2 & 8.03.2008
Since our first trip to Coole River Rising last month I visited Polldeelin twice, on 2nd and 8th of March. Both solo trip. On 2nd of March I got to the point where we tided our line to the main line ( now I reckon it's 80m into the cave) only to realise that I have some major problem with my wings and I cant keep my buoyancy right. I tried to add some line but after few metres of crawling through very deep and soft mud resulting in complete blackout I decided that it's far beyond my comfort zone and called the dive.I also realised that silt screws I was carrying was too short (around 20cm) to stay firm. But I like places that don't give up easily so I came better equipped following weekend. Despite the rain (but nothing major, mainly showers) water level was even lower than two weeks and week ago. However flow was stronger and I spent ten minutes on six meters securing 7l with oxygen and installing heavy duty rope that one could hold on to on last deco stop in case of current being too strong. Once I got to the point where I tided off our line on 27m I proceeded following the old line checking the belays and line itself from time to time. The line soon turned out to be well buried in soft mud and I had to install 60cm silt screws (which were just about right lenght to stay firmly) to sort it out. But after that section cave became more pleasant and i was travelling along washed limestone with thin layer of silt on. I got to the end of the line and I added 80m of my own. I got 34.5m maximum depth but cave levels out on 29-30m after that and keeps going south indeed (the book wrongly states that it levels out on 34m that's why I was carrying EAN28 as a back gas). End of the line is now around 240m in and looks like ther's plenty more to go... Jim told me he visited place twice but he layed the line along right hand side wall. Actually it might be not such a bad idea to follow both sides of the passage independently as the vis is usually around 1 m and due to decompression penalty there's always little time to get idea of its whole cross section. Word on configuration: I dived with manifolded twinset with valve protector as I found it much more comfortable in big spaces than sidemounted 12s (I mean more balanced, takes less effort to swim, lower air consumption - that was our conclusions from Coughlan Mine where we often got head ache due to the effort/heavy breathing/co2 chain). But since I dived Polldeelin alone last two times I was carrying 7l of air in case of some unimaginable catastrophic manifold failure and loss of all air in the twinset. Some would say that's unnecessary once you mastered shutdown drill but it makes me feel safer. I also filled it with air to have kind of bail out in case some problems with high 02 partial pressure. We always plan our mixes below 1.4 PP02 but again you never know. Beside of that such 7l tank carried sidemounted is a handy place for carrying silt screws as well
16.03.2008
Coole River Rising. Fourth visit in Polldeelin. On arrival strong outflow and higher water level have been noticed but after consideration decision to dive has been taken. Very strong flow especially first 50m into the cave. After dropping and triple securing o2 tank on 5m (where the flow is absolutely mad as it?s a mouth of cave and apparently tighter in cross-section) slow trip upstream started. Vis much reduced to 0.5m, lot of suspended particles. EOL has been reached in 30min and 45m of new line added. Very very fast return with the flow ? 7 minutes exactly . Deco on 5m has been one of the craziest things I ever did under the water. Holding to heavy duty rope attached on 7m I was freezing my ass (or rather fingers) to death trying to manage Poseidon permanently freeflowing against the flow. While trying to ascend slowly last 5m I was literally flushed out to the surface feet first making Jim laugh (he was kindly waiting for me on the surface to help me out with the gear). Cave keeps going South on depth of 30m.
End Of the Line 285m.
17.03.2008
Coole River Rising. Fifth visit in Polldeelin. Flow and water level surprisingly reduced. Good dive. 90m of passage explored. Cave turns South-East and levels again on 34-35m. EOL 375m into the cave.
21.03.2008
Coole River Rising. Sixth visit. Great conditions, water level dropped another 0.5m. Current much reduced as well. Floating reel due to 6mm polypropylene line on it caused lot of trouble while handled. After lying around 40m of new line I couldn?t find any decent belay point. While keep on searching suddenly I realised I was going with the flow which meant I was moving to the exit ( not a great direction while exploring cave?). Since I reached my thirds I secured reel with 10m of line left on it and started return. At the end of the cave my gauge was reading 35.6m of depth. At the surface I figured out that I had to be moving along the floor, I had apparently crossed the passage and somehow turned back (amateur?). Bit disappointed with the progress but anyway EOL moved 420m into the cave.
23.03.2008
Return to Coole River Rising. Again excellent conditions. Double dive. Me first on OC and then Jim on Meg to the end of my line.
After I reached EOL I had to sort out the reel which came lose and now was floating beneath the roof 15m back toward the entrance. After that and short break to calm down breathing I had 8min left to find the way on. I moved from the floor toward ceiling and got the impression that there is kind of collapse with big boulders in the middle of the passage. I have spotted some possible way on but left it looking for sth bigger. Finally I found my self going back with the flow again. And again I had to return. But the flow is substantial and I expect easy continuation of the way on to be found soon. The next dive is scheduled for Saturday 29th of March with some extra torches to be used at the end of the cave and with 20min time allowed for stay at the end looking for the way on. If well executed dive shouldn?t take longer than 90min which is reasonable maximum I can spend in 6degree water (hopefully warmer till then)
Artur
Monday, March 24, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
RIDERS ON THE STORM FEB 2008
22.02.2008
Divers: Tom Malone, Artur Conrad
Last Saturday, taking advantage of the fact that most of you were in Belfast so the caves were not so crowded Tom and me we paid the visit to Polldeelin Spring. It's impressive rising of Coole River and one of the biggest risings in Ireland . It's a part of massive underground conduit draining West Lowlands. While on the surface the river is known under many names - Gort, Coole, Beagh, Owendalulleegh, Cannahowna... With underwater cave passages up to 10m by 20m in diameter it's one of the most important karst areas in Europe.
We've never been there before and we've based on information and rough sketch from Caves of County Clare and South Galway. General site has been located without any problems behind Kiltartan church. Water level was high and river flood plain was substantially flooded. Bases of all trees in the area were flooded as well so it was quite tricky to use them as the points of reference in finding the underwater cave entrance. There was no line from the entrance to the junction with Boleyneendorrish River 30m in as indicated in the book. It took us over 20min to reline this section with 5mm PE white line. Visibility not exceeding 1m, quite a flow esp. near the entrance, after initial boulder slope floor very silted/covered with mud banks. We didn't have silt screws with us so once mud banks started we were forced to belay on sharp projections near the roof (which we probably correct on the next visit as it will damage line or snoopy loop quickly). Finding way was very slow and confusing ? following left hand side wall we often found ourselves wedged in deep under cuttings, passage changes direction and depth, once I even found myself travelling with the flow (!) so I checked compass but it was showing south?not very reassuring.. Shocked Finally we started laying 3mm PE as there was still no sign of any line. After around 60-70m in we encounter broken line (3mm?) loose toward the entrance and fixed by belays further into the cave. We kept on with our line going then parallel to the old one until Tom reached his thirds due to under pumped twinset (210 bar of 300 possible, ?) The plan was that if everything is OK I would continue on my own. But I didn?t think things were ok. Due to tough conditions I wasn't convinced of the quality of belays we did and ?.all right, I just didn't feel like proceeding on my own, the place was quite inhospitable that day. We reached 27m and I don?t think we were more than 100m in but I got impression that the arse job had been done and place is now ready for decent dive. Cave is supposed to level out soon on average depth of 34m. According to the book present limit (in 2000) was 200m. I don?t know who was originally behind this exploration (I would suspect Martyn and his Dark Shamrock Team, I've sent him email, we'll see ;-) I don't know neither if EOL has been moved further in since then, I wouldn't be surprised so much - Jim? Anyway, this might be exciting project guys, even on OC we still have few meters to bite off I believe (with careful planning, thorough preparation and thoughtful logistics?).
I'm very interested where is the end of the line at the present, any idea?
Artur
Divers: Tom Malone, Artur Conrad
Last Saturday, taking advantage of the fact that most of you were in Belfast so the caves were not so crowded Tom and me we paid the visit to Polldeelin Spring. It's impressive rising of Coole River and one of the biggest risings in Ireland . It's a part of massive underground conduit draining West Lowlands. While on the surface the river is known under many names - Gort, Coole, Beagh, Owendalulleegh, Cannahowna... With underwater cave passages up to 10m by 20m in diameter it's one of the most important karst areas in Europe.
We've never been there before and we've based on information and rough sketch from Caves of County Clare and South Galway. General site has been located without any problems behind Kiltartan church. Water level was high and river flood plain was substantially flooded. Bases of all trees in the area were flooded as well so it was quite tricky to use them as the points of reference in finding the underwater cave entrance. There was no line from the entrance to the junction with Boleyneendorrish River 30m in as indicated in the book. It took us over 20min to reline this section with 5mm PE white line. Visibility not exceeding 1m, quite a flow esp. near the entrance, after initial boulder slope floor very silted/covered with mud banks. We didn't have silt screws with us so once mud banks started we were forced to belay on sharp projections near the roof (which we probably correct on the next visit as it will damage line or snoopy loop quickly). Finding way was very slow and confusing ? following left hand side wall we often found ourselves wedged in deep under cuttings, passage changes direction and depth, once I even found myself travelling with the flow (!) so I checked compass but it was showing south?not very reassuring.. Shocked Finally we started laying 3mm PE as there was still no sign of any line. After around 60-70m in we encounter broken line (3mm?) loose toward the entrance and fixed by belays further into the cave. We kept on with our line going then parallel to the old one until Tom reached his thirds due to under pumped twinset (210 bar of 300 possible, ?) The plan was that if everything is OK I would continue on my own. But I didn?t think things were ok. Due to tough conditions I wasn't convinced of the quality of belays we did and ?.all right, I just didn't feel like proceeding on my own, the place was quite inhospitable that day. We reached 27m and I don?t think we were more than 100m in but I got impression that the arse job had been done and place is now ready for decent dive. Cave is supposed to level out soon on average depth of 34m. According to the book present limit (in 2000) was 200m. I don?t know who was originally behind this exploration (I would suspect Martyn and his Dark Shamrock Team, I've sent him email, we'll see ;-) I don't know neither if EOL has been moved further in since then, I wouldn't be surprised so much - Jim? Anyway, this might be exciting project guys, even on OC we still have few meters to bite off I believe (with careful planning, thorough preparation and thoughtful logistics?).
I'm very interested where is the end of the line at the present, any idea?
Artur
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