Our plane was on time and we left Beirut at 3:45am bound for Istanbul and onwards to Birmingham.
The flight was an hour late into Birmingham but we were back home and back to reality by 2:00pm.
It is strange to think that the trip is finally over. After the months of planning, months of travelling and meeting so many great people, it was over. Only 8000 photographs to sort, reports to write, cave surveys to draw and test equipment to return - so now the work starts!
A big thank you must go to all those who helped us on this trip of a lifetime and we hope to renew the friendships that we made along the way with further trips to Morocco, Tunisia etc.
Emma, Mike and John.
Wednesday 14 April 2010
Day 162 Sunday 11/04/10
Our last day in Lebanon and technically our last day of the Cave Now....Work Later expedition!
We wanted to spend some time with Hadi, who had put up with us in his flat for the past 3.5 weeks (not to mention the 3 weeks in January). We caught a taxi to Achrafiye and had a good Lebanese meal in a restaurant that Hadi knew - it is alot easier with local knowledge!
Back at the flat it was time to pack and wait for our taxi to the airport (at 1:30am). The taxi was early so we had a hurried goodbye and lugged our luggage into the lift and down into the taxi.
We wanted to spend some time with Hadi, who had put up with us in his flat for the past 3.5 weeks (not to mention the 3 weeks in January). We caught a taxi to Achrafiye and had a good Lebanese meal in a restaurant that Hadi knew - it is alot easier with local knowledge!
Back at the flat it was time to pack and wait for our taxi to the airport (at 1:30am). The taxi was early so we had a hurried goodbye and lugged our luggage into the lift and down into the taxi.
Tuesday 13 April 2010
Day 161 Saturday 10/04/10
An early start and collected by Rena, we spent the day with Issam, Rena and Waafa in the Baskinta area looking for caves. We were taken to see the entrance of Lebanon's deepest cave, Foura Dara (-615m), near Tarchich. We stopped off in Broummana for a meal on the way back to Beirut.
In the evening we met Hadi at a cinema to watch "The Hurt Locker" (our fourth time to the cinema this trip!). We got back home at 1:30am - a long day!
In the evening we met Hadi at a cinema to watch "The Hurt Locker" (our fourth time to the cinema this trip!). We got back home at 1:30am - a long day!
Day 160 Friday 09/04/10
The North was our target for today. We drove to anrea above Tripoli, looking for caving potential. On our way south we headed to Houqa to visit Antoinette's family. We had some photographs of their Grandma that they asked for, who sadly passed away in January (just before our last visit). As per usual we were welcomed as part of the family and were fed chocolate, Easter cakes and coffee.
In the evening we had to drop the hire car back, so headed back to Beirut.
In the evening we had to drop the hire car back, so headed back to Beirut.
Day 159 Thursday 08/04/10
Armed with drill, rope and bolting kit we parked up on the side of the road below our new discovery. Two days ago we had walked in t-shirts, today the cloud was hugging the hillside and the rain was mixed with sleat!
After sitting in the car, hoping that the weather would improve, we decided to walk up to the hole now that the cloud had lifted a little. With bags of kit weighing us down we slogged up to the hole. When setting up to start bolting the top of the pitch - the drill would not work! Looking around we found some natural belays, so with rope protector and a few bags we protected the rope from the rock and managed to get down the pitch. The pitch was 9m and landed on a rocky floor. Down the slope there was a small chamber blocked by rocks but after MC had moved some rocks we could sqeeze in. This chamber was blocked by rocks, so here ended the cave.
In the evening we drove to the SCL caving club meeting and were presented with gifts as a thank you for arranging the rescue practice. Fadi gave a presentation on first aid for cavers as a follow-on to the rescue practice the previous weekend.
After sitting in the car, hoping that the weather would improve, we decided to walk up to the hole now that the cloud had lifted a little. With bags of kit weighing us down we slogged up to the hole. When setting up to start bolting the top of the pitch - the drill would not work! Looking around we found some natural belays, so with rope protector and a few bags we protected the rope from the rock and managed to get down the pitch. The pitch was 9m and landed on a rocky floor. Down the slope there was a small chamber blocked by rocks but after MC had moved some rocks we could sqeeze in. This chamber was blocked by rocks, so here ended the cave.
In the evening we drove to the SCL caving club meeting and were presented with gifts as a thank you for arranging the rescue practice. Fadi gave a presentation on first aid for cavers as a follow-on to the rescue practice the previous weekend.
Thursday 8 April 2010
Day 158 Wednesday 07/04/10
Fired up with cave hunting fever, we drove back to Hrajel to search in other areas. We did not have any luck this time but managed to walk a little more of the Lebanese Mountain Trail.
In the evening we met up with Rena, Issam and Wafaa at their climbing wall for a climb before tea! After the meal, we followed Issam back to collect drill and battery for tomorrow - only to discover that Hani still had the drill from last weekend. After a phone call we arranged to meet Hani in Beirut to collect the drill on our way home.
In the evening we met up with Rena, Issam and Wafaa at their climbing wall for a climb before tea! After the meal, we followed Issam back to collect drill and battery for tomorrow - only to discover that Hani still had the drill from last weekend. After a phone call we arranged to meet Hani in Beirut to collect the drill on our way home.
Day 157 Tuesday 06/04/10
After dropping Dave off at the airport at 7:00am, we set off back to Hrajel to walk near Raymond Cave and search for other entrances.
We set off in bright sunshine and walked up the dry riverbed below Raymond. We came across the two resurgences and continued up the valley. At a dry waterfall we found two ski poles (both in good condition and a pair). We soon discovered an old broken ski and were hoping that we didn't find the owner of this equipment higher up the river bed!
Emma had another snake encounter near the summit of the mountain - almost standing on a brown snake between two rocks. After finding numerous dolines but without any leads, we starting heading back to the car and discovered a pothole. We could look down about 10m to a rocky floor but needed ropes etc. to climb down. After getting a GPS fix on the hole we continued down to the car with the plan to come back to the hole on Thursday, once we had borrowed Issam's drill and bolting kit.
We set off in bright sunshine and walked up the dry riverbed below Raymond. We came across the two resurgences and continued up the valley. At a dry waterfall we found two ski poles (both in good condition and a pair). We soon discovered an old broken ski and were hoping that we didn't find the owner of this equipment higher up the river bed!
Emma had another snake encounter near the summit of the mountain - almost standing on a brown snake between two rocks. After finding numerous dolines but without any leads, we starting heading back to the car and discovered a pothole. We could look down about 10m to a rocky floor but needed ropes etc. to climb down. After getting a GPS fix on the hole we continued down to the car with the plan to come back to the hole on Thursday, once we had borrowed Issam's drill and bolting kit.
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