From 217d7c4ecac507c943ea4beead9612f883a9dee9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Philip Sargent
A few slings on naturals got us down the first 15 meters or so of a steeply @@ -207,15 +206,15 @@ head and remembered how enjoyable this was–keeping you warm and filling your nose with lime. As we continued a further 20 meters down, landing on a small ledge, a dark cavernous rift continued below and we realised we had found yet another pitch series. Having only -hand-bolting kits we didn’t get much further before we were due to +hand-bolting kits we didn't get much further before we were due to turn in for the night (it was approx. 7 pm)
Our first -night at Butlins Holiday Camp (aka “Dead Good Bat -Chamber”) was warm, surprisingly so, it was also much drier +night at Butlins Holiday Camp (aka “Dead Good Bat +Chamber”) was warm, surprisingly so, it was also much drier than top camp (there was no snow, no rain – also no sunshine, but -hey that’s life). I rolled around for a bit in a thermals, a -(clean) furry, a fleece liner and Tony’s buffalo bag, but drifted +hey that's life). I rolled around for a bit in a thermals, a +(clean) furry, a fleece liner and Tony's buffalo bag, but drifted in and out of sleep fairly well. We were rudely awoken at 5 am by the nightshift who made themselves dinner and us breakfast and a hot drink. They looked very ready for bed (note: for those doing @@ -231,18 +230,18 @@ series. Having had a drill, they had dropped it another series of pitches, but had to eventually turn around being too cold surveying (they re-rigged Chalk & Cheese Pitch to get warm). As they crawled into the tent, warm sleeping bags awaiting them and taunting -us, Kathryn we ‘kill’ that silly hole and so we set-off once +us, Kathryn we ‘kill' that silly hole and so we set-off once again. They had been right. It did get increasingly wet and a few more handbolts down we decided that the rest of the pitch should be named Goretex is a lie – because it is— Eventually the stream disappeared into a thin rift (QM-d at best, probably nothing) while a mud choked hole on the left told us it was time to go back up -having indeed ‘killed’ this lead. I offered to de-rig. It seemed +having indeed ‘killed' this lead. I offered to de-rig. It seemed like a good idea, until I realised the other group had taken one of the tackle sacks, which left one tackle-sack to put 200 meters of 9mm in to prussic out with. Splendid. I was knackered towards the end and Jess really appreciated it when I gave the bag to her for the -top section J I can’t remember where we went then. I think it was +top section J I can't remember where we went then. I think it was the Wares. We only had time to rig into it a little bit before magically it was once again bed time.
@@ -253,38 +252,38 @@ sleeping bags. Nial and I apparently curled up next to Jess who was left immobile until kicking Nial in the head (at which point he moved). I think she was dreaming it all up really… Our last cycle started, wet wetsocks, damp caving gear and a distinct -itchy feeling, especially on my chin which felt like I’d just been +itchy feeling, especially on my chin which felt like I'd just been kissing a guy with stubble for the last 3 days (in reality it was a helmet strap rubbing against my chin with added lime dust/dirt/mud and moist air). Anyway, as you can probably tell, I was dreaming of a -warm shower at this point and something to untangle the rat’s nest +warm shower at this point and something to untangle the rat's nest that was my hair.As the -nightshift had killed off the Wares QMc’s bar two vertical +nightshift had killed off the Wares QMc's bar two vertical leads, Nial decided to introduce Jess and I to the wonderful world that is the Convenience Series. He seems to love -it; I think it’s a bit gnarly and squeezy, I preferred the Wares. -But I digress…In Nial’s defence, he didn’t make us follow him +it; I think it's a bit gnarly and squeezy, I preferred the Wares. +But I digress…In Nial's defence, he didn't make us follow him down the wet / tedious pit to check out the even wetter QMc in a 6 -inch deep puddle (--- fill in name I’ve +inch deep puddle (--- fill in name I've forgotten of this area---). While it sounded like Nial was swimming/drowning in a Yorkshire stream way, Jess and I sat at the -top trying not to freeze discussing what we’d do with Nial should +top trying not to freeze discussing what we'd do with Nial should we drown. It was innocent Black Adderesque humour really. Needless to say, that lead crapped out too L Thus, on we went to Channel Five where Nial and I (re-)bolted an incredibly dodgy, loose -pitch; one of those where you can’t tread without sending rocks -hurtling down. Depressingly, we didn’t even get time to survey as +pitch; one of those where you can't tread without sending rocks +hurtling down. Depressingly, we didn't even get time to survey as it was about time to head out if we wanted to walk down the hill that same night.
Maybe it -was because I’d been underground for several days, maybe it was the +was because I'd been underground for several days, maybe it was the 200 m of 9mm I dragged up the previous day, or maybe it was because I -managed to get the donkey’s dick of the drill bag caught in my foot +managed to get the donkey's dick of the drill bag caught in my foot jammer on the very first pitch back up to the surface (Chalk & Cheese) –hence, left swinging around trying to tug it loose, like one of those annoying zips on a cheap sleeping bag—but in any @@ -292,12 +291,12 @@ case I have never been that slow prussiking out. Nial kindly offered / pleaded to take the drill bag, but NO way was I going to give in, never. Selfish? Foolish? Stubborn? All of the above, yes probably, but my fight with the drill bag had become a personal battle of -strength and will. I won. But didn’t get out until 8 pm or so. But +strength and will. I won. But didn't get out until 8 pm or so. But at least it was SUNNY J J J on the surface. We had a relaxing dinner on the rocks. Went to bed. Heard the nightshift coming back around 3 or 4 am and walked back down the next day. All round, a superb first -camping trip. (Climbing Trisselwand with Jess the next day didn’t -happen – we drank instead. It didn’t happen the next day either, +camping trip. (Climbing Trisselwand with Jess the next day didn't +happen – we drank instead. It didn't happen the next day either, it rained, but more on that later).
Note to self: you write way too much when you @@ -311,18 +310,18 @@ type…
It was raining at 4.45am, which meant that Trisselwand was going to be wet -and Jess and I wouldn’t be going up. Rubbish. Having already sat +and Jess and I wouldn't be going up. Rubbish. Having already sat still on Wednesday, I decided I wanted to go and do something active. -Weather was very overcast and looked like rain, but hey, what’s a +Weather was very overcast and looked like rain, but hey, what's a girl to do?!
I settled -on a Klettersteig on a side of the Dachstein Expo doesn’t often +on a Klettersteig on a side of the Dachstein Expo doesn't often visit and I can thoroughly recommend it. Coming in at the same grade -as the Loser Via Ferrata (not yet in guide book as it’s too new – -but I’ve checked the Loser grade in the new version in the +as the Loser Via Ferrata (not yet in guide book as it's too new – +but I've checked the Loser grade in the new version in the bookshop), it is about a 40 minute drive (towards Bad Goisern and -then Gosau) if you don’t get stuck behind a string of caravans. It +then Gosau) if you don't get stuck behind a string of caravans. It has the advantage that apart from the via ferrata, all the height gain is via a cable car (Gosaukammbahn) where a return costs €12 – the last car goes down at 17.20 in the summer. It also has @@ -342,20 +341,20 @@ which is at times less steep than the muddy / slippery path of doom on the way upto Top Camp. Note however, that this is a fairly prolonged via ferrata which would take longer in the wet. It was incredibly cloudy / overcast when I did it, but I was still in shorts -and a T-shirt for most of the way. Bring plenty of water if it’s -sunny. As with all via ferrata’s, avoid if risk of thunder (or be +and a T-shirt for most of the way. Bring plenty of water if it's +sunny. As with all via ferrata's, avoid if risk of thunder (or be walking down by then).
Anyway, there was I, starting out just above the cable station at the designated Hutte from which the path to the klettersteig goes and a random Polish bloke comes up to me and says, "You must be an experienced mountaineer, you walk fast". Well, no actually, it -looks like it’ll be pissing it down any minute and the cloud is -coming in and I’m sorta hoping there’s not going to be a +looks like it'll be pissing it down any minute and the cloud is +coming in and I'm sorta hoping there's not going to be a thunderstorm. His backpack and helmet shiny, with an axe to boot, I eyed the Polish man somewhat warily. People on the hills with shiny gear are either very good and well off that they can get new stuff, -or they’ve just started doing it. On the other hand I was also by +or they've just started doing it. On the other hand I was also by myself (not something I generally do) and he seemed to have done some routes in the Dolomites. Anyway, a climb up to the start of the Via Ferrata with my newfound friend put my harness on --- shit --- helmet @@ -371,14 +370,14 @@ There are plenty of wider, path-like sections en-route to sit and have lunch and admire the superb view (which I got only occasionally). As we moved up and my well-geared up friend fed me energy drinks and chocolate (I think my one piece of flapjack and -slice of bread with Nutella didn’t look like ‘proper’ mountain +slice of bread with Nutella didn't look like ‘proper' mountain food). There is a nice balance of exposure with sections which are more scrambly and places where you can have a choc bar and take in the view.
Route finding is easy BUT – about ¾ of the way along a big green -arrow points left (it says "Links") FOLLOW it – don’t be +arrow points left (it says "Links") FOLLOW it – don't be tempted by the shoddy wire that appears to go straight up on your right – the latter is an old section of Via Ferrata that has been dismantled after the locals apparently complained about it ruining @@ -386,37 +385,37 @@ their view from the valley. The main route contours round over some awkward tree roots—which have become exposed and now hang above the limestone where the soil has become completely eroded—and ultimately comes to a col. Moving left the final and steepest stage -of the via ferrata, the “Grober Donnerkogel”, now awaits. It +of the via ferrata, the “Grober Donnerkogel”, now awaits. It looks very imposing, but is in no way technically challenging.
To my sheer amazement, as I climbed the last steep section high on the Chai -tea that my Polish friend insisted I drink. By this point I’d +tea that my Polish friend insisted I drink. By this point I'd decided this chap was fully competent, if over-geared for the trip in question and while he chattered away happily in broken English about -how his brother should have been on his expedition with him, but he’d +how his brother should have been on his expedition with him, but he'd not communicated this with his wife etc etc, I noted to my surprise that the sky was clearing. As I reached the top, two old codgers who -had laughed at me on the way down when I’d gone back for my helmet, +had laughed at me on the way down when I'd gone back for my helmet, were sitting at the massive cross. They waved and my Polish friend -took out the biggest camera lens I’d ever seen and started snapping +took out the biggest camera lens I'd ever seen and started snapping as we were "blessed by God" as all three of them put it at -different times, to have sun at the top. I don’t believe in God, +different times, to have sun at the top. I don't believe in God, but the sun was fantastic and the atmosphere up there with the four of us great.
At some point I started talking about Gosser, which led the two old codgers (each just off the phone to their respective wives – mentioning -something about a Dutch lady they’d met) to ask whether I drank +something about a Dutch lady they'd met) to ask whether I drank schnapps. "Yes," I replied, "but I try not to drink too much -before a long climb". Would I like some they asked I wasn’t going -to say ‘no’ J And thus it was that I found myself on the top of +before a long climb". Would I like some they asked I wasn't going +to say ‘no' J And thus it was that I found myself on the top of the Grober Donnerkogel drinking schnapps and chai tea in the -sunshine. By now it was about 15.15 hr or so. We’d taken it pretty +sunshine. By now it was about 15.15 hr or so. We'd taken it pretty easy and the guidebook time are about right, though you could do the -route notable faster if you’re rushing.
+route notable faster if you're rushing.-An hour’s walk down or so found my Polish friend and I +An hour's walk down or so found my Polish friend and I at the Hutte drinking a coffee (which he kindly bought for me for my services as a guide, lol) and at 16.15 we picked the cable car back down. A great day, despite the clag and a trip I would recommend to