After wading upstream for nearly 230 metres, the roof started to lower and the passage get wider. Shortly afterwards Sump 3 was met. At this point it was not clear where the main way on was. Underwater the passage was wide and the visibility dismal. Phil Howson tried hard to make progress, but despite numerous searches, kept swimming into alcoves and undercuts. Meanwhile Brian Judd and Phil Murphy (without diving equipment) felt airspace with their feet as they floated around the passage checking the sides! It is an illustration of how difficult route finding is, to know that it was so difficult to find the way to pass a sump of less than two metres! Phil Howson then dived through with a line to find another 15 metres of 'dry' passage, before a fourth sump was met. Sump 4 was much more difficult to pass and took several dives. "At stage we saw Phil Howson's lights coming back towards us underwater, but seemingly off route. Fearing that he had lost the line, I quickly ducked down and touched his helmet, whereupon he immediately vanished! For some time I was cursing myself for not having grabbed him when I had the chance. Fortunately he re-appeared back at the dive base after several minutes, saying he'd swum round in a circle and thinking that a rock had fallen on his head! (When I'd touched him)" Eventually Phil's perseverance paid off and he found the way on in a narrow 'bedding plane', to pass Sump 4 after a dive of 22 metres. This was only a brief respite from diving however, because 10 metres further on the passage again went underwater into Sump 5. |
