<p>Went down to fat cat to attempt to rig pitch so we could swing off
into "window". Holly placed 3 Hiltis to put us in a nice place for
hang to near window. Had Hilti setting issues -> wasn't sure about
setting of last one.</p>
<p>When I went down I forgot the hammer so decided it was time to
leave. Exited the cave in v. exciting wet conditions as there was a monster storm on the surface - Holly bravely went first, We got soaked but it was passable.</p>
<p>Back to fat cat to set the last hilti & drop down. Dropped pitch to near survey stn 14 of fat cat survey. Saw window on way down that Holly managed to rig rope to -> Just a pocket at horizontal level but climb up with QMA above.</p>
<p>Also dropped pitch below window -> led to scrotty passage which opened upa bit QMB at end & QMA with V. good draft & possible pitch on left. Nice and dry on way out today :-) </p>
<p>7th of August 2012 on which day we learn that leaving one's spare van key inside the van is not a smart idea ...</p>
<p>Dour could not be swayed by the temptation of a piss-up in town, he was tempted by the dark side, and by Emma-the-keen. So the alarm went off at 6.30am. He jumped out of his pit and stuck his head back into the tent shortly later to say goodbye. Fair enough I suppose, going caving on a caving expedition...</p>
<p>I meanwhile slept off two consecutive seshes and crawled out of my pit at 10:50. To find Dunks, Noel and Frank standing around the cars having a giggle. The giggling increased significantly when I tried the van door. Dour-the-organised, having borrowed my van key first thing, and meaning to give it back when he came over to say goodbye. Instead got a lift up the road and walked all the way to top camp before realising he still had the key in his pocket. DOH.</p>
<p>Not being able to drive the van for a day or so probably wouldn't be the end of the world (after all, this is only the second expo I've been on with my own driving licence), but I gradually worked out that the ever-lengthening list of things left in the van included pills, wallet, walkingboots, maps, day rucksack, walking pole etc. Crap. Dour found the van key <u>after</u> Holly and Stuart had set off walking so couldn't send it down the hill with them. Several phone calls later, as I sat trying to plan my day (baring in mind the street party tonight and subsequently written-off tomorrow), remembering more and more useful shit that was locked in our van, a solution was found. But there was much grumbling in certain quarters.</p>
<p>Grand plans for rigging all the way to Fat Cat were scuppered by dint of us spending a while convincing ourselves that we were actually at K Carbide, then adding second bolt to make the rig more suitable for a trade route.</p>
<imgsrc="logbkimg3.png"alt="Riging diagram for King Carbide"><p>Finally we got started onBrian's Phat Shaft, but the deviation bolt couldn't be found and we decided to come back tomorrow</p>
<p>A 06.30 start from Base Camp saw Emma and I yomping up to the bivi to go caving (thereby cunningly avoiding the thunderstorm of the previous evening). I paired up with Wookey and we went underground in early afternoon.</p>
<p>The first job was to redo the centreline survey on Brian's Phat Shaft, since the original vintage[?] had rather too many suspicious plumbs for the terrain. The DistoX proved to be a bit tedious, regularly resetting itself into various modes that did not give us the answer we wanted, but it was sorted eventually.</p>
<p>The next job was to look at a traverse at the top of a climb reached the previous day by Holly and Wookey after swinging off part way down Fat Cat. I put in a couple of bolts and got to the other side, which smelt disgustingly of piss. Shortly afterwards Ollie's light was seen shining down the aven at the far end, confirming that we were below one of the holes near the end of the On The Prowl traverse. Later, Ollie shone his light down a different hole and we saw it coming form above the start of the traverse - so it looks like there is not much to be found here.</p>
<p>While this had been going on, we heard excited shouts from Emma and Jen requesting our presence with the drill. We headed down to their lead, via a most entertaining deviation. The passage they had followed was impressively grotty but draughting, eventually opening out into a small bouldery chamber. Wookey's cave radara detected the hole with the draught coming out of it and one bolt later we were into a continuation. This was initially a sandy crawl, but quickly opened out into something of more impressive dimensions, all draughting strongly. Wookey and I surveyed into this while Emma and Jess finished off the survey of the way in, then leapfrogged us and started surveying the new stuff. By the time we had finished our bit they had surveyed around a fairly substantial chamber, full of boulders with black spaces between them. At the north end is a substantial pitch with water coming down that the survey data indicates is probably the final pitch in Kiwi Suit. There is also a pitch lead at the southern end of the chamber, nearest to KH and at a similar altitude. There is a very strong draught in this area, blowing from north to south. There is evidence that the chamber is in part developed along a hading rift with a similar orientation to Razor Dance which is directly below, so I suspect that they may be related to the same feature. Overall, a most promising find.</p>
<p>At this point Emma and Jess headed out whilst Wookey and I tidied up by surveying a side passage to a pitch lead. During this exercise we saw Emma and Jess's lights and realised that we were standing in a window ~8m from the bottom of Fat Cat. This would avoid the need to go through the scrofulous initial access route.</p>
<p>Our final act was to derig the ropes on the climb and traverse from earlier on in the day to complete a most satisfying and effective day's caving. An excellent trip.</p>
<divclass="triptitle">Pushing Fat Cat -> Pussy Riot -> Cirque du Soleil</div>
<divclass="trippeople"><u>Jess</u>, Emma</div>
<p>Went to investigate a scrothole that Holly had squidged into and pronounced an "A" lead. So, having already been passed by Rob and Olaf we thought we'd have a look...</p>
<p>Sadly some of the rather spectacular popcorn protrubences died a death as we wriggled through the hole, having just scrotted down the previous bit of passage, after christening the perched boulder "Boris". Don't ask why...</p>
<p>Well, a short section of small, popcorn encrusted phreatic pocketing led to a larger phreatic passage ~1.5x2m, with a hole in the floor (<u>QMA</u>), a window and climb down to the right which ended in a mud choke (<u>QMD</u>) and a ceiling inlet with a small stream which dropped down the pitch. A higher cavity could be seen ~3m up this ... <u>QMB</u>.</p>
<p>We carried on along the phreatic passage, which developed a floor trench and ceiling pockets, before dropping down a 2m climb. Howling draft and V.cold.</p>
<p>Mud choked chamber at foor of climb, pitch on R <u>(QMA)</u>. Climbed up 3m opposite original passage, above the pitch, into a BIG phreatic chamber (<u>Pussy Riot</u>) with boulders, pitches (<u>(QMA)</u>,<u>QMB</u>,<u>QMB</u>,<u>QMB</u>,<u>QMB</u>) some further phreas entering ~8m up the wall (QMA).</p>
<p>At this point we decided we needed the wisdom of greater experience to choose our next move, so I ran back to the bottom of Fat Cat, clambering over Boris, and hollered for those well known cave sniffers, Dour and Wookey.</p>
<p>20 mins later, after a pause durig which they finished blting a traverse and me and Emma sang and cackled and chatted, we headed back to the chamber.</p>
<p>Wookey immediately walked over the boulders (ignoring the black spaces beneath which we'd found so offputting) straight into a horizontal continuation on hte left of the chamber. A 2m climb down, requiring one bolt and a natural was reached. Me and Emma surveyed while this was bolted, and Wookey had a quick scsoop ahead (tut tut!).</p>
<p>Small, mud floored, mostly hands and knees or stoping phreatic passage was reached, which after a couple of minutes opened out into a large chamber - <u>Cirque du Soleil</u>.</p>
<p>Me and Emma leapfrogged Dour and Wookey (who were now surveying) and started surveyng the chamber. Its V.V. big... amd a big draft... Large pillar in centre, a big drippy pitch to the south (<u>(QMA)</u>), some holes upslope between the pitch and entrance which we thought we could see the others' lights throughh (<u>(QMA)</u>,<u>QMA</u>), and four more pitches, 2 on each side of the chamber (4x<u>QMB</u>).</p>
Carried on to far side of chamber past pillar to a steep chossy slope with perched death down into big stomping trunk passage which, as Dour put in, was "Blowing a hooley". This went ~10m to another massive drippy pitch.</p>
<p>Having reached a natural break, we decided to head out, nattering and chattering. Out at 1 am.</p>
<divclass="timeug">T/U: 13hrs</div>
<div>
<pre>
Cat Gut: QMB - Inlet in ceiling. ~3m climb to cavity
QMA - Pitch in floor under 2 boulders, takes a stream
QMD - Mud choked downclimb - small stream sinks
Pussy Riot: QMA - Down pitch on R of climb up into chamber ~15m? ~20m? hard to tell...
QMB - Hole on left under boulders at top of climb into chamber ~2m to a floor
QMB - Pitch on R of chamber, ~20m ?
QMB - Pitch on R of exit of chamber
QMX - Possible phreatic passage ~8m up wall opposite climb up into chamber
Cirque du Soleil: QMB - Pitch on L as enter chamber
QMA - Hole in wall up slope on R as enter chamber
QMA: hole in wall up slope on R as enter chamber
QMA: Big drippy pitch in south side of chamber, drafts strngly in (down pitch)
QMB: Pitch on R by wall just before slope down into trunk passage
QMB: Pitch on L by slope down into trunk passage
QMA: Big drippy pitch at end of trunk passage <u>POSSIBLY FINAL PITCH OF KIWI SUIT</u></p>
<p>Have we found the legendary phreas at the top of Razordance ????</p>
Decided to have a quick look in 101 to see what it did. Much as described in 1977, pitches all free climbable. Just after 101 and 101a join there is a tight pitch lead to the right into a canyon - we didn't descend. Followed to near the end in 1977 - gets quite small, but continues. Another small tube leads off to right - Olly went for a short way down this and it continues.</p>
Walked back via looking for 99-OB-01 which we found. Easy to locate if you assume Schoenberg bearing is for 2 peaks further east, and Zinken is a different peak.</p>
I was still feeling full of cold so we went to have a poke at the dig at the end of 82's top level. Olly successfully dug and got more passage, but sadly it didn't go very far - I suspect it is too near the surface. While I sat on the surface and coughed, Olly had a look at 85, and concluded that there is still a lead.
Olly rigged and bolted down 157. We went down the parallel rift and concluded the bolts of unknown origin spotted in 1987 are not in 107. Cave doesn't continue. We surveyed out, via a brief warm up on the surface. On redescending Olly realised his rack was still underground. Opps! Fortunately I could rescue it for him! We didn't descend the main shaft as it was quite full of snow. There is also another parallel rift we didn't visit.
</p><p>
Lesson learnt: don't prussic out leaving your rack behind.
This cave is right by the path to 204 ~ opposite 157. one day this cave would have had a long section of big passage heading for 107, but is today missing much of it's roof. Off this main 'passage' are several short sections of cave heading off. Sadly they all either get too small, end, or are choked with rocks. Surveyed most of it - will go back and finish off later.
</p><p>
(The cave name is because we saw a pair of gemse twice on the way).
Went into 83, put some new bolts in, but rigged as a pushing rig, assuming we'd only spend a day here. Got into the big rift but needed more rope than expected due to re-belays and an almost non-existent snow pile.
</p><p>
Walked down the big rift until we got near the bottom, took the phreatic passage on the left like in 1977. Pitch was lovely 32m of freehang to a big chamber, as expected the route didn't continue, but we could survey out to connect any new stuff too. Sadly the survey pencil was rubbish, and the 2 spares I was carefully carrying were broken. Olly managed to take notes up the pitch and I derigged it. We then headed home, planning to return with a pencil the next day.
<divclass="triptitle">Looking on the surface between 1987-02 and 82</div>
<p>
Decided to see if we could drop back into the trunk passage seen in 1987-02 and the top level of 82 somewhere in between, taking the obvious approach of walking between them. This doesn't work well as the terrain is very broken, but we found what is likely to be the skylight entrance to 1987-02, a postcard on balloons from Italy, and a few scrotty tubes to crawl into.
<divclass="triptitle">83 - Duncing in the dark</div>
<p>
Went back to 83 planning to look at the bolt traverse over the 32m pitch, as this was likely to be a short trip and the last in 83, we didn't re-rig the entrance pitch and we set an 8pm call out.
</p><p>
Olly did a great job bolting over the pitch and on. I took a few photos and eventually followed along. The bolt traverse was great fun. At the end was an ~8m pitch with a slope/climb up the back wall which sadly didn't go. At the top of this short pitch, Olly spotted an alcove on the left, so bolted into that, and climbed up into the roof tube. We realised there was nowhere near enough time to explore, survey and derig by 8pm. So we surveyed out as far as the main chamber and made our 8pm callout by ~15 minutes. Left the cave rigged for 1 final trip.
<divclass="triptitle">83 - Thunder Road, Under a Rock</div>
<p>
Went back to 83 for our final trip to look at the roof tube beyond the bolt traverse and survey the entrance bit. I got part way along and realised I had left the grease syringes on the surface, Olly wasn't yet on the bolt traverse so kindly popped out to get them.
</p><p>
Got into the roof tube, which is called <u>Thunder Road</u> due to the thunder we heard there on the 10th. I took off my SRT kit and wiggled along the passage which rapidly became more rift like. Olly wasn't keen to follow, so sat with the notebook while I shouted back numbers. The passage went for ~30m trending uphill. Near the end was a short section of walking passage followed by a low crawl. Then a drippy aven on the R and a pitch on the left. I surveyed back from here. I suspect it is near the surface.
</p><p>
Derigged back to entrance chamber and began to survey out. Checked the bottom of the rift and it is, as you would expect chossy and connects with the p32. Then, about 1 survey leg up from the p32 passage Olly potted a low passage going off under a rock, names <u>Under a Rock</u>, passage gets to a pitch, which we could carefully traversed round. Next was a short section of lovely big phreas, heading up to a choke. There were a few bits of leaves and pine cones - presumably near another entrance. Right from the pitch went less far. Combined tactics got me up a short climb which led up to a choke, again with leaves. I thought i could smell outside.
</p><p>
Surveyed back to entrance chamber, and left the cave.
<divclass="triptitle">83 - Under a Rock, Down Under</div>
<p>
Went back into Under a Rock and dropped the pitch. The bottom was a tall rift, up didn't go far, the way the water flows rapidly got too narrow. We followed the 3rd way on, up a short climb and down the other side (via a bolt). We scrambled further down and down some more to find ourselves back at the bottom of the p32. Olly was amused at where we were, I was annoyed. But at least our loop closure was good!
</p><p>
Went back to entrance chamber to survey out. Olly spotted a hole thru' some rocks. It drafted so we pulled some rocks out. We couldn't easily make the gap big enough, so tried a meter or so higher up. I managed to get through, and amazingly got under and through a window into another passage underneath <u>Down Under</u>, removed more rocks so Olly could follow me through. Followed the passage past a squeeze and a climb down. Found ourselves above a reasonable sized passage ~5m above. Didn't look climbable down, but I could traverse over. Did this to another 6m drop into the same passage, but excitingly could see a snow plug. We wondered if this was 107. Surveyed out and up to the tag bolt.
</p><p>
Scrambled in 107 on the way back and saw a similar looking snow plug. Down the hill the survey data confirms we connected! Not as impressive as The Connection, but we have made 107 ~9m deeper (by the CUCC way) and ~500m longer.
Went back to 83 for the actual final trip. I retrieved the rigging gear while Olly sketched the entrance chamber. I derigged and swung across to look at side tubes. One near the top generated another ~15m of passage.
</p><p>
Finished de-rigging. [rigging diagram in original]
Went to 148 with 100+m of rope, hangers and a drill. Tweaked the rigging on the way in to add a bolt on pitch 2 -> clowns are a poor hanger choice for free hanging rebelays! Also changed natural backups and things. Olly rigged down deep space (and hated using a stop more than hating using a rack) After much swinging about with too much gear he gave up looking for the deviation and came back up. I had a go and managed to find it eventually - a sling on a nose of rick behind you. Must be more than 5 years since I last rigged but I mostly remembered what to do. Except I was slow and failed to find the next few bolts. Safely got to the asteroid belt and found more bolts. Olly came down too and we rigged on to the pushing front. Olly found the missing bolts on the way out.
</p><p>
The pitch heads are nasty and tight, but things look better deeper down. Got out surprisingly fast (1hr 40) despite bimbling.
<divclass="triptitle">148 Deep Space pushing trip</div>
<p>
Finally, after a five year wait it was time to go beyond the Asteroid Belt in Deep Space (148). Got down to the pushing front fairly quickly, and Olly proceeded to rig our 200m of rope down. First pitch was long (as we knew from dropping rocks) ~60m, most rocks had also gone down the next short pitch too. The pitch after that one was also short, and just round the corner. Basically cave is a very high rift with a little trickle of water down the back. Next pitch was longer + spray lashed at base. Next very short pitch wetter still. Then there was a little bit of horizontal to the following (dry) short pitch, and the same again to the next. Olly got to the bottom of that with 4m rope left, 4 hangers and 4 hiltis, and the cave changed to being horizontal. How is that for careful planning and frugal rigging!
</p><p>
Walked/bridged along the rift passage until we hit a boulder choke. I hypothesised that this was the altitude that 107, 97, 82 end at, but actually we were ~40m higher. Olly spotted that the water went under the choke in a little trench. I took off my SRT kit and Olly moved some rocks out. With some effort I managed to wriggle through with the water, under the boulders. Inside the choke I could stand up and cautiously climb up and out the other side! Short passage off to right into another choke (upstream). Downstream to left continued some way, so I went back to get Olly. Olly managed to get through too, and we headed off to explore. Followed downstream, down a climb and to a pitch. Surveyed out from here. Looked at a climb up on the right (going out) which goes up into an aven with black space above - so might be possible to go over the boulder choke. Surveyed back to above the final pitch, then began the long route out. Got out safely and before dawn, what more can you ask for?
Got up late after yesterdays trip, but needed an early ngiht ready for goign to Eishohle the next day, so planned a short trip into 107. Olly placed a bolt backup and then a hang bolt - managed to get a free hang just. Didn't spot the 1978 spit until a later trip - it is a bit higher than ours, but woudl rub. Entrance shaft bells out, and has several possible leads high up. Landed near the snow plug we could see from 83 (Down Under).
</p><p>
Had an explore, realsied the 1978 survey has teh wrong angle for the side passages, and that teh projected elevation has teh plan lengths and vica versa. Area is a little mreo complex with various tubes goign off - all the ones we looked at either ended or conenctted with the pitch below. We planned to survey but got cold as it was realyl drafty.
