Tresviso Caves Project 2018 Expedition with SUSS -- rope sponsorship entry

[not_a_climber]

The Tresviso Caves Project is a long running expedition to the Picos de Europa in Northern Spain, which this year will consist of two teams, with one mainly comprised of members from Sheffield University Speleological Society. We hope that these teams will allow us to push the already 11km-long Cueva del Agua further towards the goal of a record breaking 1.5km deep through-trip, by connecting to the higher altitude systems of the Andara region.

History of the Tresviso Caves Project
The Parc Nacional de los Picos de Europa sits just inland from the Northern coast of Spain, part of the Cantabrian Mountains. This region of carboniferous limestone is home to several exploratory caving projects involving British cavers, including the Ario Cave Projects.

The location of the Tresviso area in the Eastern Massif of the Picos (Andara)

Perhaps less well known is the Tresviso Caves Project, an ongoing exploratory effort in the Andara region of the Picos de Europa which was begun in the 1970s by student cavers from Lancaster University. In the early expeditions, [acronym=Lancaster University Speleological Society]LUSS[/acronym] pushed Cueva del Agua to 11km total length and +392m. Later in the 70?s and 80?s their attention turned to entrances higher in the mountains that could possibly drop into the same system. Several deep caves were pushed including Sara (-635m), Tere (-792m) Dossers Delight (-831m) and Flowerpot (-720m). However the most promising connection seemed to be Sima 56 which was concluded in 1985 at -1169m deep, overlapping in height with Agua but around 3km distant horizontally. If connected, this route could form a record breaking 1.5km-deep through trip.

After [acronym=Lancaster University Speleological Society]LUSS[/acronym] activity died off in the mid-1990s, exploration was continued by several Spanish clubs including AD KAMI, and [acronym=South Wales Caving Club]SWCC[/acronym] members from the UK. From 2009, annual expeditions have made a concerted effort to push unexplored shafts in the Sierra del Corta, an area that sits above the furthest point of Cueva del Agua, as well as rebolting and rigging Cueva del Agua and pushing leads, including climbing Death Race 2000, the furthest point in the cave,  which has led to several extensions. This reinvigorated effort led to the creation of the Tresviso Caves Project in 2015 as a joint venture between a number of UK clubs and the Spanish club AD KAMI.

Pozo Castillo on the 2017 expedition

2018 Expedition
This year, the [acronym=Tresviso Caves Project]TCP[/acronym] group will be joined by a group of Sheffield University cavers conducting a side expedition. These teams will run alongside each other from 1st-15th September 2018 with a total of around 50 cavers pushing various projects. [acronym=Sheffield University Speleological Society]SUSS[/acronym] are taking around 25 cavers, with as many as 8 new-to-expedition cavers.

As such, this provides an excellent opportunity for [acronym=Sheffield University Speleological Society]SUSS[/acronym], who have not run an expedition of this scale or ambition for several years, the opportunity to be supported through our more experienced members as well as through the experience of the Tresviso Caves Project. As well as exploratory aims, we are considering of equal importance our aim to come away from the expedition with a more cohesive club and more well trained cavers. This will not only be achieved during the expedition but we are also pushing pre-exped training as a priority to get everyone up to scratch before we go.

Utilising the capacity of having two teams, this years expedition aims to push the caves in the region from two directions - the TCP cavers pushing Agua from the bottom up and [acronym=Sheffield University Speleological Society]SUSS[/acronym] camping higher in the mountains to push down. The large number of cavers in the [acronym=Sheffield University Speleological Society]SUSS[/acronym] team will allow us to push several objectives. Our aim is to use a more experienced team to push a deep system with many less committing projects for those with less experience.

Primary objectives for [acronym=Sheffield University Speleological Society]SUSS[/acronym] team:
Pico Boro area
General surface sweep especially of lower slopes and logging entrances.
Flowerpot (-720m) - Re-bolt and rig after last exploration in the 80?s. Push multiple climbing leads throughout system as well as unexplored side passages.
T207 and Torca Septrin - vertical systems (circa -120m deep) ending in narrow, draughting passages - could be capped or pushed by skinny people.

Sierra del Corta
Surface sweep in awkward terrain to log entrances.
T554 &  T291 - Both very close to top end of Agua. T554 is 120m shaft from surface to tight continuation.  T291 undescended beyond entrance.

Sara
Various high level entrances that need surveying and linking into the wider Sara mine complex, with unexplored levels and potential deeper pitches.

Secondary objectives:
Mazarassa leads
Original entrance has collapsed, but there are potentially 3 further entrances, via mine levels that may connect and will allow re-exploration.

Castillo system
Pozo Natacha - -309m system with a tight constriction above final undescended 20m pitch,
T334 - 7 second drop still undescended, may link into Castillo system.

Other:
T225 Torca Bromista - incredibly tight entrance series but draughting at the bottom.
T516 Cowshed Cavern - 3 climbs from main streamway, potential dig and surface work
T47a Valdediezma - draughting hole but may be hidden by trees.
Agua - Pottery Kiln - strong breeze through spoil, likely to break out onto quite inaccessible mountainside but could provide alternative flood entrance to Agua.
Hoyo Oscuro & Hoyo Evangelista - surface sweep and logging of entrances above 1800m, any leads here would be interesting in wider picture.

Rope requirements:
We plan to rig Flowerpot (-720m) for the duration of the exped while pushing leads here and in other locations, so plan on needing around 1000m of rope. Therefore the contribution from the UKC rope sponsorship would be a significant portion of this and reduce our costs significantly (which for a student exped is key!)

Pre-exped plans for [acronym=Sheffield University Speleological Society]SUSS[/acronym] team
From now until the exped we have three training weekends planned. The first will be held in Derbyshire and will encourage members to join the DCRO rescue training, along with other rescue and rigging training for others. The July weekend will be held in the Dales and hopes to train some members in the use of our Sked stretcher with the help of Martin Holroyd. The final pre-exped weekend in August will be held in South Wales and will be a practice of various exped ?dry-skills? such as putting up the mess tent and cooking, and checking over everyones equipment.

SUSS training on stretcher hauling at the YSS

There is an established TCP blog which can be found here:
www.tresvisocaves.info/blog/

We will use this blog, and the thread here on UKC, to keep a record of our pre-exped plans as well as during and after the exped to record our explorations. We also hope to publish an interactive map with entrance locations linked to any available pictures and surveys before the expedition, to be added to afterwards. There is also more information about the history of exploration in Tresviso with surveys, previous reports and cave details on http://www.tresvisocaves.info. 

SUSS are really looking forward to this expedition, and are very grateful to TCP for their ongoing support in our exped planning, and we look forward to sharing our results with the wider British caving community. We hope that blogging throughout the exped and producing a journal afterwards will help our aim of establish a long lasting link between the Tresviso Caves Project and Sheffield University Speleological Society by encouraging future members through our exploits.

 

[Badlad]

Another great project and pleased to see the number of participants growing.  Good luck to SUSS and the main TCP in finding the elusive connection - it'll be there somewhere 

 

[meanderthal]

Great news, thanks Badlad (and Spanset)!

 

[droid]

Having explored in the Tresviso area (with YUCPC) I will follow this with great interest.

 

[meanderthal]

Look out for an upcoming descent article about recent exploration there too! It's a great place! When we're you out with York?

 

[droid]

Look out for an upcoming descent article about recent exploration there too! It's a great place! When we're you out with York?

1986....ish.

 

[meanderthal]

One thing that had surprised me is just how many people and clubs have been involved with exploration in the area. We're you involved with the discovery of death race in agua (found in '86), or were you up on the top of the hill?

 

[phil]

I think York were based briefly at La Mesa, the small outcrop on the left as you enter Tresviso and explored up and over into the San Esteban valley.

There is report from 1984 on the http://picos.yucpc.org.uk/ site.

I would be interested to know if there is any other 'field' data from this trip?  There is still not much found in that area, although we generally ignore it as it's wrong side for the Agua (Nacimiento) exploration.  However, there is Cowshead Cavern on that side of the hill, quite a significant resurgence (although you wouldn't think it to look at the entrance) and the locals talk of large caves on top of the hill looking down towards San Esteban.

 

[alastairgott]

I know I did find quite a few journals and paper surveys in the Uni library, whether these can be pulled out again for another look, I don't know.

Certainly about 9 years ago the York Library contained the following (mostly foreign) I know cos I logged them all:
#Expo reports 
Taurus '88-yucpc 
picos '89-yucpc 
picos '90-yucpc 
expeditions speleologiques a vegahuerta- in french and english (pico's) 
memoria verano '84-SEII 
campana picos '89- vegahuerta- macizo del cornion 
Juracao Expo '89- oxford uni cave club
picos '91-yucpc

~~In the box labeled caving reprints and surveys (in order of appearance) 
YUCPC Vercors '95 expo log 
YUCPC 14/5/94-10/5/97 logbook 
NPC journal 1982 with large pot survey at the back 
YUCPC 3/5/81-25/9/82 logbook 
Notes on the world caving scene (BCRA bulletins 15-19&caves and caving no.1) 
security for the abseiler/prussiker (BCRA vol.4 no. 3 pp. 373-375) troll bolting kit manual 
The shock strength of ropes for SRT (BCRA bulletin 18 pp. 27-31) 
The DARNBROOK SYSTEM 
SRT accidents & incidents (BCRA vol 4. NO.3 pp. 367-372) 
POZU DEL XITU '81 (oxford uni cc expo) 
biochemistry for cavers 
OTTERHOLE information for visitors 
Oxford uni cave club EXPO RESCUE GUIDE (part 1 and part 2) 
PORTH YR OGOF, BRECONSHIRE report and survey 
the small srt party- expo logistics (BCRA VOL.4 no.3 pp. 387-38 
oxford uni cave club expo write up of trip to PICOS DE CORNION. 

~~in the envelope with la poste stamp on (12 11 90 92210) (all surveys) sistema conjurtao- picos de cornion 
F20- picos 
pozu de la cistra (12/5)-picos 
sistema xitu- picos 
sistema jorcada blanca (f2/f7)- picos 
vega huerta (k-901)- picos 
vespa pot.- east kingsdale 
sima de los quartro caminos (four ways pot)- picos 
sima de cotalbin (k903) 

~~in envelope "caving club maps of potholes, picos de europe, X35 maps"
sima (k897) 
el furacu del xelu 
le loma de los hoyos cavaos 
pizo del caballo cimeru 
b-3 pozo del llastral- vega heura 
121- pozo la duernona 
sierra del caballo 
1-8 sierra caballo 
1-12 sierra del caballo 
sima 1-34 - sierra caballo 
sistema 48- sierra caballo 
pozu del caballo cimeru- sierra caballo 
furacu del xelu- sierra caballo 
vega huerta-sierra caballo (not a cave map- has contours on it) 
pozu de arguelles 
18- vega huerta 
principales cavidales de las zonas "m" Y "b" (major caves of "m" and "b" areas) 
b-3 sierra caballo- M. occidental 
B-3 pozu del llastral 
pozu la llerona (b-10)- sierra caballo- macizo occidental 
pozu de la garita cimera (b47) 
?-15 sierra caballo 
?-103 sierra caballo 
pozu arguelles- sierra caballo 
1-41 sierra caballo 
1-45 sierra caballo 
B-3 pozu del llastral- vega huerta 
M-2 sierra caballo sketch of ?-30

Also of Interest, on the Pico's website is a number of the names seem similar to current names. Gareth Davies being one which pops up and also Dave Middleton? (dunno if he's a relation)

 

[alastairgott]

memoria verano '84-SEII 

Looking at the Report by Dave Lloyd, SEII were the club which "hosted" them in 1984, so this must be their club journal.
http://picos.yucpc.org.uk/pdf/p84cac29.pdf

 

[droid]

One thing that had surprised me is just how many people and clubs have been involved with exploration in the area. We're you involved with the discovery of death race in agua (found in '86), or were you up on the top of the hill?

I was on the La Mesa trip. We didn't stay there long though. It's just up from Tresviso village.


If memory is correct YUCPC visited 3 areas that year.

 

[droid]

memoria verano '84-SEII 

Looking at the Report by Dave Lloyd, SEII were the club which "hosted" them in 1984, so this must be their club journal.
http://picos.yucpc.org.uk/pdf/p84cac29.pdf

SEII were a Madrid university club who accompanied the first 2 expeditions: a recce one, and the first 'proper' expedition to Vega Huerta.

Section Espelio(summat) Ingenarios Industriales.

 

[not_a_climber]

A couple of weeks ago the SUSS Tresviso team (which is inaccurately named as it also contains Nottingham and Leeds university cavers) held a very successful Derbyshire based training weekend.

Despite an overcrowded TSG, all those that attended the weekend took it very seriously and dragged themselves out of bed at reasonable a time (mostly before midday!) to do large roped trips on the Saturday. The aim was to assess everybody's cave fitness and generally shock people into action if their prussiking was slow or they were too fat to fit into Derbyshire Hall. Trips went out from Titan-Peak, Titan-JH, Peak-Titan, Titan streamway and Nettle-Derbyshire Hall via Elizabeth's Shaft (which with 3 groups in Titan at one point entailed a lot of sitting in a bothy - still good practise for exped!).

On the Saturday evening, (those back early enough) prepared an exped style meal of mashed potatoes, mashed carrots, mashed potatoes, tomato and chickpea cassorole and mashed potatoes. This was prepared on the gas rings we'll be taking on exped although did have the added luxury of tables and chairs on which to chop the vast quantities of potatoes.

Over tea, we sat down to a short presentation on exped expectations - we're taking a large number of people who've never attended a caving expedition before and so one job is preparing everyone for exped life. This included day to day life at camp, underground differences to British caving, expedition kit recommendations, how to prepare yourself (both mentally and physically!) and general travelling tips. We also discussed the current plan for our objectives and how we're thinking about dividing our man power to have as effective an expedition as possible.

The night descended into the revelry of three university clubs under one roof at the TSG, not filling me with much hope that anyone would be up in the morning....

But lo and behold! Not long after 10am and most people out of the door on the way to Horseshoe Quarry, to practice putting up the group tent (for cooking/socialising/storage) and to practice thru-bolting, spit placement and rigging off naturals. One group remained behind at the TSG to talk through using a disto with Rostam, and another went underground to try it out with Tommy. It was a roasting hot day on the surface but luckily the upper tier provided us with some shade and everyone present got to practice bolting if they hadn't already.

We packed up around 5pm and headed back to the kit store, where for once everyone stayed around to help return kit and wash ropes! This was personally my highlight of the weekend as it made me realise the value of us spending this time together before Spain in that we're becoming more of a coherent team, which I think is just as valuable as "hard skills" in times of crisis deep in the Picos.

Our next training weekend is planned for a couple of weeks time in the Dales, and in the mean time trips are going out all the time with people improving on the rigging skills being one of the next big skills to practice.

 

[Tommy]

Couple of snaps from Titan:

IMG_3838 by tommypmoore, on Flickr

IMG_3930 by tommypmoore, on Flickr

 

[meanderthal]

One group remained behind at the TSG to talk through using a disto with Rostam.

Did he learn much?

 

[Hall2501]

SUSS Tresviso Training weekend at the SWCC

For a good taste of alpine caving before the Tresviso expedition. South Wales was the perfect choice of location for the final SUSS expo training weekend. In the true spirit of expedition caving we decided to go to Draenen without any kind of plan of what to do or where to go when we arrived. I think the idea was to treat the cave as completely unexplored then find our way out after attempting to get ourselves lost. (*Disclaimer* I?m sure someone actually knew what they were doing, Sheffield Union)

Entering the cave through Draenen?s only entrance, like the ghosts from Pacman, we found our way through the entrance series. Regrouping was difficult as it turns out suss?s best one (Olly) Is incapable of raising his voice above 60 decibels. Enough waiting and Botch running around trying to find people we all met up again in the end.

After all 7 of us regrouped in a large chamber, I realized there was something very different about this trip. And then it clicked, no women, well well.

More wandering later it turns out Draenen is quite big, I think the cave creates more passage the further you go. I?m not going to describe it all, this isn?t that kind of rant/trip report.

Here is a generic south wales cave description (Jethro Language):

Dry, bland colours, crawl, a flat bit, tight, big again, climb over boulders, trickle of water, some pretty stuff, squeeze through rift, lots of junctions, warm, sweaty? you get the idea.

In expedition mode (apart from the surveying bit) we endeavoured to explore any and all side passages we could find. Getting bored of this Glen, Ben, Max and I decided it was time for a rest and waited while Botch, Olly and Connor climbed into a 1.4 m high by 0.8 m wide side passage that extended inwards and went around a corner.

They were gone quite a while, so we got bored and decided to entomb them by piling lots of large rocks (up to 20 kg and 7.6 dm^3) into the entrance of the side passage in an attempt to confuse them. Olly was the first to arrive at the newly built wall, we could see his light peaking through the gaps in our wall, after a few moments of inspecting the wall the penny dropped ?ohh?, Olly said.

As the SUSS version of Jesus Olly had no problem getting out of the blocked cave passage, removing one of two blocks from the top of the wall he hovered through the small gap and we reblocked it ready for Connor and Botch.

Arriving at the wall Connor seemed more perplexed at the susspiciously man-made barrier blocking his way, after a critical review of his predicament with botch and hearing the sound of our quiet sn-wording they slowly came to the same conclusion as Olly. We then dismantled the wall and tried to put everything more or less back the way it was #caveconservation.

On the way out we decided to go a different way. Botch exclaimed, ?Let us walk down this really long passage, if anyone sees red and white tape, that means we?re going the right way? after walking probably about 0.5 ? 1 km we did find red and white tape, however, one by one we became less convinced this was actually the right way and with our expedition hats on we decided to turn around before our turn back time and go back the way we came before we missed our call out.

More caving: see description in paragraph 10. Group successfully exits the cave.

On the way back we went via Asda to get Rostam some new sausages. There was a decent selection, for a while I struggled to decide between Cumberland and garlic and herb. In the end, I went for the Cumberland ones. Olly said, ?I want some crisps?, so we went to the crisps section where he spent some time trying to choose a flavour. To Olly?s dismay, most of the packets came as multipacks, I suggested it might be better for him to buy a multi-pack so he did. On the way to the tills we went past the bakery section where I spotted some caramel cream pies, they were sort of like banoffee pie but without the banana, amazing I thought. Finally, we caught up with Connor who was planning to purchase some plain de chocolate.

And that was the end of our trip, I hope you enjoyed reading this rant on the new ULSA website. Why not stay a while and browse our extensive library, photo gallery and view our upcoming trips.

 

[Clive G]

The Tresviso Caves Project is a long running expedition to the Picos de Europa in Northern Spain, which this year will consist of two teams, with one mainly comprised of members from Sheffield University Speleological Society. We hope that these teams will allow us to push the already 11km-long Cueva del Agua further towards the goal of a record breaking 1.5km deep through-trip, by connecting to the higher altitude systems of the Andara region.

. . .

Having been browsing around the forum checking up on the details for the start of the road-widening works in the Clydach Gorge, when the Old Drum & Monkey Inn was demolished in 2015, I spotted this thread and thought I'd pop in to say this is very good news of the forthcoming planned new endeavours at Tresviso.

I was there in 1986 on the Agua '86 Expedition, which was largely focused around cave diving projects. You could only get 4-wheel drive vehicles up to the village then, with the approach road being so poor - i.e. Gavin Newman's smart-looking Range Rover, which brought up the main gear. Most of us walked in (or rather up) from the Urdon Gorge. We were impressed when we heard that the village postman also regularly used the same route! There's also a story which was told then (relevant now for the recent news of the decision to move Franco's body) of a partisan having to escape Franco's troops, when he apparently ran down the steep path from the village, being chased by soldiers and gunshots. All they found at the bottom, apparently, was a greatcoat riddled with bullet holes . . .

What impressed me about Cueva del Agua was the passage names, such as 'Road to Certain Death', but then, whilst waiting and watching at the top of the climb as Rob Parker dived the perched sump in the high-level pool at the 'end' of the passage, I found out that this wasn't actually the name of the sump (as I'd thought) but the passage we just traversed along in ferrying the diving kit to the dive site!

What I wasn't able to do as a dry caver (with a reasonable back history of having recently found and dug open the way into Daren Cilau 2 & Daren Cilau 3), because of the scheduling and portering requirements of the divers, was follow up on Pete Smart's suggestion to me before I left Bristol to closely examine the area around Dan's Big Room. The others thought I was just playing a ruse to get to look at the fantastic, huge ribbon-like formations, and so didn't want to play along. However, Pete reckoned this is the area, geomorphologically speaking, where significant further extensions could well be made. Try and find the draught for the way on, if you are able to get there. Perhaps take a lucky crowbar, too, to move the odd obstructive boulder or two.

Beware in Cueva del Agua, because, laden with too many tackle bags on the way out from the big diving camp (Julian didn't believe me and expressed his counter viewpoint with the point of his boot from behind), I slipped on the wide-floored uphill tunnel towards the entrance of the cave and gashed open the palm of my hand on the sharp rock - ending up with blood pouring everywhere. The subsequent red line of infection from the wound spread up almost to the top of my right arm . . . So, take along good antiseptic cream, etc., etc., with you in the medical kit, because this is what ended up saving me!

The other issue can be the very hot sun. We wore shorts and t-shirts (or not) which are great when it rains (a lot) because, as soon as the sun comes out again, you dry off very quickly. However, by taking off my T-shirt whilst scouting round the mountain slopes alone (and encountering a whole herd of scary-looking animals with bells round their necks in the process!)  the top half of my body ended up so red that when I joined some explorers in a small walk-in cave by the (then) dirt-track road leading away from Tresviso, they thought I was wearing a red wetsuit! With today's UV levels from the sun this sort of exposure would not be recommended as being very good.

If anyone is going to use the Urdon Gorge approach and departure I would recommend for the departure leaving Tresviso in moonlight, whilst it is still dark, but such that the sun will rise as you make your way down the mountain track. Seeing the sun and the moon together with the Picos mountains all around is one of those sights and experiences you'll never forget. Steve Jones and I saw the phenomenon as we made our way down together and he said words to this effect as it was happening in front of us, which have well stood the test of time - it's an experience that's hard to beat anywhere in the world.

(And I've had forked lightning hit the ground a few yards from where I was standing on an open moor on my way back from pushing Diwedd yr Enfys (End of the Rainbow) on the Black Mountain - with sad reference to the recent death of Nig Rogers, who was there too - CSS Newsletter, 25(10), August 1983, 154-9.)

So, take care, and make some good new cave discoveries!

 

[alastairgott]

Clive G there is an upto date survey at http://www.tresvisocaves.info/caveImages/13/2.pdf
and an upto date description at
http://www.tresvisocaves.info/tresviso.php?nameFilter=nacim&cave=13

Do you think there is more in the south? As there seems to be quite a few passages trending south east near the entrance.

I've left my oversuit at the hut! and the trusty crowbar is there as well, so i'll be collecting both.

Clive G, were you involved with Castillo mine in the 80's? I've been drafted in to have a look at the snowplug that's in the way getting to Thatcher's squeeze.
http://www.tresvisocaves.info/tresviso.php?area=MA&nameFilter=casti&cave=169

 

[Clive G]

Clive G there is an upto date survey at http://www.tresvisocaves.info/caveImages/13/2.pdf
and an upto date description at
http://www.tresvisocaves.info/tresviso.php?nameFilter=nacim&cave=13

Do you think there is more in the south? As there seems to be quite a few passages trending south east near the entrance.

I've left my oversuit at the hut! and the trusty crowbar is there as well, so i'll be collecting both.

Clive G, were you involved with Castillo mine in the 80's? I've been drafted in to have a look at the snowplug that's in the way getting to Thatcher's squeeze.
http://www.tresvisocaves.info/tresviso.php?area=MA&nameFilter=casti&cave=169

I thought I'd been able to remember quite a lot from 32 years ago off the top of my head, but then you referred me to the very complex survey for Cueva del Agua!

So, I've resorted to reading up the Agua '86 report by Gavin Newman and Julian Walker in Caves & Caving (36), Summer 1987, 15-17.

I think the leads in Bone Passage and Orangeade Arcade beyond Premier Chamber could well be worth looking at but there must be a reason why they have been left apparently ongoing - which may preclude further exploration without some digging or passage enlargement work. Also, are these passages simply heading back to the surface in a relatively short distance?

It appears that, after camping underground in Consort Hall, we made the final Agua push of the expedition and lost the draught in the Hall of the Green Domino. This suggests to me that the Dan's Big Room area a little further back would still be worth a scout around. Formations require certain CO2 conditions and water evaporation rates to develop - so it would be worth looking into what enables the ribbon-like formations to grow and then go and look for the corresponding air flow. There may be some parallel development to the Satan's Teeth Series, which Roddy and Julian entered and pushed through some epic climbing techniques: "The series earnt its name 'Satan's Teeth' from a large stalagmite and [stalactite] formation which the two climbers found at the top of a particularly frightening climb."

Speaking of which, it does seem that there should be something else going off Death Race 2000 around the mid-level, other than Jurassic World. When pushed in 1986, Satan's Teeth had a strong downwards draught . . .

See what others who have been there before have to suggest, study the survey to see what comes to mind from the passage directions and altitudes and then go and look for real in the cave at the sites which catch your interest the most. Push the easiest lead first until it cops out or becomes very difficult to progress and then switch to the next best lead, and so on - until you find something worthwhile!

We rigged the entrance with a tyrolean traverse to make it easier to get our equipment in and out, plus ourselves without getting too wet at the start. Check the weather forecasts and beware that the cave can flood very seriously under the wrong amount of rainfall. Short, sharp showers, however, should be no problem and these seems to happen most days!

The Castillo Mine does not ring a bell with me at the moment. I did enter a cave in Norway (South Nordland '89), though, that had a snow plug. We cut hand and footholds in the snow to descend to the open cave entrance at the bottom. I was the only one who could get all the way down, but had no gloves on and my bare hands ended up being so cold afterwards that I was unable to do much inside the (cold) cave, apart from look down the first pitch, a little way into the entrance passage.

I may not be around very often to post new messages over the next few days, but shall try and keep an eye on this thread whilst the expedition is running.

Cave safely and have good success!

 

[Tommy]

Thank you for your insights Clive, I'm sure some of us will try to catch the moon and sun at just the right time.

Tommy