Extreme testing – Rawlplug products in cave exploration!

Mysterious cave

The expedition began in the enchanting village of Poljana. Twenty brave cavers, assisted by a support team, set off into the unknown, only to encounter the first obstacles almost immediately. However, no technical problems (muffler failure and punctured tire) could stop the team for good, as they had a much greater challenge ahead: Zoran Jama. The mysterious cave became the expedition’s main target.

The challenges they encountered were not only very diverse, but also fascinating, in a way. Three connected wells, the deepest falling as much as 50 metres down, led to an underwater obstacle – a siphon, which required the explorers to display both courage and skill. In spite of all, the determination of the younger team members pushed them even deeper, to a place where two new bypasses were found. What they had discovered at a depth of more than 700 metres made the Zoran Jama cave to become known as even larger, now boasting an impressive new length of 1,070 meters.

M13 and an unknown cave! 

That is absolutely not where the adventures ended. Cave M13, being the exploration team’s next target, revealed its beauty to the cavers. Great depths, tight meanders, and corridors with watercourses proved that the area hid many yet undiscovered opportunities. 

The expedition ended with a surprise – cave M201. Similarly to the M13, it has unique features and is a separate object of study. It attracted the team’s attention with its snow well. However, they came across natural limits to further exploration, formed by a crevice between rock and ice, which at the same time opened up more space for research and speculation as to what might be hidden in its depths.

What to bring for caving? Rawlplug, of course!

The key to the success of the caving enthusiasts was not only their expertise and determination, but also professional gear that had to stand up to extreme conditions. The cavers themselves chose the tools they took with them on the expedition, completely aware that there was no room for error in the harsh underground environment, since any mistake could simply cost too much.

Their list of the most essential items included two R-PRH18-XL2 cordless rotary hammers, compatible with the Rawlplug 18V battery system. With the compact design and lightweight built, they prevent fatigue during prolonged work, while their rubberised and ergonomically shaped handle is there for more secure grip and comfortable use, which makes them an ideal choice for this kind of scientific expedition. The R-BAT-188001 batteries with the highest available capacity provided the cave explorers with reliability and long-lasting performance under harsh conditions. 

Another crucial item of their equipment, which definitely deserved special attention, was the R-HPTIIA4 stainless steel throughbolt, supplied in 400 pieces of size 08085/20 and 100 pieces of size 08105/40. These high-end anchors were designed specifically to provide maximum strength and reliability in the most demanding environments. This clearly includes underground caves!

The R-HPTII bolt’s unique design, which enables drilling and fixing directly through the fixture, has contributed a lot to the simplicity of the installation process, making it less labour intensive. The depth markers prove very helpful when setting the anchor in the hole, ensuring optimised embedment without the risk of contact with elements such as rebars. This is an invaluable advantage of our throughbolts, which comes particularly handy when working in the field, where every move must be accurate and safety considered the utmost priority. 

Thanks to their anti-corrosion coating, they are dedicated to use in environments of a high corrosivity class (from C1 to C5), which makes them ideally suited for expeditions such as cave exploration. The durability and safety they provide in areas where traditional anchoring methods may fail is a perfect testament to the technological advancement of our products!

Nothing that is difficult is alien to us! 

Our contribution to the organisation of the caving expedition is a reason for great satisfaction. We are impatiently looking forward to receiving feedback on our equipment, put to the test in the harshest of conditions in underground caves. It is in moments like these that we obtain a lot of valuable information helping us to continuously improve our offering. They also give us an opportunity to foster science and passion for exploration. 

The great Maganik 2023 expedition was attended by members of several caving clubs, including:

• Wrocław Caving Section,
• Academic Caving Club affiliated with the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow,
• Speleoclub Wrocław, and 
• Sopot Caving Club.

We would like to thank the entire of team of cavers for their trust and choice of our solutions. We are happy to have contributed to the success of this expedition, and we are enthusiastically looking forward to new challenges, enabling our products to prove their worth again in real-life trials!