Trip Name: “I’m cold”, “What just happened” and “OMG! I am in the SMMC!!!”
Trip Members: Rob E., Rob M., Jon P., Sam P., Chris H. and Fabian E.
Today is the day I was planning to enter the SMMC. I’ve been putting it off for too long to get through Vulgarious and my shift work also hasn’t helped.
We met as usual enjoying a couple of cold refreshing beers whilst kitting up ready for the trip. Jim who visited with his son for some SRT training in the entrance pitch also brought some lovely Mince Pies which went down a treat.
Knowing that the trip now includes a free dive just before you enter the SMMC I opted to purchase a cheap neoprene suit to make things a little warmer. A trick I learned from the “regulars”.
To test my knowledge of the route I entered the first pitch first and started descending. After only 5m I opted to take the wrong turn but realising the mistake retraced my steps and entered the correct passage, from then on route finding was easier and we found ourselves in the Inglorious Bastards chamber very soon. SRT kit dumped I noticed that my wet suit already had taken a huge battering… oh well it was only cheap. As long as I don’t end up completing the trip in my underwear I don’t care.
Rob E. and Rob M. followed close behind and I started heading down towards Loperamide Lust which I remember being quite tight, but it seriously has been widened by the repeated passing of trip members. In a wet suit it was a little hard work as it is clay like mud which does make moving forward difficult. Within a few minutes I found myself at the beginning of Vulgarious Bastard which I remembered from my first ever digging trip into this system. Think of it as a phreatic tube filled with what your toilet would expect after a good curry. Sloppy, gloopy mud with some harder bits. Progress is rather easy as every time you dig your fingers into the mud and pull yourself forward you slide another 1.5m, we passed For Buck’s Sake followed by a lovely duck into the next section before reaching Vulgarious Rift. After the last section I found myself in Race Against Time and could’ve kicked myself in the arse… This was honestly not as bad as I imagined, and I was cross that I’ve put it off for so long.
Rob E. exited the breakthrough point shortly after me and suggested that I’d explore towards the Boil Up Sump 1 to experience the strange geology that is RAT. Now it is big (but there is bigger stuff to come), RAT is very strange, a very interesting type of streamway and geology. The streamway just draws you in, around every bend, every corner do you see something you want to look at and before you know you can hear Rob shouting you from behind to return as they are ready for the dive.
After a quick jog back, I reached the guys at the entrance to the free dive. Unfortunately, Jon P. noticed that his Scurion lamp developed a leak, and he was not keen to perform the free dive knowing he’d knacker his lamp up so decided with Sam P. and Chris H. to take some pictures in a nearby chamber.
After a quick instruction from the two Robs on how to safely navigate the free dive I observed Rob E. take the first dive and I followed behind. Next me… enter the water, get into the air bell. Dive line in right hand, deep breath, duck and pull yourself through ensuring your head is tilted towards your chest. As soon as you started to think “Why the hell am I doing this?” you exit the dive and are met with a cheering Rob on the other side… your next emotions are a mixture of: “I’m cold”, “What just happened” and “OMG! I am in the SMMC!!!”.
Now I already mentioned RAT and how the geology is very weird, the SMMC is very similar but on steroids. Boulders the size of cars, passages large enough to make you wonder what amount of force and effort it has taken to create these.
Rob M. pointed out some unique features especially one where you can see a van sized boulder having scratched the adjoining walls as it must have moved down.
Joe Buck in SMMC, by Rob Eavis
We bypassed Upstream Sump 1 which seemed blocked by a silt plug but with their new oxbow passage involving a very tight letterbox it is now very manageable.
Once we reached Upstream Sump 2 the two Robs started immediately to get on with their task. Rob M. kitted up to start the dive and Rob E. fitted the first bolt and entered the air bell via a dry passage to fit the second bolt, all to install a new free dive line.
Rob M. entered the water with diving gear on and somehow completely bypassed Rob in the air bell and exited the Sump on the other side… Very shortly after I saw the lights of his helmet coming my direction and he exited the sump just at my feet. After a quick reorientation he managed to find the air bell and the free dive line was rigged. Rob E. then returned and kitted up for the dive whilst Rob M. returned from the dive and said that because water levels are so low it could be done as a free dive. He turned to me and asked if I’d like to come through as well using his kit and he would free dive it.
Now that’s an offer I could not turn down and followed Robs instruction on how to mount the little cylinder onto my chest and check the equipment.
Rob E. went off first and I received the three tugs on the dive line and it was time for me to go. Now I am accustomed to swimming pool for my SCUBA lessons, but this is cold water, with visibility like sewage and certainly not as spacious to move through. One duck and I already was in the air bell… this wasn’t bad! Next duck and I pulled myself along the free dive line through the submerged phreatic tube banging my head repeatedly on the roof despite me trying to keep it tucked against my chest. As I broke the water surface in the next chamber Rob was cheering again. Now there was only one emotion: “THIS WAS AMAZING!” Rob M. followed shortly behind free diving the whole section and he seemed very pleased with himself knowing that this sump is now suitable as a free dive as well.
We left behind our cylinders and explored the last few sections and ended in T’Old Man’s Birthday which is where the SMMC terminates at present. This boulder choke seems off putting but it has the feel that this is not the end, there must be more to it. It certainly is something to return to.
Now it was time to return, I dived the section first followed by both Robs. I mistakenly offered to assist with carrying the cylinders back to surface. We made some very good progress through the SMMC towards the free dive. Now once you’ve done it you start to like it as it’s a lot of fun.
Vulgarious and Loper’s on the return are exhausting, after the amount of cave we’ve experienced dragging the tackle bags back towards Inglorious isn’t fun. Rob E. took the two cylinders and ascended the pitch, I followed and the last I saw of him was just around Pearly Gates and he was off. Rob M. and myself followed behind but I think I slowed us down quite a bit as the sections just before Coconut Aven are very technical and require good knowledge as to where to place your feet. After a lot of huffing and puffing and the occasional relieving curse word to express your dislike of the situation we exited the entrance pitch and shut the lid! What an amazing trip this was!
This place always surprises me, these guys have been at it for so long, they broke through into the SMMC. It feels like there is nothing left to explore but the list still isn’t completed so there is more to explore.
Off to bed with a couple of Co-codamol, deep heat and sort the kit out the next day.
Fabian