From 213539d4114f41626ee5fdb67514f77e33d7407f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Wookey Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2017 12:15:18 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] Add 2017 Logbook html (Thanks to Rob Watson) --- pubs.htm | 19 +- years/2017/index.html | 1 + years/2017/logbook.html | 2018 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3 files changed, 2029 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-) create mode 100644 years/2017/logbook.html diff --git a/pubs.htm b/pubs.htm index de58a3ae5..a7cfc4a4f 100644 --- a/pubs.htm +++ b/pubs.htm @@ -10,16 +10,16 @@

Published reports and logbook accounts

-

The website is now CUCC's primary method of publishing information +

The website is now CUCC's primary method of publishing information about its Austrian expeditions. The paper journal "Cambridge -Underground" was last published in 1999. The articles referenced below -are classified according to the expedition which preceded the -publication. Hardly any references deal with more than one year's -expo. The reference numbers given below, such as "80.1739", are from -"Current Titles in Speleology", where the article has made it -there. Otherwise "no CTS" indicates that the article is either -not referenced by Current Titles in Speleology or the reference has -not been looked up:

+Underground" was last published in 2012. The +articles referenced below are classified according to the expedition +which preceded the publication. Hardly any references deal with more +than one year's expo. The reference numbers given below, such as +"80.1739", are from "Current Titles in Speleology", where the +article has made it there. Otherwise "no CTS" indicates that +the article is either not referenced by Current Titles in Speleology +or the reference has not been looked up:

Lists of published accounts for

@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ not been looked up:

2014 | 2015 | 2016 | +2017 |

Accounts following CUCC Austria 1976

diff --git a/years/2017/index.html b/years/2017/index.html index 72e56d3a7..b91b9202a 100644 --- a/years/2017/index.html +++ b/years/2017/index.html @@ -17,6 +17,7 @@

Post-Expo Documentation

diff --git a/years/2017/logbook.html b/years/2017/logbook.html new file mode 100644 index 000000000..1570aeca2 --- /dev/null +++ b/years/2017/logbook.html @@ -0,0 +1,2018 @@ + + + + + +2017 Expo Logbook + + + +

CUCC Expo Logbook 2017

+ +
2017-07-18 - 2017-07-20
+
Chris, Elliott, Katey
+
Tunnocks – 1st camping trip +
+ +

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. +

+

NB - Elliott +from here:

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

Next day +(Thursday) we headed out. Left camp at 10am, out between 13:00 - +16:00.

+

T/U: 52 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

11/7/17 Rob, +Luke

+

Tunnocks +Rigging trip #1: Entrance Series

+

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. +

+

T/U: 6 hrs

+


+
+ +

+


+
+ +

+

12/7/17 Rob, +Luke

+

Tunnocks +Rigging trip #2: bottom of String Theory

+

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. +

+

T/U: 7 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

13/7/17 Rob, +Luke

+

Tunnocks +Rigging trip #3: 1st rebelay, Number of the +Beast

+

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. +

+

Note: the y-hang +at the top of NOTB should be a bunny ears style knot for ease of safe +rigging. +

+

T/U: 7 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

[RIGGING TOPOS IN +LOGBOOK NEED DRAWING UP]

+


+
+ +

+

11/7/17 Nathan, +Brendan

+

Balcony +rigging trip

+

Rigged Balcony +entrance series with 100m + 20m rope following Nathanael’s 2016 +rigging topo. +

+

T/U: 2 hrs

+


+
+ +

+


+
+ +

+

12/7/17 Nathan, +Nadia, Mark

+

Balcony +rigging, Hilti-a-plenty

+

Rigged +Hilti-a-Plenty pitches with 80m rope using Martin’s rigging topo. +

+

T/U: 3 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

16/7/17 +Nathan, George, Luke

+

Tunnocks: +rigging to bottom of Kraken

+

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).

+

T/U: 10 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

17/7/17 Nathan, +George

+

Balcony, +Sloppy Seconds

+

Went down Balcony +to Bat Country and dropped a B lead near Galactica. Pitch rigged +using 50m rope (see both rigging guides drawn in book). +Turned back at next pitch due to lack of rope. +

+

T/U: 8 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

18/7/17 Nathan, +George, Becka

+

Balcony, +Sloppy Seconds again

+

Rigged +pitch/traverse to ~100m good horizontal passage. Ended in multiple +pitches with horizontal continuations over them. Surveyed. +

+

T/U: 9 hrs +

+


+
+ +

+

20/7/17 Nathan, +Adam, Rachel

+

Balcony, +Sloppy Seconds 2

+

Dropped 20m pitch +in Sloppy Seconds to immature meander; found small horizontal +passages that all crapped out in mud and immature meanders.

+

T/U: 9 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

25/7/17 Lydia, +Corin, Ash, Michael

+

Balcony, +Cathedral Chasm

+

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. +

+

NB: Ash’s +alternative account

+

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. +

+

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.

+

T/U: 7 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

18/7/17 Brendan, +Luke, Phil

+

Balcony, +photos, tourists

+

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.

+

T/U: 5 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

[2ND +SLOPPY SECONDS RIGGING TOPO BY BECKA]

+


+
+ +

+

21/7/17 Philip +W, Rachel, Nadia, Elliott

+

Balcony – +destroying Galactica

+

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.

+

T/U: 10 hrs

+

19/7/17 Becka, +Adam, George and Rachel

+

Balcony – +Natural Highs

+

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. +

+

[OH DEAR TEFLON +LAWSON FORGOT TO LIST HER T/U]

+


+
+ +

+

20/7/17 Becka, +George

+

Prospecting +and refind of 1623/110

+

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. +

+

Found an open +10m+ shaft, ~3x2m opening. 33W 550789E 7885325N, 524067Y 3117175X +according to Martin’s phone – may not be correct!

+

Second open +shaft, ~20m deep, 2x0.7m opening, tagged CUCC-2017-03, same location +as above 10m+ shaft. +

+

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]. +

+

T/U: 1.5 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

22/7/17 Phil +W, Nadia

+

Prospecting

+

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. +

+

T/U: 0.5 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

21/7/17 – +23/7/17 Becka, George, Luke

+

Tunnocks – +Camp Kraken

+

21st: +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. +

+

22nd: +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 2nd 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 [this later turned into Grike of the Earth]. +

+

23rd: +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. +

+

T/U: 14 hrs, 24 +hrs, 11 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

23/7/17 Phil +W, Nadia

+

Prospecting – +Bad Forecast (2017-PW-01) found

+

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.

+

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.

+

T/U: 5 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

6/8/17 Kristian, +George, Becka

+

‘The Beast’ +has fallen #gloriousendings #whataday #pokemon

+

Based on tunes +originally whistled by Kristian Brook

+

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. +

+

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.

+

T/U: 13 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

24/7/17 Phil +W, everyone else

+

Pathetic +festering

+

Everyone in Top +Camp festered because they were scared of the high water levels. +Nobody caved.

+

T/U: sweet fuck +all

+


+
+ +

+

6/8/17 Jacob, +Elaine

+

Guten Morgen +Höhle, trip #1

+

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]

+

T/U: 1 hr

+


+
+ +

+

7/8/17 Jacob, +Elaine

+

Guten Morgen +Höhle, trip #2

+

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. +

+

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]

+

T/U: 5 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

25/7/17 Nathan, +Phil W

+

Bad Forecast +(2017-PW-01)

+

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]

+

Phil +continuing:

+

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.

+

T/U: 7 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

27/7/17 Ash, +Elliott, Elaine

+

Balcony – +Cathedral Chasm

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

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.

+

T/U: 9 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

28/7/17 Ash, +Luke, Adam, Kristian

+

Balcony – +Nothing to See

+

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.

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

T/U: 8 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

25/07/17 – +27/7/17 Nadia, Chris, Haydon

+

Camp Kraken – +Densham Master Cave, Grike of the Earth, Bullshit in a China Shop

+

After the rain on +the 24th delaying our startwe were all packed up for the +morning of the 25th. 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. +

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

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.

+

T/U: 60 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

28/7/17: Rob, +Becka, Nadia, Rachel

+

Prospecting, +110 area

+

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.

+

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.

+

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.

+

T/U: ~ 3 hrs +total.

+

29/7/17 Rob, +Becka, Luke

+

Prospecting, +110 area, day 2

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

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.

+

T/U: ~4 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

30/7/17 Rob, +Luke, Becka

+

Glücklich +Schmetterlingehöhle (GSH) and Kein Wassermelonhöhle (KWH) – +initial exploration

+

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!

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

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 QMB). +

+

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.

+

T/U: 6 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

31/7/17 Rob, +Luke

+

GSH pitches, +crapping out KWH, scooping

+

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. +

+

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.

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

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.

+

T/U: 6 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

1/8/17 Rob, +Luke

+

Dropping the +big pitch in GSH, Nadia leg break

+

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.

+

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.

+

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. +

+

T/U: 7 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

2/8/17 Brendan, +George, Adam

+

The Beast, +trip #3 (Katey and George failed to write trip reports of the first 2 +trips, maybe they were both a bit distracted)

+

*What George +said*

+

‘Who wants to +go caving with me?’ +

+

*What George +meant*

+

‘Who would like +to come and sit at a pitch head while I bolt for over 3 hours +1.5 hours 2.5 hours?’

+

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 +SystemTM.

+

[DIAGRAM OF BCCS +IN LOGBOOK]

+

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. +

+

[DIAGRAM OF BCCS +IN ACTION AT THE BEAST IN LOGBOOK]

+

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. +

+

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…

+

[DIAGRAM OF THE +BEAST AND NOT THE BEAST IN LOGBOOK]

+

T/U: 10 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

28/7/17 Michael, +Corin

+

Bad Forecast

+

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.

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

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.

+

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.

+

T/U: 4 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

29/7/17 Michael

+

Bad Forecast +surface survey

+

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.

+

T/U: 1 hr

+


+
+ +

+

30/7/17 Nadia, +Fleur, Pete, Brendan

+

Balcony - +Sloppy Seconds

+

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.

+

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.

+

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.

+

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.

+

T/U: 11 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

1/8/17 Nadia, +Nathan

+

CUCC – 2017 +– 28, initial exploration

+

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.

+

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.

+

T/U: < 1 hr

+


+
+ +

+

3/8/17 Radost, +George

+

Balcony - +Cathedral Chasm

+

We went down +Balcony to investigate Cathedral Chasm following suggestion that +‘there will be 100m of rope waiting there’.

+

THERE WAS NONE

+

Prussiked back +up.

+

T/U: 5 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

31/7/17 – +1/8/17 Michael, Rachel, Becka

+

Underground +camp, Snake Pit, Snake Charmer 2 and 3

+

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.

+

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. +

+

[RIGGING TOPO IN +LOGBOOK]

+

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.

+

[RIGGING TOPO IN +LOGBOOK]

+

Ended at the +second pitch, uneventful back to camp. Up early on the 1st, +headed back to the front with the remaining drill batteries. Third +pitch becomes tighter and leads to a fourth pitch. +

+

[RIGGING TOPO IN +LOGBOOK]

+

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.

+

T/U: 34 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

2/8/17 – +3/8/17 Fleur, Pete, Ash

+

Camp Kraken – +below Snake Pit

+

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.

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

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.

+

[RIGGING TOPO IN +LOGBOOK]

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

Nice enough night +at camp then out by ~6pm the next day. Just in time to miss the +impending thunderstorm.

+

T/U: 33 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

1/8/17 George, +Fleur, Pete +

+

Prospecting, +2016-01

+

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. +

+

2016-01: 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.

+

[RIGGING TOPO AND +SKETCH SURVEY IN LOGBOOK]

+

Pete’s hole: +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.

+

T/U: ~1 hr

+


+
+ +

+

2/8/17 Alice, +Rachel, Corin, Michael

+

Balcony – +not finding Sloppy Seconds, touristing, flooding

+

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). +

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

T/U: 11 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

2/8/17 Luke, +Becka

+

GSH – bottom +of big pitch

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

T/U: 6 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

1/8/17 Mike, +Kristian, Adam

+

Balcony – +Nothing To See

+

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. +

+

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.

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

T/U: 10 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

6/8/17 Philip +S, Becka, George

+

204 warm-up +trip

+

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. +

+

T/U: 2 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

[RIGGING TOPOS +FOR GSH]

+


+
+ +

+

2/8/17 Mike, +Nathan

+

CUCC-2017-28 +aka Fisch Gesicht Höhle (FGH)

+

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. +

+

Note to self 1: +do not stuff notebooks down jumper when only wearing shorts and +jumper and over a pitch.

+

Note to self 2: +cave very cold and windy. Do not wear shorts and jumper.

+

T/U: 1.5 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

9/8/17 – +10/8/17 Jacob, Becka, Rob

+

Camp Kraken – +below Snake Pit, Northern Slackers

+

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.

+

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.

+

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.

+

[RIGGING TOPO, +LOWER SNAKEBITE AND BECKONING SILENCE]

+

T/U: 29 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

7/8/17 Philip +S, Adam, Aidan

+

Prospecting +beyond FGH and GSH +

+ +

#1 ‘Delicate +Bridge Hole’: 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).

+

#2 and 3: three +big holes and pit, see survey notes. [WALLET?]

+


+
+ +

+

6/8/17 Aidan, +Rob, Adam

+

FGH, below +first pitch

+

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.

+

Quick note +from Rob: 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.

+

Aidan +continued: 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.

+

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.

+

T/U: 5 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

8/8/17 Aidan, +Radost

+

FGH – +pushing the big pitch

+

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. +

+

T/U: 7 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

7/8/17 Radost, +Rob, Alice, Becka

+

FGH – +dropping pitches, ice

+

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.

+

T/U: 9 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

7/8/17 Sarah, +Kristian

+

Balcony, +Nothing to See – surveying and photography

+

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). +

+

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.

+

T/U: 7 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

8/8/17 Jacob, +Elaine, Haydon

+

Caramel +Catharsis photo trip

+

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.

+

T/U: 6 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

7/8/17 Fleur, +Pete, Corin

+

Balcony – +Sloppy Seconds to Second Wind

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

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!

+

[RIGGING TOPOS +FOR SECOND WIND IN LOGBOOK]

+

T/U: 14 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

9/8/17 Fleur, +Pete

+

Balcony – +Sloppy Seconds, Second Hand

+

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.

+

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. +

+

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.

+

[RIGGING TOPO FOR +SECOND HAND IN LOGBOOK]

+

T/U: 13 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

8/7/17 Becka, +Rob

+

Balcony, +Sloppy Seconds – Second Wind and Dog End Series

+

Batteries were in +very short supply (three total at Top Camp, +) 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. +

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

T/U: 8 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

9/8/17 Corin, +Aidan, Sarah, Radost, Ruairidh, Alice

+

Balcony – +Cathedral Chasm, attempted derig

+

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. +

+

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.

+

Note from +Alice: 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].

+

T/U: 7 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

10/8/17 Rachel, +George

+

Balcony, +Cathedral Chasm and Dark Arts

+

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.

+

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.

+

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.

+

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. +

+

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.

+

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. +

+

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. +

+

T/U: 10 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

[SKETCH SURVEY OF +LOSER LIDO SUMP BELOW GRIKE OF THE EARTH IN LOGBOOK]

+


+
+ +

+

7/8/17 Rachel, +George, Mike

+

Camp Kraken – +killing Grike of the Earth

+

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. +

+

Note from +Mike: rock was very flakey, holds were coming off in my hands, +would need thru bolting to progress. Also loose looking boulder +above. +

+

Back to +Rachel: 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.

+

T/U: 42 hrs

+


+
+ +

+

10/8/17 Aidan, +Fleur, Pete, Ruairidh

+

Shallow +Tunnocks leads – Double Barrel

+

+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. +

+

+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. +

+

+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. +

+

+Note from Fleur: 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!

+

+Back to Aidan: 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.

+

+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. +

+

+T/U: 9 hrs

+

+
+
+ +

+

+
+
+ +

+

+14/8/17 Rachel, Rob, Alex

+

+Camp Kraken derig

+

+The paella had been unanimously sacked off. (Real reasons apply). +After arriving at camp, we learnt Rob had investigated Anthemusa and +was thoroughly unimpressed.

+

+Note from Rob: 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.

+

+Rachel continuing: 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. +

+

+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:

+ +

+A very solid effort put in by all, as Rob and I exited the cave +shortly after Alex. Hiltis greased and reflected appropriately. +

+

+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’.

+

+T/U: 15 hrs

+

+
+
+ +

+

+STUFF LEFT AT CAMP 14/8/17:

+ + +