Resurgences....

[danthecavingman]

There are several notable resurgences receiving attention at the moment. I just wondered who thought which might "go" first and how much potential cave there might be behind the sump. Vote now!
Can anyone think of any other good resurgences that might well go?

 

[cap n chris]

None of the above. It's Gough's cos IIRC there's 17km of space between known cave and known feeder. Why else would cavers be digging there for so long?

 

[andymorgan]

Yup Goughs is the Daddy, one of the biggest in the country in terms of outflow.

 

[Duncan Price]

Gough's and Wookey both end at boulder choke's neither of which look promising.

 

[SamT]

wormhill risings??

Pooles cavern??

 

[hoehlenforscher]

All wrong, its the Blautopf in the Swabian Jura. We have dye traced from sink holes 14 km distant with flow speeds which can only be obtained in vadose passage. New dry passage is being found there all the time but logictics of reaching the end of sump 1 mean it is a slow slow progress. Put in a days digging last year when i was back out there, trying to find the dry way in. Trouble is there are only anout 15 active cavers interested in digging in an area half the size of wales.

http://www.showcaves.com/english/de/springs/Blautopf.html

 

[chriscastle46]

Gough's Cave is difficult but has enormous potential. Little interest has been shown by divers in recent years, with the notable exception of a few from the CDG Southern Section. I don't think any of them contribute to this forum, a pity as an expert opinion about the terminal boulder choke in Sump Three would be welcome. I've never been there so cannot comment further.

 

[andymorgan]

Chris, the guys from the CDG at our curry night were talking about a possible lead in Gough's: or is that hush, hush!

 

[Andy Sparrow]

None of the above. It's Gough's cos IIRC there's 17km of space between known cave and known feeder. Why else would cavers be digging there for so long?

Strictly in terms of the question that was asked - which resurgence is most likely to 'go' first and yield substantial passage - the answer is definitely not Wookey or Goughs. Yes, they have superb theoretical potential but they are cursed by the peculiarities of Mendip limestone. The inclined strata forces phreatic systems into a series of deep switchbacking sumps, often with very little intervening dry passage. Advances in these caves tend to be in very small hard-won increments and the active systems of both caves currently terminate at remote boulder chokes. There is a very good chance of finding old upper-level passages in Goughs but the geology makes a one-off extension of more than a few hundred metres unlikely.

 

[Billy Butcombe]

As for Uk its gotta be Black Keld eh?? :shock:

 

[Duncan Price]

Gough's Cave is difficult but has enormous potential. Little interest has been shown by divers in recent years, with the notable exception of a few from the CDG Southern Section. I don't think any of them contribute to this forum, a pity as an expert opinion about the terminal boulder choke in Sump Three would be welcome. I've never been there so cannot comment further.

The choke is close to the end of Reservoir Hole and therefore the potential is not good.

Chris, the guys from the CDG at our curry night were talking about a possible lead in Gough's: or is that hush, hush!

There's evidence for an inlet downstream of Lloyd Hall.

 

[AndyF]

wormhill risings??

Wormhill, yes huge potential but no entry without a jCB. Lumb hole also. When this dries out in the summer the cave emits a massive draught.

Wotno Sump and Rising Damp Sump in Waterways Swallet are (of course) my hot tips...

 

[Cumbrian Neil]

Black Keld followed by Brants Gill Head.

CN.

 

[Brains]

Who said Lumb Hole? You will need more than a JCB for that one! From the entrance in drought follow a blasted crawl for about a 100' to a squeeze into natural, just after a left turn to a bedding chamber above. In DROUGHT a sereies of three gentle ramps in beddings lead down about 100' vertical to a small triangular chamber (stooping height), with a large phreatic enlarged cross joint - first point you can stand properly in the cave. Looks like a nice ongoing tube but Moose dived it to a constriction. There is an upper series with links back to sump series, but all ways on end up too tight. Details in new COPD. About 400 - 500' of cave all in and virtually all flat out, and mostly flooded as well CAUTION - delicate flora needs care near entrance!!

 

[AndyF]

Who said Lumb Hole? You will need more than a JCB for that one! From the entrance in drought follow a blasted crawl for about a 100' to a squeeze into natural...etc...

Yes, thats pretty much the story but in such drought conditions there is a huge, cold draught from the entrance. That can't be coming through the final sump. I think, therefore, that there is a "dry" way forward to bypass the final sump, though it may well be one of the "too tight" leads that you mention.

Digging is not allowed in the cave, (mores the pity) due to alledgedly a rare/unique moss at the entrance.

Just upstream from Lumb Hole is a run in sough that emitts water. It would be a great dig as the mines behind may providea route into natural. No digging allowed there either

Way above Lumb hole are some more open adits/stopes, but they don't go deep enough to hit anything natural.

 

[The Badger]

my vote is with Llygad Llwchwr - there's a lot more to be had there.

 

[AndyF]

Here is a nice survey of Black Keld...

http://homepage.mac.com/brianjudd/cavedive/keld/asurv/survey.html

 

[andymorgan]

It seems like Llygad Llwchwr is 'going' as well at the moment from the posts in the Wales section!

 

[Pitlamp]

What about Roughton Keld up in the Northern Dales? One day someone will find a fair length of cave there.

 

[gus horsley]

I did a lot of work in the Llygad Llwchwr area donkey's years ago. I got the impression that, although the cave could be pretty extensive, it's not going to be another OFD-like 3D maze, but more of a long Keld Head-stylee trip. My vote would ultimately go to Black Keld. I reckon there's a good 100km+ waiting to be explored.

Gus