Expedition Bjurälven 2016 successfully completed! - report, photos + video

Over the course of a week, between 2 and 9 April, this year’s instalment of the extremely demanding Expedition Bjurälven 2016 project was carried out. A group of very advanced technical divers, who have been exploring the unusual cave for several years, went once again into the wild intervals located in the Jämtland mountain range, far from any human settlements. What did they find? What were the following days like? You can look for the answers below.

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2 April – first day of the expedition

The long wait for Expedition Bjurälven participants is over. The next instalment in the series of expeditions exploring probably the longest flooded cave in Sweden has officially begun. The first day was, of course, about laying a solid foundation for the work to be done over the next week. To begin with, snowmobile tracks had to be created in the snow and a camp set up with all the available infrastructure.

Despite appearances, the mild weather caused some problems. It is much more difficult to operate heavy equipment when the snow is melting, which caused two minor incidents, but without serious consequences.

After setting up camp and cutting the ice, two teams of divers cleared the entrance to the cave and deposited some of the cylinders (safety tanks) inside. Thanks to this, the dives scheduled for the following day could take place as planned.

As you can see, in some situations you have to use the right equipment…

3 April – beginning of exploration and diving in earnest

Positive temperatures persist, causing some problems with transport. Nevertheless, the day is successful. The dives carried out allowed the railing to be repaired in several places where it had been damaged by the spring melt. One team covered the entire known part of the cave and started exploring the virgin part. This enabled a further 70 metres to be mapped.

This section, although it was quite tight and took a long time to traverse, was characterised by a steady flow of water. There are still a few things to explore here and their exploration is scheduled for another day.

For those who have not yet heard of Expedition Bjurälven and cannot imagine the scale of the difficulty of the entire undertaking, we would like to inform you that simply reaching the flooded cave located in the north-western part of the Jämtland range is a real feat. Due to the lack of any roads or human settlements, everything has to be taken with you and transported by snowmobile, the only means of transport able to cope with such difficult conditions.

4 April – another customised outfit

5 April

This year the weather has had its ups and downs. The temperature is hovering around 0º C, so the cold is not a problem. The snow is a different matter. It is wet, and sometimes it snows. This causes communication problems and makes it difficult to operate between the camp and the cave entrance. This aura is undoubtedly quite a challenge for snowmobilers and those of us who have to function in the open air when wet. Fortunately, appropriate equipment from our sponsors helps to endure the hardships of working in adverse conditions.

6 April

Once you dive under the ice, the noise of the compressor is momentarily replaced by the sound of bubbles of exhaled air. A normal cave dive? Not at all! Between you and your buddha is a ladder and a container (the so-called safety kit) containing food, a first aid kit, lights and warm clothes.

This kit has been prepared specifically for dry chamber exploration and should anything unforeseen happen, we want to be well prepared. Safety must always come first when undertaking such tasks.

The scientific aspect is very important during the expedition. We have a lot of data collected during the previous years, but some of it needs to be checked again. This will help to better determine the position of the cave in relation to the surface.

The cave map is being updated. Meanwhile, a new way to fight the cold has appeared! The Finns have brought a sauna tent with them! This means that after a 20 minute snowmobile ride through the forest, you can take a great relaxation after your dive. To make the process as smooth as possible, there is an ice hole 5 metres from the sauna, where you can quickly cool down.

7 April – we found a passage!

Finishing last year’s expedition, we were unsure if and how we would be able to move forward. We found two tunnels, unfortunately both were collapsed. Not having much possibility to make another move, we made an attempt to dig ourselves out. Unfortunately, despite great efforts, we did not succeed.

Fate was kind, however, and today the push-team found another route, allowing them to bypass the collapsed section of the cave. One of the divers squeezed through a small tunnel and reached a large chamber containing a passage to more sections of the cave! This gives us a new area to explore and a passage towards our goal, Bjurälvsgrottan.

At the end of a day in which we had achieved such great success, we met with the local community. During the meeting we presented them with the results of our exploration work and the current status of the project. It was also a great opportunity to be able to thank the people of Stora Blåsjön for their help and making the whole project possible.

8 April – last dive

Today we have our last dinner at the local restaurant Ripan. Earlier we managed to make some very successful dives, during which we managed to map and search another part of the cave. With any luck, once all the data has been updated and applied to the final image, we should have over 2km of cave!

9 April – results of works

We received the final image after mapping the cave. Thanks to the data acquired in 2016, the official length of Bjurälven is now 2135 metres! Now it is time to return to our daily activities, but we will be back here next year to push forward and explore further into the cave. Preparations for Expedition Bjurälven 2017 have just begun!

Source: Organiser