Freda's Hole

Lower Stream Passage, Sump 1 & Extensions

Ray & Nathaniel (3/05/26)

The night before, a discussion took place on what to do tomorrow.

Either Palnasac Sump, Nathaniel Diving and I dig out the rift so i can fit to explore it or Freda's Hole Sump. (I didn't plan to go through on this), So if was left to decide in the Morning.

Around 11am awaken for me, so breakfast and coffee was got the gear ready. Nathaniel walked in and Freda's if was!

We took Nathaniels van up, parked up and geared up.

Walked down the track, over the field, through the gate, past Pegleg, and over to Freda's Hole.

Working our way down the handline with two bags each, into the main chamber, down the slope into the Dig area, past the back Breaker, which goes to Pegleg Pot, Nathaniel down first, past the Scaff dig, and I passed the bags down, rigged up a line to help aid back up the rift, double line rig, with a pulse.

Then I lowered the bags down once more. That being down we worked our way downstream, past the falls, and to Sump 1.

Nathaniel took a look, and we set up a 3l bottle, and Nathaniel went in to take a look. After around ten minutes or so, after he did some digging and moving boulders, her was at the other side.

With him sounding so excited, it was suggested that I rig the other 3l with the other reg, Nathaniel had a spare mask in the bag, which was a great help.

So bottled up and masked, with some courage building, and support from the other side if I needed it, off I went at high speed, nearly emptying the whole 3l as my mask hit a boulder and let the water in, but out I came at the other side, all pumped and excited.

We had come out on an Oxbox, with the stream meandering round to our left and a passage going on to our right. Following the passage into a low bedding plane, followed by a duck, then more stream passage (Not Big).

Worked our way forward, till another duck, a little more challenging for sure, was even the thinking of going back for a bottle, but then i just went for it, again with support from the other side, I knew I was safe.

Going forward, after a while, we came to a high Aven on our right, which looks like it doesn't go on up.

Past here, the stream sinks to the right, where I started digging, and Nathaniel dug out a Mud Squeeze further to the left. He got through before me, which was apparent from the other side; I was never gonna dig that.

So squeezing down Nathaniel way over the mud backwards the whole way around a corner (Oxbow) we popped out into a more roomy area where we met a pool with a sump.

I was freezing by this stage, Nathaniel had a lovely wetsuit, but me, naw I'll not need a wetsuit!

So we decided we will come back another day to dive this sump, Probs Nathaniel rather than me, for the first time anyway.

On the way back, we took some compass readings.

Also, we thought we had videoed the whole thing, only to find out when we got back that the SD card had nothing on it.

We headed back through the cave in good time, Ducks being easier and Sump1 having no problems at all, just going for it and straight through without thinking.

Back up to the van, changed and buzzing from the find down below, a grade 1 survey was done and will be added to the old survey.

We will plan another trip back, to dive sump 2 and to get a better survey of the whole.

Ray