Illusion Pot with a member of my household, 7/6/20

[Scaife]

Illusion Pot
Chris Scaife and Carolina Smith

My first caving trip for almost three months, a nice easy afternoon jaunt to return underground with minimal risk of needing a rescue.
There had been quite heavy rain forecast, but surprisingly little actually precipitated so we had no doubts that Illusion Pot would be fine.
Arriving in Kingsdale on a sunny afternoon, the place was overrun with illegal waterfall trail shit-munchers, away from whom we were delighted to remain at least two metres. We found the entrance easily enough, climbed down the entrance ladders (which are pretty rusty and have one or two loose bolts) and were soon crawling along the mostly dry passage to the duck. The last time I had been to the duck it was sumped, and I didn’t know back then that it could be bailed, so I had turned around at this point; but this time it was not a duck at all, just a wet crawl where the water didn’t even touch our faces.
On the other side we wandered up and down the large main passage in both directions admiring the formations, then returned into the sunshine. Underground for just over two hours, and most of that was spent taking photos – an excellent trip for an afternoon or evening.

[Xandar]

Hmm John might enjoy this trip, if the duck is low.

[Don]

I’d like to check out the connection with Dale Barn Cave. I think it’s called Perfidia Passage.

[Dunc]

I thought Perfidia was a very long dry crawly passage that ended in a dig rather than connecting to/providing a dry connection to Dale Barn? Ultimately it probably will connect, if people push it enough..

[Don]

You may be right, Dunc. I thought Illusion and Dale Barn had already been connected via Perfidia, but that the connection brought you out in a short dry section somewhere between two of the sumps in Dale Barn, meaning there wasn’t much caving to be done there without diving gear. I though I read this somewhere a long time ago. I’ve probably got it wrong.

[Author]

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