From 3ea45e30ede9b13a434a6998ee592b866bbff759 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Wookey On our first carry up we
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ sheepish, emerged clutching a grateful-looking and apparently
unharmed sheep. Our intrepid explorers
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ played/fought with the tarps for a while, sorted rope, got bored and
walked down. YAY CAVING = GREAT. Up at 5.45am after a
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ cheese and our campsite. Mission accomplished. Prussiking out was
tiring with tacklesacks full of tacklesacks in tow! TU = 11 hrs
We stirred in our damp @@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ snow slope before heading out in tat order.
In preparation for the day-shift of the Butlins camping team (the @@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ type&ellip;
Neil showed Fer and Aio the secrets of Tunnocks @@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ saw on the entrance, so it looks safer now.
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ others to keep going down
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ out
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ Holly tested how warm a storm shelter is with a candle inside.
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@ Crossword are connected.
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ by mud and sand.
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ keep bolting) to throw that pitch down. Turned back.
Back in Pingu Pitch with the drill and lots of rope @@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ for a little bit longer :( -
Neil rebolted and adjusted entrance, including rebolting traverse on left hand wall at scree level. We then continued to start of snow slope (melted) and swapped 11mm rope used for entrance with 9mm. Andy rebolted slope, ensuring cavers could not slip down chasm. CARE!!! @@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ One person on pitch at a time, moving together. -
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ Slept will from 7am till 5pm, as we'd been very tired. Decided on a day out in t
Nice trip showing Fer and Aiora the way down to String Theory. Got @@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ a bit lost at Ykikikiki beach, almost ended up at starfish junction. Made our wa -
Quick trip as far as String Theory, continued rigging down the 100m pitch, had difficulty finding last years bolts. Finally rigged pitch, Andy and Rob sheltered in bivy shelter. At the bottom made our way back up the balcony climb to "Leaky Chamber", limit of last year, all climbed down tight rift and looked at potential climb up, looking very good can see up 10meters to a scalloped roof. Rigged a traverse line to bypass shite rift and placed both at bottom of climb. Left climbing rope and etriers in situ, ready for next assault. Made our way back out. From the survey "leaky chamber" is approx 26meters vertically and 5m horizontally away from "Where O ware in Steinbruckenhohle making this an excellent lead. @@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ a bit lost at Ykikikiki beach, almost ended up at starfish junction. Made our wa -
Re-bolted parts of String Theory, replacing 1 shit bolt and 2 extra bolts to make Y-hangs. Also placed a few bolts on the 5th rebelay to try to get a Y but they all failed, no Y needed. Looked up passage at floor level at start of climb up to balcony in String Theory, this leads via a rift to a dodgy climb up. At top survey marks from "popcorn rift" found. We followed the draft to a too tight slot in the wall in "West Side Story" but way on found by climbing into traverse round corner (not surveyed). This carried on to climbs down to a 20m? pitch with large rift passage visible continuing over the top. @@ -623,7 +623,7 @@ a bit lost at Ykikikiki beach, almost ended up at starfish junction. Made our wa -
Walked up in the morning, and decided to give Alex and introductory tour of the upper levels of 204 while scouting out a lead for the next day. Went down to boulder coaster, but got a little lost, so went back to entrance pitch, then to Gaffered and out of 204D via swings and roundabouts. Interesting entrance climb, chimneying up the side of snow plug, and very glad that the permanent handlines were still there! @@ -633,7 +633,7 @@ a bit lost at Ykikikiki beach, almost ended up at starfish junction. Made our wa
String Theory -> surveying finds from yesterday. Also looked around Konnisberg etc. We shone Robs Scurrion into chamber at String Theory and there looks like a large rift continuing off at the top of a scree/ boulder slope to the right of the balcony - i.e. climb up slope/ gully to wall and bottom of balcony handline and follow the wall up right. Ropes on String Theory re-rigged onto new bolts placed yesterday. @@ -642,7 +642,7 @@ a bit lost at Ykikikiki beach, almost ended up at starfish junction. Made our wa -
Down to camp and picked up a survey and worked our way down to the lead @@ -655,7 +655,7 @@ from the day trip to recharge. Good steady trip.
Underground at 1.30pm on Friday, after stalling Nial for as long as @@ -697,7 +697,7 @@ possible. Down to camp to drop off food then back up to the Wares to drop the pi -
In 7pm and out 3am for me and 5am for others @@ -711,7 +711,7 @@ possible. Down to camp to drop off food then back up to the Wares to drop the pi
@@ -720,7 +720,7 @@ Returned to Leaky Chamber to start bolt climb, Andy climbed initial 5m climb wit
Returned to the lead scouted in previous evening and started rigging it. Took a long time, and needed more bolts as there were many rubs (but no drill ....) got to the end of the previous survey then headed out for dinner and scavenge more deviation tat and crabs. @@ -728,7 +728,7 @@ Returned to Leaky Chamber to start bolt climb, Andy climbed initial 5m climb wit
Went to assist Fer with rigging pitch in Crossword passage, managed to find decent rockl on right wall. Fer drilled two holes and dropped the short pitch only to find survey station and spits at teh bottom. Rob explored crawl further up passage and found survey crawl. Placed another spit at top of next pitch but did not rig shaft. Confused as we are still unsure if this pitch has been dropped. Derriged initial pitch. @@ -736,7 +736,7 @@ Returned to Leaky Chamber to start bolt climb, Andy climbed initial 5m climb wit
@@ -752,7 +752,7 @@ Back to Pingu again, this time with a more experienced 2nd option for the riggin
After 4 hours sleep this was a lovely, mellow trip. We did some re-rigging of Alex and Jess's rig then finally got beyond nials last (2008?) station and dropped a pitch and then a climb down that looked like it was going to head off on a big, phreatic tube - very exciting... but it choked with mud after 2 legs. Some lovely fossils (including an ammanite?) at the bottom. @@ -760,7 +760,7 @@ Back to Pingu again, this time with a more experienced 2nd option for the riggin
Went down 204E with the aim of seeing the camp and carrying some things out. Found Edvin, Kathryn and Nial derigging Gardeners World and carrying out masses of tackle sacks, took some tackle sacks off them (but sadly they still had a large pile) and headed out. Once out went back to relieve them of more tackle sacks. Good trip, my first time down 204E and Gaffered - nice pitch. @@ -768,7 +768,7 @@ Back to Pingu again, this time with a more experienced 2nd option for the riggin
Returned to Bob-on passage and Noel rigged pitch into big chamber, Above and Beyond. Floor of chamber has steep slope down to the Northern end, explored and surveyed chamber. Numerous QMA's including traverse over pitch in the north and several deep shafts in southern end, all leads are in the vicinity of Steinbruckenhole and should be the 'Key' to the connection. Andy did a dodgy climb up loose wall to explore a rift, ending in another deep shaft. @@ -776,7 +776,7 @@ Back to Pingu again, this time with a more experienced 2nd option for the riggin
Went down String Theory to have a look at how possible hand bolting rift pitch down West Side Story would be - decided it was more of a drill project. On way back towards String Theory met Gareth and Rob who had been planning to rig down Procrastination - the had managed to drop the drill bit, but Neil had a bit for through bolts so we swapped the hand bolting kit for a drill :-) and went down Konnisberg to the big chamber (above and beyond). Neil bolted pitch/ traverse at bottom end of chamber. After short pitch/ traverse dropped into sandy chamber with boulders. Got prematurely excited that we had found the connection to 204 when we saw loads of footprints - turned out to be the bottom of Pigeons in Flight. On the way back popped into a side passage on left (one way out) this led to a pitch (QMA). I made a "very" good job of learning and finding the way out. Good trip. @@ -784,7 +784,7 @@ Back to Pingu again, this time with a more experienced 2nd option for the riggin
We went to the bottom of Pingu pitch, where Fer and Aiora had been with Becca the day before. Brought hand bolting stuff and about 30m of rope, as we were hoping to descend one of teh holes at that place. Tying a Y hang that Fer and Aiora bolted the day before, we went down and slightly right into a rather narrow slot (deviation) and found a suprisingly big pitch. We placed two more bolts, verified that another small hole with a trickle of water joined the big pitch, and decided that we wouldn't want to bolt and decent the big pitch on our own that day. @@ -792,7 +792,7 @@ Back to Pingu again, this time with a more experienced 2nd option for the riggin
The plan was to rig into 161 as far as Repton, then push the roof tube in Repton left going by Wookey and Andrew A in 2009. However, after a very late start from the bivi this proved to be too ambitious. Took 200m of new 10mm with the intention of cutting it up as required as we went along. Olly christened his new drill by placing an extra re-belay bolt on the entrance pitch to split up the big hang - also put in a new bolt at the head of the short second pitch. By the time we got to the head of the knosses pitch call-out was looming, so Adrian and I headed out whilst Wookey tried to work out a sensible way to improve the rig, he eventually gave up and followed us out. @@ -801,7 +801,7 @@ Back to Pingu again, this time with a more experienced 2nd option for the riggin -
Looking at pitch in so Vein and also at the end of flying high. @@ -813,7 +813,7 @@ Back to Pingu again, this time with a more experienced 2nd option for the riggin
Returned to Pingu pitch with a drill and Gareth. While Gareth, Fer and the drill went down to the big new pitch from the day before, Aiora and Olaf put in 2 more deviations to the lower end of Pingu pitch, to avoid rubbing ropes and to practice hand bolting. Later on, Gareth came up with drill, while Aiora and Olaf went down. A deviation and rebelay later we arrived at the bottom of the pitch, which was rather dissapointing. The trickle of water disapeared in a puddle and the passage was desperatly narrow rift bit filled with rocks. Surveyed on the way out and derriged the whole pitch series. Unfortunately got stuck at the last rebelay, so we left one tackle sack full of rope and rigging gear behind to be picked up another day. @@ -821,7 +821,7 @@ Back to Pingu again, this time with a more experienced 2nd option for the riggin
Quick trip to pick up ~300m of rope that we had left at the top of Gaffered after the main derig after the final camping trip. 204 is now derigged apart from the entrance pitch (which is left rigged to allow high level leads to be pushed). @@ -829,7 +829,7 @@ Back to Pingu again, this time with a more experienced 2nd option for the riggin
This time, with a slightly earlier start from the bivy, we managed to execute the plan from the previous day. We also took the precaution of setting a morning call out, which proved to be a wise move. Having lost Olly and Adrian to injury and tiredness, Rob chose to tag along. @@ -849,7 +849,7 @@ Back to Pingu again, this time with a more experienced 2nd option for the riggin
@@ -858,7 +858,7 @@ Went up to top camp after the expo dinner and had a short trip to 204. First we
@@ -867,7 +867,7 @@ The post dinner hangovers were bad but - as ever Rob was keen to squeeze in a fi
Having arranged to take over Djuke's camp bed and space, someone who thought I was not coming up made sure it was packed and sent down with her. So there was an unfortunate scrabble to find somewhere that wasn't bare rocks. Frank's hole had a badly rigged tarp with a pool of water touching the floor. Olly and I reriged it to form a diagonal shelter off the incorrect side. I retired early in a mood. Noone had the energy to pop round to see how things were doing, even though I could hear them chatting for hours about all the trips they did have the energy to do in the next several days. Things went badly when it started to rain heavily through the night as the wall under the tarp drizzled as much water as if there hadn't been a tarp. I rerigged it all in the morning, this time with the dry side under the shelter, but the mood was not seriously deteriorated and was being sternly ignored. @@ -877,7 +877,7 @@ The post dinner hangovers were bad but - as ever Rob was keen to squeeze in a fi
We joined Becka, Julian, Wookey and Nial for a long trip to the far end of KH. Wookey and Anthony had discovered a large phreatic passage at a pitch bolt climbed up by Andrew A two years ago, the 'Country for Old Men'. All six of us scrambled along for 3hrs in a long tour through Iceland, Roast Beef, Knosses, Block Towers, Yapate, Chicken Flied Nice, and finally to Repton, where the newly climbed passage started. After a short rifty bit, we turned left into a wider passage and after a short bit of passage came to 'the junction'. There were we split into groups of two, with Wookey and Nial rigging a tyrolean at Strange Acrossfall, Becka and Julian placing conservation tape and surveying a side passage, and Olly and Olaf went north to a pitch at the end of what Wookey had surveyed a few days before. Olly started drilling his way down but quickly ran out of rope. Olaf placed a handbolt for a top traverse of the pitch and later Olly placed two more bolts up there. We ran out of time though, and left two unfinished rigs behind. It was still a looooong way back to the entrance, which we did between the two of us, and we almost did not get lost at all. On the way back to the bivy we were racing the flashes and thunder, and eventually got home dry. @@ -885,7 +885,7 @@ The post dinner hangovers were bad but - as ever Rob was keen to squeeze in a fi
Part of the Becka, Julian, Olaf, Olly M trip @@ -901,7 +901,7 @@ The post dinner hangovers were bad but - as ever Rob was keen to squeeze in a fi
GPS for Entrance: elev: 1938, 33 T0411995 5283601/(utm)
@@ -912,7 +912,7 @@ Much of the area between Tunnocks and the area we found the cave was quite shatt
Rigging and bolting trip to Brians Phat Shaft @@ -933,7 +933,7 @@ Much of the area between Tunnocks and the area we found the cave was quite shatt -
Down to Bob On via Pigeons in Flight. Neil and I set up to climb the up pitches whilst Emma derigged all the pitches in leaky chamber. Neil and I climbed the three pitches but found the way on upwards was too tight so decided to leave it for future generations. @@ -943,7 +943,7 @@ Much of the area between Tunnocks and the area we found the cave was quite shatt
@@ -954,7 +954,7 @@ at the tyrolean, which turned out to be just as crap in the other direction when
The new stuff in 161 was quite exciting, so there were three trips going there that day. Wookey, Cat and Adam went ahead early, Julian, Jess and Alex went next, and Anthony, Becka and Olaf waited a bit longer for the two German guests Stefan and Thomas. Team C entered the cave last, but we just about met team B on the entrance pitch. We caught up with them at Knossos and Strange Acrossfall, where we eventually had a queue and reorganisation of the teams. The Tyrolean did not really work so going down and up again was the easiest solution. We finally got to the 'Country for Old Men' and team German (Olaf, Stefan and Thomas) went to the north and with the half rigged pitch. Wookey, Cat and Adam had completed the traverse line but not got much beyond. The downwards way that Olly and Olaf started bolting down the day before was still unfinished. Thomas took the drill and rope and went off. After reaching the first ledge, a 45deg slope, he added another rebelay and dropped to the bottom. Stefan and Olaf then surveyed the whole leg to a length of 29m. As the bottom was very exciting again Olaf went back to call Becka and Anthony. They started surveying a small rifty passage going downwards, whereas we continued the main phreatic tube, carefully avoiding some beautiful erosion patterns. The passage was heading more Eastwards and uphill for about 50m, then turned back northwards. There was another small pitch up there but we could easily pass by it via a narrow gully in the ground, doing a sharp northward turn a level below the main passage. Only a small 3m climb was in the way, so we placed another bolt for a handline. As it was getting late we fetched Becka and Anthony and all headed out together Along the way with all the pitches we split with Thomas and Olaf going first, Becka catching up and Anthony and Stefan meeting us at the entrance. Luckily it was dry on the way back to top camp, but it had been raining the best part of the day. @@ -965,7 +965,7 @@ at the tyrolean, which turned out to be just as crap in the other direction when
Shepparded Olaf, Thomas and Stefan through the cave and ended up in Tyrolean log jams with Jess getting strung up trying to get on it. Thomas and I managed to use it but pretty strenuous. Found Wookey's team surveying where we'd intended going, having found nothing over the traverse at the far end and being too cold to descend the pitch there so we set Olaf, Stefan and Thomas off rigging the pitch with the drill whilst Anthony and I put in a natural and hand bolt for the traverse over the pitch at the far end of the Chocolate River. I'd just finished crossing it and using the huge obvious naturals when Olaf returned to say they'd found big stuff so we shuttled off and looked at their lead and left them to survey the big stuff north whilst Anthony and I threw a few legs to the south in thin, twisty rift till it was time to go. Poor Stefan wasn't feeling well on the exit but at least everyone else was out of the cave so the exit wasn't too slow and then a plod back up the hill where, surprisingly, the Tunnocks gang were still up having just returned. @@ -973,7 +973,7 @@ at the tyrolean, which turned out to be just as crap in the other direction when
First team into KH with cast of thousands expected. My allotted ouigees turned out to be very competent and enthusiastic so we had a top trip. Went right to the end to complete the climb into the phreas continuation that Olly M had bolted most of the day before. Re-rigged rope so it was long enough and decided on the quick and light approach - i.e. no drill and paraphernalia - just a climb on a c-rigged stop, trailing a line to pull stuff up afterwards. Climb was muddy (thin layer over rock), steep enough to be worrying, short on good holds and over a big drop. I could see why Olly decided to leave it. Still with some pinch holds and mud-step cutting and a rather tense few minutes, I made it up without taking a massive flight. Only to find that it didn't go at all! It was a dead end, with another hold down to the pitch we'd just traversed around. Grrr. Pulled drill up and put bolt in so I could get back down/across. Took one leg up climb to position it. No-one else had turned up yet so we had a choice of go down pitch or look at horizontal lead back as previous junction. Cat and Adam wanted to learn to survey so we went for horizontal lead. Windy, but not huge. Surveying we taught/learned as we proceeded down soily passage which soon turned sharp right (west) with a slippery c3 climb up then a traverse over a hole. Here the draught disappears up into holes in roof then passage opens up into high chamber 3m wide, 8m high, 20m long. @@ -983,7 +983,7 @@ at the tyrolean, which turned out to be just as crap in the other direction when
Only 3 of us in KH today so despite enthusiasm failure due to the incessant rain we had a slick and productive trip. Entrance pitch miserably wet but dried off on the commute. Down to the huge phreatic lead Olaf, Thomas and Stefan had left yesterday and had a handful of fine, long legs in big stuff then it all drizzled out in what initially looked like a mud choke but a steep - down phreatic tube blowing a gale in our faces soon lead us to a pitch head which has to be an A++ lead. Back in the main passage where we'd started surveying I spotted a small passage on the right wall which drafted strongly and led straight to another small pitch - another A lead. Having only hand-bolting gear (we'd taken the two drill batteries out yesterday) we left that too and back to the pitch to the big lead on the right. This went in fine style with lots of ?gypsum? crystals to a climb which we left when it looked like it needed protecting. A side lead on the right just before the climb started with many crystals on the floor then past a freshly dead bad (wings still in tact) and got smaller (crawling) then ended on an easy looking pitch (just too steep to free climb). Draft but not very strong. Thomas took some photos then decided to call it a day. Had a grim, grim time on the entrance pitch with water pouring down especially at the new rebelay - needs FIXING. I was nearly hypothermic by the time Anthony got up so did the walk on my own in the driving rain - thank god for PVC oversuits, cairns and reflectors. @@ -991,7 +991,7 @@ at the tyrolean, which turned out to be just as crap in the other direction when
I had promised to apply my expertise to this dauntingly deep shaft @@ -1017,7 +1017,7 @@ bit, but is untested, so might rub. Got to pitch top at 5.20ish as promised but
Went to QMA lead north out of 39 steps chamber. Low passage out of chamber led to low crawl past boulder choke. After passage opens out into nice Phreas with narrow floor canyon. Followed passage past interesting ceiling level Phreas - needs bolting up but passage appears significant (QMA). From here followed main passage down to junction, way back on oneself (sharp left) leads to pitch head (QMA). Back to junction we took left passage, leading through good Phreatic canyon. Followed main passage past QMB, QMC, QMA leads (explored on subsequent trip). Passage ended in frost shattered loose boulder choke. @@ -1025,7 +1025,7 @@ bit, but is untested, so might rub. Got to pitch top at 5.20ish as promised but
Trip to pick up last of Brians Phat Shaft kit and rope and derig All Roads. Bit cold waiting, but all went smoothly, popped out of entrance just as Martin G and Noel were walking past en route to Tunnocks. @@ -1034,7 +1034,7 @@ bit, but is untested, so might rub. Got to pitch top at 5.20ish as promised but -
Back to March of the Penguins exploring side passages found on 8/8/11. Started off from QMA at far end of passage - led up slope to p10 QMB with possible continuation QMB+. Most passages ended in loose boulder chokes with some signs of being near the surface. Complicated interconnected part of the cave - all horizontal leads explored. @@ -1043,7 +1043,7 @@ bit, but is untested, so might rub. Got to pitch top at 5.20ish as promised but -
We returned to the Country for Old Men to take a look at some of the horizontal leads. After a slick journey all the way in (2.5hrs), we went down the first pitch in the main passage and then left into the rift that Becka and Anthony had started surveying. After a few legs with a gentle right turn we arrived in another rift passage following something like a fault line clearly visible in the ceiling. The way downwards continued across a small hole in the ground and some nice mud formations and then reached a short climb up. Beyond, the rift was continuing uphill and shortly reached a small chamber (2m wide, 4m long, 6m high) with some decorations. Two passages continued along the fault line, but re-join later at two places, the second of witch was a small chamber again. A 3m climb down got Becka to the floor of the chamber where she squeezed through a gap continuing the passage. Apparently there is another short climb down and it still goes beyond, but we had enough of the rift and called it a day. @@ -1054,7 +1054,7 @@ bit, but is untested, so might rub. Got to pitch top at 5.20ish as promised but -
We returned to Above and Beyond to have another look up Andy's climb and survey up. Is much easier now there is a rope on. At the top, a further Phreatic tube was spotted above, after a slightly hair-raising climb (1 bolt, no ets) a rope was rigged (p5 up) to gain a very draughty horizontal tube. Emma and Neil set about surveying whilst Gareth and I ran off to explore up 'Frontier Land' and 'Blackpool Sands' gained a side passage and the main passage ended at a pitch. Pitch dropped ('Ee Bah Gum') 20m into bottom of rift which appeared to continue in same direction as 'Blackpool Sands'. Another passage continued back under Blackpool Sands (walking passage). A quick look around then exit due to the surveyors having too much to catch up. @@ -1065,7 +1065,7 @@ bit, but is untested, so might rub. Got to pitch top at 5.20ish as promised but -
Not many around were keen on KH that day. Also, as Olaf wanted to go down later on to leave the next day, we organised a short trip into KH. Becka, Wookey and Anthony mentioned a passage close to the entrance, where noone ever managed to find all the drafty holes, but still a noticeable gale was blowing. Olaf led the way, we found the passage as described and the climb on the right hand side but there was no rope in place. It seemed free climbable but not very inviting, especially on the way down. So we decided to turn round still not knowing where the wind blows. After a short trip Olaf packed his stuff to go down the hill whilst Adrian stayed at the stone bridge. @@ -1074,7 +1074,7 @@ bit, but is untested, so might rub. Got to pitch top at 5.20ish as promised but -
Despite sore knees we talked ourselves into another deep trip in Tunnocks. Wookey and Noel Whipped in ahead with the drill to start the pitches that were found off Above and Beyond yesterday, whilst Holly and I started to survey down Eh Bah Gum pitch and then to a small draft rift opposite their pitches. This rapidly poped out to a window into what we assume is The Beast again - stones thrown out beyond the immediate ledge dropped free for 4-5s - a project for another year. The others were still bolting so we surveyed a QMB i'd spotted at the base of Eh Bah Gum. This was another small, drafty rift which, again popped out into The Beast but this time we could get out onto a wide ledge so we started surveying along the left wall with various tubes on the left. "Holly did you walk down that mud bank", "No, I thought that looked like footprints" I peered again - it could be due to rock fall, but it did look very like footprints..... and then I saw two more - we've definitely got to somewhere people have been before. I walked over with tape and straight to survey station 23 and we finished the survey then went for a run to see where we were. We traced the footprints back and into a small muddy tube. Holly and I muttered to each other that this looked very like The Wares - but we didn't want to count our chickens so on we ran until "Oooh" said Holly pointing at a nondescript mud bank we had to crawl over "I've been here - for sure - its The Wares - WE'VE CONNECTED we shrieked at each other, had a hug then Holly showed me what she'd pushed on her 204 camping trip. We went back to the others where Wookey had pit in 3 short pitches with minimalist rigging and they were surveying back so we yelped them our news then helped them to finish their survey and showed them the connection then steadily out with some gear. Great final trip of Expo for me. @@ -1087,7 +1087,7 @@ bit, but is untested, so might rub. Got to pitch top at 5.20ish as promised but -
Wookey was keen to get back to the end of KH. Most people were @@ -1146,7 +1146,7 @@ massage is 'March of the Ents'. -
Having cursed Julian with a painful bout of caving keenness before clearing off on another caving expedition to Voodoo Canyon with her fancy friends, Becka got Andrew to swear over 7 bottles of Gosser to take him on a not-completely-waste-of-time caving trip for once. She was going to stay up with the all night session to make sure he drank it all until assertively reminded of the notion that after 3 weeks of neglect and one change-over day basking unadulterated caving glory plus dinner with the Germans, things were getting mighty sulky. Luckily, Neil was around to keep him occupied throughout the night with interesting conversation and brass music until he passed out under the awning with the foot of his sleeping bag in the rain. Inside the hut Andrew was among the debris on the floor. He accepted a mug of strong coffee from me. We drove up, walked across the plateau in the rain finding Wookey and his side kicks coming down from gerry-rigging pitch at the far end of Old Men to lots of horizontal passage which they'd pushed and explored in every direction until 3 in the morning because that's what they were there for. He'd passed a sketch to Olly of all the grade A leads (most of which were pitches or traverses), as he was going on ahead. @@ -1158,7 +1158,7 @@ massage is 'March of the Ents'. -
Down Mordor to QMA traverse lead at north that had been left by Wook, Cat and Adam from the previous day. Used 11m rope and good natural to get to bottom of breakdown pitch/ traverse/ chamber then clambered up the other side. Passages lead off both right and left. Olly and I took the left branch whilst Andrew and Julian went right (which didn't go far). Reasonable horizontal passage led to a traverse (needed rigging) into a chamber with lots of holes in the floor. Across the chamber led to a drippy pitch with possible horizontal continuation across pitch. This point is v.close to Fat Cat in 204, traverse across pitch looks fairly technical and hard - approx 10m or so across a wall with not so many features. Left as all leads needed rigging work and we were now ropeless and it was rather late (getting near 10pm). Headed out to good clear night. First time for me down KH - impressive. @@ -1181,7 +1181,7 @@ massage is 'March of the Ents'. -
A last long-ish trip before the end of expo, resulted in a trip down to the 258-204 connection in order to give Emma a tour and start the derig. Had a fairly early start (11am!) and managed to miss the rain (Tunnocks was very drippy). String theory was a lot friendlier the second time round and then Noel showed Emma and Holly the top of Procrastination - which is where we left him. The two of us carried on down the the connection, which isn't quite as exciting the second time round! in fact it was a little sad, as after looking at the 204 survey for the Wares, I realised that the 'connection chamber' was in fact a chamber I had already been in on a previous 204 trip with Edvin and Kathryn (25-7-11) where we were following an A-lead. If only we'd gone for the B-lead! @@ -1192,7 +1192,7 @@ massage is 'March of the Ents'. -
After Holly and Emma left me at the top of 'Procrastination Pot' (still not descended to the bottom even though it was started in 2010). Initial traverse was followed by first decent of 18m to final bolt. I added a bolt to make a Y-hang, rigged short traverse and rebelay at a bouldery ledge about halfway down with a nice free-hang Y-hang placed just below. Pitch used 110m of rope approx. Large stream entered halfway down due to very wet weather, but hang avoided most water (except for a few 'drips' at the bottom). At the bottom and airy step over another pitch (QMA p15m) taking stream led to a bouldery chamber. Rift passage appears to continue at northern end (QMA p10) and a small chamber could be gained at East end via a 5m pitch (QMB p5m). Surveyed and de-rigged out to meet the girls near the top where we derigged to the top of String Theory. Excellent pitch. @@ -1204,7 +1204,7 @@ massage is 'March of the Ents'. -
Martin and Emma picked the bags up from the top of String Theory, missioned it back to the entrance to meet the 2nd team who went to derig Caramel Catharsis followed by the entrance, stopping for naughty words and frayed tempers from Andy at the Y-hang. Out for tea and curry @@ -1215,7 +1215,7 @@ massage is 'March of the Ents'. -
We intended to bounce down to Base camp to change Andrew's phone to sort out his courtesy car, which is a pretty lame excuse to slip a day when things are going well but my body really wasn't going to take a 3rd day anyway. Down at base camp washing up was piled sky high. Olly said it wasn't his problem, and anyway he had spent all day yesterday in bed with a bad tummy. He then did it while I made chips. At 4.30 when we were intending to go up, the rain was hammering down, and I had a headache and felt that I had caught Olly's cold. We changed plan to go up in the morning. I slept the rest of the afternoon then spent the evening printing out maps of the 30m now between 161 and 204, along with route description to Phat Shaft and Fat Cat, in an attempt to entice people go rig down there with the rope they were pulling from Tunnocks. All focus on the connection could have got it done. Had Neil the connection wizard been there, it would have happened. And when both sides were either side of the big hole that would require 14 bolts to traverse around I had a reel of strong thread that we could throw across to the other team to set up the Tyrolean of life so that the 161 people could come out a much shorter way. But it was not to be, the derigging momentum was in full flow and they only thing that could have interrupted it was a bad accident at the far end. @@ -1228,13 +1228,26 @@ massage is 'March of the Ents'. -
Considered my excuse because I couldn't face climbing through Tower Blocks again. They let me wait at the top of Knossus pitch to take out a tackle sack. I derigged the entrance pitch. We carried down a huge load at the hottest part of the day. Fighter jets tore the sky overhead. Caught sight of one. It was a delta-wing, so was probably one of those 'stealth' bombers on its way to liberate the oil in Libya.
Needs writing up...
+Needs writing up...
+