAfter the rigours of the La Verna through trip, we headed to the fossil Bexanka Ko Leccia cave for an easy day. The entrance is a 15 minute uphill walk,(see previous report for location) past the ‘Atencion Tauraeau’ (Attention Bull) sign which was ignored by all. The entrance is a 10m by 40m vertical hole, reminiscent of Alum Pot. The 53m metre descent has a hanging re-belay halfway down. The absence of water meant that furry suits were a mistake; shorts, T shirt and a cotton boiler suit would have been more comfortable. Heading north-west leads to a 4m fixed rope descent followed by a 50m descent on fixed ladders, all through large passages. 150m further west is Salle Des Entonoirs Geants, 100m across and at least 50m high. It has an impressively large stalagmite where we stopped for photos and a ‘tab’. Heading East and South leads to a 35m pitch, starting with fixed ladders and finishing with a free-hanging 10m rope. A strenuous 60m mud slope (with hand line) regains the lost height and leads to another short descent. South West leads to a series of chambers, with the Chinese Temple being one of the most decorated that the party had seen. There were more curtains, stalactites and columns than you could shake a Scurion at. A couple of walls were completely covered with intricate helectites. Further on, the Cathedral had similar and larger formations. After stroll around we headed back up to complete a six hour trip. Our over-dressing meant that pints of sweat were left behind in the cave and poured out of our wellies. There was no relief at the top of the entrance pitch, where the temperature was 34c, the hottest day so far. Bexanka is one of the best decorated caves most of us had seen. Exploring it as an ‘easy day’ highlighted just how strenuous the other days were. Tuesday 15 Aug 2017 Tete Sauvage / Verna Through Trip John, Si, Neil, Chris and AlexHaving all conducted a SC3 – Verna through trip this was in many ways just a selfish trip ‘because it’s there’; but with everyone having completed the primary aim of completing a traverse of the system and the requirement to strip the system of rope and equipment looming we decided to combine the trip with stripping out the boats and ERV equipment from the Tunnel du Vent. At 0800 Bruce transported us up to the PSM Ski resort where we debussed and sorted out our admin. It was a hot day, so rather that suit up prior to the 20 min walk up to the entrance we went light (boxer shorts and t-shirt) which no doubt caused significant trauma to the poor walkers heading up the same route to Pic D’Anni. Once at the entrance we kitted up and were soon making our way down the awkward pitches and tight meanders of the Tete Sauvage entrance. The Parrot Ladders that are fixed in place for the first half of the journey seemed to have grown since our last trip, snagging our bags and generally being a nuisance. Once free of them, the pitches open up a little bit and we made good time as a group bottoming in around 90 mins. After a quick brew, courtesy of John we squeezed through the wet connection and dropped the final two small pitches into Salle Cosyns. After our epic 3 days previously it took us by surprise at how quickly we got there and seemed to be at the Salle Manique / Salle Susse connection in no time at all. We used the same cleared area to have a quick admin break, Alex and Chris changed into wets suit, whilst the remainder of us had opted to do the full system in neo fleece in order to minimise what we were carrying in order to be able to carry all the equipment out from the Tunnel du Vent cache. Once sorted, we negotiated the wet connection and make good time through the Salle Susse before entering the river at the Grand Canyon. With no real worries about navigation it was good to actually take in our surroundings as we travelled along the river. The river passage is actually a huge rift, the top of which cannot be seen from river levels, even with our powerful head torches. Although there are very few speleotherms to look at on route there are a number of sections where the rock formation is quite unique where the lime stone has been eroded by the river whilst the mineral deposits within it have been left exposed, creating inverted mineral curtains. Going through the Grand Canyon was quick, and we were soon in the Marmite Series and on to the flotilla located on the eastern bank of the Tunnel du Vent. Si went in first to travel to the western bank to collect the buoyancy aids and boat located on the far bank, but disaster struck on the route back over when the strong wind blowing through the system pushed and the boat against the sharp edges within the tunnel and punctured the boat. On reaching the remainder of the group on the western bank, the boat was re-inflated and used by Chris and Alex to cross the lake, whilst Neil used the big inner tube. The smaller inner tube was almost deflated so the call was made for John and Si just to cross using buoyancy aids and the in place rope to drag them-selves across. Once safe on the far side the boats and ERV bag were hastily packed and the group headed off towards the high ground at the Northern end of the Salle Navarra in order to warm up. 20 mins later on a high point just before Salle Lepineux the group stopped to enjoy a hot meal (courtesy of the rations stashed in the now redundant ERV bag) and a brew. Having travelled light up until this point, the weight and the awkwardness of the of the equipment being extracted now slowed us down significantly, throwing us off balance at the most inopportune moment and making the boulder chokes and lower sections a bit of a challenge. Neil’s pack was particularly heavy, but he had mentally set himself the challenge of getting it all the way through the cave and refused to relinquish it. On route John stripped out the traverse rope on the wall of death and added yet more weight to his load. All in all we made good time through the chambers and eventually reached the exit from the EDF tunnel at around 2000 hrs. A great trip, with the added bonus of stripping the Tunnel du Vent of all the equipment which negated the requirement to send in another team the following day. Couey Lodge - Connor, Bruce, Cameron Mark, Liam, and AndyThe morning started with hot coffee and cereal, and waiting for the refuelling van to return. We set off at about 1045, heading up to PSM Ski Lodge and just beyond to Gouffre de Couey Lodge. The weather was dull and dry on the drive up, but promised to devolve into rain quickly. After a 45 minute journey, and driving up and down the same road a few times to find the right place, Bruce found the cave entrance, about 300m into the woods. Due to the wet nature of the cave, many opted to wear neoprene into the cave on the premise we would reach the bottom, have a walk around the very active stream way, before jamming out and de-rigging. Using solid looking natural anchors, we descended into the cave, Bruce rigging at the front, followed by Liam, carrying a bandolier of karabiners, then myself, Connor, Andy and Mark. The entrance was a large rift, and so much of the first part of the cave was covered in natural detritus, as well as being damp and slimy. The cave itself seemed to be Yorkshire in style, being very vertical, but not as open as many French caves were. As we delved further into the system, the floor became gravelly and held loose rock. Liam was repeatedly the unfortunate victim of falling pebbles, and made sure we remembered it. Soon however, the cave opened up into some stunning, open pitches. It was at this point I decided that my GoPro shouldn’t be on my helmet, knocking it off and watching it drop about 30m. Slightly saddened, but I was not as demotivated as Connor, who was a bit poorly and decided that going three pitches down was a bit too much, suffering a mild hangover, and had a nap while the rest of the group pushed on. We continued down, spotting the broken GoPro casing on the way, unfortunately in a rather inconvenient place, and it would need picking up during the de-rig. The cave became a large 120m shaft, which was an impressive sight. It was split into several re-belays, which made coming back out much easier. Constricting into a slightly tighter passage on the way down, Liam took over the rigging to give him some more experience. Only forgetting to screw up the karabiners, he successfully rigged three Y-hangs, and a cheeky traverse line which involved bridging across the walls and being nowhere near the floor. Unfortunately, the final Y-hang showed us the error of our ways, and our lack of rope. Liam dropped down a small way to ensure this was the case, and jammed back out, defeated. Snacking on chocolate, we turned around and pushed out. Liam offered to de-rig the system, and I was second to last with him to ferry on bags and make sure he wasn’t too laden down with rope. Passing full bags forward, Bruce, Andy, myself and Liam made our way back up the shaft, Liam picking up the (oddly working) remains of my GoPro. Just up from here we bumped into a rather chilly Connor, who, while we had been further down, had stirred from his slumber to find himself a bit cold, and in lighting a candle inside his group shelter, had nearly set fire to it. Despite this, the team successfully de-rigged and got out into some thick fog. While at the top, Connor showed Liam, Andy and I how to make a haul using a Pro-Traction. The lesson was definitely worthwhile, and showed a simple system to get rope, and even people up pitches using counterweight and jammers, when the system was preloaded. While we did not reach the bottom of the cave, and didn’t get into the stream, I personally really enjoyed the opportunity to do some quality SRT and de-rigging, and the quick improvised lesson in hauling was greatly appreciated. Wednesday 16 Aug 2017 Tete Sauvage / SC3 through trip and de-rig – Connor, Bruce, Neil, Andy, Liam and CameronWhilst we awoke to another dull damp day, spirits remained high as this was the last planned day underground and there was to be a mass de-rigging trip of both Tete Sauvage and SC3. John, Si and Mike were taking a trip into Couey Lodge, therefore the remaining minibus was rammed and we wound our way through the clag, up the valley. Our early start was rewarded at the head of the pass as we popped out above the clouds into glorious sunshine. The views were spectacular and we felt compelled to stop for the obligatory photo opportunity. 10 minutes later we were parked at the caver’s car park above the ski resort and gathering our kit and thoughts for the day ahead. The plan was to set off at intervals to both entrances, with some team members dropping to the bottom of Tete Sauvage to complete a through-trip to the bottom of SC3 and then commence the de-rig. In the meantime, the following Tete Saugage team would commence the de-rig as soon as the through trip team were clear of the ropes. Some 3 hours later a separate teem were due to descend SC3 to meet the through trip de-rigging team climbing up from the bottom. Connor, Bruce, Cameron and Liam entered Tete Sauvage at 10:30 and quickly made our way down the cave. Being new to us and the fact it was a little tighter for us (tighter for Cameron than others) than previous PSM caves we had been into, the going was steady rather than lightening quick. Nevertheless, we were soon at the infamous ‘Duck’, watching the ropes swiftly disappear into the blackness above. There was now only one way out and it was going to be wet! Having students with us proved a bonus as Liam keenly set too bailing the duck, not that it made much of a difference as the cold-water shock of lying in ice cold water still prevailed as we pushed our way through. Carrying a spare rope bag with us, we quickly stripped the rope out of the final pitch and set off upstream and east! The markers that we had become used to did not let us down and we made good progress towards our goal. Other than a couple of minor detours we were soon looking up the immense final pitch of SC3. Connor bravely led the charge up the ropes with no gear whatsoever and then berated me for not being quick enough pulling up the first rope bag. He was obviously saving his energy for what turned out to be a stoic effort up the final few pitches. Cameron, not feeling great made his way steadily up the ropes, followed by Bruce, Liam and Connor. Arriving at the pre-determined point, Andy was a welcome sight and we quickly offloaded 2 full rope bags to him. A little higher, Neil (still aching from his through trip the previous day) was suitably adorned with another 2 bags. Collecting more along the way, we were all soon fully laden as we puffed our way up the final pitches. Glad to see daylight and feel the warmth of the sun, we were eventually unceremoniously deposited on the surface, some 7 hours after entering the system. The sun soothed our tired and aching bodies and the views remained spectacular. The cloud tops lay little more than a few hundred feet below us and we knew we would have to soon leave this amazing spot for the gloom of the valley. Neil, determined to prove that hardy firemen were tougher than officers and students, set off with his personal caving gear and 4 full bags of rope. Indeed he proved to himself on the walk down that he may have been tougher, but not smarter than the rest of us; some would say a typical fireman! Everyone safely back at the van, following a short delay to let a herd of sheep pass, and we drove off into the gloom. The weather may have been pretty poor, but the caving had been incredible. Couey Lodge – John, Si and MikeTeam Skinny, Bruce and Mark had ventured into Couey Lodge the previous day, and despite having taken 300 metres of rope into the 210 metre deep cave had been unable to bottom it. Connor and Bruce had assessed that another 60 metres of rope were needed to reach the bottom so rigging bags packed with nearly 400 metres of rope and 60 karabiners we headed on up the valley to see if we could reach the base. The description in the guide book was spot on, 3km north of the PSM Ski Station on the D113 just before a sharp right corner under Pic du Guilhers there is a layby on the right hand side of the road. In the layby there is a rock marked by a big red cross. Once parked and admin sorted we followed a series of red-cross markers through a clearing in the wood and up an incline to the massive open entrance of Couey Lodge. The first pitch (around 20 m) drops down into a 45 degree scree slope that leads into the entrance series of the cave. The rigging on the first few pitches deliberately keeps you off the scree slope below in order to prevent rocks rolling into the cave. After a short series of scree covered inclines leads ta short vertical pitch which lands on yet another 45 degree slope. The cave by now has closed down to a rifty passage that leads down to the lower vertical section. The floor here was very unstable and a wire netting in place holding back a significant amount of loose rock looks like it will give way at any minute. John led the way, struggling at first to find the P hangers which were located high above him. As we reached the bottom of this loose ramp we rounded a sharp right corner and found the first of the vertical pitches which were stacked one on top of the other from here on in. As there were only 3 of us we were carrying a couple of rope bags each, and had to move with great care in order not to start a landslide of loos stones which would slip down onto the vertical pitches and potentially injure the caver in front (below). Once past this unstable section the cave really came into its own. Fantastic free hanging pitches followed by exposed traverses onto yet more free hanging pitches. John continued to lead the way, giving a master rigging class to Mike and me. The cave was spectacular, white, water washed limestone that really reflected the light from our headlamps, pitted with literally thousands upon thousands of fossils. After around 5 pitches we reached a series of smaller (10 – 15 metre) cascades and assumed that we were around halfway down. These were followed by a 20 metre exposed traverse around to a series of free hanging pitches that descended 60+ metres. John initially rigged the pitch with the remaining 40 metres of the 60 metres he had started the traverse with. On dropping the rope down the pitch it was obvious that it was way to short and with no obvious rebelay’s that could be seen below him he decided to pull that rope up and re-rig with a fresh 60 metre rope (our last!). On descending John came across a single bolt rebelay at 20 metres and then another at around 40 metres; having rigged this he confirmed that the remaining rope was nowhere near the bottom of the pitch. We initially contemplated de-rigging the 60 metre rope and using the 40 metre tail we had previously dropped down the pitch before re-rigging the 60 metre at one of the two rebelay’s. After consideration we decided that this would be a bit dodgy as it would mean beginning a new rope halfway down a pitch on a single bolt. We all agreed that the trip had been great so far and that there was no point pushing our luck. We ascended the pitch and began the return journey de-rigging as we went. Despite having used over 300 metres of rope, the ascent was quite pleasurable, with the exception of the dodgy stone covered ramp which seemed to move the moment someone looked at it. On the surface we all agreed that the trip was definitely one to re-visit in the future. Van packed we headed back towards the PSM Ski Station before taking the road down the valley to camp site Ibarra where we were joined about an hour later by Team Skinny and the rest of the guys who has successfully completed their Tete Sauvage / SC3 through trip and de-rigged SC3. That evening after a BBQ dinner we went across to the Polish caver’s camp and enjoyed a few drinks and a very sociable evening. Thursday 17 Aug 2017 Administration Day – All (Less John and Mike who took a trip into La Verna and up into the Metro)After a great trip there is inevitably some administration that needs to be completed, the downside of caving! The team woke up early and after a breakfast of coffee and cereal set about cleaning the 1km plus of rope we had on loan from Ripon in the stream that ran through the centre of our camp site. Whilst this happened Si and Neil (the exped QM) accounted for all the metal work and other loan pool stores that had been used throughout the expedition. By lunch time all stores (to my delight) were accounted for and were hanging up drying in the shade of the trees. After a quick lunch we set about collapsing camp (less tents) and cleaning the number 5 cooker, kitchen utensils, etc. The team really dug in and by mid-afternoon we were complete and able to focus on our own much needed administration. SRT kits were scrubbed, caving suits washed and dried and personal kit bagged up for the journey home, we all showered and prepared ourselves for the end of exped meal at a local restaurant where we would be joined by a number of UK cavers staying on the same site from various UK clubs including the Craven, the Red Rose, and the Bradford. Almost predictably these civi’s turned up for the meal almost an hour late, but once there the food and the crack was very good. On return to the campsite later that evening the ‘networking’ continued over a few beers and glasses of wine. Friday 18 Aug 2017The long journey home, very little to report other than I had more than ample time to edit this diary and begin the PXR. We set off at 0900 from Saint Engrace, and stopped every 3 hours or so on route back up to Calais. About halfway through the journey the two vehicles got split up in a traffic jam and our wagon (Si, Neil, John and Andy) followed the planned route via Le Mans and Poitiers to Calais, whilst the other vehicle (Connor, Bruce, Liam and Cameron) made a slight detour via Paris, which just goes to show that we can all suffer from minor navigational errors!! Saturday 19 Aug 2017We eventually linked up in Calais (slightly later than anticipated!) and boarded the Euro Tunnel at 0200 hrs and arrived back at Folkestone an hour later (0200 hrs GMT!). Once at Saint John Moore Bks and said our farewells to John, Connor, Bruce and Liam and they headed off. Unfortunately a warning light on one of the vehicles that we had been conveniently ignoring said that the engine was about to seize and we had to call out the road side assistance. This led to a 90 min delay in the remainder of us getting away from Folkestone, but once the mechanic had confirmed that the fault was indeed just a malfunctioning sensor we continued North for a further 3 hrs and eventually arriving at Grantham at 0730 hrs.
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