Some 2014 logbook entries (Jenny).

years/2014/logbook.html

@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@
 <div class="trippeople">Joe, Aled, <u>Wookey</u></div>
 <div class="triptitle">Find 107, Start rigging in</div>
 
-<p>Joe on his 3rd day of looking for 107. This time armed with a text message from Wookey at the computer, sent @ 3am, saying to find Wookey's caving gear stash and thus 148, then 107 was 120m away on 220(degrees). Unfortunately this was copied from an area diagram(?) <i>from 107</i>, not <i>to 107</i>, so was backwards. Thus Joe & Aled spent about 3 hrs looking in the wrong place untul Wookey arrived from base camp with a map. Armed with correct info 83 was quickly found (has apit but no tag) and thus 107.</p>
+<p>Joe on his 3rd day of looking for 107. This time armed with a text message from Wookey at the computer, sent @ 3am, saying to find Wookey's caving gear stash and thus 148, then 107 was 120m away on 220(degrees). Unfortunately this was copied from an area diagram(?) <i>from 107</i>, not <i>to 107</i>, so was backwards. Thus Joe & Aled spent about 3 hrs looking in the wrong place until Wookey arrived from base camp with a map. Armed with correct info 83 was quickly found (has spit but no tag) and thus 107.</p>
 <p><b>TA-DAA!</b></p>
-<p>Then it thunderstormed (hail) whilst Aled and Joe werer collecting rope from stash at edge of plateau. Aled had left cag at 148 so had to hide in bivvi bag (correction - survival bag) for 30 minutes - "toasty"</p>
+<p>Then it thunderstormed (hail) whilst Aled and Joe were collecting rope from stash at edge of plateau. Aled had left cag at 148 so had to hide in bivvi bag (correction - survival bag) for 30 minutes - "toasty"</p>
 <p>Finally got underground around 3pm. 107 is a nice cave & O+J get full marks for documentation (rigging guide + desc + QMs + survey). Rigging and route-finding went well. Joe shimmied the ropeless traverse without gear. Aled followed with T-sacks before realising that <b>a)</b> this was foolish & <b>b)</b> he needed to come back & give Wookey hangers for rigging. Short period of excitement was survived.</p>
 <p>Rigged down to Ropefree before going home. Cave is v. cold due to strong draught throughout. Bring woolies!</p>
 
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
 
 <div class="timeug">T/U: 7 hrs</div>
 
-<div class="tripdate" id="t2013-07-23a">2014-07-25</div>
+<div class="tripdate" id="t2013-07-25b">2014-07-25</div>
 <div class="trippeople">Becka, Neil, Rob A, & <u>Michael S</u></div>
 <div class="triptitle">Team 2 into Tunnocks</div>
 
@@ -74,9 +74,22 @@
 <p>Lovely trip, partly as I had thick fleece furry instead of thin one so much warmer, but also [something, something] as 2 independent trips, with Joe rigging ahead & Wook following, sorting the `economical' rigging to ad backups to one-bolt-wonders & swap 51m rope on ropeless traverse(?) for 39m one.</p>
 <p>Joe came back to report squeeze then ran off again to keep warm. Wook followed to be confused by implausibly tight crawl with rope for Austria.</p>
 
-<p><u><b>Wookey's handwriting, at this point, is causing me incredible eyestrain :P. There are two more reports following this that need to be included in future.</b></u></p>
+<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-25c">2014-07-25</div>
+<div class="trippeople"><u>Wookey</u>, Joe, AndrewA & Aled</div>
+<div class="triptitle">3rd rigging in trip</div>
 
-<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-27a">2014-07-27</div>
+<p>Underground by 11 this time, with 3 batts & plenty of keenies. Joe headed for point again, whilst Wookey & AndyA came along as rigging fairies to fix up the dodgy Olly rigging, particularly his propensity for knee-high pitch head bolts. Fixed up entrance stuff the we had left for Aled the day before as he'd gone down the hill, then on to add back-up bolts, and often pitch head bolts too. Caught up with Joe at "Too bold for this spit" when he had managed to scare himself rigging due to having to fish out sling halfway across with a big leg-trembler. He was pleased to see some company. Wook went over and rigged back about 2m higher to turn a horrow into a nice travers. (Fine bit of traversing by O/J).</p>
+<p>Aled turned up at this point having come up from base and solo-caved to find us</p>
+<p>4-some now continued to big Korea pitch, where we had [something] of the recommended 64m. Andrew rigged it tight and added 2 bolts and skipped two to just reach the floor whilst the rest checked out Land of Confusion QMs. Wook ticked off 13-LC-9C, 13-LC-7C, 13-LC-8X. 13-LC-6C is a C1.5(!) down to a fairly short pitch into China. Joe & Aled decided 13-LC-16A was worth a look.</p>
+<p>We all went down to be impressed by China</p>
+<p>13-LC-10B across the Korea pitch-head really is a 20-30m blank wall bolting project - too [something]. 13-CH-4B at the bottom is not inspiring. It probably doesn't go, but hard to be sure. Needs a bolt or two to.</p>
+<p><b>[is there a page missing here?]</b></p>
+<p>Fortunately Austrian couple in posh camper in carpark were able to provide beer, the might of phone [something] and a phone to call for rescue. Julian came and saved me.</p>
+<p>Doh. That really was quite dim.
+
+
+
+<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-27b">2014-07-27</div>
 <div class="trippeople"><u>Jess</u>, Andrew, Sam, & David</div>
 <div class="triptitle">107: Alcove pop + Nipped down</div>
 
@@ -89,7 +102,7 @@
 
 <div class="timeug">T/U: 10 hrs</div>
 
-<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-27a">2014-07-26</div>
+<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-26a">2014-07-26</div>
 <div class="trippeople">Anthony + <u>Becka</u></div>
 <div class="triptitle">258 - Tunnocks - Rig String Theory + to Beast area</div>
 
@@ -97,7 +110,7 @@
 
 <div class="timeug">T/U: 10 1/2 hrs</div>
 
-<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-27a">2014-07-27</div>
+<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-27c">2014-07-27</div>
 <div class="trippeople"><u>Becka</u>, Neil, Rob A</div>
 <div class="triptitle">258 - Tunnocks - Pidgeons in Flight -> Pidgeon Droppings</div>
 
@@ -105,7 +118,7 @@
 
 <div class="timeug">T/U: 12 hrs</div>
 
-<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-27a">2014-07-28</div>
+<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-28a">2014-07-28</div>
 <div class="trippeople"><u>Becka</u>, Katey, Nathaniel</div>
 <div class="triptitle">258 - Tunnocks -> Pidgeon Droppings -> Flying Rat</div>
 
@@ -113,7 +126,7 @@
 
 <div class="timeug">T/U: 12 hrs</div>
 
-<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-27a">2014-07-29</div>
+<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-29a">2014-07-29</div>
 <div class="trippeople"><u>Becka</u>, Mike, Andrea, Nat, Katey</div>
 <div class="triptitle">Prospecting ~NE of Tunnocks</div>
 
@@ -123,7 +136,7 @@
 
 <div class="timeug">T/U: 30min</div>
 
-<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-27a">2014-07-30</div>
+<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-30a">2014-07-30</div>
 <div class="trippeople"><u>Becka</u> & Nat</div>
 <div class="triptitle">258 - Tunnocks -> Pidgeon Droppings -> Flying Rat + de-rigging, "Trafalgar Square" Survey</div>
 
@@ -131,7 +144,7 @@
 
 <div class="timeug">T/U: 13hrs</div>
 
-<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-27a">2014-07-29</div>
+<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-29b">2014-07-29</div>
 <div class="trippeople"><u>Jess</u>, Wookey, Michael</div>
 <div class="triptitle">107 - Gemshohle - Finalising Nipped Down rigging + Pushing lead in Southern China - "The Last TSA"</div>
 
@@ -154,7 +167,7 @@
 
 <div class="timeug">T/U: 9 1/2 hrs</div>
 
-<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-27a">2014-07-30</div>
+<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-30b">2014-07-30</div>
 <div class="trippeople"><u>Jess</u> & Wookey</div>
 <div class="triptitle">107 - Gemshohle - The Last TSA, Climb N end of China</div>
 
@@ -171,7 +184,7 @@
 
 <div class="timeug">T/U: 10 hrs</div>
 
-<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-27a">2014-07-30</div>
+<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-30c">2014-07-30</div>
 <div class="trippeople"><u>Michael</u>, Katey, Mike, & Andrea Futrell</div>
 <div class="triptitle">258 - Tunnocks - Sightseeing and C lead at the top of String Theory (09-44C)</div>
 
@@ -183,7 +196,7 @@ Craps out in all directions, not worth returning to. On the way out, the Futrell
 
 <div class="timeug">T/U: 9 hrs</div>
 
-<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-27a">2014-07-29</div>
+<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-29c">2014-07-29</div>
 <div class="trippeople"><u>Anthony</u>, Rob A, Rob W</div>
 <div class="triptitle">Rig 161g</div>
 
@@ -195,7 +208,7 @@ Route finding through [that thing starting with k, again]/Star Wars/Tower Blocks
 
 <div class="timeug">T/U: 7 hrs</div>
 
-<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-27a">2014-07-30</div>
+<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-30d">2014-07-30</div>
 <div class="trippeople"><u>Anthony</u>, Rob A, Rob W</div>
 <div class="triptitle">161 - Reconnaisance trip to Runnel Stone</div>
 
@@ -203,9 +216,61 @@ Route finding through [that thing starting with k, again]/Star Wars/Tower Blocks
 <p>Arriving at Holey Cow, we finally found something that needed rigging. Rob W rigged down the little climb, then put in a hanger to protect the walk across the ridge to the little traverse on the other side. It turns out that this bolt is pretty good since when Rob made it to the location of the y-hang bolts, the ledge he was standing on disappeared and he took a swing and smacked into the ridge.</p>
 <p>After that bit of excitement, we headed off to the Runnel Stone. Survey station 56 looked like the most promising area: there is an undescended pitch with a faint draught. Climbing up into the roof (looks like we are in the bottom of a keyhole) to see if the passage continues at roof level might also be worth a try. The survey puts us 23m laterally and at the same level as a parallel passage to Chicken Flied Nice, so there are a few possibilities here for cutting a significant chunk off the commute.</p>
 <p>Next we went to the end of Bundestrasse. The continuing rift at the end goes to a pitch after ~15m. There is a draught, but it is small compared to that in the phreatic passage. This suggests that most of the draught disappears up the aven, which looks like a phreatic tube and Rob A believes might be climbable.</p>
-<p>By now it was getting very late, so we returned to the junction at the end of [something] Republic and ditched the rope. From here it took about 5 hours to get out, with the only significant delay being to install a sling on a greasy climb in Sudelenland that we had waltzed past on the way down. Emerged to steady rain at 03:50. We were very glad of the extra reflectors that had been installed on the walk out during the soggy walk back. Arrived at Top Camp at 05:00 in time for a dawn curry.</p>
+<p>By now it was getting very late, so we returned to the junction at the end of Larchen Republic and ditched the rope. From here it took about 5 hours to get out, with the only significant delay being to install a sling on a greasy climb in Sudelenland that we had waltzed past on the way down. Emerged to steady rain at 03:50. We were very glad of the extra reflectors that had been installed on the walk out during the soggy walk back. Arrived at Top Camp at 05:00 in time for a dawn curry.</p>
 
 <div class="timeug">T/U: 14 hrs</div>
 
+<UL><i>Drawing of rigging guide (TUNNOCKS ENTRANCE RIG, 2014, PART ONE)</i></UL>
+<UL><i>Drawing of rigging guide (TUNNOCKS ENTRANCE RIG, 2014, PART TWO)</i></UL>
+
+<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-08-01a">2014-08-01</div>
+<div class="trippeople">Matt, David, <u>Elaine</u> & Sophie</div>
+<div class="triptitle">107 - Gemshohle - Attempt to push Wookey & Jess' lead at North end of China</div>
+
+<p>Attempts to go caving from base camp are not a great idea if you want to be underground at a reasonable hour... Rather a lot of faffing and a diversion to the mobile phone shop later, we were en route to 107 and underground at ~1:30pm. It was Elaine & Sophie's first expo caving trip. Progress was somewhat slow, and since it took 4 hours to reach a point just before TOO BOLD FOR THIS SPIT, the decision was taken to turn round at 5:30 pm.</p>
+<p>Elaine and David decided to retrieve the hand bolting kits which were left just before Pop Across. David grabbed the kits then D&E caught up with M&S who were making their way out. Once M&S had gone past the squeeze, E derigged the pitch which bypasses the squeeze while D. rebolted & rerigged the traverse at the bottom of said pitch to make it safer. All reached the surface at ~9:45pm. D&E decided to go ahead to top camp to cancel the callout and outrun the thunderstorm which was snapping at our heels. S&M arrived, rather damp, 1.5h later.</p>
+
+<div class="timeug">T/U: 8 hrs</div>
+
+<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-08-02a">2014-08-02</div>
+<div class="trippeople">David, <u>Elaine</u> Aled & RobW</div>
+<div class="triptitle">107 - Gemshohle - Attempt #2 to push Wookey & Jess' lead at North end of China</div>
+
+<p>After a later start than was intended (due to my extensive faffinf abilities), we were underground by 11:45. By 1:30pm we had reached "Too bold". This being Elaines 2nd trip of expo, and only her 6th SRT trip, she was not quite so confident on the larger pitches, so we reached the bottom of China by around 3pm. The climb which Wookey had rigged was somewhat precarious to say the least, so we sat on the other side of the choss pile at the bottom in a group shelter until each of us had ascended the climb. Aled & David got to the top and I decided to come up. About halfway up (~2m above the deviation) I felt a massive draught kicking out of a slanting rift in the wall: the lead! The others had gone too high. David dropped down with the drill after I had had a look down the hole, a slanting rift for ~5m which opens out over the top of a reasonable freehang (~20m). The pitch was subsequently dropped by David, who shouted enthusiastically up for someone to follow. I had the survey kit in my bag so I followed on.</p>
+<p>After some rigging adjustments, I dropped into a rather large passage with a humongous draught at the end. Very excited! We went round the corner to where Dave had looked to and began surveying. However after 3 legs Dave discovered a survey station which wasn't ours. Strange! This lead us to believe that it was not new passage. We went through a squeeze after a sandy crawl after following a phreatic passage with a gravelly floor, this reached a massive rift with a dodgy looking climb or a dodgy looking traverse [tried doing the traverse but it was a silly idea with us being 2 rather inexperienced cavers on the wrong side of a possibly new bit of passage. We therefore turned round and backsurveyed 8 legs from previous station 18 to the top of the pitch David dropped. By this time, it was getting on for 8pm & with a 12 (midnight) callout we decided it was time to turn round, Aled & Elaine having already headed out. Carrying the drill, bolting kit etc progress was more taxing than expected and we reached the surface around 10:30.</p>
+<p>After some faff and route finding issues we returned to top camp at 11:40pm cutting callout a wee bit fine.</p>
+<div class="timeug">T/U: 10 hrs</div>
+
+<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-07-31a">2014-07-31</div>
+<div class="trippeople">Andrew, <u>Aled</u></div>
+<div class="triptitle">107: Aled wants to drop a pitch, take 2</div>
+
+<p>Heavy rain in the morning meant Andrew's proposed walk up the hill at 6:30am was postponed enough for Aled to wake up and decide he also wanted to go caving. An early start on the Plateau walk was hampered by shitty weather (lots of rain) and traffic in the form of cows and sheep. upon reaching 107, Aled was happy to find his SRT kit had helpfully been brought down from the bunde-hill from the day before by Matt & co, so caving could commence!</p>
+<p>Ominous sounds of water echo through the cave, but waterfalls confined to predicted places, most notably the "Easy Traverse", but Andrew's previous fettling of the rope to make it tighter kept us out of the worst of the water - phew!</p>
+<p>An hour and a half into the cave saw us reach the far end of "Too Bold for This Spit", where the new route into China was mostly hidden by torrential water. Aled's proposed lead drop was quickly found (it is an A lead, after all), and would be great if it dropped into China as it was <u>BONE DRY</u>. Unfortunately, the rigging gear Aled & Matt dropped off the previous day had been unhelpfully moved to the bottom of "Nipped Down" so basically out of practical reach.</p>
+<p>Andrew - "You could go down to fetch it, but you wont be coming back"</p>
+<p>Looking at the dropped pitch at the end of "Too Bold for This Spit", Aled quickly agreed. Headed out feeling cheated :-( </p>
+<div class="timeug">T/U: 3 hrs</div>
+
+<div class="tripdate" id="t2014-08-01b">2014-08-01</div>
+<div class="trippeople">Neil, <u>Aled</u>, Andrew</div>
+<div class="triptitle">Tunnocks - Rigging Coldfinger by Champagne on Ice</div>
+
+<p>Slightly later start than anticipated as Aled had to first fetch his gear from 107. It didn't help that the Plateau Monster bit him on the way back to Top Camp.</p>
+<p>Entrance series was a great selection of rebelays, which - as far as the  writer is aware - is different from previous years, but as it was the first time down Tunnocks for Aled, everything was brand new. Neil provided helpful hints throughout the descent.</p>
+<p>After much traipsing and sliding about, the two-and-a-half musketeers arrived at the desired location (which the writer believes was Champagne on Ice), only to decide the proposed pitch should be dropped from teh other side. I can only then assume we backtracked and headed to Hedonism Highway as by this point I hadn't a bloody clue where I was. Sat at the top of the pitch, Neil got ready for some serious drilling and rigging while Andrew & Aled sat patiently. At some point Andrew headed down after Neil as it went very quiet and dark - Aled was now huddled up in his survival bag and couldn't see anything anyway. Some time passed, and Andrew arrived back declaring we should go off to "cross off some of those fucking leads".</p>
+<p>Many holes squeezed through, precarious climbs climbed, rocks replaced, boulders shuffled, and mud clawed away, and we have discovered the following:</p>
+<p>07-770: Soil filled phreatic passage. Filled to roof, no draft. Probably worth 1 session (with a shovel).</p>
+<p>07-99C: 5m to complete rockfill - draft out.</p>
+<p>07-79X: Climb to soil filled slot, dig, finishes in small rock hole, draft out. Roof looks to be immature, closes down.</p>
+<p>07-85C + 07-83C plus unlabelled roof tube to west of 85 and 83: Climbs up and joins in larger rift, everything above too tight.</p>
+<p>Headed back to Neil, who I believe accomplished his task, munched some chocolate and headed out.</p>
+<p>Neil & Andrew insisted on Aled leading - big mistake. Sat idly by whenever he headed in wrong direction. Bluffed at one particular passage causing much confusion for Aled, then sneaked off when his back was turned;</p>
+<p>"C***S!"</p>
+<p>Tiring climb out for Aled, crawled to surface like a beaten house-elf about half an hour after Neil & Andrew. Face down on the limestone, Aled is asked if he wants to go back down with Becka & Rob who arrives;</p>
+<p>"Hahaha... nope!" (cries)</p>
+<div class="timeug">T/U: 8 hrs (N & Andrew) 8.5 hrs (Aled)</div>
+
+
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