- Written by Chris A & TomTom
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Badgers defeat Scotland's deepest cave (Photos)
Uamh Nan Claig-Ionn (Cave of the Skulls) – Scotland
Christoph Adams and Thomas Hughes
14/07/11
Oc aye laddy, BBPC rocks into Scotland, destination, its deepest cave.
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After 7 hours driving and covering an impressive 400 miles across 3 countries finds the great explorers (the aforementioned C and T dawg) within some miles of Scotland’s deepest cave. Armed with the knowledge that the cave is in a fenced off area, by some trees in Duror (just North of Oban) we began our search of the rather large area of Scotland. We first asked for help at a hotel, their help consisted of telling us where Oban was, and where we were, but nothing even remotely cave related. Our next port of call was a campsite. The lady at the campsite was very enthusiastic but had no idea where the cave was other than sort of in that direction. As we helplessly drove up and down Scotland we spotted a small 4x4 with “Mongol Rally” stickers all over it. With a quick demonstration of an emergency stop we were able to talk with the very well spoken Mongol rallyist and determine where the cave was to within 2 miles or so of our current location. Quipped this new knowledge, we headed for a guest house which was supposedly within a stone’s throw of the cave and hoped beyond reason that the proprietors happened to know anything about caves or their local geophysical landscape. |
After 7 hours driving and covering an impressive 400 miles across 3 countries finds the great explorers (the aforementioned C and T dawg) within some miles of Scotland’s deepest cave. Armed with the knowledge that the cave is in a fenced off area, by some trees in Duror (just North of Oban) we began our search of the rather large area of Scotland. We first asked for help at a hotel, their help consisted of telling us where Oban was, and where we were, but nothing even remotely cave related. Our next port of call was a campsite. The lady at the campsite was very enthusiastic but had no idea where the cave was other than sort of in that direction. As we helplessly drove up and down Scotland we spotted a small 4x4 with “Mongol Rally” stickers all over it. With a quick demonstration of an emergency stop we were able to talk with the very well spoken Mongol rallyist and determine where the cave was to within 2 miles or so of our current location. Quipped this new knowledge, we headed for a guest house which was supposedly within a stone’s throw of the cave and hoped beyond reason that the proprietors happened to know anything about caves or their local geophysical landscape.
The guest house was at the end of a mahooosive dirt track which lasted several miles, but was in a very pretty area of the world. We fumbled up to the gate with our toons blazin' and were greeted by a very kind gentleman, who we discovered went by the name of Jim, and was as sharp in thought as his name was short, as he reasoned very quickly (without either of us having been able to say much by this point, at the start of our blossoming friendship) that we were looking for the Cave of the Skulls, a conclusion he drew solely on the knowledge that we were not one of his guests, spoke English and wore BBPC polo shirts – very impressive. He knew the existence of the cave and his kind wife Hillary was even more useful as she had stumbled upon it herself when she was learning the lay of the land around the time they set the guesthouse up, so was able to describe to us with keen detail where it resided, using OS maps loaded through her computer to guide us. Hillary and Jim were also obligingenough to agree to be our safety call out when we attempted the cave tomorrow, which meant we would have local knowledge on our side if something went horrifically sideways in Scotland’s deepest cave. Further to the local guidance Hillary and Jim were able to provide in locating the cave, it transpired their accountant was a member of the cave rescue team which covered the Appin region of Scotland, so we felt assured that we would be fine, come metaphorical rain or shine.
With blind optimism we entered the forest convinced we’d find the cave opening in minutes, after all we had be told the cave was only a short distance into the forest....... One and a half hours later and half beaten to death by pine trees we had still not found the cave. To make matters worse the sun was rapidly diving towards the horizon. We had all but given up on the hunt and resigned to the fact that it wasn’t going to happen as we needed to start looking for a scenic setting for our tent by the loch, when T-Dawg stumbled upon some welly tracks in the mud. After a quick bit of woodcraft, we were led to a grassy knoll free from trees. The fenced off area housing Scotland’s deepest cave was finally unearthed and suddenly it was back on the cards!
The day of the cave
After a slow start we emerged from our tent full of optimism for the day of caving. Breakfast consisted of cold sausage sandwiches and Yorkshire tea which provided ample preparation for what lay ahead. We packed up camp and took the short drive back up to the guest house to finalise our call out with Hillary and Jim. Upon arrival at the guest house Jim and Hillary had become even more helpful by printing off a photocopy of a guide book which gave a description of the cave, which luckily matched our rigging guide fairly well. John was driven to the locked gate again and we got changed and packed our tackle bags with the required gear. The walk up to the cave in caving gear was toasty (the reason for only caving in winter perhaps?), but mercifully short. As we reached the cave and put on our SRT kit we where viciously attacked by midges, literally 12 trillion of them where all trying to land on your face at once. So after the quickest gear up in history we dived for the cave with C-Dawg rigging the 5m hand line needed to get into the slippy entrance. Fortunately the bottom of this small pitch was away from the midges and much cooler than the surface, bliss! The fairly open almost free climbable entrance led to an ever tightening squeeze which unusually for caves wasn’t full of water.
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Toodle pip,
TomTom (dawg)
Chris A (dawg)
xxx