Viagara Rift. Shatter Cave.

The Old Ruminator

Well-known member
Some ten years ago three old cavers were coming out of Shatter when one said that he could hear water running. Being mostly unreliable in this respect the other two cavers said " pah , you be hearing things ". Well with ear close to the floor there was indeed the noise of running water. That was about a metre from the entrance pipe so made a quick and easy dig. A descent of some 25 metres lead to an active streamway choked on the downstream end. This was indeed the last significant find in Shatter Cave. Being rather old then (and virtually senile now) the passage was called Viagara Rift. Apart fom a bolt fitted and a bit of walling done nothing else ever happened. No survey, no photos and no water tracing. The entrance was covered over with a big metal sheet.
Yesterday one of the original discoverers decided to pay a long overdue visit. Supported by younger assistants. The bottom sump was regained and a short video made. Some photos were taken. The stream was flowing strongly with signs of back up. The boulders were horrible and the 20m ladder was a fair way off the bottom parts of which looked a bit awkward. Its probable that this is the Withybrook stream heard down the rift at the end of Helectite Rift. It might flow onward via Conning Tower Cave, Ducks Pot and Hilliers Cave to emerge at St Dunstans Well. So still open for stream testing.

The Old Guys.

Peter Glanvill, Pete Rose and Nick Chipchase.

The " new " team.

Mike Wise leading. Brian Johnson support and a practically senile Nick Chipchase with the camera.

Possibly a minor collector's piece and even more probably best avoided.

Video link.


Mike Wise bravely leads.



Brian Johnson supporting.



The awkward bit below the ladder.





Mike Wise at the sump.



 

The Old Ruminator

Well-known member
Thanks Duncan. Addenda. We used a 10m ladder so I guess the total depth is around 15m. Have you got a copy of the survey for my personal use ?
 

The Old Ruminator

Well-known member
Thanks Duncan. Addenda. We used a 10m ladder so I guess the total depth is around 15m. Have you got a copy of the survey for my personal use ?
Duncan confirms the depth at 12m. Viagara Sump would be some eight metres above the rising. Would still be good to get some tracing done though. The lowest point in Conning Tower would be 2m below Viagara Rift
 

The Old Ruminator

Well-known member
Apologies to Martin Grass who I have omitted. Martin's correction reads -

Viagra Rift was first descended on the 7th November 1999. Almost 24 years ago NT 10ish as per your report.

You had heard water the week before but had not descended the pitch but you had removed the rocks blocking the pitch. On the 7th the team that removed the rocks and descended the pitch were: Me, Peter G, Pete Rose, You and Johnathan your son! Plus the man (whose name I don’t have but Peter G will) who is on the front cover of the 1999 edition of Mendip Underground!

I put a bolt in to attach the ladder to. Peter G went down first followed b y me. We offered you the honour of going first but you said your wife had told you NOT to go down first and NOT to let Johnathan go first. You said this was under a warning of “testicle removal” when you returned home if you did!

Blimey how time flies ---
 

mrodoc

Well-known member
I am going to be very boring and quote from my log now!
Pete Rose and I did a very frustrating photo trip in Shatter Cave on 21st September 1999. On the way in I heard a stream flowing inside the entrance. I visited the cave again on 15th October with Peter Rose, Nigel Cox, Simon Brooks and some Orpheus members but no note of hearing the stream. On 31st October on a trip with Martin Webster, Pete Rose, Mark Faulkner, Nick Chipchase and Pete Rose after visiting Portcullis series and Pillar Chamber (I remember it well as Nigel had one of the early digital cameras and got good results) Nick, Nigel and me excavated a hole in the floor just inside the entrance opening estimated 15 foot deep shaft at the bottom of which a stream could be heard. On 2nd November 2011 Martin Grass, Ken Passant, Pete Rose, Nick Chipchase. Jonathan Chipchase, Nigel Cox and me returned.. Martin put in a bolt, Nigel descended followed by Nick who examined downstream. I descended the upstream side of the rift and started digging. After a difficult return I went back with Nick and the bolt kit and bolted the pitch, descended and dug my way into a tiny streamway. After this all left the cave. (My memory is hazy but I do remember the rift being full of hanging death and I think that is why another bolt was inserted to get at the upstream very immature passage.) I have never heard the stream again and suggest that I was lucky enough to be there when flow levels were high enough to make noise, not low enough to be inaudible and not too high that there would be a pool the length of the rift.

After Withyhill floods and there is a pool in the quarry floor you can clearly hear a stream flowing just inside the entrance of Hillwithy Cave. The rift it is in is choked but could be dug out with chemical persuasion on some boulders. I reckon it would be worth a look as it appears that even in flood conditions the dry passage in Withyhill doesn't take a huge amount of water suggesting it flows beneath the floor. Now that is interesting as it suggests there are two streams running under the quarry, one from Withybrook and one from ???. I got some dye tracing materials together a while back planning to put detectors in various locations in the caves to see if we can clarify things but not been back as side tracked by other projects. It would help also to reach that stream heard in Hillwithy of course. Streams are visible or heard at several locations in the FCQ systems namely Shatter Cave (2 locations). Hillier's Cave (Drop out rift and near Cambridge Grotto) Hillwithy at the entrance and Conning Tower cave.

Our first proper surface dig back in 1968 was made following a tiny stream in Holwell quarry trickling down the wall. Again it was only there is wet conditions. Similarly I have heard a decent stream in the east series of Howell cave well away from the stream that can be seen occasionally at the other end of the system. This was in wet weather at the bottom of a narrow rift but one that nowadays could be enlarged by judicious capping if we could get permission to enter the cave (the rift appears to enlarge below the constriction). Sometimes I think the conditions have to be just right to hear cave streams.
 

The Old Ruminator

Well-known member
Yes first partially descended Oct 31st then with a ladder on 7th Nov 1999. I could have checked my log but really I only wanted to showcase my wonderful photos. The sketch section I made on 7th Nov.

 

cap n chris

Well-known member
Duncan confirms the depth at 12m. Viagara Sump would be some eight metres above the rising. Would still be good to get some tracing done though. The lowest point in Conning Tower would be 2m below Viagara Rift
I did tracing works there waaaaaaay over a decade ago. No idea what happened with the research outcome(s) though.
 

Duncan Price

Active member
Thanks Duncan. Addenda. We used a 10m ladder so I guess the total depth is around 15m. Have you got a copy of the survey for my personal use ?
It's all online - I'm using the £D SURVEX model which you can get from my website. Anyone can have it. The Wookey stuff will shortly include our laser scanning data as we can now integrate the point cloud from this into SURVEX.
 
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