mirror of
https://expo.survex.com/repositories/expoweb/.git/
synced 2024-11-22 15:21:55 +00:00
2019 lines
78 KiB
HTML
2019 lines
78 KiB
HTML
|
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
|
|||
|
|
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">
|
|||
|
|
<html>
|
|||
|
|
<head>
|
|||
|
|
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
|
|||
|
|
<title>2017 Expo Logbook</title></head>
|
|||
|
|
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../css/main2.css" />
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<body id="logbk">
|
|||
|
|
<h1>CUCC Expo Logbook 2017</h1>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<div class="tripdate" id="t2017-07-18a">2017-07-18 - 2017-07-20</div>
|
|||
|
|
<div class="trippeople"><u>Chris</u>, Elliott, Katey</div>
|
|||
|
|
<div class="triptitle">Tunnocks – 1<sup>st</sup> camping trip
|
|||
|
|
</div>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<p>The team out in
|
|||
|
|
the first week had done a tremendous job, rigging Tunnocks down to
|
|||
|
|
Kraken in 3 days. After arriving we washed, dried and stuffed 1km of
|
|||
|
|
rope into tacklesacks and carried half of it up the hill. On Tuesday
|
|||
|
|
morning we packed the camp kit, drill, rigging gear and Elliott
|
|||
|
|
managed to cart a 200m bag of rope down to camp. I fettled the
|
|||
|
|
rigging as required on the way in eg a deviation on Magic Glue and
|
|||
|
|
eliminating a catchy rub at the bottom of Inferno, which now lands on
|
|||
|
|
a rock bridge, saving ~10m further descent and re-ascent. I added a
|
|||
|
|
traverse line and descending Kraken was rewarded by the green glow
|
|||
|
|
from the Camp Kraken tent. Katey and Elliott had had to drain it and
|
|||
|
|
scrape the mould off the floor to make it habitable – even having
|
|||
|
|
to scrape calcite off the zip to get in. It was a comfortable night.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>NB - Elliott
|
|||
|
|
from here:</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Day 2 saw us
|
|||
|
|
heading down to the pushing front at Paw Paw passage. All was left
|
|||
|
|
rigged, bar the Song of the Earth ramp. ~120m of disappeared on that
|
|||
|
|
one. We carried on to the mud sump (-902m) and took some photos. We
|
|||
|
|
retraced a small continuation when a more modern stream (read
|
|||
|
|
trickle) had carved out a bit of the mud. Katey went for it and found
|
|||
|
|
it too tight… she did notice a draft however, albeit a small one.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Onto Paw Paw,
|
|||
|
|
katey climbed the C6 left last year and bolted it. The passage up a
|
|||
|
|
rifty (but still phreatic) section, approx. 3 – 6m wide, 6m high,
|
|||
|
|
still drafting. At this point, Elliott climbed an aven to the left
|
|||
|
|
(West) whilst Chris and Katey surveyed. Two rift passages soon
|
|||
|
|
crapped out. Elliott’s aven (‘Aye, there’s the rub’) rises
|
|||
|
|
for ~25m before leading to a ~20m pitch. Katey found a rising tube to
|
|||
|
|
the North about halfway up the climb, 2 pitches here, again ~20m. Out
|
|||
|
|
of rope, battery and willpower, we headed back to camp.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Next day
|
|||
|
|
(Thursday) we headed out. Left camp at 10am, out between 13:00 -
|
|||
|
|
16:00.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 52 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>11/7/17 <u>Rob,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Luke</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Tunnocks
|
|||
|
|
Rigging trip #1: Entrance Series</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>After a slow
|
|||
|
|
start at base camp, Luke, Brendan, Nathan and myself went up the hill
|
|||
|
|
so Brendan could have lunch. This done, we had to go caving, myself
|
|||
|
|
and Luke tasked with rigging Tunnocks, using Anthony’s 2015 rigging
|
|||
|
|
topo as a guide for the entrance series. The rig was very faffy and
|
|||
|
|
not much grease had been used on the derig last year which didn’t
|
|||
|
|
help. After much faff, we reached the snow slope which was sporting
|
|||
|
|
some very large icicles at the bottom. Out and back for 9pm.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 6 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>12/7/17 <u>Rob,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Luke</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Tunnocks
|
|||
|
|
Rigging trip #2: bottom of String Theory</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>After failing to
|
|||
|
|
locate any ropes longer than 61m, myself, and Luke headed back to
|
|||
|
|
Tunnocks, underground at the more respectable time of 11am rather
|
|||
|
|
than 3pm. I fettled the entrance rig a bit on the way in, replacing
|
|||
|
|
some ropes and some of Luke’s krabs whilst he rigged Caramel
|
|||
|
|
Catharsis. This done, we went to rig the traverse across Usual
|
|||
|
|
Susspects, which wasn’t very nice. I missed quite a few of the
|
|||
|
|
naturals the first time around, which Luke then found and added in
|
|||
|
|
with some red mammut tat – recommend that this is left in on the
|
|||
|
|
derig – while I rigged String Theory. This made a relaxing change
|
|||
|
|
from the Entrance Series and Usual Susspects traverse. Then on the
|
|||
|
|
way out we fettled the Entrance Series a bit more. Still not ideal,
|
|||
|
|
but when has it ever been perfect? Icicles still there. Bit
|
|||
|
|
dangerous, should probably destroy them in a controlled manner before
|
|||
|
|
they chop us or the ropes to bits.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 7 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>13/7/17 <u>Rob,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Luke</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Tunnocks
|
|||
|
|
Rigging trip #3: 1</i><sup><i>st</i></sup><i> rebelay, Number of the
|
|||
|
|
Beast</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>With me having a
|
|||
|
|
plane to catch and having had all evening the night before to pack
|
|||
|
|
gear, a very efficient start was had, underground by 9am! Luke went
|
|||
|
|
ahead to rig Procrastination whilst I again fettled the Entrance
|
|||
|
|
Series (icicles still there) and Caramel Catharsis, where a rope
|
|||
|
|
protector cannot prevent rub from the single bolt hang at the top,
|
|||
|
|
where there was a shit Y hang using a thread last year. Then I went
|
|||
|
|
to assist Luke, who had run out of hangers and had also missed some
|
|||
|
|
bolts. After a bit of faffing, the rig was almost perfect and we were
|
|||
|
|
on to rig the shit little traverse and pitch before Bring on the
|
|||
|
|
Clowns. It was barely gone 1pm at this point, so we decided to see
|
|||
|
|
how far a 39m rope can get you down Number of the Beast.it turns out
|
|||
|
|
you can get to the first rebelay (though this length + my rigging
|
|||
|
|
style rendered it a little tight later). Then out and down the hill
|
|||
|
|
to print boarding passes and rigging topos.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Note: the y-hang
|
|||
|
|
at the top of NOTB should be a bunny ears style knot for ease of safe
|
|||
|
|
rigging.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 7 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>[RIGGING TOPOS IN
|
|||
|
|
LOGBOOK NEED DRAWING UP]</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>11/7/17 <u>Nathan,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Brendan</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony
|
|||
|
|
rigging trip</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Rigged Balcony
|
|||
|
|
entrance series with 100m + 20m rope following Nathanael’s 2016
|
|||
|
|
rigging topo.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 2 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>12/7/17 <u>Nathan,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Nadia, Mark</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony
|
|||
|
|
rigging, Hilti-a-plenty</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Rigged
|
|||
|
|
Hilti-a-Plenty pitches with 80m rope using Martin’s rigging topo.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 3 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>16/7/17
|
|||
|
|
<u>Nathan, </u>George, Luke</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Tunnocks:
|
|||
|
|
rigging to bottom of Kraken</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Rigged Tunnocks
|
|||
|
|
from NOTB to Kraken, missed rebelay on Inferno and decided it
|
|||
|
|
required a longer rope. Rigging done by: Luke (Widow Twanky’s and
|
|||
|
|
Kraken); George (Magic Glue and Inferno).</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 10 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>17/7/17 <u>Nathan,
|
|||
|
|
</u>George</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony,
|
|||
|
|
Sloppy Seconds</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Went down Balcony
|
|||
|
|
to Bat Country and dropped a B lead near Galactica. Pitch rigged
|
|||
|
|
using 50m rope (<i><u>see both rigging guides drawn in book</u></i>).
|
|||
|
|
Turned back at next pitch due to lack of rope.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 8 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>18/7/17 <u>Nathan,
|
|||
|
|
</u>George, Becka</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony,
|
|||
|
|
Sloppy Seconds again</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Rigged
|
|||
|
|
pitch/traverse to ~100m good horizontal passage. Ended in multiple
|
|||
|
|
pitches with horizontal continuations over them. Surveyed.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 9 hrs
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>20/7/17 <u>Nathan,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Adam, Rachel</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony,
|
|||
|
|
Sloppy Seconds 2</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Dropped 20m pitch
|
|||
|
|
in Sloppy Seconds to immature meander; found small horizontal
|
|||
|
|
passages that all crapped out in mud and immature meanders.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 9 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>25/7/17 <u>Lydia,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Corin, Ash, Michael</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony,
|
|||
|
|
Cathedral Chasm</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>This was the mine
|
|||
|
|
and Corin’s first trip underground whilst on expo. Ash took us down
|
|||
|
|
Balcony to Cathedral Chasm. He gave us a lesson in surveying which
|
|||
|
|
was great because he uses a PDA which – so I am told – is a very
|
|||
|
|
efficient surveying technique. We surveyed a total of 79m in about 2
|
|||
|
|
hours. By the end of this we had found 1 QMC and 2 QMBs, one of which
|
|||
|
|
resulted in a grim Mendip crawl that only Ash was keen to survey.
|
|||
|
|
Michael thinks that the other B lead could connect to Tunnocks… we
|
|||
|
|
will see.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>NB: Ash’s
|
|||
|
|
alternative account</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>After the rain
|
|||
|
|
prevented caving the day before, the four of us set off to Balcony at
|
|||
|
|
long last. Got underground just before midday and soon we reached the
|
|||
|
|
bottom of the entrance series. Lydia and Corin had not been into
|
|||
|
|
Balcony before so this was a nice introduction to Austrian caving.
|
|||
|
|
Successfully remembered the route to the Trident junction turn off.
|
|||
|
|
Lydia rigged the intermediate 10m pitch. The bolts had been left in
|
|||
|
|
by Luke who had removed a slightly too short rope. I showed the
|
|||
|
|
others the bat skeletons just before we got to the rift B lead we had
|
|||
|
|
planned to explore. I taught Corin and Lydia how to survey in
|
|||
|
|
paperless style so progress was slow but successful. The rift
|
|||
|
|
interconnected in a couple of places before heading off in the
|
|||
|
|
direction of Tunnocks. Passed an aven – possibly freclimbable QMB -
|
|||
|
|
before getting to a 4-way junction with 2 QMBs and a QMC. Pushed one
|
|||
|
|
of the QMBs which got smaller and turned into a crawl. Michael called
|
|||
|
|
for a ‘Mendip caver’ up front so I pushed a squeeze leading to a
|
|||
|
|
more sideways thrutchy crawl. This continued for 30m through a couple
|
|||
|
|
of other squeezes before crapping out. I then did a 1-man disto
|
|||
|
|
mission to survey it.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Meanwhile Corin
|
|||
|
|
and Lydia took some photos. Michael and I caught them up and we then
|
|||
|
|
exited the cave. Entrance pitch was a bit drippy and quite cold.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 7 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>18/7/17 <u>Brendan,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Luke, Phil</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony,
|
|||
|
|
photos, tourists</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Went down Balcony
|
|||
|
|
for a quick refresher trip in order to re-familiarise myself with the
|
|||
|
|
cave. Luke helped guide when I went the wrong way and also did some
|
|||
|
|
rigging. Most of the way from the entrance to Ice Cock had been left
|
|||
|
|
rigged from the previous year. I took a photograph of the Ice Cock
|
|||
|
|
aven ice waterfall, photo available on UKCaving blog and from me.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 5 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>[2<sup>ND</sup>
|
|||
|
|
SLOPPY SECONDS RIGGING TOPO BY BECKA]</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>21/7/17 <u>Philip
|
|||
|
|
W, </u>Rachel, Nadia, Elliott</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony –
|
|||
|
|
destroying Galactica</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Elliot, Nadia,
|
|||
|
|
Rachel and I went down to Galactica to survey it and drop a rift
|
|||
|
|
pitch at its northern end. Rachel and I drew triangles all over the
|
|||
|
|
floor surveying it whilst Elliott and Nadia dropped the pitch in
|
|||
|
|
cheesy rock. It crapped out wetly. This leaves a wet QMC below the
|
|||
|
|
entrance pitch to Galactica and no other leads. Galactica is dead.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 10 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>19/7/17 <u>Becka,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Adam, George and Rachel</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony –
|
|||
|
|
Natural Highs</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Aim was to drop
|
|||
|
|
the famed QMA (9A) lead on the right at the handline up at the end of
|
|||
|
|
the Natural Highs traverse. Rachel started bolting and then
|
|||
|
|
recognised she had been on the shelf on the opposite side in 2015.
|
|||
|
|
Then Adam and I found a way halfway down the pitch form the rabbit
|
|||
|
|
warren at the far end of Natural Highs down to an easy free climb.
|
|||
|
|
Her ewe could see the others’ lights and there were bolts already
|
|||
|
|
in to drop the rest of the pitch. Rachel had nearly finished rigging
|
|||
|
|
but we decided to give up given that it had already been dropped.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>[OH DEAR TEFLON
|
|||
|
|
LAWSON FORGOT TO LIST HER T/U]</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>20/7/17 <u>Becka,
|
|||
|
|
</u>George</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Prospecting
|
|||
|
|
and refind of 1623/110</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>No GPS so we were
|
|||
|
|
relying on phones for location. We headed off beyond the cross
|
|||
|
|
country ski-pole line after refinding 2010-07 and 2010-01. Right next
|
|||
|
|
to 2010-01 is a drafting shaft blocked by very loose boulders which
|
|||
|
|
could perhaps be dug out in a couple of hours.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Found an open
|
|||
|
|
10m+ shaft, ~3x2m opening. 33W 550789E 7885325N, 524067Y 3117175X
|
|||
|
|
according to Martin’s phone – may not be correct!</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Second open
|
|||
|
|
shaft, ~20m deep, 2x0.7m opening, tagged CUCC-2017-03, same location
|
|||
|
|
as above 10m+ shaft.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Only find
|
|||
|
|
definitely worth returning to was a refind of 1623/110, had very
|
|||
|
|
faded red paint and fitted the description (I crawled in quite a way
|
|||
|
|
in a T-shirt, painful and low but an excellent draft). Tagged
|
|||
|
|
CUCC-2017-04 but no bolt for tag so just got balanced. On my phone’s
|
|||
|
|
GPS cords were 47.693408, 13.812227 or 47°41’36.3”N,
|
|||
|
|
13°48’44.0”E. The cave is on the Top Camp side of the ski pole
|
|||
|
|
line by 100 – 150m, maybe 1.1km from Top Camp.[SKETCH IN LOG BOOK].
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 1.5 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>22/7/17 <u>Phil
|
|||
|
|
W, </u>Nadia</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Prospecting</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>A bad weather
|
|||
|
|
forecast saw most of Top Camp head out prospecting instead of caving.
|
|||
|
|
Nadia found and tagged 2 caves, one of which crapped out quickly
|
|||
|
|
(2017-NR-01). The other was a 20m pitch which crapped out in 2 tight
|
|||
|
|
directions at the bottom (2017-NR-02). Good bolting practice though.
|
|||
|
|
Both tagged, notes and photos taken.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 0.5 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>21/7/17 –
|
|||
|
|
23/7/17 <u>Becka, </u>George, Luke</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Tunnocks –
|
|||
|
|
Camp Kraken</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>21</i><sup><i>st</i></sup><i>:
|
|||
|
|
</i>underground at 10am, camp at 12:30 including Luke adding a couple
|
|||
|
|
of spits on Kraken pitch. Then took 90 minutes to get to top of pitch
|
|||
|
|
Elliott climbed beyond the mud sump in Song of the Earth. George
|
|||
|
|
rigged a traverse then an airy pitch to whoops – it was a huge
|
|||
|
|
chamber! We surveyed around the outside and then had a second wander
|
|||
|
|
around it but despit some dodgy free-climbing by George (aided by
|
|||
|
|
Luke providing a memorable foothold) and plenty of scary furtling
|
|||
|
|
amongst really loose boulders we couldn’t find a way on. We
|
|||
|
|
derigged the pitch; then George spent 2 more hours trying to find a
|
|||
|
|
higher level way on to no avail despite the strong draft. Eventually
|
|||
|
|
we set off back to camp at 8pm with Luke pulling through to retrieve
|
|||
|
|
Elliott’s rope and derigging the long set of pitches/traverses in
|
|||
|
|
Song of the Earth. Back at camp at 10:30 after a long day out.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>22</i><sup><i>nd</i></sup><i>:
|
|||
|
|
</i>Luke started rigging the pitch to the left of Indian Rope Trick
|
|||
|
|
whilst George climbed the boulder ramp below Indian Rope Trick with
|
|||
|
|
me belaying. This lead to a large, low phreatic passage which we
|
|||
|
|
surveyed and eventually looped to the pitch Luke had rigged and to a
|
|||
|
|
pitch down to a significant streamway and a large pool. Sadly we
|
|||
|
|
couldn’t get down to it as the 2<sup>nd</sup> and last drill
|
|||
|
|
battery died as soon as George tried to rig it. We finished the
|
|||
|
|
survey and then ran all around Slackers to check out other potential
|
|||
|
|
leads; we also surveyed 2 QMs, finishing one and leaving another as a
|
|||
|
|
good ongoing lead [<i>this later turned into Grike of the Earth]</i>.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>23</i><sup><i>rd</i></sup><i>:
|
|||
|
|
</i>headed out taking up to 3.5 hrs to prussik out followed by a
|
|||
|
|
swift trot down the hill as everyone else (nearly) seemed to be
|
|||
|
|
having the weekend off.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 14 hrs, 24
|
|||
|
|
hrs, 11 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>23/7/17 <u>Phil
|
|||
|
|
W, </u>Nadia</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Prospecting –
|
|||
|
|
Bad Forecast (2017-PW-01) found</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Due to another
|
|||
|
|
apocalyptic weather forecast, Phil and Nadia decided to do another
|
|||
|
|
day of prospecting north of Balcony rather than potentially getting
|
|||
|
|
marooned down a cave. We went back to a potential lead at a cave
|
|||
|
|
tagged 2012-OK-01, for which the existing prospecting notes were
|
|||
|
|
along the lines of ‘tagged, undropped, unsurveyed’. Not quite as
|
|||
|
|
bad as some of the notes for prospects, which were along the lines of
|
|||
|
|
‘lost’. We dropped 2012-OK-01 off 3 naturals, to find a pleasant
|
|||
|
|
amount of nothingness with a peephole through to a depression in the
|
|||
|
|
plateau. Another one crossed off the list.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We then went back
|
|||
|
|
to a potential lead north of 2011-01. Shining a headtorch down it
|
|||
|
|
showed a passage and a lot of dry dust. A handline was rigged (p8,
|
|||
|
|
45° slope) gave us access to a cave. With a drafting phreatic
|
|||
|
|
passage leading off at 45° down at the bottom. We followed this down
|
|||
|
|
30m until the slope angle increased and a rope was needed (which we
|
|||
|
|
didn’t have). Surveyed, photos and GPS coordinates taken. QMA!
|
|||
|
|
Nadia christened the cave ‘Bad Forecast’ since it turned out
|
|||
|
|
sunny all day.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 5 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>6/8/17 <u>Kristian,
|
|||
|
|
</u>George, Becka</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>‘<i>The Beast’
|
|||
|
|
has fallen #gloriousendings #whataday #pokemon</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Based on tunes
|
|||
|
|
originally whistled by Kristian Brook</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>I woke at 10am to
|
|||
|
|
find Becka screaming that she had not gone caving in 24 hours (it had
|
|||
|
|
only been 13 hours). Whilst George was laughing he asked me if I was
|
|||
|
|
keen for a trip; I responded by packing my caving gear. The
|
|||
|
|
destination was ‘The Beast’ to explore a window George had seen
|
|||
|
|
when he last went there. After the 50000000 rebelays of the Tunnocks
|
|||
|
|
Entrance Series we made it to the top of the Beast. Becka and I
|
|||
|
|
descended the Beast in order to survey whilst George took a drill and
|
|||
|
|
2 dubious batteries in order to rig a separate shaft called ‘Not
|
|||
|
|
the Beast’. We would link into the window at the bottom of The
|
|||
|
|
Beast in order to look at virgin passage.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>George set off
|
|||
|
|
down the passage first and crossed a low risk, high severity
|
|||
|
|
traverse. This was rigged with the remaining rope that we had and
|
|||
|
|
whatever naturals we could see. The dubious rigging inspired the
|
|||
|
|
passage name ‘Rig-a-Mortis’. There were 3 streams passing through
|
|||
|
|
the passage and sinking into person sized stream passage. These leads
|
|||
|
|
would have been pushed enthusiastically in the UK but in this
|
|||
|
|
situation they were too cold to push on. A trip back with a wetsuit
|
|||
|
|
is recommended if they are to be further looked at. On the way out
|
|||
|
|
Becka derigged The Beast and George derigged ‘Not the Beast’. I
|
|||
|
|
was knackered going out of the cave so Becka and George took all the
|
|||
|
|
rope and bolting kit out. Exited the cave at 2am, 13 hours
|
|||
|
|
underground; a new personal best for myself.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 13 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>24/7/17 <u>Phil
|
|||
|
|
W, </u>everyone else</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Pathetic
|
|||
|
|
festering</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Everyone in Top
|
|||
|
|
Camp festered because they were scared of the high water levels.
|
|||
|
|
Nobody caved.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: sweet fuck
|
|||
|
|
all</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>6/8/17 <u>Jacob,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Elaine</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Guten Morgen
|
|||
|
|
Höhle, trip #1</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>After walking
|
|||
|
|
across to the Organhohle bivvy in the rainm and then getting cooped
|
|||
|
|
up by the weather, Elaine and I decided to push GMH, a lead very
|
|||
|
|
close to the bivvy which had been followed to a T-shaped rift by
|
|||
|
|
Haydon and Elaine a few days before. The cave starts with a choss
|
|||
|
|
slope and then appears to end, but up to the right a short bolt climb
|
|||
|
|
across the T-shaped rift leads to further passage. We followed it
|
|||
|
|
past a junction approximately 25m through a fairly tight section to
|
|||
|
|
an undropped pitch. [SKETCH SURVEY IN BOOK] </p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 1 hr</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>7/8/17 <u>Jacob,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Elaine</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Guten Morgen
|
|||
|
|
Höhle, trip #2</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Elaine and I
|
|||
|
|
returned to GMH the following day to bolt the pitch and survey the
|
|||
|
|
cave as nothing had been surveyed past the entrance pitch so far.
|
|||
|
|
Below the 12m pitch at the end of the T-shaped rift (‘Waterfall
|
|||
|
|
Rift’) there were several horizontal leads. Down a short climb put
|
|||
|
|
us in a chamber with several routes leading off from it. On the right
|
|||
|
|
a short rift a short rift leads into a small chamber with drips
|
|||
|
|
coming from a small hole in the ceiling. Also on the right is a low
|
|||
|
|
crawl which reached a sandy junction and immediately crapped out
|
|||
|
|
beyond.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>On the left from
|
|||
|
|
the chamber a fairly large section of walking passage continues past
|
|||
|
|
a hole in the floor to a junction, the left hand route leading to a
|
|||
|
|
drippy aven and a small stream which we did not follow (it was quite
|
|||
|
|
committing and damp) and the right hand route led to a promising
|
|||
|
|
little pitch. Because we had left the surveying gear at the top of
|
|||
|
|
the pitch, we turned back at this point and surveyed from the pitch
|
|||
|
|
head to the cave entrance. Just as we reached the choss slope, Haydon
|
|||
|
|
and Elliott arrived, having got fed up with the Organ Grinder.
|
|||
|
|
Elliott helped us survey the pitch while Haydon went to have a look
|
|||
|
|
at what we had found. [SKETCH SURVEY IN LOGBOOK]</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 5 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>25/7/17 <u>Nathan,</u>
|
|||
|
|
Phil W</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Bad Forecast
|
|||
|
|
(2017-PW-01)</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Found ~40m
|
|||
|
|
horizontal passage heading due east at 45°, passage ended in ~35m
|
|||
|
|
pitch dropping into large phreatic passage. Way on is undropped 20m
|
|||
|
|
pitch to the north that lands in a large continuation. [RIGGING TOPO
|
|||
|
|
FOR GARDENERS DELIGHT IN LOGBOOK]</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Phil
|
|||
|
|
continuing:</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>The continuation
|
|||
|
|
chamber has several avens in the roof, as does the choked phreatic
|
|||
|
|
chamber. Hopefully it doesn’t crap out with breakdown debris from
|
|||
|
|
the roof, since it looks as if it lies on a fault. Progress down the
|
|||
|
|
passage prior to the 40m pitch was slow due to bulldozering several
|
|||
|
|
cubic metres of cobbles dow the passage continuously. We got to know
|
|||
|
|
some of these cobbles quite well.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 7 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>27/7/17 <u>Ash,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Elliott, Elaine</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony –
|
|||
|
|
Cathedral Chasm</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Went back to
|
|||
|
|
Cathedral Chasm to finish off what we had done the day before.
|
|||
|
|
Started by going left at the junction, this was after rigging the
|
|||
|
|
traverse to Cathedral Chasm (17m) and letting Elliott loose at the
|
|||
|
|
top of the really loose pitch.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Elaine and I
|
|||
|
|
surveyed along, eventually reaching an aven and pitch. Both crapped
|
|||
|
|
out, with the small stream we found en route disappearing into a
|
|||
|
|
pebbly floor. There was a bat skeleton at the top of the aven.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Elliott then met
|
|||
|
|
up with us to inform that the pitch had crapped out. I joined him to
|
|||
|
|
survey it, apparently it got very wet and loose near the bottom of
|
|||
|
|
the first drop. A definite QMC, but around 80m surveyed.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Elaine had become
|
|||
|
|
rather cold at this point so we got her bolting a B lead traverse
|
|||
|
|
with [ASH COME ON WHAT THE FUCK DOES THIS SAY] I went digging. 5
|
|||
|
|
trowel fulls of earth made it through. The lead then crapped out
|
|||
|
|
after 10m. I then put some conservation tape around the 3 bat
|
|||
|
|
skeletons in the main passage. By this time Elaine had finished the
|
|||
|
|
traverse, so we headed out leaving the lead to be completed later.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 9 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>28/7/17 <u>Ash</u>,
|
|||
|
|
Luke, Adam, Kristian</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony –
|
|||
|
|
Nothing to See</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>After hearing
|
|||
|
|
about Luke’s many QMAs I decided to join him on a trip down
|
|||
|
|
Hilti-a-Plenty to ‘Nothing to See’ just below Bat Country.
|
|||
|
|
Kristian and I crapped out 2 QMAs whilst Adam bolted a pitch, being
|
|||
|
|
supervised by Luke. One of our leads went for ~20m before ending in a
|
|||
|
|
little chamber. The other went to a large which could link into
|
|||
|
|
Galactica.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We then took some
|
|||
|
|
pictures of ‘Dinosaur Bones’ found by Kristian which looked and
|
|||
|
|
felt a lot like rocks. Then we went down to the pitch that Adam and
|
|||
|
|
Luke had rigged and surveyed it. This ends in a rift that also looked
|
|||
|
|
like it connected into Galactica.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Deciding that we
|
|||
|
|
hadn’t yet done enough caving we then went to another pitch lead,
|
|||
|
|
starting with a dodgy free climb which we then put a handline on.
|
|||
|
|
Kristian began rigging the pitch. Two of us went down a tight C-lead
|
|||
|
|
which popped out halfway down the pitch. [ UNTRANSLATABLE SENTENCE,
|
|||
|
|
PROBABLY NOT EVEN IMPORTANT]. Then in a very tight bedding heading
|
|||
|
|
toward Galactica which I decided was too tight after a dogleg. We
|
|||
|
|
then reconvened before the batteries died on the drill. Left the rope
|
|||
|
|
and [OTHER HORRIBLE WORD] to cave back to find the pitch Kristian
|
|||
|
|
started. The prussik out was long but efficient, with Kristian taking
|
|||
|
|
a bit longer due to the ‘bones’ he decided to take out. Still a
|
|||
|
|
fair bit to do down here.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 8 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>25/07/17 –
|
|||
|
|
27/7/17 <u>Nadia, </u>Chris, Haydon</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Camp Kraken –
|
|||
|
|
Densham Master Cave, Grike of the Earth, Bullshit in a China Shop</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>After the rain on
|
|||
|
|
the 24<sup>th</sup> delaying our startwe were all packed up for the
|
|||
|
|
morning of the 25<sup>th</sup>. We arrived at camp at 2 and had a
|
|||
|
|
quick lunch before setting off for the Tunnocks Master Cave [to be
|
|||
|
|
later renamed ‘Denshams Master Cave’ after disagreement about its
|
|||
|
|
Mast Cave status from other expo members]. We got to the Master Cave
|
|||
|
|
at around 4pm where Chris insisted that we rig a traverse from the
|
|||
|
|
start of the rift. Around every corner Chris would claim to have not
|
|||
|
|
gone past it the year before only to be proven wrong by footsteps and
|
|||
|
|
survey points.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Upon deciding
|
|||
|
|
where we would start rigging the traverse line our one and only drill
|
|||
|
|
battery only had power for half a bolt. After considerable swearing
|
|||
|
|
it was decided that Chris would go back to camp for another drill
|
|||
|
|
battery while Haydon and I went to check out other leads in the area.
|
|||
|
|
Haydon and I were given clear instructions as to where to go so
|
|||
|
|
naturally we did not find what we were looking for; however, we did
|
|||
|
|
find a small waterfall lead that we decided was too grim to do
|
|||
|
|
ourselves.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Chris returned
|
|||
|
|
with hopefully charged drill batteries and we began rigging the
|
|||
|
|
traverse and surveying the passage. The stream at the end of the
|
|||
|
|
passage dropped down about 10m into a rift while a phreatic tube
|
|||
|
|
continued above the rift with considerably muddy and slopey walls we
|
|||
|
|
decided to end the day there and make a decision on our plans over
|
|||
|
|
tea.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Considering our
|
|||
|
|
lack of faith in our remaining drill batteries we decided not to
|
|||
|
|
continue with the battery eating rift and went to pursue another
|
|||
|
|
lead. (Sidenote: we thought we would like to go for something a
|
|||
|
|
little less muddy). We set off for a pit in the north of Slackers.
|
|||
|
|
Down a 3m climb we were dropped into a muddy pit and the more we
|
|||
|
|
moved the more the mud stuck to our clothes, wellies and gear,
|
|||
|
|
doubling us in weight.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Haydon dropped
|
|||
|
|
the rift pitch, which had phreatic properties. Chris and I sat
|
|||
|
|
getting very cold in very drafty passage, occasionally going on a run
|
|||
|
|
around to warm up and check out the area. Chris went to the waterfall
|
|||
|
|
lead Haydon and I had been in the day before to find a massive
|
|||
|
|
waterfall where a small one had been. Proving that conditions
|
|||
|
|
underground must be much more pleasant than those at Top Camp.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Once the pitch
|
|||
|
|
was rigged Chris and I surveyed down and became very excited by the
|
|||
|
|
sloping phreatic tube with hard mud plates coating the floor. We
|
|||
|
|
began to feel guilty for ruining the plates like bulls in a china
|
|||
|
|
shop. Then suddenly the way on was entirely mud choked. Bullshit! On
|
|||
|
|
our way out we considered the cross sectioned phreatic tube about 5m
|
|||
|
|
from the floor. We determined that the draft was coming from there
|
|||
|
|
but did not have time to inspect the tubes.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>The next day we
|
|||
|
|
slept until 12pm waiting for the water levels to recede enough that
|
|||
|
|
we felt motivated to head up to Procrastination. En route out I had a
|
|||
|
|
slightly embarrassing route finding incident near Caramel Catharsis,
|
|||
|
|
ask Haydon for further details.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 60 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>28/7/17: <u>Rob,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Becka, Nadia, Rachel</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Prospecting,
|
|||
|
|
110 area</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>After beginning
|
|||
|
|
to cairn a route the evening before, myself and Becka decided that
|
|||
|
|
despite the sure-to-come rain we wanted to check out the howling
|
|||
|
|
draft at No helicopter hole aka 110 again. Due to a shortage of drill
|
|||
|
|
batteries that contained charge, we brought a hand bolting kit and a
|
|||
|
|
short length of rope. The route taken was convoluted to say the
|
|||
|
|
least, and visibility was not optimal, but after an hour or so the
|
|||
|
|
cave was found.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>I quickly changed
|
|||
|
|
into my caving kit and crawled inside the low and chilly entrance.
|
|||
|
|
After ~10m, I came to a small constriction which was passed without
|
|||
|
|
much trouble. After some ~20m further passage sloping at ~30° and a
|
|||
|
|
further small crawl the 8m climb described by the original explorers
|
|||
|
|
was reached. I began to down-climb this but then realised that most
|
|||
|
|
of the rock was very loose and one wall was entirely made of loose
|
|||
|
|
boulders. A retreat was made to get a rope and Rachel. Once attached
|
|||
|
|
to the rope, tied round a big boulder, extensive gardening occurred
|
|||
|
|
to the point at which the pitch would need to be bolted on the far
|
|||
|
|
wall for a safe descent. We then exited the cave and had a very
|
|||
|
|
welcome lunch. I was finally able to warm my freezing hands up. This
|
|||
|
|
cave is pretty miserable all round, being sharp, cold, drippy and
|
|||
|
|
small. This was to be a prevailing theme of caves in the area.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>After lunch, we
|
|||
|
|
decided to prospect further in the surrounding area to see if other
|
|||
|
|
easier entrances to the same system could be found. In total, six
|
|||
|
|
prospects within a 100m radius to the east of 110 were explored, none
|
|||
|
|
of which had any potential or anything like the draft felt at 110.
|
|||
|
|
Myself and Becka then surveyed 110 until the pitch was reached. After
|
|||
|
|
this. We began to prospect further west of 110 before the mists came
|
|||
|
|
in and a tactical retreat to Top Camp was made.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: ~ 3 hrs
|
|||
|
|
total.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>29/7/17 <u>Rob,</u>
|
|||
|
|
Becka, Luke</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Prospecting,
|
|||
|
|
110 area, day 2</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Tempted back by
|
|||
|
|
that sweet, sweet draft, this time with a drill no less as the only
|
|||
|
|
good rock at the pitch in 110 was in the ceiling and placing hand
|
|||
|
|
bolts in a ceiling was beyond my stoke remit. Bolts were placed and a
|
|||
|
|
descent was made. After a look around at the bottom, I frustratedly
|
|||
|
|
concluded that the ‘dig’ in the chamber which had been described
|
|||
|
|
would be a major operation and unfeasible without a lot of time and
|
|||
|
|
materials.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>I summoned Luke
|
|||
|
|
and Becka in, with Luke complaining substantially about the misery
|
|||
|
|
and shitness. Survey done, we headed out and again had lunch. Further
|
|||
|
|
prospecting then again failed to reveal any alternative ways into the
|
|||
|
|
cave, after looking south-west by around 200m from 110. Two shafts
|
|||
|
|
were dropped, CUCC-2017-21 (tagged, GPS’d, surveyed) and
|
|||
|
|
CUCC-2017-22 (tagged, GPS’d). 21 was a pitch of around 15m leading
|
|||
|
|
to a breakdown area at the bottom with no way on. 22 was of good
|
|||
|
|
novelty value as it was filled with ice and snow at the bottom of a
|
|||
|
|
7m climb, where a small gap behind the back of the snow plug could be
|
|||
|
|
slid down. Nothing at the bottom though.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Slightly
|
|||
|
|
dejected, we started on the walk home. En route we found some
|
|||
|
|
excellently drafting holes after deciding to divert from the cairned
|
|||
|
|
route. We did a quick dig in one to find a large passage which led to
|
|||
|
|
a smaller diggable passage. I then explored the other entrance for
|
|||
|
|
~20m in shorts and t-shirt to a very loose climb down to large
|
|||
|
|
walking passage. In light of these excellent prospects, we decided
|
|||
|
|
that the area merited another visit the next day.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: ~4 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>30/7/17 <u>Rob,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Luke, Becka</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Glücklich
|
|||
|
|
Schmetterlingehöhle (GSH) and Kein Wassermelonhöhle (KWH) –
|
|||
|
|
initial exploration</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We returned with
|
|||
|
|
more rope and drill batteries to rig the loose climb in CUCC-2017-24
|
|||
|
|
(GSH or Happy Butterfly Hole) and to continue digging CUCC-2017-23
|
|||
|
|
(KWH or Not Watermelon Hole). Whilst Luke entertained himself by
|
|||
|
|
digging in a shit muddy shakehole I got on with bolting the climb,
|
|||
|
|
which was trickier than anticipated due to the sheer abundance of
|
|||
|
|
shit rock. Soon I was down and the draft was confirmed to be a gale
|
|||
|
|
force wind. I headed out to find Luke, who informed me that Becka had
|
|||
|
|
also broken through digging in KWH. Great success!</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We decided that
|
|||
|
|
we would survey GSH first, with Luke and Becka surveying whilst I
|
|||
|
|
bolted a second small hole which was to the right of the initial
|
|||
|
|
climb at the T junction. I then followed them to act as varnish
|
|||
|
|
bitch. We soon reached a T junction and first took the right branch,
|
|||
|
|
which headed down a large (~3m diameter) steeply ramping phreatic
|
|||
|
|
passage which had quite a few holes in the floor. When skirting round
|
|||
|
|
one of these, Fat Bastard Luke Stangroom managed to exacerbate its
|
|||
|
|
collapse greatly by slipping at the outer edge whilst investigating
|
|||
|
|
it and half blocking the hole with a large boulder.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Just after this
|
|||
|
|
we got extremely excited, however, because the wind turned into a
|
|||
|
|
Baltic storm, positively whistling through a small sandy hole towards
|
|||
|
|
us. We surveyed to just beyond this and then went back to the other
|
|||
|
|
branch of the T junction for a couple of legs before returning to
|
|||
|
|
survey the climb I had just rigged.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Myself and Becka
|
|||
|
|
had only just reached the floor when we heard Silverback Stangroom
|
|||
|
|
beating his chest in triumph, for he had found a bypass to the pitch
|
|||
|
|
via a nice boulder choke. We surveyed this passage until we came upon
|
|||
|
|
another potential dig <font face="Symbol, serif"></font>QMB).
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We then went to
|
|||
|
|
survey KWH, which Becka thought was a great cave, and which me and
|
|||
|
|
Luke kept downplaying, though the passage was pretty big (‘It’s
|
|||
|
|
6m wide!’). Then we headed out and home. En route home, we found a
|
|||
|
|
series of exciting holes, one ~50m north-east of GSH and blowing
|
|||
|
|
extremely strongly, and one tagged 2012-SW-02 which looked promising.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 6 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>31/7/17 <u>Rob,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Luke</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>GSH pitches,
|
|||
|
|
crapping out KWH, scooping</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>After the
|
|||
|
|
excitement of yesterday, having left all our personal kit and a set
|
|||
|
|
of bolting kit at the cave, we returned optimistic that we would find
|
|||
|
|
something big today. We were under strict instructions from Becka not
|
|||
|
|
to crap out KWH, which she considered her cave. We headed off into
|
|||
|
|
GSH t0 continue surveying from where we had got to the day before. We
|
|||
|
|
first went up the right-hand fork at the second T junction. After one
|
|||
|
|
further survey leg we realised that we had reached a pitch of about
|
|||
|
|
12m, which had not been noticed before due to the strict scooping
|
|||
|
|
restrictions imposed by Becka. These restrictions were to prove a
|
|||
|
|
great inhibition all round throughout the day.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We decided to
|
|||
|
|
survey as far as possible in the other direction before returning to
|
|||
|
|
bolt it, having left the drill etc on the surface. A reasonable
|
|||
|
|
distance (~60m) was surveyed, but as it was drafting inwards we
|
|||
|
|
suspected that the passages were leading to the surface. We found
|
|||
|
|
four ways on, three of which became choked with boulders after only a
|
|||
|
|
few further legs. The fourth was a ~5m climb up a drippy aven which
|
|||
|
|
had horizontal passage leading off at the top, but we didn’t climb
|
|||
|
|
this as we thought it was heading to the surface and the climb
|
|||
|
|
probably needed a rope for the way down. This done, we went back to
|
|||
|
|
the surface for a melon break.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We then returned
|
|||
|
|
to the pitch to bolt it. The rock again was extremely poor and there
|
|||
|
|
had clearly been some major ceiling collapse. Huge boulders were
|
|||
|
|
loose at the pitch head. After the drill battery ran out having done
|
|||
|
|
3.5 holes (with the second battery – taped, #1 – doing zero
|
|||
|
|
holes) a scrappy descent was made using the tacklebag as a rope
|
|||
|
|
protector at the top. At the bottom, a rift led off for ~20m before
|
|||
|
|
arriving at another pitch head. This one was huge – at least a 3s
|
|||
|
|
drop. Exciting! We would return with more batteries and rope tomorrow
|
|||
|
|
to drop it. We exited again for a second lunch of snowmelt, noodles
|
|||
|
|
and soup.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Then we went back
|
|||
|
|
to KWH, where both of the going leads crapped out after only one more
|
|||
|
|
survey leg each. Another example of where further scooping would have
|
|||
|
|
given us extremely useful further information and saved us a lot of
|
|||
|
|
time. The final example of this was when we stuck our heads into the
|
|||
|
|
other drafty hole found the day before, which Becka claimed to have
|
|||
|
|
ventured ~20m into. After ~50m, we found a very drafty pitch which
|
|||
|
|
looked much easier to drop than the pitches in GSH.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>So, with two
|
|||
|
|
excellent prospects (along with two excellent digs for Ash to
|
|||
|
|
investigate), we returned to Top Camp quite early but in high
|
|||
|
|
spirits.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 6 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>1/8/17 <u>Rob,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Luke</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Dropping the
|
|||
|
|
big pitch in GSH, Nadia leg break</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>After having
|
|||
|
|
worked out the optimum route the day before, we headed back to the
|
|||
|
|
cave with Nathan and Nadia in tow. They we to drop the other hole
|
|||
|
|
while we went deep into GSH and then surveyed back. The rigging was
|
|||
|
|
again made difficult by a proliferance of shit rock until the lower
|
|||
|
|
depths of the pitch were reached, where the rock was excellent. Prior
|
|||
|
|
to this, we had spent a good hour crow-barring big table sized
|
|||
|
|
boulders at the top of the pitch rigged yesterday.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>At the bottom of
|
|||
|
|
the pitch, a rift was followed for ~60m under and over some boulder
|
|||
|
|
obstacles until another pitch was reached. This was where we stopped
|
|||
|
|
for the day, placing two bolts with the last of the drill battery
|
|||
|
|
before surveying out, which due to the enormous dimensions of the
|
|||
|
|
passage (a huge fault-controlled rift with multiple avens coming off
|
|||
|
|
it) was a twat to visualise on paper.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Soon out and en
|
|||
|
|
route back after receiving a message from Nathan on a soup packet:
|
|||
|
|
‘Nadia injured leg. We need your help. Time now 16:00.’ Three
|
|||
|
|
hours behind, we packed up Nadia’s caving gear and set off back,
|
|||
|
|
picking up her rucksack as well en route at the sight of the
|
|||
|
|
accident. Apparently she had pulled a big boulder onto herself. There
|
|||
|
|
was an obvious section of disturbed mud but we didn’t see the
|
|||
|
|
proclaimed blood splatters.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 7 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>2/8/17 <u>Brendan,
|
|||
|
|
</u>George, Adam</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>The Beast,
|
|||
|
|
trip #3 (Katey and George failed to write trip reports of the first 2
|
|||
|
|
trips, maybe they were both a bit distracted)</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>*What George
|
|||
|
|
said*</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>‘Who wants to
|
|||
|
|
go caving with me?’
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>*What George
|
|||
|
|
meant*</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>‘Who would like
|
|||
|
|
to come and sit at a pitch head while I bolt for over <strike>3 hours</strike>
|
|||
|
|
<strike>1.5 hours</strike> 2.5 hours?’</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Having lost all
|
|||
|
|
enthusiasm for caving yet needing an excuse to stay at the Stone
|
|||
|
|
Bridge, I saw a golden opportunity to utilise the Brendan Cave Cinema
|
|||
|
|
System<sup>TM</sup>.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>[DIAGRAM OF BCCS
|
|||
|
|
IN LOGBOOK]</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>This device had
|
|||
|
|
previously been tested with great success in Balkonhöhle with Corin.
|
|||
|
|
We were avle to watch the whole of Skyfall before ASH had finished
|
|||
|
|
rigging his pitch.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>[DIAGRAM OF BCCS
|
|||
|
|
IN ACTION AT THE BEAST IN LOGBOOK]</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Adam and I found
|
|||
|
|
a comfortable spot next to a window through which we could see/hear
|
|||
|
|
George rigging. I told George he would have to scream at least three
|
|||
|
|
times before I could be persuaded to leave the warmth and comfort of
|
|||
|
|
my cave cinema.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Adam and I
|
|||
|
|
watched the whole of Limitless and half of Focus before leaving to
|
|||
|
|
check on George (at around 5pm we heard flood pulses around the
|
|||
|
|
corner). George and I met at the pitch head to catch up. He had
|
|||
|
|
rigged to the bottom… it crapped out. But the good news was it
|
|||
|
|
ended next to another pitch [later termed ‘Not the Beast’] which
|
|||
|
|
had been rigged previously…</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>[DIAGRAM OF THE
|
|||
|
|
BEAST AND NOT THE BEAST IN LOGBOOK]</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 10 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>28/7/17 <u>Michael,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Corin</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Bad Forecast</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>On a wet, claggy
|
|||
|
|
day we decided that we should at least try to go caving, so we set
|
|||
|
|
out to try and find Bad Forecast, based only on a GPS pin and the
|
|||
|
|
instructions: ‘you go to Balkonhöhle, then continue up a bit.’
|
|||
|
|
Given the visibility was ~50m and dropping, it took a long time to
|
|||
|
|
get to the right area, and then even longer to find the cave.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Once we had got
|
|||
|
|
to the vicinity of the GPS point, we spread out a bit because we were
|
|||
|
|
unsure of the accuracy of the fix and the reader we were using, or
|
|||
|
|
even if they were using the same datum. We found 2011-01, which we
|
|||
|
|
had been told was less than 30m away from Bad Forecast, then
|
|||
|
|
proceeded to go in every direction except the right one. We
|
|||
|
|
eventually found the cave, right where the GPS told us it was.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Having not found
|
|||
|
|
any surveying equipment at the Stone Bridge, we had two objectives:
|
|||
|
|
to garden a dangerous slope above the large pitch, and to better
|
|||
|
|
cairn the route there. Low visibility prohibited any cairning, so we
|
|||
|
|
set off down the steep chossy slope to the pitch head. We had a look
|
|||
|
|
down below the pitch to see the large chamber and where the rocks
|
|||
|
|
could fall.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Coming back up, I
|
|||
|
|
theorised that the second hole near the start of the pitch traverse
|
|||
|
|
would connect to the second half of the large chamber, so dropped a
|
|||
|
|
rock down to let Corin hear where it would fall. It actually landed
|
|||
|
|
in the first half of the chamber, about 2ft from Corin, so don’t do
|
|||
|
|
that.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We pulled the
|
|||
|
|
rope on the pitch up above the pitch head (undoing the rebelay) to
|
|||
|
|
put the rope out of the path of falling rocks for gardening. 2 hours
|
|||
|
|
later we had improved the pitch head from ‘loose gravel’ to
|
|||
|
|
‘muddy gravel’, which we decided was as good as we could get, the
|
|||
|
|
actual rock floor being several feet below. The walk back was no more
|
|||
|
|
visible.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 4 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>29/7/17 <u>Michael</u></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Bad Forecast
|
|||
|
|
surface survey</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Returning from
|
|||
|
|
the previous day, to surface survey another entrance that I saw on
|
|||
|
|
the way out the previous day. After failing to see the disto laser in
|
|||
|
|
the bright sunlight, I returned to the Stone Bridge to pick up a
|
|||
|
|
tape, compass and clino to do the surface legs. Overall, not an
|
|||
|
|
entrance worth doing unless the handline is not present on the main
|
|||
|
|
entrance.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 1 hr</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>30/7/17 <u>Nadia,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Fleur, Pete, Brendan</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony -
|
|||
|
|
Sloppy Seconds</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>The four of us
|
|||
|
|
set off with the intention of dropping some pitches in Sloppy Seconds
|
|||
|
|
and photographing Galactica. When we got to the junction between the
|
|||
|
|
two Brendan and Fleur went down Galactica and Pete and I headed on to
|
|||
|
|
Sloppy Seconds. When we got to the pushing front we scouted out the
|
|||
|
|
leads and decided to traverse around one of the pitches for a
|
|||
|
|
horizontal lead.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Pete was almost
|
|||
|
|
finished rigging the traverse when Fleur and Brendan arrived having
|
|||
|
|
had a surprisingly efficient photography and derigging trip. The only
|
|||
|
|
issue being that Brendan had derigged on his cave lunch.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>It was decided
|
|||
|
|
that I would drop the pitch we had traversed around while the others
|
|||
|
|
surveyed past the traverse. I tied into the traverse bolts and
|
|||
|
|
dropped down to do a rebelay. The others carried on and after a few
|
|||
|
|
metres found another pitch. After three failed attempts at placing a
|
|||
|
|
bolt the battery ran out and the others were done surveying. I
|
|||
|
|
swapped over with Brendan and he dropped down to a platform. We
|
|||
|
|
surveyed the platform level and found four more pitches to be dropped
|
|||
|
|
of varying pleasantness. We also confirmed our suspicion that the
|
|||
|
|
nearby holes on the level we had started were connected. We found
|
|||
|
|
multiple mud slopes leading to avens.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We left a
|
|||
|
|
horizontal lead at the higher level, traversing over the second drop
|
|||
|
|
encountered after Pete’s traverse, which a traverse line could be
|
|||
|
|
rigged for. There is also still a pitch at the turn slightly higher
|
|||
|
|
than the rest on this level that potentially does not connect with
|
|||
|
|
the rest of the holes. As well as the obvious lower level pitches
|
|||
|
|
which we did not drop.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 11 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>1/8/17 <u>Nadia,</u>
|
|||
|
|
Nathan</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>CUCC – 2017
|
|||
|
|
– 28, initial exploration</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>The two of us
|
|||
|
|
were led to a surface prospect by Luke and Rob with a blowing draft
|
|||
|
|
and pitch that needed to be dropped. Because drill batteries were in
|
|||
|
|
short supply I sent the efficient Nathan to bolt the pitch while I
|
|||
|
|
soaked up the sun at the entrance. After a while I mustered up the
|
|||
|
|
enthusiasm to enter the cave and was immediately greeted by Nathan
|
|||
|
|
complaining that the drill battery was dead. He sent me to check if
|
|||
|
|
Luke and Rob were using theirs but not being able to find them or the
|
|||
|
|
bolting equipment I assumed they were using it. Nathan had rigged a
|
|||
|
|
traverse using 6 bolts to the pitch head but had run out of battery
|
|||
|
|
before being able to drop it.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We then headed
|
|||
|
|
back to camp early and tried to add extra cairns to the path. I
|
|||
|
|
climbed up a bit of a ridge to add one, but failed to find any
|
|||
|
|
suitable building materials and climbed down. On my way down I found
|
|||
|
|
a microwave sized loose boulder and dropped it onto my leg. With it
|
|||
|
|
being so early in the day we assumed no one would be at camp. We sat
|
|||
|
|
around for about an hour and a half and then decided we might as well
|
|||
|
|
try to head back. An hour later we had gained about 150m with some
|
|||
|
|
bum shuffling progress. As we carried on I got better at using my leg
|
|||
|
|
without hurting myself and three hours after setting off we arrived
|
|||
|
|
at camp. Having learned to walk no one believed I was seriously
|
|||
|
|
injured. The next day I set off down the hill with Rob and Kristian
|
|||
|
|
and after 5 hours walking I too no longer thought I was seriously
|
|||
|
|
injured. It turns out I am really hard and had a broken leg. It then
|
|||
|
|
later turned out it was a pathetic fracture.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: < 1 hr</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>3/8/17 <u>Radost,</u>
|
|||
|
|
George</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony -
|
|||
|
|
Cathedral Chasm</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We went down
|
|||
|
|
Balcony to investigate Cathedral Chasm following suggestion that
|
|||
|
|
‘there will be 100m of rope waiting there’.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>THERE WAS NONE <font face="Wingdings, serif"></font></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Prussiked back
|
|||
|
|
up.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 5 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>31/7/17 –
|
|||
|
|
1/8/17 <u>Michael,</u> Rachel, Becka </p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Underground
|
|||
|
|
camp, Snake Pit, Snake Charmer 2 and 3</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Set off from the
|
|||
|
|
Stone Bridge at 8am, planning to spend 2 nights at Camp Kraken in
|
|||
|
|
order to follow leads in Snake Charmer. Underground at 9am. Route
|
|||
|
|
finding was simple enough, no major mistakes, and arrived at camp at
|
|||
|
|
12:40. Dumped camping gear and picked up rope and drilling kit,
|
|||
|
|
headed down Octopussy, took two of three drill batteries to the
|
|||
|
|
pushing front.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>On the way Rachel
|
|||
|
|
put in another bolt to the lowest rebelay on Snake Charmer, and a
|
|||
|
|
handline on the climb down shortly after. Arrived at the window
|
|||
|
|
looking over the lead, Rachel and I sat in the bothy and put on extra
|
|||
|
|
layers while Becka bolted the main pitch [named Snake Pit] down to
|
|||
|
|
the water.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>[RIGGING TOPO IN
|
|||
|
|
LOGBOOK]</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>The water came
|
|||
|
|
from a large ~15m aven just upstream of the pitch. The majority of
|
|||
|
|
the water went down a low passage, along ~50m of vadose rift with
|
|||
|
|
frequent pools and free climbs with flaky sharp limestone. The main
|
|||
|
|
route comes up and left of the water into a rift canyon with pools
|
|||
|
|
and a short 2m climb. Eventually a pitch head (P6) comes up marking
|
|||
|
|
the start of a series of three short pitches.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>[RIGGING TOPO IN
|
|||
|
|
LOGBOOK]</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Ended at the
|
|||
|
|
second pitch, uneventful back to camp. Up early on the 1<sup>st</sup>,
|
|||
|
|
headed back to the front with the remaining drill batteries. Third
|
|||
|
|
pitch becomes tighter and leads to a fourth pitch.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>[RIGGING TOPO IN
|
|||
|
|
LOGBOOK] </p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Unfortunately,
|
|||
|
|
here we ran out of drill battery so had to turn back, both to camp
|
|||
|
|
and then out to the surface. A brief lunch of noodles fuelled Rachel
|
|||
|
|
and I while Becka powered on out. Return journey also uneventful,
|
|||
|
|
exited the cave at 10:30pm.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 34 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>2/8/17 –
|
|||
|
|
3/8/17 <u>Fleur, </u>Pete, Ash</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Camp Kraken –
|
|||
|
|
below Snake Pit</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>On 1/8/17 Becka
|
|||
|
|
and co came out with instructions of pushing beyond Snake Pit pitch
|
|||
|
|
which they had descended on the previous trip.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We were
|
|||
|
|
underground by 9am on 2/8/17, in the back of our minds that it might
|
|||
|
|
rain that morning. But we sailed past Procrastination with no
|
|||
|
|
trouble. Onwards to Kraken arriving after ~5 hours. This was Ash’s
|
|||
|
|
deepest trip by a very long way and due to be Pete’s most
|
|||
|
|
substantial trip post hip op. so all was good. After quick noodles,
|
|||
|
|
we set off again, marvelling at the beauty of Octopussy and Living
|
|||
|
|
the Dream. First job was to derig Indian Rope Trick so that we had
|
|||
|
|
more gear for rigging.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>NOTE: it was
|
|||
|
|
impossible to unscrew the clown hanger at the pitch head so we had to
|
|||
|
|
cut the rope out and leave the hanger in situ.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Then followed
|
|||
|
|
Becka’s detailed instructions down Snake Charmer and Snake Pit to
|
|||
|
|
the impressive stream falling from two inlets. We took he flood
|
|||
|
|
overflow ‘dry’ streamway, arriving at due course at the pushing
|
|||
|
|
front. For expedience I started bolting – a short traverse then
|
|||
|
|
partially down a small pitch. As the rift at the base was small, we
|
|||
|
|
progressed at part height before descending the second part further
|
|||
|
|
along.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>[RIGGING TOPO IN
|
|||
|
|
LOGBOOK] </p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Then the rift
|
|||
|
|
degenerated into small and catchy passage. After initially trying to
|
|||
|
|
go for a ‘look-see’ in case of another pitch, I returned and
|
|||
|
|
stripped off all the drilling paraphernalia. I thrutched at
|
|||
|
|
mid-height then climbed down and squeezed through at low level.
|
|||
|
|
Meanwhile Pete and Ash surveyed behind, and poked an alternative
|
|||
|
|
route in the roof. We both independently popped out into the base or
|
|||
|
|
side of a muddy boulder choke.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Inching forward
|
|||
|
|
we entered a larger passage. Sadly very soon it became clear this was
|
|||
|
|
Song of the Earth. I found a survey station for us to tie back into.
|
|||
|
|
Then we derigged back to the base of Snake Pit. Here we left ropes in
|
|||
|
|
allowing for pushing of the streamway, but also untied the rope here
|
|||
|
|
from the base so that it could be derigged from the top easily. Left
|
|||
|
|
a gear dump at the base of Octopussy. Back to camp 14 hours after
|
|||
|
|
entering Tunnocks.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Nice enough night
|
|||
|
|
at camp then out by ~6pm the next day. Just in time to miss the
|
|||
|
|
impending thunderstorm.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 33 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>1/8/17 <u>George,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Fleur, Pete
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Prospecting,
|
|||
|
|
2016-01</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Revisited 2016-01
|
|||
|
|
(explored briefly the previous year). Coordinates: 33T UTM 0411651,
|
|||
|
|
5283655. Elevation: 1888m. Also went to find the drafting hole,
|
|||
|
|
untagged, identified by Pete 2(?) years ago. Coordinates: 33T UTM
|
|||
|
|
0411202, 5283393. Elevation: 1782m.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>2016-01: </i>3m
|
|||
|
|
climb down into 2x3m surface depression with muddy floor. Single bolt
|
|||
|
|
in wall at head height, descending small hole (obvious) at far end of
|
|||
|
|
depression. Optional deviation from chockstone adjacent to hole,
|
|||
|
|
rebelay ~2m down shaft. I descended to the end of the rope (22m + 9m
|
|||
|
|
– too short!) then downclimbed the rest of the shaft (~6m). Passage
|
|||
|
|
continues underneath ledge turning back on itself (limit of 2016
|
|||
|
|
exploration). Further 4m downclimb and the passage very soon gets too
|
|||
|
|
tight/filled in. ascending passage on the left ends similarly. DEAD.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>[RIGGING TOPO AND
|
|||
|
|
SKETCH SURVEY IN LOGBOOK]</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Pete’s hole:
|
|||
|
|
</i>wriggle down a slot and climb down ~2m. Very short crawl
|
|||
|
|
immediately ends in tiny chamber with draft emerging from under large
|
|||
|
|
slab of rock. Spent some time digging out cobbles but slab requires
|
|||
|
|
capping for further progress.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: ~1 hr</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>2/8/17 <u>Alice,</u>
|
|||
|
|
Rachel, Corin, Michael</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony –
|
|||
|
|
not finding Sloppy Seconds, touristing, flooding</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We headed to
|
|||
|
|
Balcony with the intention of pushing Sloppy Seconds. We were
|
|||
|
|
underground by midday and nominated Rachel as leader as she knew how
|
|||
|
|
to get to Hilti-A-Plenty. However, none of us knew for sure how to
|
|||
|
|
get to Sloppy Seconds (we were looking for Bat Country first off).
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>I enjoyed the
|
|||
|
|
entrance series and the completely dry big pitch (this is apparently
|
|||
|
|
abnormal) and the following pitches down Hilti-A-Plenty. We took a
|
|||
|
|
left at the bottom in the hope of finding the right way, but sadly
|
|||
|
|
this was not the case. After much fun exploring, we decided to head
|
|||
|
|
back to the bottom of Hilty and take the other (correct) passage. It
|
|||
|
|
soon became clear that we were not going to find Sloppy Seconds, so,
|
|||
|
|
as it was my first trip, we replanned for a tourist trip to Ice Cock
|
|||
|
|
Aven.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>After ascending
|
|||
|
|
the pitch leading to Cathedral Chasm, Corin decided to head out with
|
|||
|
|
Ash’s pushing rope as he had been to Ice Cock Aven only the day
|
|||
|
|
before. The journey for the three remaining was very enjoyable as I
|
|||
|
|
like a good climb and there were some good sandy crawls. The ice
|
|||
|
|
formations were as good as promised and Michael gave a great tour of
|
|||
|
|
the area. We then set off out.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>I was first onto
|
|||
|
|
the ‘15m pitch’ when we heard a rumbling noise. We gave each
|
|||
|
|
other a worried look before quickly deciding to retreat away from the
|
|||
|
|
pitch to see where the water would appear. It was 5:40pm at this
|
|||
|
|
point and we found out that although the far side of the chamber gets
|
|||
|
|
wet we were alright to go up.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Our next concern
|
|||
|
|
was how far Corin had got as the entrance series big pitch is too wet
|
|||
|
|
to pass in flood. Thankfully we found him in the bottom of the
|
|||
|
|
entrance series in a bothy bag singing contentedly. He had had a
|
|||
|
|
similar close call, having retreated after just putting his croll on
|
|||
|
|
the rope.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>It then became a
|
|||
|
|
military operation to put on out extra warm layers and prepare for a
|
|||
|
|
long wait in the bothy bag. We sat on rope and put tacklesacks below
|
|||
|
|
our feet to keep warm. The efficiency was excellent and we soon had
|
|||
|
|
water, food and a seating plan ready for our party. We pulled the bag
|
|||
|
|
over and made sure to leave a small hole for oxygen. Six games of
|
|||
|
|
‘what time is it?’ and lots of chats later, Rachel went to check
|
|||
|
|
if the much less noisy pitch was now only drippy. After shouting down
|
|||
|
|
that it was good we all gradually left the bothy and headed out
|
|||
|
|
safely, almost missing callout at 11pm. What a first trip.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 11 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>2/8/17 <u>Luke,</u>
|
|||
|
|
Becka</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>GSH – bottom
|
|||
|
|
of big pitch</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>With Rob
|
|||
|
|
escorting Nadia down the hill Becka was keen to see the continuation
|
|||
|
|
of GSH. Successful distribution of drill batteries. Set off to cave,
|
|||
|
|
route needs cairning but only takes 30 minutes. Mike and Nathan in
|
|||
|
|
CUCC-2017-28 (now named Fisch Gesicht Höhle). Inspected some
|
|||
|
|
horizontal leads at head of big pitch but crapped out immediately.
|
|||
|
|
Still had drill battery so descended to the pushing front from last
|
|||
|
|
trip. Battery wouldn’t die so had to keep on going, multiple
|
|||
|
|
options but ran out of rope.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>On exit flood
|
|||
|
|
pulse happened at the top of the big pitch so not sure how it
|
|||
|
|
responds to water. CouldaWouldaShoulda was rigged perfectly out of
|
|||
|
|
the water. Exited cave, tagged CUCC-2017-28 noting that Mike and
|
|||
|
|
Nathan had probably not had any drill battery. Back to Top Camp in 40
|
|||
|
|
minutes, confirmed that Nathan and Mike got no holes. Almost acted as
|
|||
|
|
callout for Balcony crew who got rained in despite the rain happening
|
|||
|
|
for 30 minutes 5 hours previously.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 6 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>1/8/17 <u>Mike,</u>
|
|||
|
|
Kristian, Adam</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony –
|
|||
|
|
Nothing To See</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>My first trip on
|
|||
|
|
the hill having arrived and walked up the day before. Good
|
|||
|
|
introduction to Balcony pushing in the Nothing To See area. Kristian
|
|||
|
|
tried bolting the pitch at the end, only to find his two drill
|
|||
|
|
batteries were flat. So he went back out to get fresh ones from Top
|
|||
|
|
Camp.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Meanwhile Adam
|
|||
|
|
and I rigged the pitch from the naturals available, first dropping a
|
|||
|
|
tube to the right of the traverse which was choked with boulders
|
|||
|
|
partway down. After unsuccessfully trying to clear the boulders by
|
|||
|
|
kicking them into the void below (too stable to be safely moved), we
|
|||
|
|
then dropped the main lead to find it also choked by boulders below
|
|||
|
|
the second pitch. I was able to squeeze past into a 8x3m chamber
|
|||
|
|
below, but Adam declined to continue. From the chamber, a tight
|
|||
|
|
meander could be slithered along for seven body lengths before
|
|||
|
|
becoming too tight. To the right a phreatic passage 3m above the
|
|||
|
|
floor was choked by mud. In the roof two shafts came in, both
|
|||
|
|
appeared choked with boulders part way up, the right-most shaft being
|
|||
|
|
the one I had dropped earlier, and the leftmost joined the bae of the
|
|||
|
|
first pitch. We surveyed from above the boulder squeeze, but having
|
|||
|
|
forgotten a pencil Adam had to engrave onto the page.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We had finished
|
|||
|
|
by the time Kristian returned with the ‘fresh’ battery. So we
|
|||
|
|
went to investigate the climbing lead Adam, Luke and Rachel had
|
|||
|
|
previously tried but thought it needed bolting. It was an inclined
|
|||
|
|
phreatic tube ~30m high, easily free climbable but exposed. From the
|
|||
|
|
top, another parallel shaft was to the left which continued up but
|
|||
|
|
also needed bolting.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>To the right a
|
|||
|
|
narrow passage soon joins another shaft similar to the other two,
|
|||
|
|
which we suspect drops down to the choked pitches we had rigged
|
|||
|
|
earlier, but also continues up, requiring bolting. At this point
|
|||
|
|
Kristian’s fresh battery was also flat, so rigged off a natural and
|
|||
|
|
then made our way out. The shafts need a return trip to survey and
|
|||
|
|
possibly bolt.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 10 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>6/8/17 <u>Philip
|
|||
|
|
S, </u> Becka, George</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>204 warm-up
|
|||
|
|
trip</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Tourist trip to
|
|||
|
|
test out Philip’s gear (and Philip) in 204, doing the first two
|
|||
|
|
pitches. The snow plugs were the smallest ever seen, according to
|
|||
|
|
Becka.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 2 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>[RIGGING TOPOS
|
|||
|
|
FOR GSH]</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>2/8/17 <u>Mike,</u>
|
|||
|
|
Nathan</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>CUCC-2017-28
|
|||
|
|
aka Fisch Gesicht Höhle (FGH)</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Went to drop the
|
|||
|
|
pitch reached by Nathan the day before, having rigged a traverse
|
|||
|
|
before his batteries died. However, our drill battery was flat. No
|
|||
|
|
surprise. Nathan very angry. We surveyed up to the top of the pitch.
|
|||
|
|
On the way out, instead of dropping the pitch and surveying, I
|
|||
|
|
dropped the survey down the pitch. Nathan very sad.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Note to self 1:
|
|||
|
|
do not stuff notebooks down jumper when only wearing shorts and
|
|||
|
|
jumper and over a pitch.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Note to self 2:
|
|||
|
|
cave very cold and windy. Do not wear shorts and jumper.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 1.5 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>9/8/17 –
|
|||
|
|
10/8/17 <u>Jacob,</u> Becka, Rob</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Camp Kraken –
|
|||
|
|
below Snake Pit, Northern Slackers</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Underground just
|
|||
|
|
after 9am. I had not been to the deep stuff in Tunnocks before, so I
|
|||
|
|
waited at the bottom of Caramel Catharsis for Becka (Rob had gone
|
|||
|
|
ahead) and route finding instructions. Apart from the bottom of
|
|||
|
|
String Theory, I did not have too much trouble finding my around, and
|
|||
|
|
we were at camp just after 12:30.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>From here, we
|
|||
|
|
went to try and push a lead below Snake Pit, which is very
|
|||
|
|
Yorkshire-ish stream passage. We followed it to a pitch which had not
|
|||
|
|
been dropped. Once Rob had bolted it, we surveyed to another deeper
|
|||
|
|
pitch which took he stream and (we assumed) dropped into Song of the
|
|||
|
|
Earth. We then derigged our way up to the bottom of Octopussy. From
|
|||
|
|
here we went into the far north of Slackers to investigate a lead
|
|||
|
|
that George had been talking about that morning. For a while this
|
|||
|
|
tested Becka’s route finding ability (she was the only one who had
|
|||
|
|
been there before), but eventually we found ourselves above Grike of
|
|||
|
|
the Earth. The lead was above this, up a short handline climb (which
|
|||
|
|
gained a not-so-helpful rebelay at the request of Becka). The pitch
|
|||
|
|
we dropped led down to a large drippy passage which carried a small
|
|||
|
|
stream. After 20m the stream disappears down a crack in the floor
|
|||
|
|
while the way on continues above this, with one hole below that
|
|||
|
|
presumably leads back down to the stream which we left as a question
|
|||
|
|
mark. The passage became smaller and draftier and, below another
|
|||
|
|
short pitch, became steeply sloping with a dry muddy floor. By this
|
|||
|
|
point it was 9pm and in order to sleep at any way a reasonable hour
|
|||
|
|
we had to leave, which took some careful diplomacy by Becka and I. it
|
|||
|
|
was still a promising lead and would need to be visited again one
|
|||
|
|
day. We named it Beckoning Silence.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>On our way back
|
|||
|
|
we derigged everything below Camp, and then ate everything we
|
|||
|
|
possibly could at camp before bed. Despite missing/failing to set our
|
|||
|
|
alarms we were up and ready quite early and we were all on ropes
|
|||
|
|
carrying other ropes (and drills and poo etc) by 9:30am. Rain was
|
|||
|
|
forecast for the afternoon so we wanted to make sure we were all
|
|||
|
|
above Procrastination with plenty of time to spare. All went very
|
|||
|
|
smoothly until the entrance pitch, where we had to pass Ruairidh,
|
|||
|
|
Aidan, Fleur and Pete on their way down. Got to the surface just in
|
|||
|
|
time to get rained on on the walk back to Top Camp.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>[RIGGING TOPO,
|
|||
|
|
LOWER SNAKEBITE AND BECKONING SILENCE]</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 29 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>7/8/17 <u>Philip
|
|||
|
|
S,</u> Adam, Aidan</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Prospecting
|
|||
|
|
beyond FGH and GSH </i>
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<ul>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>GPS track
|
|||
|
|
recorded for whole walk (used Brendan’s GPS)</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Altitudes
|
|||
|
|
done (GPS) for FGH and GSH</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>3
|
|||
|
|
reasonable holes found</p>
|
|||
|
|
</ul>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>#1 ‘Delicate
|
|||
|
|
Bridge Hole’: </i>near skipole, rigged from natural and steelpole
|
|||
|
|
section to snowslope, 40m. Tagged. [Adam and Corin returned to this
|
|||
|
|
the next day and crapped it out).</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>#2 and 3: three
|
|||
|
|
big holes and pit, see survey notes. [WALLET?]</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>6/8/17 <u>Aidan,</u>
|
|||
|
|
Rob, Adam</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>FGH, below
|
|||
|
|
first pitch</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We descended the
|
|||
|
|
entrance series at around midday to investigate some leads found
|
|||
|
|
previously by Mike and Alice. Adam and I surveyed the main chamber
|
|||
|
|
and some side passages whilst Rob dropped a small pitch to the left
|
|||
|
|
hand side of the main chamber below the pitch.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Quick note
|
|||
|
|
from Rob: </i>the passage is along the ‘windy tunnel’ as termed
|
|||
|
|
by Mike and Alice, and the pitch was rigged on naturals (I added a
|
|||
|
|
bolt on the next trip) as the drill battery died immediately when I
|
|||
|
|
was trying to drop a rift slightly further along the passage.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Aidan
|
|||
|
|
continued:</i> Once we had finished surveying, Adam and I met Rob at
|
|||
|
|
the head of this small pitch, where he had identified several
|
|||
|
|
promising leads which we then surveyed. One lead arrived at a choked
|
|||
|
|
crawl, down a small climb; another lead produced a pitch with a
|
|||
|
|
promising potential traverse, which we left for another day due to
|
|||
|
|
the dearth of drill battery.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>The final lead
|
|||
|
|
produced a long rift after a slightly dubious downclimb (which I
|
|||
|
|
nearly fell off), eventually leading to a stream flowing underneath
|
|||
|
|
the rift. We then headed out as Adam’s fingers were starting to
|
|||
|
|
become painful after his mishap at the lake, and reached the bivi
|
|||
|
|
before sunset.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 5 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>8/8/17 <u>Aidan,</u>
|
|||
|
|
Radost</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>FGH –
|
|||
|
|
pushing the big pitch</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Radost and I
|
|||
|
|
dropped a pitch bolted the day before by Rob after he ran out of
|
|||
|
|
rope. The pitch was some 50m down a small icy pitch series to the
|
|||
|
|
right of the entrance. The pitch we dropped passed through the icy
|
|||
|
|
layer of the cave to one somewhat warmer. Whilst the top of the pitch
|
|||
|
|
was promising, the bottom was less so – one crawl, which choked
|
|||
|
|
after 10m; one tight, inaccessible rift and on the opposite side of
|
|||
|
|
the base of the chamber there was a rift that could be squeezed
|
|||
|
|
through for 15m or so until it became too tight to navigate. We both
|
|||
|
|
tried again without SRT kits, as the rift was drafty, but little more
|
|||
|
|
progress was made. Eventually, we sacked it off and derigged the
|
|||
|
|
pitch hang; Radost thought he saw some leads halfway up the pitch on
|
|||
|
|
the way out, which may be worth another look.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 7 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>7/8/17 <u>Radost,</u>
|
|||
|
|
Rob, Alice, Becka</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>FGH –
|
|||
|
|
dropping pitches, ice</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Firstly we went
|
|||
|
|
down to the left of the entrance pitch with the help of a handline
|
|||
|
|
towards a tight rift [explored the day before by Adam, Rob and
|
|||
|
|
Aidan]. Ended with too tight passage. Went back to the entrance
|
|||
|
|
chamber to survey it. Across the ramp bolted and rigged a pitch to
|
|||
|
|
the right. Successfully descended pitch onto a massive block of ice.
|
|||
|
|
Horizontal rift passage leads to junction: forwards in an icy tube
|
|||
|
|
leads to an aven and right to a chossy passage that needed rigging.
|
|||
|
|
This stopped us from progressing further [though the pitch was mainly
|
|||
|
|
dropped]. Surveying backwards we exited the cave safely.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 9 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>7/8/17 <u>Sarah,</u>
|
|||
|
|
Kristian</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony,
|
|||
|
|
Nothing to See – surveying and photography</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We descended the
|
|||
|
|
Balcony entrance pitch, myself taking it embarrassingly slowly and
|
|||
|
|
cautiously due to my lack of caving for several months. On reaching
|
|||
|
|
the bottom Kristian led me to and down Hilti-A-Plenty, and then on a
|
|||
|
|
sporting romp to Nothing to See (featuring a traverse, a sandy crawl
|
|||
|
|
and a bold step that was ‘a bit dodgy’ – K Brook, 2017).
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Once there we
|
|||
|
|
completed surveying as far as possible and took some distances up two
|
|||
|
|
potential leads that required bolt climbing to reach. Once this was
|
|||
|
|
done we bumbled back towards Hilti-A-Plenty and took some amusing
|
|||
|
|
sponsorship photos, featuring myself jealously guarding my Tunnocks
|
|||
|
|
bars and Kristian enjoying a refreshing drink of pesto. Nothing to
|
|||
|
|
See was then derigged and we made our way out slowly due to my
|
|||
|
|
tendency to prussik at a snails pace. We arrived back at camp in time
|
|||
|
|
to watch a lovely sunset and moonrise.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 7 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>8/8/17 <u>Jacob,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Elaine, Haydon</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Caramel
|
|||
|
|
Catharsis photo trip</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Haydon and I went
|
|||
|
|
from the Stone Bridge and met Elaine at Tunnocks (with Elliott) at
|
|||
|
|
just after 10:30am. Haydon went in first and zoomed ahead while
|
|||
|
|
Elaine and I were a bit slower. The original plan was to head to camp
|
|||
|
|
at Kraken to take some sponsorship photos with Tunnocks bars.
|
|||
|
|
However, issues with Haydon and Elaine’s SRT kits forced us to
|
|||
|
|
change the plan. We decided to take some photos at Caramel Catharsis
|
|||
|
|
and head out. Pester Haydon for the pictures.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 6 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>7/8/17 <u>Fleur,</u>
|
|||
|
|
Pete, Corin</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony –
|
|||
|
|
Sloppy Seconds to Second Wind</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Had walked up on
|
|||
|
|
Sunday ready to hit Sloppy Seconds the next day when drier conditions
|
|||
|
|
prevailed. The absence of a good draft last time meant I was not too
|
|||
|
|
optimistic, but also committed to try and trace the draft on the way
|
|||
|
|
in. the draft going into Galactica came from Sloppy Seconds, but but
|
|||
|
|
mainly up from the base of the second set of pitches (see trip by
|
|||
|
|
Rachel, Adam and Nathan earlier in the expo). In fact, the draft on
|
|||
|
|
this trip came up here and into the horizontal passage.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We carried on to
|
|||
|
|
our previous limit, where Pete chose the right hand pitch lead. This
|
|||
|
|
route was initially muddy, then drippy as an aven with a small stream
|
|||
|
|
was passed. However drill battery failure (again) left Pete in a
|
|||
|
|
small clean rift looking down a narrow pitch with no more drill
|
|||
|
|
power. With two slings he got further and saw pitch continuing, but
|
|||
|
|
small and wet (QMB). Hence heading back up to try second (left hand)
|
|||
|
|
pitch as best we could on a couple of slings. Tied rope around huge
|
|||
|
|
rock and Corin made his first descent of an unexplored pitch. A sling
|
|||
|
|
made a rebelay and I followed adding two deviations.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>At the base one
|
|||
|
|
way choked after two climbs down. But the other way led to a drafting
|
|||
|
|
tube – yay, we had refound the wind! More dodgy natural rigging saw
|
|||
|
|
us at the end of the rope staring down a two metre wide steep
|
|||
|
|
phreatic ramp. Game on!</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>[RIGGING TOPOS
|
|||
|
|
FOR SECOND WIND IN LOGBOOK]</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 14 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>9/8/17 <u>Fleur,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Pete</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony –
|
|||
|
|
Sloppy Seconds, Second Hand</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Having escaped
|
|||
|
|
the deep Tunnocks derig, I sneaked in another trip to our Second Wind
|
|||
|
|
lead in Sloppy Seconds with Pete. With an absence of functioning
|
|||
|
|
drill batteries we decided to go old school and hand bolt.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Relatively good
|
|||
|
|
progress to the limit where we spent three hours placing five bolts
|
|||
|
|
to get down the shaft that followed the ramp. Rob and Becka had left
|
|||
|
|
us a starting bolt, Pete added a Y before two more rebelays to the
|
|||
|
|
end of the 28m rope. We then swapped so Pete got a chance to shiver
|
|||
|
|
whilst I tied in the next rope and added another belay to reach the
|
|||
|
|
floor 20 – 25m below. Here I landed on a boulder pile. A small hole
|
|||
|
|
led into a rift. Not looking promising. A final spit allowed me to
|
|||
|
|
abseil into the hole, but there was no way on. The draft we were
|
|||
|
|
chasing was coming out of the boulders and there was no option but to
|
|||
|
|
derig and go home.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Took out as much
|
|||
|
|
rope and gear as we could manage, making it out at 11pm. Had some
|
|||
|
|
final excitement as thunderstorm broke while I was on the entrance
|
|||
|
|
shaft and got a soaking. But out to amazing lightning show and lots
|
|||
|
|
of thunder.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>[RIGGING TOPO FOR
|
|||
|
|
SECOND HAND IN LOGBOOK]</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 13 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>8/7/17 <u>Becka,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Rob</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony,
|
|||
|
|
Sloppy Seconds – Second Wind and Dog End Series</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Batteries were in
|
|||
|
|
very short supply (three total at Top Camp, <font face="Wingdings, serif"></font>
|
|||
|
|
) so we headed off with our allocation (one) plus three ropes and
|
|||
|
|
lots of metalware down some seriously slippy rope to the ‘ramp’
|
|||
|
|
at the pushing front from yesterday’s Second Wind trip.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We arrived, Rob
|
|||
|
|
kitted up and set to on the first bolt. Drzzzzzzzzzz… went the
|
|||
|
|
drill. Grrrrrrrr went Rob. He managed to wheedle a single bolt out of
|
|||
|
|
the battery, put in a deathly dodgy deviation from a perched boulder
|
|||
|
|
and abseiled down a bit. The ‘ramp’ rapidly switched from steep
|
|||
|
|
to vertical with not a hope of naturals so sense prevailed and we
|
|||
|
|
gave up there, leaving the rope for a better equipped party.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>We returned to
|
|||
|
|
the top of the Second Wind pitches and dropped the pitch opposite the
|
|||
|
|
horizontal passage at the bottom of Sloppy Seconds (straight on
|
|||
|
|
rather than through the mud tube to the left leading to the start of
|
|||
|
|
Second Wind). My ‘pitch head’ natural was a monster but the next
|
|||
|
|
one immediately cracked off when I weighted it. However, some mud
|
|||
|
|
excavation gave a convincing thread for a rebelay down to confusing
|
|||
|
|
bridge area. Rob came down and we spent some time digging mud out to
|
|||
|
|
give a second decent thread anchor to descend to one way to a dead
|
|||
|
|
end and then a second way which continued as a pitch/climb down. We
|
|||
|
|
had nothing to rig this but Rob clambered down on shitty rock (later
|
|||
|
|
regretting his boldness) and it continued (QMA, pretty drafty and
|
|||
|
|
cold but shit cave). We finished the survey, getting very muddy, then
|
|||
|
|
headed out.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 8 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>9/8/17 <u>Corin,
|
|||
|
|
</u>Aidan, Sarah, Radost, Ruairidh, Alice</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony –
|
|||
|
|
Cathedral Chasm, attempted derig</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>All of the more
|
|||
|
|
experienced expedition cavers seemed to be busy, so a fairly
|
|||
|
|
straightforward trip was needed which we (Aidan, Alice, Radost and I)
|
|||
|
|
could take the new arrivals on (Sarah, Ruairidh). The aim was to
|
|||
|
|
derig the pitch in Cathedral Chasm which Ash had rigged (over many
|
|||
|
|
hours, entirely on naturals) and use the rope to drop a drippy hole
|
|||
|
|
nearby. We eventually passed the Balcony entrance series and got to
|
|||
|
|
Cathedral Chasm. The number of people on this trip was clearly a few
|
|||
|
|
too many.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Aidan, Sarah,
|
|||
|
|
Radost and Ruairidh went to have a look at Ice Cock aven while Alice
|
|||
|
|
and I went to derig the pitch. The pitch had some unconventional
|
|||
|
|
rigging, and was rigged very tightly on naturals with some awkward
|
|||
|
|
sections. Neither of us had done much derigging before and we were
|
|||
|
|
both somewhat intimidated so we promptly fucked off at speed. We
|
|||
|
|
apologised to the others and then bailed on the trip. Six people was
|
|||
|
|
too many for this trip so it was a bit of a clusterfuck, but
|
|||
|
|
eventually gained the surface.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Note from
|
|||
|
|
Alice: </i>the bottom of the pitch series led to a shelf that I was
|
|||
|
|
unable to reach. The cross section below shows the rigging at the
|
|||
|
|
time. [DIAGRAM IN LOG BOOK].</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 7 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>10/8/17 <u>Rachel,
|
|||
|
|
</u>George</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Balcony,
|
|||
|
|
Cathedral Chasm and Dark Arts</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>The aim of the
|
|||
|
|
trip was to derig Cathedral Chasm and poke around George’s lead in
|
|||
|
|
the Dark Arts. We followed Ash’s exceptional rigging and were
|
|||
|
|
thoroughly impressed with his resourcefulness and creativity. The man
|
|||
|
|
deserves recognition and from now, the pitch will be known as the
|
|||
|
|
Mashterpiece.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>At the bottom of
|
|||
|
|
the rigging, a ledge led to a short crawl and a 5m pitch. We
|
|||
|
|
considered how much rope we could cut off the Mashterpiece given the
|
|||
|
|
swing across necessary to ascend. We tied off the rope with a length
|
|||
|
|
of cord we had brought.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>The 5m pitch gave
|
|||
|
|
way to a north-bound rift with a crawl, QMA, for 10m after a C4 down
|
|||
|
|
and we left it at a 20m+ pitch, drafting inwards. The obvious way on
|
|||
|
|
from the P5 is up a C4 to another chamber, then C14 (chimney) down to
|
|||
|
|
a large, echoey chamber. This had a huge jammed boulder, heading a
|
|||
|
|
30m+ pitch, also very worth dropping (QMA). We surveyed from the
|
|||
|
|
bottom of the Mashterpiece to the C14 climb, but it needs tying into
|
|||
|
|
the above survey (we were unsure where this ended, so didn’t bother
|
|||
|
|
to risk duplicating work). We promptly ran away to the Dark Arts.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>George had tried
|
|||
|
|
to drop a P15 for the previous two years, and we finally dragged the
|
|||
|
|
final four functional drill batteries through the crawling rift with
|
|||
|
|
trench in the floor. I was somewhat behind with the rope bag when
|
|||
|
|
swearing filled the passage. It transpired that George had done a bad
|
|||
|
|
thing. He had let the drill bag slip down the rift whilst leaning
|
|||
|
|
back through an awkward dog-leg at the pitch head.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>The next 20
|
|||
|
|
minutes involved a whole hearted effort of ‘hook-a-duck’, where I
|
|||
|
|
tried to manoeuvre the bag with a snapgate, tied open on the end of a
|
|||
|
|
piece of cord. For reference, if possible, hauling from the
|
|||
|
|
top/bottom of the bag may be more successful than the shoulder
|
|||
|
|
straps. George gave his best in forcing his arm down the rift and the
|
|||
|
|
bag was eventually retrieved.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>George set about
|
|||
|
|
bolting the awkward pitch head. Batteries 8, 13, and 15 successfully
|
|||
|
|
gave us half a hole in the shit rock, before the mighty number 14
|
|||
|
|
finished the job. The 25m pitch gave way to a ‘skanky’ (George,
|
|||
|
|
2017) pool of water and parallel shaft that also went nowhere.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>Quite cold and
|
|||
|
|
disheartened, we left to find the entrance series rather wet.
|
|||
|
|
Deciding to give it half an hour, we set about investigating the
|
|||
|
|
flood drum. Some items are of obvious importance, although the
|
|||
|
|
absence of a pan is noteworthy in the presence of a stove, gas
|
|||
|
|
cylinder and large selection of oatso’s and soups. Fairly
|
|||
|
|
frustrated, we braved the not-very-wet entrance.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 10 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>[SKETCH SURVEY OF
|
|||
|
|
LOSER LIDO SUMP BELOW GRIKE OF THE EARTH IN LOGBOOK]</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>7/8/17 <u>Rachel,</u>
|
|||
|
|
George, Mike</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Camp Kraken –
|
|||
|
|
killing Grike of the Earth</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>From camp, we
|
|||
|
|
headed north to a bolt climb lead (QMA). Mike free-climbed 5m to a
|
|||
|
|
ledge and was unable to climb further, so he placed a bolt and pulled
|
|||
|
|
through down.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Note from
|
|||
|
|
Mike: </i>rock was very flakey, holds were coming off in my hands,
|
|||
|
|
would need thru bolting to progress. Also loose looking boulder
|
|||
|
|
above.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Back to
|
|||
|
|
Rachel: </i>in Grike of the Earth, from the ledge we headed
|
|||
|
|
northwest, following pleasant walking passage, turning into inactive
|
|||
|
|
stream passage with higher false floor. This led to a 40m pitch to a
|
|||
|
|
large rift chamber, clear sump pool and drippy aven. No obvious leads
|
|||
|
|
could be found from here. From the ledge, southeast tunnel, dropped
|
|||
|
|
20m on a ramp down to a mud sump. A previously noted ‘too tight
|
|||
|
|
rift’ directly north was followed for ~20m where the draft
|
|||
|
|
disappeared into the choked ceiling. At 3am, we headed back to camp,
|
|||
|
|
to derig the next day.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>T/U: 42 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>10/8/17 <u>Aidan,</u>
|
|||
|
|
Fleur, Pete, Ruairidh</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p><i>Shallow
|
|||
|
|
Tunnocks leads – Double Barrel</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
We decided to investigate leads in Tunnocks due to expected rain. I
|
|||
|
|
went to the base of the entrance pitch whilst the others negotiated
|
|||
|
|
their way down. Eventually we met the campers (Rob, Becka and Jacob)
|
|||
|
|
who passed the others on the entrance series, and Ruairidh and Pete
|
|||
|
|
headed back to the surface after some extensive SRT practice.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
Fleur and I checked out a number of leads in Tunnocks (three QMA in
|
|||
|
|
the Double Barrel area, all small pitches to be dropped) which fell
|
|||
|
|
apart due to apparent dodgy historic surveying. The first QMA we
|
|||
|
|
checked out was through Starfish Junction, again past Petticoat
|
|||
|
|
Junction; however, we came across a 15m pitch in the way of this lead
|
|||
|
|
which we had missed on the survey, and could not cross the pitch so
|
|||
|
|
abandoned this lead after some viewing.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
As an alternative we went the alternate way down Hedonism Highway to
|
|||
|
|
2008-41-B(?) in Rocky Road. This lead was very promising, continuing
|
|||
|
|
for 40m or so up some climbs until we found a 2009 era rope down a
|
|||
|
|
pitch lead. As a result we abandoned these leads and decided to
|
|||
|
|
investigate the survey further.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
<i>Note from Fleur: </i>I could find no record of this lead being
|
|||
|
|
pushed in the 2008 – 2016 logbooks, no data in Survex and nothing
|
|||
|
|
in Tunnel. A mystery!</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
<i>Back to Aidan: </i>an alternate route down Rocky Road led to a
|
|||
|
|
series of P5 pitches which allegedly produced a QMB; however, after
|
|||
|
|
dropping these with naturals and hand bolting (good practice for me)
|
|||
|
|
we discovered this lead was in fact an aven.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
After this, we headed out. The trip was very good practice for me and
|
|||
|
|
I hope for Ruairidh as well. Mainly, I hope Fleur enjoyed a run
|
|||
|
|
around Tunnocks as much as I did.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
T/U: 9 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
14/8/17 <u>Rachel, </u>Rob, Alex</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
<i>Camp Kraken derig</i></p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
The paella had been unanimously sacked off. (Real reasons apply).
|
|||
|
|
After arriving at camp, we learnt Rob had investigated Anthemusa and
|
|||
|
|
was thoroughly unimpressed.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
<i>Note from Rob: </i>I wouldn’t say I was thoroughly unimpressed
|
|||
|
|
after a look at the survey and consideration of the possibilities.
|
|||
|
|
Big potential, could find another Kraken. To access, cross Turtle
|
|||
|
|
traverse (slippy, bolted, can do without a rope but high stakes if
|
|||
|
|
you slip) and ascend choss slope. Possible to kick rocks down so care
|
|||
|
|
required. Good draft coming out of entrance to Anthemusa chamber
|
|||
|
|
proper near top of slope. Enter drippy chamber where draft
|
|||
|
|
dissipates. Chamber very large with a lot of loose muddy boulders.
|
|||
|
|
Hard to work out way on. Pre-2017 survey and 2015 logbook have pitch
|
|||
|
|
noted in northeast corner that I could not find (though didn’t
|
|||
|
|
spend very long there). Needs another look by a team who enjoy
|
|||
|
|
boulders and technical bolting. I didn’t do much poking as I was on
|
|||
|
|
my own and having a boulder move under the circumstances would not
|
|||
|
|
have done well.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
<i>Rachel continuing: </i>after we had stripped camp Alex set off
|
|||
|
|
with three hefty tacklesacks, Rob following with two whilst I
|
|||
|
|
derigged Kraken to remove it from the cave. The rope for Inferno was
|
|||
|
|
pulled up and coiled in sets up to the rebelays to support the
|
|||
|
|
riggers next year, left at the pitch head. Magic Glue was pulled up
|
|||
|
|
and left at the pitch head, one of the deviations was removed (can’t
|
|||
|
|
remember which). Widow Twankies rope was removed from the cave, with
|
|||
|
|
Rob ferrying seven tacklesacks from pitch to pitch as far as the
|
|||
|
|
bottom of Procrastination. The short rope below Number of the Beast
|
|||
|
|
was derigged and coiled.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
Tacklebags were removed including the camp pits and degradables (full
|
|||
|
|
list available). Three tacklebags containing rope from below camp
|
|||
|
|
were removed, in summary, and all but three rope bags which were left
|
|||
|
|
at the following stations:</p>
|
|||
|
|
<ul>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
Bottom of Number of the Beast</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
Top of Number of the Beast</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
Bottom of Procrastination</p>
|
|||
|
|
</ul>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
A very solid effort put in by all, as Rob and I exited the cave
|
|||
|
|
shortly after Alex. Hiltis greased and reflected appropriately.
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
P.S. I did the ‘womens work’ of cleaning the tent floor with
|
|||
|
|
disinfectant and then washing up and tidying up whilst Rob and Alex
|
|||
|
|
did the ‘proper work’.</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
T/U: 15 hrs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
<br/>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
</p>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
STUFF LEFT AT CAMP 14/8/17:</p>
|
|||
|
|
<ul>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
14 soups</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
1.5 bags smash</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
27 tea bags</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
2 sandwich bags custard</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
1 sandwich bag sugar</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
1 sandwich bag milk powder</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
4 sandwich bags flapjack</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
1 sandwich bag ready brek</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
15 tea lights</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
1 nail varnish</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
3 pencils</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
Small amount cleaning fluid (for tent cleaning)</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
5 green hi gear mugs</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
4 roll mats</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
1/3 460ml gas canister</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
Poo stool</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
3 daren drums (water)</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
2 billy pans</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
Lighter</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
2016 camp first aid kit</p>
|
|||
|
|
<li/>
|
|||
|
|
<p>
|
|||
|
|
Small amount whisky</p>
|
|||
|
|
</ul>
|
|||
|
|
</body>
|
|||
|
|
</html>
|