09/05/2026
On the recent Artemis 2 mission to the Moon four American astronauts became the first people to go further into space than any one before. Quite an outstanding achievement and a first. There won't be many people from Earth who will have the opportunity to go where astronauts go. Indeed, bar the ocean realm, there are not many places left on Earth where one could be the first ever to be there. However cave explorers are amongst the few who, more than once in their lifetimes, may get to walk in a place where no person has been before. Finding a new section of cave where only the darkness reigns and the water dripping from the roof of the cave falling, noisily, into crystal pools, the only movement, until, a light appears and a moving form gently closes in on the never seen beauty that awaits.
Well friends,congratulations must go to Youval who achieved all that I have just spoken about. after he discovered a new passage in the Ballyfin Caves this morning.
Five members of the CSG met near the entrance to Ballyfin Caves this morning. In no time at all Jamie, Stan, Yuval, Donal and Monika were attired in their caving gear and ready to enter the cave. They spent four hours underground. All five entered the cave together, four cavers went through the passage that had been enlarged on the previous trip, leading to the small chamber from which a straight passage continues towards Angry Badger Chamber.
One of the cavers took a different passage and discovered that it connects to the same chamber where the rest of the group were. However, just as described in an old cave survey, there was so much sediment that the passage needed a bit more widening.
It was then decided that three of the cavers would go and explore the Angry Badger section, while the other two focussed on enlarging two side passages that had been blocked with mud and sediment.
In the group of three, one caver discovered a new passage with a very narrow entrance that required squeezing through at an awkward position. However, once inside, the passage turned out to be very long, walkable and filled with pristine formations.
The two passages being enlarged in another part of the cave will require further work, as the amount of clay and mud deposited there is enormous.
When the group of three finished exploring Angry Badger, they decided to visit F... Ronald Raygun Cave, as two of them had not been there before and were very keen to see it. Two of them entered and explored the cave while the third checked the outside quarry to see if any additional fissures were visible.
Almost at the end of the trip, one member of the two-person group went to check the passage running to the right from the entrance. It turned out to be very long and in need of further exploration. There are side passages branching off from it and although the entire route currently requires crawling, it shows good potential.
A wonderful time was had by all!
