The sump starts at a large pool and quickly shelves off to -30 feet depth in a horribly silted underwater passage. This silted tube continues for 300 feet to a boulder strewn area and vertical ascent to airspace at a large air bell with a small trickle of water from a roof joint. The line was belayed back here and the diver proceeded on into the second sump which was found to be 30 feet long and 15 feet deep in a continuation of the narrow rift leading to a deep water airbell and a further sump. This was dived and passed after 50 feet to a large airbell with knee deep water. The fourth sump which leads on almost immediately was passed after 40 feet with a maximum depth of ten feet. Sumps 2,3 and 4 are situated in the same rift running on in the same line as the passage between the second and third pitches on the route down the pot. At the end of the fourth sump, the diver was greeted by the roar of the stream flowing on into a sizeable continuation. Having dekitted however, the excitement was short lived, as only 50 feet of passage was found leading to a greasy eight foot climb down into sump 5.
The fifth sump was quickly reached and was found to be a narrow rift descending from the long narrow sump pool. Unable to descend at the far end the diver tried about half way along the pool and found a narrow slot descending for 15 feet to a larger rift and continuation in the same direction as before. This was followed for 250 feet by which time it had shelved off to 50 feet depth in a muddy boulder-floored rift. Anxious about the return through the slot, the diver tied off to a lead block and returned. The greasy eight foot climb out of the sump was found very difficult to ascend with twin forties on.
Unfortunately, J.T.G. was unable to clear in the first sump and had to return. R.J.S. did not feel like pushing on alone and so the dive was abandoned.
R.J.S.
This time J.T.G. managed to clear his ears successfully and both divers proceeded to the greasy 2.4m climb after sump 4, which we have called Monteath Pot. R.J.S. was lowered into sump 5 and quickly reached his limit of 22.10.77 at 76m. Continuing on a further 97m of line was laid along a continuation of the rift at about -14m depth to a large chamber with horrifying deposits of silt. Following the left hand wall, a further 24m of line was laid up a glutinous silt bank to air space at a large airbell with a trickle of water from the roof. Here the diver tied off to his lead weight and returned anxious about the large quantities of silt which he had disturbed, but not before noticing that the mud cleared rapidly from the airbell. It could be that this is the inlet from Hunt Pot. J.T.G. had meanwhile been poking about in the passages between sumps 4 and 5 but had found no other possible continuation.
R.J.S.
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