ISSN 0306 1698

the grampian speleological group bulletin

fourth series vol.3 no.1

October 2006 price £2 -2-

GSG Bulletin Fourth Series Vol.3 No.1

CONTENTS

Page Number

Editorial 3 Meet Reports 4 Additions to the Library 7 Meet Note: Bowden Hill, Hole 7 10 Smoo Cave: An Account and Illustration from 1818 11 Meghalaya 2006 14 Cave Microbiology. An Unexplored Realm 23 A Skye Essay 27 Hibernian Hole Extension 30 Strathcanaird Area 35 Book Review: Exploring the Landscape of Assynt 36 Early Accounts of Hebridean Caves 37 Meet Note: Rob Roy’s Cave, Inversnaid 43 Cave Exploration in Pakistan 2006 44 Applecross and Kishorn Report 46 Scottish Cave Ephemera 2 49 Meet Note: Newquay Cave 49 A Survey of Subway Cave, Argyll 50 Cave Diving on Skye and in Kishorn 52 Culvert at Park Farm 53 Review: Fight for Life. The Neil Moss Story 55 A Watercolour of Smoo Cave 56 Waiting for an Accident to Happen 57

Cover Design: A.L. Jeffreys

Obtainable from:

The Grampian Speleological Group 8 Scone Gardens EDINBURGH EH8 7DQ

(0131 66 1123)

Web Site: http://www.sat.dundee.ac.uk/~arb/gsg/

E-mail (Editorial) [email protected] -3- the grampian speleological group EDITORIAL:

While rooting through the library for a missing report recently, I found myself leafing through some old press cuttings stowed away in an obscure box file. Headline stories of epic rescues abounded, accompanied by dramatic, if mostly blurred, photographs of pulp-helmeted cavers heaving loaded Neil Robertson stretchers out of rain-swept cave entrances. Most of the spectacular incidents were there - Peak Cavern, Mossdale, Giant’s Hole, Pegleg Pot, Ireby Fell Cavern, Dowber Gill (several times!) - and even a few international sen- sations such as the Pierre St Martin in 1951, but the thing which struck me most during my browse was: when did I last see such a spread in the daily newspapers?

It was a well-known maxim in the 1960s and ‘70s that one didn’t become a rescue victim on a Sunday after- noon because reporters had the advantage of getting their story into Monday’s newspaper whereas an inci- dent safely wrapped up on a Saturday night usually sank into relative obscurity, but most of the examples quoted above really were ‘epics’ lasting several days so there was no escaping the fanciful reportage (which at least made a change from the latest Cold War crisis). Nowadays we so very seldom see something on this scale in the national Dailies that Joe Public, starved of misguided and ill-informed journalism, has largely shed his/her antipathy towards cavers and their ‘lunatic’ activities.

There are several reasons for this, practically all of them, I like to think, positive. For a start, speleology has enjoyed a much better press in recent years, thanks in no small measure to television documentaries, predi- cated on intelligent natural history programmes and excellent standards of expedition recording. Education in the national parks, linked to novice ‘taster’ caving trips has also worked splendidly and a spate of popu- lar, well-written books has removed the mystique of caving and given people an opportunity to form a bal- anced and reasonable opinion of why we ‘crawl about in rabbit holes’. It is also true that rescue organisa- tions have woken up to the fact that news sells papers and if they want it to be accurate news, then they had better supply it. Thus press officers and spokespersons will be found at every major rescue, to prevent wild inaccuracies being broadcast by Baron Munchausen and his scribbler cohorts.

Possibly another factor is the reduction of our caving population: less cavers equal less opportunity for acci- dent. On the other hand, in the 1950s, when there were probably slightly fewer people caving than today, the various CROs were not noticeably much quieter and some of the biggest operations occurred then - Neil Moss in Peak Cavern, John Frankland in Penyghent Pot, Bill Little and Lewis Railton in Ogof Ffynnon Ddu, plus not a few nasty episodes in the infamous Dowbergill Passage. Few of these could be marked down to inexperience either, most of the victims being established potholers well able to look after themselves under normal circumstances.

So what has changed? Clearly, the advent of highly developed equipment and techniques has boosted per- sonal comfort and safety tremendously. Pots which used to be regarded as super severe are now routine ‘Sunday’ jaunts, Swinsto being a prime example. SRT has allowed major descents to be achieved by two or three people, a thing unheard of a few decades ago. Regarding the matter of rescues and press reporting how- ever, I feel we owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the various rescue teams who have evolved into sophis- ticated, well trained units, utilising every improvement in method and gear to ensure the speedy retrieveal and evacuation of a casualty with the minimum of fuss. So often is this achieved that on occasion the whole affair is over before reporters can even reach the scene, meaning they have to make do with the basic facts, barely enough for more than one small parargaph. Which is as it should be.

However, you would hardly expect me to expend ink on this matter without there being a cogent reason and it is this. In Scotland, although on the whole our caves are small and our caving population even smaller, we cannot afford to become complacent about the inherent dangers faced underground. With great good for- tune, we have not (yet) had to deal with an ‘epic’, despite there being ample scope. Let’s just imagine a few examples. How about a falling boulder critically injuring a caver deep in Chamber Pot (Argyll), compound- -4- ed by collapse of the choke below the main chamber? Think of my own situation in Claonaite; if that had happened to render a diver unconscious beyond sump 6b, how on earth would we have coped? Visualise the difficulties of bringing a stretchered casualty out from Straw Chamber in Uamh nam Breagaire (Applecross). These are ALL extremely possible incidents - indeed Claonaite has already occurred, although thankfully I was ‘walking wounded’- but our supply of active, available cavers is limited. In short, if you live and cave in Scotland, you have a duty, I put it as strong as that, to contribute to the Scottish Cave Rescue Organisation, which entails training in the field, study for, and acquisition of first aid certificates, and ensur- ing your availability at the drop of a hat if a call comes in. We appreciate that caves are scattered geo- graphically at great distances from Edinburgh and other conurbations which is why we devolve first call to the local MR team but if we think about the examples given above, underground rescue is clearly the exclu- sive domain of experienced cavers, ie YOU. We have received a good response for our practices and indeed shouts over the past few years but this can and must be improved upon. There are some excellent books in the library describing techniques for rigging verticals and steep slopes for stretcher hauling which are avail- able for study, plus of course familiarisation with the actual material is essential.

Let’s not be rose-tinted about it, rescue is unglamourous, rough, hard work but, as Charles Kingsley so unas- sailably put it in The Water Babies: “Do as you would be done by”. Envisage yourself lying as victim in one of the situations I have described. It could happen. Now, who would you like to see coming in to help you? Right, so be on top of the job and become one of those people. Our primary aim is of course prevention. After that, speed and efficiency. Finally, if only for face-saving for the casualty, as little press coverage as can be achieved practically so that caving’s reputation is not tarnished. Which is more or less where I came in!

As an addendum, it is well worth highlighting here that the club’s Tuesday evening meetings have changed venue. We now gather in the Cumberland Bar, Cumberland Street in the New Town of Edinburgh. This follows a long residence at the Cambridge (once the Zodiac) - over 30 years - but changing times have resulted in loud football on monster screens, loud music and even louder patrons, all at the same time! These ‘improvements’ have driven us (and I suspect many other sane people) away. When will the licensed trade wake up to the fact that noise is not necessary to sell beer?

Alan L. Jeffreys, Editor ------AREA MEET REPORTS (To 22.10.06) (Edinburgh logs only)

Activity continues to be widespread, but this Spring there was an emphasis on local (ie central Scottish) sites. Perhaps holidays and very hot weather prevented more serious caving! It should also be noted that this sum- mary does not take account of extensive reports written up in the Sutherland hut log, which are published separately, on an annual basis.

ABERDEENSHIRE:

There was a rather abortive search near Ballater for a dimly remembered mine entrance in July. After a fruit- less bash in a steep sided wood the job was abandoned, but Jim Salvona saved the day by leading everyone underground into a sandy soutterain a mile or so further east.

ARGYLL:

Work continued in Hibernian Hole in April when the new extension was engineered to make some small gains (see this issue). The same month Derek Pettiglio made a solo visit to Subway Cave above Tyndrum and using tape and compass compiled an improved survey of it.

In May, there was more gain in Hibernian Hole, halted by precarious boulders. Also in May there was a -5- practice rescue in Broken Expectations Cave, followed by a descent of Claig-ionn to give local MR members a flavour of real caving.

Jim Salvona explored some sea caves at various points on the Isle of Mull in July and the following month a return expedition to Staffa realised the completion of the cave surveys and coastline examination. Dick Grindley and party visited Keil’s Cave and Piper’s Cave at Southend, Kintyre. In October Jim Salvona explored Rob Roy’s Cave near Loch Lomond.

CANADA:

The Group conducted a further caving holiday to Vancouver Island in May when four members managed not only to tour various known caves but also found and surveyed some new passage.

In August, Dick Grindley examined some small caves near Riverport in Nova Scotia.

CLACKMANNANSHIRE:

A detailed survey of all accessible silver mines at Alva was achieved in April. Five members recorded as much as possible, and afterwards some of the team went on to a natural sandstone cave at Bridge of Allan.

CORNWALL:

During a holiday at Newquay in July, Rachael Huggins visited a sea cave with artificial additions.

FIFE:

In March, Goon paid a photographic visit to Seafield Cave near Kircaldy.

MIDLOTHIAN:

A nostalgic tour of Cousland in June revealed yet more vanished workings and demolition of local buildings but some few metres of underground sightseeing were achieved.

NEW ZEALAND:

The Grindley’s customary winter escape this year saw them in New Zealand’s south island in February when a series of sea caves on Golden Beach and Moa Bone Point Cave were explored.

PEEBLESHIRE:

In August, three members crawled around Jeanie Barries Cave, finding the water level slightly higher than expected, given the hot weather.

PERTHSHIRE:

There was a photographic trip to Schiehallion in April to record some of the entrances at Lassintullich and Foss.

STIRLINGSHIRE:

The Murrayshall and Craigend limestone mines were looked at in July, the former now curtailed by a large collapse but Craigend still offers some sport. In August the Gargunnoch Hills northwest of Stirling were -6- examined for mines without success.

SUTHERLAND:

A team of seven spent all the weekend of 18/19th March digging down Rana Hole, removing 211 skiploads of spoil. In April there were descents of Storm Cave and Cnoc nan Uamh to check dive lines and weights but wet conditions dictated against any useful work.

June saw Fraser Simpson and Goon filming in the A.N.U.S. valley while a team carried out a trip round ANUS Cave and dug for a while in Rana Hole. The following day there was an examination of the dig in Calcite Cave and a descent of Uamh Pol Eoghainn. At the end of June, the now customary school trips took place when pupils from Ullapool High School were escorted round Cnoc nan Uamh. Earlier the same week- end there were trips to ANUS Cave, Uamh an Claonaite, Lower Traligill Cave, Otter Hole and Tree Hole. 88 skips were removed from Rana Hole. Also, a thorough moor bash at Strathkanaird allowed visits to Strathkanaird Pot and investigation of many other shakeholes, some of them almost open.

Mark Campbell escorted two geology students round Cnoc nan Uamh in July, taking in all the usual sights. More digging was achieved in Rana in a two day session in August when, thanks to the mechanical winch, 351 skiploads were removed.

In early October there were visits to Calcite Cave, Otter and Lower Otter Holes and an experimental under- water video carried out in Cnoc nan Uamh.

WEST LOTHIAN:

In response to some local publicity the Group volunteered to physically explore a culvert under Park Farm bistro outside Linlithgow. Upstream after 60 metres a flooded section halted work as the tunnel went under the Union Canal and downstream penetration stopped when the tunnel changed to a clay pipe, too dangerous to explore (although of manageable size).

A tourist trip through Bowden Hill Mine from holes 3 to 5 in May was followed by another in June when Beecraigs and Hilderston Mines were also visited. Due to items being left underground, in July Goon returned to Bowden Hill, soloed in to retrieve the lost item and then walked over the hill past Hole 6 to dis- cover yet another open entrance. This was followed up the next weekend (see this issue). In September there was another visit to Hilderston, but even with low water in the quarry, the final passages were very deep.

YORKSHIRE:

The Spring/Summer season commenced with a herd trip down Long Churn and Alum Pot and simultaneously members went down Ireby Fell Cavern and Heron Pot (shades of the old days!), followed by Illusion Pot and the next day Bull Pot Kingsdale, and Yordas Cave were explored.

May saw trips down Bull Pot of the Witches and Aygill Caverns.

Good summer weather prompted an enjoyable descent of Hurnel Moss Pot coupled with a string-festooned traverse of the flood escape route in KMC. The same month there were trips into Ibbeth Peril Cave and Simpsons Pot.

In September there was one of our good old fashioned bashes around Chapel le Dale, allowing descents of Great Douk and associated entrances, P97a and 98a, Knacker Trapper Hole, Sunset Hole and other little sinks. At the end of the month, a team of three descended Marble Steps Pot but didn’t go all the way to the bottom due to wet weather on the surface. -7- ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY (to 16.9.06)

1. BOOKS. Rutley, C.B. (1953?) The Cave of Winds. (Children’s novel) Oldham, T. (2006) The Caves of Northern Britain [+ CD Rom]

2. SHEET SURVEYS. Scale Pikedaw Calamine Caverns, Yorkshire. 1” = 15m

3. CAVING JOURNALS.

Andalucia Subterranea No. 13 (1999) BAPCO Journal Vol.12 No.7 (2006) Bradford Pothole Club, Bulletin Vol.7 No.2 (2006) BEC Belfry Bulletin Nos. 524,525 (2006) British Caving Association, Newsletter No.6 (2006) BCRA Cave and Karst Science Vol.32 Nos.1,2/3 (2005) BCRA Speleology Nos.6,7 (2006) BCRA Newsletter No.6 (2006) BCRA CREG Journal No. 63 (2006) Canadian Caver No.64 (2006) Cave Diving Group, Newsletter Nos.159,160 (2006) Chelsea Spelaeological Society, Newsletter Vol. 48 Nos.3,4,5,6,7,8/9 (2006) Craven Pothole Club, Journal Vol.1 No. 4 (1952) Craven Pothole Club, Record Nos. 82,83 (2006) Derbyshire Caving Association. ‘Derbyshire Caver’ No. 124 (2006) Descent Nos. 189,190,191 (2006) Die Hohle Vol. 56 Nos 1-4 (2005) Endins - Speleological Federation of Mallorca Nos. 27,28 (2005) Italian Speleological Society, Speleologia Year 26 Nos.53,54 (2006) Mendip Caving Group, Newsletter Nos. 330,331,332,333,336 (2005-6) Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland ‘Casbag’ Nos. 10,11 (2006) National Speleological Society of the U.S.A. Bulletin Nos. 4,5,6,7,8,9,12,13,14,18,19 Vol. 24 Part 2 Vol. 29 No.2 Vol. 30 Nos 2,3,4 Vol. 31 Nos. 2,3 Vol. 32 Nos. 1,2,3,4 Vol. 33 Nos. 1,2,4 Vol. 34 Nos. 1,3,4 Vol. 35 Nos. 1,2,3,4 Vol. 36 Nos. 1,2,3,4 Vol. 37 Nos. 1,2 Vol. 38 Nos. 1,2,4 Vol. 39 Nos. 2,3,4 Vol. 40 Nos.1,3 Vol. 41 Nos. 1,2 (1942-79) Newbury & District Caving Club, Newsletter Summer (1998) Orpheus Caving Club, Newsletter Vol.41 Nos. 1-2, 3-6,7-9,10,11,12 Vol. 42 Nos.1-2, 3-4,5-6 (2005-6) Shepton Mallet Caving Club, Journal Series 11 No.9 (2006) -8- Sopra e Sotto il Carso No..2 (1993) Subterranea Croatica Vol.5 No.3 (2005) Sydney Speleological Society, Journal Vol.50 Nos.3,4,5,6 (1,2),7(1),(2),8 (2006) Technical Rescue No. 38 (2003) Wessex Caving Club, Journal Nos. 299,300,301 (2006) Westminster Spelaeological Group, Newsletter 2006/2, 2006/3 Yorkshire Rambler’s Club, Bulletin Issue 23 (2005)

5. CAVE GUIDES, ABSTRACTS ETC.

Guidebook: Hierro, A.L. del (2004) The Cave at Nerja Abstract: Anon (1833)Some Account of Natural Caverns and Grottoes. Caves in the Western Isles of Scotland. The Saturday Magazine No.42. 2pp. No. 1014 Mehew, R-GSG (2006) The Sea Caves of Staffa. A Baseline Report. No. 1015 CRO (2006) Rescues of 2005. No. 1016 Crewe Climbing and Potholing Club (2005) Peak Rigging Guide 9th Edition. No. 1017 Leaflet: Gilmerton Cove, Edinburgh. Abstract: Moore, G.W. (1962) The Growth of Stalactites. NSS Bulletin. Vol.24 Part 2 pp 95-106. No. 1018 Brochure: Gunung Mulu National Park (2004) Abstract: The Cave Meet. from Dutton, G.J.F. The Ridiculous Mountains. (1984) pp 66-76. No.1019 Abstract: The Mendip Hills, Chedder Cliffs and the Caves of Somersetshire. Anon. The Penny Magazine No. 498, pp 6-7. (1840) No. 1020 Abstract: Great and Famous Grottoes. ‘M.M.’ The Welcome Magazine No. 364 pp. 37-39. (1883) No. 1021 Abstract: A Voyage Round Great Britain Vol. IV. W. Daniell [Smoo Cave] (1820) No. 1022 Abstract: Fouilles et decouvertes archeologiques a la grotte de Han. M.E. de Pierpont.& Les Staions Paleolithiques de Goyet. M.H. Angelroth. XVIth Congres International d’Anthropologie et d’Archeologie Prehistorique. Bruxelles 1-8 Sept. 1935. (1936) pp322-338. No. 1023 Abstract: The Mendip Caving Clubs. D. Irwin. Mendip Times No.7 (2005) p.33. No. 1024 Abstract: Underground Beauty. D. Irwin. Mendip Times No. 10 (2006) p.31. No. 1025 Abstract: A 19th Century Tragedy. D. Irwin. Mendip Times No.11 (2006) p. 34. No. 1026 Abstract: The Witch of Wookey. D. Irwin. Mendip Times No. 12 (2006) p.16. No. 1027 Cave Leaflets: Ten Wild Days Out in Somerset. English Nature. Orakei Korako, New Zealand Waitomo Dundle Hill Walk Waitomo - Black water Rafting Waitomo - Underworld Adventures Waitomo, Glowworm Caves Karamea. New Zealand Ngarua Caves, New Zealand Te Anaroa Caves.New Zealand Guide: Lochnell Visitor Mine. Wanlockhead. G. Downes-Rose (1985) Abstract: Hanging Pretty. S. Hutson. New Scientist No. 2550 (May) (2006) pp. 44-47. No. 1028 Abstract: Serendipitous Holes are Where You Find Them! T. Fitch. SMCC Newsletter Vol. 43 No.1 pp.9-10 (2006) No. 1029 Abstract: Calcrete Morphology and Karst Development in the Upper Old Red Sandstone at Milton Ness, Scotland. D.F. Balin. from Friend, P.F. & Williams, B.P.J. New Perspectives on the Old Red Sandstone. Geol. Sco. London (2000) pp 485-501. No. 1030 Northern Cavern and Fell Club: A Collection of Imbibalist Songs Periodically Inflicted as an Aid to Sobriety. (no date) No. 1031 Abstract: Limestone Working. A Forgotten Stirlingshire Industry. K.J.H. Mackay. Forth Naturalist and -9- Historian Vol.2 (1977) pp 81-105 No. 1032 Exploring Caves. A Resource Pack. US Dept of the Interior/US Geological Survey (1994) No. 1033 Hohlen-und Karstforschungen im mittleren turkischen Taurusgebirge. G.F. Schmitt. Hohlenforschergruppe Rhein-Main e.V. (1994) No. 1034

6. SLIDES, DVDS, CDs, ETC.

CD Rom: The Sea Caves of Staffa. A Baseline Report. V.1a (2006) Speleothem Initiation and Evolution within Old Red Sandstone Sea-cavesat Arbroath, Scotland. Iain Greig (2006) Open Country: Alum Pot. BBC 7.7.06. (2006)

DVD: No. 6 BBC (2006) Planet Earth: Caves. No.7(2005) Speleology - Journey to the Centre of the Earth No.8 (2005) 14th International Congress of Speleology, Athens.[Full transcripts of all papers] No.9 (2005) Caving in the Abode of the Clouds. (Pradeep Gogoi) No.10 (2006) SCRO Practice Rescues: Cults Mine; Rana Hole. No.11 (2006) SCRO Rope Technique Demos. Granton, Hi-Rope. No.12 (2006) Descent of Uamh nan Claig-ionn. Noel Williams. BBC 2 The Adventure Show. July 2nd 2006. SLIDES: No.1072. Bowden Hill. Inside entrance 3 1073. Bowden Hill. Inside entrance 3 1074. Bowden Hill. Inside entrance 3 1075. Bowden Hill, Hole 3 entrance passage 1076. Bowden Hill. Choke in Hole 3 passage 1077. Bowden Hill. Fossil 1078. Bowden Hill. Central Hall 1079. Bowden Hill. V-Necked Sweater 1080. Bowden Hill. Near Drum Crawl 1081. Bowden Hill. In Hole 5 1082. Bowden Hill. In Hole 5 1083. Bowden Hill. In Hole 5 1084. Bowden Hill. Rubble in Hole 5 1085. Bowden Hill. Pipe Passage 1086. Bowden Hill. Pipe Passage 1087. Bowden Hill. Pipe Passage 1088. Bowden Hill. Chamber near Hole 4 1089. Bowden Hill. Crawl into Hole 4 from 5 1090. Bowden Hill. 3rd Choke 1091. Bowden Hill. Central Hall 1092. Bowden Hill. Pipe Passage 1093. Bowden Hill. Pipe Passage 1094. Bowden Hill. 3rd Choke 1095. Bowden Hill. In hole 5 1096. Bowden Hill 1st choke 1097. Bowden Hill. 2nd Choke 1098. Bowden Hill. Near Drum Crawl 1099. Bowden Hill. Crawl to Chicken Run 1100. Leck Fell looking towards Marble Steps Pot 1101. Leck Fell, looking towards Ireby Fell Cavern -10- 1102. Leck Fell, west of Ireby Fell Cavern 1103. Leck Fell, looking west towards Notts Pot 1104. Ireby Fell Cavern, entrance pipe 1105. Ireby Fell Cavern, looking down 1st pitch 1106. Ireby Fell Cavern, Chamber inside entrance 1107. Bowden Hill, Changing near the road 1108. Bowden Hill, Entrance 3 from outside ------MEET NOTE: BOWDEN HILL - HOLE No. 7

For all the years spent crawling about Bowden Hill it is evident there is still much more to reveal, particu- larly in the area between Holes 3 and 2 where obvious grassed-over blind roadways seem to indicate work- ings not accessed underground.

One other point of attack was thought to be a thorough search of the woodlands on the far side of the hill, where ground drops away very steeply to a small lake. Dipping limestones, especially in the back of Hole 5, flood with water, suggesting a through route is not very likely, and an examination round the south west end of the hill some years ago, while throwing up the remnants of one possible excavation, revealed nothing further of interest.

On Saturday 8th July 2006 I decided to try my luck at the north east end, approached by passing the fenced off Hole 6 and across a ruined stone wall, to descend into a band of deciduous trees. A fall of ground here ended at a level terrace some six metres wide before dropping very steeply down a heavily wooded slope. Almost immediately I came across a vertical hole in the upper bank, a few metres down from the stone wall. It was obviously a collapse rather than an old entrance, its sides undercut, dropping some three metres to a cone of soft earth and rubble. Clearly access could be gained to further voids but, lacking tackle and encum- bered by a non-caving dog, I was forced to leave it.

On Saturday 15th July I returned with Jim Salvona, Rachael Huggins and her boyfriend Jon Threadgall (first trip). We laddered the entrance for convenience and slid down soft earth to emerge in the customary pillar and stall working, with routes extending off into the darkness to right and left. As a precaution we com- menced by following the left hand wall, but soon came across a main ‘road’ with deep cart (or rail) ruts in the floor. Opting to follow this for a while we walked along until a large whitish run-in was encountered, very liberally sown with animal bones. This turned out to be quick lime, and daylight was seen seeping in from a small hole high on the right. Confirmation that this was the base of Hole 6, notorious as a dead sheep dumping ground, threw an entirely different light on our explorations, because I remembered this mine was of modest area, and impossible to get lost in.

We wandered round various combinations of passages, crawling over neat walls of deads and heaps of col- lapsed material without finding anything of extraordinary interest. Even the stal. was in general immature. Apart from the animal dump we found no other entrances, but a heavily ferned-over, open depression imme- diately downhill of Hole 6, now completely sealed, may once have been the route by which stone was brought out. It was extremely dry underfoot in the mine, although prevailing hot conditions outside may have con- tributed to this. The dip of the limestones here is to the south which told us that further entrances in the wood outside were unlikely and indeed a thrash through the undergrowth on 8th July for a couple of hundred metres confirmed this. In the great scheme of things, this new find is numbered Hole 7. Accessible entrances at present are: Holes 1,2,3,3a,4,6 and 7 (5, the Pipe Passage) collapsed a good few years ago.

Alan Jeffreys ------oOo------11- SMOO CAVE: AN ACCOUNT AND ILLUSTRATION FROM 1818

By Martin Mills

As previously mentioned (Bulletin, March 2006, p.10), William Daniell, RA (1769-1837) had undertaken a “Voyage Round Great Britain” beginning at Land’s End in 1813, proceeding intermittently clockwise around the coastline. He was in the North West Highlands in the summer of 1818, and made it back to Land’s End in 1823. Initially he was accompanied by a companion, Richard Ayton, who was to provide the text to accompany his illustrations, but who dropped out at Kirkcudbright in 1816.

“Voyage Round Great Britain” was published between 1814 and 1825 in eight volumes with a total of 308 aquatints. The text for the first two volumes was provided by Ayton, the remainder by Daniell. Many of the volumes were broken up to provide the aquatints individually. All the drawings Daniell produced were to the size 237mm horizontal by 165mm vertical, and hand coloured by trade colourists from Daniell’s notes.

In 1972 the Tate Gallery acquired Daniell’s original copper plates and in 1978 published a limited edition of the engravings (unfortunately uncoloured and half the original size) accompanied by the complete text in two volumes of nearly 600 pages each. Printed for the Tate Gallery, Millbank, and the Scholar Press, 39 Great Russell Street, London. ISBN: 0 85967 427 X, printed in England by the Scholar Press, Ilkley.

The account of Smoo Cave occurs in Volume IV, published in 1820 and which covered the coastline from Kintail to Thurso. As others have observed, the initial two volumes were of the order of 200 pages each and the text by Ayton is lively, individual and a distinctive and perceptive account of the journey. Subsequent volumes were with much reduced text but with an increased number of illustrations. Daniell’s texts are pedestrian in style and generally commonplace in observation, but nevertheless they provide a by no means uninteresting account. Daniell clearly found the coasts and islands of Scotland most congenial to his eyes and these were to provide him with the subjects which set the seal on his reputation.

The following is Daniell’s account of Smoo Cave (or Smowe Cave as it was then known) from pages 84 to 87 of his “Voyage Round Great Britain”, together with his classic illustration.

The text is as follows:

“Eastwards from Cape Wrath about eight miles, is the promontory of Far-out Head, to which an excursion was made from Respand, in company with Captain Clarke. The scenery about both these points is wild, but by no means of a grand and majestic character, During this excursion a visit was paid to the scene represented in the annexed print entitled ENTRANCE OF THE CAVE OF SMOWE. Its Gaelic denomination, Uamh Smowe, distinguishes it as the largest cave in this dis- trict. According to a current tradition, it was for many ages the terror of the neighbouring inhabitants, none of whom durst venture to pass near it after nightfall; and the superstition even of later times has marked it as the abode of an unquiet spirit, who announces his presence by crowing like a cock every morning til daybreak; thus asserting a privilege over the common herd of ghosts who are commonly said to vanish at the first summons given by the bird of dawning. The same tra- dition relates, that the first attempt to explore this -12- cavern was made in the sixteenth century, by Donald Lord Reay, who entered it in a boat with six attendants and a piper, who was probably added to the party for the purpose of keeping up their spirits by the merry strains of his instrument. After remaining a considerable time, his lordship returned, accompanied only by the piper; and strange to say, the fate of the other unfortunate men was never known, for neither of the two adventurers would reveal what awful scenes they had witnessed; and they were never afterwards seen to smile. One of the dogs which they had taken with them, some time afterwards found egress from this sub- terranean labyrinth into a small cave, about two miles distant, but the poor animal came forth with scarcely a particle of hair on his skin, so severe had been his struggles in the narrow and rocky passages through which he had worked his way. Many years elapsed before the terrors produced by this strange and disastrous adven- ture subsided from the minds of the people, with whom its appalling circumstances would doubtless be rather magnified than diminished by rumour; and it was not until the year 1809 that Capt. Mackay of the Royal Navy, brother of the present Lord Reay, ventured to explore a scene which had produced such a painful and lasting impression on the feelings of his ancestor. He returned in safety by the way he entered, without encountering any preternatural or mysterious object of horror, but he was unable to discover any other outlet sufficiently large to admit even a dog. The general belief at present is, that the cave in former times was certainly haunted, not by goblins, but by visitants who would be no less formidable to an unexpected intruder:- it was the retreat of a band of determined smugglers who, in times when the revenue-laws were less efficaciously enforced, carried their perilous traffic to an amazing extent in these remote regions.

In the year 1814, the dark recesses of Uamh Smowe were visited by the minstrel of the isles; and they have been described with characteristic felicity and animation, in a journal which general report, resting on strong internal evidence, has ascribed to his pen. Some extracts from it will no doubt be interesting to the reader, while his attention is directed to the view here presented to him. The exterior apartment of the cavern opens under a tremendous rock, and occupies the full space of the ravine, which is the usual landing-place. The entire elevation of the rock from the base of the cavern is eighty feet; that of the arch fifty-three, the width 110ft. The depth of this exterior cavern is 200 feet, and it is apparently supported by an intermediate col- umn of natural rock. Being open to the daylight and the sea-air, it is perfectly clean and dry, and the sides are incrusted with stalactites. On the west side there is an opening of about fourteen feet in height, which leads to an interior cavern. The lower part of this passge, which the hand of nature has formed into a sort of Gothic portal, is closed by a ledge of rock, about six feet high, resembling a hatch-door. A brook issues beneath it, and forms a deep black pool in front, from whence its waters flows down to the creek below. Strangers are usually contented with a mere inspection of this gloomy recess; and while they behold from a broken and dangerous cliff its agitated waters, they are warned against a nearer approach by a sound like the -13- dashing of a sullen cataract within the bowels of the earth. This adventurous party, however, having deter- mined to navigate the subterranean Cocytus before them, a fisher’s boat was dragged up the brook, and by great exertion lifted upon the rocky ledge at its entrance. At the instant when the boat sloped inward, a Highlander threw himself into it with great boldness and dexerity and at the expense of some bruises shared its precipitate fall into the water. He adopted this dangerous expedient to prevent the boat from drifting away; and having brought it back to the entrance, the whole party embarked. They found themselves in an irregular pool, under a rocky vault, deriving a sort of dubious twilight from two chasms in the roof, down one of which poured the cataract already mentioned, in a sheet of foam from an altitude of eighty feet. Being still resolved to proceed, they directed their boat toward a low arch on the right; in passing under which they were obliged to lie down. It led to an arched cave, comparatively dry, about twelve feet in height, and eight in breadth, which extended, in a winding direction, about one hundred feet. Its sides were covered with stalac- tites and with small drops of water, which glittered like a multitude of diamonds in the light of the torches. On approaching its extremity they halted on the brink of a horrible gulf or well of dark water, over which the rocks closed. Passing round this perilous gulf, over the alluvious substances which formed its shores, they came to a kind of funnel or vent, up which one of the sailors, a Zetlander, climbed so high as to show, by the light which he bore, its termination in the rock; and here the exploratory undertaking ended, as it appeared impossible to proceed farther in any direction whatever. In returning, they ventured to clamber along the side of the rock above the subterranean water, and thus gained the upper arch, while their leader floated beneath the lower one into the second cavern. Having at length reached the outer cave, they determined to ascend the rocks, and discover the opening by which the cascade was discharged from above. They easily discovered the brook, and traced its descent to the point where it precipitates its waters down a chasm of the rock into the subterranean apartment where they first beheld it. Divided from this, by a natural arch of stone, there is another chasm, which, as already noticed, serves as a skylight to the cavern. A spectator, standing on this arch, has a grand prospect into both the gulfs. The one is deep, black, and silent, affording only a glimpse of the sullen pool below; the other seems to vibrate with the unceasing roar of the cataract which obscures its sides with mist and foam. It is observed that when the torrent is swollen by heavy rains, the chasm is too narrow to receive it, and the water is thrown up in jets, like those caused by the blowing of a whale, but at such times the cavern is inaccessible.

To this account of Uamh Smowe very few particulars need be added, in reference to the view here given of its entrance. The creek, bounded by two ledges of high rock, seems peculiarly adapted to the purposes of contraband traffic; and the cavern itself must have afforded to the desperadoes engaged in it the double con- venience of a spacious magazine and a formidable strong hold. No precise information can be collected respecting the period at which it was so occupied; but the mere tradition, obscure as it is, attaches a fearful interest to the place, arising from the many wild and often romantic adventures recorded of men who have hazarded their lives in this lawless union of commerce and piracy. Inured to every variety of hardship both by sea and land, and living in the constant apprehension of open or concealed enemies, they have been known to display on the most perilous occasions an impertubable presence of mind, a fertility of expedient and an audacious bravery, worthy of an honorable calling; and their iniquity, like that of the outlaws of old, seems to aspire to a disdainful distance above the baseness of ordinary fraud. As miscreants of no common stamp, they have been admitted to a distinguished place in the pages of fiction: their general character, and even their costume and usages, have been delineated with stern fidelity by the powerful muse of Crabbe; and few read- ers need to be reminded of the important business assigned to them in the masterly tale of Guy Mannering. What a scene might the imagination of its unknown author have created if, in visiting Uamh Smowe, he had figured to himself its former tenants, surprised by an armed force in their midnight carousals! The hurried and confused clamour of voices; the report of pistols and musketry in quick but irregular interchange of shots, reverberating along the interior labyrinth; the reciprocal threats and defiance of the combatants; the groans and imprecations of the wounded, would form a combination of horrors, rendered more appalling by the gloom of this vast cavern, partially illuminated by the glare of torches amidst a spreading cloud of sulphurous smoke. That such scenes were formerly of too frequent occurrence, is a lamentable truth; but the abuses in which they originated have been greatly diminished by the vigilance of government, and it is to be hoped that the time is not far distant when they will be totally supressed. -14-

The creek of Uamh Smowe is, at present, the resort of vessels employed in fishing. The small building seen in the view is a repository for storing the fish caught here, which are dried by wind and sun previously to their being shipped. They are packed in casks, and taken away in small boats to the vessels at anchor.” ------MEGHALAYA 2006 - FURTHER EXPLORATION AND A NEW INDIAN LENGTH RECORD

By Tony Jarratt

"They wound this way and that, far down into the secret depths of the cave, made another mark, and branched off in search of novelties to tell the upper world about." Mark Twain - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

The Caving Team

Austria: Peter Ludwig (LVHOO) Denmark: Louise Korsgaard, Torben Redder (DSS) Meghalaya: Brian Kharpran Daly (MAA / GSG), Shelley and Lindsay Diengdoh, Babhar Kupar "Dale" Mawlong (MAA), Raplang Shangpliang (Shnongrim) Switzerland: Thomas Arbenz (SNT) Ireland: Des McNally (UCDCPC) U.K: Annie Audsley (BEC / GSG), Simon Brooks (OCC / GSG), Mark Brown (SUSS / GSG), Tony Boycott (UBSS / BEC / GSG), Imogen Furlong (SUSS), Roger Galloway (GSG), Matt Hutson (GSG), Tony Jarratt (BEC / GSG), Kate Janossy (GSG), Neil Pacey (RRCPC), Dave Hodgson (GSG), Hugh Penney (GUPA / GSG / RRCPC), Derek Pettiglio (GSG), Henry Rockliff (SUSS), Fraser Simpson (GSG), Jayne Stead (GSG), Fiona Ware (GSG), Terry Whitaker (NCC)

The Support Team Adison "Adi" Thaba, Bung Diengdoh (organizers), Myrkassim Swer (chef), Vinod Sunor, Alam "Munna" Khan, Zobeda Khatoon, Roma Sutradhar, Sansun Lyngdoh, Raju Sunar (cooking team and "swally wallahs"), David Kimberly Patkyntein (driver / organizer), Sharkes Kharsyntiew, Teiborlang Khongwir (Sumo and jeep drivers), S.D.Diengdoh (bus driver), Jonathon Wanniang, Shemborlang Lyngdoh (bus driver's assistants)

The Local Guides Team Gripbyman Dkhar (Semmasi), Evermore Sukhlain, Moonlight Patlong, Menda Syih, Carlyn Phyrngap, Shor "Pa Heh" Pajuh, Kores (all Shnongrim), Ekna Sukhlain (Moolasngi) and many other helpful locals all along the Ridge and beyond.

The Media Team David Laitphlang (PCN presenter and party animal), Andrew Kharpor, Deimaia L. Siangshai, Markin Marbaniang, Marlon Blein (Meghalaya), Pradeep Gogoi (Assam)

The Shillong Party Team Bill Richmond, Col. Fairweather Mylliemngap, Maureen, Dabbie, Rose and the other Ladies of Shillong, Phong Kupar "Teddy" and Ksan Kupar "Ronnie" Mawlong, Gregory Diengdoh, Gareth, Patrick. Alan, Dennis, etc.

The Expedition

Abstracted from the official expedition diary with additions from the writer’s personal log and assorted non- sense thrown in for good luck. Apologies for the tedium but the BB and GSG Bulletin are about the only places where these trips get recorded. Earlier reports which give a background to work on the Ridge can be -15- found in BB 516, 519 and 522 and GSG Bulletins Fourth Series Vol 1 Nos 4 and 5 and Vol 2 Nos 2 and 4. Also the Meghalaya Adventurers' Association soft bound history and overview of Meghalayan caving - avail- able from both BEC and GSG libraries. A separate article on the exploration of Krem Labbit (Khaidong) will hopefully be written by Annie Audsley on her return from Pakistan.

This year's expedition to the magnificent caving regions of the NE Indian state of Meghalaya concentrat- ed on several systems within the Nongkhlieh Elaka (district) including some old favourites like Krem Liat Prah and Krem Umthloo and the four major new finds of Krem Umsohtung, Krem Tyrtong Ryngkoo, Krem Labbit (Khaidong) and Krem Labbit (Moolasngi). Many smaller sites were explored and docu- mented and many more remain for future visits.The main team were again based in bamboo accommodation and tents on the Shnongrim Ridge with a satellite team spending a few days at the inspection bungalow in the nearby village of Semmasi. 15.5 km of passage was explored and surveyed resulting in the creation of a new record for India's longest cave. This honour now goes to Krem Liat Prah, at present 22km in length and just beating the 21km Krem Umlawan / Kotsati system in nearby Lumshnong. Next year this cave should easily be extended to 30-35 kms and if luck and some very necky theories are on our side a length of 100 kms may be possible. Due to increasing conservation issues a press team were already luckily on hand to record the event and it is hoped that this distinction will assist in the protection of the Ridge and its vul- nerable world-class cave systems, unique underground fauna and important subterranean watercourses. February 5th saw the first batch of expeditionaries reach the capital, Shillong, where preparations for the fieldwork got underway and on the 7th the faithful school bus delivered them to the Ridge. Next day Des, Neil, Henry and the writer commenced a long and frustrating session of "pot bashing" in the Lum Manar area where Krem Kya 1, 2 & 3 and Krem Siat Kriah 1 & 2 all became too tight at around -15m and the nearby Krem Shnong Moo required digging to reach open passage. Thomas continued with his surface mapping and recce project aided by Jayne, Brian, Terry and Raplang. This was to keep him fully occupied for the next three weeks and he only managed one caving trip but his dedicated devotion to this cartographic masterpiece earned him the team's grateful thanks and a bottle of the finest Glenlivet. Mark, Annie and Peter surveyed previously undescended pitches in the old favourite Krem Shyien Khlieh (nee Shynrong Labbit) and did further work in this system the following day. On the 9th the boulder dig in Shnong Moo was passed and 35.5m of cave surveyed, via a tight vertical squeeze - the Nasty Little Twat - to too tight passages and a boulder choke. This was combined with more recce in the area guided by Shnongrim cow boy, Evermore, who pointed out 11 new sites! Many of these were dropped on the 10th - Krem Kya 4 to a mud floor at - 40m, Krem Um Manong 2, where Imo pushed a tight, wet passage to an impasse at -35m, Krem Tyrtong Warim to -23m, Krem Pastor 6 to -6m Krem Pastor 5 to -10m and Krem Pastor 1 - the most promising - which finished at -35m. Locals reported bot- toming this vertical shaft using bamboo rope and a man-riding basket to butch- Evermore and the writer ponder over the day’s prospecting with freshly er an aberrant cow which had taken the cut banana tree. Photo. Mark Brown long drop. Krem Poh Um Manong 1, 2 and 3 all ended after short pitches but Krem Um Manong 1 was found to be ongoing. Mark returned to the long ignored village of Lelad where he relocated several sites and found other promising areas - notably Krem Umsohtung (later to become affectionately referred to as "Toilet Cave" due -16- to its location in the middle of the village and the noisome effluvia therein!). Mark, Peter and Imo were looking for a project on the 11th so your scribe gave them a "hot tip" which he had been meaning to investigate for the last three years. Krem Labbit (Khaidong) had been briefly looked at by Martin "Lump" Groves in 2002 but not pushed. A local wood cutter had once told the writer that it was a big cave but no-one knew just how big it was to become. Our three heroes (well, two heroes and a heroine) were about to find out in the next few days. Today Imo rigged until she ran out of rope and battery power. Over on the other side of the Ridge the "pot bashers" carried on down a series of short pitches in Um Manong 1 until they ran out of gear at a deep pot. On the12th Imo returned to Labbit (Khaidong) with Henry and the pair dropped the pitch into a large chamber from where they surveyed 253m of ongoing streamway. They were followed by the surveying team of Mark, Des and Annie who followed a large fossil tunnel from the chamber and surveyed 279m in all. The pot in Um Manong 1 was dropped for 30m to reach a large and inspiring canyon passage but Neil, Terry and the writer were disappointed when it soon ended in choked rifts (a promising dig) and inaccessible high levels. This is one for the future. They continued their fruitless quest for an easy way down into the fabled Krem Synrang Ngap extensions somewhere below next day, finding a couple of promising pots and sending Jayne down Krem Warkhla 3 which became too tight at -12m. Tom and Peter continued mapping and investi- gated Krem Lyngtah, a small resurgence cave. Labbit (Khaidong) had by now become the place to be seen. Imo, Henry and newly landed Viking, Torben continued the downstream survey, being somewhat intimidated by great multitudes of surprised labbits (bats). Another 648m was added to the length of this rapidly expanding cave and on the following day another 995m was mapped in Annie Audsley on main pitch, Krem Labbit. Photo. Mark Brown enormous, mud-floored, fossil phreatic tunnels which became even bigger as the teams progressed - stunned by what was being revealed. The "Toilet Team" of Mark, Fraser and Derek surveyed 228m of Yorkshire style pitches in Umsohtung while down at flood plain level 193m was clocked up in Krem Lyngtah. Also at this altitude a through cave of 256m, Krem Khuiang, was surveyed by Hugh, Tony and Jane - mainly because it was near the only tea shop for miles! The stolid, but rapidly becoming pissed off, "pot bashers" bottomed Krem Bir 2 at -35m, Um Manong 3 at -15m and Krem Warkhla 1 at -19m but Krem Warkhla 2 still had hopes. Your scribe had squeezed down into a loose chamber with a boulder and mud floor hanging over a deep pot and today an easier entrance was dug to reach this point but the big pot was not rigged due to fear of major collapse of the floor, walls and ceiling. A Neil was called for… Krem Umsohtung continued dropping steeply on the 15th when Mark and his team eventually intersected a small streamway. Back at Warkhla 2 the prescribed Neil was despatched through the horror story to rig the big pitch. This shat out at -30m. Thoroughly discouraged the team decided to abandon their fruitless search and rig Krem Synrang Ngap in preparation for long, sporting and possibly overnight pushing trips to the two downstream chokes. Asking directions from Moonlight Patlong, a local wood cutter, they were shown a deep, banana tree- covered pot just off the main track which your scribe knew was definitely not Ngap. It turned out to be pre- viously unseen despite our having passed it many times over the last few years. With a heartfelt "Sod it!" Neil commenced rigging while his Mendip colleague slept in the sun, thankful not to be a hard Northerner. At - 50m he passed a very tight squeeze to another strongly draughting pot and had some entertainment reversing it. This pot was later found to be Krem Tyrtong Ryngkoo. (Tyrtong - an ancient Pnar word for "summit" and Ryngkoo - a local bird that keeps silent on the approach of people.). Needless to say Ngap never got vis- ited this year as at last the "pot bashers" had got lucky! Meanwhile the "Labbiters" clocked up another 627m -17- of streamways and 790m of fossil tunnels - an incredible amount but made easier by the fortuitous posses- sion by Torben of a Disto laser measurer. Krem Poh Lumthymmai, NE of Labbit, was bottomed at -14m and Krem Lyngtah pushed to a prob- ably passable but highly dangerous choke. With plenty of going cave in three separate major systems the frantic explorers were in for a shock that evening and for the next 48 hours as a mini-monsoon hit the camp. Bamboo huts and tents leaked copiously and streams flowed through the dining area while awesome thunderstorms and massive hailstones added to the fun. As all were soaked on the outside equilibrium was gained by getting soaked on the inside as sorrows were drowned along with sleeping bags. The kitchen tent also suffered badly but the cooks worked wonders in the atrocious conditions. The highlight of the day was when top chef Swer apologised profusely for the lack of "desert". The rain also encouraged the abhorrent Tiger leeches which this year had staked a claim on the campsite. Several of the team got "leeched" and the nasty little bastards were regularly evicted from tents and sleeping bags. Luckily the morning of the 17th proved fine and the dishevelled ones dried out themselves and their kit and set off underground or on surface recces. Tyrtong Ryngkoo, being too difficult to remember or pronounce, was soon bastardised to "Turtle Wrinkle", or, as exploration progressed downwards in tight and horribly loose pitches, "Krem Grim". Neil did a superb job of rigging this collector's item especially as the pitches were now as wet as those of the Dales due to the storm run-off. Your scribe used his digging prowess to enlarge the squeeze while Neil dropped sev- eral pitches to run out of rope at a c.30m pot. A photography and bolting trip to Shyien Khlieh was also done today and a team of seven set off for con- tinuing surveying in the incredible horizontal maze of Krem Tyngheng at Semmasi. The waterproof roof of the snug I.B. had absolutely nothing to do with it. Saturday 18th February saw four "Labbiters" pushing some 30m into the Mother and Father of all Boulder Chokes and taking photographs while another three dropped Kneewrecker Pot 2 in an attempt at a connection. Hugh, Kate and the Danes bagged another 352m of upstream inlet. Desperate for an "easy day" Des, Neil and the writer opted for a working tourist trip in Krem Liat Prah where Neil bolted a traverse in the far SE corner of this 15km+ system in an attempt to reach a possible sump bypass. The climb was a success but the 69m long, flat out crawl (in a cave where a light aeroplane could be flown!) ended at an impassable choke. This at least partially proved Chamber in Krem Labbit your scribe's theory of cave development to the SE Photo. Mark Brown and on the remote chance of confirming it some fluorescein was dumped into the surprisingly fast flowing stream below the climb. The Krem Tyngheng team surveyed 296m and, more importantly, secured a supply of beer in Semmasi - previously thought to be a dry village. They were also informed that the locals believe the cave to extend to the Kopili river, many kilometres to the NE, on the Assam border. Next day much surface recce, mapping and data input was undertaken with the persistent Labbit enthu- siasts adding 101m of fossil passage and 265m of crawling side passage to the score. The latter was to prove both very important and also to prove that it is essential to push Meghalayan crawls and squeezes, even in huge cave systems. At Lelad, Umsohtung yielded another 401m and the "Wrinkled Turtles" at last got their just rewards as they abseiled through the ceiling of a huge, active trunk passage at 100m depth. They surveyed 200m upstream and were relieved not to have to kiss any more frogs as they had found a princess at last! (It soon dawned on them what an ugly princess they were landed with, but, as was pointed out, the baby of Neil and your scribe was hardly likely to be a stunner. Cheeky bastards). At the base of the pitch the huge Moonlight -18- Chamber was found and named in honour of our friendly wood cutter. The Semmasi team added 614m to their exceptionally complicated survey of Tyngheng where only frus- tratingly short legs could be measured due to the frequency of intersections. Over their stay they lost valu- able exploration time by having to re-draw over 3km of cave due to the laxity of a previous expedition mem- ber. Another problem with this system was that every lead they tried to finish off resulted in more junctions and many more ways on! The end of this system has still not been reached and it may be extremely exten- sive. Torben, Louise (practicing her newly acquired English obscenities) and Peter were back in the Labbit crawl on the 20th, surveying another 250m. Nearby Roger, Henry and Imo were dodging falling trees in a daylight shaft connected to Kneewrecker Pot 2. On the surface above, and blissfully unaware of those below, the locals continued with their deforestation! This cave ended in an impassable downstream boulder choke before a connection with Labbit could be made. Shelley, being young, slim and fit, was conned by Neil and the writer to join the "Turtle Wrinklies" as they surveyed upstream in the huge, muddy and boulder-floored Evermore Passage, named after their keen young guide. After 223m of hard going a waist deep pool was reached and a retreat made. Shelley's little legs made it, for her, harder going still and a badly strained back acquired on the way out resulted in 100m of vertical agony as she manfully struggled up the grim pitches to freedom and a late meal. Both Shelley and Neil were actually very lucky to be get- ting out at all as earlier in the trip a large rock flake had peeled off the wall when your scribe used it as a handhold. Too heavy to grasp it had just begun the 20m drop to the two unsuspecting cavers directly Fossil Passage in Krem Labbit Photo Mark Brown below when it miraculously wedged itself between two tiny outcrops which halted its probably fatal trajectory. A mere pebble rattled on down to accompany the hoarse, strangled cry of "BELOW". This was not the only close call in this very dicey pitch series as large rocks had plummeted down on earlier trips. One of the lower pitches sports a protruding rock buttress - the Mercy Seat - over which one climbs and on which one sits before the abseil. Miraculously it was still in place when we finally deserted the cave! In Krem Shyien Khlieh Mark and Annie passed a duck (they were told not to eat it… groan) to discov- er some 200m of interesting inlet ending at an aven with"Cappadocian" style mud pillars. 280m was added to the Tyngheng labyrinth where a bamboo maypole was used to gain access to two high level passages and another entrance. On the 21st various surface recces were undertaken and some downstream surveying in Tyrtong Ryngkoo led to a large boulder choke where an inlet stream may be that from Krem Synrang Ngap 1st downstream choke. A way through the other side of this was found to reach the ongoing main stream at a deep water sec- tion in a large phreatic gallery. Next day Des, Fiona and Hugh revisited a cave found earlier in the week, Krem Wah Um Bloh, where ris- ing water curtailed exploration. The discoverers developed a tradition of entertaining hitch-hikes back to camp, once with local "likely lads" in a pimped up Maruti jeep where translations were made by mobile phone to the driver's English speaking mate miles away and twice in bone-shaking Shaktiman trucks. Another 156m was added to Labbit by Imo, Annie and Louise on a "girly" trip where they were gobs- macked on reaching the remote entrance to find themselves reluctant TV stars! Another 513m were added by Simon, Dave and Torben, including a new streamway. "Toileteers" Mark, Roger and Matt added 660m to Umsohtung and took photographs. They were reward- ed with tea and betel nut at a house in Lelad village.In Liat Prah a new 11m bit was surveyed after a bolt climb by Peter into a well decorated but choked roof tube. Upstream in Tyrtong Ryngkoo things initially looked great but after 250m of immense and superbly dec- -19- orated trunk passage the inevitable Meghalayan boulder choke was reached. This was pushed for some 50m but thoughts of getting lost forever and having to eat Henry prompted a retreat. If this active streamway is actually the continuation of the Synrang Labbit / Synrang Ngap combined streams then pushing a connec- tion would be easier from the far side, though there may, in fact, be two chokes with open streamway between. Later, during a hilarious discussion on naming the cave features, a superb faceted stalagmite in the extensions was landed forever with the title of The Glitteris. On a later trip Mark was unable to find this - enough said. The 23rd February saw the bamboo maypole in use again in Tyngheng but to little avail. Further work in Labbit, including digging, failed to yield a link with the adjacent Krem Shrieh but 74m was found elsewhere and a strongly draughting crawl found heading towards Krem Chuni. "Team Toilet" were back in the bowels of Krem Umsohtung where a free-climb led to the large and muddy, and 79m long, Village Shitter Passage. A bolt climb gained 26m to a high aven and 206m was surveyed downstream where Terry, Matt and Derek crawled into a larger main streamway. Neil Pacey passing the Mercy Seat in Krem Labbit. Kate, Annie and Henry got what they thought to Photo. Mark Brown be the short straw by continuing the survey of the long crawl in Labbit, the Khaidong Metro. After 30m they were suddenly amazed to find "23" Tippexed on a rock lip. Soon after they were romping down an immense breakdown tunnel (The Grand Trunk Road) but didn't have a clue which cave they had connected with. Back at camp the jubilant trio were informed by your scribe that it was he who had written "23" above a hole dug out from above in 2004 in the Shnongrim Subway of Krem Um Im 6, itself being one of the most westerly arms of the Krem Liat Prah system. This passage had been another "hot tip" but getting people to push a grotty, loose crawl in a remote corner of a 15km cave was not easy. If it had been pursued when found the 6km of enormous fossil galleries of Labbit would have been discovered from the inside but survey trips would have been a nightmare - and no easy climb out to sur- face. The dug hole would have been suicidal to excavate from below so this was a great stroke of fortune for today's connectors who had now extended Liat Prah just enough to claim the record of India's longest cave from Krem Umlawan / Kotsati. Celebrations continued (as usual) into the wee small hours. Another 380m was added to Umsohtung but the main downstream passage ended in a choke. Krem Gerald Hubmayr, named after a late friend of Peter, also ended at a choke after 65m. Throughout all the excitement Fraser had been plugging away with his video footage and today he assist- ed the TV crew to film Henry and Brian in the entrance series of Krem Labbit (Lum Dait Khung) - this being the nearest accessible cave passage (and with the potential to one day become part of the Shnongrim Meghasystem!). He also spent much time documenting the destructive quarrying and mining operations at both Lumshnong and to the NW of the Ridge. This was a soul destroying experience. 24th February and the "Turtle Wrinklets" were back downstream in Tyrtong Ryngkoo. After a fine but sadly short section of chest deep canal a boulder slope led to a four way chamber. The streamway was fol- lowed to the prophesied massive boulder choke and two of the other leads closed down. The fourth led up a steep mud and rock slope into a huge, flat ceilinged chamber with an awkward climb at the end to a smaller, choked chamber. 450m surveyed. Hugh, Des, Peter and Terry surveyed 64m in Krem Wah Um Bloh to a choke and wrote the place off. Imo and Derek got another 120m in Labbit, mainly in small stuff leading off the immense mud-floored gallery of Disto Inferno.

The Semmasi team surveyed 522m in the complex wet series of Tyngheng named Tipee Toe Canals, leav- ing two swimming leads. Saturday 25th saw an important photographic team in Labbit where yet another team materialised after dropping the 50m deep Krem Chuni and pushing the calcite-lined squeeze looked at -20- earlier from the Labbit side.

Your scribe led Imo and Neil on a working tourist trip to his "baby" - Krem Umthloo. With oncoming senility as an excuse he just got away with it when this became a major and lengthy epic involving cold swims (with one lifejacket between three!) and failure to find their goal in the most northerly corner of the system. As a consolation prize Imo did a magnificent push through a squalid, tight duck (marked as a sump on the survey) into 79m of walking passage. On reflection this was a belter of a trip and, if nothing else, inspired Imo and Neil to return to this truly fantastic system in the future where well over 100 leads remain to be explored and where the possibility with a link to the potentially huge Krem Synrang Labbit system to the north is definitely on the cards. Over at Semmasi Simon, Kate and Dale surveyed damp leads off Tipee Toe Canals and dry leads off Fossil River Series in Krem Tyngheng. Tony, Dave and Matt got the swimming stuff until they got cold. 655m sur- veyed in total. Next day a photo / choke-busting trip was undertaken in Tyrtong Ryngkoo but the choke won. Imo and your scribe snook off to Krem Chuni where they amazingly survived Peter's acrobatic mid-air deviation 50m above the deck and set to work chiselling the tight connection passage to enable mere mortals to pass. Imo then took the writer on a delightful four hour stroll through the roofed underground desert com- prising much of this stupendous cave. He was deeply impressed. Samples of cave fauna were taken and on leaving via the entrance pitches of Krem Labbit some derigging was done. Also in Chuni were Peter, Annie and Derek who surveyed 131m. Over in the Moolasngi village area, on the other side of the Ridge, Brian, Hugh, Des and Terry were guid- ed by local man Ekna to ten new pots located below a large collection of ancient standing stones and burial chambers. One of these Krem Labbit (Moolasngi) 3 (confused yet?) was esti- mated at 50 m deep and had rising conden- sation wafting out. Fed up with Tyngheng the Semmasi team borrowed a Shaktiman and went for a jolly to the remote villages of Pala and Kseh. Strangely enough they found the impressive entrance of… you guessed…Krem Labbit. Another promis- ing cave here was Krem Bliat. They all then returned to the Ridge camp in prepa- ration for the end of the expedition. Carlyn provided a good supply of the excellent local rice beer to spice up the celebrations. The final, longed for trip in Tyrtong Ryngkoo took place next day when Mark Trunk Passage in Krem Labbit Photo. Mark Brown and Neil took photos and derigged the cave. No tears were shed when Neil abandoned his baby. A large team of "Toileteers" did a last trip in Umsohtung, took photos, surveyed 214m and left the place with at least three ongoing leads. The writer, Fraser, Imo, Brian, Dave, Raplang and Sharkes (Jeep) accompanied by Menda (motorbike) travelled to Daistong village with the MAA dinghy - or to be strictly correct half of it (a long story). This was carted down to the flood plain and inserted in the flooded passage of Krem Khangbru. Thence ensued a cou- ple of hours of atrocious seamanship and ribald hilarity as lifejacketed would-be explorers attempted to nav- igate the good ship Titanic under the rapidly lowering ceiling. Eventually a sump was discerned 38m in and the whole circus wandered round to the nearby sink cave, Krem Ksar 1. Here a foul, stagnant pool was jam- packed with rotten bamboo and logs and no place for the fragile vessel so Dave was inserted as he was the only mug with a wetsuit. More hilarity followed as he fought his way to a sump some 50m in. He was also volunteered to check out the two adjacent grotty caves of Krem Ksar 2 & 3. A total of 172m was surveyed -21- including some unroofed cave passage. In Krem Chuni Annie, Derek and Roger surveyed 66m of crawl and derigged the cave.

On the 28th February eleven of the team left to attend Shelley's engagement ceremony in Shillong leaving the stragglers to derig Krem Labbit (Khaidong), wash ropes and pack up. Henry, Terry and the writer took this last chance for glory and went to drop Krem Labbit (Moolasngi) 3, the supposed 50m shaft. To make the survey easy the 50m tape was taken along. Henry set off down this impressive pot rigging as he went and communicating by walkie-talkie. At 50m down he still couldn't see the bottom and needed more rope so asked Terry to join him. Not being a technical SRT aficionado Terry attempted the first re-belay, decided that discretion was the better part of valour, and came out. A rope was lowered and Henry soon reported that he had dropped into a major trunk passage. The writer decided to join him and Terry kindly walked back to camp to change the pick up time from 6pm to 8pm. The huge shaft turned out to be 92m deep and the passage below bored off to the NW, towards Krem Liat Prah! This superb 6m diameter phreatic tunnel, The Sound of Silence, was a surveyor's dream, especially with the fortuitous 50m tape. The jubilant ones soon clocked up around 500m when the noise of a stream was heard ahead. Henry made a facetious comment about finding green-dyed water and clambered down a scree slope for a look. Your scribe was overjoyed to hear his splut- tered and apologetic mumblings as the bright green stream lapped around his wellies! Eureka! They had proven that the Video Passage stream in Liat Prah flowed beneath the Ridge to emerge almost certainly at the beautiful resurgence cave of Krem Rubong and your scribe was well chuffed that his hitherto scorned theory was correct. With several open leads they stopped the survey and rushed back to the pitch to investi- gate the "downstream" borehole. This soon reached a short pitch which was traversed over to a maze of phreatic canyons and the reappearance of the emerald stream. The presence of bats and an echo indicating huge but inaccessible passage above convinced them that they had another princess, and this one was a real beauty. Having run out of time they surveyed back up the mighty entrance shaft with Henry derigging as he went. With 650m in the bag and enough open leads to warrant three survey teams next year they were the smuggest buggers on the Ridge and only ten minutes late for their lift back to the celebratory beer supplies and congratulations of the remaining expeditionaries. The camp was dismantled next day and all headed back to Shnongrim via the Nartiang standing stones. On the 2nd March equipment sorting and shopping filled the day before the traditional party, this year at the Pinewood Hotel with beer sponsored by Mohan Meakin brewery, courtesy of the press. A post-party party at Robin Laloo's house continued until the early hours and three of the "Turtle Wrinklies" ended up swigging illicitly bought whisky in the back streets of Shillong with an unknown headcase at 3.30am! A memorable occasion (if only they could remember it). Next day it was all over and the team scattered across the world in search of more adventures or back to earn enough to return to Cave Explorers' Valhalla in eleven months time. Once again the visitors' grateful thanks go to Brian, Maureen and family and the redoubtable Meghalayan Adventurers for their fantastic input to this truly satisfying expedition. Kublai. ------oOo------

Indian Sub Continent. Longest/Deepest Limestone Caves (March 2006)

Longest: Length Deepest Vertical Range/Depth

1. Krem Liat Prah/Im Labbit 22,202m 1. Synrang Pamiang 317m (+4m/-313m) 2. Krem Kotsati 21,530m 2. Krem Kotsati 215m (+6m/-209m) 3. Synrang Pamiang 14,157m 3. Krem Umjasew 197m (-197m) 4. Krem Umthloo 12,740m 4. Krem Umthloo 188m (-188m) 5. Pielklieng-Sielkan Pouk 10,427m 5. Pielkhlieng-Sielkan Pouk 180m (-180m) 6. Krem Shrieh 8,862m 6. Pakaw Puk 170m (-170m) 7. Krem Tyngheng 7,752m 7. Krem Shrieh 169m (-169m) 8. Krem Mawkhyrdop (Mawmluh) 7,194m 8. Krem Risang 154m (-154m) 9. Krem Lymput 6,641m 9. Krem Wah Ser 145m (-145m) 10. Mondel Kol (Master System) 5,831m 10. Krem Unsohtung 138m (+58m/-80m) -22- -23- CAVE MICROBIOLOGY - AN UNDER-EXPLORED REALM

By Rachael Huggins Introduction

Microbiology is, to many, a doctrine of perpetual fear. It is the study of microscopic organisms such as bac- teria and viruses: better known as ‘germs’. We go to great lengths to exterminate them, with one cleansing solution after another, but in reality we live with millions of them in everyday life. Literally. It is thought that by weight, there are as many bacteria underground as there are of all plants (both land and sea),above ground (1) and we ourselves are covered in them.

In fact, after pushing and heaving yourself through the Farr Series, you will be covered in vast quantities of these terrible germs. It’s a wonderful boost for the immune system. However, it is now being discovered that the bacteria found in caves are not exactly the same as those directly above on the outside soil.1 But don’t pack your Dettol for your next Yorkshire trip yet - these micro-organisms are meant to be there, and in fact play a part in the ecosystems of caves that can be seen with the human eye.

In this article I will focus mainly on bacteria, in particular the effects that some calcifying bacteria have on limestone caves and speleothems. It will also look at the effects that humans can have on these bacterial ecosystems.

The Significance of Calcifying Bacteria (or the big sciency bit)

The involvement of micro-organisms on the development of cave speleothems has quite recently attracted the interest of scientists.2 Research into cave micro-organisms in general has uses in a wide, and slightly odd, variety of places, including astrobiology, oil wells and even the use of calcifying bacteria for repair work on crumbly limestone buildings (1,2)

In fact, a study on using calcifying bacteria for building repairs claimed that bacteria found in a cave are faster at calcium carbonate precipitation in harsher conditions than those found in soils.3 (2) The reason that this might be important is that the presence of these bacteria have an effect on the pretties we see when we are caving, as many cave pretties are composed of calcium carbonate. It is now generally accepted that the pres- ence of microbes may have helped form the pretties.

The processes by which this can happen are either active or passive.

Passive: the bacterium acts as a ‘seed’, which other tiny building blocks can be chemically drawn to, and the structure is built up from there. Once this process has begun, the building up of ions on the structure can be an inorganic process. This is called acting as a ‘nucleation site’ (3,4)

Active: there are a number of ways this can happen, but as a generalisation, bacterial metabolic by-products affect the surrounding microenvironment, including the cave wall, by producing compounds that can change

1. Methods of microbial sampling have caused some fuss on this issue. The techniques that were previously used would only detect about 1% of the organisms present, and this 1% would generally be those that are found in soils: the ones that are better known. However, new techniques are emerging and previously unknown bacteria are popping up all over caves now that we know more about how to look for them. (3,7)

2. Although perhaps not enough interest.

3. This may be, as there is more free oxygen available to bacteria in a cave than those buried in the soil. Once again, the scientific pro- cedures involved here can be criticised as samples were only compared to one type of soil. -24- pH or salinity levels. These are factors which can increase (or decrease) calcium carbonate precipitation. There are also a number of possible, more complicated, methods that have been suggested, including the pas- sage of ions across cell membranes as a starting point.

Certain species of both bacteria and fungi can precipitate calcium carbonate. One of the calcifying process- es that can be carried out by both is photosynthesis. Effects of this have resulted in damage to features in show caves, as discussed later. Around particular algae and photosynthesising bacteria, calcium carbonate precipitation can result as an effect of using up the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This thereby affects the microclimate around them, leading to a change in temperature. This means that some microbes would flourish more than others in that area, and species previously indigenous may be wiped out from that area. This would only occur around cave entrances or artificial lighting, where there is enough light for photosyn- thesis to take place. So never mind the Dettol, a bit of over enthusiastic lighting should do the trick.

Speleological Feature 1: Stalactites and helictites

It has been thought since the 1960s that the tip of the fungal hyphae act as nucleation sites for stalactites.A French study previously concluded that micro-organisms are involved in the formation of helictites in the cave studied. This is presumably a passive process, where the bacteria act as the nucleation site for rhom- bohedral calcite crystals. Growth factors involved in the helictites’ formation depended on a number of influ- ences, for example whether the right species of bacteria were there, combined with particular nutrient levels, and also the temperature and salt concentration of the surrounding environment.(3)

However, it may be that helictites in other caves have very little microbial influence on their origin. In stud- ies conducted on pool fingers, it was found that across two caves in the same system, differences in micro- bial levels attributed to formation were profound.

Speleological Feature 2: Moonmilk

It is difficult to define a method of formation for moonmilk, microbial or not, due to the fact that ‘moonmilk’ describes such a variety of substances, each of which can be formed quite differently.

There are therefore a number of possible mechanisms for formation that have been suggested. One of these is that some moonmilk is formed by corrosion of the limestone rock. When the corroded rock gets wet, it breaks down to form a paste. The corrosion originally leading to this process could be either abiotic or biot- ic. It is also thought that as many species of bacteria and fungi have been found in some types of moonmilk, calcium carbonate could be precipitated as waste product, providing a nucleation site for the continuation of the process.

Further research is needed as studies often put forward inconclusive evidence including DNA extraction and enzyme analysis. (4) Many studies are being carried out using different methods, countries and caves, mak- ing it hard to compare. Some studies show that there has been no microbial action on the formation, whilst others show the opposite. Instead, formation is proposed to be dependent on both the chemicals involved and factors such as temperature, altitude, humidity, levels of water seepage and soil types. (3) There is no doubt that some moonmilk is full of bacteria and fungi, as these have been cultured from the samples, but as other samples show very little microbial presence, a single method of formation, either to do with microbes or not, seems unlikely.

The Effect of Humans

When we enter a cave, we bring in a lot of microbes with us: ones from our skin, our clothes, our boots (sometimes from the last cave we were in, most certainly from the ground we walked over to get to the cave). Despite this, bacteria can get into a cave system in many other ways: for example, being washed in by a -25- stream.

The questions is what, and how much, of an effect do the microbes that we bring in have on the cave system, and that is hard to tell. They may act as competitors in the micro-ecosystem, unbalancing the proportions of more indigenous bacteria in the bacterial ecosystem. This may in turn affect cave features and organisms higher up the ecosystem hierarchy.

What is certain though is that you will disturb the local ecosystem, and perhaps fellow cavers, if you relieve yourself in a cave. The micro-organisms generally found in caves are accustomed to an environment low in organic nutrients. The sudden introduction of rich organic matter can disrupt the growth of indigenous microbes and foreign competitors, preferring the rich organic matter, will thrive. The result of this is that these foreign organisms build up in number and eventually can wipe out some native species and hence change soil properties. It has even been shown that bacteria called coliforms that are associated with the dumping of excrement, will remain in the area even after 14 months. (4) Organic waste in a cave also acts as a mechanism for the concentration of nitrogen compounds, leading to an increased number of bacteria that use nitrogen as an energy source, unbalancing the ecosystem’s natural equilibrium.

Show Caves

Show caves are generally chosen for accessibility, but impressive pretties are an added bonus. Unfortunately, this means that it can often be the most impressive of pretties that are affected by artificial lighting.1 Artificial lighting can lead to the growth of phototropic microbes - like plants, they use light as an energy source. This can again unbalance the cave ecosystem, but perhaps more concerning to visitors is that many walls and fea- tures are covered in a green layer. One culprit of this is the cyanobacteria Pseudocapsa species. Other pho- totropic species will affect the surrounding rock in another way, for example by increasing calcification. Calcite deposits will increase in areas that are well lit, primarily ceilings and features, changing their appear- ance. On the other hand, there are some films produced by microbes that can have the effect of damaging the area covered by the film, degrading the features. (4)

Visitors can also affect the cave environment by increasing levels of carbon dioxide and water. This can have the effect of raising the temperature and therefore encouraging particular types of microbial growth and hin- dering others. (5)

Man’s early use of caves for shelter and defence led to, of course, cave paintings. These are often now pre- served as a feature in their own right. Cave paintings can often play host to a multitude of different bacte- ria, a number of which are unknown. The more visitors that come to a cave, the more effect they can have on the bacteria inhabiting the paintings. This is one of the reasons why heavy traffic of visitors through a cave often leads to deterioration of the paintwork. (6)

What We Can Learn

There is so much we can learn from microbes - after all, one species can survive at temperatures up to 113oC (1) - and we certainly can’t do that yet. A form of an enzyme from one bacteria discovered from a hydro- thermal vent in Yellowstone National Park has been the basis for a process called Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The enzyme, taq polymerase, combined with PCR, allows scientists to make huge numbers of copies of DNA samples. (7)

And finally, it has been suggested that not only do extreme bacteria hold the answers to the origin of life, but perhaps even eternal life. Bacteria have been discovered that were entombed in the saline liquid within salt

1 Although being part of a commercial operation may provide some protection from removal. -26- crystal cages 250 million years ago. When removed and placed on a suitable growing medium, they actual- ly grew.(1)

Conclusion

To pinch a quote from elsewhere:

“Purely inorganic chemical reaction can take place only where simple organisms are totally absent”. (Friedman and Sanders (1978); taken from (3))

It is therefore almost impossible to say that microbes have had no influence on speleothem formation unless laboratory tests could prove this. To look at the extent of their influence is perhaps a better approach. It does appear that in many cases, microbes have played a large part, but in others they have made negligible differ- ence.

And of course, there is the difficulty with methods. Although modern technology has improved our tech- niques, we surely don’t know all there is to know yet. The more affordable methods are also those that are much less accurate, so progress can be slow. Then there are all the differences between each set of experi- ments published. This makes comparisons hard: some experiments are tested on site (4), whereas others are not, different methods are used, and some experiments are just not carried out as well as they could be.

As is so often the case with science, so many ideas fit with one cave and not another. So it appears that it may be a long time before definite methods of formation can be put forward. More research is always need- ed, but in cave microbiology there are many interesting rewards. One article stated that in their sample, “29% of the (bacterial) clones belonged to unknown taxa” (5) and another found a number of bacteria that: “show no relationship to known organisms” (8) This seems to me enough of an excuse to take a few samples next time I get the chance - there are so many discoveries to be made if only a little bit of momentum would start it off. if nothing else, at least I might get to name something after myself. All those who are interested in the thought of swabbing caves - send me an email. -----oOo----- Bibliography:

1. Pederson, K. (2000) Exploration of Deep Intraterrestial Microbial Life: Current Perspectives. FEMS Microbiology Letters 185, pp 9-16 2. Caccio, P., C. Ercolce, G. Cappuccio & A. Lepidi (2003) Calcium Carbonate Precipitation by Bacterial Strains Isolated from a Limestone Cave and from a Loamy Soil. Geomicrobiology Journal 20 pp 85-98 3. Northup, D.E. & K.H. Lavoie (2001) Geomicrobiology of Caves: A Review. Geomicrobiology Journal 18 pp 199-222 4. Northup, D.E., C.N. Dahm, L.A. Melim, M.N. Spilde, J.J. Crossley, K.H. Lavoie, L.M. Mallory, P.J. Boston, J.L. Cunningham, & S.N. Barns (2000) Evidence for Geomicrobiological Interactions in Guadalupe Caves. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies 62(2) pp 80-90 5. Schabereiter-Gurtner, C., C. Saiz-Jimenez, G. Pinar, W. Lubitz, & S. Rollecke (2002) Phylogenetic 16S rRNA Analysis Reveals the Presence of Complex and Partly Unknown Bacterial Communities in the Tito Bustillo Cave, Spain, and on its Palaeolithic Paintings. Experimental Microbiology 4(7) pp 392-400 6. Laiz, L., L. Groth, I. Gonzalez & C. Saiz-Jimenez (1999) Microbiological Study of the Dripping Waters in Altamira Cave (Santillana del Mar, Spain). Journal of Microbiological Methods 36, pp. 129-138 7. Taylor, M.R.(2000) Dark Life. Bloomsbury, London 8. Holmes, A.J., N.A. Tujula, M. Holley, A. Contos, J.M. James, P. Rogers & M.R. Gillings (2001) Phylogenetic Structure of Unusual Aquatic Microbial Formations in Nullarbor Caves, Australia. Environmental Microbiology 3 (4) pp 256-264 9. Henderson’s Dictionary of Biology, 13th Edition. Ed. Eleanor Lawrence. Pearson Education Ltd (2005) -27- A SKYE ESSAY By David Morrison

It has been a busy year here on the west coast with sumps being dived by Simon Brooks assisted by myself and Ritchie Simpson, a guide to Applecross and Kishorn being written up, caves being checked and resur- veyed and even some digging at Rana Hole. Despite this, over on Skye, some more new caves have been found and some old ones lost.

Earlier in the year Ritchie and myself went to survey a cave near the Old Man of Storr which we had been in once before but for a different reason. This fissure cave contains two rock climbs and there are many more on the surrounding Dolerite crags. We could not resist the novelty of climbing up and out of a cave and so Mummies Church was climbed along with other routes before being forgotten about until recently.

Nowadays having more of an interest in caves, the ‘Storr Cave’ had to have another visit. We plodded uphill through patches of snow until at last we came upon the entrance. After exploring the cave we found it to be more open than we remembered: it is still quite interesting, but the scale of the rock features made a survey out of the question as the cliffs are 20-25m and we only had a 15m tape.

We decided to head for a mine I had heard about 20 odd years ago. This was situated about 6 km away and as we reached the foot of a small glen below the crags we had just left we came upon a huge boulder field with many talus caves to explore. Not having enough time, we only had a passing look at one or two. But out on the open moor at grid reference 493 571 we came upon the familiar sight of a burn running into a shakehole with a cave entrance in its back wall. Ritchie crawled in first to find a crouching height chamber about 4m long and 2m wide. The stream flowed along the floor to sink at the end of the cave. To our sur- prise the whole thing was formed in peat, so we took photos and carried on. Over the next mile or so we passed many sinks and risings including a crawling sized, 15m through route, again all formed in peat. This area needs a second look if you are into peat caves.

We eventually reached Loch Cuithir and after pulling a sheep out of a flooded drain and uprighting another, heavily pregnant sheep after it had been butted we searched in vain for the mine. It was a long walk back to the car and it was good to get back home. A day or so later Ritchie phoned to say he had found the mine on the internet (type in Lealt Valley Diatomite railway). It turned out to be a Diatomite mine and they had extracted it from the loch bed. No wonder we could not find any evidence of a mine opening.

During one of our frequent visits to the Coille Gaireallach woods to find CG35 (which we did find) we were looking at some features just above it. There are two sinks, one of which feeds into CG35 and a larger one to the west which can be entered for a metre or two but is choked thereafter. Just north of this is a shakehole which had in its north wall a small hole showing cave passage. A bit of digging with the ever present ice- axe eventually revealed a slot in the rock, but was too tight to enter. During the digging an iron bar was found - a 16-18 inch machine bit to be more accurate. This seemed to suggest that someone else had looked at the original hole. The bar was soon found to belong to Steve Birch and was returned to him slightly more rusty than he remembered it.

Some time later we were back at the dig and with some more tools we made more progress. One large block was shifted and things looked very good but just as we gave it a final lift the piece my right hand was hold- ing snapped off, tearing my thumb. As we never had a first aid kit I applied pressure for the required ten minutes and eventually the bleeding stopped. Meanwhile Ritchie had been chiselling at the bumps in the rock trying to widen the slot, but alas dropped the hammer into the now quite roomy looking passage beyond. The day was lost so we went home but we returned a couple of weeks later with a new hammer and after some aggressive chipping and skelping by myself, Ritchie managed to squeeze in. After passing out the once lost hammer he then crawled off down the lowering passage, shouting back that it went on for about 5-6 metres to a T-junction but was too low to see what was round the corner. -28- The good news was that it had a gravel floor so it was diggable. After Ritchie had come back out I squeezed in to take a look and confirmed his findings, but we had run out of time so again we had to go home. too low Months past and we became preoccu- pied with other caves and sites needing our atten- tion. We surveyed Scale False Willow Cave too tight 0 3 (see below) before m heading to Hole to stream Applecross and Approx. Mag Kishorn for the rea- North sons given above. Eventually we got round to digging the gravel out of the new cave near CG35. Two hours of digging the right hand passage of the tree NEW CAVE ABOVE CG35 T-junction gave squeeze access to a low Grade 1 survey D. Morrison water filled cham- dug out block ber. This continues 1.5.06. Extended 22.8.06 for several metres until the air space gets too low. The cave needs a name and a proper survey, but I have included a grade 1 survey with this article.

After our survey of False Willow Cave we headed up the Allt na Leac to look at Uamh XXXX. This is an interesting cave with entertaining sections at the start. After exploring here we moved on to the Upper Valley Head sink line caves. Thrutch Cave was thrutchy and Ritchie thought Ramp Cave should be called Rank Cave due to the wonderful aroma from the algae ridden peat bog at the entrance. Midge Cave as mentioned in GSG newsletter 127 has been lost to a collapse. One or two sites are still being looked at and any progress will be reported as necessary.

Description for False Willow Cave:

Found by C. Warwick / M. Campbell.

The entrance is an obvious rising to the north of the Allt na Leac Pot. The upper entrance is in a shakehole several metres to the north-east.

A one metre drop over a wall of sorts leads to a pool and to a low winding mud-clad passage with a shelf on the left. This ends after a few metres at a rock arch with a flat out crawl for 2.7 metres. The continuing pas- sage, still low, divides after a few more metres. Straight ahead the passage gains height but becomes too tight after three metres. Back at the junction and turning left, the way on climbs steeply up a gravelly slope and over some boulders to the upper entrance. -29- 1m drop rising Ent. A mud mud Mag north B Entrance 1.3m climb scale 5 metres C B A B C granite Ent. Open shakehole C 11.6.06 Alt. 134m Length 28m ? NGR 59566 18422 Depth 4.5m approx. too tight FALSE WILLOWFALSE CAVE Allt nan Leac Valley Skye Valley Allt nan Leac Survey Grade 2 D. Morrison, R. Simpson -30- HIBERNIAN HOLE EXTENSION, GLEN DUROR, ARGYLL

By Peter Dennis

[On January 14th 2006 a work party, having capped Albion Pot to comply with the landowner’s wishes, retired to Hibernian Hole to place a couple of bolts at the head of the pitch. During an examination of the cave’s lower reaches, Alan Jeffreys noticed a route leading off underneath the ladder drop, which had previously been examined by Andrew Ogilvie. A rugged horizontal letterbox was passed by Roger Galloway, followed closely by a further, tighter squeeze, to lead into a small chamber and some descending holes liberally sown with friable boulders but with a stream audible below. Given the fast flow-through time of water from Albion Pot to the rising some 200 metres below, the team were very encouraged by this 12 metre extension, although hopes of intercepting the main streamway were tempered by thoughts of the ‘hanging death’which comprised much of the new territory. Ed.]

On Saturday 13th May 2006, the day before the scheduled joint training exercise of Scottish Cave Rescue with Oban MRT, Roger Galloway, Malcolm McConville and I gathered in Glen Duror. Earlier in the week Roger had arranged with us a return to the constricted crawl in Hibernian Hole that he had reached on his last visit.

I arrived in Duror village just before 10 o’clock to find the forest gates locked, hence parked and walked up the hill to the bridge on the upper forest track just below the caves. After enjoying the sun for a few min- utes, I called Roger to discover that he was walking in from Ballachulish and that Malcolm was due to arrive later in the morning. I wandered up to Draught Caledonian (adorned with a fringe of primroses) and Albion Pot, and explored the crags and depressions above and southwards, traversing in Roger’s direction. Finally, I dropped down an attractive, wooded ravine above the bothy to intercept the Glen Duror track and shortly after met up with Roger, Ghillie and Fidra. Roger promptly unloaded an electric drill, lump hammer, lad- der and various other bits of metalwork he had been hauling for 8 km! We finally reached Hibernian Hole, changed and ate lunch and were shortly joined by Malcolm, who had walked up from Duror village carrying two electric drills, several power packs and various bits of heavy duty ironmongery!

So it was we steadily worked our way down the ladder pitch and into the Pit laden with the heavy gear, onwards into the awkward crawl, the end of which was barred by a large block and was the furthest extent of the cave. Roger pushed ahead and worked away with a drill and hammer in the constricted space. After one resonant blow, Malcolm and I heard the clump of falling rubble but after a concerned enquiry, Roger called back and explained that a large block had collapsed ahead of him. After a short spell of drilling, the crack of a Hilti cap and much shuffling, Roger called back that he had cleared the obstruction and had entered the rift chamber beyond. We soon joined him on the steeply angled and rather loose slope of the chamber. This funnelled into a vertical rift that gave access to a loose crawl at a lower level directly below, and a longer crawl off to the right. Roger pushed on along this under a ceiling of fairly loose material to a point where the roof was a little more solid, an arch of limestone. Most of the rest of the extension, like the chamber we had entered, was effectively the rift between the limestone and the adjacent rock. This was also the line for water seepage and hence much of this shale-like material was rotten and slumping. This chamber and the lower tubes were not particularly comfortable spots. Returning along the lower crawl to rejoin Malcolm in the chamber, I pointed out to Roger that one block supporting the roof was apparently held in place by a pivot of two small stones. Back in the chamber two higher level routes were evident and I spent a few minutes pulling large blocks out of the lower one whilst bridging across the chamber. This enabled me to climb into the hole but it remained partially choked and requires a concerted effort without much prospect of pushing far. Another ascending tube, although obstructed with blocks, could offer a continuation but care will be required to safely clear the rock. We took stock, packed up the gear, which incidentally would have been more than adequate to pulverise several large boulders, and made our way out of the cave.

Outside, we had a little fun trying to bale the sump pit next to Hibernian Hole but lacked the critical piece of kit - a long piece of pipe for a siphon. Despite some ingenuity with a bolt kit, rope and a tackle bag, and vig- orous baling, no impression could be made on the water level! -31-

Agoraphobia Chamber, Krem Labbit, Meghalaya.

Photo. Mark Brown

The gantry in action, Rana Hole. View looking north.

Photo: John Crae -32-

Watercolour of Smoo Cave by John Fielder. [see page 52]

from a postcard

Landowner George Vestey and family are taken caving in Cnoc nan Uamh, August 2006. L-R: Bob Jones, Peter Dowswell, three younger Vesteys and two friends with Rachael Vestey behind them, George Vestey, Julian Walford.

Photo: Ivan Young -33-

Matt Hutson and Mark Lonnen emerging from Middle Washfold Caves. Sept. 2006 Photo. Ivan Young

Rachael Huggins about to descend the final pitch, Sunset Hole. Sept. 2006. Photo: Ivan Young -34-

From the archives: Rescue search at Shaw’s Mine, Camelon, Falkirk, December 1964. L.-R. Gordon Henderson, Alan Jeffreys [see page 57] Photo: Courtesy of Beaverbrook Newspapers -35- ELEVATION (Not drawn to scale. R. Galloway, P. Dennis)

? crawl from The Pit

Slipway Chamber ?

Pivot Rock Ratchet Rift unstable roof

?

HIBERNIAN HOLE EXTENSION

0 5 13.5.2006 m Roger Galloway,MalcolmMcConville approx. scale Peter Dennis

After the long walk down the forest track, we retired to the Clachaig Inn for refreshment. A return to Hibernian Hole with the aim of further extending the cave should be treated with great caution. Substantial shoring will be necessary to protect the route from the roof directly above the access to the chamber (Slipway Chamber - refer to sketch survey), to the climb down and ceiling of the crawls beyond. The total length of the cave now is estimated at 55 metres. ------STRATHCANAIRD AREA A. Jeffreys This small ‘caving’ area of Assynt was revealed as a by-product of a dog rescue attempt in May 1998, and has not seen much activ- ity since. In June 2006, Ivan, Rachael and myself walked the moor, finding a host of quite promising shakeholes but no open cave, other than Strathcanaird Pot. The area is reached by driving up a good track from south of the hamlet to the power station dam (currently under renovation). During the visit, Ivan GPS’d all the main features, as listed below. E/W N/S Alt. Description NC 16395 00996 205 shakehole NC 16407 01000 205 Strathcanaird (or Strath Kanaird) Pot NC 16426 01004 205 two shakeholes NC 16444 01016 205 two shakeholes one with body-length crawl NC 16472 01035 205 Peggy’s Pot - shakehole with small pit and passage NC 16484 01035 206 elongated shakehole NC 16536 01070 203 larger 10m diameter shakehole NC 16546 01084 202 large elliptical shakehole NC 16564 01092 199 shakehole NC 16557 01106 200 shakehole NC 16028 00625 224 shakehole with ‘through trip’ (for midgets) NC 16809 00984 216 small sink NC 16597 91186 178 marshy ground - possible rising? NC 15528 00387 189 Reservoir car park -36- BOOK REVIEW:

Exploring the Landscape of Assynt. By K. Goodenough, E. Pickett, M. Krabbendam & T. Bradwell. Keyworth: British Geological Survey 2004. £12 ISBN 0-85272-471-3. 56pp, A5, in plastic wallet with 1:50,000 geological map (approx. A0, folded). Colour illustrations, diagrams and maps on each page. Short glossary and bibliography.

Cavers exploring karst regions, particularly those unfamiliar with them, need to understand the basic geological processes dictating cave genesis and development in order that their efforts might efficiently be directed for the right reasons. Scotland’s premier caving area, the Cambrian limestone outcrops of Assynt, north- west Sutherland, is perhaps one of the most complicated and least comprehended of the UK regions, not least because it lies, as a nappe, at the heart of a celebrated geological wonderland.

This booklet is subtitled ‘A Walker’s Guide to the Rocks and Landscape of Assynt and Inverpolly’ which indicates that substan- tial chunks of the text have no direct relevance to speleology. However, even those dealing with remoter areas such as Stac Pollaidh or Suilven contain information on formative processes that cavers will find useful.

The districts have been separated into ten distinct walks ranging from easy, one hour strolls to strenuous eight hour expeditions such as the ascent of Conival and Ben More Assynt. Each is accompanied by an artist’s impression of the country to be covered, with a dotted line route and points of interest numbered, notes on overall ascent, duration of walk and degree of difficulty. From a caver’s point of view, only the first three have a direct bearing on the limestone landscape - Knockan Crag, the Bone Caves (Allt nan Uamh valley) and the Traligill Caves, and given the size of the booklet, readers should not expect detail or advanced clues for speleological investigation. The section covering a boat trip on Loch Glencoul also gives hints on exposed limestone which, since the discovery of St George’s Cave under the moors east of the Stack of Glencoul, need to be properly examined.

Given the international importance of Assynt’s scenery, this booklet may be considered a masterpiece of con- densed, popularised geology, packed with nuggets of useful facts in a readable, digestible form. The accom- panying 1:50,000 map shows a simplified geology, with side boxes illustrating the various walks in more detail. Compared to the conventional geological map it is possibly not a very good tool for cave hunting but is admirably suited to its task of supporting the text.

In the past, visitors to Assynt have relied on the excellent Geological Excursion Guide by Macgregor and Phemister, which first appeared in 1958, revised in 1972 and 1989, and for in-depth investigation, this remains the best ‘popular’ treatise for Assynt. The new publication, by not citing the above in its short bib- liography, may be aimed at replacing it, which would be regrettable.

For cavers this booklet will be of limited use, they being better served with Classic Landforms of Assynt and Coigach Area by Tim Lawson (Geographical Association 2002), but as an introduction to the complex and fascinating geology of the region it is an enjoyable, well-informed production. Following the various study walks will provide many hours of personal discovery in scenery second to none. Alan L. Jeffreys (This review first appeared in ‘Speleology’ No.5 (BCRA) (2005) pages 36-37) -37-

EARLY ACCOUNTS OF HEBRIDEAN CAVES

By Martin Mills

The year 2003 was the tercentenary of the publication of a very important early Scottish topographical work, Martin Martin’s “A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland”, printed in London in 1703 [30] + 329 pp.

Martin was born on Skye probably in the late 1660s and was employed as a tutor or governor by two major landowning island families. As a Gaelic-speaking islander with valuable social connections he proved to be a useful researcher and collector on behalf of the Royal Society. He died in London in October 1718. His other account was the earlier “A Late Voyage to St Kilda” of 1698.

The islands Book Trust of 10 Callicvol, Port of Ness, Isle of Lewis, HS2 0XA, have done a great service by publishing (price £25 + postage) under the title “Curiosities of Art and Nature”1 (2003) xxxii + 318pp, ISBN 0954623 0 0, not only a facsimile of the 1703 edition, but an accompanying fully annotated authoritative dia- logue. It is one of the most pleasant and fascinating books I have recently had occasion to read. I grateful- ly acknowledge their written consent to reproduce selected cave extracts which have been further annotated with my own comments. The accompanying fully annotated authoritative dialogue is in italic script to dif- ferentiate from my own observations.

Note specifically that ‘Caves’ are regarded as sufficiently an interesting natural feature as to be considered and reported, and listed on the title page. Also note the old fashioned use of ‘f’ for ‘s’ throughout the text.

P.8: LEWIS

THERE are many Caves on the Coaft of this Ifland, in which great numbers of Otters and Seals do lye; there be alfo many Land and Sea Fowls that build and hatch in them. The Cave in Lich-Grace hath feveral pieces of a hard fubftance in the bottom, which diftil from the top of it.

The cave in the shore at Gress (by Loch-Grace), known even today as Geodha nan Ron, the seal’s cave, was reputed a remarkable feature, one of the places considered worth a visit by early tourists to Lewis. Two accounts of 17962, not much different, describe the main features:

“In this parish there is a remarkable cave, into which the sea goes at high water. When it was first noticed, vast numbers of seals were killed in it; and the practice is still continued once a-year, about Michaelmas. It is only accessible from sea; the people land from their boat opposite to the cave in time of low water, at spring-tide; they walk forward, and being furnished with fire, they light torches at the entry to the cave, which is dark far in, and they knock to death all the seals found there with

1 The hardback edition is almost out of print but this has now been published in paperback (ISBN 0 9546238 1 9) available at £16 plus p&p from Martin Smith, Tel. 01851 820561. 2 In the Statistical Account of Scotland Reprint Vol. XX (Western Isles) Wakefield 1983, pp. 31,34 -38- heavy bludgeons armed with iron. At first it was not uncommon to see 50 killed at a time; but now the num- ber does not exceed from 7 to 12. At the furthest end, there is a small apartment, the top of which is lined with stalactitae, or icicles, of a very firm consistence; it is about an eighth part of an English mile in length, and its height is variable”.

The other accounts adds a few details. The cave is only accessible by sea. The killing of ‘vast numbers’ of seals took place annually about 50 years earlier. The people assembled at low water and carried a boat into the cave as far as possible, then took from it a pot filled with live coals from which they lit torches. By this light the seals were killed. ‘The entry of the cave is very steep and narrow on its sides, and does not admit more than the breadth of a six-oared boat.’ When a long way in the day light was dim and there was a large pillar dividing the cave into two openings or arches, through one of which the people passed and, walking a long way further, met ‘ with large tumbling round stones, surrounded in part with water.’ Going on they came to ‘a fine pleasant beach’ where the seals were, and beyond that point was the ‘small chamber’ of sta- lactites hanging from the roof. The total distance in was said to be an eighth of an English mile.

Note the mention by Martin of “....feveral pieces of a hard fubftance in the bottom, which diftil from the top of it”, and in the 1796 accounts of “....stalactitae, or icicles, of a very firm consistence...” and “...stalactites hanging from the roof”. If these are compared with Trevor Shaw’s “History of Cave Science: The Exploration and Study of Limestone Caves to 1900” 2nd Edition (1992) especially chapters 30,32 and 25 on speleothems it is revealed that there were very few European descriptions in the 16th and 17th centuries. Oluf Borch who visited Wookey Hole on 21 July 1663 did not publish his treatise abroad until 1680. From 1635 - 1700 there were about seven UK published accounts/theories including R. Boyle who reported in the Phil. Trans. R. Soc. in 1666 - remember Martin was a useful researcher and collector for them; and Dr John French had carried out experiments on the petrifying water of the Knaresborough Dripping Well in Yorkshire and published his findings in 1654. Had Martin possibly seen one or more of these accounts - remember he was a tutor or governor, or was his comment the earliest Scottish theory as to formation? I would like to think so.

The mention in one of the 1796 accounts to ‘icicles’ is also interesting as this is one of the vernacular names for stalactites used by English miners from around 1805 onwards.

P.33-34: HARRIS

There are feveral caves in the Mountains and on each fide the coaft; the largeft and beft fortify’d by Nature is that in the Hill Ulweal, in the middle of a high Rock, the Paffage leading to it is fo narrow, that one only can enter at a time. This advantage renders it fecure from any attempt, for one fingle man is able to keep off a Thoufand, if he have but a Staff in his Hand, fince with the leaft touch of it he may throw the ftrongeft Man down the Rock. The Cave is capacious enough for 50 Men to lodge in; it hath two Wells in it, one of which is excluded from Dogs; for they fay that if a Dog do but taft of the Water, the Well prefently dryeth up; and for this reafon, all fuch as have occasion to Lodge there, take care to tye their Dogs that they may not have accefs to the Water; the other Well is called Dogs Well, and is only drunk by them.

The cave in the cliffs near Sron Ulladale, the northern end of Ullaval (‘Ulweal’) is much as Martin describes it, though the ‘wells’ within are not immediately apparent, perhaps because of the accumulated earth and debris. There are several stories relating to the cave and its occupants over the centuries.

Note how the size of the cave is described as ‘....capacious enough for 50 men to lodge in...’ Many of the caves are measured in this manner, consistent with their being utilised as refuges. -39- P. 150-151: SKYE

There are many caves to be feen on each quarter of this ifle, fome of them are believ’d to be feveral Miles in length; there is a big Cave in the Village Bornskittag, which if fuppos’d to exceed a Mile in length. The Natives told me that a Piper who was over curious, went into the Cave with a defign to find out the length of it, and after he entered, began to play on his Pipe, but never return’d to give an account of his Progrefs.

THERE is a Cave in the Village Kigg, wherein drops of water that iffue from the roof, petrifie into a white Limy fubftance, and hang down from the roof and fides of the Cave.

THERE is a cave in the Village Holm, having many petrified Twigs hanging from the top; they are hollow from one end to the other, and from five to ten inches in length.

THERE is a big Cave in the Rock on the eaft fide Portrie, large enough for eighty Perfons; there is a Well within it, which together with its Scituation and narrow Entry, renders it an inacceffible Fort, one Man only can enter at a time, by the fide of a Rock, fo that with a Staff in his hand, he is able by the leaft touch to caft over the Rock, as many as fhall attempt to come into the Cave.

ON the south fide Loch Portry, there is a large Cave in which many Sea Cormorants do Build; the Natives carry a bundle of ftraw to the door of the Cave in the Night time, and there fetting it on fire, the Fowls fly with all fpeed to the Light, and fo are caught in Baskets laid for that purpofe. The Golden Cave in Sleat is faid to be feven Miles in length, from the Weft to Eaft.

The ‘big cave in the Village Bornskittag’ is that later called ‘Uamh an oir’ or Uamh Oir, ‘respecting which several traditions are afloat among the natives’, in the headland of Bornsaskitaig in Kilmuir. The story of the piper entering it has been told more than once. The caves at Kigg and Holm were presumably among the numerous ‘caves and underground openings’which ‘fantastically penetrated’the coast of that area, although it is possible that what was eventually called Prince Charlie’s Cave might have been that in ‘the Village Holm’, since Martin’s use of ‘village’seems generally to denote the associated land as well as the houses of a settlement. The big cave in the rock east of Portree could have been that known as ‘Mac Choiteir’s Cave’, in the face of a cliff below Torvaig. Its internal space has been altered by roof collapses. Across the mouth of Portree bay on the south side are what appear on the OS map as ‘Scarf Caves’, caves of cormorants where, according to Martin ‘many Sea Cormormants do Build’. ‘The Golden Cave’ in Sleat could be the ‘Uamh Tarskavaig’ near Ord.

Note more descriptions of stal formations and maybe even straws. Again one of the caves is described as if a defendable refuge.

P.163: RAASAY

There is a Quarry of good Stone one the fameside of the ifle: there is abundance of Caves on the Weft fide, which ferve to lodge feveral Families: who for their convenience in Grazing, Fifhing, etc, refort thither in the Summer.

Martin’s references to lime, ‘good Stone’, caves and so on, in Raasay are quoted in the recent book about that island without comment. -40-

P.169: TULM ISLAND

ISLAND Tulm on the Weft of the wing of Skie called Troternefs, lies with Mufquet-fhot of the Castle of the Name, it is a hard Rock and cloathed with Grafs, there are two Caves on the Weft-fide, in which abundance of Sea Cormorants build and hatch.

Martin Martin was brought up at Duntulm in the Trotternish area so probably had first hand knowledge of this small island.

P. 219: ARRAN

THERE are feveral Caves on the Coaft of this Ifle, thofe on the Weft are pretty large, particularly that in Druim-cruey, a hundred men may fit in or lie in it, it is contracted gradually from the Floor upwards to the Roff, in the upper-end there is a large piece of Rock form’d like a Pillar, there’s engraven on it a Deer, and underneath it a two-handed sword; there is a void fpace on each fide of this Pillar.

THE Southfide of the Cave has a Horfet-fhoe engraven on it. On each fide the Door, there’s a hole cut out, and that they fay was for holding big Trees, on which the Caldrons hang for boyling their Beef and Venifon. The Natives fay that this was the Cave in which Fin-Mac-Cowl lodged during the time of his refidence in this Ifle, and that his Guards lay in the leffer Caves, which are near this big one; there is a little Cave joyning to the largeft, and this they call the Cellar.

THERE is a Cave fome Miles more Southerly on the fame Coaft, and they told me that the Minifter Preached in it fometimes, in regard of its being more Centrical than the Parifh Church.

The cave at ‘Druim-cruey’ described by Rev. John Hamilton in the 1790s, was that in which King Robert the Bruce is supposed to have taken refuge, and where, according to Martin, ‘Fin-Mac-Cowl’ was said to have lodged. Hence it has been known as ‘The King’s Cave’, still with ‘the pillar-like buttress’ near the entrance which divided the interior. Pennant refers to the series of caves here as ‘those of Fin-mac-cuil, or Fingal’. ‘Druim-cruey’ or ‘Druim Cruaidh’, hard ridge, conforms to Fraser’s observations that some ‘druim - names have acquired settlement status’, and Martin’s ‘Druim-cruney Village’ must have been nearby although his use of ‘village’ normally included the extent of associated land. The area of the ‘Sanctuary’ at Druim-cruey has not been located but as the island is divided more or less vertically into the two parishes and the Kilmorie parish church was at the southern end, one of the caves would certainly be more ‘Centrical’.

P. 235:JURA

There is a large Cave called King’s Cave, on the Weft fide the Tarbat, near the Sea; there is a Well at the entry, which renders it the more convenient for fuch as may have occafion to Lodge in it.

ABOUT two Miles further from the Tarbat, there is a Cave at Corpich which hath an Altar in it: there are many fmall pieces of pettrified fubftance hanging from the Roof of this Cave.

The west coast of Jura, especially from Loch Tarbet northwards is remarkable for the series of raised beach -41- es and caves. The King’s Cave or Uamh Righ (cf King’s Cave, Arran) is perhaps the best-known, partly as a consequence of excavation there in 1971. It is on the north shore of Loch Tarbet, and its Christian asso- ciations are evident in the numerous simple crosses on the walls. A few caves served as a ‘corpach’or ‘rest- ing place for the dead’ on their way to Iona. One of them was at ‘Rhuintalen’ (OS Rudh’ an t-Sailein, Ruantallain) on the north side of the mouth of Loch Tarbet; another, ‘called the corpach of I Columkill [Iona], perhaps that mentioned by Budge as Uamh Muinntir I, cave of the Iona people, was said to be at Corpach Bay, below Cnoc na Corpaich. The largest of all the caves was said by Budge to be called ‘Uamh- Ghlamaich’ the ‘Uaghlamaich’ described by Rev. Kennedy in 1843.

Note more mentions of stal. formations, this time described as ‘pettrified fubftance’.

P. 237-238 gives the origin of Corryvrecken as named after Brekan, said to be King of Denmark’s son, who was drowned here, cast ashore in the North of Jura and buried in a cave, as appears from the stone tomb and altar there. Presumably this is the cave at Corpich detailed on p. 235.

P. 241: ISLAY

There are feveral Forts built in the Ifles that are in frefh water Lakes, as in Ilan Loch-guirn and Ilan Viceadin; there is a Fort called Dunnivag in the South Weft fide of the Ifle, and there are feveral Caves in different places of it. The largeft that I faw was in the North End, and is called Uag Vearnag, it will contain 200 men to ftand or fit in it. There is a Kiln for drying Corn made on the Eaft fide of it, and on the other fide there’s a Wall built clofe to the fide of the Cave, which was us’d for a Bed-Chamber; it had a fire on the floor and fome Chairs about it; and the Bed ftood clofe to the Wall. There is a ftone without the Cave door, about which the Common People make a Tour Sunways.

The cave called ‘Uag Vearnag’seems to have been that noted by Pennant on his way from Islay to Oronsay. ‘Leave, on the Ilay coast, near the mouth of the Sound, the celebrated cave of Uamh Fhearnaig or Uamh[h]- mhor. Fourteen or fifteen families retire to it during the fine season, as their sheelins, or Summer residence; and three families reside in it the whole year’. This cave is at the mouth of the stream descending from the Coir’ Odhar about 2 miles west of the Rudh’ a Mhail lighthouse. It strikes as unusually warm within and has the remains of bench ‘beds’. The capacity of Martin’s ‘Uam Vearnag’ to hold so many men, in addition to the actual name, would seem to match Pennant’s description, but there seems to be no evidence of either a well or a little chapel nearby. If the cave had been a possible ‘Uamh nam Fear’ in the north-west corner of the island, the well ‘Tonbir in Knahar’ could be the so-called Tobar Haco, with a burial ground nearby or with the chapel or burial ground being Cill Ronain near Sanaigmore. The ‘tour sunways’ round both cave and well is an obvious example of moving ‘deasail’ around places or objects.

P. 239-240

There is fix Miles between Kilrow on the Weft and Port Efcock in the Eaft, which is arable and well Inhabited. There’s about one thousand little Hills on this Road, and all about with Lime-ftone, among which there is lately discovered a Lead-Mine in three different places, but it has not turn’d to any account as yet.

For comments on mining in general see - p.339-340 below.

P. 269-270: TIREE

There is a Cave in the South Weft which the Natives are accuftomed to -42- watch in the Night and then take many Cormorants in it.

The cave of cormorants was probably in the cliffs of Ceann a Mhara where McColl3 noted ‘a great number of large natural caves, frequented, in time of hatching, by innumerable flocks of sea-fowls’.

P. 276: EIGG

There is a very big Cave on the South Weft fide of this Ifle capable of containing feveral hundreds of People. The Coaft guarding the North Weft is a foft Quarry of white Stone, having fome Caves in it.

The ‘very big Cave on the South West side of this Isle’ which was capable of holding ‘several hundreds of People’ could have been either ‘Uamha Chraghuidh (The Cave of Devotion) in which the Roman Catholic inhabitants were wont to attend mass in time of the Reformation’ or a little to the east ‘Uamha Fhrianc, (The Cave of Francis)’ famed for a massacre. The former still had an altar in 1794. Unusually for him, Martin does not refer to the tale of the massacre.

P. 296-297: ST KILDA

ONE of the Inhabitants of St Kilda being fome time ago Wind bound in the Ifle of Harries, was prevail’d on by fome of them that Traded to Glafgow to go thither with them.

WHEN he went through the Streets, he defired to have one to lead him by the hand, Thomas Rofs a Merchant, and others, that took the diverfion to carry him through the Town, ask’d his Opinion of the high Church? He anfwer’d that it was a large Rock, yet there were fome in St Kilda much higher, but that thefe were the beft Caves he ever faw; for that was the Idea which he conceiv’d of the Pillars and Arches upon which the Church ftands.

Interestingly as I have previously observed4 this tale does not appear in Martin’s earlier ‘A Late Voyage to St Kilda’ published in 1698. Presumably it came to his notice during the subsequent five years before ‘A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland’ was published. In fact the earlier work has no mention of caves as such, only ‘Four Arches or Vaults, through which the Sea paffes, as does the Day-light from either fide....’

P. 339-340: MINING

THERE is a good Lead Mine, having a mixture of Silver in it, on the Weft end of the Ifle of Ila, near Port Efcock; and Buchanan and others fay that the Ifle Lifmore affords Lead, and Slait and Strath, on the South Weft of Skie are in Stone, Ground, Grafs, etc. exactly the fame with that part of Ila where there’s a Lead Mine. And if fearch were made in the Ifles and Hills of the oppofite Main, it is not improbable that fome good Mines might be discover’d in fome of them.

I was told by a Gentleman of Lochaber, that an English man had found fome Gold Duft in a Mountain near the River Lochy, but could never find out the Place again after his return from England. That there have been Gold

3 Rev. McColl, Parish Minister in 1792 and responsible for the description in The First Statistical Account of Scotland.

4 See GSG Bulletin 2nd Series Vol.5 No.1 p.11 (Dec, 1986) -43- Mines in Scotland is clear from the manuscripts mention’d by Dr. Nicholfon, now Bifhop of Carlifle, in his late Scots Hift. Library.

Martin comments on island resources include mention of gold dust and mines, and lead mines. Whatever speculation on gold there may have been in earlier years there does not seem to have been any known source in the Hebrides before and in Martin’s day.5

All the caves, except that at Kigg on Skye (see page 151) are included in ‘The Caves of Scotland’ by Tony Oldham (1975) who used Martin’s ‘Description...’ as a primary source. That on Harris (see Oldham p.33) is Cave of Ulladal (see Oldham p. 159).

As a general observation the two miscellaneous chapters on an account of the Second Sight, and of the Advantages the Ifles afford by Sea and Land, and particularly for a Fishing Trade are curiosities and appear somewhat out of place. The final two chapters on Orkney and Shetland are brief and not the customary detailed and appear possibly based on the writings of others.

The most glaring omisson in Martin’s perambulations round the Hebridean islands was not to visit Staffa. If he had he would have surely reported Fingal’s and the other caves and history would be different. It remained for Sir Joseph Banks to ‘discover’ the island on 13 August 1772. However it is possibly one of the small islands on the map within his ‘Description....’ unnamed and described. Does this suggest that at that date nobody from the adjoining islands had ventured to visit it? It is indicated and named ‘Stafa’ in Joannis Blaue’s ‘Atlas Novus’ fifth volume of 1654, albeit misplaced somewhat further north in Loch Tuath,which was based on the maps of Timothy Pont (Minister at Dunnet, Caithness, 1601-1610) prepared between 1583 and 1596. 5. See R.W. Cochrane-Patrick: Early Records Relating to Mining in Scotland, Edinburgh 1878. ------MEET NOTE: ROB ROY’S CAVE, Inversnaid, Loch Lomond, Argyll

(OS sheet 56 335 101)

By Jim Salvona

Although I visited this area quite a few years ago (that’s as close as I’m saying), my remembered impression of a simple, boulder ruckle cave proved totally wrong when I located it on 19th October of this year.

The cave - cave system or area would be a better description - is located among gargantuan boulders and small fissures in the remains of a massive cliff collapse. Even without any tackle or equipment, other than lights (I just happened to have a headset and torch with me!), I had half an hour’s interesting sport clamber- ing in, out and around various crawls, slots, chambers, holes etc. but became increasingly frustrated because I came to three pitches that were not passable (to me) without at least a hand line, although one pitch would have been climbable to more normal people like Goon or Pete Price!

I have added this area to my list of things to do as I think there is an hour or two of good sport to be had at this site.

If any one else goes, I recommend they take at least a 15 or 20m rope since the only belay might be a very large boulder. A short length of ladder may be needed for one of the pitches, say five metres.

The cave is reached by the West Highland Way path from Inversnaid Hotel where there is a car park. The walk takes about 15 minutes. The ferry shown on the map now runs from the power station north of Inveruglas to the hotel and is operated by the hotel mainly for its own bus trips. The charge for casual trip- pers is £4 each way. -44- CAVE EXPLORATION IN PAKISTAN, APRIL/MAY 2006

By Simon Brooks

The Orpheus Caving Club (Derbyshire) has had a long-standing association with a group of cavers in Pakistan (The Chiltan Adventurers Association, Balochistan - CAAB). From the first visit by the Orpheus to Pakistan in 1990 to 2000 there have been five trips to Pakistan by Orpheus (and GSG members Peter Dowswell and Tony Boycott in 1997) and three trips to the UK by Chiltan Adventurers Members. Over the course of these trips there has been a significant amount of new cave explored in Pakistan, some stunning landscapes visited and long standing friendships forged. In return the Chiltan Adventurers have gained many skills in caving and cave exploration.

Following 9/11 this part of the world has largely been ‘off-limits’ to westerners due to a mix of real concern and pure paranoia surrounding the issues of terrorism and personal safety. Despite this I have maintained a close contact with Hyatt and the Chiltan Adventurers in Pakistan having found the people of this part of the world to be amongst the most hospitable to be found anywhere on the globe. Eventually after what was a long overdue return I was recently involved in what was titled the ‘9th Pak-Britain Cave Exploration and Training Expedition - Pakistan 2006’ that took place between the 23rd April and 5th May 2006. Travelling to Pakistan I joined up with my good friend Hyatt Ullah Durrani Khan (founder member and Chief Patron of the Chiltan Adventurers Association (Balochistan) and the Pakistan Cave Research Association to continue with cave exploration in this part of the world.

This recent trip had two main aims: the first was to fully explore, survey and photograph known caves in the vast, semi-arid deserts and mountains of Balochistan Province in Western Pakistan. Most of these had pre- viously been visited but only partially explored by the Chiltan Adventurers. But in addition to this there was potential to investigate some new caves, the locations of which had only recently become known. The sec- ond was to use the exploration and surveying itself to provide an ideal opportunity to train the Chiltan Adventurers in the art of Cave Surveying and Recording.

Arriving in Karachi the first thing I noticed was how much development had taken place since the last time I was in Pakistan in 2000. Karachi is rapidly becoming a smart modern city and in Quetta there is much new construction to be seen and once dusty streets are being turned into wide, tree-lined boulevards. The Pakistan International Airlines staff were a little surprised to learn that I was flying to Balochistan and not the Punjab as ‘Not many Westerners go to that part nowadays’. Undeterred I flew on, finding myself the only westerner on the plane, to meet a warm reception at Quetta Airport. In Quetta I stayed at Hyatt’s home and for travelling we used Hyatt’s smart Toyota Landcruiser that even when fully loaded with equipment and a team of eight proved more than up for the job. Due to the difficulties that have been experienced in this part of the world over the past years the expedition was kept very ‘low key’ until after the exploration had been completed in order to avoid any unwanted attention, particularly with myself, a British citizen, as part of the team. However, despite this the scenery proved to be as stunning as ever, further enhanced by the fact that April/May is a time of rain and the vast semi-deserts of Balochistan were green and full of flowers (we actu- ally got rained on one day!). More importantly I was pleased to note that despite the troubles Balochistan hospitality has not diminished and remains arguably second to none.

After a visit to meet Owais Ahmed Ghani (Hon. Governor of Balochistan) who proved to be both very inter- ested in and supportive of our caving endeavours, the first cave visited was Lamboor Cave situated in the Aghbaragh Mountains some 25 kms to the west of Quetta. This cave is truly unique in Pakistan being the only known active stream cave that has been found to date. Although containing a modest 48m of passage this resurgence cave begins as a chest deep canal that opens into a chamber containing a waterslide, a pool and a large number of Juniper tree roots that have penetrated the cave roof in search of water. Calcite splash formations cover the walls and many of the Juniper roots are calcified as well. At the top of the waterslide is a short section of vadose streamway that is again another first in a Pakistan cave. -45- Attention was then focussed on an area north of the town of Sharigh that lies on the southern side of the Ziarat (Khalifat) Mountain range. Here two small dry caves were explored, Ghwa Ghara (Cow Cave) at 50m length and Sharigh Ghara (Sharigh Cave) at 34m. Interestingly these caves were in a similar rock type (Sibi Formation) as that in which Lamboor Cave was formed except that these were totally dry with Lamboor Cave providing an important insight as to how they may have been formed. At a location to the north of Sharigh two more caves were explored. Killi Parri Ghara (cave) proved to have 94m of passage and many fine for- mations whilst a second cave nearby, Farishta Wazzar Ghara (Angels’Wing Cave) began with an 11m pitch and again had many fine formations, one of which provided the inspiration for the cave’s name.

In the Loralia area six small caves were explored in the remote Draggi Valley with the longest, Draggi Ghara (Cave) No.1 having a modest 22.5m of passage. Nearer to Loralia itself, Pathan Coat Ghara, aka Shipana Ghara (Shepherd’s Cave) proved to be somewhat larger with 87m of passage an impressive entrance and good sized chambers.

For the final part of the expedition the team returned to the Loralia area to look at a site first recorded by Boyd Potts (OCC) and myself in 1994 on the summit of the impressive Siygazi Ghar (Siygazi Mountain). This awesome limestone peak stands all on its own in the middle of a large valley/plain. Rising to 2500m the summit forms a flat (ish) plateau/ridge some 3.5km long and between 100m to 900m wide, flanked on all sides by huge vertical limestone cliffs up to 250m high. Reaching the top of the mountain via a long scree slope and an entertaining climb/scramble, Siygazi Pot was with some difficulty located. Using some Orpheus electron ladder that had been donated to the Chiltan Adventurers for just this sort of cave a two metre climb followed by an eight metre pitch was descended. This reached a large chamber naturally lit by the pot above and a large impressive window entrance that looked out of Siygazi’s cliffs across the huge valley to the mountains beyond. Exiting the cave via the window entrance was not for the faint hearted as the entrance opened directly onto a narrow sloping ledge at the edge of which was a 200m+ vertical drop to the scree below. The cave was explored, photographed and surveyed to yield 102m of passage and at 2,470m altitude this is the highest known cave in Balochistan to date.

Returning to Quetta the expedition concluded with some rock climbing training at a location near to Hannah Lake (a beauty spot north of Quetta) that involved male and female Chiltan Adventurers alike and a formal ceremony at the Serena Hotel.

Over two weeks of the expedition a total of 14 new caves were explored, photographed and surveyed to yield 531m of cave passage. This takes the total number of surveyed caves in Pakistan to 127 with a combined passage length of 6,230m. Although modest in size the caves explored on this trip provided important infor- mation on how caves are formed in Balochistan and in doing so should increase the chance of finding other caves in the future.

Once again I am indebted to Hyatt and members of the Chiltan Adventurers Association and the Pakistan Cave Research Association for their help and the assistance and co-operation of the local Pathan people and Government authorities. All being well a small team of Pakistani cavers from the Chiltan Adventurers and the Pakistan Cave Research Association should have been visiting the UK for Hidden Earth 2006 but unfor- tunately unforeseen problems caused cancellation of this trip.

Caving Team: Simon Brooks (OCC), Hayatullah Durrani Khan, Noor Muhammad Khilji, Muhammad Aslam Kassi, Ali Mohammad Khilji, Mohammad (Sony) Yousef, Mohammad Shoaib Khilji, Mehar Dil Babai, Mohammad Abubakar Durrani, Dr. Ali Khan Tareen, Muhammad Ali Kakar, Shuabuddin Khilji.

Officials/Guides/Informants/Assistants: Owais Ahmed Ghani (Hon. Governor of Balochistan), Dr Ali Khan Tareen, Muhammad Ali Kakar, Francis Shaheen, Haji Abdul Baqi Khilji, Shuabuddin Khilji, Muhibullah Kakar. -----oOo------46- APPLECROSS AND KISHORN REPORT

By Richard Simpson While David Morrison and myself were researching the Applecross and Kishorn area for a forthcoming cav- ing booklet, yet more extensions, holes and new passage revealed themselves.

A ‘quick’ look at the Applecross area at the start of the summer took longer than expected, and over a peri- od of many weekends, several sites were revisited. At the Lime Kiln area Lime Kiln Cave was entered and this, with the aid of a slight modification at the squeeze on the way out, proved not to be as sharp as expect- ed. A rehearsed move at the squeeze led to a more comfortable crouch but the cave soon ended after this point. Just upstream, the connecting passage between Lime Kiln Cave and Lime Kiln Rift was looked at. The sink in this usually dry streambed has been noted to find its way below ground between rocks and grav- el at several different points.

Following the track situated downhill from this area and crossing a deer fence, Lime Kiln Resurgence can be found at NG 72502 45167. Little did we know that after reading of 100ft of easy passage that had been entered in this cave back in 1982 (P. Ryder, (1982) GSG Bulletin 2nd Series 3(5) pp 30-34) curiosity would lead us into this cave three times over the next few weeks. With some boulders moved from near the ent- trance a low wet crawl leads to a squeeze through a slot to a larger section of crouching height, which soon lowers to an easy crawl. A short passage in the left wall not far from here leads to a two metre aven. Possible continuing passage may lie on the other side of some breakdown within this aven but it has not been pushed yet. Continuing on, we soon reached what we named the 100 foot chamber and what we reckon is the extent of the original exploration. The way on now becomes lower and wetter but is still wide enough to allow easy progress until dry fossil passage is reached. This is made of thick sediment with a low narrow passage eventually reaching a widening where you are able to turn around. Similar passage ahead has been crawled into and another widening can be seen but is awaiting a push. The surveyed length of this cave is 80m with more to come. Entry into this cave may only be possible in dry conditions.

The name of Lime Kiln Resurgence has been used for this cave because of its previous references in other publications ( A. Trafford, GSG Bulletin 2nd Series 3(1) (1980) pp 32-36) and (P.F. Ryder, GSG Bulletin 2nd Series 3(5) (1982) pp 30-34), but this resurgence has yet to be established as coming from the burn at the lime kiln.

A The area between the lime kiln PLAN and Lime Kiln Resurgence and up to the road was searched for any choke choke clues to more underground activi- too tight ty, as was the hillside on the oppo- site side of the road to this area. Many interesting features were choke perched hole to daylight block found such as shakeholes and too sinks but there was nothing large tight enough to allow entry. void visible A SHAKEHOLE CAVE Applecross SECTION Length 18m Depth 4.5m A-A Shakehole Cave and Poll NGR 71896 43769 Raineach which are situated on Alt 171m the hillside north of Allt Mag 5m Breagaireachd and upstream of North Grade 2 Survey Cave of the Liar were investigated D. Morrison R. Simpson, 2006 and Shakehole Cave received a survey. -47-

3D Cave was again entered and not feeling as intimidated this time, an easy feet first shuffle (being careful not to touch any loose mudstone) allowed quick progress down its sloping passage. Not willing to enter the narrower dig at the rubble choke a slower ascending return to the surface was made.

A visit to survey Brindle’s Rift was halted when a large stone at the 2m climb down to the lower passage was dislodged. A return visit will hopefully see this completed.

Back over the hill at Kishorn access was granted by the local crofter to take a 4x4 to the end of the track which heads up the hill towards the Coille Dhubh area before coming to an abrupt end as it reaches flatter ground. Note: permission was given to use a vehicle on this track as a favour and should not be taken for granted. As it was very dry weather we visited Frog Cave to see if a bit of persuasion with a hammer would allow any more progress. We managed to push it a little further and more passage can be seen to get larger but some capping will be needed to enlarge a squeeze, thus avoiding the need to dislocate a shoulder. This resurgence seems quite promising.

A short traverse to Tadpole Resurgence had us surveying this short wash-out cave. Even in the heat the water still felt cold but it is an interesting little cave.

Downhill from here a number of shakeholes were looked at and some short caves were found. One of these: Gravel Scoop Cave, NG 88092 44902, has a crouching size chamber with a low crawl into a smaller cham- ber where a good amount of water can be heard through some boulders even in dry conditions. The unsta- ble nature of this cave prevented any exploratory digging. Not far away at 87715 44922 a four metre fis- sure was found. It is four metres deep but only the first two metres are accessible. Silt Pot, NG 88725 44875 lies approximately 100 metres below the very large shakehole. This is a small hole 3x2x1.6m with sediment rising to its back wall.

Over at the Cnoc na Creige area the sump at the end of Cave of the Queens was probed to neck depth and continuing passage was felt approximately one metre below the water and of good size. (?)

The latest visit to Kishorn was to survey High Glasnock Cave. With this done we moved upstream to a hole at the bottom of a small cliff situated next to a plunge pool where the hill flattens out. This was found back in late 2004 when a search of the surroundings was conducted by ourselves and Steve Birch. With some enthusiastic digging to lower the floor, a low crawl soon took us to a roomy chamber. From here the cave narrows and becomes tighter. This was pushed for a few more metres but is in need of a determined effort to find out what it is doing. It was named Higher Glasnock Cave, NG 86386 43942 and is 9 metres long.

Description of Shakehole Cave: HIGHER GLASNOCK CAVE A careful climb of 1.8m past a perched block Kishorn NG 86386 43942 Alt 317m enters a large sloping chamber with two holes in the floor. The right hand (east) hole can be climbed down for 1.7m to enter a similar sized section of chamber passage which con- ? nects with the other hole, but looks very squeeze hole unstable. Back in the upper chamber the pas- Ent. sage to the east of the entrance becomes too pool 3m tight after 6m but is seen to continue. The passage to the west of the entrance chokes after 3m and about half way along a tight Grade 1 Survey Approx. crawl south the passage becomes too tight D. Morrison mag North after 2-3m with a void visible through a choke. Digging is not recommended. -48-

LIME KILN RESURGENCE Applecross ? Grid Ref: NG 725 453 Turning Chamber Alt. 85m Length: 80m D D Grade 2 survey, D. Morrison R. Simpson 16.7.2006 long crawl

C

C Boulder Island

Aquaphibian Passage 10m

too tight

100ft Chamber

B B

A Mag North A

2m aven

squeeze Ent. -49-

SCOTTISH CAVE EPHEMERA 2 By Tony Jarratt

GSG Bulletin 4th Series Vol.2 No.3 (March 2005) has a short article on p.26 by Martin Mills describing a c. 1900 “Dew of the Western Isles” whisky bottle label depicting Fingal’s Cave. Following last year’s Grampian invasion of Staffa the writer came across a similar item in the Ferry Shop, Fionnphort, Mull. Available in both full size and miniature it is the perfect restorative for those suffering “Staffa Fatigue”.

------MEET NOTE: NEWQUAY CAVE By Rachael Huggins

From the sand on one of the main beaches in Newquay, Cornwall, you can see what looks like a massive (maybe 5 metres high?) cave entrance on the other side of the beach. If you walk over to it, there is a man- built wall between rocks that prevents you accessing it. However at low tide you can walk round this and

SEA this area could get cut off at high tide, but is accessible at low tide. rocks X represents cave/tun- nel. The one on the right and X the lower one centre don’t seem to be more than 2 Towan Beach ? Great Western Beach ? X metres deep. X grass to town Dots show estimated wall direction of tunnel. -50- you can see the cave. The tide presumably can go much further up. The evidence to suggest this is the pres- ence of many rock pools, and it is extremely slippery.

Once on the other side of the wall, a second hollow is also visible slightly to the left (from the direction of the sea) shown by X, but it does not go very deep. (The X on the right hand side of the diagram seems sim- ilar, but is inaccessible. However, it may be the place marked as ‘Caves’ on some maps).

The cave that can be seen from the beach is now to the right. Above the entrance is a warning sign saying “Danger: Falling Rocks”.

Inside, it goes perhaps five to seven metres deep. In what looks like the original part of the hollow, there don’t seem to be any other holes; some litter, pigeons etc. Local rumour is that it’s full of bats.

To the right hand side, on the inside of this hollow is a jaggy rock face, perhaps 1.5 - 2 metres tall, and above this are old stone steps which are built into it (more than are in the picture). These steps lead up to an arched tunnel that definitely looks man-made, although whether it was originally natural was not evident from what I saw. I didn’t go very far into the tunnel (partly due to the warning sign), although the rocks looked like they had done all the falling they were going to do. However, one of the guys we were speaking to did go fur- ther. I shone a mobile phone torch into the tunnel, and he walked until exactly the point where I could hard- ly see him anymore. At this point the tunnel forked left and right and he decided not to continue.

We couldn’t find anything on Google at that time about it, but I also wasn’t sure of the name of the beach and we had tried to search under ‘Towan Beach’. There are, however, caves marked in that area on some maps, but not others. It would be interesting to learn of any surveys or written records of this cavern. ------A SURVEY OF SUBWAY CAVE BY DEREK PETTIGLIO

Subway Cave lies on the hillside of Strath Fillan above Tyndrum. It was first explored in the beginning of 1992 by Jim Salvona, Kevin Duke and Dave Styles. A sketch survey appeared in GSG Bulletin 3rd Series 2(3) (1992) p.20, along with a couple of other small caves.

On 22nd April 2006, Derek Pettiglio conducted a solo exploration of this attractive stream cave and carried out a better quality survey as well as accurately locating the site by GPS. Surveying was with compass and tape. Although no clino was used, GPS altitudes were taken at each entrance and the slope factor distributed evenly along the length of the cave.

For access details and area map, see ‘Caves of the Southern Highlands’ (Salvona & Young, 1988) pp.24-26. - Ed. -51- Entrance 1 North Length: 46m SUBWAY CAVE 25 Surveyed D. Pettiglio 22.4.06 Strath Fillan Southern Highlands Strath Ent.1 N31608.26955 Elev. 515m Acc 9m 515m Ent.1 N31608.26955 Elev. Acc 7m 528m Ent.2 N31569.26962 Elev. PLAN ELEVATION SCALE METRES 0 Entrance 2 -52-

CAVE DIVING ON SKYE AND IN THE KISHORN AREA May/June 2006 By Simon Brooks

Whitsun week 2006 (27th May to 4th June) was spent as a family holiday on Skye with the Orpheus Caving Club from Derbyshire. Staying at the Skyewalker Hostel in Portnalong was not exactly local to the caves but as compensation for this fact, proved very convenient for the Cuillins, comfortable, spacious, caver- friendly and with a good drying room. Realising that there were several un-dived sumps in the Skye caves I made contact with fellow GSG members David Morrison and Ritchie Simpson and arranged to visit some of these.

Meekons Cave (NG 66650 19440) and Strawberry Cave (NG 66260 20018). Sunday 28th May saw me meeting David and Ritchie in Broadford car park and then heading out to the Heast area to look at the sump at the end of the recently discovered Meekons Cave. Entering the sump the under- water passage proved to be a comfortable 1.5m wide by 0.9m high and heading north. After a distance of 15 metres the sump was passed to reach a section of clean and comfortable sized (1.2m x 1.2m) canal passage that after some 8 metres rose slightly in height to become a fine little streamway whereupon it turned some 30 degrees to the left and ran for another 8m to reach sump 2. A short dry bypass on the east (left) side of the streamway would give Meekons 2 about 20m of passage. Belaying and cutting the diving line at the end of sump 1 a suitable line belay was located at the start of sump 2 and I dived onwards. The underwater pas- sage proved to be roomier than sump 1 but after only a few metres I ran out of line.

Returning to the now somewhat chilled David and Ritchie I informed them of progress, collected some fresh dive line and returned to sump 2. This proved to be 5m in length and led to Meekons 3 which is a low canal passage of 5m length leading to sump 3. Sump 3 was entered for two metres whereupon depleting air level necessitated a return. Sump 3 is ongoing. These extensions have doubled the length of Meekons Cave and taken the cave about halfway to the known sink. Prospects for further extensions are good and a return later in the year is planned.

On the way back to the car we stopped at Strawberry Cave whereupon I slid into the cave without diving gear to confirm that it was actually possible to get into the sump with diving gear on - it was, albeit rather com- pact. Kitting up with a small single cylinder and DV the sump was dived. The underwater passage enlarged a little but quickly reached a T-junction cross passage after a distance of only 2 metres. To the left (120 degrees) the downstream passage went for another 2 metres to reach a boulder/flake that blocked most of the passage and the way on. Right at the T-junction (300 degrees) the upstream passage quickly become too nar- row after only 2 metres. All in all 6 metres of new (underwater) passage and little prospect for continuation.

Uamh an t-Sill (Cave of the Seeds) (NG 602197). Whilst I had been amusing myself with David and Ritchie in the Heast area some of my fellow Orpheus members had spent the day in the Coille Gaireallach woods. Returning to the hostel they described this fine and inviting sump they had seen in Uamh an t-Sill. Two days later (30th June) a return was made to the area to visit High Pasture Cave and the impressive exca- vations, after which they gave me a lift with the diving gear to Uamh an t-Sill. The sump did indeed look very inviting. However, on kitting up and entering the water it proved to be a flooded rift pot that descend- ed to a depth of 5.5m where it levelled out slightly into a narrow rift that continued for another metre to where it became too tight to penetrate any further. The sump is therefore 6.5m in length, 5.5m deep, heading in a northward direction with minimal prospect for further extension.

Uamh an Righ (Cave of the Kings) (NG 85446 43755). Following the success in Meekons Cave, David mentioned how keen he was to get the sump(s) in Cave of the Kings dived. As a result David managed to arrange an evening off on Thursday 1st June and I managed to get some more air to replenish my diving -53- cylinders. Meeting David at Kyle we drove to Kishorn and then walked up to the cave. The location and the cave were impressive, but the sumps were less so. The rather muddy main downstream sump in Khufu Chamber started as an arched passage some 1.2m wide and 0.9m high. Heading in a northerly direction the sump descended to a depth of 1.5m getting gradually smaller in size, whereupon it got lower and muddier, swung 30 degrees to the left and continued on a bearing of approx. 330 degrees for another 3m to where it became even more constricted. With visibility at almost nil and with one of my demand valves tightening up due to the first stage having become filled with fine sediments (technically known in the cave diving world as Crap!) I exited and called it a day. The sump is currently 8m in length and is getting smaller (lower and wider) and more sediment filled. Evidence at the start of the sump suggests that in higher flow the sump backs up a little, further suggesting the underwater passage becomes more constricted towards the assumed resurgence.

Having failed to make any significant progress in the downstream sump, the upstream sump in Khafre Chamber was then visited. This proved to be even more constricted than the downstream one. Digging was required to enter the underwater passage and diving on a small single cylinder and DV the sump was pene- trated for about 3m to where it was felt to be getting more roomy. However, as reaching this point required diving feet first with one arm by my side and the other in front of me in visibility so poor that I could not tell if my diving lights were even on let alone see anything, I once again called it a day. It would be worth using a spade to dig away at the silt banks at the start of this sump; that would hopefully open it up to allow it to be dived with a pair of cylinders and valves. Despite its more foetid nature it is possible that the upstream sump offers greater potential than the downstream.

Thanks to David and Ritchie from the club and Paul and Keith from the Orpheus for what was a great intro- duction to the sumps of Skye and Kishorn. I think I will be back to do some more.

[Survey of Meekons Cave overleaf] ------

CULVERT AT PARK FARM, WEST LOTHIAN

In response to publicity, Ivan Young volunteered the club to explore a water-filled culvert under the Bistro at Park Farm, east of Linlithgow. Five members attended and spent an hour or two searching up and down an active, well-built stone culvert, following up with a survey. Upstream travelled some 60 metres to deepen- ing water in a tunnel 0.9m high and 0.5m wide. When going entailed most of the face in the water progress was halted with a clear view of another 7-8 metres and the tantalising sound of running water.

Downstream the square tunnel soon developed into a pleasant arched passage. Eventually, after a section roofed with corrugated iron and concrete a modern drainage pipe was encountered - big enough to get into but too slippery to get out of. It sloped quite steeply downwards and the presumed outlet was traced two fields away, issuing from a low rock arch.

Although the owner appeared satisfied with this exploration, there is clearly more to be found. Upstream the culvert runs underneath the Union Canal and thereafter has the potential to rise, covering a distance of almost a kilometre to historic Champfleurie House beside the A9. There is an intention therefore to return to this site during low water conditions to pursue upstream explorations.

Ivan has prepared an illustrated chart of the culvert, liberally illustrated with photographs. Once work has been completed, an extended version of this chart will be published in the Bulletin, along with a grade 3 sur- vey of the tunnel. ----oOo---- -54-

MEEKONS CAVE Heast Skye

NGR NG 66650 19440 ? Alt. 125m sump 2 Length 98m (approx)

Survey: air bell Meekons 1 Grade 2-3 D. Morrison (Meekon 3) and R. Simpson 24.7.2005 Extensions beyond sump 1 Grade 2- Meekon 2 3 by S. J. Brooks 28.5.2006

sump 1 (1.5m deep 15m long)

Standing Chamber

Triangle Passage

squeeze 10m

duck Rifty Canyon Passage duck The Tube

too low

boulder Mag North choke Entrance

waterfall -55-

REVIEW:

‘Fight for Life. The Neil Moss Story’. A Film by David Webb (2006)

Most cavers who have dipped into speleological literature will be familiar with the 1925 Floyd Collins rescue attempt in Kentucky. The Pythonesque ‘circus’ that developed around the incident was so incredible that Hollywood even made a film (‘Ace in the Hole’) about it.

Today’s generation appear to be less aware of an episode in Derbyshire in 1959 that came pretty close to being the UK equivalent, hyped by the media but not of course reaching the ridiculous heights of the Collins affair - given typical British reserve.

Bare facts tell only the superficial story of how a BSA trip up Pickering’s Passage in Peak Cavern resulted in a guest caver, Neil Moss, attempting to force a tight vertical shaft, becoming inextricably wedged and eventually dying, despite a huge rescue effort that lasted three days.

The impact on the show cave and local community was so great that mention is still made of the affair, reinforced by the fact the Moss’s remains are interred in the now partially filled in shaft. Another sem- inal result was the reformation and setting on a proper footing of the Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation.

Derbyshire cave-film maker David Webb, veteran of many underground videos, has laboured for a decade on a documentary of this famous rescue and his finished work was launched at this year’s Hidden Earth.

Webb has produced a well researched, evocative film, packed with interviews from surviving partici- pants and images taken at the time. His narrative is enhanced by a similar sized party of modern cavers retracing the route to (what is now called) Moss Chamber. This dramatic device stimulates my only real criticism. I would rather have seen a reconstruction of the journey by cavers dressed in equip- ment of the time. Especially, since it was such a major feature of the actual rescue, some shots of peo- ple struggling up Pickering’s with heavy oxygen tanks - efforts that continued round the clock for two days - would have been welcome. In the interests of conservation I would have allowed light weight mock-ups but it was the unique aspect of the operation and prodigiously hard work.

Otherwise, Dave Webb has compiled a very creditable, thought-provoking DVD. Naturally the great question is: would the result be different if the incident happened today? Well, you’ll have to buy the disc to find that out!

A. Jeffreys

Available on DVD from David Webb, 3 De Vere Hardens, Woodthorpe, Nottingham NG5 4PH (Price at Hidden Earth was £12 + post).

-----oOo----- Grampian Caving Chalet -Taigh nam Famh, Elphin, Sutherland.

This spacious and well-appointed hostel is available for hire by visiting clubs and individuals. Contact the hut warden: Peter Dowswell, 28 Eriskay Road, Inverness IV2 3LX (01463 229250) E-mail: [email protected]. ------oOo------56- A WATERCOLOUR OF SMOO CAVE, DURNESS

By Tony Jarratt & John Fielder

During the first Mendip Invasion this year I was delighted when Tony Boycott unearthed a recently published postcard depicting a superb watercolour of Smoo Cave by artist John Fielder - now resident at his studio in Achmelvich, Lochinver. As an avid collector of pre-1900 illustrations of caves and also having spent many hours in this particular one I was very taken by the 19th century ‘atmosphere’ of the painting and by its unusual view across the entrance chamber rather than the standard depiction of the huge cave mouth as delin- eated by William Daniell in 1820 and as shown on numerous postcards.

I wrote to John asking if he had produced any larger prints of the watercolour and if the original was for sale and was pleasantly surprised when he replied saying that it was. Now committed I ordered the picture and used the second Mendip Invasion in October as an excuse to collect it from John and at the same time get his permission to write this article and reproduce the postcard in the bulletin. I quote from his original letter:-

“I first visited Smoo Cave in October 1968. My wife and I camped outside the cave on the first night but it rained so hard that on the second night I pitched our Tinker tent under the central column in the picture and there remained for eight days (I remember it was difficult to get the tent pegs in). Well, I was, and am, fas- cinated by Smoo Cave and did several studies of the cave (two at night with a fire going). [These can be seen at John’s studio -A.J.] I’ve made several attempts through the year of that particular view and that is the best I’ve come up with and the only one of which I had a print made (but only in postcard size). The watercolour was taken from one large study I did in monochrome at the time, measuring 25.5 inches x 20 inches and that in fact is the measurement of the watercolour from which the postcards were reproduced. However, the chief difficulty was colour, as I had no colour reference nor photograph so I had to think up the whole colour scheme. That picture just about drove me crazy, it took three months in all which is very unusual for a water- colour. I painted it, framed it, and then hung it in my studio for a year but felt it was too weak, so contin- ued work on it and intensified it, and that is the result!

I’ve been painting for 59 years now. In the 1950s I exhibited several times at the Royal Academy, one of the first exhibits being of Porth yr Ogof which is a cave at Ystradfellte in the Brecon Beacons. I lived in Cardiff then. I came to live in the north west Highlands in 1960 and apart from exhibiting in the Edinburgh Festival 1971-72 and ‘73 I’ve only exhibited locally. However, I’ve entered three pictures for the Royal Academy sum- mer exhibition this year, taking two of the larger pictures by overnight sleeper (train) from Inverness. The problem here is distance and expense. Of the two watercolours and one oil, I think a large watercolour of a sea cave (imaginary) is the one most likely to be accepted.”

This atmospheric ‘Sea Cave’ watercolour is now in John’studio and has also been reproduced as a postcard. Inverkirkaig bookshop has a good stock of all of John’s many postcards. Passing Grampian members are welcome to view the Smoo Cave original in its new home in Priddy - yet another emphasis on the Somerset/Sutherland connection. ------PUBLICATIONS FOR SALE:

Occ. Publs: Caves of Assynt 2nd Edition Photocopy available @ £8.50 [3rd ed. in prep] Caves of Skye £8.50 Caves of Schiehallion. Photocopy available @ £4 [2nd ed. in prep] Caving Songs of Mendip. 2nd Ed. Photocopy available @ £4

Back issues of the Bulletin. Various @ £2 each. Published transcriptions of 1st series Vols 1-4 available @ £5 and £10 respectively (Vols 1,2; Vols. 3,4). Enquiries to GSG, address in front cover. -----oOo------57-

WAITING FOR AN ACCIDENT TO HAPPEN

By Alan L. Jeffreys

This year marks forty years of life for the Scottish Cave Rescue Organisation. Thankfully (remarkably?), over this period no really major rescue has occurred, despite a steadily growing use of caves and old mines for recreational purposes. I thought it might be appropriate to review the past 40 years, if only to gather in one place all available information on cave-related incidents north of the border. I should remark that no effort has been made to trace accidents dating from before 1945 (although there have been some) and I con- centrate instead on the period 1953 to the present, roughly during the life of various dedi- cated caving groups and indi- viduals.

In the 1950s - comfortably before the advent of home- grown caving clubs - there were two recorded incidents. In 1953 wide media coverage was given to the plight of 16 year old John Butler of Paisley who became benighted in Jennie Gebbie's Coal Mine near Paisley for three days.(1,2) Obviously a man for whom cav- ing ran in the blood, John later went on to revive the Paisley Troglodytes Club in the mistak- en belief that the earlier version Report in the Sunday Post,17.7.1960 that inspired Hugh Bottomley to write in the CPC Journal (see ref.1) had also been a caving club. At the end of the decade Jim Salvona broke an ankle in Uamh Pol Eoghainn, Sutherland and had to be stretchered back down to Elphin after caving partner John Jenkinson had strapped up the offending limb. There may have been other, trivial, incidents during this decade but noth- ing directly involving caves that I have records of.

In June 1964 a student was found dead in Jeanie Barrie's Cave near Edinburgh (3) which, as the GSG was by then in existence, prompted me to explore possibilities for forming a rescue team. In December 1964 I was also involved, along with Gordon Henderson, in a massive search for a 9yr old boy missing from Falkirk, when we checked out the 14 metre deep Shaws Mine near

Report in the Scottish Daily Express, 21.12.1964 on the Falkirk search (see Camelon. In July 1965, five boys were also ‘From the archives’ in the centrefold) found after 20 hours without lights in a mine at Gleniffer Braes near Paisley. Obviously -58- there was a niche waiting to be filled.

An appeal was published in The Climber (4) which resulted in a meeting in Deacon Brodie's Bar, attend- ed by representatives from the GSG, Paisley Trogs and Ferranti (Edinburgh) Mountaineering Association. It has to be said that this did not result in anything effective and it was until not two years later that Peter MacNab and myself tried again, this time to greater profit. We registered our services with ACPO (Scotland) and the Scottish Mountain Rescue Committee. This latter was not wholly a success. Some reactionary indi- viduals, such as the late Ben Humble, considered they were up to handling anything Scottish caves had to offer and saw little benefit in introducing cavers; however we succeeded in getting SCRO included in the annual Mountain Rescue Handbook and were called out a couple of times in the following decade, as listed below:

1.July 1967. Search of the Traligill Caves for missing 40yr old geologist-hill-walker. Brian Reid and the author (using a borrowed van with a provisional driving licence and an under-age companion!) travelled to Inchnadamph and spent a day searching all the known caves while Hamish McInnes and SARDA dogs combed the surface. These operations proved negative. 2.March 1971. Search of the Black Rock Gorge, Evanton, Ross-shire. Local business man thought to have fallen down cliff. Four members of the GSG, Bill Heeps, Eric Glen, Peter MacNab and the author (at the time with his right wrist in plaster due to a scaphoid frac- ture sustained in Lancaster Hole the previous year) travelled to Dingwall, spent the night in a local hostelry and on Saturday 13th March car- ried out a great number of 50 metre ladder descents on opposing sides of the gorge. At the time, the Allt Graad was in fairly serious flood which ruled out actually wading along the river bed. Eric and Snab did most of the climbing, and we lifeliners were assisted by members of the local police MR team. [the 'victim', Major Lewen Tugwell, turned up in Surrey!] The total footage of ladder climbed was 1,620ft.

By the mid 1970s we had arranged for members of Glasgow Spelaeological Society to take responsibility for the West of Scotland, and they were called out twice, both times for missing Report in The Scotsman, 29.4.1976 children: regarding the Glasgow team searching brickworks near Dalry.

1.April 1976. Search of underground workings associated with disused brickworks near Dalry. 2.November 1977. Boy retrieved from old mine near Patna, Ayrshire.

I have no filed reports for these operations other than press cuttings, but at least on the second occasion efforts -59- were crowned with success.

One cave-related fatality which occurred without local intervention was the unfortunate drowning of Peter Clements from Bristol Polytechnic in August 1972, after emerging from Firehose Cave suffering with expo- sure and falling into the fierce whirlpool below. Although of course this incident took place on the surface, caving was a direct contributor, as the victim was very cold and tired after what had been a strenuous jour- ney in this cramped, wet cave and was hence unable to help himself sufficiently after slipping into Traligill River.

In June1978, Mike Phemister and Tony Jarratt became benighted in Glenbain Hole after light failure, and had to sit out the consequences in a chamber below the boulder ruckle squeeze. SCRO were contacted by Northern Constabulary and a three man team (A. Jeffreys, I. Young and D. Warren) were picked up by RAF helicopter from Turnhouse airport, but after being airborne for only ten minutes they were stood down when Assynt MR located and rescued the pair.(5)

On 7th August 1986 another call was received at Edinburgh regarding the disappearance of a 51 yr old hill- walker from Inchnadamph. The call to me was at the end of the rush hour (this was mid-week) but in under an hour six members assembled at Fettes with others put on standby. After being helicoptered to Assynt a search of the Waterslide was undertaken due to evidence that a person may have fallen into the high river there. This proved negative but resulting publicity in The Scotsman led to a third party phoning in a sighting on Ben More Assynt and the walker was recovered safe and well. (6) Clearly, accidents were beginning to happen but equally, it was rather obvious that since the main concentration of CRO members was in or about Edinburgh, a serious time factor interrupted the equation, leading to a decision to devolve first response onto the relevant mountain rescue team who would alert SCRO, but call them out only if unable to complete res- cues themselves. As it happened, it became known that climbers with caving experience were available in the highlands, making this task a lot easier, demonstrated by an unfortunate incident in August 1988 when two climbers, rained off popular climbs in Glencoe, opted instead for a trip down Uamh nan Claig-ionn, Glen Salachan.

As usual, the ensuing tragedy came about from the sum of sever- al avoidable mistakes. First, in wet condit- tions, the cave is total- ly unsuitable for per- sons not clad in expo- sure gear. Further, the 13 metre pitch was abseiled with insuffi- cient equipment. Turning back at Dealer's Drop, the two men, Charles Frost and Charles Butterworth, arrived at the main pitch, by now its customary mael- strom self. Frost, using jumars, quickly SCRO Practice Rescue in Bowden Hill Mine, March 1965. reached the top but his Photo. Courtesy Scotsman Publications companion attempted -60- the climb using thin nylon cords tied as prusik knots. These not un-naturally 'froze' on the rope (which appeared to us later to be a hawser-laid rope) right at the wettest spot. Frost tied off the lifeline (a kernman- tel) and went for help. By the time Glencoe MR had arrived, diverted the stream on the surface and reached the pitch, Butterworth was found to be hanging lifeless on the line, right below a shelf which sprayed the full force of water over him. The team therefore evacuated the body without assistance from SCRO, abandon- ing equipment in the cave. There is little doubt that, had Butterworth been found alive, SCRO would have been called because a rescue practice had revealed just how awkward manoeuvring an inert human up and off the first pitch was. On December 2nd 1987 a general meeting was held at Police HQ in Edinburgh to reshape SCRO cover in Scotland particularly as (a) Glasgow Spelaeological Society appeared to have ceased operating as an active caving club and (b) there were known cavers in other parts of Scotland who should be drawn into a pool of available manpower. Representatives from the GSG and Strathclyde Univ. Caving Club approved the formation of a Charitable Trust to allow SCRO the facility of raising and accepting funds from grant- giving bodies. A steering committee was set up and a constitution composed. In due course this all came into being, the four trustees being: M. McConville, J. Glover, I. Young and A. Practice rescue at Bowden Hill Mine, Linlithgow, 23.4.1988, to test a method of efficiently Jeffreys. searching complex workings. L.-R. ?, J. Glover, A.Kerr, N. Robertson, M. McConville, C. Jeffreys, P. Dowswell, J. Yuill, Having set the organisation ?, J. Salvona, ? on a sound footing, our next Photo. A. Jeffreys move was to become accept- ed as a full-blown 'team' within the structure of the Scottish Mountain Rescue Committee, and this too has now been achieved, although Scottish Executive funding is still something of a problem, due to the precise wording of their definition of a MOUNTAIN rescue team. This drawback is a work in progress. Following this re-organisation there have been further call-outs. During a cold evening on 6th November 2003 Tweeddale MR requested SCRO to search Jeanie Barrie’s Cave for a missing distressed male. Five peo- ple attended but the man was located before the need for any caving. In complete contrast, during a heat wave in August 2005 eight members attended at Livingston police station, West Lothian and spent two days searching various underground phenomena for a missing 11yr old boy who was later found murdered in a local wood. In November 2005 a fall in Allt nan Uamh Stream Cave, Assynt led to a broken ankle and a call- out. Fortuitously members of both SCRO and Assynt MRT were just completing an advanced first aid course at Inchnadamph leading to what must be one of the fastest responses seen. The injured party was extracted from the cave by SCRO and stretchered to the road by AMRT - a fine division of responibilities and effort. Finally, on Christmas Eve 2005 yet another call was received from Livingston regarding a remarkably simi- lar situation, but thankfully this one was resolved when the boy in question returned home. In all of this, one fundamental factor continues to cast something of a shadow over our activities and that is, although caving in Scotland continues to expand, there has never been a really serious shout. Truly, this is really great but it does mean that given the average turn-over of active members, there are people who have -61- put heart and soul into training apparently for no good purpose. The same effect blights our relations with police forces whose emergency files all contain information on contacting SCRO for incidents of any nature underground but whose turn-over in staff usually means it is buried in some file unknown to current opera- tors. An example of this occurred in (I think) 1986 [no information to hand] when police had occasion to search the extensive limestone workings at Cults in Fife. A professional mine rescue team and fire brigade personnel were called, but no contact made with cave rescue. Subsequently I learnt that this search was not, as reported in the press, for missing youths, but part of an ongoing criminal inquiry involving drugs and resetted goods, and the CID were not at all convinced their subjects were in the mine at all: indeed they weren't, so the whole affair appears to have been a 'going through the motions' operation. This still does not excuse Fife Constabulary from not calling us out. A letter to the Chief Constable subsequently redressed the situation! As much to further this cause as to help people in distress there have been a number of offers to provide specialised services over the years. So far as I can recall they include: 1. Dreghorn district, Edinburgh 1968. (To search culverts for a murder weapon). 2. Straiton Caravan Park, Edinburgh. 1991(?) (To evaluate a ser- ious subsidence at a mobile home park). 3. Stepps, Glasgow. 2002(?) (To search old workings opened by flood water where a man was washed in and recovered drowned) 4. Dalkeith (2004) (To assist the murder squad in gathering evid- ence). None of these offers was taken up, but at least it kept our organisation before the authorities. The same goes for Lockerbie in 1982 where the need for widespread search and recovery was adequately served by per- sonnel from nearer at hand. Report of dog rescue at Blackford Hill. Edinburgh Evening News 7.2.66 In common with other rescue teams, Scotland possesses a long tradition of animal recoveries - all dogs - commencing in 1966 with the retrieval of Tosh the terrier from Blackford Quarry in Edinburgh. Since then there have been five calls from various parts of the Highlands, with only one failure (in the Great Glen). Most of these animals were working dogs in pursuit of foxes, who ended up trapped in fissures beneath boulder falls. A certain amount of excavation followed by extreme calisthenics by more miniature mem- bers of the team usually ended with an undig- nified return to daylight, tail or hind leg first. On occasion sheep have also been recovered, but not as official SCRO shouts. Readers will know that the writer has done his best to engage SCRO in some live action, Paul Stacey being driven up Fraoch Bheinn, Glen Dessary for a dog rescue, commencing in April 1973 when Steve 3.5.1990. Elwell-Sutton, in an incident alarmingly sim- ilar to Floyd Collins, became wedged in Lockhole Cave, Lassintullich. A rock fell from the roof in a tight tube, preventing progress up or down. After a considerable amount of non-productive struggling, I decided to seek help (having no caving gear myself). -62- I ran down to Lassintullich House and phoned the police at Pitlochry. My conversation with a completely baffled constable was not constructive so I left him with the news that I would check up at the cave and get back to him. Fortunately, by the time I arrived Steve had managed to work himself free.

My next effort, the great Claonaite injury, failed because I got myself out and met the ad hoc rescue party before they had reached the Fuaran Allt nan Uamh. Finally, at the October 1998 Annual Dinner, success was achieved when I and three others were trapped in Claonaite when the sump 1 bypass flooded. The ensuing opera- tion is noteworthy in the achievement of Fraser Simpson in diving the duck before Sump 1 - an infinitely more dangerous task than the bypass itself due to a very fast current, and also because it was only the second time on record that non-divers have been dived out of a cave in the UK.

The sub-text to this particular incident however was that it was Practice Rescue at Bowden Hill Mine, something never practiced by the Assynt MR and SCRO. Had it not Linlithgow, 1966, showing use of the old style Neil Robertson stretcher. been an annual dinner, cave divers would have had to be called in L-R: ?, R. Owens, M. MacLeod, J. McDonald from Edinburgh. I hope that wherever he is, Ben Humble has taken (in stretcher) note! Photo. A. Jeffreys Our rescue practices have travelled a similar distance over the years, from quite primitive casualty retrievals from local mines to large scale co-operative efforts in conjunction with relevant MR teams. We attempt to confront and solve specific problems which are thought to be lurking, such as exiting tight cave entrances and searching complex mine workings efficiently. This programme continues apace, and has an added bonus of introducing climbers to local cave systems, thus increasing their knowledge base.

All of which brings my saga up to date. However, I emphasise what I have written in the editorial to this issue: the next live shout (to a cave) will undoubtedly be something unforeseen and unpracticed. As Baden- Powell said: “Be prepared”!

References: (1) Bottomley, H. (1960) Born to be a Potholer. C.P.C. Journal Vol.2 No.6 p.337 (2) Jeffreys, A.L. (1997) Lost in the Mine. Descent No. 133 pp.26-27 (3) Jeffreys, A.L. (2004) Jeanie Barrie’s Cave - An Overview. GSG Bull.4th Series 2(1) pp. 36-43 (4) Jeffreys, A.L. (1964) Cave Rescue in Scotland. The Climber Vol.2 No.3,p.31 (5) Jarratt, A.J. (1978) The Glenbain Hole Rescue. GSG Bull.2nd Series 2(3) pp. 25-27 & Ritchie, B. (1978) An Incident at Inchnadamph - What Really Happened. GSG Bull. 2nd Series 2(3) pp. 28-29 (6) Jeffreys, A.L. (1987) Sutherland Rescue Call, 1986. GSG Bull.2nd Series 5(2) pp. 9-10

Footnote: Tosh the terrier, having been rescued from a ledge in Blackford Quarry, Edinburgh, 1965. Photo. A. Jeffreys