Expedition Bjurälvern 2022 - return to the land of ice

A group of technical divers are back in Jämtland, Sweden, where Expedition Bjurälvern 2022 has begun.
After a year’s break due to global restrictions, the participants of Expedition Bjurälvern are back at work. Tight and ready, they showed up in Jämtland, Sweden, where they began further exploration of the flooded cave.

-- Advertisement --

Expedition Bjurälvern is a project in which a group of passionate technical divers explore and investigate a flooded cave in northern Sweden. Over the years, the expedition has gained an international character. This translated into the participation of many experienced divers from around the world in the exploration.

This not only raised the profile of the initiative, but also brought together an interdisciplinary team of experts. This is important, as extreme conditions and limited time require precise and effective action.

First days of Expedition Bjurälvern 2022

The first four days of Expedition Bjurälvern 2022 are already behind us, and this year the participants decided to focus on two caves. Therefore, in order to use the available time efficiently, the group was divided into two teams. From the information shared by the expedition participants, the water level is quite high, indicating a strong flow in the caves.

Unfortunately, the weather proved to make underwater operations difficult, as there was a lot of snow and rain. Nevertheless, the team broke through a metre thick layer of ice and opened Bjurälvsgrottan, the entrance to the cave. In the second cave, on the other hand, the team carried out work to bring in heavier equipment such as compressors and diving equipment.

The expedition participants had to shovel several tons of snow, which was no small effort, but also an opportunity for fun and interaction. Everyone is excited about what the coming days may bring. After the cancelled expedition in 2021, there is a sense of optimism and eagerness in the group.

At Festins cave the divers were in the water all day and we managed to swim 80m into the cave. We encountered a serious restriction that requires some work to move the gravel to overcome. Some of the divers had a chance to look inside, and the cave seems to have a continuation of a larger tunnel leading into infinity! Hopefully there are many more caves to explore! At Bjurälvsgrottan we managed to dive in to check the conditions, but the flow is still quite high… Bonus: we met a fish and a frog – reads the report from the fourth day of the expedition.

You can follow the activities of Expedition Bjurälvern 2022 participants on social media. After each day the team publishes a short summary of the activities.

For more than a dozen years now, a group of keen technical divers has been conducting an extreme exploration as part of Expedition Bjurälven. You can read more about the expedition in the 12th issue the DIVERS24 quarterly magazine! The digital version of the magazine is available free of charge, while you can purchase the printed version in our online shop.