Gourneyras - End of Line
Team: Marc, Andreas, Florian, Heinke, Manuel, Benjamin, Anke, Guy, Oli, Tobias und Wilke
Somehow, the Herault always magically attracts us. While we have focused on the Gourneyrou the last few years, this year we set our sights on the Gourneyras. The Gourneyras is in the immediate vicinity of the Gourneyrou and is similarly challenging in a valley with about 70 meters of difference in altitude between the last accessible path and the cave pool. Logistically, therefore, again a rather high effort, especially because the cave involves a greater diving depth. It drops to over 50m water depth right at the beginning and leads the diver for almost 1000m through a huge passage with an average depth of over 60m. For us that meant in most cases double 20 configuration with Rebbi including scooter. So this time we really had a lot of equipment with us.
The Cavebase project goal
The Cavebase team set two main goals for this expedition. First of all, we wanted everyone to be able to do the dive of their dreams in this exceptionally beautiful cave. In the second place Tobias and Wilke wanted to reach the end of this cave during their push dive. Robin and Roland, as well as the EKPP had already reported that there was no way to get further. However, due to the sheer size of the cave, it is very possible to locate a connecting passage.
Day 1
Transporting equipment down to the cave pool is indeed a bit easier at Gourneyras, the fact that the Plongée Sout team with Frank Vasseur has installed a ropeway makes access for normal and light diving equipment much easier. However, the construction just didn't seem stable enough for our double 20 equipment, so without further ado we built our own ropeway construction. Thanks to the meanwhile very experienced and well-rehearsed Cavebase team, we had already built up the ropeway after a few hours and put it into operation. After about 4.5 hours of ropeway operation we had transported everything down to the bottom and now there were: 70 stages, seven XK1 scooters, two Halcyon T-16 scooters, one Gavin, one SUEX Magnum scooter, five double 20 rebreather frames, one D12 rebreather frame, two double 20 OC units, six double 12s, two sidemount RB80s, one habitat, 7 heating tanks and countless bags, dryers, regulators, accumulator tanks, lamps and carrying bags; just everything a cave diver needs for an approx. 5h dive on approx. 60m average depth so needs.
Down at the pool the first already started to assemble the equipment - first the support equipment to set the habitat. Benjamin, Anke, Guy, Florian and Heinke have set the habitat in record time and also immediately equipped. After that the five of them also set the shallow deposits up to 21m. In the evening we were highly satisfied with our own performance - everything down, habitat ready for use and up to 21m all support gases were in the right place - it could not have gone better, we have clearly exceeded our own expectations for this day!
Day 2
The next day should be our first real diving day. Marc and Andreas prepared for their 4h dive, the two took a closer look at the shaft after almost 1,000m and wanted to dare a small detour to 100m water depth if necessary. Tobias and Wilke had asked the two to check the line situation until there and if necessary to patch holes in the line. The two of them calmly got ready, dived down around noon and set the line up to the deeper part of the shaft - after a little over 4h the two of them stuck their heads out of the water as planned.
While Marc and Andreas were in the water we were lucky and could meet Frank Vasseur and his dive students in person. Frank had also planned to dive the Gourneyras for training purposes that day, we helped his team of three to transport the equipment from the top station to the pool. Before and after his training we could use the opportunity to have really great and very insightful conversations with him and his team - a welcome change!
Manuel and Florian prepared a bit offset to Marc and Andreas, the two used their dive to set up the deeper push depots for stages and scooters. Tobias and Wilke had suggested to set up a depot for the push tag at about 400m. This depot should also serve as a safety depot for all other following dives - especially for our OC teams. In the event, all dive plans were optimized in such a way that a dive out by OC would have been possible from any point in the cave. Manu and Florian also came out of the water after a good 3 hours.
So at the end of the first diving day all depots were set up, the line was mended and Marc, Andreas, Manuel and Florian could report about the first impressions. Unfortunately, the visibility in the deeper area was not better - it was still a loose 20m but due to the enormous dimensions of the cave, the water seemed milky.
Day 3
Sunday, June 22nd was the day of the exploration dive. Tobias and Wilke had already prepared their equipment the day before and dived at 9:15 am. Both followed the course of the passage on an average depth of approx. 60m, at 400m the two took up their backupscooters (2x XK1 and the deep breathing gases (12/70)) and after scarcely 1000m penetration depth the two let themselves fall down the shaft. From this point on the course of this cave continues to be spectacular, the corridors are huge and hardly illuminated.
Tobias and Wilke had studied the plans of previous dive teams carefully and so it was relatively easy to discover the "Roland & Robin" passage and to dive down. The two have also discovered the continuation of the EKPP and followed this line to the end, shortly before the final end of the cave a narrow passage makes it difficult to continue diving, but with a little jerking the two with their D12 and D20 frame including sidemount came through well.
The end of the cave is really amazing after a good 2.5km, simply a completely closed wall, no hole or any other sign that the cave would continue here. So Wilke and Tobias almost disappointedly resigned and dived smaller passages on the way back - a short piece of new line the two have laid, but also here the passage ended after a few meters.
After more than 4,5h bottom time between 60 and 100m the two reached their first deco stop, the support team was almost on time and so the first meeting after the long bottom time took place solemnly on the 57m stop. The two now had an eternally long deco time of over 10h ahead of them - always accompanied by the other Cavebase team members.
Everything went like clockwork and in the morning around 1:45 Tobias and Wilke emerged exhausted but happy! After arriving at the camp, we celebrated hard and let the project come to an end.
Day 4
Today was dedicated to "free diving", i.e. everyone used the time for his dive. Heinke, Anke and Ben formed a dive group as OC team. The three of them took a close look at the deeper part of the passage up to a little more than 60m water depth and enjoyed the huge dimensions of the cave. After 2.5h the team surfaced in a good mood and visibly impressed.
Marc and Andreas used the time for another dive and scooted again down the passage to the shaft. This time no line had to be mended and the two could design the dive completely according to their own ideas. After 5h the two were also back on the surface - in a good mood and very satisfied.
Manu and Flo had planned the good 1km distance to the shaft or deep bend. The cave drops relatively fast in the entrance area to pretty much 60m to then pull along between 40 and 70m. The cave is huge in that area and with the given visibility often the next wall was not visible. There is a lot of space to scoot comfortably side by side or slightly offset to try to illuminate as much passage as possible. After about 30' the two reached the shaft which starts at about 55m, dropped briefly to 75m which was the MOD of the gas they had put in, took a quick look around and headed back. Back at the entrance shaft we spent a good hour at 60m which in this case resulted in a dive of 4.5 hours. Thereby the deco was designed conservatively. After all, one is far away from the next possibility for help.
Day 5
The last project day ended as the first one had started - with a lot of lugging. After the completed dives, the good 2.5 tons of equipment had to go back up. That meant all hands on the ropeway and hauling. Thanks to the practice that had built up in the meantime, however, we had everything back up on the road by noon.
Over the course of the next two days, the team made its way home in bits and pieces. A great week, with lots of fun, joy and a little positive sweat :-).
In this sense
Your Team Cavebase
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