<p>Got sufficient gear up the hill to go caving ish (failed to remember sunscreen my safety
cord and a few other things).</p>
<p>Went to 2007-71 to look at pitch leads. Started with 07-02C, as it looked easier to get into than 07-01B. Pitch drops down on right, passage continues a few metres on with a couple of other holes to the pitch then ends as a tight inlet.</p>
<p>Olly rigged down, natural backup in main poassage, natural, bolt, bolt, deviation to get to the floor. Pitch got wider on the way down to end in a moderate sized chamber with an icy/rocky floor and a very pretty snowcone. Sadly no way on. I pushed into a tight passage, but it only went a couple of meters. Exited, confirming that 07-01B connects.</p>
<p>Left rigged to survey once we've calibrated the distox.</p>
<p>Checked 15-01B - it is too small to get in to sadly. It might be possible (but not trivial) to move the rock.</p>
<p>Got a lift up the hill in the morning and learnt to use the distoX and topodroid in the bivi
cave. Learnt enough to go and do something useful, so headed to 101. Sounds simple. Sadly we
didn't completely remember where 101 was (having last visited in 2012) and we had no data in the GPS to help. Spent over an hour wandering around the plateau in caving gear. Headed back to camp to enlist the GPS + an old prospecting map print out. Found the cave easily!</p>
<p>Surveyed in splaying and topodroiding (in colour!) as we went. Got past the skylight entrance and down the climb before it got too tight for Olly, and we were cold. Headed out surveying out the skylight entrance as we went.</p>
<p>Took the first rope in to 76 to make a start on the rigging. I've barely rigged in years, and
not been to 76 since 2007, and was using the stop that Julian kindly lent me, having only used a
rack for years. Anyway it all went fine, and 76 was comfortably familiar, the hiltis has survived the last decade fine (though the one at the top of Draft Bitter had a bit of rusty grease in it). Got to the rock bridge rebelay and decided a drill would be useful to add a higher deviation so I came out, ready to walk down the hill and experience going to the dentist in German the next day!</p>
<div class="triptitle">Tunnocks - Champagne on Ice (rigging)</div>
<p>Callout book entry</p>
<div class="callout">23:00</div>
<p> Nat and I had good memories of the leads down Champagne on Ice so we packed four tacklesacks and ~260 rope and started rigging. Missed the 1st two pitches by (something) Tom Claytons sneaky route through boulders below the short climb on the main route. Took turns rigging + cursing the rigging guide which gave no indication of scale + insufficient detail (Nat got particularly) grumpy but after a couple of false drops + some hunting for spits (not helped by thorough greasing of the spits making them near-invisible) we rigged to the bottom + the short traverse beyond.
<div class="triptitle">Tunnocks - Champagne on Ice</div>
<p>Nat promised me an “adventure” and so led me down Tunnocks after excessive faff to push a lead he’d last visited in 2014. We descended relatively efficiently and route finding was not much of an issue. The following changes were made to the ‘champagne on ice’ pitch series:
-Replaced sling at 1st pitch head with additional bolt to form proper y-hang
-Improved the traverse at the very end with the addition of a single bolt in the ceiling of the passage at the very bottom of the series.
Beyond this I rigged a P5, although it should be noted that this pitch is probably larger than 5m as an 11m rope was insufficient to reach the bottom. After rigging a pre-bolted traverse we soon arrived at the lead, a drafting hole atop a seemingly easy climb just beyond a >10m hole. The traverse required to get round the hole was somewhat more sketchy than Nat remembered. For a fully comprehensive recreation of the sounds Nat made during the sky hook facilitated bolting of the traverse please consult either Nat or myself. ‘What would you Mother think’ traverse was rigged around the corner too a floor at the base of the climb up to the lead. At this point we turned back due to tiredness, cold and Nat being a big baby. This far the traverse consists of 4 bolts ascending to a further 5th bolt up to a ledge around the corner (backed up with by a spike).
<p>Back into 76 to continue rigging. Olly continued where I left off starting the 65m rope at The Ledge. This year we rigged along the ledge side, with a deviation on the Test Tubes side. This was a good success - it uses fewer hangers, is easier and quicker to pass and hangs better. Olly rigged tightly - the Y-hang at The Ledge Below The Ledge was temporarioly a single hang with a deviation. I was about to complain about the tightness of the rigging when Olly shouts up from Yesterday's Terminus that he has got to the end of the rope and could I feed 2m of slack through! I wasn't convinced there was 2m of slack rope in the whole cave let alone at this pitch. Anyway I converted the comfortable Y-hang to a single hanger with deviation, then the rope just reaches. We realised this wasn't very workable, but also a knot pass isn't good in a trade route rig. So we headed out to rethink.
<p>At 22:00 David and Roshni's callout went live. We scanned the hill for lights, but saw nothing. So we prepared for a rescue and departed for the entrance. We had the response bag and Mark had some extra emergency equipment in his own kit. Nat stayed on the surface, prepared to run for more help if needed. Mark and George descended the cave and established contact halfway down the entrance pitch. Mark went down through the water (it was very wet) and arrived at the bottom to see a rather cold and worried David and a VERY cold Roshni. Because of the risks of descending the pitch, Mark signalled to George that he should go back out. First action was to put extra clothes (duvet vest) on Roshni. We then set up camp. Tacklebags etc. on the floor to sit on and then the bothy to get onto. Hot soup and plenty of flapjack. Candles for extra warmth.</p>
<p>At 05:00 we judged it sufficiently improved that we could try to get out. That went very smoothly. Mark gave Roshni an assisted prussic and she put in as much effort as she could. We met Becka at the col whilst slowly making our way back to camp.</p>
<p>Some thoughts:
<ol type="a">
<li>The bothy shelter was great</li>
<li>The extra clothes I had were very useful. On a call out, pack a few fleeces, cagoules, whatever in a dry bag and take down.</li>
<li>The short length of SRT rope I took was very useful, not only for prussic assist but also for lifelining up the balcony climb.</li>
<li>Communication with David up the pitch was impossible. Use a whistle! If you are in trouble and need the rescuers to come down, give the standard emergency signal (six blasts).</li>
</ol></p>
<div class="timeug">T/U:
Mark 7 hours<br>
George 3 hours<br>
Nat 2 hours<br>
Haydon 2 hours (extra reinforcement at the surface)
<p>We came up with a plan of starting with our one remaining thick rope (29m) and shift everything else down accordingly. Olly needed a day to rest his knees, so I spent the day untying and re-tying knots in Plugged Shaft. On the second go I got the 29m to reach the second of the twin rebelays (31m would be better). Then the 65m reached Yesterday's Terminus (again a few m more would have been better). Then the 48m comfortably reached the bottom of Saved Shaft. I tweaked some of the lengths on my way out. Today the weather Gods smiled on me, and I got my gear dry before theheavy rain started.</p>
<p>Much wetter in Plugged Shaft today, but totally passable. Got to Boulder Chamber and Olly started to rig Keg Series. We were last here in 2004, despite me remembering which rope we rigged it on then, I had no idea on the actual rigging details. Olly started from the Follow Thru' Shaft end. I had a go and concluded that was wrong. I also concluded that the original rig needed bolts adding, was loose and looked pretty drippy. So we decided to change plan and rig down Follow Through Shaft, then go down the Adventures in Time and Space route to the bottom of Keg Series (last visited by us and Dave Loeffler in 2005). Again we were hazy on the rig.</p>
<p>I was happy that the traverse had been left rigged at the top and was only a bit drippy. Olly rigged down for a bit then I took over, eventually finding a suitable deviation for the final bit. Last 10m or so was drippy (but less bad with the deviation in). I had a quick look in Razor Advance while Olly came down. Keg Series was very wet and drippy, but Razor Advance was dry, so we left the drill and survey kit there and headed out. When tired and unfit it took just over 2 hrs out.
<p> After a fairly restful trip with Haydon down Balcony (pushing londrop). I came back to camp to find Chris attempting to recruit people to go to camp. As he’d only managed to recruit a partially recovered Wookey I reluctantly volunteered to go to camp. </p>
<p> After ~3.5 hours I reached camp and set up the washing line (major task #1). Wookey & Chris set off to fettle Tentacle Traverse whilst I caused havoc by spilling mushroom soup everywhere. After a brief scolding from Chris we ate dinner & went to sleep (n.b. creamy pasta with herbs & risotto travel lunches are very salty). <p/>
<p> The following day we up at 6.30 am (!!!) and were caving by 10(?) in massive phreas. Surveying continued until ~9 (an ~11 hour surveying day without significant breaks). We managed to generate more leads than we killed, byepassing a pitch Chris rigged, surveying tunnel sized passage & finding a stream (!!!); a greasy traverse above the stream was deemed to need a rope & we went back to the draughty railway tunnels. After a scary slop (Working time directive), made harder by technical caving boots, Wookey & I started to grumble about dinner, after several more hours we were allowed back for dinner. The following day we went & surveyed ~250m? of passage that was unkillable (Hydra). After a few hours we headed back to camp to be met by Becka, David & a haggard looking Julian. 4.5 hours later saw me catch up with George & Luke who’d been down Champagne on Ice. [Nats boots developed large holes across the toes on this tip, kicking walls hurts with no foot protection] <p/>
<p>Descended lunchtime and sent down at a steady pace. Met up with David, Julian and Becka at the camp. After a quick brew we went off exploring. WE headed to the 4m climb mentioned by the previous party's write up. Mark climbed it and beyond the passage soon reached another pitch down where we could hear water. After that it was time to get back to camp for dinner. The night was pretty comfortable.</p>
<h3>Day 2</h3>
<p>Big day of exploration. First lead was the "short pitch of 20m". A quick rig from Mark and it was 12m. Below a fine piece of passage led to a blind alcove. A smaller side passage led directly to a mud sump the consistence of a blancmange. We christened this "The Wrong Custard".</p>
<p>Next up was a ramp just after the northern branch splits off. Luke took the lead and up we went! Some superb cracked mud floor at the top.</p>
<p>Then we finished off with a crack at the deep pitch in Lobster Passage. Mark put in the first few traverse bolts in, then Luke took over and rigged the actual descent. A superb 45m freehang into a chamber. At the bottom was some very glutinous mud and a sump. An inlet passage led to an aven at least 20m high.</p>
<h3>Day 3</h3>
<p>We had breakfast and then Mark went up the boulder slope to get onto the rope..but couldn't find it. Anthony (our illustrious trip leader with a pocket full of surveys and notes) came up the slope prepared to point "the old duffer" in the right direction. But he soon realised that the rope really was missing. With our lights on full power we managed to locate it about 20 m off the floor. Bugger.</p>
<p>To avoid wasting a day we decided to go pushing anyway. A rescue seemed inevitable but we couldn't do anything about it.</p>
<p>First up was a B-lead not far from the bottom of Octopussy. This went for ~140m, sloping down all the way to a very muddy conclusion. After this, Mark went back to camp (in case another party came down). Meanwhile Anthony and Luke took a look at the two pitches nearby. One (to the left) proved awkward due to a big loose boulder. The other (to the right) is in a rift and was easier to rig. Anthony took up the cudgels and descended down to a chamber/passage with two ways on. Either another pitch or an ascending ramp. Those were left for another day. Dinner was calm and we spent some time inventing ridiculous games to pass the time in case of a protracted wait for rescue. "Soup snap" was one idea.</p>
<h3>Day 4</h3>
<p>At about 11:45 we heard the first sounds of rescuers approaching. Soon after we welcome sight of Nat abseiling down meant that we were at last able to get out. An efficient prussic out and everybody was back on the surface by 17:00.</p>
<p>Many thanks to all the EXPO members who organised a very efficient rescue!</p>
<p>Headed into Razor Advance with drill, rope and survey kit to see what happened next. On the way in we had switched the rope in Adventures in Time and Space for the 72m - a few m longer would be better. We also added a bolt to protect the traverse across to the rope up to Razor Advance (but there was insufficient rope to add a backup).</p>
<p>Followed the rift on, and it quickly became apparent that the rope was needed. Olly put in a few bolts and we got further along the rift to a nice spot to descend, a Y-hang gave a lovely hang - this is an inlet into a much larger cross rift. Water comes out on the right part way down - it seems likely that this is the Keg Series water from the size and position. Pitch is slightly drippy but not too bad in dry weather - who knows in wet weather. At the bottom is a huge block that has fallen from the roof. Way on is down stream in a canyon. We followed at stream level round some corners, past a narrower bit and a couple of climbs to a short drop that didn't look climbable. Went back to a higher level that had a phreatic roof and was sometimes a separate passage. Got slightly further, but again to a not free-climbable drop. Attempted to survey out, but after a couple of legs realised the disto wasn't properly calibrated (we discovered this quickly thanks to Andrew's advice to take three readings of a leg in different directions every so often). Gave up and exited.</p>
<p>I'd noticed that 171 was a moderately sized cave on the plateau that was unsurveyed, so decided it was a nice job for a rest day. To make life easier just took helmets, clothing and survey kit. We'd spent the morning successfully recalibrating the distox2 inside the bivi cave. Started at 171a and surveyed to 171b - a nice phreatic passage with multiple skylights. A low bit in the middle. Continued a bit beyond the "b" entrances, but decided to return to finish with oversuits.</p>
<div class="triptitle">16-JB-01 Hohle der guten Hoffnung</div>
<p>Intended to go back and finish surveying 171, so took ovesuits, kneepads as well as helmets and survey kit. Olly wanted to try a different route to walk there so headed past 2006-70 and up from there. I saw a few shafts and had to have a peer down each one. Near the local high point was an especially interesting hole. I climbed down the 3m climb into the snowfilled shakehole, at the S end a key hole passage led off. I followed the top of it, in lovely solid clean white rock, down a couple of climbs and with a draft. Very exciting! </p>
<p>I went out to get my oversuit, kneepads, survey kit and Olly. We returned and descended a couple more climbs. This reached a harder climb down to a ledge overlooking a larger chossy chamber. Olly traversed round to get a better look and realised this was also free climbable.</p>
</p>The chamber was drippy and full of loose rocks. Down a climb to the bottom end led to a squeeze overlooking a dirty snow plug. Back at the climb a pitch goes back underneath - this is undescended. Surveyed out. Cave drops a surprising 40m (over 80m of survey) all descended without gear.</p>
<div class="triptitle">171, near old top camp - surveying</div>
<p>Headed to 171 with oversuits and kneepads to finish the survey. On phoning basecamp discovered that the camping team were overdue, but that things were in hand, and there was nothing we could do in the short term. Took the phone with us to get updates.</p>
<p>Started at 171a and surveyed down to the final daylight entrance. Heard the rescue helicopter, which worried us, but no message from basecamp, so we continued. Went down the wide but low and breakdwon-y side passage. This continued to pop out 2/3 of the way down a day light shaft. Headed out after surveying this, and failed to identify the daylight entrance from the surface - it must be a narrow gryke by the surface.</p>
<p>Headed to 171b and surveyed north along a slightly drafty passage - there is a parallel rift on the rift with a snow patch and another daylight aven. There is a small passage doubling back here that we didn't thoroughly explore, because we assumed it would trivially reconnect. The main passage finally ends at a low drafting (out) choke. Looking at the survey shows this is very close to the end of [gap in logbook, probably meant 250]. Got a text message reporting from basecamp the camping team were safe which was a relief. Olly cancelled our callout (by phone) which unfortunately didn't make the call out book. So team rescue very efficiently came down to our camp to check we were safe - thank you!</p>
<p>Callout book entry. Have rope + spare drill battery on surface if needed</p>
<p>Olly's knees were recovered enough to cope with prussicking, so we returned to Keg Series with the now happily calibrated distox2. Started surveying in to get the pitch done, in case it rained later, or it took a while. Happily got it first time and in 1 leg. From the bottom followed the stream to the drop, and Olly rigged down. *IMPORTANT: this hilti is not properly set*. I've marked a nil polish slash across it. If anyone goes there again, please set it first, or else rig from higher (probably better).</p>
<p>The rift continues beyond this, at stream level it is tight, but higher is much wider. Shortly the roof drops down to the wide level, and it becomes the phreatic roof tube of a very tall keyhole passage. I stopped following this when it reached some loose looking perched rocks above a climb. I retreated and wriggled along at stream level, down a drop and through some bits narrower than my helmet. Reached the base of the climb I'd looked down on, and ascertained that it was climbable and the rocks were well wedged Climbed up to get the survey kit and Olly. Again followed ledges above the stream until the roof dropped down, and we reached another drop. This was wider but not freeclimbable.</p>
<p>Surveyed out. I derigged to Keg Series and left the rope bag at the Tap Room. Took the drill bag all the way home.</p>
<p>As we were ascending Follow Through Shaft, we heard a low rumbling noise, it sounded like people coming - I wondered if we had a callout mix up, and people were coming to rescue us. Then the rumbling got louder, and louder and it became apparent it was raining. Fortunately we were past the Tap Room and Keg Series, so had an uneventful exit.</p>
<div class="triptitle">Tunnocks - Champagne on Ice</div>
<p>Callout book entry.</p>
<p> Set off with the intention of derigging traverse beyond Artic Angle and pushing Nats lead (‘What Would Your Mother say’), before finally derigging the Champagne on Ice pitch series + derig traverse between Artic Angle and WWYMS. Off to a flying start I forgot both drill batteries only realising at the bottom of Champagne on Ice. Subsequently, myself and Becka went to replace slings on Andrews traverse past Artic Angle with rope cut from excess length of the existing rope + salvaged a couple of hangers from the traverse. At ~14:30 we went to meet Nat to see progress had been made on his bolt-less bolt climb. WWYMS is easily found by bearing left at the 1st junction of P5 (probably larger than 5m). The way after this is cairned at major junctions and involves a traverse around a large ~30m hole. We discovered Nat had bravely/foolishly already reached the top of the climb some 6/7m above the traverse previously rigged on another trip. The new rigging differed in that it comprised completely of extremely sketchy naturals with not a bolt or reliable belay in sight, by virtue of forgetting the drill batteries. We tentatively followed Nat to the top of the traverse/deathtrap (picture of rigging diagram) </p>
<p> From the top of the climb, following the drought lead to a 2/3m climb down, continuing emerges into large hading rift and a good ‘a’ lead requiring ropes to continue further. The only other alternative passage atop the climb leads to a large aven (very drippy at end) with stream descending 10-15m through hole into floor (c?) </p>
<p> On the descent, after having surveyed for as far as possible, Becka knocked a fairly integral natural belay of the wall with surprisingly little effort [ed she looked at it]. As a result the rigging was modified to allow me and Nat to get down ‘safely’ (picture of rigging diagram) </p>
<p>To avoid monumental clusterfuck this was left rigged but using the rope to ascend beyond the bolted traverse should be done with EXTREME CAUTION or not at all due the nature of the naturals it is backed up to. Rather cold and glad to be alive we began the return journey, derigging the traverse and P5 on the way. Upon arrival at the bottom of Champagne on Ice pitches (~19:00), Nat reported hearing a flood pulse. At the bottom of the 15m hang we encountered a waterfall not previously reported that rendered the pitch impassable without getting soaked. We waited ~5 hours in a bothy at a ledge below for the water to ease. Eventually prussicked out when flow was weaker but still involved briefly swinging under very drippy section. Higher up was still a bit drippy but not too unpleasant. Everyone out of the cave by 03:30. Several empty tacklesacks were left below the wet section and one full sack. Drill was brought out with some hangers </p>
<p>Nathanael should not be allowed to rig unsupervised in the future</p>
<p>Went down to limit of exploration. David rigged a couple of 10m pitches but both were choked. Walls covered with some nice "flapjack" crystalline calcite.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Mark and Ashley explored a B/C lead. A couple of dead bats. After about 50m it began to get lower, but a flat-out crawl popped out into a big, obviously well used passage! It turned out to be right next to Trident Junction.</p>
<p>We finished off by detackling the upper way into Cathedral Chasm. Any further pushing can be more conveniently done via the crawl, rather than going all the way round, which includes a slightly dodgy pitch and a couple of traverses.</p>
