Rana Hole and Claonaite 7 Assynt, Sutherland
Saturday & Sunday 25-26 October 2008  
Travelled up to Sutherland on Friday night via Edinburgh to drop off a few belongings for my son Gareth, now studying at the University. Having arrived in Edinburgh at 22:15h, left at 23:00h after unloading boxes and enjoying a break for mug of tea and chat. Drove on to Perth to join the A9 for the drive up to Inverness before the crossing to Ullapool and the caving hut in Elphin. Not at all surprised to find several folk remained up enjoying music and lively conversation! Sat and chatted for an hour before heading for the dormitory. Next morning involved a lazy start, a full breakfast and then a commemorative gathering for Pete Ireson, who we lost in a tragic mine incident earlier in the year. His family assisted in planting two trees labelled with a plaque in the corner of the hut garden.
Very late, a group of cavers gathered at the Bone Caves car park to head for Rana Hole and the new Campbell dig further up the glen. Martin Hayes guided four of us down the fixed ladders of Rana Hole to the dam and the partially flooded link to the Skye Way. This was the furthest point I had reached until this day. Back in January the dam had failed and the link was flooded so we spent the weekend rebuilding the dam to a more robust specification, including a timber board to support the pipe outlets (Ivan Young design). On this day, we were able to wade through the constricted channel of waist to chest deep water to emerge high and dry in the Skye Way, soon gathering in the Two As Chamber. We looked around this chamber, there were impressive stal, chert layers and joints in the limestone there. Sliding down a gap in the far wall took us to the chamber above Black Rift. Here Martin and Dave Morrison turned back to join the party at Campbell's dig whilst Iain Greig and Ritchie Simpson continued with me. First we had to decend Black Rift, so I took the wire ladder down the first section of the pitch that could be free climbed. This was fairly uncomfortable with water spray issuing from boulders above but the ladder was soon rigged. I climbed back up through the water spray to emerge where the others waited and announce that the pitch was rigged.
I headed back down with Iain behind me but noticed that the water flow had greatly increased, even compared with the earlier descent to rig the ladder only moments before. Iain belayed me down the ladder and this was quite cold and uncomfortable with water around the face. Having set down in the chamber below and contemplating Iain's ladder descent, the rising water levels and the late hour given the annual dinner scheduled for the evening, I decided to turn back. We left the ladder in place with a view to returning next day to continue our progress.

Fixed ladders down main shaft of Rana Hole (Photo: Ivan Young, GSG photo archive).
The exit was fine but the upper larger pipe draining the dam was flowing well. We exited and walked over to Campbell's dig, carrying some scaffold joints across to the new site. On walking down the glen, the upper riverbed of the Allt nam Uamh was in full spate whereas it was dry during the walk up. The rivers were in full spate and the weather cold, wet and windy on the return. All this was soon forgotten over a mug of tea at the hut and an enjoyable annual dinner at the Inchnadamph Hotel.

Exit from BBC pitch, Rana Hole (Photo: Ivan Young, GSG photo archive)
After a pleasant breakfast and various farewells to friends at the Elphin Hut on Sunday morning, several of us decided to return to the Allt nam Uamh stream valley. One option was a leisurely trip around ANUSC. I agreed to head back to Rana Hole to collect the ladder, possibly joining the other party should they still be in ANUSC afterwards. The walk in was better weather albeit broken by intermittent hail showers but without the stormy wind and rain of Saturday. Water levels were generally lower throughout the glen. Once I had descended the fixed ladders, the dam had drained to the level of the smaller diameter, lower pipe and after passing through the wet link no water was issuing from the large pipe. At Black Rift, water levels were noticeably lower and the crawl through to the pitch was relatively comfortable. So it was, that I decided to descend the wire ladder and continue into Claonaite 7 rather than just pack up the ladder and exit. The route to Belh Aven was straightforward and included a pleasant traverse along a flake before a rope assisted descent into Belh Aven itself. From here, easy walking, stooping and crawling in sand took me along the Promenade, Portobello and at last into The Great Northern Time Machine. 
Once in The Great Northern Time Machine, I wandered around taking a few photos before sitting down for a picnic lunch and to savour the moment in the middle of this great void. Conscious of time, I retraced my steps back to Belh Aven and through to the base of Black Rift where I followed the route towards Two Bs Chamber but after some narrow sections and traverses, decided that it was taking too much time. Something to return for later! Once up the ladder in Black Rift, rolled up the ladder and climbed out of the cave, very cheerful. Tidied up ladders and gear around the top of the pitch and kept an eye open for cavers in the stream valley but there was no sign. Did some further tidying of items left lower by the footpath to Claonaite entrance before walking back to the car park. There, my car was the only one remaining confirming that everyone was away safely. This was also the case at the Elphin hut which was all closed up. After some tidying, a shower and supper I drove down to West Lothian to overnight at Roger and Annie's house before completing the drive to West Wales on Monday. A great weekend.

 

The Great Northern Time Machine guest starring Rana (Photo: Mark Lonnen, GSG photo archive).

Photo credits: Peter Dennis unless otherwise credited.

The Great Northern Time Machine (Photo: Mark Lonnen, GSG photo archive).