Adventures in Glenamuckymuck

Glen Stockdale & Glenamuckrach  July 28-29 2012

 Glenamuckrach Discoveries

Following some explorations in the area of Long Drop Cave on an earlier trip, George and Tam expressed an interest in checking out some of the caves in Glen Stockdale and Glenamuckrach. We hiked in on the Saturday (the hard way: up the cutblock and along the rockshelters on the northwest side of the glen), camped at the Glenamuckrach ruins, and came back down on Sunday evening.

George & Tam in their furries at Basecamp

The hike in was EVIL.. and the midgies weren't nice either, but fortunately for me, they're not too enthused about Canadian food. Good Scottish midgies, prefer some lively British tuck. In fact, the offering I brought was apparently so well appreciated that they even invited the ticks to partake. I do so love it when I go the effort to prepare a meal and it's well received. I am the Gordon Ramsay of gourmet midgefood.. although I could do with a bit of work on my presentation.

Camp above, and the GM streamway cavelet at the bottom right.

 The first hole we found was when George went to fetch water from the stream just below camp. It was pretty wet, so here's George redirecting the streamway.   We noticed that later in the weekend, it dried up, having rained quite a bit before our walk in, we discovered it while it was gushing, but by 9pm, it was almost totally dry. On the one hand, that facilitates exploration and digging, but it was a bit freaky too, such an extreme change can make for .. surprises.We plugged it with a George, which seemed to do the job for a while, but then we needed him so we took him back out.

This was found not ten minutes after we had set up camp.  And while George was poking at this hole, Tam was poking at a small resurgence that later became the "Human Bunghole". 

BG                                    Human Bunghole                                   AG 

The human bunghole is a narrow chute that's several Georges long, and 1 George wide. This means that while George was initially clearing the passage, there were some worrying moments when the water disappeared, meaning it was filling the passage up somewhere near where his head was located. George, being George, fortunately had Digging Fever: a rare condition wherein cavers suddenly lose all sense of self preservation as they discover that they can suddenly breathe underwater and collapse their bonestructures in order to flow through impossible spaces like warm custard.

From what I can tell so far, the Human Bunghole goes straight for about two Georges, and then there's a corner, and even a spot where one might be able to sit up before it continues on. It is very wet. 

 

The Midgefeeder

Just uphill of camp, there are a few points of interest, a booby hole we like to call "the Midgefeeder", and the GM resurgences up the streamway a bit.  George dug at it a bit, but the midgies .. well.. they interceded. It was sort of like having a dragon guarding the castle, only it's little flying sets of teeth. I picture midgies as little tiny pairs of flying dentures. You know, the ones with the vampire incisors, always incessantly going *snap!* *snap!* *snap!* We have not returned.

Down to Glen Stockdale

After some poking about at camp, we headed off towards Glen Stockdale to check out some of the caves down there. Along the way, we poked at various resurgences and other points of interest, making a point to log them with the GPS when they were photographed. (this data to come later). Naturally, we all took turns to keep the locals satisfied.

George feeding the midges                                    Tam, feeding the midges                            curious previously dug hole

There were some very curious resurgences, former resurgences, gullies and holes along the way.

   We quickly coined the term "booby holes". This is a point of interest that might, with some effort, lead to a passage, or not. A 50/50 chance,  but enticing nonetheless.  A fool's hole.

His and Hers Booby holes.. and a pair of boobies.. Which is which?

More booby holes.. they're EVERYWHERE...

  We quickly coined the term "booby holes". This is a point of interest that might, with some effort, lead to a passage, or not. A 50/50 chance,  but enticing nonetheless.  A fool's hole.. until proven otherwise.

 Here are Tam and George digging away in a rotting fern compost heap located between two of the entrances to The Cave of the Heifer's Outwash. We never did find the Heifer, but from the smell of that hole, we might have been close.

The Cave of the Heifer's Outwash is quite interesting. One of the most extensive caves in the region, it has multiple entrances, and even more booby holes that probably lead to cat-sized passages here and there.  There are several multipoint junctions, mostly designed for as eloquently described in the Appin Cave Guide, "armoured midgets". Tam got lost at least once, and I had to visit him in his holding cell via another route. There as a small window in the wall through which we could converse. It was large enough to pass food if he decided to make his incarceration more permanent, but the creaking of the slate ceiling convinced him that perhaps he might find better lodging elsewhere. George had an intimate moment at the poet's corner squeeze, and in fact.. he was quite poetic come to think of it, and I took the opportunity to step into the lavatory and take a nice cool shower. Appin mud is sort of like instant tan, only it leaves some more permanent discoloration on the shins and forearms.

The many faces of the Cave of the Heifer's Outwash. Note the distinct absence of any outwashing heifers.

 

The Cave of the Heifer's Outwash

 Here's my lovely model posing at the entrance of Glen Stockdale Cave. We need to start bringing something to show scale in the photos, but for now, I have George. The cave is, as you can see, easily accessible and actually surprisingly roomy inside. Reported to have been one of the hiding places of Charles Stuart of Ardsheal, one of Prince Charlie's strongest supporters during the second Jacobite Rising (1745). Following defeat at Culloden, the survivors scattered. For the next decade they were relentlessly hunted by the English army and many took to the hills and lived in caves such as this. There is another cave to the north in Duror that is also known to have been a hiding place of Ardsheal. Apparently, it's hidden behind a waterfall and there's a small cascade nside. I plan to check this out as soon as I can.

 As you can see, the inside of the cave is quite cosy. I figured it's large enough to sleep two men comfortably, three if one wants to sit up, and up to five if they draw lots and two get to sit in the streamway.

The entrance is about the size of a small single car garage.

Glen Stockdale Cave

By the time we made it back to camp, it was 9:30pm, but still light out. At least, it was light enough for the midgies to find us. We relaxed for the evening, played some music, enjoyed some hot buttered rum, mulled some wine, murdered a jelly worm, and tried our best to scandalize the local sheep.

GM Laundrette

My Spaceship

The next day, we hiked up from camp and checked out the Glenamuckrach Resurgences we found in the Appin Cave Guide and following the path uphill from them, promptly found what we thought was GM Pot.  Shortly after that, we found another cave that didn't appear to be listed, which we now refer to as "Hugo Boss Cave", but despite its rather obvious non-vertical entrance, it is also known as "Glenamuckrach Pot".

Tam and the Great MuttonHead in the entrance to Hugo Boss Cave

Trì Gallachan Cave Discoveries

"Trì Gallachan" means "Three Bitches" in honor of the three wee terriers that led the way to the latest valley of Scottish cave discovery. 

Weekend of June30 - July 1

Parking our cars at a small lay-by just past the turn-off to Glen Creran, we traveled uphill from Drumavuic southeasterly along Allt Buidhe (see the yellow line on the map below).

To get to the Trì Gallachan part of the valley, we followed the track along the stream up into the glen above. As we hiked up the hill, we could see behind us the cave-ridden hillside of Glen Creran where we planned to go do some surveying after our little hunt. I don't think any of us actually believed we'd get to surveying the Black Rift, but it's always nice to have a backup plan.

View of Glen Creran to the North                                                                     Loch Creran to the West

Along the way, we passed a number of Scotland's larger predators, treacherous carnivorous plants, but somehow we survived. We did notice however, the marked absence of the smaller predators. Although we got nibbled on a bit by the car, there were no midgies in the valley!!

  Local Predators: vicious man-eating plants and a creepy phallic poo-mushroom

While gearing up at the car, I had asked Tam how far we were expecting to go, and he said he wasn't sure, but roughly a kilometer.  I have long ago learned not to trust cavers when it comes to distance.. we're too used to crawling.  A short walk can take forever on one's hands and knees.. so 1km underground could very well have taken much longer to cover..  All the same:

Note:
One Tam-Kilometer = 2.5 miles

2.5 miles up the valley, we found a sheiling. Directly across the stream, pretty much the first time we paused along the hike, Toby found Rowan Tree Cave.

The discovery and deflowering of Rowan Tree Cave

Contemplation                                                             Examination                                                               Exploration

We decided to experiment with the DistoX and surveyed what we could of the small cave:

1-2:   1.50     65.7    -5.0

2-3:   1.34   140.5    -50.2

After that, we wandered the south side of the glen, following the  tried and true Antill Method of cave hunting:

The "George Method" of cave exploration

  This is a relatively straightforward approach, wherein one wanders about jabbing at any and all apparent soft spots in the hopes that it will give. Any and all appendages are used in this method of exploration, simply find a soft spot, jump up and down on it.. stuff an appendage into it.. and see if it turns into a cave!

.. of course.. jumping up and down on soft spots can be a bit hazardous. At one point, we were standing in a depression and George was bouncing up and down saying "This seems pretty soft.." when *poof!* he suddenly disappeared up to his armpits! Fortunately, a good caver always wears safety gear whilst exploring, so George's trusty tackle sack stopped him from plummeting further beneath the countryside.  Toby and I stood there watching him struggle for a second while I dug for my camera.. George was saying some thing like "er.. I can't touch the ground.." but good friends always document the important moments.

George, finding Eaten Hole

After documenting the occasion, Toby and I reached down and hauled him up a bit, but by then he had slid in a bit further, and his kicking little toes had found purchase. We didn't need the DistoX to tell that this hole was roughly one George deep. Nonetheless, upon further examination, we found a short passage made soggy by a small underground stream.

Eaten/Eton Hole:

2-1:    2.076     339.0       -19.0

3-2:    2.319     346.3       -43.8

We reconnected with the other George and his three doggies a short way up the glen and promptly encountered another hole in the knoll.  George climbed in, we heard him thumping about a bit, and then out came a boulder the size of a small sheep. George stopped to rest, and received a polite face-washing from some of our furry companions..

"Bechlikyng Hole" spelling conscientiously adjusted for the sake of politeness.

At this point, acknowledging the contributions of the three bitches.. we decided to henceforth refer to this new region of discovery as "Three Bitches".. or more politely, "Trì Gallachan" in Gàidhlig. But from now on, if you hear a caver saying they're heading up to the Bitches.. well you will have a pretty good idea of where they're going!

Meanwhile, as we busied ourselves cramming George and Toby into tight spaces, and fiddled with the DistoX, Tam and Julie were doing a little better. They had discovered "Tight'Un" on the other side of our grassy knoll.

George looking down on the entrance to Tight'Un

TightUn was by a huge margin the most extensive of the weekend's discoveries.  The entrance is at the base of a light waterfall hidden beneath the burn. Tight'Un is of the type that I like to refer to as a "spa cave".  Spa caves provide a full therapeutic package: 

A new fundraising strategy for SCRO :)

About the Trees:

As near as we can tell, pretty much every tree in the valley can be used to find an entrance.  Rowan Tree cave is self-explanatory, but there is a large tree right beside BetchlikyngHole, a dead tree at the stream below the Tight'Un resurgence, and another live tree just upstream can be used to find the other miscellaneous holes I found that weekend.  I haven't spent too much time on those, as they are all the result of rock breakage and fissures as near as I can tell. Nonetheless, if I can fit my whole body into a hole, and there is still the potential to travel further, it's at least worth a mention.  

Interesting Stuff

On day two, while Toby, Julie and Tam were painstakingly surveying Tight'Un, Andy, George and I continued exploring.  The fellas pottered up to the end of the glen to check out the ominous looking dents in the cliff sides, and I circled a bit closer to the areas of known-limestone.  As soon as they got out of yelling range, I found the Tight'Un resurgence. It's a pool about 5 feet long and 3 feet across, and at the time about 3-4 feet deep. I reduced the level by about a foot and a half by removing downstream rock dams until the level lowered enough for me to probe beneath the wide limestone shelf at one end. yup.. it goes somewhere. However, despite wearing a wetsuit, I resisted the urge to go for a paddle.  It was early yet.  

 About 2pm, as I was resting on the bank, the survey team must have passed near the sump, as suddenly the water became very muddy...  If I 'd had any doubts as to whether or not it was the Tight'Un resurgence, I didn't now!  I hammered some jolly tunes on the rock, but I guess they didn't hear me.  Later, I tossed in a few froggies.. just to see if they'd scout it out for me. They did not return, so either they really didn't like being fondled, or they had somewhere to go.  Perhaps I'll send in something larger next time.. like a George. 

Before George                                 The Tight'Un Resurgence                              After George

  Abandoning the resurgence after a while, I wandered about poking other holes and photographing various areas of interest.  On the other side of the glen, I encountered George and Andy coming back down the hill.  We reviewed some of the other points of interest I had noted on the way up, and then I just about stepped in another resurgence.   It was bubbling away like a happy little fountain, but we couldn't see if it was connected to any limestone. Andy scouted uphill for more evidence, while I handed George Andy's small green trowel and set him loose to do what George does best:   He dug, and dug, and dug.  We still hadn't found limestone by the time we stopped, but we were well on our way to having a moat dug for our new campsite.

(BG)   Before George                                       Uphill Resurgence                                         (AG)  After George

 Once we got back home, I looked up the geological surveys of the area, and it appears that most of the limestone is located on this side of the valley, so it's still a promising little patch of mud that bears more exploring.   In the end, here is a photo of the glen showing the location of most of our discoveries.

Trì Gallachan discoveries:

Looking up the glen from a spot near the shieling