Anyone out there done the trip yet as I'm hoping to get there in a wee whiley and just wondered whats in store, if I need to take anything out of the ordinary etc. I would be much obliged for some info

I think you will find that if you approach the GSG diggers you will find that they still regard it as an active dig as the route in is by no means stable. I suggest you talk to them before organising a trip.

graham said:

I think you will find that if you approach the GSG diggers you will find that they still regard it as an active dig as the route in is by no means stable. I suggest you talk to them before organising a trip.

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Quote from McMole in "rana has gone"-

We are not restricting access, but work hasn't been completed..........
We'd ask for normal caving practice to be respected and for you to allow the diggers to reap the rewards of their labours. Poke your noses wherever you want but don't start any digging without clearing it with the GSG first. We need to know what is going on to help us to complete a high grade Rana survey and ungrade that for Claonaite.

Cheers Aggy old boy was just wondering wether any GSG'ers would give us a few tips on what to look out for etc, in this weather I hope the sump bucket is still there

We were in Rana on the 16th and it was very dry after a week without rain. Only the main Fhuran Rising and the one above it were active. Half the party went and photographed the Great Northern Time machine - good results too using their LED floodlighting and time exposures - the rest of us baled the small amount of water in the dig and dug some more. That was a good weekend. The previous visit in January was one of the wettest with the Allt nan Uamh flowing the length of the valley, the dam overflowing, and no hope of passing the sumped dig. It's definitely not a recommended free dive.

Looking at the weather forecast for the NW over the last few days I'd expect it to be flooded again. It does slowly drain, but probably takes a day or two to do so. That might be improving as we dig further along the passage searching for the plug hole. Until we find it any trips into Claonaite Seven in wet weather might last a lot longer than you expect. Members have had a couple of narrow escapes when it has rained during exploratiosn in Two A's Chamber and they've returned to find the dam about to overflow - in one case after an absence of only fifteen minutes.

I'd recommend checking first with the GSG if you want to visit. Perhaps you could join one of our trips - and get in a spot of cycling! If you go by yourself first wait for a good dry day with no rain forecast after a dry day or two. You'll need a short ladder for the top of the entrance shaft (fixed ladders take you the rest of the way and cows tails could be useful) and SRT gear or 6m of ladder for the Black Rift pitch.

cheers McMole a few of us are planning to get up there around or just before easter. Have you any trips around that time ? I think we're  hoping to spend a few days around Claionite, Rana Hole and then do a return trip for the Tragill area. Have you been down and beyond the pit in ANUSC as we got down that far on last trip but didn't have good enough wet gear on that visit. Worth a visit beyond?

Hi Workshopmonkey, there are usually GSG trips to Assynt at least once per month and there could well be one around Easter. We are there next weekend so another visit a fortnight later is quite possible.
From The Pit in ANUSC upstream are 80+20m sumps to the Farr Series and downstream a flooded crawl neither of which it is necessary to pass. To go downstream you should take one of the higher level routes through to 2nd Stream Chamber. If the self-starting siphon is siphoning (sometimes the plumbing is disturbed by floods and the venturi stops venturying(?)) then you can have a fine muddy time beyond the (drained) static sump. Upstream, it's worth visiting the Farr Series beyond a short but flat-out wallow through a puddle at the east end of Breakdown Chamber. Quite a fine vertical maze but watch out for loose holds and take care around the formations. ANUSC doesn't have many so we don't want to lose them.

Thanks again

Was in Assynt Friday through to Sunday with a large troop of other GSG members all ready to dig Rana and survey through to Claonaite Seven, but the dig at the bottom of Rana Hole was sumped and the dam overflowing. So if you plan to visit be sure to have a plan B especially if the higher risings are active in the glen and definitely if the river is flowing past the Bone Caves. 

Will have a plan B, could be the Inch or the Alt

The trip has now been accomplished