Poulnagollum / Poulelva via Cotters Gallery - 01 Aug 2006

Tuesday August 1st 2006

Members present: Adrian Turner,  Andrew Vick,  Chuck Holder,  Debbie Flowers,  Dominic Galliano,  Emma Welsh,  John Singleton,  Matt Ewles

After rather a lot of faff, choosing to follow the Selected Caves guide of how to find Poulelva... which was a load of rubbish, we went with grid ref instead, and found a style across the wall mentioned in the Caves of County Clare guidebook.

By the time we had rigged the other team had overtaken us.

A great cave, and a fun trip. We took the entrance undeneath the plaque, the others too the other entrance, both of which lead down to the short pitch which you can slide down to the right hand side. Our route went via some very impressive white clay cascades.

Lots of stomping in meandering phreatic streamway passages ensued. At one point the passage twisted around the edge of a large chamber with a big boulder at the centre, covered in dozens of etchings of names/clubs and years. Continue to follow the streamway until the way on is unobvious. There was lots of foam at this point, and the way on involves wading through the foam through a narrow slot waist high in water, to regain the streamway. We then did several high level bits that were unnecessary appraently. Routefinding was easy from then. The low narrow paggages near pollnagollum were a bit awkward, and went on for quite a long way. The poulnagollum entrance is about 200 m further on from where this passage crosses a narrow stream.

Great fun trip, quite easy, but felt satisfying to complete the through trip. Poulelva pot is a spectacular pitch, with loads of froggies at the bottom :-)