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