Lot & Dordogne April 2006
Team: Roland, Robin, Pfiff, Michael
Over Easter we decided to go cave diving for a few days in the Lot to visit the more or less unknown caves. As a primary gas source we used only Stages, the gas in the backpack was
The gas in the backpack was safety gas and was not touched except for taring. Furthermore, it saves more or less time-consuming filling sessions.
As soon as we arrived, we checked the Source de Landenouse and were quite pleased with the height of the water level, because it saved us an elaborate rappelling action. We rafted comfortably with 2 x 80 cf stages EAN 32 and a D 12 each to just under 600 m penetration.
As a turning point we agreed on a residual pressure of 35 bar in the first Nitroxstage and then turned around comfortably and enjoyed this beautiful cave. The visibility was a good 25-30 meters and should give us in the coming days still a nice Scooter TG in the Landenouse.
The Tg took us to about m into the Landenouse and although there was still plenty of gas, we turned as Bernd got calf cramps.
Next we dived in the Ressel and scooted comfortably with a stage to the shaft at 360 m and scooted on the way back into the shallow passage at the first T at 170 m and then we went out again after a little less than an hour, because we had plenty of hunger and were looking forward to a nice BBQ.
The next day we visited the Trou Madame (water level was perfect!) and dived four times on foot with one Nitroxstage each to about 800 m into the cave to one of the various surface sites and turned around. The decision matured, here with 2 Stages and a few Scooters armed, to dive again in the next days to come further.
No sooner said than done: The next day we scooted up to about 1400 m into the cave, after having dragged the equipment to the cave for half the day. We did not regret the dragging in any moment and had a fantastic scooter TG in a crystal clear cave.
Of course, we also paid various visits to the Ressel and worked our way forward successively with first one and then finally two Trimixstages together with the usual deco gases (50/25, Oxygen) -which we put down beforehand- in the deep part, in order to turn penetration here at about 775 m during one of these dives.
The goal of the TG was actually to reach the side passage at 830 m, which would have been surely enough if we had not had to look for the continuation of the broken line. One of us stayed at the end of the line while the other one systematically searched the large space, when the other end of the wire was found, one of the team already reached the agreed reversal pressure on the trimix stage and so we retreated a bit disappointed without reconnecting the lines.
We wanted to tackle this in the next few days. Since the penetration was nevertheless quite manageable and our gas reserves of the baking gas and in the Stages at any time a rausschwimmen from the cave would have made possible, we led here a Backupsccooter in a 3 man team with. One must be already in the clear one that it to foot evenly the triple time, triple +x gas quantity and evenly naturally appropriate Dekozeiten entails, if I in the case of a Scooterausfalles flösseln must, because a Backup is not available. A good option are of course towing maneuvers of the partner, but a backup concept is option 1.
The weather conditions deteriorated visibly and the next day we tried again in the Ressel in the deep part at 775 m to mend the line to then - if the amount of gas allows it - to scoot to 830 m to the side passage.
The flow in the entry section was clearly noticeable, but quite doable. Visibility was about 8-12 m in the front part up to 200 m, which was much worse than the day before. Armed with one gavinscooter and one backup each as well as 2 trimixstages and 2 deco gases we scooted into the deep part after clipping our deco gases to the line.
We descended with the 50/25 and then changed to the first trimixstage at the beginning of the shaft at 360m. After about 5 minutes of scootering in the deep part we decided to abort the action, the visibility here was about 2-4 meters. The walls were hardly to be illuminated and we drove more or less only on the line and could enjoy little cave.
We dived then still in the Truffe and had to determine here with large annoyance that the entrance restriction was buried to two-thirds with gravel. Even with D7 not passable. We all tried one after the other and everyone dug in a little but in the end it was not worth it and we cancelled the action. The two Brits after us gave up very quickly and packed their spades again.
We drove then to the Fontaine St.George and planned a TG with 2 Nitroxstages. At about 650 m we reached the reverse pressure on the first stage and dived back relaxed. After about 80 min we were out of the water again. The visibility was rather mediocre at 5-6 m and on the way back it deteriorated again due to the perlocation to about 4 m.
In this sense,
Your Cavebase
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