Poll na gColm Cave Map

Spring Onion

I wonder if anyone can help. I am exploring Poll na gColm (Pollnagollum) near Fanore at the weekend and I was looking for a map of the cave. I know I have seen one before somewhere but I cant find it on Google.

999/112

Try your local library for a copy of "The Caves of County Clare". A comprehensive survey & descriptive text on the system are contained within the book.
A wire rope ladder may be useful [or a full SRT kit] to access the pot, a SRT kit & rope are essential for the "Poulelva pot" entrance. A very nice, complex system ... enjoy!

Spring Onion

I actually found a decent looking survey from 1962 on the University of Bristol caving site here;

http://www.ubss.org.uk/resources/proceedings/vol9/UBSS_Proc_9_3_212-271.pdf

BarryD

That looks exactly like a scan of the book mentioned above, the classic "The Caves of County Clare". It's a good few years since I was there but we used to downclimb into the pot, though a rope and belay strongly advisable. I recall different ways of accessing the main streamway from the bottom of the pot, but the normal one entails some bridging and downclimbing etc., all free climbing.

The classic trip is the spectacular abseil into Poul Elva and traverse of the system, exiting at Pollnagollum but it's definitely one for accompanying experienced cavers, as apart from the abseil, there is tricky routefinding, particularly near the start.

Spring Onion

I know the Pollnagollum entrance and streamway but I have never found the Poulelva entrance - I wasn't particularly looking for it.
Is it very difficult getting thru the Maze and finding Poulelva?
Hoping to go there and back in 5-6 hours.

BarryD

Poulelva is about a kilometre south of Pollnagollum and on east or left side of the road from memory. If you do nothing else, go and have a look down it, impressive hole to put it mildly, intimidating even. It's a good few years since I was caving down there, so can't recall much detail on the 'maze', except that the start from base of Pollelva involved a bit of shimmying though a high but narrow crack(s), then a bit of muddle of passages and then you came into streamway proper. However normally people would figure the way coming from Pollnagollum as you propose and then having learnt that, do the traverse.

If you do venture down, watch carefully for Main Junction, so you can locate on the way back up - not obvious if I recall correctly and easy to end up in Branch Passage gallery. Heard a few stories of people wandering up and down and trying to figure where the Main Streamway is!! Maybe it's marked better now with cairns etc.

Edited also to add that Upper Poulelva is also interesting, very different - tightish and narrow but as you approach Poulelva proper, the passage widens and you bridge your way out, arriving quite spectacularly near the top of the pothole. Finding the entrance might still a challenge though?

999/112

I hope this works ...... http://binged.it/13Sfkla That link should take you to the "Poulelva" entrance. The pot is accessed from the eastern side of the grove of bushes just in off the road. Careful! Just inside the wall is a grass/mud slope leading to the lip of a 140' vertical drop. [belays here]

Route finding in the "maze" can be tricky, several parties have become lost/disorientated in this section. [make sure you leave a callout in any case]

My own personal favourite part of the system is "Upper Poulelva".
This is a through trip, normally entered from the upstream entrance. This entrance is approximately half way between Poulelva & PnaG potholes on the same side of the road as PnaG. Two streams flow down from Slieve Elva and merge 100m +/- from the road, with the main stream "sinking" just at the edge of the road, here .... http://binged.it/13Sgf4W The dividing wall on the opposite side of the road is a good landmark.

The trip is about 1000m long, sporting, exiting in what is the impressive waterfall flowing into Poulelva, opposite the "pitch"

Whatever you decide to do, I hope you have a safe & enjoyable trip.


Google .... Upper Poulelva .. https://www.google.ie/maps?ll=53.070457,-9.250687&spn=0.002508,0.004823&t=h&dg=opt&z=18

Poulelva Pothole .... https://www.google.ie/maps?ll=53.065332,-9.246985&spn=0.002508,0.004823&t=h&dg=opt&z=18

999/112

Spring Onion; If you have a smartphone [Android] paste the links into the navigation app and it should take you right there.

BarryD

Thanks 999, maybe I confuse Upper Poulelva entrance with some other entrance - seem to recall foostering around there a couple of times, trying different holes, before squeezing into the right line? Interested that you also thought it a good trip, maybe it's the change in character at the exit?

999/112

BarryD wrote: »

Thanks 999, maybe I confuse Upper Poulelva entrance with some other entrance - seem to recall foostering around there a couple of times, trying different holes, before squeezing into the right line? Interested that you also thought it a good trip, maybe it's the change in character at the exit?

Hi Barry.
Been a while since I have been there also. Initially, the entrance which is to the left of the stream/swallet, is a tight crawl which shortly re-joins the stream & continuing in mixed passage which includes walking, crawls, traverses & ducks ... very enjoyable.
But the delight has to be the exit into Poulelva pot... bring the camera!;)

Spring Onion

999/112 wrote: »

Spring Onion; If you have a smartphone [Android] paste the links into the navigation app and it should take you right there.

I presume you mean above ground!

Thanks for all the info guys.

One question, lets say I went wrong at the Main Junction and followed the Branch Passage Gallery back towards the large Pollnagollum entrance, where exactly does it come out? Does it come out near the outside waterfall entrance below and left of the big ash tree?
Also, where is the entrance to the Gunman's cave which seems to connect to the BCG as well?

999, have you got a Google maps for the Pollnagollum entrance? I have been there several times and would know the small parking spot and signless signpost when I see it but not sure which turnoff on Ballyvaughan-Lisdoon road.

999/112

https://www.google.ie/maps?ll=53.077115,-9.250596&spn=0.000013,0.009645&dg=optperm&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=53.076715,-9.250623&panoid=hzZb2nVEdgIwDWRCcjZH1A&cbp=12,311.31,,0,0
Signless sign post.


Assuming that you are using the N67 Lisdoonvarna/Ballyvaughan Road. you will turn off that road at this junction.
https://www.google.ie/maps?ll=53.045045,-9.248128&spn=0.004554,0.01929&dg=optperm&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=53.04504,-9.248122&panoid=iYA5XRT33ugvfVAnR3tC7w&cbp=11,309.53,,0,0

If you are using a smartphone, the top link will bring you to PnaG directly ... yes on the surface . Satellites, 3G etc.....

BarryD

Spring Onion wrote: »

One question, lets say I went wrong at the Main Junction and followed the Branch Passage Gallery back towards the large Pollnagollum entrance, where exactly does it come out? Does it come out near the outside waterfall entrance below and left of the big ash tree?
Also, where is the entrance to the Gunman's cave which seems to connect to the BCG as well?

As you can see from the map, there are links between Branch Passage Gallery and the main streamway and Poulnagollum but they're unpleasant and not easy to find I think. I was through the 'Muddy Link' a couple of times, going from Pollnagollum and leading into BPG and it sticks in the mind as being a fairly sustained tight wriggle - one for the enthusiast I can't recall The Sewer but maybe the names says everything! Otherwise I think BPG just peters out.

Main Junction maybe more obviously marked now but either way when you follow the streamway down from PG towards PE and you reach Main Junction, take a careful look at it from the far side, so that when you come back, you can see where to keep down low to the left to get back into the main streamway.

Always a good idea at any tricky junction i.e. where you're not following a stream or where streams merge etc - take a look back and memorise any obvious features.

Spring Onion

BarryD wrote: »

As you can see from the map, there are links between Branch Passage Gallery and the main streamway and Poulnagollum but they're unpleasant and not easy to find I think. I was through the 'Muddy Link' a couple of times, going from Pollnagollum and leading into BPG and it sticks in the mind as being a fairly sustained tight wriggle - one for the enthusiast I can't recall The Sewer but maybe the names says everything! Otherwise I think BPG just peters out.

Main Junction maybe more obviously marked now but either way when you follow the streamway down from PG towards PE and you reach Main Junction, take a careful look at it from the far side, so that when you come back, you can see where to keep down low to the left to get back into the main streamway.

Always a good idea at any tricky junction i.e. where you're not following a stream or where streams merge etc - take a look back and memorise any obvious features.

Thanks Barry. Yeah I know the main junction, wont get caught out there too easily.

But I am still not quite clear - when entering the actual pothole from the road, I climb down towards the tree and drop left into the hole with all the loose rocks below the waterfall. I have to actually walk through the waterfall to enter the cave proper. This is the only cave entrance in the Pollnagollum pothole that I know of.
Where is the muddy link? Is it to the right of the tree, there seems to be a low shelf there to squeeze into. Are there other entrances I am missing?

BarryD

You're testing my memory now! Unless things have changed, I recall climbing down the short rock pitch into the pot - you could then enter the cave down to the right but coming into it high up - some bridging and traversing and then a down climb to the streamway. From this point in the streamway, you could follow the water back up and emerge at a lower point in the pothole to where I describe entering above - you'd then scramble back up to reach this area and then on up to the short rock pitch. So at least two ways into the cave proper.

I can't recall where the Muddy Link starts from. On the occasions I went through there, I was with people who knew of it. Made for a nice round trip, through the link, down BPG to PE and back up etc. But the link is sustained & low crawl & wriggle.

BarryD

Generally the best way to learn of the more obscure parts of cave systems is to go with other cavers who know of them. You can read descriptions and poke around but even so it's often not obvious, partic for dry passages leading off at roof level etc. Best to join a club and/or enquire around.

I have some trouble with my knees as years gone on and not sure if it was running or caving that didn't help them - used to just wear a wetsuit and protectors made from old car tubes on knees and elbows. Not sure what people use now but the knees can take a bit of a hammering in crawls... so I might wish I had used a bit more padding.

Spring Onion

Barry, you and 999 need to dust off your wetsuits and oil up those knees because I will be expecting ye to rescue me when I inevitably get lost.

Trip postponed to next Saturday or Sunday - I need to study the map!

BarryD

Hmm.. maps of limited use in caving. Better to go by the written description as well following the nose. Tick off the main features as you go along. Map can be useful to judge spacing of features but often very difficult to know exactly where you are on it, unless standing at an actual junction, aven or waterfall etc.

I've never done any cave surveying but I'd hazard a guess that many cave surveys are approx. in nature, particularly if the system runs out into boulder chokes/ sumps etc. Where there are links to surface features like shakeholes etc, accuracy can be checked but when systems just twist and turn and end underground, there's considerable room for buildup of error in measurements.

Spring Onion

Do you think the recent rains will have much effect on the water levels inside the cave? I am sure there will be some impact but its hard to know how much. I imagine the water table was low before this week anyway.

Bucklesman

Oh definitely. If Clare has been having the same rain Dublin has Poulnagollum will be tanking this week. I do not advise a visit.

Spring Onion, can I suggest you get in touch with the Clare Caving Club in order to avert maiming and/or death as you pursue the wholesome and challenging sport of caving? They're all lovely folks with heaps of knowledge about the area who would be delighted to teach you practical caving techniques.

Also, if something goes wrong underground, they'll likely be the ones hauling you out. Might be nice to make friends with them first.

Edit: Just noticed the survey you're looking at is quite an old one -- it's in The Caves of North-West Clare by Tratman. That was published in 1969. The survey in the current cave book for Clare is much more detailed.

Spring Onion

999/112

Spring Onion; Keep an eye on this. Usually very accurate.
http://www.yr.no/place/Ireland/Munster/Lisdoonvarna/hour_by_hour_detailed.html

Spring Onion

999/112 wrote: »

Spring Onion; Keep an eye on this. Usually very accurate.
http://www.yr.no/place/Ireland/Munster/Lisdoonvarna/hour_by_hour_detailed.html

Excellent weather site, thanks.

Spring Onion

Great days caving. Water levels were low. We reached the maze but could not find the link (Escalator aven) to Pollelva exit so we spent a while exploring the Maze and East tunnel. Over 7 hours of exploring, fantastic cave.