Merlins to sump 8

[Katie]

This week we had a trip in Merlin's mine and found the streamway open all the way to sump 8!
We went last summer and got to sump 5, but this year it was also possible to crawl through 5, 6 and 7.
In the other direction Shag's sump is also looking lower than I have ever seen it before.

How often can dry cavers get to sump 8?
COPD says cavers got to sump 6 during the 1976 drought, then sump 8 in 1990 but no mention of any other dates. Obviously COPD is a few years old now, so I was wondering if anyone has been there in more recent years?

Victoria wrote a lovely trip report if anyone is interested
Merlins - Beyond the survey

 

[pwhole]

I think me, Martyn and Jess got to about Sump 6 around 2011-12 time if memory serves, when it was very dry. We ended up coming out of the Resurgence entrance of Carlswark - that should be open too now, I would imagine. I was pleased to see tiny shotholes in the central section.

 

[mr goose]

Got to sump 8 in the 90's but not sure what year? Shag's wasn't open then. The next few weeks could prove interesting?
Anyone been to the Lathkiller recently?

 

[2xw]

Last time I went through in the dry we got to a largish chamber where you could stand up, and the water seemed to be coming from a crack. How do I know how many sumps we went through?