2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN">
|
|
|
|
|
<html lang=en>
|
|
|
|
|
<!-- from Cambridge Underground 1983 p 18 -->
|
|
|
|
|
<head>
|
|
|
|
|
<title>
|
|
|
|
|
1982: Cambridge Underground report
|
|
|
|
|
</title>
|
2004-04-21 10:35:34 +01:00
|
|
|
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../css/main2.css" />
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
</head>
|
|
|
|
|
<body>
|
|
|
|
|
<h3>THE UNDERGROUND CAMP</h3>
|
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>Charles Butcher
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>By the time the expedition was halfway through we had reached the top of
|
|
|
|
|
Orgasm Chasm and pushing trips were taking about eighteen hours. After half a
|
|
|
|
|
dozen short pitches and some nice splashy streamway the cave was looking
|
|
|
|
|
serious again. The swimming duck was cold and the black Chasm looked
|
|
|
|
|
bottomless.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>When the idea of underground camping was first suggested there was some
|
|
|
|
|
opposition. Time was short, we had no experience of camping underground and
|
|
|
|
|
no spare equipment. In the end it was left to Tim, Phil, Dave and Paddy to
|
|
|
|
|
pack up a tent, sleeping bags, clothes, food and stoves. They established a
|
|
|
|
|
camp in the dry phreas above the last pitch, finding a chamber with a level
|
|
|
|
|
sandy floor and no draught.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>Tim and Phil stayed at the camp after their pushing trip and reported it a
|
|
|
|
|
great success. Now that the idea had been tested everyone was keen to use the
|
|
|
|
|
camp and it was a great morale booster. As it turned out we could have
|
|
|
|
|
bottomed the cave without camping but it would have been much harder.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>We used a lightweight Robert Saunders tent which gave some much needed
|
|
|
|
|
warmth in a cave air temperature of 1°C. Condensation was potentially a
|
|
|
|
|
problem but was not serious when the tent was properly pitched. Of the two
|
|
|
|
|
sleeping bags, one was synthetic and the other down; both performed well with
|
|
|
|
|
an underlayer of Karrimat. There was also a variety of dry clothes which we
|
|
|
|
|
wore around camp and while sleeping. For cooking we had an army-type hexamine
|
|
|
|
|
cooker and a butane stove. The butane stove was sluggish in the cold and
|
|
|
|
|
easily upset. The hexamine cooker was light and efficient and would be a good
|
|
|
|
|
choice for any future camping; alternatively a Trangia stove has the same
|
|
|
|
|
stability and robustness.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>Food consisted of corned beef, packet soup, noodles, macaroni, Tabasco
|
|
|
|
|
sauce, teabags, dried milk, muesli and chocolate. German black bread is a
|
|
|
|
|
sustaining item which survives the journey underground well. We were close to
|
|
|
|
|
the stream and found a gallon plastic water container with a tap very useful.
|
|
|
|
|
Generally camp was very well supplied and towards the end of the expedition
|
|
|
|
|
there was more food underground than on the surface.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>A stay at the camp took about twelve hours with nine of these spent
|
|
|
|
|
sleeping. We found it hard to sleep for long periods without waking, and
|
|
|
|
|
judging time is difficult so a watch is a must. For a latrine we used a dry
|
|
|
|
|
vadose trench a few yards from the camp but this turned out to be a mistake.
|
|
|
|
|
The moral is - keep your privy well downwind of the tent. In the end we spent
|
|
|
|
|
twelve man-nights at the camp and it was an experience none of us will
|
|
|
|
|
forget.
|
|
|
|
|
|
2004-04-29 16:24:54 +01:00
|
|
|
<hr />
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
<!-- LINKS -->
|
2004-04-29 16:24:54 +01:00
|
|
|
<ul>
|
|
|
|
|
<li>1982 Expedition info:
|
|
|
|
|
<ul>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="log.htm">Logbook</a></li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li>Main Expo report, Cambridge Underground 1983:
|
|
|
|
|
<ul>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="report.htm">CUCC in Austria</a> - Phil Townsend</li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="41gd.htm">Stellerweg Guidebook Description</a> by Pete Lancaster</li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="41svy.htm">Stellerweg Survey</a> article by Andy Waddington</li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="newbit.htm">New Discoveries</a> 1982 by Mike Thomas</li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="bats.htm">The Bats of 115</a> by Dave Brindle</li>
|
|
|
|
|
</ul></li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="bcracc.htm">BCRA Caves & Caving Report</a></li>
|
|
|
|
|
</ul></li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="../../pubs.htm#pubs1982">Index</a> to all publications</li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expeditions intro page</a></li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="../../../index.htm">CUCC Home Page</a>
|
|
|
|
|
</ul>
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
</body>
|
|
|
|
|
</html>
|
