Pollnatagha
Still in
It was noon; Bob & Ian
sat in the Reyfad Groups’ cottage and thought over mugs of tea about cooking
breakfast. A late night in the Bush Bar, thus a late start. We needed an easy
but spectacular trip to get us on our feet. Suddenly I remembered that infamous
Marlow poster that used to be in the changing boom at Bullpot Farm. I
remembered it was somewhere in
By three o’clock we were
leaving the bar with a borrowed rope and an excellent team of Sherpas in the
shape of Louise, Dave & Mick Doran. Once on the open moor we spent some
time searching the border, which hereabouts consisted of a rusty barbed wire
fence. We eventually found Pollprughlisk. just over in
We carried on past this and located Polliska which is an open pot, 20 by 10 feet and 30 feet deep that
engulfs a large stream. This flows out of the North to enter he Pollnatagha
shaft about 50 feet down. Pollnatagha is a small diameter pot surrounded by a
rampart of peat across the dry river bed from Polliska. A through trip from
here to Pollprughlisk would be probably the most unpleasant border crossing in
We threw the customary stones down the open pot - it sounded a very long way - more
than 170 feet. Anyway while Bob put his gear on we rigged the pitch with the
hastily borrowed rope to two rotting fence posts that had been jammed into the
peat bank. “It’ll be reet”. I said. Dave seemed very pleased not to have his
gear with him.
In the event, Bob set off and I followed. It certainly was a spectacular abseil, free all the way with a huge stream falling about 15 feet to one side. At the bottom one lands at the end of a large. figure of eight shaped chamber with daylight reflecting of the walls, very much like a smaller version of GG. The chamber is about 150 x 50 feet & a good view is obtained from the boulders at the far end from where the pitch enters. While Bob set off up I had a quick look around, but the way on seemed most uninviting, climb over boulders to a foul looking cherty crawl. The prussik out was as spectacular as the abseil in, and once out our noble Sherpas de-rigged, washed and packed up the rope -while I had a fag and washed my gear. Thanks lads - you need the practice.
A. Hall.