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

years/2004/logbook.html

@@ -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>
+
+