Arriving at the Carpark Rob rather sluggishly leaves the car voicing complaints of his previous meal, although outweighed by arriving back to the stomping grounds of Cussy. Winter has seen most attention diverted to other prospects for Team Awesome leaving this ripe section of Stoney alone and for the most part silent. The mission for tonight was to reach the Boil-up Sump 2 and reactivate the syphon to remove the underwater gate allowing access back into the Master cave. The Idea of free dive is truly tested at this second sump when the levels raise as Joe Buck and Rob have previously experienced.
A team previously had attempted to pass Loper Lust whom reported that there was no draft and therefore sumped as of last week. I have never experienced this dive and therefore was very excited to try my hand at it. As I tested the limits of my mother’s wetsuit we set off. Left of the initial descent into Coconut Airways dropping into Inglorious removing our srt kits and right into the inviting crawl of Loper Lust. Flat out with speed, we reach the first sump. Positioned in the first section Rob below me explains the nature of the dive containing three airbells and then a fully committed dive. After performing his ablutions, he then leaves me. Duck one two and three and through I hear an Excited caver on the other side meaning there is air on the roof but not enough to be noticed or taken advantage of. Now my turn the initial cold water seeps into my suit releasing some adrenalin and I pass on into airbell three to what is an uninviting way onto my left. After I feel both sides with my arms I slow my breaths and wait for Rob to set up his camera then go. What is only a body-length sump in a tight crawl makes for an exciting emergence into comforting air. Now on the wrong side of a sump we carry on with the trip to the ladder to the Wet West jumping off a few feet down to Vulgarious Bastard past the rift arriving at the Boil-up Sump 2.
With the syphon working Rob comes up with a plan to do a round trip to Doom, a system I have heard much about and am very eager to see, the only thing is that there is a pitch and we do not have our kit. But we of course go forward with the promise to give it a solid effort. Journey back into a beautiful passage of A Race Against Time to the entrance pitch of NGA chamber. On initial look at the pitch, it did not look crazy so I go for it. Rob explained the body belay method. Now I center myself and assume the role of tomb raider or young Indi junior and descend into the chamber with Rob right behind. The floor was made up of sleeping titan-like boulders of impressive stature. Crawling down through the boulder choke careful not to awake NGA thus arriving at a very tight squeeze between two slices of rock. Though my role as Squeeze master was established at the YSS hunt in combat with the GUCA Rob went ahead and showed me the technique of needing to take your helmet off and let gravity pull you through. With a solid hug from Oztoteotl, we enter the mine of the Wet West. Coming section of mine with magnificent lumber mine props added to the photogenic nature although I did not realize what was to come. Once to the ladder leading back out to Luper Lust we offshoot to DOOM.
Entering the official mine of Doom I was greeted with huge open passage with offshoots into lower and upper series all bumping in and out of a natural cave. The most beautiful Stone walls crafted by the miners separated the working path from the drop-offs into the impending doom of the lower series. Walkways across the walls with Launders circling around carrying water into natural cave. Side shoots of workshops, this place feels more complex due to the time investment into the structure of their works! Almost like a director's take on a working mine. As we continue through the main passage of Doom I am shown a minute detour into a huge aven ascending into the ceiling yet to be bolt climbed. Then past a mine cart left in the final position of dumping material into a lower section of the mine. Travelling further in the horizontal movement then transitions into a pipe mine ascending and coming back about halfway up the aven reached earlier. Along the catacomb-like stone walls, we reach a T junction although the miners added a wall to block off the right passage clearly directing you to turn left. For what reason the miner themselves would do this is unknown and adds a very spooky aspect to the Intersection. With advice headed we journey further and then decide to turn around as this was a lot to take in. Retracing our steps jumping over and across the lower series down beautifully crafted steps and back into the wet west up the ladder and into loper lust. This time I opt to go first through the sump. The entrance slides down into the plunge and with reasonable momentum, one could slide through like a seal. I lacked the commitment and ended up face pressed against wet rock reshuffling my position I dive in and come to the first air bell and journey through. Robs' shout of successful passing lets me know we're well on our way back to the surface. With kits on we ascend out of blackjack and up to the surface. A successful night with the syphon working and for myself thanks to Rob I got to have an amazing trip adding some of the puzzle pieces of the area to better understand the picture I am forming of Stoney Middleton.
Dylan Kocher emerging from Cussey, by RobE