2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN">
|
2004-05-05 19:39:28 +01:00
|
|
|
<html>
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
<head>
|
2004-05-05 19:39:28 +01:00
|
|
|
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" />
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
<title>1989: Cambridge Underground: Camping</title>
|
2004-04-21 10:35:34 +01:00
|
|
|
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../css/main2.css" />
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
</head>
|
|
|
|
|
<body>
|
|
|
|
|
<center><font size=-1>Cambridge Underground 1990 p 25</font>
|
|
|
|
|
<h1>Underground Camping</h1>
|
|
|
|
|
<h3>by Mike Richardson</h3></center>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>The big problem with underground camping was the dark. Basically, morning
|
|
|
|
|
doesn't exist. Without the arrival of daylight, the body doesn't seem to
|
|
|
|
|
realise that it ought to be getting up, and just lies there, waiting for
|
|
|
|
|
something to happen. Getting the brain into gear is seriously hard work.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>For the first time since Stellerweg was bottomed in 1982, C.U.C.C. decided
|
|
|
|
|
to camp in Kaninchenhöhle in 1989. Not that it was strictly necessary,
|
|
|
|
|
you could get to the sump and back in 16 hours or so, and there was nowhere
|
|
|
|
|
to camp below -300 metres, but people thought it might be fun. Anyway, it
|
|
|
|
|
seemed like a good idea to have a go where you could still escape if
|
|
|
|
|
something went wrong, or if you just couldn't face it any more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>The first camp was in the Toilet Block, off Yapate Inlet, near Tower
|
|
|
|
|
Hamlets. Juliette, Wookey, Del, Jeremy, Joe and Dave set off to do two days
|
|
|
|
|
pushing and surveying below Knossus. The author joined them, mainly for the
|
|
|
|
|
hell of it, that night. The Toilet Block is a metre wide passage, quite long
|
|
|
|
|
and fairly draught-free, leading to a grovel into a sandy chamber. The
|
|
|
|
|
latter had no ways on (once Tina had persuaded Jeremy to have a look down a
|
|
|
|
|
dubious free climb), and served as the bog. Beware of buried treasure! This
|
|
|
|
|
camp was occupied for a single night.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>The second camp, populated by Julian, Jeremy and the author, lasted for
|
|
|
|
|
two nights. It was to have been on the Black Lagoon at the bottom of
|
|
|
|
|
Niflheim, but after getting sidetracked when we discovered the Pot Of Gold,
|
|
|
|
|
we ended up in a rather draughty side passage just off the Left Hand Series.
|
|
|
|
|
The campsite itself was suitably sandy, and led to a boulder slope which
|
|
|
|
|
provided easy hidey-holes for nasty deposits. Unfortunately the draught got
|
|
|
|
|
up on the second night, so it was excessively cold. Fortunately, Jeremy's
|
|
|
|
|
bowels started to play up the following morning, so there was a good excuse
|
|
|
|
|
to leave.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>So, what did we learn? The biggest problem was keeping warm at night. The
|
|
|
|
|
air temperature is pretty low, but the main problem seems to be the draught.
|
|
|
|
|
Unlike 1982, we did not use any tents. These would improve the camp
|
|
|
|
|
considerably. An inner would almost certainly be enough, and following the
|
|
|
|
|
destruction of top camp, we have a two-man inner for next year.
|
|
|
|
|
Alternatively, any sort of cheap tent would do, or a breathable bivvi bag. A
|
|
|
|
|
survival bag was used, but was horribly sweaty. A tent or bivvi bag would
|
|
|
|
|
also keep down the sand, which threatens to get everywhere.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>Cooking presented no problems. Both meths and pressurised paraffin stoves
|
|
|
|
|
were used quite effectively. Food really needs to be warm and filling, and
|
|
|
|
|
needn't be particularly nutritious, unless it is going to be a very long
|
|
|
|
|
camp. The usual diet of chocolate bars and the like keeps you going.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>Apart from the horror of getting back into furry suits in the morning, the
|
|
|
|
|
damp wasn't a problem. Everybody took down spare clothes to change into on
|
|
|
|
|
return to the camp, and to sleep in. Thermal gloves and balaclava are a good
|
|
|
|
|
idea even if you don't use them at any other time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>The more nights the camp is occupied the better. A lot of effort is
|
|
|
|
|
expended in getting gear down to the camp and out again afterwards, so the
|
|
|
|
|
less times you do it the better. Gear was carried in ordinary tackle bags,
|
|
|
|
|
with sleeping bags and spare clothes being bundled up in polythene bags and
|
|
|
|
|
stuff sacks. Kaninchenhöhle is not wet, so there were no real problems
|
|
|
|
|
in keeping gear dry in transit.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<p>We'll be back in 1990, and it will be fun to see if we can make it a bit
|
2011-07-05 11:26:38 +01:00
|
|
|
more civilised. Now, a music system would be really nice.....</p>
|
2004-04-29 16:24:54 +01:00
|
|
|
<hr />
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
<!-- LINKS -->
|
2011-07-05 11:26:38 +01:00
|
|
|
<ul id="links">
|
2004-04-29 16:24:54 +01:00
|
|
|
<li>Cambridge Underground 1990,
|
|
|
|
|
<a href="../../../jnl/1990/index.htm">Table of Contents</a></li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li>1989 Expedition info:
|
|
|
|
|
<ul>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="index.htm">Index</a> (more detail than in this list)</li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="log.htm">Logbook</a></li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li>Cambridge Underground Expo Report:
|
|
|
|
|
<ul>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="diary.htm">Diary</a></li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="rescue.htm">The Rescues</a></li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="cavegd.htm">161 Description</a> to date (ie. 1989)</li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="survey.htm">The 1989 survey</a> of Kaninchenhöhle</li>
|
|
|
|
|
</ul></li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="sumup.htm">1976-89 summary</a> of caves found</li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="bcracc.htm">BCRA Caves & Caving Report</a></li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="sponsr.htm">Sponsors</a></li>
|
|
|
|
|
</ul></li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="../../pubs.htm#pubs1989">Index</a> to all publications</li>
|
|
|
|
|
<li><a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expeditions intro page</a></li>
|
2004-04-30 22:56:57 +01:00
|
|
|
<li><a href="../../../index.htm">CUCC Home Page</a></li>
|
2004-04-29 16:24:54 +01:00
|
|
|
</ul>
|
2001-08-15 19:29:27 +01:00
|
|
|
</body>
|
|
|
|
|
</html>
|
