GUE Cave 1 with Chris Le Maillot

[Mal Bridgeman]

I close my eyes to help calm myself. I have evidently lost my primary light, both my back ups have failed me, I have separated from my buddies and I have lost the mainline. I now have the rest of my life to find the line, work out the direction of the exit and make my way to the fresh air outside the cave. I know I had 85 bar in my double 12s, the last time I checked and I don't think I have used so much since then though I am using gas a little more quickly right now. I know what I have to do but how on earth did it come to this?

Many months previously it had started innocently enough. "Hi Mal!" Clare greeted me, already knowing Mike and I were planning to do GUE Tech 1 next year, "Have you ever thought about doing Cave?"

"No," I replied. "I am not really sure that's for me ...... " and if I had ended the sentence there, it would not have come to this. I would have been complaining about the blow outs in the South Coast or the burgers at Gildenburgh or possibly the parking situation at Stoney Cove. Instead, I just added "......Why?"

"Well," she explained "David and Osama are looking for a third team member to do Cave 1 in September, do you fancy joining them?" I was unsure of whether this was something I really wanted to do and work logisitcs meant I could not commit immediately, but my interest and curiosity had been piqued.

Eventually I was able to commit and we tried to get together as a team to go diving and perhaps work out some stuff ahead of the class both from a diving perspective but also the logistics of how to travel and transport enough kit for three people to Cajarc in France. Work schedules and physical distance prevented that, but David & Osama did a sterling job of the organisation.

Deposits were paid and my mind started to wonder and wander. I intended to approach the course with the absolute minimum of knowledge and try to learn what I needed to learn on the course itself. I also was still unsure of the cave environment and although I knew a number of people who loved the Cave and managed to transmit that love, I had some apprehension still.

As the course grew closer and closer I realised the best thing was to just go for it and if it was not for me then there would be little I could do about it.

Soon enough all my kit and me were united with David and Osama in the Moulin de Lantouy a day ahead of our Cave 1 class with Chris Le Maillot. My drive from the airport had been uneventful and we sat down to dinner (ably prepared by David and supported by Osama).

We chatted a little and got to know one another whilst wondering what the class would have in store for us the next day.

Next morning Chris arrived, accompanied by Andrea (Mara) who was interning on the class, and led us down to the River Lot to do our swim test. Cripes it was cold, but the swim was followed quickly by the breath hold test and all was good. We showered and readied ourselves for the intro session.

Monday morning was the first dive in the Ressel where we were introduced to the cave and cave environment although we did not go too far from the entrance/exit. I was more than a shade apprehensive about this and my imagination had been running overtime during the night.....I enjoy swim throughs etc but had not previously been beyond the daylight zone underwater. All went well and I found I was comfortable in the environment so the various skill based sessions started.

Over the coming week, we were to spend quite a bit of time: without masks, managing buoyancy whilst blind, communicating an exit with an OOG diver along a guideline whilst we were all blind, finding lost buddies and dealing with more valve failures the Digger has had in his lifetime. Sometimes these problems occured independently and sometimes one after another and sometimes at the same time ... a valve failure and light failure simultaneously is not a desirable position to be in when you are number 3 of a 3 man team. Increased awareness was the goal, knowing at what time the dive was turned, how much gas we had, the state of our regulators and those of our buddies, who had lights, where could I get gas from if I needed it, who was most likely to need gas from me, what time did I pass that place on the way in so I know how long it is to the way out ..... but over and above all of that, to enjoy the spectacular formations that are the Caves of the Lot in France.

It was a tall order but each day our capacity to deal with the "data" increased. Laying line into the cave was a new skill, at least for me, getting items out of pockets and the putting them away tidily once finished with them, managing spools and line with thick gloves were new skills which require more polish, of course, as with any new skill. Chris wanted not just adequate, but finesse and that meant that we constantly were striving to be more slick, more sharp and yet somehow more smooth. Some days I went to bed quite happy with how things had gone and sometimes, less so, but always looking forward to the next day to do better.

The general approach was that we had a pleasure dive into the cave then when one of the parameters was reached ..... depth, time, gas, or "T"'s .... then we would turn the dive and head out of the cave. This was where Chris and Mara had their fun. The opening salvo, if you'll excuse the pun, was usually the failure of a primary light .... then .... "Let the Games begin".

Little mistakes were highlighted to prompt improvement and the occasional bigger mistake was analysed to make sure they would not happen again. The intensity of the course was more than I have been previously used to coming as a solid block of five and a half 12 hour plus days, and to some extent the course becomes both a physical and mental drain. The caves are not that accessible, the gas station is an hour away and so on. Not over the top, but enough to add to all the other things on the plate.

So back to me in the cave with my eyes shut, the cave in darkness and me looking for the mainline that would lead me to safety. The lost line drill had not gone well for me the previous day but this time following an evening of mental rehearsal I managed to find it and drop my cookie on the exit side. We came out of the cave and my relief at having completed the task successfully was probably palpable.

Chris de-briefed and suggested we went back in the cave, so pre-dive safety drills were run through and we headed back in. We reached the first T, dropped cookies, marked time and gas and headed off the left side (we had done the right side the previous day). As we approached the second T which would mark our maximum penetration at around 320m we turned the dive and headed out. A little jumpy and expecting someone's light to fail at any moment, it didn't ......perhaps they'll leave us till the “T” I thought....so set about enjoying the cave.

We collected our cookies at the “T” and still no failures ....okay ....let's enjoy the cave......and so we did........all the way back to the cavern zone and eventually to the fresh air. We had just completed our first "normal" cave dive. This was both a shock and a thrill. With “technical” courses in general I think it's sometimes possible to forget the aim of the training and this had been the perfect demonstration of why we had been working so hard all week….to enjoy the Cave and what it had to offer.

A 2hour final exam ensued and then Chris sat down to debrief the course. Of course there were things to work on, that's only to be expected but he confirmed he had seen what he wanted to from us all both in terms of proficiency and progression so we had passed the class and were ready to go and enjoy the Cave ..... but, "Don't f*ck up!"

I learned loads about caves and cave diving and am now trying to work out when I can next go cave diving again.

As is traditional a few cigars and medals need to be distributed. Thanks go to Chris and Mara for providing a great learning experience and to David and Osama for being great buddies and cooks. .The pair of them are lucky enough to be staying in France for another week whilst I am sat in Bergerac airport, waiting to fly home ..... the lucky, lucky, b*gg*rs.

Some mental images that will last for a long time are firstly, that very first penetration into the Ressel, the jump into the Langanouse but above all else, that feeling of "What's round the next corner?" which is, it seems, what drives all cave divers. Oooops … I’ve been bitten

[Clare Gledhill]

Welcome to the world of cave Mal - and congratulations on the course.

Have you ever thought about doing?.... ah - never mind, I'll ask you tomorrow

[ardhill]

Well done Mal, I am certain it wasn't exactly easy.

That Clare is a dangerous woman!

[Lou]

Congratulations , Mal. You can join the group of folk i like to think of as "freaks". I have no idea what on earth could drive folk to dive in caves, but I am sure it is lovely. Honest. I really am. Weirdos.

[Steve S]

Well done mate, I think I'll stick to scrabbling around in wrecks

Safe diving,
Steve

[Gav]

Great report and successful outcome! Well done Mal and also David and Osama!

[wilbo]

Well done Mal.. an excellent achievement.

[Fiona]

Originally Posted by mal bridgeman

Have you ever thought about doing Cave?"

"No," I replied. "I am not really sure that's for me ...... " Instead, I just added "......Why?"

............................ but my interest and curiosity had been piqued.

You see Clare really is the Borg Queen, you just need to remember never to have this type of convserstion

Well done Mal booked for Clare's Florida trip yet

[divingniknaks]

Great report Mal, congrats to all 3 of you.

I think all of you cave peeps have bl**dy big kahunas (Clare excepted )

Well done.

.

[Mark Chase]

Nice write up Mal and congratulations.

ATB

Mark Chase