TEAM: Chris Jewell, Dave Garman, Al Kennedy, Artur Kozlowski
15-04-09
Our aim on this trip was to establish the location of the Northern Way surface connection, then to traverse to the Monastir Way and push in the two third sumps (someone please rename these 3 and 4 or 3a and 3b!), with Chris Jewell and Dave Garman from England. Rather unthinkingly i'd chosen the wrong tanks, and since lugging 2x 12 L bottles through Upper Cradle Hole and then up the Monastir Way was very unappealling i elected to stay on the surface to hunt for the connection. From our survey we had determined the most likely position to be in a 100 m or so square area south of Mastodon cave. Without much hope that it would work i suggested that the three divers - Artur, Chris and Dave - shout when they reached the rift if they could not push it.
In the event, even in wetsuits Chris and Dave were unable to push the surface connection, and so the divers resorted to shouting 'hello'. Unbelievably i heard them faintly but clearly on the surface over 100 m away near Pollsillagh! Running in the direction of the shouts, i shouted 'hello' back as i approached the Mastodon shakehole, to be greeted by cheering from the diving party.
Expecting to see them on the surface i looked all around, but no-one was visible. Some further shouted conversation led to a distinct body-sized rift 10 m from the Mastodon entrance, behind a large detached flake. We were able to see each others torch beams, and work out the shape of the rift. I could slide in, but figured getting out might prove impossible without a rope or ladder.
The following evening we all returned to the Mastodon shakehole, with Les Brown, and Chris and Dave rigged Artur's ladder. Being judged the skinniest i was sent in first, and tried to descend as close as possible above the position i had seen Dave's light. This pinched in rather tightly, so we tried a different position, and Artur went in. Again a pinch stopped his descent, but a feet-first sideways squeeze just above this looked to be leading him to the right position, but despite my encouragement he was unsure of getting out and so returned. I went in next, managing to pass the pinch and reach a slight widening. However the rift appeared to close down in all directions (left, right, and below) at this point, so i returned. However, we are confident that after some dieting the connection can be made!!
The proximity of the connection to the Mastodon cave raises the possibility of a connection between the Northern Way and Mastodon-Pollsillagh. The stream encountered in the Northern Way terminal boulder choke is most likely the Sruh Croppa.
Al Kennedy
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