Cornwall
27 July 2003
The Goldsithney Karst Rain Project
a.k.a. DIW (Doing It Wet)
Trip report by Joe Hesketh
First published in London Diver, October 2003
July 19th 2003, and a crack team from London Branch embark on an exploration push deep into the Treveneague Sump (known locally as the soggy end of Phil's campsite). To reach our objective of breaking the record for saturation-camping, we would have to have the weather on our side and keep all diving activity down to a bare minimum.
Preparation had begun early, with the support crew of Bernie and Keith having arrived the previous day to deliver vital supplies (kettle/gas stove) and position the safety boat, a large RIB to be used as a bail-out craft in case of severe flooding. One by one, the team arrived and laid out their Hogarthian tent systems, ranging from Jon W's streamlined bungee-less single dome to Bernie's friend Mike whose closed-circuit marquee sported an isolation zip between the twin sleeping areas, fold out table, back-up chairs and integral 18W HID lighting.
The mood was anxious by nightfall and we just hadn't seen anywhere near enough rain to make our project a success. But by sunrise, our fears were allayed as the team awoke to the first of many dismally wet mornings, and by lunchtime, after a tough swim-through on the traverse to the bakery in Marazion, we sat clutching our soggy pasties thinking to ourselves how lucky we were to have planned the expedition during the wettest Cornish week that summer.
As a relative newcomer to DIW (though countless washed-out holidays as a child to Filey and Bridlington have undoubtedly accelerated my education), it was an honour to spend time with some of DIW's grandees, from whom I learned a great deal. "The first rule of DIW", explained Keith, "is never camp with strokes". A stroke is someone who has no regard for dampness while camping, and who, despite maybe knowing of ways to avoid staying dry and comfortable, nevertheless chooses not to. If you camp with strokes, you are risking your own wetness. What may start out a simple exercise in going to borrow some milk from their caravan can easily escalate into having a chat whilst in this dangerous waterless environment, or even watching some TV, and by that stage, it's too late. Even short to medium term exposures at such elevated dryness levels can have irreversible effects on overall wetness.
Unfortunately, several of London Branch who were also in Cornwall that week fall into that category. Perhaps the worst offenders were Jeff and Tobias, and I cite them as examples for you all to learn from. Despite staying on the same campsite, they chose to spend the whole week under a hard roof, with electricity, onsite toilet and kitchen facilities. Unfortunately, such ideas are now being actively pushed by the outdoors industry and are gaining favour amongst the less experienced no thanks to a lowering of standards amongst the recreational camping agencies. However, an equipment configuration such as this will do nothing to keep you wet. For instance, even if you switch from your primary WC to the outdoor facility, due to the up-field positioning of your caravan, there will simply be too small a moisture gradient between clothing and skin for the short dash to the lavs to result in accelerated drenching. A mistake that could easily be avoided by staging your quarters (a simple sheet of nylon) at the opposite side of the site, thus maximising the precipitation window.
However, in spite of such ignorance, the project was a resounding success. We were only unlucky with the weather once or twice and due to clear skies had to resort to jumping in the sea to get wet. But other than that, I'm pleased to be able to report that conditions in these wonderful Cornish fields were consistently abysmal and this period of commitment and sacrifice ultimately led to a redefinition of technical camping and extreme tea making.
This was all made possible through the dedicated surface and knee-deep-in-water support teamwork required to stage such an expedition under very difficult conditions. My thanks go to all involved.
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Labels: cornwall, trip report
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