Otter Hole - Beyond the Upstream Sumps

[mrodoc]

Takes me back to early March 46 years ago when I had the privilege of joining a group of RFDCC cavers who were still exploring the extension they had found. I commented in my log that it must be the best decorated piece of passage in Great Britain. Rollo Gillespie forced a squeeze at the entrance to the new section and found what I think is Crystal Ball or Pom Pom passage - I couldn't get in and have never visited it. I am surprised in the intervening years that the link to the streamway beyond the sumps hasn't been made as I clearly recall one could hear the stream below somewhere near the Camp. A lot of small formations got damaged in the early years.  I remember going in to photograph 'The Saw' somewhere near Long Straw Chamber - a straw had fallen at the side of the passage and a curtain had formed along it. Somebody had carelessly clocked it with their boot and it was in fragments. I think the Volcanoes have disappeared too.  However it is still a marvellous cave and there is  considerable potential in the streamway.

 

[Leclused]

Otter Hole - 26th March 2022

Nearly 6 months to the day since our last trip, the weather was looking good to get back in and collect the dye detectors we'd placed. Ideally these would have come out sooner, but some inconsiderate b@stard decided to fall down OFD taking out an opportune period of time for some of us and the next season for himself! Despite this, George did kindly fill up a cylinder for me the night before, which is now stashed up at Sump 2 for a push later in the summer.

What kind of detectors are you using? And did you know that for research like yours you can rent at a low cost a device named Stream via traqua (a spin-off of the university of Namur - Belgium). The device was initially developped by a belgian caver and was then commercialised by traqua.

More in the following thread https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?threads/dye-tracing-equipement-le-fluorim-tre-stream.28667/

 

[PeteHall]

What kind of detectors are you using?

I'm just the monkey placing/ collecting the things, so I can't tell you much, but I think they are simply activated charcoal bundled up in some ladies tights. The test involved different colours of dye poured into 3 different sinks that are thought to feed the cave.

And did you know that for research like yours you can rent at a low cost a device named Stream via traqua (a spin-off of the university of Namur - Belgium). The device was initially developped by a belgian caver and was then commercialised by traqua.

More in the following thread https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?threads/dye-tracing-equipement-le-fluorim-tre-stream.28667/

I sent a link to this thread to the chap who's doing the testing, when it was first posted, but that was after we'd placed the detectors. It's just taken a while to get back in to collect them!

 

[Leclused]

I'm just the monkey placing/ collecting the things, so I can't tell you much, but I think they are simply activated charcoal bundled up in some ladies tights. The test involved different colours of dye poured into 3 different sinks that are thought to feed the cave.


I sent a link to this thread to the chap who's doing the testing, when it was first posted, but that was after we'd placed the detectors. It's just taken a while to get back in to collect them!

Charcoal in ladies tights is old school but works of course. But it's a one time registration.

With a stream device you have a real monitoring with sampeling within a timeframe. So it gives much more information in time. For more scientific studies the device is the way to go.

 

[TRAQUA]

Charcoal in ladies tights is old school but works of course. But it's a one time registration.

With a stream device you have a real monitoring with sampeling within a timeframe. So it gives much more information in time. For more scientific studies the device is the way to go.

Thank you for mentioning us ! Good news, we currently have a project call specifically for speleology associations to use our instruments for research projects at minimal costs (only admin/setup fee + shipping costs). More info here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6917037637899845633. And to celebrate our 1-year anniversary the normal rental prices are also reduced during the months of May and June 2022. Do not hesitate to contact us

 

[Pitlamp]

Well done - really enjoyed looking at those pictures!