[svn r6585] *** empty log message ***

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dave 2004-10-10 16:19:27 +02:00
parent ce60ac1829
commit 39a7a9da66

@ -554,3 +554,181 @@ small, so Olly named it "No Ways Chamber" though in fact I found another crawl o
size to an aven - this is still to be surveyed.</p>
<g>T/U 4.75hrs</g>
<d>25/7/04</d> <w><u>Becka</u> + Earl</w> <t>Gardeners' World -&gt; Subsoil</t>
<p>Down Gaffered Series <strong>aargh</strong>, this rope is way too fast, welly-brake-tastic... To Gardeners' World + I went over my
"Generation Game" traverse to check that it really did go nowhere (sigh) then derigged it (not <em>too</em> exciting bar one
overly-dynmaic swing into space). Earl then did some re-rigging of Gardeners' World + rigged the pitch below to <b>Subsoil</b> chamber. I
was cold so scampered around for 5 minutes whilst Earl packed his drill up + I realised that we had <em>some</em> considerable new cave
here &ndash; so into survey mode. From chamber surveyed around chamber + then up Hippo Hollows (lovely mud pots) to a thin rift with a
large wet pitch around the corner then back to Subsoil + surveyed a loop then time to go home. Good stuff!</p>
<p>Oh yes, I forgot the crap bit, coming up the Gaffered pitch series the mud on the rope meant that not one but <u>both</u> my jammers
were slipping, despite me having switched to a brand new chest jammer that day. At one poitn I got really unhappy and gave a mewling sound
then thought of a solution: my spare hand jammer on a long cowstail went above my other hand jammer. A bit slower but <u>surely</u> not
all three can slip? Finally got to the 70m Gaffered pitch which was lovely + clean rope (relatively) + I was going to survive.
Earl Teflon-Jammers Merson was, of course, fine + blamed it all on my poor technique.</p>
<g>T/U 10hrs</g>
<d>26/7/04</d> <w><u>Becka</u> + Earl</w> <t>Rerigging Gaffered + Gardeners' World</t>
<p>Earl was all for going straight back down to push Subsoil but I'd promised myself not to go down there again until there was fresh rope
on it so we carried in a 100m and a 65m and rerigged from Tape Worm all the way down (I replaced the top 91m - again - whilst
Earl Mud-Doesn't-Stick-To-Me Merson zoomed down on the slimy rope + replaced the bottom one). Then Earl went off to have a third attempt
at re-rigging Gardeners' World whilst I draped conservation tape around Sirens, Bracket Fungus, the Crystal Pool + Quiz Rift. I then got
cold + grouchy waiting whilst Earl put in deviation after deviation on Gardeners' World plus fresh pitch-head bolts + then had two
attempts at putting in a deviation bolt on the lower pitch (University Challenge).</p>
<p>Finally down to Subsoil with no time left to do any sensible pushing so Earl put in two final bolts for the 4m pitch over a boulder for
the pasasge that leads to Earthenware whilst I checked that the Heavily Soiled passage went. A necessary but cold trip. On the way out we
started a system to keep the clean rope clean:</p>
<ul>
<li>On the bottom, Eeyore pitch, <strong>no wellies</strong> on the rope.</li>
<li>After the traverse, wellies to be <strong>thoroughly washed</strong> (also footloops etc) before ascending.</li>
<li>Repeat scrubbing as required as ascend.</li>
</ul>
<p>I am about to purchase a scrubbing brush to leave in the pool after the traverse so, you dirty horrible cavers, don't go near my
spanking new rope unless you're pristine. Thanks to Tony for cleaning + checking the two filthy tackle bags of rope we hauled out.</p>
<g>T/U 10 hours</g>
<d>27/7/04</d> <t>Surveying Subsoil</t> <w><u>Becka</u> + Earl</w>
<p>The Razordance team was all off for a long trip so we decided to join them since it's the dinner tomorrow. <u>Bloody</u> cold at camp +
not feeling enthused with a damp furry but a lovely controlled descent on the clean rope cheered me up. Before that, on the first main
hang bolt on Gaffered, I found the rope really tight. Having a handy Earl, I manfully sent him down to sort it. There was a yelp as he did
a mini-plunge + then he said that seemed to have sorted it.</p>
<p>Right down to Subsoil, rigged the tiddly 4m pitch (8m rope) off the boulder then started surveying out of Subsoil up Heavily Soiled
passage (very muddy - <u>again</u>) (need a 15m rope rigged off obvious natural to get down to it) with a good draft. Initially large,
steepish passage ending in a broken down area then popped out on edge of a large chamber. We were on a bank of mud only ~2m above the
chamber floor but we had no gear. The mud was crumbly and Earl was very cold so we stopped there. Also a drippy aven ahead there, again
trickly to get there despite being very close given the dubious tensile strength of banks of undercut mud. Stopped the survey + stomped
back to Subsoil. Earl then took the drill to put in too spits (last, highest one possibly dodgy as the rock cracked as he set it: "I think
this is the best Hilti I've ... oh dear") Meanwhile I conservation tabled some crystals + the mud floor at the start of Hippo Hollows +
the mud banks + spires at the bottom of the Subsoil chamber. Then we went up Earl's new 17m traverse into Earthenware passage, + we
surveyed as we went in, past various mud pretties + pools, stepping over a large + wet rift pitch + lots of QMs until Earthenware passage
reduced in size (but sill drafting? hard to tell - draft is <u>very</u> strong into your face at the start of Earthenware). At this point
we decided tos urvey down the large passage off left that led steeply down + twisting (<b>Stoneware</b>, as we finally lost the mud), +
ended in a muddy aven + then a drippy wet aven at a convenient 6.55pm, time to go home. Took the drill battery out. For two people it
takes ~ 1 1/2 hours to get to the bottom of Subsoil and ~ 2 1/2 hours to get out again, if carrying no real load.</p>
<g>T/U 11.5hrs</g>
<p><i>[Sketch: "Rigging guide below Underworld"]</i></p>
<d>21/7/04</d> <t>Gaffered</t> <w><u>Earl</u> + Stuart</w>
<p>Descended to Eeyore to continue rigging Kanga pitch. Bolts had been placed on the previous trip, so adding a deviation enabled us to
descend. Tony and Brian had won the only available instrument set, so we escaped without surveying. Explored around the bottom; only way
on leads to a smally chamber with pitch (not promising) which may connect to a pitch in the main Kanga area.</p>
<p>After that we moved round to the Sirens traverse to look at rigging around the big pitch <b>Black Maria</b> (03-17B). First part of
traverse was easy (big ledge, 2 naturals and a bolt) but then ledge ran out. Next bolt shattered the rock on setting, but there is scope
for a good Y-hang to the floor. Traversing on towards 03-18B will be <u>nontrivial</u>; probably bolting into overhanging wall, losing
height and scrambling back up to the QM. Ran out of enthusiasm, so left it at that.</p>
<p>Returned up Gaffered and wet for a tourist around Swings. Stuart found a previously unnoticed QM (later pushed to a blind pitch)
(between 01-83C and the connection to The Slide). We then went to Treeumphant and Great Oak Chamber before returning via 204E.</p>
<g>T/U 9.5hrs</g>
<p><u>Stuart</u> continues: After scrotting around at the base of Eeyore etc, Earl managed to increase the grade of the climb out by ~2
grades by removing one of the footholds. This makes getting out for whoever surveys it "interesting". <i>[It wasn't actually all that bad
- DL]</i>.</p>
<p>Swings QM is a climb up on the right, where a gallery looks through several holes to Swings below. Hurrah for excessively bright +
pointy lights in finding such delights.</p>
<d>27/7/04</d> <t>Razor Dance</t> <w>Martin, Dave, <u>Dour</u></w>
<p>My drill was at the bottom of Razor Dance, and since I was about to go home I needed to fish it out. Since there was a shortage of
people wanting to push the thing further, we decided to do one more push-survey-derig trip. Four days of attempting to dry out my fleecy
undersuit proved futile (not helped by rushing up the hill in the dark and rain the previous night due to a 12 hour error in the recorded
callout time for the Eisluft team). So at 8am I pulled on soaking wet undersuit prior to a 10am trip start. Twenty hours later I took it
off again, and for most of the intervening time I was too cold.</p>
<p>Uneventful trip as far as the start of Razor Dance, wehere the water level was higher than I've ever seen - probably double the usual
levels. The wet climb was unpleasant but passable so we elected to carry on. Most of the pitches were fine: an extra waterfall had
appeared at Mash Tun, but it was OK. The bottom of Copper was <u>very</u> wet - borderline dangerous. The rebelay on Yeast is in a star
place for avoiding the water (shame about the pitch head bolts, which need a tector). In conclusion, Razor Dance will be OK in the wet
with an extra couple of bolts: one on the first wet climb, and another for a water avoidance deviation on Copper.</p>
<p>From the pushing front the stream continues in a tedious winding fashion. Martin headed onward with the drill (having earlier put in a
rebelay bolt on Pepper Pot) while Dave + Dour surveyed. Dave couldn't read the instruments so I was forced to peer through the murk. SOme
creativity was required to fabricate some data. Much tedious dicking about in the rift to find the right level and a 6m pitch later we
reached the deep point (204 now 544m deep) where the water goes down a tiny slot. Round the corner an ascending traverse goes to a much
wider bit (~4m wide) - looks like a weak bed has been exploited to make the widening - the bed is visible cutting across the passage. A
line is needed where the traverse gets muddy and slippy - lots of brown mud with a black crust with dessication cracks (at least there
was before I stomped/bumslid across it). The drill battery had done its usual trick of going from 4 bars to none in no time at all, so a
Martin special pushing rig was put in place. Cartoon laws of rigging apply: the naturals are sound so long as you don't look at them too
closely. More bolts needed next time. At the end is a pitch that we couldn't get close enough to see down - estimate 20m on the basis of
throwing one rock down it (i.e. it could be any length at all). <i>[Incidentally, this point is around 10m above the level at which the
stream was last seen.&mdash;DL]</i></p>
<p>Thereafter we (read Dave) derigged out as far as God Loves a Drunk, where soup was consumed. The drill and a bag of rope wlaked out of
the cave all on their own, whilst another bag of rope got tired at the bottom of Kiwi Suit. Team foot jammer levitated out whilst
expending no effort at all, whilst this dinosaur frogged out at his usual funereal pace.</p>
<p>Pushing Razordance is becoming quite serious in terms of the amount of effort and gear required. It is only worth pushing next year if
there are enough (i.e. more than 4) moderately hard (but not necessarily bionic) people interested in pushing it.</p>
<g>T/U Martin 15hrs, Dave 16hrs, Dour 17.5hrs</g>
<d>22/7/04</d> <t>2004-11 - "In Your Face"</t> <w>Martin, Nial, and <u>Stuart</u></w>
<p>"Come and look at our great new cave" they said. "Could be a new 204 entrance" they said. "DON'T YOU DARE FIND THE END OF IT" they
(Becka) said.</p>
<p>Having been versed in how to drive a survey notebook by Martin, we set off into the strongly draughting entrance tube, which was
extremely goo dat removing any heat one's body could produce. After much laborious surveying around the small chamber at the end of the
entrance tube, Martin returned from the front, where he was supposed to be bolting a pitch, announcing himself to be a fuckwit, and then
scampered off to get the forgotten drill bit.</p>
<p>Very, very dodgy rigging ("It only rubs a little bit, so be gentle. Oh, and you'll have to ascend the arm of the Y-hang to get back.")
leads to a huge black ice plug at the pitch's base, and a dead-sounding and dangerous boulder choke.</p>
<p>Desperate not to incur the wrath of Becka, the two passages leading on from the far side of the pitch became interesting. The lower one
was very tight phreatic dropping at about 45&deg; to a wide low (~1m high) chamber. The phreatic had a breeze but this seemed to disappear
into a critical angle boulder slope. In desperation, a small chimney was pushed to no avail, and the other way on from the chamber
stopped.</p>
<p>Some effort was put into starting a traverse line to the higher passage leading on from the pitch head, but thoughts of food, warmth
etc. caused the general consensus to be "jack". Also, the probability of our only remaining lead dying was causing some perturbation.</p>
<g>T/U 7.5hrs</g>
<d>23/7/04</d> <t>In Your Face + 204 scrotting</t> <w>Martin and <u>Stuart</u></w>
<p>Somehow I had ended up in 2004-11 again. Martin completed the traverse in record time and declared, "It's huge stomping passage, looks
good". This was unfortunate, since we had ventured out that morning without instruments. And so it was that I chastised Martin, "You
weren't supposed to find more passage Martin". This was the cave's undoing. 20 Martin-paces down a large passage it suddenly grinds to a
halt. A survey (grade?) was scribbled on top of a laminated 2001 204 survey, using 20 Martin-paces of passage and 5 plumbed Martin-paces
of vertical displacement above the previous day's passage. A mildly perilous 8m ascent into the passage roof yielded no further leads, so
we left the cave.</p>
<p>And promptly ran away to 204, to avoid telling Becka the good (?) news. A sporting descent through the snow in 204d brought us to
Swings, where Martin bolted a hang into Earl's supposed connection to Helter Skelter.</p>
<p>Stuart then bolted the pitch he had found previously in Swings. It drops to the level of Swings main passage, and does bugger all else.
There is a small tight tube back to Swings at the base (SRT kit removal required) and it looks like there may also be an aven leading up
elsewhere. No survey made.</p>
<p>We proceeded to Inisgnificant Chamber, where Stuart went down a hole, believed to be the connection to Rhino Rift, wherein he found
survey station "T2", an old sling and greased maillon, and a difficult climb down. This satisfied Martin, and the only other noteworthy
event was the <span style="color: red; font-size: 120%">Bastard Tackle Sack from Hell</span>. This thing is inherently evil. Its
malevolence knows no bounds. Small children hide under the bed from it. It eats small puppies. Several chapters of the Bible know it by
the name Satan. It feeds off the terror, pain and anguish it creates. As an instrument of torture it is unparalleled. Within the Universe
there is no darker force. To the unknowing observer it is a regular tackle bag, from which the shoulder straps have snapped at one end,
and subsequently they have been tied to form a second donkey's dick. These two properties combine to form a dread object which is a blight
to all caver-kind, getting stuck on EVERY SINGLE FUCKING THING, and thus causing its cursed bearer to fall flat on its nose every three
paces. The horror inflicted by this item in Germkn&ouml;del's Revenge mere words cannot describe. Let's just say thab being moored by
cave and tackle bag, and trying to turn round in the passage at the same time, is SHIT.</p>
<g>T/U 7.5hrs</g>