diff --git a/folk/folk.csv b/folk/folk.csv index 2cb6bf423..ca18f6091 100644 --- a/folk/folk.csv +++ b/folk/folk.csv @@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ Ollie Stevens,Stevens,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1,1,1,,,,,,,,,,,,, Alex Stirling,Stirling,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1,,,, Jess Stirrups,Stirrups,,,i/jess.jpg,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1,1,,1,1,,1,,,,,,,, Joel Stobbart,Stobbart,,,i/2022/joel_stobbart.jpg,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1 -Theresa Stolle,Stolle,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,-1,1,,,,,,,,,, +Therese Stolle,Stolle,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,-1,1,,,,,,,,,, Beryl Strike,Strike,1,,,,,,,,,-1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Peter Swain,Swain,,,i/pete_swain.jpg,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Pete Talling,Talling,1,,i/pete3.jpg,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1,1,1,1,1,,1,,, diff --git a/years/1995/frontmatter.html b/years/1995/frontmatter.html index d34e50b35..a8555bfb4 100644 --- a/years/1995/frontmatter.html +++ b/years/1995/frontmatter.html @@ -1,4 +1,4 @@

Austria 1995

The first part of the log is traditionally taken up by the journey -out.
If this is of no interest, here is a link to the +out.
If this is of no interest, here is a link to the caving! diff --git a/years/1995/index.htm b/years/1995/index.htm index f02b68b91..4b670a2b0 100644 --- a/years/1995/index.htm +++ b/years/1995/index.htm @@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ Series

  • 1995 Expedition info:
  • 1996 Expedition info:
    • -
  • Index to all publications
    • -
  • Back to Expeditions intro page
    • -
  • CUCC Home Page
    • - + diff --git a/years/1996/logbook.html b/years/1996/logbook.html new file mode 100644 index 000000000..392db36c2 --- /dev/null +++ b/years/1996/logbook.html @@ -0,0 +1,901 @@ + + + + +1996 Expo Logbook + + + + + + +

    Austria 1996

    +

    The first part of the log is traditionally taken up by the journey +out.
    If this is of no interest, here is a link to the +caving! + +

    + +
    1996-06-28
    +
    Steve Bellhouse, Anthony Day,
    +
    travel - Steve and Anthony's journey
    + +

    Steve & _Anthony_ go to expo with an angular vehicle full of shit and Wookey's latest addition to the expo trailer dynasty, which proved to be much more effective than its predecessor. Apart from nearly running out of petrol at 7am in France and a couple of overheating errors, journey was thankfully uneventful. All the sitting around waiting for the car to cool down cost us a beer however... +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-01
    +
    Steve Bellhouse, Anthony Day,
    +
    161 - Looking for 161d
    + +

    After sitting around at Top Camp for a bit waiting for the weather to clear up, it became clear it wasn't going to so we went entrance hunting. Walked back along the path to the Toll Road and picked up the 201 by the shepherd's huts and followed this to the Hochklapf Sattel.

    First of all we found a cave below the ridge at the low point on the top camp path shortly before we picked up the 201. It doesn't go anywhere - just 15m or so of 4m wide stooping passage which closes down.

    + +Walked on the 201 past 32 and arrows indicating a route to 41 and 115. Also found a cave numbered 88 immediately adjacent to the path. It looks like an obvious no goer so is clearly the cave in need of denumbering rather than Lärchenschacht. Slightly further along the 201 is an arrow indicating the route to 87 opposite a marking [Triangle with dot in centre] 5 in the path - presumably a fixed survey station.

    + +Beyond Hochklapf after the path from Alt Aussee joins, Scarface is clearly visible. There is a white band running down the cliff face with a prominent boulder pile half way up - this is the level of the entrance. We tried back tracking down the 201 to a little way before the path from Alt Aussee joins and attempted to climb over the spur between us and 161d - not a good idea, much Bunde bashing. A better route would be to walk to the southern end of the Augstwies see, then walk round the spur and up a prominent SW trending gully (big enough to be marked on the map). From the top of this gully it is possible to zig zag up the hill to the right level by means of some Bunde bashing and a few climbs, none of which are too desperate, and walk along to the entrance. This is the best route found so far but it is a _long_ way. It took us 2½ hours from top camp. Even allowing for a certain amount of pratting around it's not going to be much less than 2 hours, and that on a cool day with very little gear.

    + +Heading back we first tried to make for a gully to the north which looks like it would provide an easy descent route if we could find a way into it (we didn't). Next we tried scaling the cliffs but quickly gave up when it became obvious that an easy route was not going to present itself. Finally we started off traversing along the same level as the entrance heading south. It doesn't look too far up to the col near 161c here, so a better approach may be to attack it from the top with a bolting kit and some ladders.

    + +There is a very obvious traverse level just below the cliff face which continues until you are approximately west of the junction of the 201 and the Alt Aussee path but considerably higher up. There is a possible site for a couple of tents here - no water supply but completely invisible from more than 10 yards away. At this point we decided to try and head up and over the shoulder of the VSK rather than go down and join the 201. This was a mistake - 2½ hours of Bunde bashing with intermittent showers followed. It was rubbish. Sheltered in an enormous train tunnel entrance, though the plaque labelled "Schwarzmooskogel Eishöhle" gave us a clue that someone had been there before us. We couldn't find the path back immediately, but after a bit more thrashing around we found it and went home.

    + +Incidentally, there's a big hole in the middle of the Eishöhle path which is obviously >10m deep with no markings or bolts evident. I can't believe that something that size in the middle of the path to Eishöhle hasn't been checked out - so what the hell is it?? +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-01
    +
    Nick Proctor, Helen Twelftree, Gunilla, Matthew Hicks,
    +
    travel - Nick, Helen, Gunilla and Matthew go to Expo
    + +

    "''Buy a car Nick, it'll be lovely''" said Steve.
    "''Buy a car Nick, it'll be really useful and there are this many reasons why it'll be a GOOD THING for you and not just Expo''" said Anthony.
    "''Buy a car you miserable git, it's your turn''" said Julian.
    "'''''No'''''" said Nick
    Nick bought a car.

    + +Three weeks later, having filled the car with flapjack and 2½ people we set off from Cambridge at 4.00am to pick Matthew up from the services at Junction 2 on the M20, or rather, Matthew and his "2 bags and a very small tent". Matthew turns up with his mum and a large estate car full of gear to put into my already full car (just the gear, not his mum). I'm told it was a little cramped in the back seats....

    + +Largely uneventful journey - got an early ferry, appreciated the centre of Luxembourg (twice) and failed to find any cheese in France. Arrived in Austria and Hilda's for 1.00am to find Steve & Anthony supping Gösser, so had to join them.

    + +Cars are ace!

    ...Sometimes.... +

    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-02
    +
    Brian Outram, Phil Underwood,
    +
    travel - Journey to Expo
    + +

    Set of from London 3:30am. Folkestone. Chunnel. France. Belgium. Germany. Fly-camp. More Germany. Austria. Base Camp. Top Camp. 50mph. 'Nuff said.

    * SPACE LEFT FOR BRIAN & PHIL'S EXCITING 50 MPH TRANS-EUROPEAN ADVENTURE +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-03
    +
    Anthony Day, Gunilla, Matthew Hicks, Steve Bellhouse,
    +
    161 - Looking for a route to 161d from above
    + +

    After faffing about in the morning whilst Helen tried to sort out the rest of her life via Hilde's phone, we set off to top camp about one o'clock. Then we realised we didn't have any hangars, so Anthony went back. A brief(ish) fester at top camp meant we didn't set off for the col until 3.45.

    However, even with limited time we managed to strike gold and find a reasonable route. From the spot where the 161a & 161c paths split, a gully can be seen heading down the back of the Vord in the vague direction of 161d. Follow this easily until it peters out.

    We then basically followed our noses until it got too hard. Pretty soon we could see the 'scar' in scarface, but it seemed that there was impossible bunde grief between us and prussik-free access to the pushing front.

    I dived into the bunde anyway, as I had seen the area from above earlier on and it really didn't look that far.

    After about 200yds of pretty serious bunde bashing I popped out somewhere I recognised from our previous route finding effort. A tricky climb and some easy walking led to the entrance.

    So basically its a result. Some tedious bunde hacking needs to be done and a couple of handlines should be put on, but a decent path will soon exist. I reckon its about 1¼ from top camp to scarface, walking at a reasonable pace. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-03
    +
    Helen Twelftree, Nick Proctor,
    +
    travel - Looking for a way back to England...
    + +

    BECKA: I guessed the 3/7 date for this entry



    As we're nearly ready for going to Top Camp to carry stuff Hilda calls me and I get a phonecall from Dad "-you have an interview next week". After much phoning he finds out about another interview, and that he couldn't change my flight home for me. I had to do it myself, in person... nearest office in Vienna. Found a place in Stralzburg. Salzburg actually, I drove (N)

    Nick gallently (?) offered to drive me as I was still suffering from a hangover. Drove to Statzburg, parked, wandered around a bit. Found a stall offering guided tours... in English! Hurrah! Nice man said he was also going there, he'd take us... Found the tiny shop in a tiny street. Was told that they could change my flight for 350 AU.s, but no flights on the 9th, only on the 6th July. Sigh! I change my ticket, it gives me an entire 4 days doing things here. 15 hours driving (ish, very-ish) for 4 days on Expo. Ho Hum.

    Drove back, found team London at Hilda's. Took them straight up to Top Camp (keeness or what !?!) and did 2 carry-ins. If I'm lucky I'll get 1 caving trip! +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-04
    +
    Nick Proctor, Matthew Hicks, Brian Outram, Phil Underwood,
    +
    top camp - Top Camp carry
    + +> Carried lots of shit up to Top Camp in the heat, whilst Steve and Anthony massacred some bunde with Anthony's Junior Hacksaw. Saw a little adder (the Expo Treasurer?) and a lizard (the Expo Leader?) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-05
    +
    Helen Twelftree, Nick Proctor,
    +
    161 - Caving in 161d
    + +

    I get a caving trip! Some faffing and a walk with stupidly heavy rucksacs. All apart from Antony and Nick who obviously carried rucksacs lightly filled with feathers, weighing nothing at all. Or maybe not. Still, it slowed the buggers down and got them out of breath.

    Obvious problem with 161d (apart from getting there) is the lack of shade while changing. Luckily there is a howling gale of cold air coming out of the less-than-generous entrance.

    Pottered in to Trifurcation to (95/55A) lead which was labled as a pitch, depth not noted. It had a good drop on it (~30m). Rigged off the stunning natural (a large boulder) for the muddy scrabble, then a rebelay, another re -belay, and a nice free-hang. Nick did all that while I stood around getting cold. Then I went down, replaced one rope-protector, added another one on the next rub, but I'd run out by the 3rd rub. Nick's comment "I noticed that but it's ok if you keep left and prussic carefully". Got to the bottom, discovered it was time to go back out. Not very exciting but it is a stonking lead - another pitch going on with a good drop. Rumour has it it may get called 'Interview Blues' or something similar.

    Previous trip (finding Trifurcation, 1995) / Next Interview Blues trip / Trips same day finding: +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-05
    +
    Matthew Hicks, Phil Underwood, Steve Bellhouse,
    +
    161 - 161d
    + +

    We walked from Top Camp to Scarface. It was a bastard. Got changed and sweated whilst waiting for everyone else. Entered cave and trundled along to Bugger. Tried to climb it. Steve got ¾ way up, left a good sling on a natural thread, and fell off. Swore. Gave up on Bugger, and wandered back to Ring-Piece Junction, and followed a good lead for 150m, which continues after 15m pitch. A few promising leads.

    Previous trip (finding Bugger, 1995) / Next trips: Bugger (successful climb) & 150m lead (Puerile Humour Series) / Trips same day finding: +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-05
    +
    Brian Outram, Anthony Day,
    +
    161 - Pushing 95_54
    + +

    Anthony's caving bit: Pushing 95-54 near MINOAN surprise. Placed back up bolt to left of pitch head. Found Stubai Al. crab - last years ? Placed another bolt at pitch head, descended 10m placed rebelay bolt went down to next ledge 7m down couldn't see bottom so tied off rope bag & exited cave
    TU 5 ½ hrs

    Previous trip (finding Minoan Surprise, 1995) / Next Bottomless Pit trip / Trips same day finding: +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-05
    +
    Duncan Collis, Paul Hammond,
    +
    travel - Drive across Europe (not via Frankfurt)
    + +

    Quite a straightforward journey really, except for there seems to have been some sort of communication fuck-up concerning the route.

    Jen (Paul's woman, not a caver) thought we had agreed to do an overnight stop at her mate's house near Frankfurt. Me & Paul thought we had decided to slog straight to expo.

    We had got as far as Luxembourg (after a slight lostness-fuck up in Lille), it was ~5:30am, before we discovered our differing plans. After a rather circular discussion of the matter, we came direct to expo, but had to stop a few times to try and phone Frankfurt to say we weren't coming.

    Front left-hand indicator stopped working near Stuttgart. Paul had got a spare bulb so we thought we might as well stop and do the trivial fettle.

    Of course, to get to the screws holding the indicator unit in place, you have to remove the headlights. In turn, to get to the clips holding the headlight in place, you have to remove the radiator grille...

    Things weren't helped by someone having done a bodge at some stage with one of the retaining clips for the headlight making the *#�!!ng thing damn near impossible to put back in place.

    Eventually fettled it all. Checked everything was working and set off. About an hour later, the front left-hand indicator stopped working. Bugger that then... +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-06
    +
    Nick Proctor, Anthony Day, Brian Outram,
    +
    161 - Pushing Leads off Trifurcation
    + +

    (or Silly Bastards go caving in the rain) The caving was lovely, the walk in (55mins) and the walk out (45mins) were done in the pissing rain. Had we set of ½hr later it would have started raining before we left Top Camp and we could have happily jacked. Having slogged up to the col, however, we could only go onwards and upwards.

    Nick's caving bit: Continued down 95-55. Added another rope protector (making 3!) to the first pitch, bolted the 6m pitch (lovely Y-hang). A further 10m pitch through the floor (getting narrower - I love rift pitch series!) required another Y-hang and a deviation (no decent naturals when required hence my fifth bolt of the day). At the bottom of this pitch is yet another one, of about 20m, in a much wider shaft, with the sound of water coming from it. More to follow...

    There is a continuation of the rift at the top of this pitch series, which is responsible for the draught (there is no draught down the pitches). This can only be reached by a very airy traverse - a job for the drill. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-06
    +
    Brian Outram, Anthony Day,
    +
    161 - Pushing 95_54
    + +

    BECKA - I added title and people here as unclear what write-up below refers to Got down to 10m rebelay descended 7m placed another rebelay just below ledge then 60m freehang with deviation off sharp flake on right about 35m down giving nice freehang descent to land on boulder slope at bottom to left is ascending rift up small streamway - not pushed - to right up very loose boulder slope to small col. To left upslope is twisting ascending rift probably part of main shaft so not pushed. Downslope is 3m chimney climb down into rift with loose boulders chocked in rift down looks a bit tight so climb up onto chocks and move along rift. Rift opens out into pitch &plusm; 20m with sound of stream at bottom no gear so exit cave.
    TU 5 ½ hrs +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-07
    +
    Phil Batten, Ralph Harwood,
    +
    travel - PhilB & Ralph's amazing journey!
    + +

    BECKA - I guessed the 7/7 date

    Planning? Who needs it! I 'phoned Ralph on Wednesday to make arrangements i.e. to meet at Julian's house on Saturday afternoon; Midday Saturday, I arose, packed, and left for Cambridge... 17.30 I arrived, packed the car with Ralph and a load of other shit (sic), and we left for Dover Eastern Docks, stopping only to buy a ferry ticket from the nice man at the P&O booking office. An hour later, we sailed for France, and then decided to look at the map ("Where exactly _is_ Bad Aussee?"). At Calais, we drove until my eyes hurt too much, and then slept for a bit. Then we drove some more, and eventually arrived @ the Potato Hut. So what's the big deal? All credit to Ralph for flawless navigation (just don't mention Luxembourg...), and even more credit to the car for never faltering (thanks, Pete!)

    TTT = 27.4 (Cambridge -> Potato Hut).

    _PhilB_

    PS: 45mpg all the way!

    _Ralph_ +

    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-09
    +
    Nick Proctor, Brian Outram, Phil Underwood, Anthony Day,
    +
    plateau - Attempt to go caving
    + +

    After two day's festering with 11 belching farting cavers in the potato hut, team keen decided to earn some super hero points by going caving in the snow. It had stopped raining for a full hour and a half when we left base camp, but the suspiciously white hills suggested we were in for some Wintery fun. The 4" of snow which greeted us at the top of the toll road confirmed this, but the intrepid (stupid?) four slithered onwards to top camp, Phil having a particularly fun time in his denim jeans. The weather at top camp made that elsewhere on our journey look tropical - mist, a biting wind with occasional hail showers and more snow. This had contrived to make Steve's and Brian's tents a bit of a funny shape, but an hour's excavation of them and the other tents amazingly revealed no damage to them or their contents. The food bags were similarly unscathed. Then spent an hour and a half sitting around supping tea, eating Tunnocks bars and being glum. Since we managed to get cold in this time, despite there being four people and their cheesy feet sitting in one tent in coats and hats, we decided that staying the night at Top Camp would be crap and cold, especially as the weather forecast on Hurdy Gurdy FM was unpromising. So we went back to base camp and sulked. It was rubbish. Why have I driven 900 miles for weather like Leck Fell in December? trip (I hope)] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-11
    +
    Brian Outram, Nick Proctor, Anthony Day
    +
    161 - Surveying big pitch off Minoan Surprise (QM 95_54)
    + +

    Finally went caving after 4 days of inaction. First laid some string along the route through Triassic Park - v tedious. Someone else can do the rest. Then bombed off to do a survey of the big pitch - since named "Bottomless Pit of Eternal Chaos" (p81) - and the grotty 50cm wide rift at the bottom - "Hell's Teeth," while Brian put in some spits at the top of the following pitch - "Redemption" (p27). This drops into a ~40m high rift with a stream in the bottom. There are two waterfalls entering - more possible routes entering from above? Continuing downstream (unsurveyed) the canyon narrows to ~1m wide with many jammed boulders. The water then disappears off to the right, but a short squeeze further on regains the stream, which promptly disappears down the rift (~15m, may be two tight to follow). It looks as though the rift can be followed at a higher level, but needs a traverse line.

    By now we were all freezing our tits off, so we exited. The big pitch is excellent: A fine pitch, a prince among pitches. Brian certainly thinks so. He carefully got the bottom of the rope caught in his dangly bag, not noticing until he got to the rebelay, 60m off the ground. The cause of his slow prussiking then became apparent, so he went back down to the deviation (35m) replaced it and carried on out, thus doing the pitch 1 ½ times. Those waiting at the bottom were most relieved to see the return of the rope.

    Nobody could be bothered to do anything else, so we left. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-11
    +
    Ralph Harwood, Steve Bellhouse, Matthew Hicks,
    +
    161 - Pushing Puerile Humour
    + +

    The finds extending N from nr. Ringpiece Junction, having fallen victim to a Gössered-up naming session by Steve, have become the Puerile Humour series. We linked the previous survey into a point in TP, then put a handline round the 2nd pit, 'Amyl Nitrate' named because its discoverers had just been repulsed at Bugger.

    Have now found ways up into 2 chambers looking down onto 'Between the Thighs'. Continued under boulders to find 3 QM's at top of 2 steep scrambles on left. Forward is a climb down (good naturals) to a pitch (20m?). A passage continuing over the climb turns right into a big chamber, couldn't see floor, heard running water. Not having enough rope for pitch, we pottered out via Shortage of Walls and Golgotha, but no more pushing got done - Raining outside.

    TU 6
    +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-12
    +
    Andy Cooke, Andrew Atkinson, Juliette Kelly, David Fearon,
    +
    travel - Driving to Austria
    + +

    It was awful. Austria was too near so we thought we (A+D) would empty Andrew's house to Southampton to make it take longer. So, we bought a tow bar, fitted it went to rent a trailer, not the sort of squiffy half baked thing that comes Austria but a BIG trailer. I left my keys at the trailer 'park'. Took hours to find that out. Got to S'ton eventually. 40 mph on the hills on the M4, the trailer was that big. After getting the trailer unloaded, not helped by it not opening - a bit of wood had slipped onto the roller shutter (I forced Andrew to go caving in it), we turned back to collect wallet on front lawn. Eventually, back to Bristol at 3.00am bed by 3.40 up to make sandwiches at 5.40am. Packing again. We found another Andy in Bristol so we put him in too, with gear on top. S'ton again, then 7oaks then finally Austria after reversing into a french car, reversing on a German motorway and having the greatest time of my life with Andy Cooke & some polystyrene ceiling tiles for friends. I was left wondering one thing do they have a repeating pattern or not.

    Diagramatic summary.

    [Picture follows]

    13/7/96 | Driving to Austria | Tina & Mike TA & Corrosion the Metro York is too far down Britain by half. Took ages just driving to the channel. Seacat was fun. Thought I'd been clever, thought I'd raided the money tin for all the loose coppers just right + sorted it into a few French + a few German. However, on ordering deux fricondelle, the man at the frite stall shrugged gallickly (?can spell) at my dosh. It was out of date. He asked what other spondulies I had in my possession - Belgium, Luxembourg. I answered him nay + he didn't want German or Austrian or English. Roll on EU's that's what I say. He shrugged, I shrugged, we both shrugged. He gave me the butties. Very nice too. very embarassing.

    Getting on fine after that. Stopped for some kip in a nice layby. Even thought of getting the shiny new [Warning Triangle] sign out + putting it behind us. Got woke up by a "helpfull" German or Luxemburgois or foreign bugger with unfortunately good English who kept explaining repeatedly at great length why it was dangerous to kip where we were. We moved. Got worried the car might roll onto us. We know our car. Moved again. Woke up to find a woodlouse crawling on my neck.

    Set off again. Last leg. Soon be at Hilda's. Temp gauge a bit dicky. Later on water leaking + steam coming out. Lots of helpful Germans pointing at our car + saying "ganz Wasser" + similar. We had noticed in Pforzheim tankstelle thing. Big brown puddle all over their clean German forecourt. Cooling system sans wasser (sorry, dunno G. for 'without'). Never fear, out with the gaffer tape, clean the rest of the end of the pipe where the leak is, reattach the rubber hose and hey presto, of we go... It was nice to note some Germans smiling that we'd got it going. They'd all been pointing and smirking at our rust before. (TTR 20mins)

    ...into Austria. Turn off autobahn & temp gauge needle hits the end. Stop pronto, open bonnet - ahha - fixing leak has produced hole in the pipe at the other end. Two attempts to bodge it with (a) gaffer tape (b) cloth & (c) hose clip fail. Out came spare hose (a bit too big 'cos its for Rover*), hacksaw and so forth. Patch it up and off we go... (TTR 1hour) temp gauge hits roof again - into garage forecourt to find original fix has now worked loose.

    Steal all the water (??? garage is shut) - even the thermos flask was pressed into action - tighten up leak, nick all the water - yeh - get to Staud'n'wirt and YOU'VE ALL SODDED OFF!

    Aaaarghhh!!


    * If necessary, ask an old lag +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-13
    +
    Julian Todd, Wookey,
    +
    travel - Trouble free motoring in the badvan
    + +

    BECKA - guessed date as 13/7

    The bad van struck again. I negotiated a subsidy from NC Graphics UK Ltd. to carry a Pentium Pro to NC Graphics Deutschland near Munich instead of sending it by courier. NCGD's boss is Dieter Trinkner who was happily painting and decorating the top floor of his parent's-in law's house with his wife ready to move in (NCGD head quarters is in the basement) when team expo arrive with a steaming car, smelling a bit because we've not had a bath in a week in preparation and boot and roof full of shit. You could hear the tone of the neighbourhood drop several octaves. This used to be a nice place with twee little window boxes and BMW's in every driveway, and people who never forgot to pray before their din-dins. +

    +It took them ten hours to get rid of us. First they called the German AA because they thought that Nat. Breakdown was an insurance company willing to pay for any old unauthorised car fettling activity, and we persuaded them to cancel that after a bit of hassle as we went through the regular channels. Nat. Breakdown wanted to know which day and what time our ferry back to England was for some reason. Then they began to make contacts with the local garages and give them the wrong phone number. We were always phoning back and getting told no one could find us. The exact problem with the car was that a hole had been worn into the middle of the radiator. It pissed out steam and water pretty quickly. We kept our hosts entertained for hours by telling them tales of all our other car disaster epics across Europe. And after seventeen million phone calls to various Germans, farmers, grandfather blacksmiths, we gave up and told Nat B. to get us towed out. We still hadn't run out of stories. The entire family waved us off and 4 hours later the pissed off young man who had to tow it up the perch pass in 1st gear got us to an empty campsite. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-13
    +
    Nick Proctor, Matthew Hicks, Brian Outram,
    +
    161 - BPEC
    + +

    Having conned Matthew into coming down the "Bottomless Pit of Eternal Chaos" ('But I didn't want to do a big pitch !') we rerigged "Redemption" with a longer rope to avoid the tedium of the knot pass 2m off the floor. Pottered along the rift and streamway (Corinth Canal), across an airy traverse and into more rift (Yorkshire Holiday) which was suitably narrow and scrotty. Then it ended in a boulder choke so we surveyed out and derigged, with the rope getting caught on BPEC, causing lots of swearing, ranting and down-prussiking. Exited in the dark, but at least it wasn't raining. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-13
    +
    Juliet Morse, Andy Cooke, Andrew Atkinson, David Fearon,
    +
    161 - Trip to climb pitch in bugger
    + +

    BECKA - logbook said "(actually 13th, Ed.)" so have changed date from 11/7 to 13/7

    Trip to climb pitch in bugger. Took Juliette & Andy on their first trip in K.H. Our first trip in 161d. AndrewA told me I was climbing up bugger, so, off we went. Trundle, trundle, crappy walking route, nice cave, but not very much. Pitch was quite shit. I threw rocks on Andy A as hard as I could, with very little success. Although there were still rocks left by the top I had run out of excuses to throw rocks, so I put in some bolts instead. Somewhat disappointing passage at the top; no extensive phreatic development horizontally. A nice pitch though, with excellent boom. Wobbling death rock near top. Smaller pitches & some crap leads.

    T/U 6 hours


    Previous trip (failing to climb up at Bugger) / Next trip (surveying) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-13
    +
    Duncan Collis, Phil Batten, Phil Underwood, Gunilla,
    +
    161 - Pushing 95/31a
    + +

    Easy traverse round small drop leads to chamber with an obvious route off up a mud slope. This leads to a reasonably large space with a slope down to a small pitch. Backed up from crumbly boulder then put in a star spit. Attempts to put in spit for rebelay fucked up due to utter choss. Got pissed off. Pissed off.

    Next trip (surveying) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-14
    +
    Dave Milne, Ralph Harwood,
    +
    161 - Puerile Humour
    + +

    Excellent stroll to this series. Pitch '(20m?)' descended 7m on 2 naturals across traverse (_N_ATURALS _C_ITY 1) 3m to top of NC2. On left at top of pitch step up into ascending passage leads to oxbow into NC1 on left and crawl to small chamber on right. NC2 is 7m free climbable descent on naturals. Underneath is short ascending tube leading to black blockage. 5m walk to top of NC3. 7m descent off naturals (would be free climbable xcept hand holds keep falling off). At north end of joint climb leads to bottom of dry inlet - no way up (no QM). Traverse onto ledge above choked pit leads to small entrenched chamber. Mud filled passage ahead (Dig no. 90).

    From bottom of NC1 climb down sharp nobby rift leads to top of undescended pitch. Surveyed out.

    7 hrs +

    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-14
    +
    Nick Proctor, Brian Outram, Anthony Day,
    +
    161 - 'Interview Blues'
    + +

    Returned to 95-55 (the 4th way on at Trifurcation) to continue down the rift pitch series. Brian went on ahead to bolt the fourth pitch, whilst me & Anthony surveyed in. The 3 rope 'tectors and scrotty top of the 1st pitch ('Gizza Job') were not appreciated by all. The second ('Degree of Talent') and third ('The Doledrums') were in the usual tight rift so beloved of all KH cavers. The 4th pitch gave onto some horizontal cave (shock, horror). A couple of largish chambers lead to more rift, with a pitch (2 secs) at one end and a climb up to the right to an aven and pitch (1 - 1 1/2 secs). By this time we were cold, so pottered out. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-14
    +
    Juliet Morse, Andrew Atkinson, David Fearon,
    +
    161 - Surveying in bugger
    + +

    Trip to survey the bit that we went to find yesterday. I got to go up the nasty climbing bit (except I had the advantage of a rope and stuff). Isn't surveying fun! I sat around with a tape measure doing whatever it is that you do for a few hours. Can't really remember what it was like except there was a big hole that kept cropping up. Had a look down a bit of passage that seemed to join the big hole. Side bits that had lots of other side bits that we couldn't see if they went anywhere. Got cold, went out.

    T.U. 6 ½ hours


    Previous trip (climbing Fine Clean Rock) / Next trip (down big hole) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-14
    +
    Matthew Hicks, Sam Lieberman, Steve Bellhouse,
    +
    plateau - Get Bored On The Surface
    + +

    Me & Matthew surveyed Vd1 -> 161d. It was boring, the clino was foggy even though it was sunny, and the tape broke & had to be fettled. But it needed doing and we did it. Sam carryed his gear and scrotted down some small holes, and also found himself a draughty dig. Silly sod.

    TU 0hrs
    +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-14
    +
    Julian Haines, Gill Lindsey,
    +
    161 - Pushing trip connected Shortage of Walls to Rich Tea via the Teapot
    + +

    MISSING +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-14
    +
    Duncan Collis, Phil Batten, Gunilla Andree,
    +
    161 - Pushing trip which found Dr Snuggles etc.
    + +Gunilla +

    MISSING +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-15
    +
    Dave Milne, Sam Lieberman,
    +
    161 - Puerile Humour cont.
    + +

    From the bottom of 'Natural City 3' spent 90 minutes removing pivoting chock stone from the head of the rift. Sam squeezed through the tight bit. The rift bells out to land after 17m on choked floor with 2 choked pits (one 3m deep). <Sam's Folly> surveyed to Gd 3 and derigged out.

    Traverse across top of 'NC1' leads to high passage to T-junction after 5m. To left leads to ascending mud floored inlet. No way on.

    To right leads through cyclopentyl arch to wall overlooking large pitch with sound of water (QM). Following wall to right a boltable climb (~3m) [Comment "->up to roof tube" inserted by Sam] immediately on right leads to wide stooping passage (QM). Continuing, a gently descending passage leads to a pitch. This does not appear to join the larger one (QM).

    From the T-junction, turn right + immediately on the left a 4m diameter abandoned phreatic tube ascends steeply. Immediately entering this a tight pitch descends (QM). Continuing up enters <Lummats Folly>, a large aven. Climbing up the left hand side leads to a short narrow vertical tube avoiding a bold climb. On the opposite side of a slope an opening can be seen (QM). Continuing upwards leads to an opening in the left hand corner shortly to close down to a flat out gently ascending crawl over mud. This breaks out at a T-junction into standing passage. To the left the passage opens into a shaft (QM). On the opposite side of the shaft the passage continues (QM - but not easily accessible).

    To the left at the T junction a too narrow rift drops down to the entrance to the crawl. Continuing up a mud slope leads to a small chamber in the roof at the apex. The mud slopes steeply down to a pitch (?) maybe back into the aven (?) (QM).

    Surveyed out. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-15
    +
    Julian Haines, Mike Richardson,
    +
    161 - Question mark extermination trip
    + +
    (a)
    A pitch somewhere or other - took about two hours rigging pitch, squeezing in, wittering, squeezing out again, wittering again, hammering, squeezing back in etc etc you get the general drift. So decide its a bit tightish, so leave it to Wookey or some other nutter and head off to another ?
    (a) (cont.)
    about three minutes later Julian sees a rope hanging out of slot in ceiling "What's this" (or words to that effect)... "oh shit" (or words to that effect) OK you've guessed it so
    (b)
    bolted traverse at Ginger Crunch. Julian went round to obvious passage which was full of obvious mud. Bollocks.
    Derigged & came out. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-15
    +
    David Fearon, Andy Cooke,
    +
    161 - In bugger again
    + +

    Went same place as above threw another 86m rope down. AndyCs bollocks froze off came out

    TU 6hours +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-15
    +
    Nick Proctor, Brian Outram, Tina White,
    +
    pleau - Prospecting
    + +

    Pottered to 161d so Tina could dump her gear and to admire (?) the expanses of naked flesh getting changed at the entrance. Then pottered back, having a look in various holes and chopping some more bunde.

    Found Ski-Pole Höhle (see survey book) but nothing much more. Holes that have been looked at and don't go but aren't worthy of a number have been marked with a X of stones, at the entrance or in an obvious place.

    On your way back from 161d: just after the 10m stretch of 'gardened bunde' there is a cliff face. 3m up this is a hole which chokes rapidly.

    : just before the narrow gorge is a rift running along 031/211 - this has many holes - mostly too tight or choked, and includes Ski Pole Hohle at its top end (this has been marked and given no 96/01)

    : before the 1st climb/traverse is a large depression on R of path. This has 2 large boulders + snow plug. Under the boulders is ~10m crawl on bearing 242. This draughts but gets too tight. The rift/fault leading off from this point on both sides of the path (242deg & 50deg) was investigated. Lots of holes - mostly too tight or choked or snowplugged. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-15
    +
    Wookey, Steve Bellhouse,
    +
    plateau - Surface wanderings looking for lost caves
    + +

    Set off to find 159 near Topcamp. (Higher) = TC95 A few hours wandering about produced an apparently new cave (see below :-), 2 '+'-marked caves & 90, marked as 'last seen 1977' in the prospecting guide (although Gill found it in '91 or '92).

    Drew 'new' cave, & did area map, + bearings & GPS, same for '+' caves & 90. Went back to Topcamp (Lower) = TC96 for a cuppa & collected Steve = ladders.

    Surveyed the '+' caves & 90 to TC95 & descended 90 to check it out (others were climbable). Finally went to new cave to descend it & found it to have obvious '91' painted on wall. (I had spent 1hr there drawing it in loving detail & failed entirely to spot number.)

    It now has an empty bolt ready for tag, as does 90, & lower '+' cave.

    On return to TC we finally found the unmarked 158, but I recognise it from 1988 so I'm pretty sure it is the right one. Bolt hole placed, GPS + bearings + sketch.

    Summary: located 90, 91, 158 + two '+' caves.
    All have bearings & GPS fix. 90 & '+' caves have surface survey. 90, 91, 158 & '+' caves have spit.
    90 & '+' caves were descended.
    90, 91 & + caves +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-15
    +
    Gill Lindsey, Anthony Day,
    +
    161 - Surveyed the connection from Shortage of Walls to Rich Tea
    + +

    Surveyed the connection from Shortage of Walls to Rich Tea found by Julian H & Gill the previous day. This proceeds via a rubble slope in the SW corner of SOW to a short muddy crawl and a chossy climb into a largish chamber (35x15m, 10m high) which it is believed is also visible from Salt Lake City. A 10m pitch and a 25m pitch [Insert: "(Tea Pot) or Off the Mark"] shortly follow which drops into the corner of Rich Tea. None of this is yet named. All pretty efficient, except for Mr Cocky Bastard who claimed he knew where the survey station in Rich Tea was completely failing to find it. Exited and derigged to the sound of Mike and Julian cobbing lots of crap into Rich Tea from 20m above our heads.

    TU 6 hours
    +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-16
    +
    Sam Lieberman, Brian Outram,
    +
    161 - More along the Purile Series.
    + +

    Started by rigging pitch on other side of 'wall' noted by lummat & Sam on 15/7/96. Sling from top of wall to multi sling deviation in opposite wall - pitch ~=10m lands on side of chamber (Dead bats chamber) Climb down mud slope to climb 1m (dead bat found on mud slope) bottom of chamber funnels into pitch ~=12m 'The JOKER' which was rigged at the end of the trip and led to an impassable (5") descending rift. To the right (facing out from initial pitch was an ascending rift probably linking to the rift seen from the tube on right at the top of the pitch. Opposite side of the chamber from the pitch in was another ascending rift up cleanwashed rock - leading to an aven. Heading upslope to the left is a white mud floored tube 3m wide 1.5m high (many bat droppings evident). This soon leads to a semi funnel shaped mud slope above a round shaft ~=8m to floor - large aven above (may be bottom of shaft noted by Sam/Lummat - left at T-junction at top of Lummat folly ?) Traversing carefully to right leads to a blind pocket in the wall. Traversing straignt on leads to a continuation of horizontal tube - continuing traverse round the aven leads to a mud col where a second aven ascends.

    [Sketch of stuff found on this trip inserted here]

    Main passage continues to junction - straight on leads to drippy aven on right then to end where aven comes in to right and squeeze left (no utility belt required) opens out to two pitches down ~=10m may continue (?). Turning right at main junction, through passage with fine (for K'Hole) stal in roof -> passage bears left with wall traverse LHS avoiding mud river cross 'river' at limestone outcrop 'penguin falls' to RHS - comes out in chamber 'Fiveways Chamber' left leads to climb up mud slope to window over pitch and traverse to 2nd pitch. both (??'s). 2nd left (english roundabout style) leads to successively smaller passages (not all pushed), 3rd left appears to go upslope and close down, 4th is the other end of the penguin slides avoidance route, down a mud slope to 1.5x1.5m passage - pops out down climb (1.5m) to passage below penguin slides. Against RH wall (going in) at the junction is a small slot in the floor - rock drobbed accidentally down it - went a long way (2s +) - call it 'Sylvester Cobble Pot' (?). +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-16
    +
    Duncan Collis, Gunilla, Anthony Day,
    +
    161 - Surveying 95/31 (or "Anthony's attempt on the title fuckwit of the week")
    + +

    It all started so well when I refound my missing penknife which had been sitting in my cag. pocket for 2 months. I then only narrowly avoided failing to take the tape measure underground, but made up for this by leaving my stop on the surface, so had to pinch one from the guillotine. An efficient survey followed which added 150m to the length of the cave, as yet unnamed (idle gits). Derigged and went to look at a QM at Ring Piece junction accompanied by lots of slogging up and down Triassic Park to fetch/return misplaced bolting kits and ropes. The rumoured horizontal passage failed to materialise and became a ~30m pitch instead. By the time I returned with the rope this had become anything up to a 90m pitch with a big booming sound at the bottom. I think it's more likely that there is an initial pitch of ~30m with maybe another one beyond. Duncan placed a fine spit in Camembert like rock, by which time I'd had enough so exited. Left my penknife at entrance.

    TU 6 ½ hours.
    +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-17
    +
    Tina White, Mike Richardson,
    +
    161 - Qmark extermination trip
    + +

    Went to Regurgitation without getting lost! Rigged pitch at back off huge ish boulder. Went down. Rift goes for a few metres each way and blocks. Lots of hanging death, called it "Billeous Attack". Out and had a poke at possible lead in Staud'n'wirt Palace. Lots of hanging death (again)! +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-17
    +
    Dave Milne, Phil Batten, Juliette Kelly, Chris Densham, Gill Lindsey,
    +
    161 - Puerile Humour
    + +

    Sam + Brians tales of storming horizontal passage with 5 ways on + 2 pitches... 5 go in to survey what they found + explore more. Re-rigged 2 traverse lines on the way to economise rope lengths, de-rigged The Joker; derigged pitch into "dead bat chamber" and replaced with a handline in bypass to the right.

    Phil, Juliet + Lummat surveyed on from here while Gill + Chris explored left + right from main junction, mostly R to 5 way chamber. Then swapped surveying: Gill, Chris, Lummat.

    Total 44 legs! Surveyed a loop. Many QMs in the loop. Chris also rigged the 2nd pitch at the end of the main way on. Still going.

    Cold + near call out time so exited.

    T.U. ~8hrs

    [Sketch of 5 ways area included] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-17
    +
    Andrew Atkinson, David Fearon, Becka Lawson, Julian Todd,
    +
    161 - Surveying in Henri's Cat - 161d
    + +

    I avoided other trip to avoid some surveying. And I don't like heights. Walked down with ten other people. In the cave my stinky gave the feeblest of flames and caught fire around the base whenever I lit it off someone elses light. The drill battery short circuited and smoked. Dave hand bolted and rigged loose chossy pitch into Knossos. The ceiling + wall there looked no different to the floor in large boulders at odd angles defying gravity. We wandered around, went up and then to Bugger (?) for Dave's big pitch. The lights at the bottom were _really_ small when I swung out onto the rope. It was horrible. I got sore hips from my harness just from the abseil. Then a bastard deviation you had to prussik your way towards. Meanwhile they (D&A) rigged another 60m pitch with full complement of rub points (one for every hang) and down a last drop onto a white shelf above a 3.5 second drop. It was attractive, but a bit too deep. Oh dear I had the survey book and Becca was surveying. D&A cleared off to reset our callout date. And Becca sweet-talked (more like kick-in-the-kneecaps-talked) me into continuing to survey when I was cold, wet and petrified by the immensity of the shaft down which I had to look while writing with a pencil and note pad neither of which had a string attached. I can't rememeber anything of the next hour or so. Then we got back. The notes are a ball of mud with some paper in it. Why do I always do what Becca tells me to?

    TU8A&D
    TU12hrsJ&B


    Previous trip / Next trip (bottom pitch and survey) +

    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-17
    +
    Nick Proctor, Paul Hammond,
    +
    161 - Interview Blues
    + +

    Took Paul on his first trip down a typical KH scrotty rift pitch series. Started surveying from where Anthony, Brian & myself had got bored/cold last time, at the top of the 4th pitch "Outright Rejection". Crawled around "State of Independence?" at the bottom and then pushed one of the two holes found previously. Brian had chucked rocks down this & Anthony had sagely pronounced it to be a 25m pitch. Three bolts and two 28m ropes later I was 40m lower and still 5m off the floor with no rope left. Sigh! So we turned round and prussiked out. Dumped string gear, admired the howling gale coming across the top of the 1st pitch (when Interview Blues has finished I'll... !) and then pottered out. Thanks to whoever finished putting the string out. Tedious job isn't it? +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-17
    +
    Phil Underwood, Matthew Hicks, Andy Cooke,
    +
    161 - 161d
    + +

    Matthew & Andy went to Bugger in a failed attempt to retrieve Matthew's crab. I marked out a path to Trifurcation with low-level-tripping- people-over-string (TM), continuing the work done up to just past ring-piece junction. We went to Genital Wart in the Puerile Humour series - it is free climbable, and has two rifts at the bottom; the first rapidly becomes too tight, and the other leads to a 4s pitch. The continuation over Genital Wart does not go. Next we went to the new stuff beyond Between the Thighs, got bored, and came out. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-17
    +
    Wookey,
    +
    142 - Wooks goes to Stellerweg
    + +

    Arge Grabstatten are doing Schwabenschacht, and connected it to some bit of Stellerweg during their previous jolly in April. So I thought I'd have a look & see what it was like, not having been in Schwab or '132' the cave it came out at. A look at the web pages showed that '132' was almost certainly 142 so I printed out some description so we knew where to go.

    Staggered up with all my gear after the krauts. Changed under handy tarpaulin, avoiding rain - we should have one of these!

    Went down entrance shaft (after remembering how to put on SRT gear - 1st use since last expo.) Then immediately off main route for only about 200m to top of genuine p100, then on to survey small passageway for about 100m. The cairn at the end was assumed to be 1983 vintage, placed by CUCC. Surveying auf Deutsch was fun!

    Went out in 142, pausing to go down into the 'Big Chamber.' Ace 30m pitch into huge space. Then miles of squiggly passage led out through 142. Changed numbers at entrance to 142. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-18
    +
    Gill Lindsey, Phil Batten,
    +
    161 - Touristing + picking up gear
    + +

    Cold morning, didn't feel like going caving at all, but SRT gear is at Shortage of Walls and I have to go get it... Phil tries to enthuse me... tea is drunk... Finally at 11.30 we set off for cave. At cave meet AndyA + JulianH + ChrisD fully clothed (they set off 1 hour before...) Anyway, getting keener now. Get kitted up. Phil now less than keen. Breeze down looking at sundry holes. Hole on left in Critters End before Salt Lake City ends in huge aven. Has pitch (undescended) + climb up to eyehole which leads to Salt Lake City. Touristed to Staudn'wirt Palace - looked at some holes in floor which had chossy ceilings held together with mud. Crawled up some blind crawls. Bombed back to Guillotine - me all enthusiastic by now, Phil wants out. Met Anthony + Steve -> loads of light -> ooh, what's over there? I looked at some holes on left after Guillotine. One small pitch. Bit further on, on left is wide high (~2m) rocky slopey inlet (~5m from blue string) to chamber with 2 entrances to big pitch 3s drop (~40m) Didn't rig it. Someone should look - shaft is ~4m across - leads on other side, could be traversed.

    Anyway, we only came to collect our gear so its out. We love 161d - thanks to whoever found it.

    T.U. 1 ½ hrs. +

    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-18
    +
    Sam Lieberman, Dave Milne,
    +
    161 - BEYOND 'DEAD BAT CHAMBER'
    + +

    Started by surveying by-pass to <Penguin Falls>. From <5-Ways> climbed up mud slope to left. At large pitch traversed to passage on the right and started surveying along <Shaft Mine Passage> (<Pothole Passage> bears left at start). Surveyed passed pitch on left to end of passage where left hand bend leads to 6m pitch dropping into choss filled shaft. Across shaft on same level wide phreatic continues. At bottom of shaft in far right corner a narrow winding fissure continues.

    We returned to the earlier shaft in <Shaft Mine Passage> descending from the left hand side (looking from the passage) on naturals. From the 1st ledge a thread in the window to the far right gains a free hang passed the second ledge to the shaft floor. A too tight fissure meanders from the base. Climbing up a 2m drop leads to a too tight mud inlet on the left and a descending hading rift forward. This can be descended for 5m to where rift closes down and is partially blocked with mud. Rocks rattle downwards for 5 seconds. Descent may be possible, but would be tight + horrible.

    From the top of <Pot Hole Passage> continuing forward leads to a hole which leads back to the far left hand passage in <5-ways> via annoyingly low passages. To the right of this hole a vadose passage leads upstream to branched inlets.

    Bearing right at the top of <Pot Hole Passage> leads immediately to a blind pit. To the left of this is a hading phreatic passage, closing rapidly down to a small roof passage (QM).

    Surveying continued into <Completely Loopy> which eventually comes out at the '3rd' exit from <5-ways>. This starts as a traverse across the 'blind pit' to the lower level passage. This breaks into two levels. The upper one is a calcited passage; the lower a mud floored passage. At the bottom a wide, low, mud-floored inlet enters with a draught. This is too low but mud could be removed (!) to gain access to higher passage seen beyond. This inlet drops down a tight pitch with a long rattle. Sam says he can get down (QM). Surveying ended here. The way to <5-ways> is back in the main passage at high level over mud.

    8 hrs. +

    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-18
    +
    Nick Proctor, Brian Outram,
    +
    161 - Interview Blues
    + +

    2/3 of team Silly Bastards returned, and this time with a longer rope. Bottomed the pitch and found my 'piece de resistance' - scrotty, narrow rift (of course) but covered in gloop - gloop on the floor, on the boulder, gloop running down the walls. Luvverly. So we thrutched through 30m of this before we found the next pitch - another narrow rift pitch (has anyone spotted the common theme yet?) Started bolting a Y-hang, then remembered that the hangars were at the top of the last pitch. Instead of calling me all the names under the sun, Brian cheerfully went back for them (all 5 of them!) whilst I finished putting the spits in. Brian returned, and I promptly threw a hangar down the pitch, before rigging it and descending the standard 3m before deciding that a rebelay was necessary. Surprisingly, this gave a ~12m hang to the floor, where we could walk 2m to the next pitch head. Started putting a spit in the wall, which promptly shattered, so we put one in the floor instead. We had now run out of hangars and warmth so prussiked out. Decided to rerig the 1st pitch (Gizza Job), so Brian put a spit in whilst hanging in mid air, thus eliminating a scrofulous get-off and the need for 3 rope tectors. (My excuse is that the pitch head is wider than 1m, therefore I just can't cope with it)

    Nick The Rift God +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-18
    +
    David Fearon, Becka Lawson,
    +
    161 - Finishing Henri's Cat
    + +

    Took 200m of rope to finish Henri's Cat which predestined the trip to an early finish. So down we went, I dropped a bolt driver down the pitch, so dodgy fat deviation was the order of the day. Got to the bottom no way out.

    [Sketch rigging guide follows]

    'Dave & Becka went fishing - they caught 4 fish 7 blobs and 3 triangles'
    SAM WOZ ERE

    Previous trip (halfway down Henri's Cat) [ this trip surveyed and derigged, so no next trip ] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-18
    +
    Duncan Collis, Gunilla, Steve Bellhouse, Anthony Day,
    +
    161 - Push/Survey QM 95-34 (rift by Ring Piece Junction)
    + +

    Returned to the pitch that Duncan started bolting 2 days earlier. Steve and Anthony surveyed in whilst Duncan put more bolts in. There are 3 parallel rift passages leading from Ring Piece Junction with a perpendicular rift at the end which the pitch drops down. Duncan put in a lovely Y-hang and we bombed on down what turned out to be a p27. Whilst trying to survey it the tape measure snapped. This incident, plus the proximity to Ring Piece Junction, led to it being named "Tapeworm." The landing is on a rock bridge with a small chamber and a further pitch, probably of similar length. However, the first descent of this pitch was made by the head of the bolting hammer Duncan was using to dress the rock, so "Hammeroids" will have to wait for another day....
    +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-18
    +
    Phil Underwood, Andy Cooke,
    +
    161 - Pitch in Genital wart
    + +

    Trip to investigate "4s" pitch in genital wart. Rift to be called "a bad case of herpes" due to the walls being covered in brown spots everywhere (mud). Went down first few m of pitch - very awkward pitch head, to large ledge. Put in two bolts for Y-hang, Phil descended pitch ~30m to rub-point. Andy put in rebelay bolt & bottomed pitch ~50m. Floor is covered in sharp & fragile crystals. A large rift continues horizontally ~15m, and a smaller tube goes down ~10m with a further 1-2s rattle, out of sight. Got tired, cold & hung-up passing y-hang re-belay. Further delays due to failing lights meant that we didn't leave the cave until ~11pm (1 hour past callout time). Staggered back, half in darkness, to be met by Anthony & Sam, the rescue advance party, about 15mins walk from top camp. Arrived back, very knackered, 12.30 (30 mins after callout deadline).


    PS IN VERY SMALL WRITING: The hole below the handline in Amyl Nitrate doesn't go. We know 'cos Andy C dropped a tackle sack down it. He went down to retrieve it, and it doesn't go anywhere. Luv _PhilU_ +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-18
    +
    Wookey, Andy Waddington, Julian Todd, Ralph Harwood,
    +
    plateau - Surface findings
    + +

    BECKA - Date given as 07/1996 in original version so I have guess date as 18/7 - possibly just an omission from typing in logbook - check?

    Went looking for some '+' marked caves that Wook, JulianT & Spencer found in 1994 near summit of Hinter. Found someone elses '+' on the way. Drew it up. Eventually re-found the 2 caves we were looking for & 1 other we had forgotten about. All GPS'd.

    Then over the top of the hinter & down on the plateau side. Found 195 & 194 as well as a couple of un-numbered holes.

    Passed 76a & connected it to survey station. Surveyed between 164 & 189 using Wadders's cag for tape measure, also checked out position of B11, B8 & 80. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-18
    +
    Chris Densham, Andrew Atkinson, Julian Haines,
    +
    161 - Trying to avoid 'Stairway to Hell' Part 1
    + +

    Chased up the ramp at Staud'n Wirt Palace. Loose chossy climb 1 didn't go. 15m pitch down ended in narrow drafting stream rift (could easily be made to go). Loose chossy climb 2 didn't go either, except for some steeply ascending rifts that ended in choke. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-19
    +
    Mike Richardson, Tina White,
    +
    161 - Alternative Universe
    + +IN WHICH MIKE 'N' TINA (CUNNING OLD CRUSTIES) DISCOVER LOADSA PASSAGEWAY, AND BEAT WOOKEY (ANOTHER OLD CRUSTIE) TO IT BY ABOUT 90 MINUTES


    -OR-


    What an unobservant group of w*****s. Right next to the gear dump, under an arch, round a hole, under another arch and - hey presto, with a wave of our Magic Jumars - at a conservative estimate, 100m of sod-off large passageway (ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE) leading to a 7m pit (Bulemic's pit) and a 7m deep rift (Anorexic's Rift). Unfortunately this closes down to about 4" before opening into about 15m more drop. Well, we didn't claim the Earth for it, did we? Oh, and about 50m of side passages, one leading (we think) to Gills hole*

    [Survey sketch]

    Not surveyed 'cos we hadn't got all the bits & by the time Wookey (who arrived pissed of 'cos of finding footprints in a "new" passage) gave us some it was too late and bier beckoned

    *bunch of adolescents as well, eh?

    Wookey's trip +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-19
    +
    Sam Lieberman, Becka Lawson,
    +
    161 - More in Purile Humour - BATMAN SERIES
    + +

    Trip to survey left from 'Gotham City junction.' walking/Stooping passage for 30m leads to a bouldery section with aven on left and narrow gully under the boulders which drops down a short pitch on the right, with another aven above. 40m on the passage appears to end with aven on the right which can be partially climbed to give a view to a higher passage. The way on is to the left through a short squeezy rift 'No utility belt required' (Sam took his gear off to go through the first time (16/7/96).) where two shafts lead off on the left. Becka went down the 1st 1 which closed down to an impassable rift. The 2nd is undescended. Looking up, Becka spotted a mud run in, up a 3m climb. Using Becka as a foothold I managed to get to the top where a quick climb up the mud pile led to yet more passage 'WHERE THE WIND BLOWS' - Hooray!! I had a quick ferret round whilst Becka went back to Fiveways to fetch some rope for a handline. This being rigged we rocketed off down the passage which continued almost dead straight past shafts and avens to a large (50m x 15m) chamber with two big shafts off it. The passage at the other end was a very fine phreatic tube - well decorated with a mud floor - trending almost North, except for a small 'kink'. At one point careful crawling was required round a small calcite flower in the floor. Passage ends at a 4m climb which is completely choked but with a draught coming down. The whole of this left hand branch has a draught heading out ie. towards Triassic Park.

    Went back to handline climb and surveyed to start of large chamber.

    Previous trip / Next trips: Bounce Rift and 161e - Completely Loopy and 161f and Where The Wind Blows continuation +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-19
    +
    Duncan Collis, Paul Hammond, Gunilla,
    +
    161 - HAMMEROIDS
    + +

    BECKA - logbook said "(actually 19th, Ed.)" so have changed date from 20/7 to 19/7

    This time I managed not to break the hammer. Bashed in spits for Y-hang. Got rope to hang free for as far as we could see. Got Paul to heroically volunteer to test my bolting & rigging by making the second ever descent of this pitch (see write up of 18/7 for QM 95-34), which turns out to be jolly big (~45m). Found hammer head at foot of rope. Paul scrotted up a rift to the left for not very far before it became impossible. I weasled through a hole in a mud-bank into a rift to the right, which didn't go either. Couldn't reverse-slither up mud in rift to get out through hole, so I had to dig a slot I could thrutch out through. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-19
    +
    Wookey, Chris Densham,
    +
    161 - 161d
    + +

    Connected up survey at Knossos. Came back & stuck our noses in a big passage off Triassic - to find it had been discovered an hour before by Mike & Tina. Boo.

    Furtled around Zombie Slime (<Trying to avoid Stairway to Hell Pt2>) to no effect. Half climbed aven at drop into Zombie Slime - but had to leave. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-20
    +
    Nick Proctor, Becka Lawson, Anthony Day,
    +
    161 - Interview Blues
    + +

    Bolted the seventh and eighth pitches of IB and put in a back-up bolt for the ninth, whilst Anthony and Becka invented a survey from the top of the fifth to the bottom of the seventh pitch. Anthony and Becka did not appear to appreciate the finer elements of my rift and complained about the mud. Becka has a very heavy banana, and I was left needing more volunteers for Interview Blues. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-20
    +
    Julian Haines, Chris Densham,
    +
    161 - Avoiding Stairway to Hell Pt3.
    + +

    Really did it this time. Pulled a big rock out of Sam's dig - just lots of loose bits to dig out of strongly drafting rift. Looked around the environs - various choked shafts & sections of small phreas on the Vd Schwarzmooskogel side of the surface chasm on the was to 161d. T/U 15mins +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-21
    +
    Nick Proctor, Brian Outram, Paul Hammond,
    +
    161 - IB, where else?
    + +

    Pottered down, surveyed a leg left over from the day before, which was longer than 16m, which was all Anthony had left after he broke yet another tape measure. Put in a bolt, then got cold and fed up and tired (going with Becka the day before had been too much (and her banana)) so I left, leaving Brian & Paul to put in another bolt before following me out.

    Previous trip / Next trip in Interview Blues +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-21
    +
    Sam Lieberman, Dave Milne, Craig Anderson,
    +
    161 - 5-Ways area
    + +

    Surveyed bits and pieces in the loop between the top of Pot-hole Passage and 5-ways and finished surveying Completely Loopy. Had lunch.

    Looked at the passage above Completely Loopy, <Crystal Clear Passage>. This turned out to take an enormous draught, with various parallel interconnecting passages. Ascending passage soon leads to ice formations. A 2m climb up with a deep? pitch below (QM) leads after a short passage to <Spider Man Chamber> with 8 radiating passages. Ascending the main draughting passage leads to a left hand turn, with a tight crawl to the right straight on (QM). The way on to the left is piled with flakes of roof material: passing through here brings down further material <Flaky Passage>. Crossing to the right under a very low arch takes you in sight of day-light, into passage where standing room is possible. This is brief, and a crawl over rocks leads to a squeeze and then a crawl over ice to the entrance <Bat entrance> 161f. Outside we bumped into Anthony + Becka who had just found 161e. After surveying between 161e + 161f we surveyed along the main passage to Completely Loopy.

    Previous trip / Bounce Rift and 161e discovery (same time) / Next trips: +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-21
    +
    Anthony Day, Becka Lawson,
    +
    161 - Bounce Rift - 161d
    + +

    Begged Sam for a nice easy lead, and he obliged! Off down Puerile Humour, past Five Ways, along Shaft Mine. Got to a 3/5m climb down that Sam + Lummat had clambered (+ surveyed down). We rigged down it on a single boulder.

    [Highly schematic depiction of Bounce Rift in here]

    An obvious passage continued across the other side of the climb down. We looked at it, some. After a preliminary slither decided to loop the rope over a lump on the climb up. I whimpered my way to the top - easy climb, but the top was a load of chossy rock + mud + the "protection" (loop of rope) was below me, so sod all use. Rigged tail end of rope to another dodgy natural. Off we trundled, whee! Short passage to big section of hading rift. Anthony wanted to do that rather than the lovely walking size phreatic tube, so we trundled up. Rather airy + loose in bits. Poked around at the top - some holes up there, but all seem to close down. Then up the phreatic tube, stomp, stomp. Ended when it choked with cobbles + boulders. Anthony ready to start surveying, but I wanted to have a quick dig. Scrabbled a bit & got a couple of metres pretty easily & a strong draft. Anthony then had a go for a bit, choke now heading uphill quite steeply. I had another go & squeezed into a little chamber - & "DAYLIGHT - WE'VE GOT AN ENTRANCE!!!" Squawk, squawk for another minute or two. Anthony thrashed his way up too & we set off digging the final four metres. Got it quite big & Anthony went for the glory push.... & backed out. Dug some more. "If you can't get through that, Anthony, you're a fat bastard." Anthony backs out again. I slithered up - quite tight then. Wriggled shoulders pushed, then squeezed through & then through another 8" slot in mus - & screamed. Out in the sunlight looking at the shepherd's huts! Spent ten more minutes trying to extract Anthony, finally got him out - hence the Yorkshire Pudding entrance (161E). Then heard a noise - "Hello." Ye Gods! Sam, Lummat & Craig appear just round the corner - they've got an entrance too! We squabble about who got out first then wander over to a big boulder to try to decide where we are. Then, because we're good little boys + girls, we all survey out. Bloody cold surveying the entrance squeeze with the draft from hell & of course the compass has decided to mist up. Try a carbide assist on it - no go. Have to cuddle it inside my furry instead. Survey goes OK until the final sodding leg back over the climb up + down. Compass _completely_ fogged. Anthony's light has wilted to a dismal orange glow. Takes ten minutes to get one compass reading - I take five on top, so we can average it then, just as I'm about to give up it defogs & I get a decent reading. Bog off out at last - Anthony has no carbide or electric. Good trip!

    Previous trip / Completely Loopy and 161f discovery (same time) / Next trips: +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-21
    +
    Julian Haines, Chris Densham,
    +
    161 - Stairway to Hell
    + +

    Delaying tactics having failed, we set off for Stairway to Hell. Surveyed to it, took a long look at it, then turned & fled in horror. CJD finished off aven at drop into Zombie Slime - a downward sloping tube briefly raised hopes but rapidly degenerated. Other route went up for a surprisingly long way without reaching daylight. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-22
    +
    Dave Milne, Craig Anderson, Paul Hammond, Ralph Harwood, Brian Outram,
    +
    161 - 5-Ways area
    + +

    Surveyed loops at the top of Completely Loopy, and in the lower section of Crystal Clear Passage. Also surveyed the vadose canyon from the top of Pot-hole Passage. Looked at other leads in Crystal Clear Passage. These horizontal leads all close down after 5-10m. A passage at the bottom of the 2m climb to the left leads constrictedly to the top of some shafts - possibly the same ones found at the top of the vadose canyon.

    Brian meanwhile looked at the aven prior to Penguin Falls. Easy climbing for 20m without accessible side passages. He then rigged the wide shaft just above + to the left of 5-Ways. There is a further blind pitch at the bottom. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-22
    +
    Penny Reeves, Mike Richardson, Tina White,
    +
    161 - Alternative Universe
    + +

    Trip to survey Alternative Universe and look down hole at the end. Another 250m surveyed. Hole at the end (on the left) goes down about 4m through boulders, then pops out into side of shaft c.20m deep. Round corner at bottom of shaft (seen by swinging round the corner trying not to think of the single bolt at the top!) is another shaft about the same depth.

    [Rough Plan of Alt Universe]

    Back near to junction with Triassic Park passage, another hole down in a short side passage rumbles a very long way when you kick a big rock down it - far enough to be worth a look. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-22
    +
    Sam Lieberman, Becka Lawson,
    +
    161 - Where the wind blows - 161d
    + +

    Decide to go on a bumbly trip as out late yesterday. Off down Puerile Humour, Batman Series, left at Gotham City Junction, & surveyed "Where the Wind Blows" from where we left off on our last trip (19/7). Got cold surveying in the draft, but at least got some long legs in the phreatic. I had another look at the boulder choke at the end. Drafting well. Choked & loose looking straight up, possibly could dig into horizontal tube, but all pretty chossy & we were COLD. We had been intending dropping the pit in the large chamber, but too chilly so stomped off down Puerile Humour to warm up. Found Brian bolting around Shaft Mine (it didn't go) & then met Lummat et al having great fun in Completely Loopy. The et al was having such fun that Ralph decided to head out to 161F entrance & find his way to 161D on the surface. Sam + I escorted him out - entrance is squirmier than 161E, though no squalid entrance squeeze. Sam + I back in & did more red + white taping of Triassic Park until the roll of tape thankfully ran out.

    Note: Sam brought his camera in with the intention of taking some photos, but film ran out at picture 9 of 24 because the camera is crap and forgets how many photos it's taken if the batteries fall out. AARGH!

    Previous trip / Other trip (same day): +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-22
    +
    Juliette Kelly, Mark McLean,
    +
    161 - Bugger 161d
    + +

    Trundled along to Bugger admiring Triassic en route. Rigged the pitch and bimbled down, trying to avoid killing each other with falling boulders. Went down thru a boulder choke at the foot of the pitch and found another short pitch. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-22
    +
    Wookey, Andrew Atkinson,
    +
    161 - Go to the Forbidden Land
    + +

    After Julian H & Chris D wimped at Stairway to Hell, that left it for me & Andy.

    Boogied down in optimistic mood, decided that it probably wouldn't fall down, and Julian & Chris were wimps. Surveyed (carefully) through the choke & then out along the 'rift' above. It soon turned out that this was not a rift at all, but a huge chamber & we were wandering about below the boulders making up the floor.

    The chamber (Hall of the Mounting Choss) was huge, almost 90m x 30m with a couple of pitches at the top of the slope. A bit more wandering about found a big passage taking a gale & leading to another big passage we were unable to climb down into.

    Surveyed it all (300m) anf then found a way down into big cross passage. Wind here was going towards 050 ie back towards KH. Passage this way reaches a choss slope where we stopped, having done enough dodgy stuff to get this far. The other way (210deg) is a long rift. We followed it for about 50m - it was still going. There are also a couple of pitches & avens.
    Extra verse as sung in Hilda's or approx:
    The pitches in Austria, they're deep and they're big
    To get to the bottom, you frig up the rig.
    The bolts are in calcite, you know they won't hold
    In Hilda's bar, many stories are told (most total bullshit!)
    best as I can do - Tina +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-22
    +
    Julian Haines, Fran Lane, Pete Lord,
    +
    161 - Pushing leads off Shortage of Walls
    + +

    "Not much happened. Threw a few rocks around, got blisters handbolting and went home. (email from Pete 97/02/13)" TU 2½ +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-23
    +
    Julian Haines, Pete Lord, Fran Lane,
    +
    161 - Blank
    + +

    Went for a bit +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-23
    +
    Nick Proctor, Helen Twelftree, Brian Outram,
    +
    161 - Interview Blues
    + +

    Decided to look at the other lead in Interview Blues (after the fourth pitch) since it would be much nicer than the other lead, would be a shorter trip, and was garaunteed not to have any trees in it. Pottered down, dodging rocks thrown down by Becka & Dave on the traverse across the 1st pitch, whilst Brian returned to the surface to collect the survey book. Helen bolted whilst Brian and myself surveyed along. I was putting in the pitch head bolt when a voice said hello. This was Sam, some 40m above. "Where are you?" "Minoan Surprise" came the reply. We had popped out about 2/3 of the way down the big hole (the one just before Anthony's BPEC, and the connection to knossus).

    A 10m pitch, with a rub, of course, leads to a ledge. There is another 25m to the floor (I think its a blind shaft though) but a traverse around the side leads to another large shaft of similar dimensions (probably 6x6m). We (Brian & me) are fairly certain this isn't BPEC, but it must be fairly close (3 parallel shafts?)

    Pottered out, shouting at Sam & Dave, who had gone down a pitch after their traverse and were about to go into the fifth pitch of IB. Lots of Brownie Points to Sam for the red & white tape. Brian ? hrs +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-23
    +
    David Fearon, Becka Lawson,
    +
    161 - Traverse over Gizza Job pitch
    + +

    To top of Interview Blues series to do a traverse over the first, Gizza Job pitch. I belayed Dave as he rigged a nice natural then put in 2 bolts & did a bold step or two to get to a rock bridge the far side of the pitch. Dave put in another bolt at the rock bridge. Nick, Helen + Brian headed down the first 4 pitches of Interview Blues. Dave then headed off right into a chamber with a deep rift in the floor. I tootled along the traverse tying knots in it & only wittering a little. Dave is a nutter. To far side of chamber to the head of a beautifully spacious chamber, the antithesis of Nick's scrofulous series. Three incredibly tempting boulders perched at the pitch head, but we'd heard Nick below, so we restrained ourselves. I put in a bolt, Dave put in a _very_ airy pitch head bolt & whizzed down... not very far - in fact to the end of the 23m rope. I went back to the Guillotine to fetch an 88m rope. On the way back, found Craig & Mark McLean so I told them to tag along. Mark slobbered all over the pitch 'cos he'd just rigged down Bugger which was chossy an' 'orrible & didn't go anywhere. Mark was very tempted to rig our pitch but decided he had to go, but we had Sam with us by now, so Sam, Dave + I (Becka) went down. Very free-hanging pitch head rebelay, lovely shaft - 'The meeting room'. Tight rift at bottom. Very squeezy if you headed down, but I then climbed up the other direction & ended up in rift above the lower section which was pretty easy going until... pitch, rift belled out obviously. "Can I throw a rock?" "No" sez Sam. "Yes" sez Dave. "_Please_ can I throw a _little_ rock" "Yes" sez Dave, "Oh, alright then" sez Sam. I throw a little rock. It goes down a satisfyingly long way with lots of bounces. Yelp excitedly. Dave + Sam then take turns throwing rocks. I start heading out, Sam starts to bolt to put a traverse line down the rift - & there are voices. "Who's up at the top?" asks Dave. "No one" I say. Then Helen is spotted above Sam & Dave in rift - & as Sam prussiks up he spots someone else through a window in the shaft. We decide not to derig in case someone wants to survey it (tee-hee!) & exit. Fine sociable caving & we even managed to avoid killing anyone with randomly lobbed boulders.

    Interview Blues discovery trip (Gizza Job descent) / Two trips set out to derig: First and Second (both failed to do so) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-23
    +
    Chris Densham, Tony Rooke, Jeremy Rodgers, Dave Horsley,
    +
    161 - "Fogies Folly"
    + +

    Walked up from base and over to the cave, plan was to push some pitches somewhere in Puerile Humour that Chris reckoned hadn't been done. At the guilotine Tony went up the slope to the left and dropped the boulder slope to the right but there was no way on. Me and Jeremy had a look at a passage to the left of the main passage before the guilotine. This ended in a clean washed aven below which was a climb down for about 5m to a further climb reducing in size and infilling with small rocks.

    On the way to where Chris wanted to push, just before Puerile Humour we found an interesting looking climb. On later discussion this turns out to be Moth Chamber. From here we dropped a short pitch/handline climb of 6m. From here a draughting crawl led of the top of a pitch. This we rigged using the 58m rope we'd planned to use on Chris's pitch. Jeremy rigged this from a single large pillar, with a deviation to an eyehole. The take off was horribly tight and not helped by the fact that Jeremy had forgotten about gardening the rubble off the top of the pitch.

    The pitch bell'd out to a reasonable size just below the pitch head and in total was about 7m deep. The route off from the bottom was a tight hading rift ending in a small blind 4m pitch. Whilst Chris and Jeremy started surveying out of the blind pitch I pointed out to Tony that we'd lost the draught. So whilst I fetched Chris the tape he'd left behind Tony had a look up the unfeasably small tube heading off directly above the pitch. Surprisingly this didn't end in 3 closing down tubes as expected, but was strongly draughting with a roof tube going off. This popped out into a large passage ending in a 45° descending ramp "Wheelchair Access". The chamber at the bottom ended in a 5m pitch, which was bypassed by a climb down and crawl to the left. To the right a crawl emerged at the bottom of the pitch. To the left the crawl emerged into a larger rift. Straight ahead an aven entered from above. The rift continued too small straight ahead, but could be passable after brief use of a lump hammer. A hole in the floor gives access to an _undescended_ pitch of ~20m. Prior to this a crawl under the wall to the left gives access to a parallel rift. The floor (which is false and looks rather unstable) quickly falls away to reveal a clean washed pitch of about 15m (_undescended_). At this point me and Tony returned for Chris + Jeremy who had finished the first bit of surveying. Chris had a look at top of the clean washed pitch off to the left, decided it was not free climbable. He traversed over the pitch and a second pitch beyond this. The rift ended in a small strongly draughting squeeze requiring the use of a hammer to reach enlarging passage beyond.

    Survey from the bottom of the bypassed pitch to the main passage at Moth Chamber. Couldn't find a survey station, so left our own last survey station obviously labelled. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-23
    +
    Sam Lieberman,
    +
    161 - Cave Conservation officer
    + +

    Since no-one else was going to do it, I set off down Triassic Park with a view to laying the remaining stretch of red & white stripy tape. This is a bit tedious as a solo job and involved laying tape out from Ringpiece Jct. to Trifurcation walking back whilst collecting the Blue garotte wire and then hours of tedious tying tape to boulders, rocks, calcite nobbles and the like. I found out later that I'd cocked up around Locophobia a) because the string had fallen off b) I'd never been there before c) there were lots of footprints on the bit I ended up marking. Brian dashed by at one point, having left his surveying book on the surface, Juliette dashed by complaining of a 'dribbly period'. Once done I'd planned on meeting up with Dave & Becka who were hammering a traverse above Nick's scrotty rift (Interview Blues). Following the sounds of hammering I walked down Minoan Surprise where I came upon the Knossus rope - so I had a quick wander round Knossus. Whilst coming back I hear voices from a large hole in Minoan Surprise - it's Nick & Helen who'd started at a lead in the 4th pitch of Interview Blues and ended up halfway down this shaft. Moving on I joined Dave (Becka had run back for some more rope) and we continued on as Becka's write up.

    Previous trip (start of tape-laying) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-23
    +
    Juliette Kelly, Craig Anderson, Mark McLean,
    +
    161 - Choss Pot - 161d
    + +

    Surveyed our finds in Choss Pot while Ju bolted the last pitch. Didn't go anywhere. Surveyed that too and pissed off out. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-24
    +
    Anthony Day, Phil Underwood, Becka Lawson,
    +
    161 - Surveying - 161d
    + +Becka: 8th day caving on the run for me! (ie. only 1 night at Base Camp = vitamin deprivation!)

    NB - pitch a princely 30m - see write up of 18/7

    I went with Clive + Pete to look at ladder at top of France first. Down Puerile Humour to survey the pitch PhilU + Andy Cook had rigged last week, called Syphilis, just after the first handline up a mud slope from Greenpeace [Ring Piece? AJD] Junction. Anthony + PhilU surveyed, I went down the pitch - pretty, quite large - (_nice_ Y-hang on it, long enough to have to abseil down one arm!). I put a bolt in to keep warm, for the last bit of the pitch. I'd just finished by the time Anthony + Phil got down. General decision that my bolt wasn't quite as good as a really crappy natural nearby, so I rigged off that instead. I went down another 14m. It finished - there was an eyehole which could be a tightish (or hammered) squeeze into a small chamber another 2m or so down, & what looked like a very tight rift heading off from it. Back up again & derigged it + out. It had pissed down on us as we went in - & then it _seriously_ donnered + blitzened for the change & walk out. Got drenched - mood not helped by seeing Steve & Duncan smugly sheltering in a dry overhang. However everyone got piss wet through running down to the car park, so they only prolonged the time miserably spent trying to avoid getting wet. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-24
    +
    Sam Lieberman, Wookey, Andrew Atkinson, Andy Waddington, Juliet Morse,
    +
    161 - Photo trip - 161d
    + +
    OBJECTIVES:
    Freeze our bollocks off (Juliette excepted)
    Swear profusely at expensive gear that doesn't work.
    Get rained on, and again - oh and again.


    That's right it was a photo trip. Waddington was struggling to get to the cave - not because he's a crusty old lag, or because he was carrying a tripod the size of a small planet but because his oversuit didn't bend at the knees. We'd avoided the morning rainstorm waiting for AndyW and Wooks to walk up from Base Camp, (they arrived a bit soggy though) just after we set off several jackers arrived back at top camp with a view to sodding off down the hill out of the rain. Just as we got down to the bottom of the Gully it started raining. This cleared up just long enough to get changed. Off we trundled to take a picture at Bugger. - Wooks dangled around on the rope whilst I tried to look scenic - for a full Hour whilst Andy tried to take 1 picture with 3 cameras 2 flash bulbs 3 electronic flashes and a handful of slave units. Nothing worked.

    Moving on to the traverse above Nick's scrotty rift series (ie not far enough to get even remotely warm) we had some slightly more successful shots of Wooks dangling from the traverse line and then moved on to take some pictures down the pitch at the end of the traverse. Wooks abseiled down with a big flash and dangled ½ way down the pitch, Andy & I leant out precariously at the top and - guess what, Wookey's flash didn't go off - so we might have a picture of the top half of the pitch.(*) Heading back with the intention of taking piccies in Purile Humour. We stopped just above Locophobia to take a shot of the good work being done by the cave conservation officer - but once again flash failure thwarted our efforts. AndyA at this point decided it was all too awful and we exited the cave.

    (*) Oh, I've just remembered. Just as Wookey reached the top of the pitch an increase in the dripping on the opposite side of the shaft made itself heard. Mmmm it must be raining on the surface. Almost instantly a loud rumbling started above, closely followed by gallons of water. Mmmmmmm it must be raining LOTS on the surface. Please continue reading from the asterisk above, that is, the 1st asterisk above. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-24
    +
    Duncan Collis, Steve Bellhouse,
    +
    161 - Dunks and Steve take it in turns to break a hymen
    + +

    Went to climb in snug. Possible but requires nutter. Me and Dunks decided we had more talent at hitting things with a hammer so we took our ACME "make your own?" kit (i.e. a big hammer) and made a Steve-sized hole in the passage and sent a Steve thru it, whilst Dunk continued hammering to make a Dunk+belt+FX3 sized hole and followed me. Over 100m of fun crawling and we pop out in fresh virgin mud near huge space. Unfortunately find red + white tape and realise we are in fact in MTA's alt. universe. I went back in the hope that Dunks was still hammering (and could therefore rescue our SRT kit) but he was already crawling.

    Went for tourist down alternative universe and we thought that a climb up on the right at the end (short + easy but you would fall down the pitch if you fell) would go if you were a nutter.

    We then went to look for more non-existant cave which I thought existed because I got confused after I came out of the crawl.

    Then we came out.

    PS Changing in Mothshag is OK
    (only if it's raining. If you leave gear there it gets cold + shite.)

    PSS We missed the rain in both dirns due to hiding nr Sam's dig

    PSSS Hammering your own passage is the dogs bollocks +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-24
    +
    Dave Milne, Chris Densham,
    +
    161 - Batman Series
    + +

    Surveyed the large hole just above 5-Ways (2 pitches) and derigged.

    We then went round the corner to the left (opposite <Mine Shaft Passage>) and descended Chris's pitch. This descends to a ledge, 6 metres above the blind base of the pitch. Following this 'ledge' back leads to a bold step to a window and then a bold traverse to an ascending phreatic. These bold moves can be avoided by going underneath.

    From the top of the short ascending passage a 5m free-climb down leads to too tight hole (even tighter with the large boulder rolled down). Across this a strongly draughting (towards you) passage continues as a crawl over dusty mud. After a z-bend, further crawling leads to a T-junction.

    To the right, after a few feet a rift is reached. This was descended (37m rope) off naturals, via a deviation to a ledge and then to the base, from where a very tiny hole leads off. Surveyed up. To the right at the pitch the ascending passage closes down immediately.

    Straight across, a short crawl lead to a left hand turn and further crawling to a blind aven. At the turn, to right a passage half filled with mud enters a small chamber. Lummat removed half the mud and gave the pleasure of removing the rest to Chris who first entered this bit (the mud also dammed up a pool of water.) The exit from the chamber was too small.

    Back at the T-junction a body sized tube descended gently to the left. This required removal of SRT gear and (so it turned out), a rope attached to the obvious thread at the T-junction so that you can inch your way back out. The short crawl ends at a shallow pit. The passage continues as a vertical squeeze. Going back upon yourself and upwards leads to a blind 7m aven. Continuing, a short drop leads to an awkward squeeze to a pitch. Rigging off naturals and crawling head first out the pitch gives a 7m drop to the base of a typically Picos pitch-ramp. A further 5m drop leads to a second pitch-ramp but the ramp rift is too tight to pass (4 inches thick - could be removed with a lump hammer?) Below an alluring chamber awaits (5m pitch). There is a draught round here somewhere - but do Austrian pitch-ramps go anywhere?!

    After carrying out a Grade I survey I detackled the pitch and made my way out of the body sized tube to where Chris was waiting to start the Grade 5 survey back to the Batman Series. We've called this area 'Tipico Asturias.' +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-24
    +
    Pete Lord, Clive George,
    +
    161 - Touristing
    + +

    Clive's birthday trip was a lovely tourist looking at all the big bits of cave which are very nice thank you. Anyway it got rid of the need to go underground for another year.

    Oh yes we nearly went off down a pitch but halfway down a bolt we remembered we had no spits so we went home. The end. Love Clive +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-25
    +
    Andrew Atkinson, Dave Milne, Chris Densham,
    +
    161 - Forbidden Land
    + +

    Better sense having been cast to one side, we passed Stairway to Hell to reach Forbidden Land. The hanging death was the worst I have seen, & the route has nothing to to recommend it. The redeeming feature is the direction of travel & strongly drafting _big_ passage. Turned left at the big chossy junction whereupon the quality suddenly improved. Rigged a ladder barely off a thread, then surveyed off right* in the big passage. Double back right, down the poxy hole, or up to climb an aven? 3 peple, 3 routes. The poxy hole went - soon to a big chamber. Down right, following the stream, or straight ahead? Both ways went - straight ahead was big, ending in the side of a huge rift pitch. Could this be a connection to 136? Following the stream also went, soon to leave it, some occasional crawling along an otherwise sizeable rift heading SW. Ended at a traverse needing rope. Returned to the ladder (previously free climb by A + Wookey) & popped in a bolt to get into the chamber left at the jct* above. Down was choss to a small pitch. But past some lovely conglomerate stals (formed by erosion) was a climb some draughting phreas popping out surprisingly at the head of a 6-7 second rattle. Even more surprisingly we survived the return through Stairway to Hell. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-26
    +
    Becka Lawson, Sam Lieberman, Craig Anderson,
    +
    Puerile Humour - 161d
    + +

    Took 200m rope out from the Guillotine for DaveF then turn off to Where the Wind Blows, off from Cat Woman, L at Gotham Junction in Puerile Humour. Down 3 shafts, 2 rigged on naturals then Sam put a pitch head bolt on Pencil Shaft. None of them went anywhere, all blind! Surveyed them anyway. Sam put some tape on, we had a look for Julian's sling in Staud'n'wirt Palace (but in the wrong spot!) & out in time for the dinner. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-26
    +
    Nick Proctor, Brian Outram, Paul Hammond, Helen Twelftree,
    +
    161 - Interview Blues - 161d
    + +

    We went down, we faffed, we bolted an amazing choss pile, we decided the other pitch would be better! We came out. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-26
    +
    Mark McLean, Juliette Kelly, Julian Todd,
    +
    161 - Tourist - 161d
    + +

    We hate caving, especially Ally. We nicked enough gear and went in. Ally's peril sensitive light & cave detecting glasses now smeared with mud stayed dark and got her a little spooked. We went down the main route till we met MarkF and Ally cleared out sharpish. The remainder went looking for Salt Lake City and overshot it because it was so under-whelming. We returned to junction and met ancient Becca caver. Then I walked down from entrance to 201 passage and the walk back was awful. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-26
    +
    Tina White, Mike Richardson, Penny Reeves,
    +
    161 - Alternative Universe
    + +

    Went to look at holes in Alternative Universe. Penny & Tina looked at first one which didn't go so Penny went out. Mike bolted second (from low point near end of passage - survey pt 6 is on thread belay). Two pitches c26m & c34m to rift which can be entered at bottom and traversed to climb down - wasn't sure I could climb back up but could see water going over further drop (must be about 75m below low point in Altuni.)
    T/U
    Mike 3 ½
    Tina 3
    Penny 2


    [Rough sketch of Alt Uni showing position of pitches]

    Previous trip / Next AltUni trip (Magic Jumars, 1997) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-26
    +
    Jeremy Rodgers, Mark Fearon, Tony Rooke, Dave Horsley,
    +
    Push/survey pitch at end Fogie's Folly/Wheelchair Access
    + +

    (DaveH's knees gave out on walk over, so did not go u/g. Tony had to jack when hit on head by rock in Slidy Caver - TU presumably minimal. ref. email from Dave 97/02/13) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-28
    +
    Dave Horsley, Julian Todd,
    +
    topcamp - Top Camp carry
    + +

    Walked up to top camp to check out my knees. Seemed OK on way up. Was starting to thunder & lightning just as we set off and was looking very dark. Just made it to top camp as it started to rain. There followed a very heavy storm - absolutely tipped it down for ~1hr, including hail stones. After that sun came out and was very nice. Walked down with large amounts of rubbish & spent carbide. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-28
    +
    Wookey, Andrew Atkinson,
    +
    161 - To the Forbidden Land again
    + +

    Andy showed Wook new bits, then put in a bolt for a ladder. Continued only 30m along rift before it degenerated. Scrotty bit continued to a choke - no obvious way on. We climbed up a bitbut it carried on for miles. There seemed to be a parallel rift full of water, esp when it rains. Went down a pitch in floor for 20m then close[?] to streamway through boulders. Big (40 l/s) stream followed until too small squeeze. Surveyed to head of pitch. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-28
    +
    Steve Bellhouse, Duncan Collis,
    +
    161 - Surveying down the tight bit beyond the hymen
    + +

    Having hammered out our own bit of cave, we thought we'd best go survey it.

    Started at Alt. Uni. end of things. Did a couple of connecting legs, all went well up until beginning of actual crawl. Problem was, it was too narrow to easily pass each other or turn round in, so I set of crawling backwards with compass + clino while Steve followed with tape. There is a ~6 inch wide gap in the floor, where things dropped down it go rattle rattle rattle........ boom bang rattle. This is disconcerting.

    Cunningly got eyepiece of clino bunged up with mud after a few legs, and spent half an hour licking it out. Then the compass fogged up. Then my carbide fucked up and the crawl went uphill. Then we said 'FUCK THIS' and went to retrieve our string gear from the other end of the crawl. Then we had the choice between going back through the crawl and going up a pitch (~5m). Couldn't immediately be arsed to do either, so we sat and ate loads of toffee & fudge, and pissed around looking at some holes we hadn't noticed before. None of these went very far so we came back to the bottom of the big aven (Zebedee) in Dr Snuggles. Water was pissing down this so we guessed it must be raining on the surface and therefore not time to come out of the cave, so we bashed a bolt in above a small pitch in our crawl which went nowhere. Then we were bored, cold and pissed off, so we came back out, retrieved our clothes from Mothshag, where we had got changed (it was shit) and fucked off. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-28
    +
    Anthony Day, Paul Hammond, Ralph Harwood,
    +
    161 - 161d
    + +

    Festered at both top-camp and the entrance for a good 2hrs, then reluctantly went underground hoping Anthony's "good" lead would close down after 10 yards. We met Ralph (who came in 161e) the wrong side of a rift without his string gear and then went to Roast Beef, a sub-district of Puerile Humour. After a short crawl we came out in a rift. Ralph climbed up 25m and found some leads which need rigging, Anthony found an impressive ice stal and climbed up the large aven above it which I followed a scrotty looking lead. Fortunately I emerged in a large rift running right-left, one end was nearly blocked by a large ice formation with a large chamber the other side of it. Both passages from there eventually choke but there are good ice pretties. It'd near the surface but we couldn't find another entrance.

    "Oh dear" we said "We appear to have found some cave - that'll need surveying!" After 150m however we were freezing and pissed off out of 161e. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-28
    +
    Nick Proctor, Brian Outram, Craig Anderson,
    +
    161 - Interview Blues
    + +

    Looking at the second lead down IB, under Minoan Surprise. Having decided that the 1st hole (the one directly under MS) was too chossy, we were bolting the 2nd hole, which involved a loose traverse. Brian & Craig went down, whilst I rigged off some boulders so I could dangle over the edge of the big hole in MS and produce a 'plumb' for the survey. This was connected into the Triassic Park survey by a leg 'from the end of Nick's hand.' By the time I joined Craig and Brian, Brian had reached the bottom of the pitch, which turned out to be Bottomless Pit of Eternal Chaos (of course). So we surveyed and derigged out. As we got to the bottom of pitch 4, everything went ROAR! It was raining upstairs and all the water was going down Dave & Becka's pitch next door. We had intended to survey and derig this as well, but thought it a bit wet. Brian played cowboy and lassooed a spike to get through the eyehole into D&B's pitch and confirmed that their rope would be a little damp to ascend, hence we went back up IB and left. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-29
    +
    Nick Proctor, Brian Outram, Craig Anderson,
    +
    161 - IB, where else?
    + +

    Having eliminated the nicer lead, it was time to go deep again, and we managed to convince Craig to come with us. Brian went ahead to rig the 9th pitch, whilst Craig & I surveyed from the bottom of the 7th. At the crossroads, I decided to have another look at the lead pronounced 'probably too tight' by myself and Becka. A bit of thrutching and I was through into more scrotty rift, a chamber with a very brave (and very dead) bat and another pitch. Hence 'Early Retirement' was named. So we surveyed back to the crossroads, then through the abysmal rift, down the 8th and through more shite rift (1 ½ metre survey legs) to the top of the 9th. Here we met Brian, who had rigged the 9th with a knot pass, bolted the 10th pitch and then discovered it was deep and no way was the 20m rope going to reach. So rather than face another knot pass he came out. Team survey were cold by this time, so we left. Brian & Craig 9 ½ hrs +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-29
    +
    Wookey, Anthony Day,
    +
    136 - Rig/survey/Derig 136
    + +

    Despite slightly shoddy weather and the fact that 136 sounds distinctly crap, we rigged in, made the connection to Forbidden Land, and surveyed out derigging as we went arriving back at base camp before breakfast. A casual observer would have thought we'd never left. Unfortunately, we lost the survey notes so it will all have to be done again next year.... +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-30
    +
    Nick Proctor, Brian Outram,
    +
    161 - You know where
    + +

    Having run out of friends (mugs, idiots, people open to bribery, blackmail, corruption etc) and team 136 having jacked horrendously, the penultimate, do or die, this is it, take it or leave it, everything must go trip down Interview Blues had a cast of 2. The plan was to push, find the bottom, survey out and then derig until the number of tackle sacks got too silly. So we knew we were in for a shit time. We were not wrong.

    We took down a long rope for the 10th, an extra rope for when we found the 11th pitch, and another bit of rope, just in case. After having an attack of conjunctivitis (sore eyes!) the last trip, I was caving in glasses rather than contact lenses. This was grim, as vision hampered by a shit carbide was further shafter by gloop-coated glasses. To add to the fun, my carbide had developed a fine extra peril-sensitive feature. Whenever I looked down, the clicker fell onto the jet, thus extinguishing the flame and preventing me from seeing any possible danger beneath me.

    Off we set, merrily abseiling and scrotting in turns (Quick description of Interview Blues: Abseil, abseil, abseil, abseil, scrot, abseil, scrot, abseil, abseil, scrot, abseil, scrot, abseil) which took us to the bottom of the ninth, or rather Brian to the top of the tenth, and me 15m from the bottom of the ninth, where I thrashed around trying to do a knot pass, which was conveniently situated in the damp bit of the pitch. As my lumps of mud which passed for gear turned to slime, my glasses clouded over, the tackle sack became 5 times heavier and my jammers completely refused to down-prussik, it could be said I was not having fun. Indeed, the odd swear word may have passed my lips. Eventually enough mud had been washed off, so I could complete the change-over and get to the bottom. Brian was merrily rigging the 10th pitch. I followed him down. Suddenly it was all large - big shaft, big chamber at the bottom. Help! Where's the rift? Got to the bottom and dashed down the first scrotty rift I could find, and sure enough found Brian coming back saying it got too tight. So we surveyed back to the chamber, finding a really awful way down, under a boulder pile, with lots of water and a 5m drop, on the way, and then finding the two stomping leads we had ignored completely on the way in. The first quickly became a rift traverse with water in the bottom. After some exciting thrutching we got down to the water. Upstream is a 3m climb with a waterfall. Downstream is another waterfall in a tight bit of rift - to rig it would require crawling in the water. Back to the chamber, and the next lead - another large passageway which soon becomes scrotty rift, but definitely still goes. Another corner of the chamber produced another lead, a rising rift with the sound of water down it, and yet another corner had a muddy crawl going off it. With all this cave, we just didn't know what to do, so we ran away.

    We surveyed out to the top of the ninth, gaining tackle sacks and being good boys and greasing the bolts (so we can go back next year.) After that it becomes hazy - tacklesacks, prussiking very slowly, sore balls, scrotty rift - the usual. We got to the bottom of the fifth with two tacklesacks each and gave up, since the fifth pitch is ~50m. So we dumped a tackle sack each and pottered up some more pitches. Brian abandoned his friend at the top of the fourth. I managed to get mine back to Trifurcation. Staggered out very slowly. It was 2-30am and it was misty and raining. Lovely trip.

    Brian - "Memorable" +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-31
    +
    Nick Proctor, Brian Outram, Duncan Collis,
    +
    161 - No prizes for guessing where
    + +

    Dunk decided to earn superhero points and helped us derig the remaining rope in IB. Dunk hauled, I derigged, Brian ferried tacklesacks. Prussiking with two tacklesacks is shit. Fucked up derigging the top of the 1st pitch, slipped and slammed into the wall. Shaken, but not stirred.

    We were going to derig Dave & Becka's pitch, leaving the traverse line in place, but Dunk didn't like the traverse, with its virtual footholds, and I'd had enough so the rope is still there.

    Derigged the lovely Knossos pitch and wandered out very slowly.

    See you next year!

    Previous trip / Next trip - not next year, in fact, 1999 ? +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-31
    +
    Wookey, Julian Todd, Paul Hammond, Anthony Day,
    +
    161 - Iceland Survey
    + +

    After returning with tales of lots of pretty ice near 161e, there was a queue of people clammering to survey it (not surprising when the other available options were derigging Interview Blues or carrying spent carbide down the hill.) Found 161e at the first attempt (Craig and Paul spent 4 hours wandering round the hill in caving gear the day before without finding it.) Wooks climbed up the aven in Crystal Maze getting about as far as me before deciding it was a bit vertical and giving up. It may be free climbable (though exposed) but definitely needs a rope to get down - worth a look next year as there's a big space at the top and lots of wind going up it. Paul and Anthony then surveyed out from the end of the phreatic which leads out of Iceland chamber whilst Wookey & Julian surveyed in through the bit that's full of ice and blowing a gale (ie fucking freezing.) The wind appears to disappear up the aven at Iceland as well as the aven in Crystal Maze. Hopefully we'll get some pictures of the ice. Also took a picture of surveyors in action (thrilling stuff) before exiting KH for the last time in '96. 12 trips, 10 surveys (7 as picture drawer), 1 bolt pretty much sums up my expo. Obviously I'll have to find somewhere nicer to go next Summer. You'll not catch me down that miserable hole in the ground ever again. And pigs will fly....

    Previous trip / Puerile Humour derig (1996 last trip) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-31
    +
    Clive George, Dave Horsley, Craig Anderson,
    +
    161 - There 'n' back
    + +

    BECKA - (of or DaveF/Sam) no date given in entry so I've inserted 31/7

    I love driving. Craig left the road a couple of times on the way there due to mistaking slip roads for motorway lanes. Dave F did the same on the way back but it was road works and Jeremy tried to crash in the same spot so he was probably allowed.

    Bloody customs at the england end. "Nice dent!" Pulled us over. NO WE HAVE NO DRUGS OR BOMBS NOW CAN WE PLEASE GO TO AUSTRIA IT'S FAR TOO FAR AWAY. "You're indicator's smashed." Fail to tell her it's been that way for over a year now - a bit too much like needling her.

    On the way back one of my part worn remoulds gave up. Only had to move two rucksacks to get at the spare! Hoorah.

    London was really shit and tedious. Don't ever go there.

    The end. Love Clive
    T/U
    Clive 1h20
    DaveK Craig) 40m
    DaveF Sam )
    +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1996-07-31
    +
    Steve Bellhouse, Dave Horsley,
    +
    161 - Derig Alt Uni & Puerile Humour. Connected Fogie's Folly survey to TP
    + + +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + + diff --git a/years/1997/frontmatter.html b/years/1997/frontmatter.html index 0ab2c206d..99927ebdb 100644 --- a/years/1997/frontmatter.html +++ b/years/1997/frontmatter.html @@ -1,7 +1,6 @@ -

    Austria 1997

    The first part of the log is traditionally taken up by the journey -out.
    If this is of no interest, here is a link to +out.
    If this is of no interest, here is a link     to the caving!

    IN REQUIEM

    diff --git a/years/1997/index.htm b/years/1997/index.htm index 93519779a..1b954bbdd 100644 --- a/years/1997/index.htm +++ b/years/1997/index.htm @@ -38,15 +38,10 @@ in Forbidden Land pushed
  • Pre-expo mission statement
  • Expedition Sponsors' Report 1997
  • Main Expedition Report from Cambridge Underground 1999
    • -
  • Logbook
    • +
  • Logbook
  • This year's sponsors
    - +
    - -
    • -
  • Index to all publications
    • -
  • Back to Expeditions intro page
    • -
  • CUCC Home Page
    • - + diff --git a/years/1997/logbook.html b/years/1997/logbook.html new file mode 100644 index 000000000..412cbba6d --- /dev/null +++ b/years/1997/logbook.html @@ -0,0 +1,510 @@ + + + + +1997 Expo Logbook + + + + + + + +

    Austria 1997

    +

    The first part of the log is traditionally taken up by the journey +out.
    If this is of no interest, here is a link to +the caving! + +

    IN REQUIEM

    + It was pissing down all over Europe... + +

    MEANWHILE, BACK AT CAMBRIDGE:-

    + +
    + +
    1997-07-08
    +
    Duncan Collis, William Stead, Jon Barber, Phil Underwood,
    +
    161 - Derigging SEP
    + +Dunks_, William -- TU 11 hour Jon, Phil U --> TU 6½ hour

    Derigged.

    Previous trips: Fuzzy Logic / SEP / Next Siberia trip (rig-in 1998) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-18
    +
    Mike Richardson, Sam Lieberman, Dave Horsley,
    +
    Journey - TEAM MOMENTUM II
    + +

    Started from York with Tina'n'Mike and quite a lot of not-very well packed gear, and drove to pick up Dave, thence to Sam's with even more even more crapply packed gear. Sam was out but a quick look through his bedroom window showed a huge pile of even more gear. General opinion was that it wouldn't all fit but Tina started from the position that it would so it did

    [pic of estate car with stuff on roof with 15 degree elevation to road]

    with Tina and Sam on ½ back seat.

    Uneventful journey to chunnel except for fuzz in car who were heard to say 'bloody hell'.

    Unloaded Tina and quite a lot on Clive who was going to France to go gorge bashing.

    On the shuttle Mike'n'Dave went to see Tony'n'Becka who were there as well; on the way back met Sam who asked if Mike had the keys 'cos he'd locked the Astra. Say no more so Dave kicked a rear quarter light in. Sam is now candidate for expo fuckwit of the year. Apart from that and the fact that it pissed down almost continuously ( and we saw two standard & one very mangled crash) the journey was pretty eneventful. T/T 14½ hours +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-18
    +
    Tony Rooke, Becka Lawson,
    +
    Team Raspberry Ripple
    + +

    All v. civilised, even tho' I had shitloads of gear there was only the two of us, so it all fitted. Saw Clive et al at Dover, & Mike et al (who ignored us) & apparently Jeremy was hanging around in the melee, but we didn't see him. Did the chunnel, & Mike + Dave came along to say hi + I splashed raspberry juice all over Tony's car. Oh, and we'd all brought a litre of single malt so we were OK. We drove & swapped & drove + swapped + drove... It was horrible & v._v_ wet. At about 4am it got light, but it was still wet. We did the scenic tour north of Salzburg - Tharau, Mondsee,??, Mendre & finally [scribble] Wolfgangzee. That took an hour in the rain. So are we going to be 1st, 2nd or 3rd (asked Tony?) 2nd if we're lucky, MikeTA will have floored it + Adam's probably beat us too. We were first. Said hi to Karin, shopped in Bad Aussee & MikeTA arrived. Beers in Hildes. I crashed, but the single malt was cracked open.

    two trips from all five of us to 19/9 Top Camp with our caving gear + Shit. Even managed to be dry on the 2nd.

    PM - Germans dropped by for a couple of hours & a couple of beers. They've re-surveyed our original Stellerweg stuff. Gave them a whisky taster sesh then they went + we finished the 2nd crate of beer, dried our boots + sang (no ghetto blaster). +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-18
    +
    Jon Barber, Adam Cooper,
    +
    Journey - DRIVE-IN - Jon Barker, Adam Cooper + Gear in a dodgy van
    + +

    BECKA - No date given for this entry, guessed at 18th

    Hull- Rotterdam crossing -> pleasant drive 'cos you can get some real sleep. Relatively uneventful drive taking ~15hrs, except 1) the Dutch are crap at signing anywhere outside Holland which makes getting into Germany tricky. 2) Coffee beans work at keeping a driver lively. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-21
    +
    Sam Lieberman, Dave Horsley, Mike Richardson, Becka Lawson, Tony Rooke,
    +
    161 - Wheelchair Access
    + +
    Team 1: _Sam_, Dave, Mike TA
    Team 2: Becka, Tony, Mike TA (again)
    T/U 5 hours

    With a hoard of going leads there was lots for all to do (all five of us). After a certain amount of whinging about the scrofulous route in we were at the pushing ...{Dave gave me a beer at this point} ... front. Through a squeeze to the left there was a pitch with a traverse over the top (apparently pushed by CJD last year), I traversed over the pitch, up a climb, over another pitch and errr... ummm... it all got a bit difficult, but carried on.

    [ sketch plan showing location of survey point marked with "M" ]

    Having given up the traverse I then proceeded to hammer a spit in, 1/3 of the way in - ping, the rock fell to pieces. The second hole worked and I derigged the traverse and rigged the pitch (1st one), This dropped 7m and ended in a blind, choked rift.

    Meanwhile the other team (team 2) were rigging down the right-hand pitch series, a steeply descending ramp, This was rigged to an awkward squeeze constriction ~20m whereupon they ran out of rope, Mike, having carefully forgotten his harness earlier on in the trip, then proceeded to leave his jammers at the top of the ramp series (chalk one up for the Fuckwit Tally).

    Soon it was deemed to be 'Time to Go' and we exited the cave. Most people walked back to top camp - however, Dave and I decided to go 'off piste' and had an entertaining time on the Ht. Schwartzmoos Kgl. (see separate write-up when I get round to it). +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-23
    +
    Tony Rooke, Sam Lieberman, Becka Lawson,
    +
    161 - Where the Wind Blows
    + +
    T/U 5 hours

    Pootled along to Where the Wind Blows, _swearing_ loudly at last years deriggers, who had removed all the sodding handlines (but hadn't detackled things like the big wet loose pitch down Alternative Universe). We skipped one handline, cut our rope for the next two, then spent _ages_ faffing at the little up-climb before No Utility Belt Required, 'cos the bastards had taken the rope off that _too_, for no good reason, and our rope wasn't long enough. We had now used all our rope, and I'd misheard how many bits we'd have to bring and we hadn't expected _all_ the handlines to be derigged. To the question marks at the end of Where the Wind Blows, I wriggled down the slot on the left, 5m before the choked end.

    [ sketch plan with much annotation ]

    I went left, up a vertical squeeze to a small chamber then up another vertical squeeze (Sam first) and a step up and Sam went up a 4m climb to look into a _big_ echoey vertical aven. He couldn't see anything obvious off it.

    Tony + Sam rigged the little pitch down the rift on the R after going through the slot on the L (by dint of sending Sam _back_ to derig the bloody up-climb to fetch the rope), Pitch to small chamber, ~3m down, then in one corner a tight rift going off (needs _hammering_) widens out below to ?20m pitch. A _small_ question mark!

    Meanwhile I started digging the final boulder choke. Thought the weak draft got a _bit_ stronger. Slow going - a medium sized QM?.

    BKA
    +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-23
    +
    Jon Barber, Adam Cooper, Mike Richardson,
    +
    161 - Wheelchair Access
    + +

    This was my first down Kaninchenhöhle. I was hot and tired by the time we had walked there in the midday sun. The cave was very cold in contrast.

    We set off into Wheelchair Access. It was odd route with small bits and lots of climbs. The ways were very sharp and I do not see my over suit lasting very long.

    We then started on the shit ramp. Adam sat and put a spit in part way down while Mike continued down and bolted lower down. I just sat down and went to sleep while they worked.

    The pitch was descended and another climb was found into a big passage. This could not be entered as there were no more ropes. See later to find out how much more there is .... +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-23
    +
    Dave Horsley,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Cairning
    + +

    Whilst the rest were caving I walked from Top Camp to the cave re-cairning the route so I won't get lost again. I also explored three possible digs in the valley/gulley we walk down. Starting from the bottom, on the left as you walk down, just before you get to the bunde highway, you step over it on the walk to the cave. A tight rift with a good cold draft. May go, but needed more in the way of protective clothing than shorts and T-shirt.

    In the right hand wall of the valley:

    (1) Sam's dig:
    Flat out crawl on pebbles with more run in from the right. Way on is a tight rift in the floor at the end. I removed some rocks but rift looks too tight at 5-6 inches wide. But does emit a strong cold draft.

    (2) Further up on the right as you walk down the valley/gulley. A circular entrance with mud floor, leads to a 3m deep pot which is blind. The way on over the top of the pot soon chokes - no draft. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-24
    +
    Dave Horsley, Jon Barber, Becka Lawson,
    +
    161 - Alternative Universe
    + +

    Mike gave us the briefing as he'd been the only one down last year. Gave Jon a brief lesson in surveying. Found a random carbide mark half- way down the boulder slope ~100m before Bulemic Pit. At the bottom of the boulder slope, you drop down a hole in the boulders (q. loose) and follow a tightish rift steeply down for ~5m to a Y-hand (2 bolts) which Mike had put in. Took out the rope which had been put in last year and rigged out _nice_ skinny 9mm. Q. drippy down the pitch. 28m down to a big ledge. Found Mike's single dodgy bolt on the balcony to the bridge + Jon put in a second bolt for a _nearly_ rub-free Y-hang. At the ledge, I dropped the 5m pitch off 2 naturals - 2 well preserved _bat skeletons_

    [ sketch showing locations of bat skeletons ]

    (as plan) and an eye-hole through to the main pitch Jon was bolting. No other way on.

    Jon + I down the next pitch, Y-hang _just about_ OK with a rope protector and tacklesack on each arm of the Y-hang, but bad rubbing on the lower part of the pitch. Estimate 30-40m. Mike hadn't bottomed this last year [Oh yes I had - Mike TA] - not enough rope. Even drippier at the bottom of this pitch. Person-width rift led off. We thrutched

    [ sketch plan of chamber ]

    down as far as a short drop (15ft or less) where the rift opened up and continued around the corner - couldn't see how it ended,

    Requires surveying from bolt at the head of 2nd pitch and probably a rebelay and deviation (at least!) on the 2nd pitch, plus a bolt for the short climb down the rift.

    BKA
    +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-24
    +
    Tony Rooke, Mike Richardson, Sam Lieberman, Adam Cooper,
    +
    161 - Wheelchair Access and Kein Zimmer Rift
    + +

    Tony, Mike pushing Time U/G

    Sam, _Adam_surveying TU 6 hours

    (1) _Surveying Trip_ - Mike

    Proceeded to passage referred to in the last write-up. The dirty ramp in Wheelchair Access has been renamed Kein Zimmer Rift on account of the lack of space. Surveyed from the 'M' carbide mark at -225m below 161a. Survey station 20 is the bottom of a plumb from the obvious nose containing a spit for the pitch into the big stuff. Tony whinged like a tosser spitting this. Spent ~¼hour running upstream in enormnous passage, before leaving.

    See survey book for Sam's sketch of (mainly) the upstream passage - Tony and Mike had investigated down stream ... (next page)

    (2) _Pushing Trip_ - Adam

    Trundled quickly down to the bottom of Kein Zimmer, pausing only occasionally to kick shit out of a tackle bag to get it down the rift. A few minutes knitting saw the drop into the passage rigged, and we dropped into a huge (well, very large) passage. Hmmm :- upstream or downstream? We agreed on downstream - followed passage for 250m with a few climbs through boulders but always large passage (phreatic tube at the pitch but becoming more canyon-like later). Eventually reached big ledge at side of a massive rift chamber. Tony bolted and descended to a ledge below which the pitch continued, but from there we climbed into the chamber. This is a huge (yes, _huge_) rift chamber with a steeply sloping floor, maybe 40m end-to-end. The bottom end narrows to a wall of mud. Unfortunately we couldn't find any way out.

    Returned back up and met Sam & Adam who had just reached the kitted pitch. Tony bolted properly, then we ran upstream for a bit; this leads over a choss bank to another large chamber with a soil bank; up this and left leads back to the main passage, right goes to a climb down into a chamber, with a crawling tube back to the aforementioned chamber.

    Now that's what makes expo caving worthwhile. Went out and got back to the Löserhutte before it started raining. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-24
    +
    Dave Horsley, Sam Lieberman,
    +
    161 - SAM & DAVE GO WALKABOUT
    + +

    BECKA - no date given for this trip - but I was on the 161 trip that Sam and Dave were part of so looking at other dates I think this was the 24th. This makes sense as no caving happened on the 25th as we'd all been up half the night before.

    Having had a successful first trip in the cave (well, noone died anyway) we exited into blinding sun, er, clag, mist and light rain. We all left together, Dave and I bringing up the rear and all was well trolling up the gulley back to top camp. Twilight had set in so now we had clag, mist, heavier rain and failing visibility - what could possibly go wrong - well....

    WE GOT LOST



    At one point we traversed round a bit both of us recognised as being an alternative route instead of going up a climb on the 'Authorised' route. Sorry this pen's a bit crap - switching to a new one .... This one's better ... Rather than do the sensible intelligent thing and turn back we persevered on our present course assuming we'd meet the path again. I mistakenly headed rightish (North as it turned out) up a different gully and then carefully kept a vague dark blob of a hill to our left. The vague dark blob of a hill was in fact the Hinter Schwartzmoos Kogel. More dark and more rain. We were now thoroughly lost. Dave had a compass and I had a vague notion of which way we should go - East and maybe a bit North and downhill 'cos we were definitely too high. Ten minutes later it was completely dark and tipping down (still misty and claggy) and it was decided that more walking in which ever direction would get us more lost so we found a rock shelter (dripping, misty, claggy and a pleasant breeze blowing through). We donned every bit of available gear including rucksacks - every bit of available gear was wet of course, and layed in a slight depression in the rocks. It was now 9:15pm, Dave fettled his carbide up and we huddled round it breathing warm carbide soot, and very warming it was too. The rest of the night was sleepless, very cold, always quarter to something and raining, dark, misty, claggy and windy. We waited for a reasonable amount of light and I decided if we headed South and East depending on terrain we would arrive back somewhere useful no matter where we were. 5:30am we set off (in the mist and clag but no rain hooray!!) - the walking around warmed us up and as we got lower the clag cleared marginally. A cliff face covered in Bunda ... mmmmm ... we found what looked a bit like a path and followed it - a bit of dithering around in the Bunda and we found a gulley - no way out at the bottom. '''BUT''' a little way up we found a definite path - sawn off branches and all and .... oh, we were at the Bunda traverse leading to 161d. Turn around and 15 minutes later we were back where we had gone wrong 10 hours earlier, still alive mostly thanks to having a carbide and a compass. 10 minutes further on we found Becka bellowing sweetly through the mist - rescued at last. After a brew and a bowl of Tom Yan Noodle soup we all went back down to base camp and what turned out to be a nice sunny day.

    Many thanks to the people who had to get out of their just warm pits, put on their boots (after they'd tipped the water out) to come and look for us (twice) - next time it's your turn to hide.

    Sam (only seven lives left now). +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-26
    +
    Becka Lawson, Jon Barber,
    +
    161 - Wheelchair Access
    + +

    Raining so noone else wanted to go caving. I dragged Jon down Wheelchair Access. Jon did some re-rigging on Kein Zimmer and I ran downsteam to the pitch. Jon came along and we ran upstream for a look around and then started surveying downstream for some time. Then we came out. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-26
    +
    Duncan Collis, Anthony Day,
    +
    Journey - Team Lardis Time Travel to Expo
    + +

    Smaller than it looks on the inside. Travels along right angles in space time. Got to Dover so fast we reckoned we'd catch the earlier ferry. Unfortunately the last 2 miles to the docks took 1½ hours therefore caught ¼ to 3 ferry.

    Once in France Anthrax, Megadeth and Halloween kept us awake for a while.

    Incidental note!
    Fuel consumption against speed for Lada Riva 1.3 !

    [funny graph follows]

    Some fat Kraut tried to shove us off the Autobahn, but we arrived OK. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-27
    +
    William Stead, Julian Haines,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Loser Plateau
    + +

    William and Julian walked over in direction of C136, left gear for tomorrow's trip at highest point of Kaninchenhöhle path above col, and carried on round and slightly up. Noticed small hole under boulders and went down with a head-torch. Goes down for c. 20m to a tightish looking way on (worth trying in proper gear). At this point I could see daylight and crawled up a slope and out.

    [drawing of entrance locations] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-27
    +
    Becka Lawson, Robert Winkler,
    +
    161 - Tourist + Wheelchair Access with German cavers from Stuttgart club
    + +

    Germans walked all the way over to Scarface with their gear from the car park (with some subtle grumbles over the climbs!) and I took them on a tourist to the end of Triassic Park and showed them the Fear-On Traverse and the start of Interview Blues. Back to go down Wheelchair Access. More mild grumbles over oversuit-shredding Kein Zimmer. Robert and Robert surveyed downstream from where Jon and I had left off yesterday to the bottom of the pitch downstream. I furtled around in the chamber below the pitch but couldn't find a way on - unless there is a way the other side of the pool where the pitch comes in.....but that is over welly height. I went back to fetch a rope and rigged a pitch (?5m) off 2 naturals and kicked the accrued stones down for a bit. Lobbed down and Robert (the elder) followed.

    [detailed sketch of cave]

    To small chamber with skinny rift upstream + rift (fine to go down) downstream. Down ~10m to small chamber, then along ~another 10m to top of small pitch in rift - I think this is quite likely to join up to the pool at the bottom of the downstream pitch into the big rift chamber, but should be checked. Robert could see light from young Robert when he was in the 2nd rift after the chamber + young Robert was in the main passage above the pitch. [arrow pointing to a section at the bottom of the next page] Showed the Germans Salt Lake City at the end of the trip and then they walked all the way back to the car park with their gear! +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-27
    +
    Sam Lieberman, Adam Cooper,
    +
    161 - Surveying upstream in Lost World
    + +

    Discovered a section of _large_ passage containing many mud formations and showing evidence of backing up. Very sump-like. Much of passage (named Bournville Lakes?) was ~5m wide, highly linear and v. tall, hading slightly. Dived off down, even more sump-like, entering a tube before leading ultimately to a small mud-choked bit. The water had cut deep trenches in mud banks but seemed to seep into choss in the floor. Surveyed this lot so didn't have time to complete the whole upstream survey.

    (Survey continued William & Sam) Adam
    (28/7 - written up earlier) T/U 7 hrs +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-28
    +
    Dave Horsley, Mike Richardson, Sam Lieberman, William Stead,
    +
    161 Surveying and Photographing Lost World
    + +

    Dave H and Mike - Photographing Lost World

    Sam and William - Surveying Lost World

    We went to Lost World, Sam carried my camera gear down Kein Zimmer rift. I took lots of photos in upstream Lost World which I hope come out. Tried photographing one of the many bat skeletons in the large chamber upstream Lost World, which almost certainly won't come out. I'm not sure I had enough light to do the large chamber justice - may be worth going back with some bulbs instead. Took more photos on the way out, including of Kein Zimmer rift, up which Mike carried my ammo can.

    Because I kept taking more photos on the way out we didn't get out 'till close to our call-out time of 8pm. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-28
    +
    Sam Lieberman, William Stead,
    +
    161 - Surveying Lost World Upstream
    + +

    Sam (notes) and _William_ (instruments)

    My reintroduction to KH after 1990 expo - don't like climb to new entrance. Arrived just in time to hear a winging sound and see Becka disappearing underground. Passed grottyishly rigged surprise of Wheelchair Access - could do with extra bolt to remove need for rope protector. Down to Lost World via Kein Zimmer (Kein Raum/Platz?) rift which proved much easier than we'd been told. Sam and I started surveying while Dave and Mike took piccies. Got up to survey st'n 4 where Sam suggested we go up a side rift towards sound of running water. This we did and found huge area with small stream running down wall, disappearing under boulder blocking exit and simultaneously holding back a large pile of mud and gravel. Might just get down but probably not worth trying unless you fancy getting buried alive. Decided to survey it and ripped my suit. Continued surveying to station 10 in the chamber full of dead bats (Ptearamack Suit Chamber?) - well 2 or 3 anyway. Continued through the crawl to the black floored passage (Bournville Lakes) and connected up a few more legs here and there. By this time I was freezing so we started out. Mike and Dave went on up the rift while I put a bolt in the bottom pitch to improve the take off and still caught them up before the top of the rift pitch. Out ca 7.30pm, back to camp where we waited for Julian and Anthony to come out of 136 before going down to base camp in the dark.

    Time Underground 7½ hrs, William

    P.S. Pause for a rant. When joining ropes at a rebelay, join the rope _loops_ not just the maillon. That way you won't die if the maillon unscrews.

    [drawing of correct method with large tick]
    [drawing of wrong method with large cross]

    PPS I like the rigging generally really!

    [Insert: page torn from magazine - advertisement "Now there's a new way to avoid the wet patch.", captioned "Open, for a new exciting product - useful for Sump clearance, wild nights out and rising damp."] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-28
    +
    Phil Underwood, Duncan Collis, Becka Lawson,
    +
    161 - Rigging towards Siberia
    + +

    {xxxx} = corrections from Becka

    Dunk had an Idea: "Let's push that lead in Siberia!"
    Phil: "Sounds like fun. Where's Siberia?"
    Becka: "Can I come too?"

    So we arrived at 161d, and worked out what we had forgotten. Unfortunately, I managed to fettle up a replacement for my lamp belt, so I had to go caving. We arrived at the guillotine to find several 9-10m lengths of rope, and three ropes >=56m. Mutter. General rope cutting and fettling, (the 60-odd m rope), and then we were off. Rigged into Knossus via an airy rebelay {Found tacklesack which had been left from last year}. General wandering around trying to find YAPATE inlet. Found it. Stomp. Replaced the traverse line {No, we didn't, we replaced the maillon on the pitch head and left all the rope (circa 1990 or so)} below staircase 36, and prussiked up. Becka replaced a dodgy looking hanger {maillon}, and we trundled up Chicken Flied Nice, with a short diversion to look at Hyper Gamma Spaces.

    Next: lugging the tackle-bastards up Burble crawl. Not as nasty as it could have been, but still pretty miserable. Popped out at the head of Vom pitch, which Becka rigged half-way before running out of things to, and then couldn't find the right way down. Dunks then had a go with equal lack of success. {Later we found out it had been rigged off a deviation which had later fallen off as someone prussiked up it.} Phil didn't try. We came out, happy that we didn't have to lug all the tackle back through Burble, and exited to warm sunshine at 7.00pm. +

    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-28
    +
    Julian Haines, Anthony Day,
    +
    136 - Steinschlagschacht
    + +

    Walked to 136 the hard way, up, down, up, down over choss etc. Walked back to get my gear. Sat around a bit fettling things, untangling 200m of rope and remembering how to put on SRT kit. Eventually got underground about 2 o'clock. Completely rerigged the first pitch to avoid as much of the loose rubble as possible - now a 45° bolt traverse to the head of the pitch. Pitch head has moved from the original '83 position - now out of the line of fire from the boulder slope. Fine pitch (c.35m) with mostly free hang (and a lot of bounce) - one deviation.

    Continued on from foot of 1st pitch into large chamber sloping downhill from entry point. There appeared to be 2 or 3 ways on from here but only one spit in evidence from the original '83 exploration. We rigged down the most promising hole (not where the original spit was) on the opposite side of the chamber about half way down the slope. After about 15m descent found spits from '83 exploration and followed these for around 100m descent. Eventually arrived at a ledge next to a waterfall with the water disappearing down a rift in the floor. This route looks a bit damp and unpleasant.

    _Note:_ The pitch head at the 2nd pitch is both loose and awkward. Typically people kick rocks from this which fall around 70/80m down the pitch to the obvious ledge. It's advisable not to call "pitch free" until OFF the 2nd pitch and for the following people to wait under this obvious ledge. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-29
    +
    Becka Lawson, Julian Haines, Anthony Day,
    +
    136 - Steinschlagschacht
    + +

    Faff, faff. Then Becka realised she had forgotten her oversuit at 161 so had to go back down the bloody hill to get it (see Fuckwit count). Finally got underground about 2pm. Anthony and Julian started the survey (Anthony had done the surface survey to 136 earlier). After the first pitch, I took over the surveying with Anthony and Julian went down to continue the rigging. We did lots of dodgy plumbs and ambled on down nice airy rigging with hardly any choss at all (_what were_ they griping about?) Surveyed down to where A & J had got yesterday, then Julian had rigged a traverse line over a wettish rift into an eyehole. We reckoned the original CUCC route had gone straight down the wet route. We did another 54m rope worth down the eye-hole route, over a sloping hole and down 2 or 3 ledges until Julian got bored of rigging and our survey had caught up with him (189m depth surveyed, with 40m plan extent, fun, fun, fun!) Then we turned round and prussiked back out again to a fantastic sunset. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-29
    +
    Tony Rooke, Jon Barber, Adam Cooper,
    +
    161 - Sam's rift at top of K(l?)ein Zimmer
    + +

    Went with drill to push over the 1st pit (Sam did before, blind pit). Bolted down 2nd pit, clearing choss on the way. Approx 20m deep before choked. Adam bolted up to the last bolt before suggesting Jon continued. He did - it went about 10 feet! Went out - Tony frozen. Needs further push for 3rd pit! +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-30
    +
    Tony Rooke, Adam Cooper,
    +
    Surface - Surface ramblings
    + +

    Went round the Augstwies side for a look around, starting at 201 level. Lots of bunde bashing and following Bambi tracks up ridiculous slopes. Located (1) a tube
    (2) a cave CUCC 1997 # 1 ... (see KH survey book, sorry)

    Both are in the cliff which 161d sits in. The tube was too high - need to ab in. The cave is 30m long and may draught slightly. Worth a dig as it is ~30m lower & 20m S of 161d. It is phreatic.

    Sketched some surface features to the limit of my ability. See non-KH survey book.

    Adam
    T/U 30 mins +

    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-30
    +
    Jon Barber, Duncan Collis,
    +
    161 - Siberia
    + +

    I was talked into going to Siberia with Duncan. There were plenty of comments like "Its not that cold", "Burble Crawl is not too bad" and the like. It was in fact one of my best trips and I was warm. This was the first time I did not need a hat and gloves. We went in through Triassic Park and into Knossos. All nice and big. Then Burble Crawl. Not too small but .. its uphill for 100m. Vom Pitch followed. We were glad to get out of this place at the bottom, lots of bits fell off including what we rigged off. Duncan found the way on and off we went. (There is also a hole at the bottom of the pitch. Possible lead!) Found a windy passage. I got cold while Duncan rigged then we went out to meet our call out. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-30
    +
    Sam Lieberman, Mike Richardson,
    +
    161 - Last and final bit of Magic Jumars
    + +

    First trip down Magic Jumars (in fact first trip down Alternative Universe) before we'd even got to the pitch series we spotted a V. V. good lead requiring a bolt traverse (Anthony, Dave shits muesli, there was an awful lot of Dave knowledgeable bullshit going on not to mention a "pendule") spot the pissed ramblings in log book). Meanwhile back in the cave....

    [map drawn here]

    Having descended the pitches Sam took off his SRT gear and squeezed through the rift at the end. There was a gorgeous echo (worthy of a Welsh choir) but the rift got too tight errrrrrr................ well a team of dehydrated midgets might get through - derigged in the well dripping pitches. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-30
    +
    Sam Lieberman,
    +
    161 - Re-rigging Where the Wind Blows
    + +

    After de-rigging Alternative Universe, Mike headed out from the Guillotine, with some time in hand I decided to go and recover my tape slings and re-rig the traverses and hand-lines in Puerile Humour - boring stuff really. Ran down Triassic/Puerile Humour did the re-rigging/collected the spare ropes and ran back down Triassic. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-31
    +
    Dave Horsley, Andrew Atkinson, Mike Richardson,
    +
    161 - KHöhle - Puerile Humour
    + +

    Photographic trip up Puerile Humour. Went in with Sam and Adam to show us the way. Took a couple of photos of Slidy Caver on the way in while waiting for Andrew to change. I started photographing at Penguin Falls, and took one and a bit films in Puerile. Took no piccies in Triassic cos I was told there already are plenty. Finished off with some pictures in Critters' End, Perseverance and Slidy Caver again. Got out with weather still OK, but heavy cloud building. Back to camp OK, but it started thundering, lightening and pissing down on the way down.

    Previous trip (Where The Wind Blows) / Next trip - 1999 ? +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-31
    +
    Duncan Collis, William Stead, Phil Underwood,
    +
    161 - Siberia
    + +

    Finally got to the pushing front in Siberia. Someone Else's Problem is fucking big. Whacked in some bolts and threw William down on a bit of rope. No sign of the bottom - estimate about 50m. Came back out to darkness and pissing rain. Siberia is in fact dead nice. A bit blowy, but dead nice - lots of sculpted flakes of rock, and quite a lot of ?s all over the place. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-31
    +
    Tony Rooke, Becka Lawson,
    +
    136 - Steinschlagschact
    + +

    We went down ~same time as Julian + Anthony, we'd split a 200m rope between us to rig each of our 2 routes. J & A bombed off with the drill through the Eyehole route whilst Tony put another bolt on the opposite wall to the end of the traverse. We went down the damper route, though the Y-hang was well away from the water. Down to ledge in the rift, walked along it ~10m, found an 83/84 bolt. Tony down that, put a rebelay bolt over the lip, moaned quite a bit about dead legs and down another short pitch. Along a ledge R ~10m again, still stringing along our 100m rope and ..... der-der-der-duurh, we think we found the "Phreatic Phantasy" level. A few widgy 1 metre (max) diameter tubes going off at quite steep (?60° or so) angles which intersected with the main shaft. I furtled around for quite a time rigged off various so-so naturals, to see if anything promising went off. Nothing really seemed to be drafting they were quite mud-filled. I rigged the next little pitch off 3 naturals and swung around and around some more to various odd holes. Snapped off a v. fine white stal. squeezing into an unpromising rifty-hole, sadly.

    [detailed sketch of cave entitled: Fantasy Frigging Freatic Level]

    Oh dear. Out to the traverse line, met the other 2 who'd bombed down and bombed out, surveying. Tony went out. Julian, Anthony and I went back down our route to survey it as far as a knobble (CM) above and on the wall by the 2nd natural (see plan over). Oh, except Anthony ballsed up and didn't get a compass for that leg. Everyone turned their noses up at my phreatics then we prussiked out with loads of drill gear which was bloody heavy. I ended up with 2 tacklesacks on the entrance pitch with the usual CUCC 2m donkey dicks on which meant they swung nicely into all the ungardened choss on the traverse line at the top. Crash, rumble, crash. "You still there Anthony?" Dour grumbles from the farthest corner of the cave. Out to thunder, lightning and downpour. Walked down in caving gear. Yum,yum. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-07-31
    +
    Julian Haines, Anthony Day,
    +
    136 - Steinschlagschacht (136)
    + +TU 8 hours

    Bombed down the "Eyehole Route" as far as the limit of the trip on 29/7/97 to find Julian putting in more bolts at the head of the next pitch Some time and 3 bolts later, a distant "pitch free" was heard & I followed. Pitch is approx. 60m with deviation & 2 rebelays. The last 45m is down the wall of a jolly large chamber. (roof not visible from top rebelay (at least 65m high) chamber appears to be part of an enormous rift, ~10m wide and 20m long, choked at either end. At the southern end, a hole is visible ~10m off the ground, possibly accessible by a chossy climb which neither of us fancied our chances of getting back down again without a rope. A hole under the far wall of the chamber from where the rope lands leads to the foot of a drippy aven with no other visible leads. Survey data puts this lot at -257m from 136 entrance and ~30m below the level of Forbidden Land. No obvious draught, though the big pitch is quite breezy. Undid the last 2 rebelays on the way out with a view to hauling the rope out from the top later. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-02
    +
    Adam Cooper,
    +
    Surface - some rambling/digging/surface rigging
    + +

    Claggy weather so went to
    (1) rig/insert spits for an ab off from Scar Face to below the cliff for
    a) surveying down lower
    b) rescue evacuation to a helicopter landing
    (2) dig the back of 1997/01

    Results
    (1) rescue rig not completed. Ran out of rope and cones (dropped one :-( ). So far one spit + 4m and 3m north of 161d for traverse round + 2 spits ~ 15m N & below at top of grassy swathe. 40m rope from these takes you through relatively choss free and bunder free region ending on a steep cliff face where 2 more spits are needed for a ~ 30m? drop down to walking terrain.

    (2) Dig 4m gained but needs more effort to continue to shift sandy floor & more cobbles back in passage. No draft perceived.

    _A walking route to the bottom of the Scarface cliff._

    Climb approx 15ft above the entrance to 161d, on the path, contour left (southish), aiming at a grassy band below a cliff. Drop diagonally down this grassy band, until an incised gully* (quite narrow) is reached which affords a scramble downwards to a more level patch of broken ground. Contour round & up slightly to the bottom of the cliff.

    *Just after entering the gully, a cave entrance behind and to your right (facing down) is seen (entered - no way on ~ 12m of passage & fractured rock floor. Not tagged.) Lower down on the R, right in the gully is another (undescended) cave.

    _Another small cave at the cliff base_

    Another cave of water worn origin was investigated, (very) approx 150m S of 161d at the base of the cliff. It is dead straight on a bearing ~ 290° and dips at -30° from the entrance. Dimensions approx 0m5 wide, varying in height from ~1m50 to 0m5. Cobble floored. Length approx 16m. Ends in rubble at floor level & 2 impassable slots above. Seems to draft slightly. Marked "+" and '97/2" in carbide, _not tagged_.

    Time U/G ~ 1hr +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-02
    +
    Julian Haines, Becka Lawson,
    +
    136 - Steinschlagschacht CONNECTION Trip!
    + +T/U 7 hours

    Everyone was nursing non-existent post-dinner hangovers in the rain, but Julian + I + Adam, being mugs, headed up the hill. Clag + drizzle. Oh well, we'll walk to top camp, brew up, and psyche ourselves up. I climb into my soaking Alpinex, after my last 136 trip, I was trying to dry it, ended up just making myself miserable, but a good dose of Tom Yam noodles soon sorted us out. Tootled up to 136, bombed on down - gone 2pm! round the Eyehole route to the top of the pitch series into the big chamber. Julian gets the drill out + sweats + strains over a nightmare traverse over a great slab of chossy 80( rock, 50m above the deck. I get cold. Occasionally I make helpful comments like "Do you really need another bolt? Can't you just swing over from there?" and rack my brain for conciliatory phrases after the traverse goes nowhere, "Well at least we know how many bolts the drill does now," "It was a fine view anyway", "Good practice for the real thing" etc. etc.

    Eventually Julian disappears over the edge, swings over to another rock bridge, and I can footle over. I'm frozen + Julian is shagged so I get to do a loose 6m hang off a dodgy natural down to a chossy mud slope. Julian is enthusiastic about a vague shadow on the far wall. I try not to get too pessimistic. I get down, the 'way on' looks like a loosely bouldered alcove. I start screeching, at Julian, "Look, look!" "What?" "Look!" I've spotted a _huge_ CM13, we've made the 161 connection to the Forbidden land, yelp. I go hollering off down the next chamber whilst Julian whacked in a couple more bolts for the final pitch, then we both went off for a tourist. We headed towards Elin Algor, but it got v. loose boulder choke. Then we played around down Tirolia Werke as far as the pitch + poked around some QMs. Then we surveyed from the QM13 to Anthony's last point, as we were good bods! Then we went home, prussik, prussik, prussik. Thought there wouldn't be anyone at Top Camp to brag to, but no, every tent was stuffed to the gills so we kept up all the Off-To-The-Far-End-At-6.30AM-Tomorrow-Morning Team up as we pigged out on tortellini again. A fine trip on a dreary day - KH over 500m + a new entrance!!! +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-03
    +
    Chris Densham, Mary Lane, Mike Baslington,
    +
    Journey - Swiss Alpinists arrive...
    + +Mike Baslington - (Juliette Kelly's 4C's buddy)

    Mary Lane (Fran's sister)

    Just left the Swiss Alps after 2 weeks very pleasant climbing. Just trogging up the hill to see about doing some caving. Chris +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-03
    +
    Julian Haines, Anthony Day, Becka Lawson,
    +
    136 - Steinschlagschacht
    + +T/U 8

    Team keen up at 6.30 which meant all of Top Camp was up & around by 7.30 & I was the last to leave Top Camp at 9.30 or so.

    What is CUCC coming to ? We three beat William + Andrew down 136 + headed off down the wet (Original) Route [ to be called Wet Dreams, and passing through Fhantasy Phreatics level ?] to continue the survey down. I rigged until I'd finished the 100m rope (which had started at the Y-hang of the traverse, where the Eyehole Route splits off). This is 2 pitches off bolts, one off naturals & then 3 more rebelays off increasingly dodgy bolts. No shortage of 83/84 bolts - often two within a metre of each other, but some impressively lousy placements, bolts sticking out miles, wet hangs, etc. etc. Still, it must have been miserable rigging it in the first place. The Wet Route is smaller than the shaft series above the traverse, & apart from the piddly phreatics, it is down, down, with spray + a series of ledges ~10m apart. Finished the survey (a resurvey from the Y-hang would be worth it, if the wet route ever goes anywhere!) & then we derigged the 100m (which was the point of all the above) & went down the Eye-Hole route & rigged the 100m into the Big Chamber. I did the traverse & had a look at the drop.

    [ sketch showing location of a QM near connection point ]

    QM SHOULD BE DONE, GOOD POTENTIAL + drop of ?20m into rifty passage from the bridge before the final ~6m pitch to the Forbidden World connection.

    However, I didn't have a bolting kit + the rock was really chossy so I went back. People in the chamber look _really_ tiny from 45m up on the traverse. Down to the Big Chamber to meet the others, a jolly free hang. Julian had drilled his way up the mud/rock to get to a hole at the south end of the chamber, but it went nowhere. He left the rope on it.

    [sketch plan ]

    I looked around the chamber q. carefully. The only lead I could find was through (down) the boulder climb (q. stable, big rocks) q. a long way (10-20m) to a q. strongly drafting rift/pitch which would need a bit of hammering to go (or maybe you could get into it from another spot through the boulders). Back out, de-rigged the 100m (again!) + left it on the top of the traverse (well, it might be useful there!) + the drill (see previous excuse) & ambled on out. My last trip! Anthony's knee now thoroughly knackered. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-03
    +
    William Stead, Andrew Atkinson,
    +
    161 - Push/Survey Wookey's 1996 lead in Forbidden Land "The Gravel Pit"
    + +

    The original plan had been for Mike (Animal) to go with Andrew via Stairway to Hell, special permission having been sought from Tina. However, new way through from 136 means lots of prussiking, so I was drafted in instead. Went via Kaninchenhöhle to pick up SRT kit to find team Keen _still_ not fully underground & returned to 136 entrance to find Julian & Anthony taking the piss over a half-changed Becka (or vice-versa). Followed Julian, Anthony & Becka underground ca 11.30 am & did _lots_ of abseiling down to the bolt traverse followed by a lot more abseiling & a 100% wacky, way-out traverse miles up in the ceiling to reach ... The Forbidden Land. Headed _South_ towards Wookey's lead via a 5m pitch Andy had forgotten about. At this point my penknife came in handy to cut the rope we'd brought. Continued down Wookey's lead to find ourselves in a medium size chamber where the floor + walls comprised entirely gravel or choss (The Gravel Pit). Looked down a pit in the floor where the take off was also 100% choss, no chance of rigging it + too steep to climb. So we went round to the left between _more_ gravel banks to find a pitch with a stream coming in. Andy used the bolt kit I'd picked up from KH entrance to rig it + kicked loads of choss down. At the base of the pitch is a small chamber + a climb down with the water. Passage continues in walking vadose trench to where the water disappears under the stones. Passage continues to an aven + a small chamber with lots of mud + a choked mud sump. Pity. Surveyed out, with me on instruments until my glasses misted up, so swapped. Surveyed back to original lower bolt. _NB_ took a look at an alternative way to the choss hole in the floor where there is a solid boulder in the roof to rig off. This seems to go somewhere else + should be pushed (A). Out at sundown via _lots_ of prussiking + getting v.hot.

    T.U. 9 hrs
    +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-03
    +
    Duncan Collis, Jon Barber, Andrew Ketley, Phil Underwood,
    +
    161 - Someone Else's Problem
    + +TU 14

    Picked up 75m of 9 mil at the Guillotine. Then went to retrieve Andrew from the far end of Salt Lake, while Jon + Phil set off to survey to SEP.

    Faff, Faff, Faff. Eventually the survey to the pitchhead was complete and descents had begun. Wibble, Wibble went the cavers. Twang, Twang, went the 9 mil. F***ING BIG SHAFT. Only rubs a little bit half way up. (Fettled with a loopless rebelay off of a spike on the way out.) The rope was just reachable after unloading it.

    LEADS: (1) Down short climb, traverse across head of another climb into a draughting crawl.
    (2) Down same climb, climb down again, then down 5m pitch. Undescended ~15m pitch with wind farting up it. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-03
    +
    Dave Horsley, Mike Richardson,
    +
    161 - Moomintroll
    + +TU 5½ hrs

    Aim:- to bolt up at Moomintroll

    No problems getting to Moomintroll but the traverse around the right hand side of Zebedee is a bit hairy in that it is horribly loose and all the holds come off in your hand. The climb up is pretty impressive, a good big black space waiting to be explored, but it is not clear whether it just goes up and up.

    At any rate we looked at the climb, reckoned that with a bit of bottle and a climbing rope it would be no problem to get up it, but as we had neither we had to start bolting. Put the first bolt in, about 5 ft up. Unfortunately, at this point I dropped the driver down a small crack. Should be able to get it back with a coat hanger.

    At this point we decided that it would be much easier with a drill and that it might be a good idea to jack. I made sure the jack was certain by hitting the entry to Hymen Crawl with the hammer & snapping the head off.

    As we had only been down the cave 2½ hrs we needed something else to do. So on the way back we climbed up to the left just after the two holes in the floor near the start of Wheelchair Access. There looks to be a roof tube going off at this point but we failed to climb into it. Mike had a look at some other small tubes going off and found some surface debris & bits of skeleton, but it closed down after about 6 ft.

    We still had more time to kill so looked down the two holes that you traverse across just before you reach Moth Chamber and the short climb up in Triassic. The two holes connect, lead to a 1.5m climb down to the head of a pitch. Unfortunately, this just drops into Wheelchair Access, and needs surveying. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-04
    +
    Dave Horsley, Mike Baslington, Chris Densham, Mary Lane, Juliette Kelly,
    +
    161 - Lost World
    + +

    Wheelchair Access -> Lost World to survey the downstream end

    _TU_ Dave H, Mike & Juliette 9 hrs
    _TU_ Chris D, Mary 7 hrs

    Rather a slow trip, didn't get underground until 1 pm. Even then everything went really slowly, taking almost an hour to get from the entrance to the start of Wheelchair Access. The new route into Wheelchair Access needs surveying, but me and Mike, who'd got bored and gone on ahead didn't have the gear.

    We headed on down to Lost World as a group of five, once we got to the big stuff, as it seemed to be taking ages for everyone to get down the last 5m pitch I took Mike for a quick tour of the upstream stuff. On returning, the others had disappeared downstream so we buggered off after them, to catch up in he boulder choke.

    At this point Mary and Chris decided to go out as it was getting late & Mary thought she would be slow. This left me , Mike and Juliette to do the survey, and me to have my third ever go at doing book.

    We pushed through the boulders, down a climb and eventually found the pitch into the chamber. Got off the pitch part way as soon as we could step into the big chamber, but the pitch continues below. Found the Germans' G find survey mark and survey left as you look into the chamber. This ends at an aven, with water coming in. I then surveyed back underneath what I'd just done, but at stream level ending up roughly back close to the pitch. From here two possible ways go off. To the left a long straight rift taking the small stream. The boulder floor drops and the stream disappears under the right hand wall and the passage is not enterable. The rift continues, but you are now ascending boulders, and soon the roof is seen which descends to meet the floor.

    To the right a short piece of rift with water entering down one wall, soon ends in a deep pool (marked a survey station with a cross on the wall at this point - no. 16 on the left hand wall as you face the pool).

    Mike waded across the pool, shallowest along the left wall to find an inlet stream. Looking at our survey and Becka's description of her trip with the Germans, I think this inlet is the continuation of the pitch into the chamber - but this needs checking.

    There are no other obvious leads except this inlet in the chamber.

    As it was now getting rather late we couldn't:

    (1) Do some tie up legs I wanted to do

    (2) check the continuation of the pitch into the chamber.

    (3) Derig.

    So we headed out. As we'd bombed down through the boulders really quickly we'd not taken much notice of the way out. At one point, there is an unobvious climb up t the right - which is the way out - however it is much more obvious to climb up through the large spaces in the boulders to the left - this ended in a large rift pitch, which, looking at our survey, may or may not connect back into the left hand rift continuation of the large chamber.

    We soon found the real way out and 'cos I'm getting lots of hassle about writing too much I'll just say it took ages to get out.

    Things to note when derigging:
    There is tackle up a climb on the left, as you go downstream near a rock bridge marked with a tackle bag. This may be interesting as it seems to be heading away from the large chamber.
    It also needs surveying. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-05
    +
    Phil Underwood, Phil Batten, Brian Outram, Andrew Ketley,
    +
    161 - Surveying Siberia Left hand branch
    + +TU 11½

    Fairly swift journey in. Tried to fix previous Siberia survey up to genuine survey station, but couldn't find CM labelled 'end', so settled for CM _not_ labelled 'not this ...' (point 2 of last Siberia survey a few years back).

    Set off up LH route - lots of mazy phreatic passage connecting at insane angles with a loop or two. Now X-ened 'Fuzzy Logic'.

    Rough description: LH branch off Not This Junction turn sharp left. Passage follows rift for a few metres before turning left again. Rift continues straight ahead, but looks too narrow to push. Small opening on right before left hand turn quickly chokes with mud. Left hand turn leads into Y-junction with swirlpool at intersection. Left leads to steep phreatic tube; this connects back into right hand turn. Right turn leads to connection with left hand turn, then into complicated rift junction. Rift pitches up to left and down to left probably connect up; this is a going lead. Right hand small hole leads into left hand rift and small passages connecting back up the passage, but it is v. tight.

    Not having a rope to hand, we went back to poke around in some Siberia leads, brief sketch of crossroads on the way to SEP follows:

    [ sketch of Greengables ]

    RH passage leads into small chamber with easily climbable (at least for a while) rift off to left and small passage to right.

    Middle passage leads into rift junction. High LH passage connects back into route to SEP, straight on in a loop also connecting back to SEP route. Right leads into oval shaped rift with ~6m aven at far end. Small passages off to left of SEP route connect up in easy crawl in muddy phreatic passage which does not appear to close down - 'Burble II - the Mud strikes back'.

    At this point it was 1800, so we chugged on out in order to get back at a sensible time. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-05
    +
    Chris Densham, Andrew Atkinson,
    +
    136 - Steinschlagschacht
    + +

    First trip in this hole for me - far less chossy than feared, due to latest bolting techniques no doubt. Down to pit at connection between 136 + KH - bolted down 'Distraction' - swing across to a window, down to drippy drafty chamber - with footprints. We'd reached the Orchestra Pit. Surveyed & derigged (50m vert.) then went off to the Gravel Pit. Bizzare place, walls of eroded stuck together gravel. Dried up stream sported a STONKING DRAFT - all it needs is a crowbar to open it up a bit. This must be done soon ! Alas we had no crowbar. So we put in our penultimate bolt in the only solid wall in the area & dropped down to a squitty streamway. "Have a look at it if you want, I'm too fat" said AA. So I grovelled in until enthusiasm waned after 30 mins or so. Then AA continued the flat out crawl in water until that choked too. A Grand Canyon it was not. Saved the seventh & final bolt to take out the rub to the core I'd noticed on the 2nd pitch. Good trip, shame nothing went. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-06
    +
    Chris Densham, Mary Lane,
    +
    161 - Staudnwirt Palace
    + +

    Went to Staudnwirt Palace, climbed up miserable climb, bits of it fell off at embarassing moments, de-rigged two ropes and retrieved Julian's gear for price of two beers. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-06
    +
    Julian Haines, Andrew Atkinson, Mike Baslington,
    +
    136 - Steinschlagchact
    + +T/U 8hrs

    Went down with the intention of taking a few photos and then pushing some leads in Forbidden. My first (+ last?) underground photo trip with mostly overground photo gear. Took pictures of people on most of the pitches, traverse of the gods and eyehole traverse. Had an attempt at taking picture of chamber at the end of Elin Algor, but this proved tedious trying to use "B" setting on camera. I doubt I'll bother with that again !

    Once in the Forbidden land, we systematically reviewed all known leads and possibly found one or two others. Went down Tirolia Werke first. Andy climbed up the roof tubes on the right hand side (walking W) and found most either closed down or turned into avens. About ½ along Tirolia Werke on RH side, small climb up (c.3) leads to large(ish) chamber at foot of aven. Grade C tight, wet lead in here. Looked at Gravel Pit. Big draft but not very inspiring. Opposite(ish) Gravel Pit is a big fallen boulder with a pitch behind. It's possible to climb around the boulder to pitchhead, probably about 10m hang, possibly a way on at the bottom.

    Next we went back up Tirolia Werke, into Elin Algor and up to the large chamber near the Pump House turn. Look/threw rocks down all the holes. Big Holes in the chamber sound dead and look very likely to be choked - probably not good leads. Went down choss back and around the RH wall to small adjoining chamber. Climbed up another choss bank towards Chris D's lead - _BIG_ pitch with good boom at the bottom. V. good lead but for the small scrotty connecting tube.

    Exitted chamber, climbed up into Pump House and thence to Hall of the Mounting Choss. Pump House passage has same feel about it as Mississipi/Mississipi Mud Pie - the other side of Stairway to Hell. HoTMC is huge and loose as the name suggests. Pitches in the top left corner (looking from the bottom of the slope) look quite good leads - may eventually go to Regurgitation ?

    Exitted, stopping en route only to dismiss a couple of scrotty leads off the side of Elin Algor. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-06
    +
    Duncan Collis, William Stead, Jon Barber,
    +
    161 - Pushing below SEP
    + +TU 17hr

    Pushed below _S.E.P._
    Whacked in loads of _Bolts_
    Abbed down some _Pitches_
    Found a short _phreatic passage_ "Auspuff"
    with _undescended climb_at the end
    BLOWS LIKE A BASTARD !

    Previous SEP trip / Previous day's +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-07
    +
    Julian Haines, Chris Densham,
    +
    136 - Steinschlagschacht
    + +

    Tripped our way down to the 'Y' hang above 'Traverse of the Gods'. Set about bolting over the top - straight over ? No - left horrible climb up carrying drill, tacklesack etc., over the top to a high level chamber over the pitch. Through a window, down pitch to 'The Box' - superb view across to 'Traverse of the Gods', and tried to bolt the 'Footlights' traverse across the 'Theatre'. Got half way across - an imposing situation that ended in overhanging choss. Oh dear. Need some magical method of getting across the choss to the mythical window that heads south to Stellerweg. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-07
    +
    Dave Horsley, Anthony Day, Andrew Atkinson, Juliette Kelly,
    +
    Surface 136
    + +

    walking around the area of 136, putting tags on stuff [Tagged 136, 138, 139, 97-07 (formerly WK7), 97-08 (formerly WK8,9,10)], taking photos of entrances and finding new cave. Near 163, which has some nice ice formations, we found a couple of interesting things. A going hole numbered
    1623/
    H88

    which we think is one found by the French or more likely the Germans. As we came traversing back we found
    1623/
    88 F -
    This looks very promising, it looked undescended, is a hole in the cliff face immediately turning into a rift pitch. Its only about 50m higher than 161d entrance in height terms, but located above the forbidden land.

    H88 was explored by AndyA, who eventually got bored with crawling. It is further south than the current southern extremity of 136 and is ~50m above level of Forbidden Land - should at least be surveyed to. AJD. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-08
    +
    Dave Horsley, Brian Outram, Mike Baslington,
    +
    161 - Derig of Wheelchair Access
    + +TU 6 hrs

    Initial aims were to go down, look for leads and survey some bits + pieces. But we also had to be out quite early so we could have a meal at Hilde's. Unfortunately, on the way in, I thought to check the traverse and pitches off under the wall to the left to see if any gear had been left. Yes, the traverse was still rigged, so Mike went across to derig & found that the pitch at the end was rigged via two rebelays and was at least 20-30m deep. When we got this rope out, found we had an extra 83m rope to get out. Headed on down to the Lost World & headed downstream. Checked out the 'big rift' that we had seen last trip down, to the right just after the climb down. All this was was a climb up in boulders and then looking back down on the main passage from a great height.

    Onward to the final chamber to check out a couple more leads.

    (1) Continuation of the pitch - lands at the deep pool (which was fairly empty) just beyond survey station 16.

    (2) Mike climbed the inlet and I could hear him from the top of the pitch. I made a visual connection from where the water sinks at the passage just back from the top of the pitch with this inlet, via a rather large wide pitch, narrow at the top and covered in chocked boulders - one of which I was standing on.

    Did a couple of grade 2 drawings - couldn't survey as we'd left the tape behind.

    This left Becka's climb up to the left (as you go downstream) by the rock bridge. This looks quite good. 2m climb up to a 15m pitch down with two ways on, again I took some grade 2 drawings.

    Detackled this and started on out. Detackling was OK, even of Kein Zimmer Rift. We each prussiked up it with a tackle bag, Mike filling his with the rope from the pitch as we went - no problems.

    Left gear at the guillotine, continued out with a tackle bag each, which we left at Mothshag. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-10
    +
    Chris Densham, Anthony Day,
    +
    136 - Footlights Traverse
    + +

    Finally got underground after a week nursing an injured knee (more through boredom than any improvement to the injury). Attempted to replace my main beam bulb with the Julian Haines lighthouse bulb and in doing so snapped the connector to the main beam - mutter. So rather than take an FX5 down just for the pilot, I caved with my zoom and its dodgy connector as back up for my Austrian sand grade carbide - not an auspicious start.

    Bumbled down to the theatre box and Chris continued on the Footlights Traverse complete with homemade grappling hook - a crowbar lashed to a 1½m yellow pole. Unfortunately, since being taken underground, the string by which the crowbar was attached had got wet, stretched and was thus no use. So the yellow pole was abandoned, and I watched as Chris teetered across a chossy and airy traverse, banged in a couple of bolts and found ... no cave whatever. So Chris continued down the wall and found an eyehole into a chossy little passage, banged another bolt into its camembert-like walls, and I followed him, only shitting myself once on the traverse. The passage leads to a loose, uninspiring looking pitch head, which opens out into a decent shaft with aven above, which lands on a rock bridge (ie. a jammed boulder) with more pitch beyond. This whole area is gloop coated and falling apart - very KH like - and there is a significant draught coming _up_ the continuing pitch. This is quite a good lead, but we had run out of rope.

    Rather than survey out, I pootled out at this point whilst Chris drilled some more bolts to improve the rig. Not surveying was probably a good thing since it took an astonishingly long time to get out, not helped by an ailing leg and too much beer at basecamp the week before. Also, the big loose flake at the top of the big pitch is no longer a problem as Phil kicked most of it off. The remnants of it came whistling past my ear as I hung on the rebelay below the ledge we wait on before ascending the big pitch, causing me to gibber quite a lot, especially as I could smell freshly fractured rock on the ledge. Phil also neglected to call pitch free, so I spent quite a while at the bottom before making a cautious ascent (the rope looks OK). I then gardened the rest of the rubbish at the pitchhead in the general direction of Brian's head to ensure no repeat performance.

    Previous trip / Next trip

    _Haines Miracle Carbide Cure_

    As the glorious expo leader departed, he bequeathed me a few of his precious items, namely 3 lumps of large carbide (all the expo stuff from the Austrians is tiny bitty stuff). This was gratefully (and gullibly) received, and used on the above 136 trip.

    And so it was, Footlights Traverse now being bolted, Anthony headed out with the spare carbide & I started out lugging the drill + battery. That's strange, I thought, my light's going a bit dim. Fettle. The bitty stuff all gone, but Haines lump was sat there just as it went in. Magic - everlasting carbide ! Complete with calcite veins ... hmmm, chortle, most amusing. Dark thoughts cast in the Haines direction on the dim prusik out.

    C D +

    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-10
    +
    Brian Outram, Phil Batten,
    +
    136 - Tirolia via Elin Algor
    + +

    Trogged off down the pitches & across the traverse to the slot and waited for Phil. We both walked along Elin Algor (lead off to right up climbable rift with stream descending & little mud volcanoes - did not push as did not fancy climb due to state of my shoulder). Came back to climb up through boulders just after 1st main chamber past junction in Tirolia and investigated climb up into roof on left with pitch: whacked in bolt & sling around natural & lo & behold I ended back in main passage - got pissed off & went out. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-11
    +
    Jon Barber, Phil Batten,
    +
    161 - Moomintroll
    + +

    [Marked only as Phil, so had to guess U or B -- JGT]

    We went down to have a look at the climb up beyond Moomintroll. Having taken a drill battery with us we then found that the drill did not work. There were no bolting kits either so we went to look anyway.

    We traversed around the terrifying pit (8 ft deep) and found the climb. Looked at it for a bit and then I climbed up it. There were only a few loose hand holds. I rigged a rope for Phil and up he came.

    As expected, there was a large aven. However, there was no obvious way on. We sat down for a bit while we decided what to do next. At this point, some water was heard dripping. I went to investigate a tiny tube where the noise was coming from. After removing a few rocks the floor dropped away to reveal a 30 ft drop into a large space. With a little enlargement someone will be able to fit through and see where the draft is coming from. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-12
    +
    Anthony Day,
    +
    Surface - Pissing about on the surface
    + +

    Plan was to put tags on the unmarked 161e and 161f entrances, except I left the tags at top camp. Bunged in a spit at 161f anyway and tried to do likewise at 161e except a large chunk of wall fell off when I tried to set it. Got bored and went to retrieve gear from 161d. Whilst failing to find 161f I came across lots of holes - this is prime prospecting territory for anyone wanting to find a more northerly entrance to 161 with an even more atrocious approach. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-12
    +
    Chris Densham, Brian Outram, Jon Barber,
    +
    136 - Footlights cont.
    + +

    Brian & I trolled around Forbidden Land derigging various bits & pieces to generate enough rope to drop the pitch at the end of Footlights. Having decided this would become a through route, I tarted up the traverse on the way over to make it more comfortable, ie.

    [rigging sketch]

    rather than the precarious rebelays that were used to rig it. Jon & I surveyed in, Brian arrived with rope & went off down the first pitch. 30m later he touched the floor: "It's big". Oh good. "There's a rope here". Oh bother. Been Hainesed again - his climb up from the Orchestra Pit finished here. Brian & I checked out the rift chamber pretty carefully - the draft appears to drop in somewhere at the southern end, then heads up the pitch we'd dropped. One drippy chamber could be seen through a tiny window - almost certainly the same as the Orchestra Pit. Otherwise - the entire S end chokes.

    At least it gave us a chance to start the derigging early. Out at 4 am, back to camp just before dawn, in time for some carries down the hill. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-13
    +
    Phil Underwood, Anthony Day,
    +
    Surface - Pissing about on the surface again
    + +

    Planned to surface survey 191->161c, and look for the elusive 192, which is allegedly marked and in the same area. Took a while to find 191 and in the process we found 180, which I thought was miles away. Didn't have a tag for 180, but put in a spit for one and surface surveyed from there to 191 and back to 161c. Failed to find 192. Took photos of 180 and 191, the latter now sports a CUCC tag. Retrieved gear from 161d and derigged climbs on surface route and trundled back to topcamp for a brew, then on to 186 ("Rosenkavalierhöhle"). This is the hole erroneously numbered 185 on the side of the Vord which Olly & I refound in 1994 and which William had confirmed as being 186 earlier this expo. The paint has all but disappeared, but we banged in a CUCC tag and surveyed back to top camp - another gets ticked. No photo because I'd run out of film.

    Incidentally - The marking at 161c entrance is
    VSS 2
    _88AF_
    1623/_161c_< added later by CUCC


    This is similar to the markings on caves H88 and 88F found on 7/8/97 making me suggest that latter caves are also French. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1997-08-14
    +
    Phil Underwood, Anthony Day,
    +
    136 - Derig 136
    + +

    Team hero having done the hard bit the day before, team knackered knees went down and derigged from the traverse to the eyehole. All the spits are greased, though I couldn't get the syringe to fill so used my finger. All spits above eyehole traverse have a matchstick in too. Circlips are shit gear - at least half the bolts fell out when I unscrewed, but I think I've rescued most of them. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + + diff --git a/years/1997/report.htm b/years/1997/report.htm index 5d60490cd..914b15091 100644 --- a/years/1997/report.htm +++ b/years/1997/report.htm @@ -6,13 +6,7 @@ - - - - - - -
    Expo 97 indexExpo home
    CU 1999 previous:
    Elementary Germanglic    		CU 1999 ContentsCU 1999 next:
    Beginner's Guide to Expo Photography
    +
    Cambridge Underground 1999 pp 82-88 @@ -385,17 +379,7 @@ famous boot waterproofing wax and Terra Nova provided discounts on tent purchase.
    - - - - - - - - - - -
    Expo 97 indexExpo home
    Expo publications index1997 logbook1997 sponsors
    CU 1999 previous:
    Elementary Germanglic    		CU 1999 ContentsCU 1999 next:
    Beginner's Guide to Expo Photography
    + diff --git a/years/1998/frontmatter.html b/years/1998/frontmatter.html index adf59986d..04668e38e 100644 --- a/years/1998/frontmatter.html +++ b/years/1998/frontmatter.html @@ -1,6 +1,10 @@ -
    - +

    Austria 1998

    Logbook cover - 12k gifThe first part of the log is traditionally taken up +hspace=20 src="cover.png"> +

    +The first part of the log is traditionally taken up by the journey out.
    If this is of no interest, here is a link to the caving!
    +href="#1998_s04">to the caving!
    + +wine +wine diff --git a/years/1998/goals.htm b/years/1998/goals.htm index 52c31a20f..d1e5d2ccc 100644 --- a/years/1998/goals.htm +++ b/years/1998/goals.htm @@ -200,18 +200,5 @@ really should have made the commitment to one of the above people.

    - -
  • 1997 Expedition info: -
    • -
  • 1998 Expedition info - index:
    • -
  • Index to all publications
    • -
  • Current year's sponsors
    • -
  • Back to Expeditions intro page
    • -
  • CUCC Home Page
    • - diff --git a/years/1998/ideas.htm b/years/1998/ideas.htm index c29e21dd9..27670d7f3 100644 --- a/years/1998/ideas.htm +++ b/years/1998/ideas.htm @@ -60,19 +60,6 @@ haven't been before !
    - - + diff --git a/years/1998/index.htm b/years/1998/index.htm index bdbc2c249..ed01f652f 100644 --- a/years/1998/index.htm +++ b/years/1998/index.htm @@ -38,16 +38,11 @@ off Locophobia
    1998 Expedition info:
    Pre-expo mission statement
    Expedition Report 1998
    -Logbook
    +Logbook
    1998 saw the innovation of an annual Suggestions File
    1998's sponsors
    -
    - -Index to all publications
    -Back to Expeditions intro page
    -CUCC Home Page - + diff --git a/years/1998/logbook.html b/years/1998/logbook.html new file mode 100644 index 000000000..1d7adcfbe --- /dev/null +++ b/years/1998/logbook.html @@ -0,0 +1,423 @@ + + + + +1998 Expo Logbook + + + + + + +

    Austria 1998

    +

    Logbook cover - 12k gif +

    +The first part of the log is traditionally taken up +by the journey out.
    If this is of no interest, here is a link to the caving!
    + +wine +wine + +

    + +
    1998-07-04
    +
    Duncan Collis, Steve Jones, Tim Vasby,
    +
    Journey - Hammerite Horror drives to Expo
    + +

    Much time spent stacking gear onto trailer. More time still spent persuading it to stay under the tarpaulin and not scatter itself to the winds. Hitched up and chugged off from the tackle store at a bit past 7. Arrived at Dover early and got on the 10:45 boat, arriving Calais 1 am local time. Stopped just short of Luxembourg to find that the contents of the trailer had settled and that there were now some big gaping bits under the tarpaulin which required some fettling. All then went well until 20 miles before Salzburg, when it was raining hard and my wipers suddenly stopped. Couldn't see a right load, so came off at the next junction. Tried to fettle broken wiper linkage in pissing rain, but couldn't so decided to ring Green Flag. Of course the village we were in had no public phones, but luckily I found a tourist info place staffed by a very helpful lass who spoke dead good english, and better still, had a phone I could use. 10 minutes later, having got straight through to someone useful at Green Flag, I was supping tea and waiting for a call back. Within one hour of ringing for help, I was trying to explain to a disgusting mechanic in a pink shell suit what was wrong. Cunningly took him to tourist info place, where we had a translator to explain the concept of 'temporary bodge fix' which resulted in a convincing-looking fettle within an hour. Carried on happily to Bad Aussee and a Schnapps at Hilde's at a bit past 7 in the evening. Perhaps I should've supped some Gösser before writing this.

    P.S. Managed a ton (downhill) on the Krautobahn in Diesel Maestro plus big trailer. Helps make up for doing 30 uphill... +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-05
    +
    Duncan Collis,
    +
    Base Camp - Song - THE BEARDY OLD LAG
    + +

    BECKA: no date given for this entry

    "THE BEARDY OLD LAG" (To the tune of 'The Old Main Drag'
    by the Pogues)


    (1) When I first came to Cambridge
    I was only eighteen
    With a fiver in my pocket
    And me old dangly bag
    So I went down to the Panton
    To check out the scew
    But I soon ended up as
    a beardy old lag

    (2)When the Mornflake & the Tunnock Bars
    Were stacked in great piles
    With the old expo trailer
    We would drag them for miles

    [inspiration appears to have run out at this point - maybe the song will be completed on a future expo ? Ed.] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-07
    +
    Kate Janossy, Steve Bellhouse,
    +
    Journey - Kate + Steve B drive to Expo
    + +

    BECKA: only arrival date given (08.07.1998 so assumed set off previous day

    Remarkably epic-free journey despite driving from Edinburgh via London + Fontainbleau and having the oldest car on expo (a mere 10 years old- whatever happened to expo shit cars ?)

    Dave F phoned to ask if he + Henri could have a lift back from canyonning, so I spent a happy half hour bashing my mum's no longer adjustable, utterly shit roof rack until it would fit on the car, so that their tandem could come too.

    Nearly got stuck in Fontainbleau due to lovely weather, nice boulders + cheap wine. Stupidly enough, we actually came to expo, where it rained solidly for 4 days.

    The roofrack didn't fall off, the car didn't break + we didn't nearly die. Boring or what ? +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-10
    +
    Kate Janossy, Steve Bellhouse,
    +
    161 - Rigging trip to Knossos
    + +

    Carried shit to the entrance (via accidental detour up Schwarzmooskogel) + rigged the handlines on the little 'climbs'. Went to Knossos, where Steve rigged the pitch, then came out. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-10
    +
    Sean Houlihane, Steve Jones, Tim Vasby,
    +
    161 - Moomintroll and Overflow
    + +Sean, SteveJ and Tim went to push Moomintroll and Overflow. No logbook write up, but we can deduce from the next write up that they didn't find Moomintroll, TU 3 hours] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-11
    +
    Kate Janossy, Brian Outram, Steve Jones, Earl Merson, Tim Vasby,
    +
    161 - Pushing trip to Moomintroll
    + +

    Found Moomintroll on the second attempt. Rigged a short, blind pitch to the R after Moth Chamber by mistake, while Kate went to get SRT kit from Knossus. Then found Zebedee and descended the short pitch/climb with horrendous rigging off 1 bolt with 3 rope protectors. Dodgy traverse round the pitch, at which point Earl & Tim decided to go out, since there was not much room at the pushing front. Brian free-climbed Moomintroll, Kate + Steve J followed with rope, then banged a bolt in at the top.

    Lots of bashing at the squeeze eventually created a hole big enough to fit through. Steve 'Mendip Man' Jones did a gravity-assisted descent of the squeeze, followed by a lifelined climb down into a chamber with a small rift going off. He had an interesting time thrutching back through the squeeze impeded by SRT kit.

    Narrow rift needs pushing, but take care with crystals on the walls - S.J. E, T - 5 h +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-11
    +
    Steve Bellhouse, Duncan Collis, Danielle Gemenis,
    +
    161 - Rig to Exhaustion
    + +

    TU 8

    Burgled some rope from Staud'nwirt Palace, to replace Minoan Surprise rope which was needed for Vom. Tonnes of rebelay-loop-length-faffing later arrived in Knossos. Vom took ages due to last year's deviations having fallen off (again). Rigged Exhaustion but didn't descend.

    Knossos rigging trip / Next Siberia trips: +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-12
    +
    Kate Janossy, Brian Outram, Tim Vasby, Earl Merson,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Prospecting around Schwarzmooskogel
    + +

    Went to investigate 2 shafts found on our short detour along the newly-cairned tourist path to the top of the hill.

    Brian descended a shaft next to a cairn on the tourist path near where it leaves our path - see later.

    The second shaft turned out to be 156. Another short shaft nearby was climbed down + a hole in the bottom was found to end soon in a boulder choke.

    Uphill from 156, a cave was found which turned out later to be tumbling boulder cave (unmarked). About ½ way down, a crawl through boulders to the right leads to bouldery passage at the end of which shouting can be heard from the next hole along to the right from tumbling boulder cave.

    From the main cave, a short climb left into rift connects with a small hole uphill and left from TBC, and goes no further. See survey book for sketches and locates.

    Lots of pottering around the plateau investigating holes happened. Brian found a shaft. Need to go back + mark + GPS locate caves. K, E, T - ½

    Brian's bit: +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-12
    +
    Duncan Collis, Steve Bellhouse, Sean Houlihane,
    +
    161 - Rig to pushing front in Siberia
    + +

    Dunks, Steve B ->TU 16 + Sean -> TU 14

    Sean was originally off to Fuzzy Logic with Steve Jones, the two groups planning to travel together to prevent route-finding fuck-ups. Much faffing in Shortage of Walls as Steve B & Dunk discovered that the rope they needed wasn't there, necessitating some quick scavenging from the entrance. Then on to Knossos where three sat freezing off their balls while Steve J flailed around on the rebelay for 40 minutes, eventually mistaking the mud being scraped off the rope for sheath abrasion and buggering off. Sean gingerly ascended to confirm that the rope was in fact OK, and persuaded Steve not to try and continune the planned trip.

    So off we went to Siberia, discovering on-route that we'd got an extra bag to carry that we'd left at Exhaustion the previous day and forgotten about, which made the passage to SEP a tad tedious. (4 bags between 3 cavers in tedious rift passage).

    Steve rigged SEP, but missed the rebelay spike, so Dunk put in the rebelays on his descent.

    Pretty efficient rigging continued, except for one bit where the rope was 3m too short to rig 2 consecutive pitches. Sean left one pitch before the pushing front, and only got lost four times on the way out. Steve B & Dunk carried on to the previous year's limit, and then descended a small pitch rigged from a single thread, which also helped with the final climb from last year.

    Dunks descended first and began lobbing rocks down the next pitch, which sounded big. No more rocks, so Steve threw some down from higher up, and then joined Dunks at the head of the pitch to throw down the new supply of rocks. Looks to be about 60m. Steve looked at his watch to time the rocks, and found it was midnight, so the pitch is tentatively named 'Midnight in Moscow'. Then we ran away, arriving at the surface at 05:40 to a beautifully clear morning and the start of a very hot day.

    Last Siberia trip (derig 1997) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-12
    +
    Andy Waddington,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Rounding up old caves
    + +

    Set off to add tags to various old caves. Someone has put bolts into the spits at B8 and B11 so tightly that you can't get them out without a spanner - grrr ! So GPS'ed and moved on. Intended to tag Lost Rucksack Hole CUCC 1993-01 but remarkably enough, I came across the almost imperceptible marking "101A" - last seen in 1977. Hastily scrambled up and found the top entrance 101. Driled out and put in a stud for a tag, then bolted on a red reflector (cut up road sign). Soon found 103, whose number was far less faded. Put a stud in here too, then searched very hard for 102 - to no avail. GPS'ed all finds and wandered back. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-13
    +
    Steve Bellhouse,
    +
    Base Camp - Fly Cleaving
    + +

    May it be noted by all members of the expedition that on this day did Wadders cleave in twain (with a large meat cleaver) a fly in the taty hut. This remarkable feat being achieved without damage to the furniture or occupants of said hut. Mr. Bellhouse then suggested renaming Wadders as 'Mr. Pork' in honour of this incredible feat of cleaver-wielding. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-13
    +
    Danielle Gemenis, Brian Outram, Steve Jones,
    +
    161 - Overflow
    + +

    TU 6 ?

    Planned to do SRT practice, but Dan couldn't resist a virgin, open shaft. So Dan started rigging, Brian tried bolting. Bolts wouldn't go in to calcite veined rock at the pitch-head so Dan rigged the 'hero-route' down its main flow off some naturals. Found a going vertical passage at the bottom, so Brian bolted a dry hang. Pitch ~10m and wet. Steve went to Collect some rope from Knossos, Dan headed out v. cold after rigging under the flow. Next pitch looks flood-prone but promising. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-14
    +
    Earl Merson, Brian Outram, Steve Jones,
    +
    161 - Overflow
    + +

    TU E, S 5¼, B 5½

    Earl carried in 30m rope, so back we went (weather iffy but hey ...). Earl + I touristed off down TP to Knossos whilst Brian rigged 2nd pitch - when we came back he'd vanished ! Back at the Guillotine it turns out.

    2nd pitch apparently closes down after ~20m - too tight. Window 10m from top but would require a 10m pendulum ... This may go but main route is a no go ! +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-15
    +
    Duncan Collis, Steve Bellhouse,
    +
    161 - Team diuresis push Midnight in Moscow
    + +

    Went to bolt New Big Pitch below SEP.

    Turns out to be about 50m (but not yet surveyed). Spent half the trip busting for a piss. Got really cold while Steve bolted & descended this pitch. So much so that I lost control of my bladder and involuntarily pissed myself. Never really recovered from this. Shaft descends with big shells in the walls, put 2 deviations (1st one very tenuous), and then bells out massively into chamber ~25m diameter, with shaft continuing sensible-size through the floor.

    Pitch lands on boulder-choke floor. Way on is a ~10m pitch, then a crawl and further ~4m pitch to a dried sump pool (we thought). However, there are two ways on from this point, one leads to an aven, the other proceeding to a series of climbs down, eventually coming to one requiring rope (which we didn't have).

    Possibility of ways on from the large chamber in M.I.M. but we were too knackered to look.

    Cheerio

    I'm off to have a piss before I wet myself.

    X X X Dunk +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-15
    +
    Andy Waddington,
    +
    Base Camp - Wadders fudges the survey
    + +

    [only in that I wrote down the length of the final leg of my surface survey from memory - having failed to write it down at the time ...] A. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-15
    +
    Andy Waddington, Earl Merson, Sean Houlihane, Tim Vasby,
    +
    Loser Plateau
    + +

    Walked from Bergrestaurant to Top Camp with ambitious plans to go caving, but after fettling the radio, decided we couldn't be bothered, so went to tag the caves found on the 12th. After Sean's GPS got us completely misplaced, we ended up on the top of the Schwarzmooskogel.

    50m down from the summit was a large rift we looked at. Andy, Earl & Sean wandered off and found some bits and pieces worth looking at again when we have a bolting kit. My foot hurt too much so I stayed near the rucksacks. The sound of dripping attracted me to a small hole which Sean descended (using rope + naturals). Then we went down to find Wadders tagging Tumbling Boulder Hole, and after a few more tags returned to camp. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-15
    +
    Wookey,
    +
    Journey - Wook drives to Expo
    + +

    Very civilised. No probs with day return. Drove all the way across europe using new-fangled wadders route (Nürnberg - Passau) with no U-turns at all. Had 2 sleeps (4am-8am & 1pm-2pm). Arrived about 10.30 pm, Wookey. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-16
    +
    Kate Janossy, Earl Merson, Tim Vasby,
    +
    161 - Overflow Surveying
    + +

    Everyone else went off to Fuzzy Logic, so Earl + Tim went off to survey The Overflow. I hobbled off early, and after arriving and checking if my lumpy foot fit into my wellies, set off underground at 12:45. A couple of minutes later we arrived at the Overflow. Kate turned up a bit later after a faulty carbide aborted her trip to Fuzzy Logic. Surveying followed and was successful if sometimes not as accurate as it could have been. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-16
    +
    Andy Waddington,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Rounding up old caves
    + +

    Took a spanner this time and tagged B11 and B8. Then started a frustratingly slow solo surface survey from B8 towards 101 and 103. Had to break off several times to go and search out the route. What was clearly marked with (non-CUCC) bright orange paint a couple of years ago is now unmarked - very short-lived paint. Eventually reached 103 and tagged it, then 101 and tagged that. 565m of survey, and starting to look like rain. Searched a while for 102 but only found it when the rain started - not quite where it is supposed to be and only visible by a lightening of the lichen where the number "102" used to be - shown up only when wet. Started to tag it in now increasing rain, but drill battery ran out after half a hole. Ran home - all my top camp warm clothes now wet, so went to base. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-16
    +
    Sean Houlihane, Danielle Gemenis, Kate Janossy,
    +
    161 - Fuzzy Logic
    + +

    Eager for an alternative point of exploration to SEP we deided to persue the question mark from last year's exploration. Reports suggested there was a pitch ? length - description hazy Straightforward route finding to F.L turn off. Kate had lighting problems and decided to return from Knossos. The final point of exploration last year stoppped at a window leading off up and to the right, and a tight rift pitch. Inspection of the pitch showed it to tbe too small for even the most malnutritioned caver! Climbing across into the window led into adjoining rift. Down and to the left is a rifty pitch that is still as yet unexplored (given the subsequent survey of where F.logic passage goes makes this a reasonably promising lead as it follows the fault that governs F.L. but extending in the opposite direction to the remaining passage). The way on however went up the rift and up a small vertical climb which led into a high aven. There was a pitch ~10m into a further chamber (rigged now with 2 bolts at pitch head back up by natural anchor - thread back up the chamber) which led into a narrow passage and down another larger pitch ~50m. We ran out of rope at the bottom of the 2nd pitch. The "exploratory rigging" left us prussicking out - quite wet and certainly if the stream came up in flood it would be unnegotiable, so clearly needed re-rigging. See following trip rep. for current rigging details. The 3rd pitch looked ~15m. Pleased with promising streamway we had a very ordinary trip home. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-17
    +
    Wookey, Brian Outram,
    +
    Loser plateau
    + +

    Went up to Vord to tag hole Brian found '98-02'. Put tag on but later found that Wads had beaten us to it & cave was already tagged '98-01'.

    Then checked out other [???] shaft Brian had previously bolted & 'significant 300m cave'. Found it had been tagged 'TBH CUCC 1987 01' by Wads since Brian & Kate had found it. Checked out & found to be more like 90m long.

    Then went to top of Vord and surveyed back down to include TBH, 156 & 98-01. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-18
    +
    Wookey, Brian Outram, Andy Waddington,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Surveyed from 90 to 91, 159*, 93 & 94
    + +

    Surveyed from 90 to 91,159*,93 & 94

    Tagged all these caves, & extended surface survey to include them. 92 remained impossible to find.

    In afternoon went over to 101, 102 region to finish things off. Wook went down 'Lost Rucksack Hole' & found it quickly got beyond 'Shorts & T-shirt' caving, whilst Wads & Brian connected survey back to 102. Wadds checked out 101a, but didn't get quite as far as 1977 effort, due to squeeze needing proper caving gear.

    * later note: this was detagged and retagged "160", when Andy found (and surveyed to) orange-numbered 159 later in week. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-19
    +
    Wookey, Andy Waddington, Brian Outram,
    +
    Lost Rucksack Hole - Lost Rucksack Hole
    + +

    Went back to LRH with more rope. Cave went down past snow bridge to narrow section with impending doom from snow & ice columns. End of rope trapped by ½ tonne of fallen snow/ice !

    Back up at snow bridge, way off led to pitches & draught. Put in bolt & escaped, soaked !

    Needs more rope

    [sketch survey - click for enlarged version] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-19
    +
    Andy Waddington,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Rounding up old caves
    + +

    Still an hour or so of daylight left after tea, so jogged off across the plateau. Found a "+" marked cave I haven't seen before just below the col. Tagged "80", tagged "82" on R wall inside entrance (not the numbered boulder outside which the surface survey goes to). Tagged "148" on its survey point. Tagged "107" on its survey point and put a tag "LASER 0/5" on the spit of the laser point above - then back to TC - and all in under and hour !

    Ah, missed one... after doing surface survey to 173 with Brian while Wookey was down Lost Rucksack (also on 19th), I used GPS to refind 107 from a random direction (ie. not via cairned walk-in). Looked for 157 (suposed to be near 0_5) but couldn't find any numbered caves above 0_5. There are however, a lot of interesting shafts up here - well worth a look (only ~20 mins from Top Camp). 157 is definitely worth a visit, if you can find it, as it has a 50m entrance shaft with a way off 25m down to a parallel shaft (some bolts in place).

    Whilst Wookey was exploring Lost Rucksack I wandered off, finding CUCC 1996-05 - perhaps the most easily relocated cave on the plateau ? GPS'ed it and returned.

    Andy W, no TU +

    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-20
    +
    Phil Underwood, Julian Haines, Tim Vasby,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Looking for 40, Eishoehle
    + +

    (please add spelling/grammar mistakes as appropriate)
    Went in search of Eishöhle via col between Vorder Schwarzmooskogel & Hinter Schwarzmooskogel. Started ~50m below 136 and traversed round. 300m away and lots too high according to GPS. Went back a bit, and along again. Still too high. Grumbled. Went back to route to 161d and tried again. Found we were 150m away from interesting Eishöhle entrance. Unfortunately, there was lots of [???] (cliffs, rifts) etc. in the way, so eventually did not make it to Eishöhle, and came home grumbling. It was bloody hot & bloody crap.

    P.S. We found some random tourists following our cairned path to 161d. Said they were looking for the Appelhaus. Very Odd. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-20
    +
    Kate Janossy, Brian Outram,
    +
    161 - Eau Naturel (Locophobia)
    + +

    Set off to do Fuzzy Logic, but Dan forgot her furry, so Brian + Kate went to investigate the pitch at the end of Locophobia. The other depression nearer the end of Children's Railway (marked as p4 on survey) can be easily climbed into, and here there is a rift leading towards the large pitch. This can be rigged off 2 lovely naturals forming a Y-hang, so this was our chosen route. The bottom of this pitch is a wet pit with a wet, too tight rift going off. However, a few m up you can carry on along the rift to a second pitch.

    This could also be rigged beautifully off naturals (with only a small rub). However, we'd used all the slings on the deviation on the first pitch, so Kate replaced these with a donkey's dick and a prussik loop, while Brian rigged the second pitch.

    This dropped into the bottom of an aven which is very likely to be the bottom of the big pitch in Locophobia. The rift continued up a boulder climb, then ended with too tight wet rift in the floor. After a scary moment where we dropped the only pencil down the rift, but eventually retrieved it, we surveyed back up + derigged.

    The compass was completely crap despite lots of time down my furry, so I just read it from above (sigh!). Couldn't find a survey point to link into at the top, so we surveyd to the tip of the prominent rock outcrop immediately above the rift. Needs to be linked in later to triassic.pt3.1 or triassic.pt3.2 (its between these 2 points) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-20
    +
    Duncan Collis, Steve Bellhouse,
    +
    161 - MIDNIGHT IN MOSCOW
    + +

    Record low enthusiasm and massive faffing at entrance, but eventually we ended up going underground. Potential jack at the guillotine when my carbide completely failed to work. We fettled the tube and bashed it about a lot, and we were just at the point of abandoning the Midnight surveying trip and pottering along to the pitch in Locophobia for an easy trip, when it suddenly burst into a lovely flame, so we muttered a bit and decided we'd better get on with it.

    Usual stomp through Triassic, into Knossos, Yapate, 36, Chicken Flied Nice, Burble (first time uphill with no tackle), Vom, Fucking tedious rift, Exhaustion, rift, SEP, loads more crappy pitches.

    This all passed uneventfully, and I even managed to do the crappy tight pitch head without cocking it up for the first time. Unfortunately, I left my dangly bag at the top, rant. Luckily there was nothing crucial in it (or so I thought) so I decided to leave it and pick it up on the way out.

    So we were being averagely efficient when we started surveying. Compass / Clino behaved itself, and due to much racking our brains on the surface and a short discussion in the cave, we made a pretty quick job of the big pitch. 2 tapes weren't required in the end, the pitch split into a 23 and a 29 at the first deviation. Got the bottom of last pitch, burned through rope (knife was in my dangly bag) and decided to do a bit of pushing before finishing the survey. Took a bit of rope down the cascades (which have dried up, but are still very nice), rigged the last 10 ft pitch off a couple of naturals, and were delighted to find that it stopped. Or almost. It wasn't a sump, but a mud choke, and there was a tiny draught. Dunks dug a little, but said it was too big a job to make progress. Serious digging at -500m was decided to be a bit too keen, so we declared it as being DONE and surveyed out. We were reasonably sure we'd found the deepest point in the cave, and we named the last pitch Rasputin due to its failure to completely die.

    We went for a look around in the chamber part way up MIM. It isn't as big as it seemed from the rope, ~20m at its widest, and the possible ways on turned out to be full of mud. There _is_ horizontal development at this level though, so maybe some will be found down Fuzzy Logic.

    With the chamber and the bottom both ticked off, we decided to haul the ropes out. This turned out to be a cock-up as the bags jammed 30m up. We swore and faffed and pulled really hard to no avail, so we tied them off and left them until next time. Hopefully I'll be able to ab down with the tackle tied to the end.

    After that fuck up, my light failed and my spare cell and carbide were a few pitches above me, so Dunks had to light me for a bit. We did this reasonably efficiently, but it still slowed us down a lot.

    Eventually I retrieved my bag, sorted my lights out and we began the long slog out. Dunks had a hard time on SEP when his central MR got twisted the wrong way, so he prussiked quite slowly, but after that we did okay, but we were slow because we were bloody knackered. Finally we got out after 5 am, once again to a clear sky and beautiful sunrise which almost made everything alright.

    PS we returned to base camp and found out that KH is now _27m deeper !_

    Previous trip / Next trip (derig) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-20
    +
    Wookey, Andy Waddington, Brian Outram,
    +
    Lost Rucksack Cave - Lost Rucksack höhle
    + +

    Wookey, Wads (+ Brian later)

    Went to try and finish it off. Took 55m rope. Rigged off Bolt to find big rift. 2nd bolt allowed descent to bottom in nifty hang. Found rift blocked by snow.

    Whilst Wook was bolting, Wads noticed that draught was, in fact, breathing.

    Also chopped off end of rope stuck in snow choke from last trip. Tied knot in bottom of cave, then derigged. Survey generated from measured rope lengths.

    Afterwards did survey from 173->103->101a->'+' (Wads write-up).

    [survey here] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-21
    +
    Julian Haines, Wookey, Andy Waddington, Phil Underwood,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle - SVH
    + +

    Set out once again to find a route from top camp to Eishöhle without walking to the Bergrestaurant first. Two GPS this time - as if that was likely to help. Walked initially to 136, stopping to fill rucksacks to bursting point with caving gear ditched the previous day. Spent some time 'traversing' around just below the summit of the Vord, passing several old CUCC finds en route (forgotten numbers). Eventually found a place to descend - lots of traversing around cliff edges and over boulders. Bumped into marked (red paint) route from car park to Eishöhle and followed that the rest of the way. 4 hours to SVH !

    Civilised change on horizontal ground with both shade and view. Entrance is small crawl down bedding plane until meeting significant amount of ice. About a 10m ice climb up (fixed ropes for belay, generally < 30°) until the top of the snow slope into SVH is reached. Only 1 spit here, so ice-screw backup required. 2 ice screw deviations on the way down. ~30m to the floor (50m+ rope required). SVH is v. impressive. Mostly ice floor with some boulders. Huge ice stals and frozen waterfalls. Possibly 3 ways on to explore still. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-21
    +
    Kate Janossy, Brian Outram, Tim Vasby,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Prospecting + festering
    + +

    Went to a horizontal, draughting hole Brian + Wook had found on 19th + decided needed digging. Kate kicked the sides a bit + managed to squeeze through into a short passage ending in a chamber full of boulders with a boulder choke in the floor. Couldn't tell where the draught came from. No ways on. Had a shit time getting back out through spiky boulder slope in short sleeves. Sat around outside in the shade drinking cup a soups then went home when the shade ran out. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-23
    +
    Wookey, Phil Underwood, Julian Haines,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle - 'Connect to 136' trip
    + +

    Proper trip to try and find route from Eishöhle to 136/KH. Took loads of rope, hangers, ice screws etc.

    Decided to try ice slope (NE end) down first as these were much easier, safer than the 5m ice climb up to passage on the NW side of chamber, which is closer to 136.

    Put in a couple of ice screws and Julian belayed wook down. This is part already surveyed by VfHO. Chokes in rock and ice to SE, showing that 2nd pitch doesn't connect. At bottom (N) end there is a draughting (out) dig! somone has dug it a bit already. Large rock makes it too small even for wook with SRT gear off, but very interesting. We decide to come back if we can't find anything better.

    Move 20m over to next pitch. The Wook descends. Ice quickly peters out and short (5m) pitch in canyon stops progress. Strong draught (out). Exciting! Others come down and Julian bolts pitch. He descends & kicks dodgy-looking ice-column - it comes crashing down - good call!

    At bottom is a scrotty rift/tube. Julian goes down, grumbling, and then declares next bit 'too small', but maybe a Wookey would fit. The ferret was duly despatched, after removing gear. 'Fairly crap' but not really too bad. Beyond there are marks to show that one person has been here before, but no evidence that they had descended the pitch at the end. Bolting kit and rope were passed through the tight bit & pitch rigged. About 8m to floor. Tiny rift crawl that looked rubbish so re-ascended & pulled over rock-bridge to larger passage - real passage you can run around in! Looked both ways (choked to R, goes to L) until it opened into really big 'Triassic-type' passage. Went back for the others.

    It soon became clear that Julian was too fat (too long actually, and hindered by his huge plastic boots). After much ranting & swearing Phil came through (with SRT gear!) and Julian had another go, but failed.

    Wook and Phil went off and explored passage both ways for 30m or so until the traverse became too hairy.

    Went back for bolting stuff etc. Julian eventually had to take off everything apart from his oversuit! to get through & finally arrived at foot of pitch in cloud of ranting and expletives :-)

    Julian Bolted traverse whilst Wook & Phil surveyed the rest. Eventually (after 5 bolts) the hard traverse was passed to reach a point where large passage seemed mud-filled and canyon took over. Ran out of 50m rope at this point so went home via long survey out.

    Rift in floor is obvious route on, also QMs at other end of trunk - staircase 36 -style climb up required to obvious continuation, where draught may go? Also obscure rift in floor, and eyehole up wall.

    Eventually connected back to SVH survey & pissed off out to huge thunderstorm at entrance. Returned trying to catch our Midnight call-out which we missed by about 15mins, but no-one seemed to be worrying about it too much.

    {No-one at TopCamp had the slightest idea of where Eishöhle was, so there didn't seem much point worrying! DC} +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-23
    +
    Steve Bellhouse,
    +
    161 - Gear Collection
    + +

    Steve B spent a few minutes collecting gear from Triassic Park at this point (23rd), but did not think it worth writing up. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-23
    +
    Duncan Collis, Tim Vasby,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Surface Stroll - Marking Cairns on route @ ~30° from Top Camp
    + +

    Was supposed to be derigging SEP wih SteveB, but unfortunately suffered from runny-bum. By mid afternoon I was more or less OK, so went for a stroll.

    Thought it might be useful to find & cairn a good route out across the plateau to enable prospecting well away from the top camp ( + towards the area N of KH ).

    3 ½ hours of bunde (+cliff) bashing found us on the spur of the HSK which extends out into the plateau. Loads + loads of unmarked + unbolted shafts round here, only 45 min from top camp following our cairns. Intend to survey route next year.

    Holes noted on route (all close to 030° bearing from top camp)

    1) Nase 204° VSK Nip 142° HsK 061°

    Large gash, snow in bottom, no obvious markings. Aligned on 050°

    2) Brauning Nase 208°

    VSK Nipple 159°

    LH shoulder of Kl Wild Kogel 0°

    Basin with several holes, all look choked, but need checking

    3) Natural bridge

    Continuing from previous bit, a large depression contains a nice natural bridge.



    Nase 205° Nipple 159° HSK 069°

    X in circle = small opening with draught, appears snow choked.


    4) Large snow choked shaft, possible way on at bottom

    Nase 204° Nipple 160°

    LH shoulder of Kl Wild Kgl 359°

    5) Oval opening ~10m long containing snow.
    1 possible way on (entered for about 8m in shorts + Tshirt + sunburn) but no draught



    Nase 205°
    Hinter 357 075°
    LH shoulder of KlWildK 357°

    6)


    Hole with old fashioned twist hanger, red paint on it. Attached by Allen Bolt (Non-CUCC?)
    Nase 205°
    HSK 076°
    VSK Nipple 170°

    7) Nipple 173°
    HSK 080°
    LH shoulder Kl wild Kgl 357°



    8) shaft with massive chocked boulder, snowchoke, possible way on at bottom



    Nase 205°
    Zinken 227°
    HSK 090°

    9) Large Hole with cairn next to it (Not our cairn, someone's been here before)

    Zinken 228°
    Nase 210°
    Nipple 185°



    10) Very small hole, rattly with big echoes for several seconds. Too small to enter, possibly hammerable.

    Zinken 226° Nase 207° Nipple 195° LH shoulder of KWK 347°

    Follow path marked by stone wedges vertically next to it.



    11) Big shaft snow at bottom, possible ways on, following rift.

    Zinken 224°
    Nase 205°
    Nipple 184°
    LH shoulder of KWK 345°



    12) Hole surrounded by ring of small shrubs.

    Many other holes not noted due to "Shaft fatigue".

    END OF WALK was found at: little one left of Schönberg 303°, LHS of KWK 340°, Zinken 223°, Nase 208°, Nipple 188°

    Original notes are in A6 Hardback book, blue, labelled "1998 Top Camp". [and the above logbook entry has been clarified/corrected from said book by Wookey, 1998-10-24] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-24
    +
    Andy Waddington, Kate Janossy,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Includes 159 and 1998-03
    + +

    Walked up to Top Camp ahead of Kate. Whilst waiting I went to look for B-10. Instead, found a cave with an orange painted number "159". But didn't we just tag a cave "159" a few days ago ? Oooops ! So did a bit of deduction, made a tag "1623 160 CUCC 1988" and took this to replace the 159 tag. Then put the 159 tag on the more northerly of the two spits at 159 (Y-hang). Kate and I then surveyed back to the TC boulder.

    Next Kate wandered off to sketch the cave she had dug earlier, whilst I searched in vain for B-10. There are cairned routes all over the area NW of Top Camp. One goes from 159 along a terrace to emerge, surprise ! at 160, by a route other than the one we surveyed. Half way along this terrace, a narrow corridor in the bunde goes off N. This soon emerges at a grassy clearing with a wide karren terrace going west. Follow this and you come to yet more cairns. There is a rift entrance marked "CUCC -" which clearly needs a descent.

    Still failing to find B-10, I headed off towards Kate. Found three big shafts, one obviously choked and the other two marked "+" right on the northern edge of the grassy area of lower Top Camp. These need documenting.

    Found Kate, tagged her cave "CUCC 1998 03" and surveyed back to existing surface survey.

    Wandered back to TC, had a brew. Decided to do a carry down. Thunderstorm promptly appeared behind VSK, but I reckoned it had missed us. Got a few spots on walk back, and another shower made me run the last quarter mile, but basically got home dry. Met rain at Bad Aussee - mega storm at base camp so didn't come back up. That will spell the end of plans for a Schneevulkanhalle photo trip. Drat ! +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-24
    +
    Phil Underwood, Julian Haines,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle - 'Connect to 136 mk II' trip
    + +

    Went back to rift at end of new bit in Eishöhle. Having successfully negotiated the evil-bastard, oversuit-ripping, plastic-boot-catching squeeze, we trolled along to the rift where Julian whacked in a bolt and decended into a false floor full of mud and slime-shit. Another bolt and Julian descended to the bottom where the rift ended, with a small tunnel leading back under the rift. This was too tight for a Haines, probably too tight for an Underwood, and so we ran away. We paused to have a look at the climb, and decided that it would be a silly thing to do without proper climbing gear.

    De-rigged to the bottom of the snow slope. Left the cave to find night falling and clag rising. Got changed quickly, stormed up the hill, and got back to the main path just in time. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-24
    +
    Brian Outram, Danielle Gemenis,
    +
    161 - Fuzzy Logic
    + +

    Carried rope & Hammer drill to Top of 1st pitch. Drilled extra pitch head bolt for Y-hang. Descended pitch while Dan rerigged top of pitch. Top of 2nd pitch - Drilled 2 pitchhead spits for Y-hang by hanging off a flake with sling to take rope out of water. Stepped on original natural flake at top of pitch and it disappeared beneath me with much booming. Descended pitch and was able to thread a deviation sling thru a tiny flake to deviate rope out of water and descended to ledge. Started to drill a rebelay spit just below the ledge when the drill battery ran out of juice so exited cave with battery to recharge as we lacked any other form of spit drill. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-27
    +
    Phil Underwood, Julian Haines,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle -"Connect to 136 mk III or derig" trip
    + +

    Bimbled into the ridiculously large chamber. Julian went up the 45° choss/ice slope, twatting in ice screws as he went. Unfortunately, this didn't actually go anywhere. Had a look at a couple of other climbs just to the right. Decided that these were too scary and probably didn't go anywhere nice. Went up the snow-volcano dragging tacklebags behind, derigging as we went. Left the bags just before the crawl to the entrance. Exitted to glorious sunshine, mumbled about the likely temperature (hot) on the way back, and emerged from our SRT kits like pallid snakes moulting. Went back for the tackle-bags, and returned 10 mins later to 50 foot visibility and a delicate sound of thunder. Grumbled.

    We walked back in the intermittently pissing rain to the carpark via the 201-weg. Julian carried his fucking heavy gear, and I carried two fucking heavy tackle sacks. Did not die on the walk back. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-28
    +
    Phil Underwood,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Random stumblings
    + +

    Dithered at top camp for quite a while. Hoiked a shed-load of radio-gear + 100m rope down to car park. returned to Eishöhle entrance & gobbed in it. Collected all remaining shite, and hoiked it to the path to 161d. Returned to car park. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-28
    +
    Duncan Collis, Danielle Gemenis, Brian Outram,
    +
    161 - SEP - Derig
    + +

    TU 12

    Previous trip had left two tacklesacks dangling half way up Midnight in Moscow followig an abortive hauling attempt. To avoid lowering the bags to the floor, descending + then prussiking 5m with 2 bags, the rope had been re-rigged to leave the bags in mid-pitch. The big question was whether it would be possible to ab down a rope with the weight of 2 bags on it.....

    Fortunately it was OK. Dan & I derigged to the top of SEP while Brian did some bolting down Fuzzy Logic. SEP is still too big.

    Headed out with a bag apiece after leaving the 85m rope at Fuzzy Logic for later use. At Knossos I started to feel a bit odd (Less well co-ordinated than usual, staggering, falling over, etc) this got worse as I went along Triassic. The entrance series was hell, and Slidy Caver a total git. Spent about 5 minutes between Mothshag and the surface, sat looking at the small pit in the passage floor, wondering how I was going to get across. Eventually reached the surface + lay dead just outside the entrance.

    Danielle said she'd piss on me if I didn't move. I wasn't in the mood, so I rolled over out of the way, ending up face down in some nettles but too knackered to care. Got changed and set off slowly towards top camp. had to keep stopping (thought I was going to throw up). A good trip.

    xxx dunk


    PS to myself. Remember to eat more next time. That way you don't run out of sugars. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-07-31
    +
    Phil Underwood, Brian Outram,
    +
    161 - Fuzzy logic - pushing the realms of uncertainty
    + +

    "twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the borogrove" Meanwhile, Phil & Brian went caving. Armed with a trusty drill battery, we set off in pursuit of the beautiful pitch and the train-tunnel passage straight to top camp. What actually happened was that Brian rigged the third pitch, whilst Phil rigged the other two pitches with the 85m rope. The third pitch leads to two parallel shafts, one wet & becoming too tight, the other dry, with several ways on. There is a passage coming into the shaft half way down. This has two ways on after 10m - one looked tight (grade C, Wookey job), the other a twisty phreatic crawl that leads to a small chamber with small leads top and bottom ( grade A Mendip, grade C Austria). Back to the pitch. This lands on a mud floor, and quickly leads to a short pitch rigged off naturals. This lands on a ledge overlooking a stream passage with a shallow pool of water. At this point the drill gave up (3 spits drilled), so we left towards the surface. On our way from Knossos through Triassic Park, there were lots of drippy noises, and much activity at the Overflow. When we reached the surface do you think we found:-

    a) Clear skies, with a beautiful half-moon?
    b) Clag & drizzle?
    c) Torrential downpour?

    Oddly enough it was a). Very confused, we made our weary way back to top camp, pausing only to fall over.

    sketch survey plan/elev +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-08-01
    +
    Duncan Collis, Danielle Gemenis,
    +
    161 - Fuzzy Logic
    + +

    After Brian and Phil's efforts we had a further small pitch to rig in what they described as "terminal" looking cave - was that a medical term that Phil has learnt this year?

    Routine trip down to point of exploration. Then down a short (~10m) drop on natural anchors to a floor, cave went horizontal at this point with 2 main rifts leading off. The routes down through tight rift passage blocked with black mud. An old muddy streamway can be followed up ~80m till it chokes. In the other direction there is ~100m of tight rift passage (small caver size) heading upwards at 45° angle. Rift passage that is tight and echoing requiring small cavers and some perseverance. May lead to more open passage, for survey reference.) After thrutching around in tight horrible passage for a few hours - we went home. Survey of passage horizontal shows it to be at the same level as the tight section below SEP. given that this is known to be a short band (~10m) it may be worth looking at these tight rifts to break through into larger stuff below.

    sketch plan +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-08-04
    +
    Danielle Gemenis, Duncan Collis, Phil Underwood, Brian Outram,
    +
    161 - Derig from Fuzzy Logic to Knossos
    + +

    Danielle, Duncan, Phil U and Brian derigged from Fuzzy Logic to Knossos, but no write up in log. Info below from Duncan and Phil, 1998-11-04]

    Duncan> I seem to remember the final trip as being a survey trip for all the new stuff in Fuzzy Logic, and then a derig back out. I teamed up with Brian for the surveying, and we surveyed from the northern end of 'Clear as Mud' back to the foot of the Fuzzy Logic pitches, and then continued surveying along to the southern end of 'Psycho Street'. Meanwhile, Phil & Danielle surveyed down the Fuzzy Logic pitches and then surveyed most of Bear Bum passage, which branches off from Psycho Street. We all met up at the foot of the pitches, and Danielle and I set off first, and waited at the top while Phil & Brian derigged the pitches. Phil & Brian then set off with a load of rope, and Myself & Danielle began derigging as we followed them out.

    Phil> This is pretty accurate, although it might be worth mentioning that the data for the Fuzzy Logic pitches were put on the back of a pack of batteries. This was mostly because I'd dropped the survey book down a very small, but quite deep hole at the start of the survey. Mutter. Fortunately, we found another survey book half-way down the pitches. The actual drawings were done on the back of a fudge wrapper at first, and then transcribed.

    Duncan> Brian and I went underground first, and Brian & Phil re-emerged first. I think my TU was probably about 17h30m or so, with Danielle next with about 0h30m less, then Brian with about 1h00m less, and Phil with about 1h30m less than me.

    My abiding memory is of setting off along Triassic feeling pretty shagged, and then finding another tacklesack of rope (with only one handle and no dick) at Locophobia, and then finding yet another tacklesack's worth (and a very knackered tacklesack to pack it in) of assorted crap at the Guillotine. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1998-08-06
    +
    Brian Outram,
    +
    Loser Plateau - ARGE package
    + +

    A mysterious package found under Brian's Car at the bergrestaurant Car-Park...... [with the following missive:] + +
    +[missing] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + + diff --git a/years/1998/report.htm b/years/1998/report.htm index 27de12153..35e3a7e17 100644 --- a/years/1998/report.htm +++ b/years/1998/report.htm @@ -295,19 +295,6 @@ and to the Ghar Parau Foundation for its support.
    - - + diff --git a/years/1998/sponsr.htm b/years/1998/sponsr.htm index 6659c31a0..5cca671e1 100644 --- a/years/1998/sponsr.htm +++ b/years/1998/sponsr.htm @@ -29,24 +29,24 @@ Sponsors for the current year:
    - -

    > + +

    ≫ 1998 Expedition info:
    ----> +≫ Index (more detail than in this list)
    ----> +≫ Expedition Report 1998
    ----> +≫ Pre-expo mission statement
    ----> +≫ Index to Kaninchenhöhle trips in the log
    -> +≫ Index to all publications
    -> +≫ Current year's sponsors
    -> +≫ Back to Expeditions intro page
    -> +≫ CUCC Home Page diff --git a/years/1999/frontmatter.html b/years/1999/frontmatter.html index 2f899a235..83328bb75 100644 --- a/years/1999/frontmatter.html +++ b/years/1999/frontmatter.html @@ -2,5 +2,9 @@

    Note: The images for this logbook were once on the web but appear to have vanished some while ago. They may be re-scanned, as the original paper logbook is still around in the expo library - would anyone like to volunteer? —DL 2004-04-29

    The first part of the log is traditionally taken up by the journey -out.
    If this is of no interest, here is a link to +out.
    If this is of no interest, here is a link     to the caving! +

    Footnote

    +

    ... and that seems to be it. No write up of a +photographic trip in 204 (Erin and Earl) so the logbook seems to be an +incomplete record, Webeditor. diff --git a/years/1999/logbook.html b/years/1999/logbook.html new file mode 100644 index 000000000..e46965af7 --- /dev/null +++ b/years/1999/logbook.html @@ -0,0 +1,763 @@ + + + + +1999 Expo Logbook + + + + + + +

    Austria 1999

    +

    Note: The images for this logbook were once on the web but appear to have vanished some while ago. They may be re-scanned, as the original paper logbook is still around in the expo library - would anyone like to volunteer? —DL 2004-04-29

    + +

    The first part of the log is traditionally taken up by the journey +out.
    If this is of no interest, here is a link to +the caving! +

    Footnote

    +

    ... and that seems to be it. No write up of a +photographic trip in 204 (Erin and Earl) so the logbook seems to be an +incomplete record, Webeditor. + + +

    + +
    1999-07-10
    +
    Duncan Collis, Erin Lynch,
    +
    Journey - magnificent trailer-packing
    + +

    Duncan arrived at Cambridge at 10:20 and a mere 7 hours later we set off for the ferry. Thanks to Earl's magnificent trailer-packing, we didn't need to fettle it at all along the way. Duncan's new "Northern Expo Route*" was pretty successful, although we did manage to get lost in Brussels and inadvertantly explore their tunnel network (T.U. 20 minutes)

    We arrived at base camp @ 3 pm and promptly imbibed too much Gösser (what's with the fried mice ?)

    * Not actually a new route, but the first time I've tried going by the A3 instead of A8 +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-10
    +
    Julian Todd, Theo Honohan, Becka Lawson,
    +
    Journey - ballsed up the ferry
    + +

    Theo (from Cambridge)

    Julian left Cambridge 1 pm, ballsed up the ferry, finally got to France, Dover 7 pm, turned up in Tuebingen 10 am next morning, via a bit of a Brussels diversion + lay-by sleep. Julian knackered so Theo wandered into town, Julian slept, we set off 2 pm. Max 65 mph all the way, 7 hours to Austria, arrived 9 pm. Said hi to Hilde, had a couple of beers + collapsed (John had beaten us here by an hour) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-10
    +
    John Pegler,
    +
    Journey - by plane
    + +

    Got here by plane - Munich - and was the very first person to arrive this year. Got stranded in town and buggered up the public phone in a cafe, but got a lift to the gasthof eventually. Ju, B, T got here later and spent evening in gasthof cafe. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-11
    +
    Julian Todd, Becka Lawson, John Pegler, Theo Honohan,
    +
    Loser Plateau - 2 Carries
    + +

    Did 2 carries each to set up Top Camp - all the rope we'd got, all the bolts + tacklesacks, tent, gear, food etc. On the way back from the 2nd, went for a walk. We all wandered around the far side of Bräuning Zinken, Julian went for the mental climb up the gap (loose vertical choss, lovely) + the rest of us climbed up onto the col (above the campsite) instead, then contoured to Julian then more contouring on 60° slopes + back via the lake. Duncan already 2 beers down when we got back. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-11
    +
    John Pegler, Julian Todd, Becka Lawson, Theo Honohan,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Carried some stuff
    + +

    Carried some stuff up then buggered around the local hills as above. Yes, the main route to top camp is by far the easiest. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-12
    +
    John Pegler, Duncan Collis, Erin Lynch, Theo Honohan,
    +
    Base Camp - Base Camp
    + +

    Somewhat fewer concrete achievements today but went into town for food etc., bolts for the beer tent etc. Set up the 'new' tent, spent the rest of the day drinking beer (One crate of Gösser + 2 Sainsbury's), eating green chillis, bench traversing, trying to ride Julian's unicycle, wrestling and stuff. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-16
    +
    Duncan Collis, Theo Honohan, Erin Lynch, John Pegler,
    +
    Cave - Bullethöhle
    + +

    Strolled out across the plateau to find a hole I noted last year, which rattled for a while when stones were lobbed down it, but which was constricted at the top. Went armed with drill & hilti caps, intending to alleviate the constriction slightly. The method is simple: drill an 8mm hole about 10 cm deep, poke a cap in and insert the firing pin (a bit of 8mm threaded bar cut to a chisel tip), put something in place to stop shrapnel from flying out (a carrymat in this case), and tonk the firing pin with a hammer until the cap goes off and splits the rock.

    People always ask: "why doesn't the cap just blow the firing pin straight back out of the hole ?". The answer is that the momentum of the hammer is sufficient to stop it. And it always works. I've probably set off about 30 caps before, and have been present when numerous others have been detonated. The result is always the same: the rock falls apart, and the firing pin doesn't shoot off out of the hole.

    First cap: Firing pin popped out of the hole. Didn't drop down shaft because it was tied to my wrist with a bit of string. Rock unscathed.

    Second cap: ditto

    Third cap: Firing pin went into reverse and fucked off at about 500 miles an hour, rock unscathed. Fortunately, the string holding it to my wrist snapped, or it would have gone in a circle and straight through my back. As it was, it simply reddened the skin of my wrist a bit.

    Fourth cap (different hole): Chipped off very small chunk of rock. Then we went back to TC as it was raining. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-17
    +
    Duncan Collis, Theo Honohan, Erin Lynch, John Pegler,
    +
    161 - Triassic Park
    + +

    A stroll along Triassic Park to show the other 3 around. En route, we looked at a few qms, some documented, some undocumented, in order to decide which to push. Whilst doing this we spotted a tube above a documented lead (the pitch just below the "A" of Triassic on the survey [C1995-161-43, WebEd.]), and crawled up it. Hammered a flake out of the way to enter an aven. Also crawled up a tube just next to the undescended pitch opposite the way to Puerile Humour. This goes about 10m. Eventually decided to descend a pitch in the floor of TP just beyond the one first mentioned here. banged a couple of bolts in, showing the others how to; they will return tomorrow to make the descent.

    On the way out, traversed on ledges high above the floor of TP around the point where Wheelchair Access goes off, and found two passages on the E side, which both choked after a short distance. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-18
    +
    Brian Outram, Julian Haines,
    +
    136 - Rigging in to Steinschlagschacht
    + +

    Packed 3 bags of rope (330m), 50 hangers and 10 slings and went caving. Two carries to the cave and much farting about later we eventually got underground about 5 pm! Rigging proceeded swiftly, which was just as well as it was already late.

    A few things to note for next time:
    • The web site says something like 60m for the entrance pitch and then 135m was "easily long enough - some spare cut off" for getting to the Eyehole. In fact when using pre-shrunk 10mm (new), the roll was barely long enough to reach the same place. [Previously I think we rigged with unshrunk rope and all the loops shrunk in situ].
    • All the spits were well greased with matchsticks poking out. Easy to find, however difficult to screw bolts in because of the hydraulic pressure of the grease. Would be better in future to put much less grease in the spits.


    We put in another spit at the head of the 2nd pitch to make the ascent _much_ easier - no longer are you pulled into the narrowest bit of the slot by the pitch-head bolt. Also put a deviation about 10m below the head of the 2nd to remove a rub lower down. Just below the former 2nd rebelay (on 2nd pitch) was a _bad_ rub previously. This area is now littered with spits! I moved the rebelay bolt to the other wall which seems to have fixed the rub without the need for Andy A's deviation (from a _very_ shoddy spit).

    Eventually arrived at the bottom of the Theatre and went for a look at the aven that I'd planned to climb. Unfortunately it wasn't quite as I'd remembered it! +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-18
    +
    Erin Lynch, Theo Honohan, John Pegler,
    +
    161 - Triassic Park - Latzio
    + +

    The 3 of us headed back down T.P. to the undocumented q.m. hole in the floor where we'd previously hammered in a few spits. I rigged + dropped the pitch (Latzio) while John tried to put a spit in at the top of Scorchio (named in honour of the fucking hot weather). Latzio got too tight at the bottom, but I could see a way on through a tiny mud-choked hole, so in a fit of keenness I tried unsuccessfully to bash my way through a bit of the choke. After a while I decided I needed a bigger hammer. Meanwhile John had discovered that the rock at the top of Scorchio was deeply shit - all 3 of the spits he'd tried to put in had caused the rock to crumble, so we decided to call it a day.

    T.U. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-19
    +
    Brian Outram, Julian Haines,
    +
    136 - Aven climbing in Steinschlagschacht
    + +

    Slight improvement on start time - underground by 2pm. Whizzed down to the bottom of the Theatre, stopping only to put another bolt in at the rebelay for the start of Traverse of the Gods, which is also the rebelay for the main hang into the Theatre. This rebelay now looks like spaghetti junction! Four ends of rope and a coil of spare rope all hang from here together with a sling!

    Went back up the mud-bank climb at the bottom of the Theatre and across to the aven at the extreme SEish of the survey. This turned out to be a slopey, rifty crack part filled of mud and pebbles. Climbed up about 10m with Brian belaying me on the new dynamic rope. Put about 6 Hilti's in on the way and used usual climbing runners. Got tired soon after and went home. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-19
    +
    Erin Lynch, Theo Honohan, John Pegler,
    +
    161 - Triassic Park - Scorchio
    + +

    On the advice of old lags, I decided to give up on hammering through the tight bit of Latzio, so Theo & I surveyed it and declared it finished. After much faff, the 3 of us finally decided where we'd put the spits for a y-hang. John and I pounded them in, while Theo sat around, getting mildly hypothermic. After an hour 40, we had 2 spits, the world's largest y-hang, about 3 rub points, and a deviation rigged off a pebble.

    T.U. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-20
    +
    Duncan Collis, Mick Thompson,
    +
    136 - 161 - Steinschlagschacht to Scarface through trip
    + +



    Went to push pitch off top left hand corner of HOTMC. My first trip down SSS and Mick's first ever trip on expo. Very impressed by the endless succession of rebelays. Even more impressed by The Gods Traverse, where we met Rhino & Brian, who had suffered drill battery failure - see their write up for details of their trip. Mick & I went to HOTMC and found the pitch. Loud noises of moving water from the pitch. Lobbed rocks down - boom, bang, boom, etc.....

    .... six spits (and about 3 hours) later we were down and very disappointed to find no way on. However, a crawl concealed behind a flake led to a small chamber with a too-narrow slot in the floor. Rock dropped down here rattled, then fell free for over 2 seconds. The crawl continued beyond the chamber and suddenly ended overlooking an impressive rift. Seems to be about a 3 second drop before rocks bounce off stuff, then more silence before boom bang bang bang bang. Should be possible to get a freehang straight down the middle, for maximum exposure.

    While in HOTMC, we did some poking around, and at the extreme northern end, where the chamber apparently ends at a choke, noted a strongly draughting crawl below an undercut on the L wall.

    Didn't fancy 200+m of prussiking back out, so we went to look at Stairway to Hell. Didn't seem too bad (especially if you zoom through quickly). Got through OK, then found that we had a 4m pitch up into Rocky Horror. Super-chossy-removeable-handholds-climb up. Lots of adrenaline. Rigged rope from a knobble for Mick to prussik up. Then out of 161d. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-20
    +
    Brian Outram, Julian Haines,
    +
    136 - More aven climbing in 136
    + +

    Whizzed back to the bottom (25 mins) to continue climbing up the same aven as yesterday. Spent some time getting kitted up, climbed up to where we'd finished the day before, did the next move and then tried to put in another Hilti. Oh dear, the drill battery's flat! Not sure why that happened - we'd only done about 10 holes out of that pack. It seems likely that the drill stnadby current (I'd left the battery connected to the drill overnight) is high enough to flatten the battery quite quickly (overnight).

    So we prussiked back up to Traverse of the Gods and met Duncan and Mick on their way in. Having nicked a piece of rope, we trundled across the traverse and up to northern end of Elin Algor, with the intention of having a look down the obvious big hole in the floor. Unfortunately I'd forgotten we needed a rope to get down the mud bank above, so that knocked that plan on the head. However, just around the corner to the right of the spit for the mud bank pitch, there's a muddy, loose ramp going up at around 45°. I climbed a long way up this (probably 20-30m), which turned left(ish) soon above the bottom. Right at the top is a small rifty slope, choked mostly with mud and rocks, through which is a pitch of perhaps 20m. Unfortunately its going to be very difficult to fit through the pitch head.

    Having exhausted possibilities in Elin Algor, we bumbled off to HOTMC to have a look at some of Wookey's QMs at the bottom of the chamber. We spent some time poking around in the boulder choke and found little except loose rocks and small pseudo-chambers made of unstable rock and shit. I doubt very much that there is anything worth looking at further down here.

    After that I went up to the big holes at the top of the lower bit of HOTMC where Duncan and Mik were busy bolting. About 8m up the right hand wall, over the right hand of the two holes in the floor, is a window into what loks very much like a bit of passage. Needs bolting to get up for a look, so went bac home instead. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-20
    +
    Erin Lynch, Theo Honohan, John Pegler,
    +
    161 - Triassic Park - Scorchio
    + +

    It was John P's last day on expo, so we decided to finish off Scorchio, which he'd found on Saturday by looking through a window on the left side of T.P.2. John went down the pitch and put in a spit for a rebelay, while Theo + I kept warm by surveying in circles. John declared the bottom of the pitch too tight, so we all went down to base camp + drank some beer.

    T.U. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-21
    +
    Duncan Collis,
    +
    Base Camp - Base Camp
    + +

    Oh look! [arrow points to a toenail sellotaped in to the book]

    My little toenail has just fallen off! +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-21
    +
    Anthony Day, Julia Day,
    +
    Journey - Anthony + Julia make it to expo
    + +It took us about 16 days, although we did get diverted via Turkey for a bit. My luggage was a little reticent about joining us, and is probably in Paris as I write these (illegible) lines.

    Anyway, I appear to be here & my beer isn't quite empty .... +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-21
    +
    Mark Shinwell,
    +
    Journey - Journey
    + +Lovely flight from Stansted -> Salzburg. 1 h 20 m :-) Highly recommended. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-22
    +
    Brian Outram, Julian Haines,
    +
    136 - More aven climbed planned - Footlights extension instead
    + +

    Having been back to base camp to charge the drill battery, the plan was to go back to the aven and do some more bolting. Brian had the idea of going to Footlights with the plan of trying to have a look at the top of the aven up which we were climbing. So off we set, with the now mandatory bag of rope planned to rig the bottom section of Footlights.

    Anyway, about 2/3 of the way down Footlights, just by the last rebelay bolt, I spotted a hole in the wall up a pile of rubble. On closer inspection this turned out to be a short pitch into a chamber with about 4 QMs. All plans to continue aven climbing were abandoned as we'd just found a going lead where the survey said there were none.

    So we did some dodgy rigging off hollow sounding threads and loose boulders and got into first chamber. The first hole on the right appeared to go but subsequently ended up in a large but choked rift. About halfway down this climb there's a climb up to a roof tube which is probably a grade-C QM.

    Back in the chamber we traversed over two or three holes in the floor to reach a rift with a muddy floor on the opposite side. This rift goes and goes. There's a hole in the floor to traverse over (on dodgy naturals) followed by another chamber. This second chamber has a big rift-like hole in the floor and a ramp down on the right. We went down the ramp (boulders + mud) to reach the head of a short (9m) pitch into another chamber. Very nice bit of cave just here. At the far end of chamber is a hole (p10?) into a _very_ rainy chamber with a _big_ echo. Can't see around corner so no idea where it goes.

    Spent 3 hrs getting cold surveying, then left. Pouring rain and typical plateau low cloud all the way to top camp. Yuk +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-24
    +
    Julian Haines, Brian Outram,
    +
    Cave - Cave
    + +Push Oatso and survey back out - info from call-out book, no logbook write up [WebEd] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-24
    +
    Julia Day, Anthony Day,
    +
    161 - Iceland
    + +

    First KH trip for me. In a nutshell: the cave was much nicer than I expected and the walk was a lot shitter. In through 161e, quick stomp to Iceland, only to discover a distinct lack of ice. On to the pitch QM which Anthony remembered as being a climb down to a short pitch/climb which needed a rope. Discovered that it was in fact a sizeable pitch. Put a backup bolt in, then realised we'd forgotten the hangers, so pissed off out.

    TU 2½ hours
    +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-24
    +
    Erin Lynch, Theo Honohan,
    +
    161 - Triassic Park - Scorchio
    + +

    Date of [24th - from call-out book]

    After being trapped in our tent for 3 days due to rain, we headed back to T.P. with relief and the desire to move onto something more interesting. I went down Scorchio to derig + survey, and was overcome by the drive to see what was beyond the squeezy bit. Unfortunately, even after I'd kicked a good bit of mud glop out of the squeeze, I still had to take my belay belt off to get through. Forgetting to put my stop on a cow's tail made the whole thing a bit exciting and all I found was another vertical squeeze. Chickening out, I declared it done enough, and we surveyed the accessible bit. The bottom of Scorchio is definitely a grade W q.m. Across the passage, Theo hammered in a spit for Dynamo Kiev, the last q.m. in our little area. There was much rejoicing when it, too, was too tight, so we could survey + go home.

    T.U. 6¼ hours

    P.S. It's worth noting that we didn't look at the most promising hole-in-the-floor q.m. in that area which is located [at this critical point, the log-book write up just stops, Webeditor. However, perusal of the 1995 survey book suggests this is C1995-161-43] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-25
    +
    Mark Shinwell, Julian Todd,
    +
    161 - REGURGITATION
    + +

    Went to Black Suspender (see separate report) with Earl & Heather and bimbled on to Mohr im Hend & the Regurgitation Chamber.

    Water issues from a fissure S corner and from aven above, lip where water pours into chamber is about 100-120' off floor. Roof is out of sight above this.

    _ROOMINATION RIFTS_ (beyond REGURGITATION CHAMBER)
    On W side is hole in wall, very chossy, with hole on R leading into rift which splits immediately. L to be explored later. R leads to traverse. Traverse @ high level not explored. Bridging down to passage -> one way (doubling back) leads back to Regurg chamber. Other way leads to ~15m pitch down (*), stream at bottom. Straight on "not very promising", left leads to traverse, hole to ~15m pitch. It is believed that the bottom of at least the 2nd pitch of these two (or _possibly_ both) can be reached from the bottom of the pitch (*) [Julian bridged down - difficult climb up]

    To be looked at and surveyed later +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-25
    +
    Earl Merson, Heather Wild,
    +
    161 - Novice KH Trip
    + +

    WOW! MY 1ST CAVING TRIP _EVER!_ BECKA + JULIAN T TALKED ME INTO IT, BUT I MUST SAY I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED, ALTHOUGH I WILL SLEEP QUITE WELL 2NITE. I DID QUITE WELL UNTIL JULIAN + MARK TRIED TO GET ME ACROSS A PASS W/A 40-50m DROP - WHICH I SIMPLY COULDN'T SCALE - WITH A ROPE. SORRY, BEING THE NOVICE I AM, I SIMPLY COULDN'T FUCKING DO IT. STILL, I HAD AN ABSOLUTELY SPLENDID TIME MUCKING ABOUT + LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT TIME!

    HEATHER A WILD TU 3 h +

    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-25
    +
    Duncan Collis, Anthony Day, Mick Thompson,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Surface stroll
    + +

    BECKA - digital logbook gave dates of 25th and 26th for this write-up

    Bimbled across the plateau and up into the col twixt Nied Augst Eck & HSK. Lots & lots of entrances here, many of which are horizontal - see notes for this trip. Main find, on the col itself, was a very large horizontal entrance near a prominent rock bridge.

    [IMAGE: Sketch of entrance. MISSING]


    Two entrances, 'a' found first.

    ent 'a' - short scramble down into entrance gulley leads to large opening and immediate pitch. Daylight visible from opp. side of pitch.

    ent 'b' - pretty much as for 'a' except descent looks easier via this entrance. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-25
    +
    Wookey, Becka Lawson, Julian Haines, Brian Outram,
    +
    136 - 136
    + +

    1st trip for Wook - and what a success! Relatively prompt start saw all @ 136 by 9.30 ish & underground by 11.

    All gathered at head of Footlights pitch (start of Oatso). Wook, Julian H & Becka descended Footlights to collect climbing stuff from Julian's climb. Brian carried on to put some bolts in the 1st traverse in Oatso. Soon became clear that Julian's climb connected to holes above so it was derigged (1 hanger & some thin string left on it just in case).

    Wook & Becka connected survey from bottom of Theatre pitch to bolt at head of Footlights. Noted that small porthole near foot of climb on L let you throw rocks into pitch descending farther. Small hole under rocks in floor had similar effect. Julian throwing rocks down wet hole at top of Footlights showed this was the same thing but it didn't end up in the bottom of the rift like most of the other holes. Derigged Footlights. Wet pitch is a good QM.

    All trogged on to catch up with Brian & Julian just about finished fettling traverses. Whilst Julian put last bolt in, Wook abbed a bit down big hole on L. Saw huge space beyond but Julian couldn't - weird. Then other three got down & ran around whooping. Wook prussiked back up furiously to catch them, but by the time I got down they had all gone, and following footprints in chamber led to dead-ends! Where were they ?

    Ran around for five minutes before going back up pitch to try again. Way on was down LH side of rib & under massive undercut. Beyond was 200m of _massive_ fault-controlled passage going dead along 220°! Wook caught others up towards end when passage went up large rock-pile to meet roof at small draughting hole through which water could be heard & huge chamber seen. Exciting stuff !

    Split into 2 teams to survey 'The Overrun' (actually overshoot) from either end. (We were now probably going straight past Eishöhle). After meeting we rigged first hole through which water could be heard, hoping to go under big boulder pile, but in fact it ended in a big flat-floored chamber with a small waterfall coming in one side. Bum. Time to go home, although Julian went to end to have a look and found that supposed pitch could actually be walked down. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-25
    +
    Erin Lynch, Theo Honohan,
    +
    136 - Oatso Simple tourist trip
    + +Oatso Simple tourist trip not written in log (added here by WebEditor from Call-out book - no T/U given) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-25
    +
    Becka Lawson, Brian Outram,
    +
    1999-01 - Norden Alpen Schacht - Rigging the surface shaft that Brian found on 25/7/99
    + +

    Surface shaft provisionally named Norden Alpen Schacht.


    Brian rigged the smaller of 2 holes down the obvious fault line (the lower, larger hole just above the snow field had an ice/snow plug at the bottom). Meanwhile I traversed around the hill (~30m) to a narrow ledge over a cliff where there's a low q strongly drafting hole. It went to a flat out crawl in mud (the top of a filled-in phreatic q large tube) with a blocked left + then a left view into the bottom of the snow at the larger hole (voice connection to Brian bolting at the top) + passage to the right (still low) with another window to a chamber a few metres below & then a crawl over + down into a tube which dropped into a small passage with boulders + leads on down - I then backtracked to Brian.

    IMAGE: Sketch


    Brian had rigged the pitch off naturals + a bolt. Down to chamber + fortunately the rope was also ~good for the hole in the floor of it through loose choss to small passage with bouldery floor down (chamber) which led to base of ice plug at bottom of larger hole (we traversed to the far side of this + it blocked fairly convincingly). However I'd dug out stones at the base at the right as it was drafting nicely. A couple of metres of flat out over rocks + into nice walking old stream passage. This went round the corner + a little water entered + then it dropped down what looked about a 10m pitch. Brian clambered to the left of this etc. Then we surveyed everything (~70m all told). +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-26
    +
    Duncan Collis, Mick Thompson,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückehöhle
    + +

    Strolled up to cave found yesterday. Took 1½ hours from Top Camp, including time spent lost or looking at big ice stal in Bräuninghöhle. Slanting descent from 'b' entrance leads via a rebelay (also needs a deviation next trip) to a wodge of snow. Climb down and slither round r. hand side of snow led to a gentle slope down to 2nd pitch. This is about 7m diameter. Our rope wasn't quite long enough to reach the snow at the bottom. Without having a stroll around the bottom, can't tell if the 3 possible ways on we can see are real or not. Bum.

    Walked back to top camp via summit of HSK & 136. Moved our gear to the HSK/VSK col, ready to lug it over HSK for next trip, when we will take more rope. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-26
    +
    Wookey, Tony Rooke, Paul Hammond, Erin Lynch, Phil Underwood,
    +
    136 - Carry on to check out the Overrun
    + +

    All wizzed down 136, where Tony had first ever 'forgotten to shut Stop faceplate' experience on 2nd pitch. Improved eyehole rigging slightly. At bottom all went to end and checked out new chamber 'Lost in Space'. It is _huge_ ! with 3 big holes in floor & 4 other pitches. Far end is enormous jumble of boulders where lots of cavers wandered about in the interstices peering out over big holes at each other and shouting 'Where am I' a lot.

    Wook went along lower part of chamber which almost chokes off but dodgy 4m climb gets to look over big space in boulders. Opposite side & top can be reached by climbing through boulders in upper part of passage. Wook's climb got him into continuation but he was sufficiently keen to avoid reversing it that he failed to check out a way on and just shinned down a chimney to 'escape'. Having got there he found the others had forgotten how they got there, but Erin saved the day by finding the way out.

    Then we surveyed it all (with much moaning from Tony towards the end as it became clear we wouldn't get out before dark).

    Then far too much trekking & rope to get out. Paul H brought climbing rope out & was shattered.

    Another top trip - now more than halfway to Schwabenschacht ! +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-26
    +
    Anthony Day, Julian Todd, Earl Merson,
    +
    161 - Pushing 96 25 in Iceland
    + +

    +Took the drill off to Iceland anticipating that the pitch me and Julia had failed to descend 2 +days earlier would end quickly so we could go off and start bolting the aven in Iceland. Walk +in was crap, esp. the bit from d to e in caving gear in blazing sun. Got to the pitch head and +put in a practice bolt for a traverse line, then I descended the pitch via 3 bolts. Pitch is +fairly spacious in hading rift for ~30m in 3 10m sections, separated by chossy sloping ledges +where it is impossible to avoid kicking crap down. Found somewhere to cower and the others +came down. Beyond is a further pitch, est. at 15m, but we had no more rope. So we put some +bolts in for it and left. Rift is still a fair size and looks moderately promising, but isn't +quite what I was expecting (short pitch leading to horizontalish rift).

    + +
    T/U: 7 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-27
    +
    Wookey, Paul Hammond, Duncan Collis, Julian Todd,
    +
    Base Camp - Hydrospeeding Hilde's River
    + +

    Wook's body board & inner tube available. Walked up along river to check it out, and failed to do it properly. Wook & Paul were dropped in above big weir, but it was easy to get out. They shot past Hilde's and made it to the next bridge. Then Julian & Paul did it from further up towards Grundlsee from campsite on left just beyond footbridge. It's slow and shallow there, except the bit under the bridge. Lastly Dunk & Julian walked up on other side of the river and got changed. Dunk had borrowed Paul's surfing wetsuit and got a foot in the arm and the zip the wrong way around before complaining that it was too small. It was 5 pm, so quite biered up. A top caving alternative. Who'll dare do it after 5 days of rain. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-27
    +
    Becka Lawson, Brian Outram, Andrew Atkinson, John Pegler,
    +
    136 - 136 to Lost in Space
    + +

    Andy + John went straight to where Wookey left off surveying at top end of the boulder chamber in Lost in Space. Andy freeclimbed over a boulder & put a 7m rope on it (needs a bolt + a longer rope on it), then rigged ~30m sloping pitch down from the boulders choked in the passage (3 spits including a v. free-hanging rebelay). They went to the base of the sloping-down - wedge boulder-floored chamber at the bottom, poked around, then surveyed back up to Wookey's survey. Brian + Becka tried to bolt the pitch which Julian had been working on just _before_ all the big stuff. A _very_ pretty chamber after the 5m sloping pitch down which Julian had already rigged, then a strongly drafting hole looking out to a dripping large-echo chamber. Lots of pretties just at the pitch head, together with some lovely loose boulders. Brian threw a few pretties down the pitch + belayed off the boulders. Oh well! Then the drill battery turned out to be dead. Then we found that the hammer had no handle and the driver had no handle. And it was a damn cold place to bolt. After Brian had messed around for a bit + I'd let my infected foot cool down we decided we weren't _quite_ interested in jerry-rigging it _just_ off the boulders so we went off to find Andy + John. Brian put a bolt in on the pitch below Andy's (which needs a backup if anyone else is doing it, currently backed up off a boulder). Down ~35m (pitch provisionally called Steady Aim) to steeply sloping down bouldered floor leading at ~240°, clean-washed (area "water chute") + some drips coming in various spots. End on a jammed boulder at a pitch (~?10m) following the stream down. Finally getting a bit smaller here, pretty big everywhere above. Andy + I got out + Brian + John got out a bit later.

    Oh yes, Brian + I found a bit more on the left at the start of the survey that Wooks + I did 2 days ago + we surveyed it. Its just before Lost in Space, a couple more avens on the LHS as you go in. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-28
    +
    Wookey, Earl Merson, Mark Shinwell, Brian Outram,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Assorted surface things
    + +
    • Look for 92
    • Fix 93-94 survey error from 1998
    • Survey from 138 - 136 - 135
    • Put in spit for 135 tag


    Day looked a bit grey and rainy for a while so went to 92 area to sort problem with last year's survey 93->94, and try to find the elusive 92. 4 of us spent at least an hour slogging through the bunde to no avail. Checked the bunde areas to N, S, W & E (back past crappers to TC). Fuck knows where it is !

    Next, once we decided it probably wasn't going to rain significantly, Wook & Mark S went up to 156 to join up tag & 1st rigging bolt, then on to Vord summit, signed book & surveyed from 138 to 136 to 135. Put spit in 135 for forthcoming tag. Spent another hour or so traipsing around looking for the elusive 137. No joy, although we found a hole (shaft) that goes at least a bit in the middle of one of the bunde lumps directly below the Vord summit cliff. GPSed to:

    IMAGE: Sketch


    Then it was getting past tea-time & started raining. Got thoroughly wet on way home & cooked in super-spacious new tent. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-28
    +
    Julian Haines, Erin Lynch,
    +
    136 - Windy Bottom (136) / Pit of Damnation (136)
    + +

    Underground about 11.30 am - damn hot as usual. Went straight to the undescended pitch into a wet chamber, with the intention of rigging it for a look. Howling gale blowing through the relatively small window into the chamber - damn cold putting bolts in. Having eventually rigged the c 5m pitch, it turned out that there was nothing more than a very big aven, which we were at the bottom of. Fairly clean vertical shaft going up around 30-40m and about 8-10m in diameter. There must be something good at the top of this, judging for the size and draught. Exceptionally wet place when raining outside.

    So, having surveyed and derigged Windy Bottom, we thought we'd go for a look at the most southerly extension of the "new bit" (now Chile). Boulder choke looked both hard work and too high up in the hading rift, so we picked a big hole in the floor at the bottom of "Lost in Space" to push instead.

    Rigging was exciting due to the huge piles of hanging death all around. Having got over the lip of the pitch, it quickly became aparent that a rebelay would be in order. Unfortunately, the walls of the "pit" were entirely made up of boulders and small rocks glued on with mud - none of which was very appealing for a rebelay. Decided to ignore the rub and proceed to the bottom anyway.

    At the bottom is a fairly large extension of the hading rift visible above, in Lost-in-Space. Unfortunately there were no good leads to go any further, so we surveyed and derigged. Time now very short for meeting call-out so exited in a big hurry. 13¼ hrs (Erin) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-28
    +
    John Pegler, Andrew Atkinson,
    +
    136 - push end towards Stellerweg
    + +

    136, push end towards Stellerweg

    [info from call-out book, no logbook write-up, WebEd] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-29
    +
    Becka Lawson, Julian Todd, Julian Haines,
    +
    136 - Photo + push in 136
    + +

    Down ~11, Julian H still bleary from his midnight return from 136 with Erin. I derigged he rope off the Theatre (52m) + took it down Oatso. Took photos of end of Oatso, the chamber above Windy Bottom (pretty) & the Overshoot main passage. Then derigged Pit of Damnation (choss nonsense in Lost in Space that Julian H + Erin looked at yesterday). Julian H used the drill (which died after 3 bolts) + then a hand bolt to descend ~20m into Breeze Through. We went down & slung the rope around a dodgy roof natural to get down the final 10m after the sloping boulder-strewn ledge. And Julian spotted the distant rumble of Wookey + Andy surveying at the same depth. So we fixed our survey to the bottom of theirs & surveyed out. Finally done gone 8. Took drill battery out & went out rather slowly, all feeling a bit knackered. Complete cock-up trying to rig a deviation to stop a rub on the 2nd pitch below the eyehole. Bodged it + gave up
    T/U JulianH 11½, Becka + Julian T 12½ +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-29
    +
    Wookey, Andrew Atkinson,
    +
    136 - More in Chile
    + +

    Co-incident with Becka, Julian, Julian trip

    Trundled on down 136. At last pitch before Theatre Y-hang (below new deviation added on previous bit a day or two before) Wook noticed that annoying rub had become serious - rope was deeply shagged with core starting to show. As we had a drill handy, put in a hole, before realising I had no spit or hanger. Andy came back to foot of pitch & I descended (after tying knot round dodgy bit & another for clip-in loop). Stole hanger from rigging & spit from Andy & went back up. Then realised I had setting tool, but no hammer - sigh ! gave up & left spare rope, explaining to others that it needed fettling.

    At bottom, collected hammer & hangers & went along Overshoot. At point where Undershoot goes off right, noticed climb up to L. Andy A shinned up with aid of sling & short gibber. Beyond was 15m pitch back down. Bolted and descended. We only had one rope so took it off climb up to go down here.

    At bottom narrow rift led to narrow shaft, with breeze descending. Apart from the breeze it would be pretty unpromising. Wooks started shinning down before andy pointed out that it looked rather too much like a pitch for that to be sensible, so rigged from a bolt. It soon belled out into big space (Andy was right!) After a couple of rubs put in rebelay. Looked like rope didn't quite reach bottom, so Andy went back to Overshoot to yell at Becka from top of climb to go find some more rope. She duly obliged. In fact rope was only a couple of feet off floor (= OK). Now in large rift which took some time to explore (up climb to chamber, then down climbable rift to big, wet aven, then back down other way out of chamber to 15m pitch). Spare rope again - just reached bottom. Fortunately this stopped so we only had a really long survey to do. Part-way through Haines & Co. arrived high at far end of rift, having descended next QM along Overshoot. Surveys were duly connected. Eventually finished and went to Lost in Space to join up Pit of Damnation survey properly. Then checked QM at end (looks good) & wended weary way out.

    Both teams forgot a setter on the way out, so Julian had to put in a crap hand spit instead (on the deviation on 2nd pitch below the eyehole). +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-29
    +
    Mick Thompson, Duncan Collis,
    +
    Loser Plateau - surface surveying to Steinbrückenhöhle
    + +

    [in call-out book as surface surveying to Steinbrückenhöhle - no write-up, WebEd.] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-29
    +
    Duncan Collis,
    +
    204 - Comment
    + +

    STEINBRÜCKENHÖHLE GOES!
    NEW CAVE !!

    70m deep
    260m surveyed
    12 qms
    still going . . . . .

    Proper write-up soon. x x x dunks [there never was. WebEd.] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-30
    +
    Wookey, Andrew Atkinson,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Useful surface things
    + +

    Changed 99-01 tag to 'CUCC 201' (99-02 tag removed a few days earlier)

    Changed 'TBH 87-03' tag to 'CUCC 199'

    Survey 199 to grade 3-and-a-bit, working out why the previous surveys had differed so much (there are 2 side passages - each previous trip had only found one).

    Met Tony, Paul & Becka near 136 checking out 97-08 and related holes. See survey book for details. Wook knocked ski-stick down hole just as we were packed to go so lined descent of 54' deep shaft was needed to retrieve it - mutter. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-30
    +
    Becka Lawson, Paul Hammond, Tony Rooke, Andrew Atkinson, Wookey,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Surface bumbling around 136 etc
    + +

    Various tidying up of surface survey stuff + ferrying bits of gear to Eishöhle (by Paul, Andy + Wookey) + lots of sitting around by 136 going down all the holes there. Paul went 54 foot narrow rift on ladders, Andy found a through trip and I found some squitty holes. I went to the top of the Schwarzmooskogel + it was very pretty. Fester day. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-30
    +
    Phil Underwood, Earl Merson,
    +
    136 - Far End of 136
    + +

    Underground about 11:45 am. Descended pitches to 'Lost in Space'. Through boulders to short climb - needs re-rigging to avoid poor rub. On to 4m pitch and finally to pushing front. Set two spits and rigged 10m pitch. Descended into small chamber: ways on down through boulders or forward. Downward route was not pushed; Forward leads to ~30m rift pitch with possible way on at bottom. This was not descended as Phil's light was failing. Returned to surface bringing Oldham drill battery, 16m, 14m + 30?m ropes out. Installed improved deviation using spit placed by Wookey.

    T.U. 12 hours +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-30
    +
    Anthony Day, Julia Day,
    +
    161 - Survey "Frozen Turkey" (pitch off Iceland)
    + +

    Plan was to go to Iceland, survey the stuff we'd found earlier, push until we ran out of rope, and derig so we could relocate to somewhere more interesting. Didn't move my arse out of Top Camp until 12:20, so we knew we were in for a late finish. Changed at 161d, walked to 161e and were under by 3 pm. Survey went reasonably well, but at no great pace owing to verticality and lots of loose shit around. Rigged the undescended pitch which we'd bolted on the last trip, to find our rope didn't reach the bottom. I set off down with another one, but the pitch needs another bolt to avoid a bad rub, and Julia was now very cold, so we jacked. Looks like there may be a way on at the bottom through a fairly narrow rift (probably another pitch).

    Derigging went smoothly and we emerged from 161e at 11:45. Changed at 161d and left there at 01:20 carrying my gear and a bag of rope. Arrived Top Camp 03:00. The walk was grim, and it later transpired that I'd also carried Julia's SRT kit inadvertantly, which didn't help matters. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-31
    +
    Helen Twelftree, Nick Proctor,
    +
    Journey - Helen and Nick go to Expo
    + +

    We drove Helen's shiny new car for a long time. The journey was almost completely uneventful apart from being stopped by the Pirmasens Police for speeding (50 mph in a 50km zone) and for having an illegal load (the hang-glider protruded 50cm in front of the car - not allowed in Germany). So we pleaded stupidity, smiled a lot, untied the glider and pushed it back a bit (making it very unstable) and tied it back on. Nice Mr. Policeman relieved us of £10 and wished us a good day.

    Saw the aftermath of a 'coming together' on the autobahn - no-one hurt, just lots of bent metal. Strange what happens when people drive at 120 mph.

    Arrived at 1:00 in the morning to be greeted by Duncan, pissed off his face and spouting complete bullshit. Went to bed happy in the knowledge that some aspects of Expo never change. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-31
    +
    Mark Shinwell,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Mark S goes hunting for 155 "et al"
    + +

    Set off from carpark with intention of finding 155 "et al" at about midday.

    Took 201 "Stogerweg" path towards Eishöhle. Missed turning @ red omega and so ended up going past 22 (?32) - needs checking - and "88" - presume numbered incorrectly - then turned back.

    This time I found the omega and so headed up towards Bunter's Bulge ("The Nipple") or "Weiße Warze". _LOST PATH!_

    Thrashed through bunde with GPS for a whole hour, at least, but eventually found "it".

    GPS took me to a snow-plugged "entrance" [more of a choked shakehole] - seemed to fit 155 desc. - but no number in evidence - so headed back to Weiße Warze.

    * checked 153 (sic) position (from desc. on WWW) => 013° of Weiße Warze

    * INCONSISTENT with GPS position (check GPS + you'll see what I mean).

    => search for 153 aborted

    * few holes in area came across seem to be mainly insignificant

    * nothing else of significance found except shaft with snow at bottom 1999MS02 posn in Wook's GPS - just on traverse from 136 towards Bunter's Bulge.

    * if this needs clarifying, please email Mark +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-31
    +
    Becka Lawson, John Pegler, Simon Flower,
    +
    136 - Chile Again
    + +

    Down to the Far End beyond Lost in Space. Sent John to rerig Andy A's pitch (bit of an unusual rig of a clown + missed the critical rebelay, otherwise OK!) + put a second hand bolt at head of Brian's Steady Aim pitch. Simon + I looked down the pitch Earl + Phil had rigged to the left of Andy's pitch + surveyed back to Andy + John station 5 (this survey the Left Route survey, linked to LostinSpace2). Looks good down there, complex, lots of holes all over + possibly also some horizontal stuff + good draught.

    Came out + shouted to John we'd be 10 minutes to get to him. Got to head of Steady Aim pitch, no John, though his dangly bag with spare food, water + carbide was there, plus the bolting kit. Simon went down to the pitch + couldn't see him. We both started searching + shuting + whistling. This lasted about 30 minutes and was bloody distressing looking for mangled oversuits at the bottom of climbs. Finally he turned up - he'd found a way through boulders to the bottom of the floor after Steady Aim pitch, and had scooped 200m passage. Finally decided to come back + got lost on the way. Ticked off. Started to survey back where he'd been, down ramps (q. steep) with a few QM's until got to a narrow canyonny bit. Stopped the survey + looked up the passage, a sticky mud option plus two ways on, left goes slightly upwards in lovely passage with fossils in the roof. Down gets watery + eventually narrowed down. Simon went in, got wet, + reported Darren-like passage, which opened up a bit + then choked bit probably a way on. Headed on out fairly slowly. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-07-31
    +
    Erin Lynch, Earl Merson,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Surface exploration around VSK
    + +

    Started from 136 with intention of looking for alternative entrance to 136. Followed obvious rift on surface until we realised that this was not necessarily above 136 anymore. Eventually made our way to the summit of VSK. Rift on bearing 220° from 136 passes close to summit of VSK and continues downhill. ~50m from VSK large rift crosses this at right angles (see Tim VB's report 1998.07.15) Placed bolt for 50' ladder (nearly reaches bottom) and climbed down. Small snow patch on bottom, connection to neighbouring shaft, no obvious leads.

    T.U. ~30 seconds

    Wook investigating other shafts to the north of this (?) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-01
    +
    Wookey, Andrew Atkinson, Becka Lawson, Paul Hammond, Mark Shinwell, Julian Todd, Simon Flower,
    +
    40 - Go look in Eishöhle
    + +

    Went to look in eishöhle to see if we could find some extra ways on. Everyone gawped at Schneevulcanhalle for a bit, then we split into 3 teams: Mark S & Simon took pictures, Wook & AndyA tried to find ways on, and the rest went towards 'the old cave', after putting in a second bolt on the pitch. Becka, Paul and Julian surveyed this, called "Oldway". Wook & Andy tried shinning up the rubble slope on the W side of the chamber. It just leads to a wet boulder choke. However, on he LH wall there was a slot which had a major gale coming out of it. No-one had got round the bend so Wook was soon into new passage (again!). Soon led to pitch. Went back for Andy & rope. Rigged 15m pitch into big descending canyon. Yipee! Reached another pitch after a climb-down. We only had one hanger left so rigged a huge deviation with a knotted sling to get to the floor. Unfortunately it ended! So we surveyed out, but noted significant draught still, so left it rigged for tomorrow.

    _T/U 6 hours_ +

    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-01
    +
    Mark Shinwell,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle
    + +

    [Date guessed at and heading added]

    _Mark S_ :- Photo trip somewhat abortive due to flash failure (results to be discovered -:) We took a few photos in Schneevulkanhalle and then went down the pitch into the passage which Julian, Becca + Paul had descended around to the left of the chamber (coming down the snow slope). This eventually ended in a "too-hard" ice climb [see survey data] + we went back.

    Not too hard, drafting well, but ice all too soft, better done on rock or entering from the other direction ?

    On way back (still in the "oldway" down the pitch) Simon + Mark explored a hole on the left [whilst returning to Schneevulkanhalle] down a small ice slope; this led to a pitch (~15-20m??) with a rusty spit (not of CUCC origin) in place [Pitch not descended].

    Out of time => back to SVH +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-01
    +
    Tony Rooke, Earl Merson,
    +
    147 - ReExplore and resurvey 147
    + +

    Started by exploring whole cave, to gain understanding of its structure. Main passage is a hading rift. After entrance, main passage continues horizontally for some distance, with two (joined) pitches (reachable along loose slope from entrance - care!) in floor. These can be traversed over. Passage (now phreatic tube 1m diameter) zig zags onwards to climbs down and terminal aven (~20m). Several holes in floor at various stages. Two notable side passages: shortly after entrance, tube on right passes windows onto pitches, then heads away from rift for ~20m before becoming too tight. Mid way along main passage, vadose side passage on right leads after ~20m to mud bank blocking 80% of passage. Could be moved easily. Passage continues beyond for at least 5m, but further unknown. Returned to surface to ditch tackle, then surveyed main passage. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-01
    +
    Anthony Day, Duncan Collis, Tina White,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
    + +

    Looking for a nice easy trip the day after a major session in Bad Aussee. Carried mine and Tina's gear to Steinbrück between us, and went for a look round since there wasn't any gear available to finish the survey. Cave is very promising indeed - mostly Puerile Humour sized phreatic tubes trending up and down dip at about 20 degrees, including a superb ~40m long phreatic ramp, and a number of promising leads. Went to one of the best - a pitch at the lowest point of the known cave. Banged in 3 bolts but didn't have time to descend.

    T/U 4 hours
    +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-01
    +
    Jon Telling, Mike Richardson,
    +
    136 - 136
    + +

    Returned to finish survey of day before, and look at new leads. Completed survey - most promising lead (trending SE) ends at infilled passage - may be possible to pass with short climb. Otherwise continues along small, narrow, wet 'Darrenesque' crawl. Also investigated passage going in opposite direction (Goo junction) - turns into short, narrow VERY muddy passage, into a squeeze leading to a sump and a very water-filled passage. Not recommended!

    T/U: 13½ hrs
    +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-02
    +
    Becka Lawson, Brian Outram,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Surface survey + shaft bash around Nordalpenhöhle (1999-01)
    + +

    Surveyed a leg from new cave tag for Nordalpenhöhle to end of previous surface + cave survey, then surface surveyed to the other shaft that Brian + Julian H found at the same time as Nordalpenhöhle about a week ago. Brian put a spit in at the head of this shaft then found the tub of spits + cones he had brought was actually carbide.

    So he rigged the shaft on naturals + two deviations. Down 30m or so (v. roughly) + he got to a big chamber with a couple of places with a draft coming out of chokes/boulders. He thought somebody else had probably been there already. Not very exciting. Came out, derigged. I'd surface surveyed to the low horizontal drafting tube I'd looked in the first time (26th July) that Brian + I went to Nordalpenhöhle (last station marked with a red B on the underside of its roof). We both went in + had a _really_ miserable time doing the flat out crawl over sticky mud + pointy rocks which I'd forgotten from last time. Took all the rope etc. back to the col.

    IMAGE: Sketch
    +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-02
    +
    Wookey, Andrew Atkinson, Paul Hammond,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle
    + +

    Went to check out where draught goes at bottom of 'deviant alternative' [this bit is now called 'Delaying Tactics' - 'Deviant Alternative' now refers only to the initial entry passage, WebEditor]. Andy skyhooked into roof and then descended on dodgy sling belay - didn't help get round corner. Wook followed. Andy climbed up instead, on belay to get round corner. Chambery thing reached with 4 tubes going off. 1 was too tight, 1 went back to point at pitch head, 1 went to boulders blocking way to enticing space. Last allowed access to same space but this also just led back to above pitch-head. Decided this was defo dead.

    Paul now very cold & bored as we had arsed around for 1.5 hrs. Went up to Andy's lead above original pitch (now derigged). More climbing up here (Paul refused on 1st bits, Wook on 2nd, Andy on neither) led to walking passage with strong wind. Main rift stopped at drippy boulder choke. Passage went for ~30m to rock bridge overlooking nice pitches (one either side, possibly the same thing). Did hurried survey out to get back for dinner. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-03
    +
    Nick Proctor,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Looking for 193
    + +

    Found in 1995 and never seen again. Had a wander round and found something that is roughly right and in roughly the right place. It'll do. Need to survey to it at some point. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-04
    +
    Becka Lawson, Jon Telling, Earl Merson, Brian Outram,
    +
    136 - Steinschlagschacht
    + +

    Down to Lost in Space and looked at Left Route. Down Jon's 4m pitch and Earl + Phil's 10m pitch. Brian + I rigged to the 2 alternative bottoms entirely on naturals (!) as it wasn't _too_ steep. Brian's way went to a deadend chamber. My way got all clean-washed + drippy + ended in a too-tight rift. Sigh. Higher up there was a Grade C QM up a steep mud climb, looked like there could be a pitch down the other side &/or a tube heading off horizontally - but I climbed up to the same level as the tube & it looked mud-filled under the glare of my dodgy yellow electric. [IMAGE - MISSING] Earl + Jon surveyed out + detackled. Brian went up a climb at the top of Jon's pitch (ie. at the end of the big rift chamber v. near Andy's pitch). Loose & didn't lead to anything promising. Had a third attempt at re-rigging Andy's 6m upclimb more sensibly + bodged it again - doesn't seem to be any easy way to do it. Brian went down the hole in the floor directly below Andy's upclimb. Went to a chamber under the boulder floor with no draught + no obvious way on. Turned round + went home, taking out 60m rope and a tonne of hangers.
    +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-04
    +
    Anthony Day, Julia Day, Nick Proctor,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle surveying
    + +

    Went to survey lots of passage and push the pitch rigged on the previous trip. Team efficient consisted of Nick making up the numbers, Julia converting them to illegible scrawl and Salvador on pictures - seemed to work quite well. Pushed a couple of leads - the airy traverse over the hole in the floor was airy and led to not much more cave. Julia scrotted over a boulder choke and found some really tight horrible stuff. At this point, sense prevailed and we went to do the pitch, to find Duncan's calling card at the bottom - a Tunnocks Bar Wrapper. Mick and Duncan had gone down a parallel shaft and beaten us to it. More stomping passageway and phreatic tube-type stuff. Did a bit more surveying then got bored and came out. 1st pitch is jolly awkward. Good trip. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-04
    +
    Duncan Collis, Mike Richardson,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
    + +

    Went to descend 3m diameter shaft near entrance. Animal rig consisting of thread, boulder & 'tector got us down ~18m pitch into 6-9m wide phreas with ice formations. This led to a spacious but loose pitch, and a phreatic maze. While scrotting around the maze, found an aven with a loop of rope visible up in the air - the pitch the others were planning on descending. Decided to leave a Tunnocks bar so they'd know we'd beaten them to it. Then decided to eat the bar and leave the wrapper.

    Then we went to descend the loose pitch. Several possible pitch heads were inspected, until we decided on a reasonable one. Thread & single spit led down a short pitch to a bridge of wedged rocks, from which we were able to descend a further 15m in a large shaft. At the bottom were two ways on, both short pitches.

    Started to survey out. Met the others, agreed to complete survey, then meet up again to decide which other bits each team should survey. However, on our way to find the others we inadvertantly found '115 a day passage', 115m of very dusty phreas heading up dip. This eventually splits and becomes narrow (grade 'c' qms), but there is a pitch at the end (grade 'a' qm) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-04
    +
    Wookey, Andrew Atkinson, Simon Flower,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle
    + +

    [Call-out book says 08.04 and 08.05 was another trip to the same place]

    BECKA - Previous line from previous (anon) webeditor - I think the trip written up here is actually the 08.04 trip and the 08.05 trip was written up as Becka's 08.05 write up earlier - except for the extra comment in the next entry about rigging the traverse.

    Went back to end of 'Up, Up & away' to go down pitches. One bolt & crummy deviation got Simon to bottom. Unfortunately it was full of rocks so it didn't go, apart from a tiny hole with a draught down which thrown stones went some distance. Simon hammered this for 15mins before giving up. Some Hilti caps would fix it.

    Draught also disappears into 1" wide rift at far end - mutter. Wooks swung into rift which looked promising part way down pitch, unfortunately it just goes to the bottom of an aven. So we ended up back at the top looking at traverse over top of pitch, where most of draught came from. Put in a knotted sling belay and Wook got over to far wall & climbed up, then put in bolt. Another traverse beyond. Andy's turn this time, achieved with skyhook & 2 bolts.

    Beyond was steeply ascending ramp/rift, surprsingly easy to ascend 45m following strong draught, until finally some walking passage is reached. We surveyed as far as this then went for a run-around. Most of draught came from up more steep rampy shit, but some went other way, which led to a big, wet pitch. Finally, something going down ! 1st window was very wet, but traversing past (needs an 8m rope, 2 slings, 1 hanger) leads to a nice dry hang. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-05
    +
    Becka Lawson, Paul Hammond, Wookey, Andrew Atkinson, Julian Todd,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle
    + +

    Through the scrot to the traverses. Andy rerigged the climb before that and about 8 more bolts went into the traverse (we discovered we'd brought 3 bolting kits so thought we'd better damn well use them). Surveyed from beyond traverses to pitchhead. Rigged pitch + traverse before it (to avoid the drips), down ~15m to another pitch. Paul + I decided we were superfluous to requirements + bummed off out, only an hour out from the pitch head + got to do most of the walk in the light, a _good_ thing. The other three rigged down 'eiscream' as far as a tightish squeeze with the pitch series carrying on beyond. They'd run out of hangers by then so surveyed + derigged out + had a hard walk back with all the rope. Wookey, Andy + Julian 13½ hours +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-05
    +
    Anthony Day, Helen Twelftree, Nick Proctor,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
    + +

    Went back to push the phreatic tube. This was draughting and seemed promising. A hole in the floor was gardened and became a very small phreatic tube going down 4-5m. Needs a rope (C-). Beyond the top of the hole the cave again became small and scrotty. There is a possible lead (QM C---) - a small crawl from the bottom of a pit in the floor. We were running out of leads, so surveyed out. Then Helen decided to climb up into a small roof tube. Anthony had looked at this briefly. Roof tube heading upwards - obviously going to be full of mud. Helen disappeared round a corner. "It goes!" . "It's big"

    "Oh really" came the enthusiastic reply

    "Can you hear the echo .... echo .... echo ?"

    The tube popped out into a large chamber - 10m in diameter, high roof and about 25m to the floor. Started bolting and used up both our hangers descending 6m. Needs another rebelay, then should be straight down to floor. By this time we were cold, so headed out. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-05
    +
    Becka Lawson, Paul Hammond, Wookey, Andrew Atkinson, Julian Todd,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle addendum
    + +

    Logbook claims this is an addendum to 08.06 write-up but dates screwed up for this and previous entry so I've put it down as 08.05

    1999-08-06 (Addendum to Becka's write up)

    Traverse was left rigged with 23m 1994 9mm, 1 old bend, 3 new bends, 3 twists, 2 rings, 1 bollard. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-05
    +
    Jon Telling, Neil Pacey, Tanya Savage, Simon Flower,
    +
    136 - 136
    + +

    - Previous to above trip, went down through 'Lost in Space' and 'Steady Aim' pitch down to 'CarpetWorld', where Neil did a cracking job of rigging the traverse and 30m pitch. Then down the pitch and onto more meandering rift and short pitches (see above), then surveyed back. also had another look at end of 'runny bottom' to SE - climb looks loose and unprotected, crawl OK but not a pleasant day out!!! Somehow managed to stay down 14 hrs - Simon's initial stab at surveying being a minor factor?!! (I can sort of see some numbers, but they're pretty blurred.....) Everyone pretty knackered on that last pitch up...

    T/U 14 hours
    +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-05
    +
    Erin Lynch, Duncan Collis,
    +
    204 - Unclear if trip occurred
    + +

    In call-out book as intending to descend Steinbrückenhöhle - not clear if this trip took place, no write-up in logbook, WebEd. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-07
    +
    Becka Lawson, Neil Pacey, Jon Telling,
    +
    136 - 136
    + +

    Under by 10.45, pootled beyond Lost in Space. Neil rerigged (another bolt) Andy's pitch to give 2 pitchhead bolts . . . but it still rubs + still has the free-hanging rebelay in it. Then Neil put a deviation bolt in Brian's pitch which now doesn't rub (we had a drill, by the way!) Whilst Jon looked at the traverse on the left in the inbetween chamber - pretty sure it drops down into the left route stuff. Down the 30m pitch at the end of Carpetland (Pebbledash) to get to the pushing front. I thought the next pitch looked free-climbable but by the time Neil had scrambled up the wall a bit the drop was at least 5m. Jon + I surveyed down whilst Neil wielded the drill. We just about kept up with him down 4 squitty pitches to a really wet drippy aven and _passage_ ... that lasted about 50m in tightish canyonny passage with some delicate stals and weird bulbous calcite that looked like it regularly flooded - muddy and gloomy. The drill faded out on the final pitch _and_ Neil dropped the spits down it, so he slung a rope around a weakly-wedged boulder in the canyon (the good belay) and a sling around a vague stump of calcite (can you sit on this belay please) & lobbed off down. He came back - found a sump! We'd been about ready to turn round but decided we had to finish the survey (_lovely_ bit of stream passage at the bottom followed by a big, dark, ominous circular sump pool with froth on top and _no_ way on, Tick). Then derigged all the rope up to Carpetland + staggered off with 2 tacklesacks of rope + rigging gear, the drill + battery to bottom of Oatso, aided + abetted by some of Neil's marzipan + impeded by a failed attempt to haul up Brian's pitch (rope fails to hit bottom cock-up). Got out steadily + _fantastic_ stars, with a couple shooting.


    IMAGE: pitch 1, 2 rigging - 6k gif

    IMAGE: pitch 3 rigging - 5k gif

    IMAGE: pitch 4, 5 rigging - 8k gif

    IMAGE: pitch 6 rigging


    NOTE - Passage continues for 50m streamway to sump _TOTALITY_ +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-07
    +
    Mike Richardson, Tina White, Earl Merson,
    +
    204 - Unclear if trip occurred
    + +

    In call-out book as intending to descend Steinbrückenhöhle same day as Helen, Nicka and Brian - not clear if this trip took place, no write-up in logbook, WebEd. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-07
    +
    Helen Twelftree, Nick Proctor, Brian Outram,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
    + +

    Pushing lead from Millennium Dome (it _didn't_ need another re-belay), Nick scrotted thru the boulder choke on LHS, which had a gentle breeze but got too small. No leads at top of boulder choke. Rift on RHS, tight entrance to pitch (rigged off 2 large boulders), opened to medium sized aven, 10m pitch to rock bridge between 2 pitches. One side ~10m ? pit, looked to be boulder choked (+ ½ way up aven, keyhole/rift lead). Other pitch looked promising - ledge/aven ~5m down, continued thru hole in floor. Brian rigged to this hole, reported lots of blackness below and lack of rope -> came out, no survey due to lack of survey gear at Top Camp. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-07
    +
    Andrew Atkinson, Simon Flower,
    +
    136 - 139 to 136 and surface surveyed 147
    + +

    Date given as "[must be 1999.08.07, Webeditor]"

    Went to 136 to push the far end. Got to cave entrance & didn't feel fit enough for the trip. Still managed to spend 6 hrs underground buggering about though (everything was going wrong & the time kept adding up). First though we surface surveyed 147 *. Next dropped 139 into 136 & surveyed it. And that's it. 6 hrs!

    * bolt connection to orange spot

    [Webeditor's note: the reference to dropping 139 into 136 is a surface survey reference and the implication that this is an underground connection is disinformational] +

    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-08
    +
    Nick Proctor, Brian Outram, Anthony Day,
    +
    204 - 204
    + +

    From the makers of 'Interview Blues', we proudly present a major new motion "Scrotty Rift Pitch Series II - This time its even more pointless"

    With Brian pushing, Anthony and Nick surveyed in. Brian's bottom of blackness turned out to be a blind 30m pitch with scrotty rift (too tight) at the bottom and the sound of running water just round the corner. Brian tried the next hole along, which came to the same place. The next hole, rigged 'au naturel' (from a large boulder, rather than without clothes) went down parallel to the 30m pitch with several windows onto it, before landing in ... wait for it ... scrotty rift! Another short pitch (which was by-passable) and then several climbs down saw us deep in the rift. At this point Brian the Bolter bolted (out of the cave) and Nick and Anthony finished the next pitch, a fine 15m hang into a largish chamber with lots of echo and a small unpromising rift in the floor, and not a lot else. At this point we left, derigging the rope for Duncan to play with on his pitch series the next day. 230m of surveying Hurray! This bit of cave has 2 leads left - the eye-hole off the 1st pitch from the Millennium Dome (QM B) and the rift at the bottom which is small, but draughts (QM B). Brian 8½ +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-08
    +
    Duncan Collis, Julia Day,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
    + +

    ??/8/99 given in digital log book but [1999-08-08 from call-out book]

    Bimble round ticking off QMs in the top phreatic stuff. Found a new qm at the foot of the 2nd pitch. Land on the snow & shin up about 2m - oh look, there's a pitch. Perhaps one day we'll have some rope. . . . +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-08
    +
    Andrew Atkinson, Simon Flower,
    +
    136 - 136
    + +

    Date given as "[1999.08.08 from survey data, Webeditor]"

    Return to 136 to push far end. This time made it down to far end. Intent on climbing the Avens Becka had described as a possible lead. This turned out to require multipitch climbing on moonmilk using static cord & thread belays around rock that wobbled and broke off. Chickened out at ½ way through my lead due to lack of dodgy threads but the roof was drafting. Jon T later chimneyed up solo at a narrower point (nutter) only to find that it just continues up & up. Surveyed the aven to Undershoot survey already done. Next continued further down watershoot to another aven, but this sadly turning into a downward trend & rejoined the winding passage to carpetworld at the end of watershoot. Didn't seem much point surveying this. There was, however, a side rift, but this, according to andy's unpleasurable experience, tended downwards & became tighter. The sounds that were emerging from the slot where he disappeared were testimony as to how much of a bitch it was to reverse.

    Finally, it was my turn to do the nasty cold wet Darren Cilau entrance crawl. I had been down it before & noticed a passage on the right & it was this I had come back to see. (The end of the crawl incidentally appeared to just fragment into tighter, sharper, more closed down streamway - altogether I think that there would be no way through). The side passage though, was much more promising. It opened up into a rift which seemed to be coming from the waterfall at the start of the crawl (blocked) & going in the same line as the passage before it, ie. towards Stellerweg. It may, therefore be the continuation of the dry cave (but there is no obvious draft). Further progress in the rift was stopped by the need for a short traverse over a big hole, a passage continues at my level on the other side of the hole, at the top of the rift. Worth a look anyway.

    T/U 11 hrs
    +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-09
    +
    Becka Lawson, Jon Telling, Neil Pacey,
    +
    136 - Push near Runny Bottom
    + +

    An hour down to the end of Oatso, pretty damn familiar territory by now. Down Steady Aim and the CM arrow climb under boulders to the aven climb I'd told Andy + Simon to look at + which they'd free-climbed partway up yesterday. En route, we looked at the big wet canyon on the bottom right of Lost in Space, but decided it didn't look too promising. Likewise the pitch at the base of the CM arrow climb below Steady Aim pitch. Likewise the squitty rift at the base of Steady Aim pitch (opposite side of the boulder chamber). Anyway, back to our aven, easy freeclimb up ~20m, right goes to mud-filled tube, on left rift goes off up steeply. Jon climbed up to under the crux, which was smoother and more vertical than the lower section, which had lots of footholds + thutch potential. Jon put a protection bolt in, then Neil belayed him (on lovely muddy SRT rope), put a sling around a higher natural then had a few minutes of heavy breathing as he strained up to the easier section ("I'm nervous" said Neil!) Jon put a bolt in at the top, below 2 roof tubes, I came up + put another bolt in, then Jon went up again towards the more vertical roof tube, which had a great draft (and _impressive_ white hand-sized helictites) but had conclusive carbide + electric failure + we decided we'd really not got the kit for this so we surveyed 3 legs out + went home (derigging Steady Aim & Andy's pitches). +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-09
    +
    Erin Lynch, Earl Merson,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
    + +

    Erin and Earl descended Steinbrückenhöhle on a photographic trip (date from call-out book). We know this trip occurred, because the photos are on the site, but there is no log-book write-up. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-09
    +
    Neil Pacey, Brian Outram,
    +
    136 - derigging in 136
    + +[info from call-out book, no logbook write-up, WebEd] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-10
    +
    Becka Lawson, Julian Todd,
    +
    161 - 161D - Pushing Regurgitation (almost)
    + +

    T/U 6 hours

    +Last trip to fetch bolting kit & rope left behind on noddy trip 3 weeks ago that we (expo) never got back to. Scarface was well out of favour with all the other entrances not so hard to get to, except for Eishöhle with its really horrible pushing front as well. We stretched across Fear-on traverse, which was really horrible, and lifted up 100m of 1994 9mm rope which was muddy and stiff as wire and no good to anyone.

    +There was a storm outside and water was pissing heavily down every side shaft and rumbling from the passages. The candle I had left on at the Guillotine was welcoming, though Becka had objected because it was a waste of wax.

    +Down towards Mohr im Hemd my carbide was dingy again and I had to beg the use of Becka's pricker for the third time which was inconveniently entangled with her dodgy backup electric such that it stopped working when you got it out. Much complaining along the lines of get your own. But where from ? Down the pitch into Regurgitation on the two lovely bolts fitted by me and Mark Shinwell opposite the gorgeous natural.

    +We bickered some more and got into the opposite rift and bolted a pitch using some of the 9 mil we'd chopped in half with a rock in Staud'nwirt palace. I got to the bottom where there was a layer of mud and a passage heading back under Regurge and we rolled around in some very tight crawls and watery bits all loosely packed with boulders as you would expect. At one point I got an echo from the chamber above.

    +I tried really hard, desperate to find some new cave to call my own, but it wasn't going to happen here. Went up from the floor (Becka had added another bolt to warm herself up and decided to detour into the side bit I had climbed down to last time when Mark was saying it was about time we got home.

    +Pushed a bit harder and got into easy rift which traversed comfortably on and down for maybe 60m till it got a bit wide and off the floor. Could have done it if someone was there, still going well, but I turned back and got lost. Quite confusing area. I didn't recognise most of it. Then I heard Becka screaming for me like someone who has just seen the sump monster. As if I could do anything. I yelled "Don't Panick!" into the nearest space I could hear the sound, but she continued, getting me all hett-up such that I had to force my way through loose boulders anywhere. And I came out at the bottom of the pitch from a place I had determined 20 mins earlier there to be no way on.

    +We surveyed nothing, exited, detackled and discovered a dangli bag missing at surface. It was left at the bottom of ladder pitch at end of Staud'nwirt passage by Becka who never makes mistakes like that unless she's tired, and it was my fault she was tired so I had to put on an oversuit and go and get it.

    +Borrowed her carbide and took the pricker out as soon as I was around the corner so I could prick it whenever I fucking well liked and have a big flame so I didn't get too spooked by the sump monster. Solo caving just gives me the shivers. We left some crap by the bunde highway to pick up in the morning rather than lugging it all in one gut-busting load as we did at Eishöhle with 3 macho men and no feminine voice of reason. Bit tedious to fetch in the morning. Would have preferred a lie in with a slightly more broken body. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-10
    +
    Nick Proctor, Anthony Day, Helen Twelftree, Julia Day,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
    + +

    Derigging trip - first three pitches were left to do. Plus some extra tackle sacks. We came, we went down, we came back up again with our friends. Nick & Anthony 2 hrs

    Saw a salamander on the way to the cave +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-10
    +
    Duncan Collis, Andrew Atkinson, Simon Flower, John Pegler, Earl Merson,
    +
    136 - derigging in 136
    + +Derigging in 136 [info from call-out book, no logbook write-up, WebEd] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    1999-08-11
    +
    Duncan Collis, Mike Richardson,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
    + +

    Pushing down the Ariston (& on & on ...) series. Basically, it goes. Now over 200m deep, 3 qms at the bottom, one of which is a 3 s drop in a wide shaft. Surveyed & derigged. Arrived at the bottom of the 2nd pitch to the sound of rushing wateer. Sprinting exit to find 2cm diameter hailstones all over the place. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + + diff --git a/years/2000/frontmatter.html b/years/2000/frontmatter.html index 2714e3a4b..23e920345 100644 --- a/years/2000/frontmatter.html +++ b/years/2000/frontmatter.html @@ -1,4 +1,4 @@

    Austria 2000

    The first part of the log is traditionally taken up by the journey -out.
    If this is of no interest, here is a link to +out.
    If this is of no interest, here is a link     to the caving! diff --git a/years/2000/logbook.html b/years/2000/logbook.html new file mode 100644 index 000000000..0b547071a --- /dev/null +++ b/years/2000/logbook.html @@ -0,0 +1,516 @@ + + + + +2000 Expo Logbook + + + + + + +

    Austria 2000

    +

    The first part of the log is traditionally taken up by the journey +out.
    If this is of no interest, here is a link to +the caving! + +

    + +
    2000-07-14
    +
    Phil Underwood, Simon Lee,
    +
    Journey - The Fantastic Fiesta rides south !
    + +

    Drove from Lancs down to Cambridge, leaving at 1830, arriving 2230. Off to Tacklestore to be met with a huge pile of shite, destined for my car, which was clearly larger than the car itself. Standard unpack everything, and shove it back in carefully. Roof box fully loaded, requiring two people to close it while I locked it. A sound of muted creakings followed.

    Drove down to Dover, and caught the 0245 ferry. Kipped for a bit, and drove to Hilda's.

    Journey unremarkable bar -
    a) Looney German driving
    b) Phil's looney driving (didn't notice caravan)
    c) Si's looney driving (couldn't decide whether to go off autobahn or not, so compromised, and aimed for the dividing bit).

    All in all, a fairly dull journey. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-15
    +
    Duncan Collis, Earl Merson, Mark Byers,
    +
    Journey - The Incredible Journey
    + +

    Up at 6.30 am. Finished packing. Drive to Sheffield (_north_ from Chesterfield, grrr...) to pick up Mark, then down to Cambridge to fettle the trailer. Much banging, spannering, socket setting and angle grindering on Wook's new driveway later and we gave up with the intended fettle half done as it was going to be far too hard.

    Went to the tackle store to pack. Humungous amount of shit, so Earl + I ran away to get more shit from Earl's house, leaving Mark to pack the trailer. Returned to find the trailer FULL, packed with a mountain of shit rising high above the level of the sides of the trailer. Unfortunately, there was still one and a half times as much stuff lying on the ground waiting to be packed.

    +Advanced trailer packing methods were clearly required so we constructed a palisade of full tackle sacks standing upright round the edge of the trailer, and then filled up the space in the middle, making a mound which rose up well above the height of the tackle bags (there should be a photo of this somewhere). Got Mark to perch on the edge of the back seat of the car, and stuffed gear in beyond him right up to the roof. Eventually _everything_ was packed except one bag of onions (Earl + Mark both refused to have a bag of onions on their lap), and the connector for the lights on the trailer were less than 2 inches off the ground.

    En-route to Dover, Mark realised that his passport was in a bag which we had carefully packed into the trailer. Fquit #1. Then Earl found the Tacklestore keys in his pocket. Fquit #2. So in Dover we had some Chish'n'fips and then team Einstein opened the trailer to rescue Mark's passport, then rang up Caius p'lodge to explain where the keys were, and posted them back.

    +Mark and Earl both enjoyed 15½ hours of driving across Europe; Earl couldn't move his feet and Mark couldn't move anything (in a traffic jam, we spotted some Germans pointing out Mark's face pressed against the window, and laughing), but did get to know whenever I used the indicators, as the buzzer was just behind his head.

    +Eventually we arrived and everything was alright. The plug on the trailer lights were only a bit ground down due to scraping on the autobahn. Into the Gasthof for Schnapps, food + bier, which did its stuff. Later we went back to the Gasthof again for a sesh, during the course of which I lost the ability to stand up and staggered around, to everyone's amusement, eventually falling over in the middle of the room. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-15
    +
    Mark Shinwell, Martin Green,
    +
    Journey - Mark S, Martin fly to Expo
    + +

    Left central Cambridge at 05.15 on Saturday for Stansted. Good flight to Munich (Lufthansa, £84 return) & took bus to Munich rail station (25km from airport!) Arrival in Munich delayed us & we thought we'd missed the early train - but it was an hour late and so on we jumped! Got to Bad Aussee via Salzburg & Attnang Pucheim at 7pm. [~£30 quid return Munich <-> Bad Aussee]. Jumped on the last bus 7.05 and arrived at the door of Gasthof Staud'nwirt at 7.15. Put up tent, inspected Potato hut and retired to Hilde's for a fantastic meal of smoked pork ribs, sauerkraut and knödel. Oh, much Gösser was supped too. Met Phil + Si Lee when they arrived and drunk more Gösser. Got pissed. Went to bed. (25 Gössers drunk). +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-16
    +
    Mark Shinwell,
    +
    Base Camp - Base Camp
    + +

    + others

    Dunks + Earl + Mark roll up in the afternoon. Went and drunk Gösser in Hilde's, ate more spare ribs. Drunk more Gösser. Dunks was knackered so we left, but returned later to sup more. Dunks was wasted and failed to tell a (probably awful!) joke, and fell over an air conditioning unit. Once again we all got pissed and went to bed. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-18
    +
    Duncan Collis, Mark Shinwell,
    +
    Base Camp - Taty hut fester
    + +

    Well, right now most have gone to bed. Phil U is face down on the table. Mark B has just sliced his hand open trying to open a Gösser with another bottle, and MarkS has got peanut butter all over his trousers. Duncan (your scribe) is surprisingly conducting himself with considerable decorum.

    PS. Mark B is OK, now that he has had his hand plastered by the equally plastered Phil, supposedly Dr. Phil. Hopefully I can go caving tomorrow. Mark. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-19
    +
    Duncan Collis, Simon Flower, Mark Shinwell, Earl Merson, Phil Underwood, Martin Green,
    +
    Base Camp - Piss up. Again.
    + +

    Had several Gössers and then wobbled across the road to ask about the fridge and sample some schnapps. Couldn't decide which schnapps to try so we had one of each (large ones!) all round. Yum. Then Hilde gave us a big mug of Jagetee, which had such alcoholic vapours rising from it that it could be lit. Polished off the schnapps and Jagetee, then hit the Gössers. Back to the Taty hut for more. I gave up early and went to bed, but the inebriated revelry carried on until 5:30 am.

    N.B. we need to remember to pick up the bill. And ask about the fridge....

    Thu 20th Estimated number of beers supped: 176 (about 20 gallons = 2 barrels) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-21
    +
    Duncan Collis, Simon Flower, Martin Green,
    +
    204 -Steinbrückenhöhle.
    + +

    Went to rig Steinbrückenhöhle. Had enough rope to rig most of the cave. Found much more snow at the foot of 1st pitch - massive snow slope leading down to head of 2nd, burying the spits. 2nd pitch appears to be several metres shorter than last year, and it looked unlikely that there would be any way on at the bottom. Looked at the traverse to the right, and figured that it would probably be easy with the drill. Bolts placed for the traverse would also allow a descent of the second so figured there was no point expending effort digging out the existing bolts or placing new ones, so left.

    Remembered a hole I'd noticed last year about 10m away from 204b. Went to have a look.

    Thought that we might get lucky and find a way into 204. Didn't, but found a pleasant little cave. Explored + surveyed perhaps 70m, with a handful of uninspiring QMs left for tomorrow....

    TU 5 hour (?) +

    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-21
    +
    Julia Day, Anthony Day,
    +
    Journey - Julia, Anthony drive to Expo
    + +

    Date given as 21-24th July

    Left Durham on Friday afternoon, drove for a couple of minutes, then realised we were minus one European Road Atlas. Doh! Fetched that and drove to Anthony's house. Watched his sister get married, drank wine, drank champagne(?), ate lots of party food. Later, ate more food + drank Black Sheep, then went home + drank Bunny. The next morning, Anthony drove to Austria...

    Lots of tedious traffic near London, but made it to Dover in time to catch an earlier ferry (9.30). Kipped out somewhere in Belgium. Got up and drive here. That's it really. There was a bit of an error at a German petrol station, where Anthony told me to get DM 250 out of a cash machine "just to see if my card worked" before realising that he meant a slightly smaller number of marks, meaning me to get a tenner out of the cash point, rather than 100 quid! Anyone need any Deutsch marks ? +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-21
    +
    Phil Underwood, Earl Merson,
    +
    195 - Driver diver
    + +

    Finally went caving after vast quantities of beer and festering. Tootled up to 195, and had a think about rigging it. Finally got around to rigging it, and I dropped the driver down the hole. Bum. Rigged everything off naturals instead. Earl went down first, and found the driver and a small hole. I went down to have a look, declared the hole too small, and sent Earl down it. It didn't go. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-22
    +
    Duncan Collis, Simon Lee,
    +
    231 - Traungoldhöhle
    + +

    Went to worry a boulder that was blocking a draughting crawl heading towards 204. Initially acting alone, I pulled out all the gravel and small rocks around the boulder in question to find a small rock chocking it in place. Wiggled the chockstone until it came out, which allowed the boulder to be rocked. Repeatedly rocked the boulder back, scraping out gravel from beneath it before dropping the rock back down. Thus was the boulder gradually lowered to allow a squeeze over the top which I didn't fancy attempting without some backup.

    Went in search of folks to come play. Found a surveying party, and stole Si L. Mendip las Si shot through the squeeze like a greased weasel. There was an alcove on the other side and between us we manoeuvred the boulder into it to clear the way. Down a climb, then a very loose tube at 45 degrees and another two climbs down led to a solid choke. Daylight was visible above the 45 degree choss tube, and we climbed out to the surface. Also connected another branch of the cave to the stone bridge after which Steinbrücken is named, via the hole in the boulder floor. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-23
    +
    Olly Betts, Dave Horsley, Fay Hartley, Martin Green,
    +
    40 - Eishole
    + +

    Walked to Eishole with our kit, set off rather late in the afternoon so it was getting rather dark when we found a cave to dump our kit. Did a bit of Bunde bashing to find the main Eishole entrance. Followed a marked path to within a few hundred metres of the Top Camp path. At this point got very lost and spent several hours Bunde bashing to get to the path. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-26
    +
    Mark Shinwell, Dave Horsley, Olly Betts, Fay Hartley,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle -poking
    + +T/U 3 hrs'''

    Walked to Eishöhle from the car park. Eventually arrived without incident at 40a (the large entrance with the plaque). Earl had helped carry gear up, so Olly went back with him to Top Camp, inadvertantly discovering the correct path to Bunter's Bulge from the Appelhaus turning on the way. Meanwhile, Dave, Mark and Fay poked around the row of entrances terminating at 40e. Went down one of the two large entrances back from 40e (the one with a rubble slope leading in - old French bivvy site we think).

    This terminated in a shaft of say 20m. New ARGE survey stations visible (May 2000). Turns out this entrance is "Nichts 50". Then we looked down a hole further back still, thus:

    <graphic to add>

    Short passage ends at a 4m pitch. Decided to return the next day to bolt it. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-27
    +
    Duncan Collis, Anthony Day,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
    + +Had sesh in taty hut night before. Awoke early, breakfasted and went up the hill with drill and battery. Had had problems with battery - when we tested it out the previous day, it was utterly dead. In the morning it mysteriously worked. Oh well....

    At top camp, spent ages repacking 200m of 11mm rope into one HUGE tacklesack. Christened the rope 'Fat Freddy'. Took turns carrying Fat Freddy up to 204. Arrived knackered about 2:30. We seemed to have used up all our energy and enthusiasm and so sat around for ages.

    Eventually went underground at 6:15. Drill was an utter twat, and would only work if the cable from the battery was held at a particular angle, so the drill could only be used if an assistant was less than a cable's length away. Rigged an alternative pitch which bypasses You're So Veined and the next 2 pitches. A fine hang which is straight down the middle of a big shaft. Think we'll call it 'Pot U Like'. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-27
    +
    Phil Underwood, Mark Byers, Martin Green,
    +
    204 - 204
    + +

    _Mark B_ starts:

    Thursday morning we left top camp at 9.05 and surface surveyed in the rain. By the afternoon everyone else turned up. I went with Mark B and Phil to 110 a day. I raced Mark B to take off our SRT kit so Phil would take it along 110 a day in a tackle bag, where he would rig the pitch QM 16A. Unfortunately I won. Mark B and I went down the crawl QM 11C, leaving the sediment-filled chamber with only one footprint. The crawl energed in a walking sized junction. Mark predicted a pitch to the left, which miraculously turned out to be one. After initial excitement and the usual stone throwing, we explored to the left going into a hole in the floor and followed small passages based around a fault line. We did some surveying to the pitch, where we saw Si and Si walk past the top of the pitch and thus it was identified as Pendulum. I decided to go out with them as Phil was planning to go on all night. Unfortunately my SRT kit was the other end of 110 a day, I had a light failure (as is now standard), and on the way back to thread I took a wrong turning down either 12C or 13C which went quite a distance looking quite like 110 a day before I realised my mistake. This led to Simon Flower waiting an hour for me (whoops). But Si Lee and Brian had food for us when we got back. Phil meanwhile finished rigging the pitch and descended....

    _Phil_ takes over:

    Having rigged the pitch-head off one natural, one bolt and an iffy deviation (using an MR - crab provision failure), I lobbed down, and put another deviation and a rebelay in. Meanwhile, Mark was cooling down from the 110 a day slog. At the bottom, there was a small hole, about the same size as me. Took all my gear off (including carbide, which was now dead). Spent 10 minutes going through the small bit to get to a very small chamber, with a much-too-tight rift leading off it. Eventually managed to turn round, and spent 20 minutes going 2 metres through the squeeze on the way out. It was not very nice. Spent another 10 minutes getting my breath back, and left, derigging as I went. Gave the tackle bastard to Mark, and left the cave, steaming up the pitches. Waited for about 2 hours under the stone bridge, and went back to top camp, arriving 4:40 am. Lovely. Only got lost twice. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-27
    +
    Mark Shinwell, Dave Horsley, Olly Betts, Fay Hartley,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle
    + +'''

    Mark and Dave returned with drill to bolt 4m pitch; descended into chamber. Despite the good draught felt at the pitchhead the source of it in the large rubble-filled chamber could not be found. Loose scramble to the top of the rubble slope; no way on found. Olly and Fay found a hole down through the rubble but abandoned it after a few metres as it was too unstable.

    Whilst Olly and Fay were poking here, Mark + Dave went to the large entrance with a snow-slope leading in (see picture to left [above on web page, ed.]). At the bottom a snow-floored tube leads downwards; the floor soon turns to solid ice. Dave placed a bolt at the top. The draught was fierce, and bitterly cold. Frozen, Dave retreated to let Mark have the pleasure of sliding down the icy tube. It turns out, despite the initial investigation suspecting a pitch that it is just an ice slope which enlarges to a fairly large rift where one can get off the rope (35m rope used). Mark shouted up to Dave to descend and then noticed a strange murmuring sound. Shouted again and heard a large echo. Strolled out into Schneevulkanhalle, emerging from behind the "elephant" formation.

    (Thus this entrance is 40h - shown in the wrong place on the survey - we'll resurvey it this year).

    Had a quick look around and then popped out for some lunch and to get the others.

    When all four were in SVH we inspected the icefall next to the rubble slope which needed investigation. Olly started to bolt up the wall. Mark and Dave went to investigate the "low (wet!) passage just to the right of Elephantengang pitch" (as described by Wookey). Dave attempts to lower the water level in the crawl under the wall but Mark decided to go for it and slid through. The crawl is almost flat-out but is very short; it emerges into an ice-floored chamber with a rock-floored rift leading off and up. This leads to a complex series of rifts and upward-sloping planes. The passage leads to the top of the icefall coming into SVH between the wet crawl and the POV slope. From here further passages lead off and one tube, with a pristine earthen floor, leads via a small section to a canyon. This ends abruptly half-way up a shaft. The shaft is probably 20-30m and almost 6-8m diameter. A stack of four rocks was noticed where the canyon hits the pitch. - maybe a cairn?? If so it was probably placed by someone descending the pitch, as the route to the the pitch appeared never to have been passed along before. Went back to SVH where Olly's done about 2/3 of the bolting up. People were cold so out we went, to return in due course with surveying gear and a recharged drill battery. At least we now known for sure where entrance 40h is! +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-28
    +
    Andrew Atkinson, Julian Todd, Becka Lawson,
    +
    Journey - Andy A, Julian + Becka drive to Expo
    + +

    Julian + I set off yesterday from Liverpool after a fine Green Fish lunch. Down to Bill's house near Oxford. Dumped the car + Andy A picked us up + we stuffed all our crap on top of all his crap and his two bikes. Missed our 9.30 pm ferry, got the 10.45 one + off on the traditional Dunkirk, Mons, Namur, Luxembourg, Pirmasens route. Then cocked up + ended up going on #7 to Ulm then finally hitting München. Andy A & I driving, both far too old for this lark, swopping every couple of hours and very fuzzy heads. Did the non-motorway route to Salzburg + wandered feebly round but finally escaped. Arrived ~ 6.30pm to find a load of pissed cavers who'd had their trip to see the Austrian cavers postponed until tomorrow but, having come down the hill on the run, had decided they'd better have a sesh anyway...

    [There follows one of those illegible scrawls that periodically appear in Expo logbooks when someone gets very pissed indeed. This one is more illegible than most and my thanks go to Wookey for translating it. WebEditor]

    WRONG.

    Fucking Pissed.

    Fought Dour.

    Don't

    punched him. - didn't mean to.

    I'm sorry But I'll go home if it is terminally wrong.

    I think it is.

    I really don't know why this happened.

    Background: Biers at Hildes. I wanted to go to bed because it was going round in circles. I _thought_ in my pissed way that I wasn't allowed, punched Dour. Ricoched off onto Tony. Didn't mean to. Went to bed. Then woke up to hear voices. Thought (in my own pissed way) that I was being criticised for dropping out of the conversation about way.

    Oaths. Went back into Taty hut. Had Argument with Dour that I didn't understand. Next bit I don't remember for fear of being sued.

    Very sorry.

    Go home tomorrow. Life Finished.

    Dunks +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-30
    +
    Wookey, Andrew Atkinson,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Surface wandering on Hinter
    + +

    Went up to col to survey 96-02,03,04 to Hinter.

    Fixed VD1 en route & 161a (VD1 alt: 1774, 161a alt: 1795)

    Moved 161a tag from rigging bolt to P161a (red spot above painted number).

    Then walked up ridge to 'PLUS', a plus-marked cave found on '96 walk (Wook, Wads, JulianT. Tagged as '2000-02'.

    GPSed as '2000-02', alt 1803m, fom 5.4.

    Then on to 96-04. Gave Andy GPS and let him find cave with it - he walked right to it - so it can work, even with pre-2000 fixes.

    Re-GPSed 96-02, 96-03, 96-04

    Surveyed from 96-02 -> 96-03 -> 96-04 then towards Hinter. Found one horizontal cave en-route. Tagged as '2000-03'.

    Tube about 1.5 x 1.0m which goes for about 25m to a 2nd entrance which is blocked by a rock. Included this on survey, did sketch & continued. Had to stop when it went dark, threaded through bunde off front of Hinter & followed Steinbrücken path back (reflectors are handy). Only missed call-out by 10 mins. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-30
    +
    Becka Lawson, Julian Todd,
    +
    161 - 161D - Regurgitation I
    + +

    T/U 3 hours'''

    Regurgitation. No-one tempted to come with us to 161d. Quite lonesome. Rigged the surface walk and rebuilt the cairns (could do with some lessons). Weather was so shit and rainy we decided to get changed just inside the entrance where the wind freezes your fingers. My carbide was not working at all, so used crappy electric on pilot. Not surprisingly it ran out by the time we got to Regurge. Very pissed off after all that walking in the rain. Dumped tackle near the way on, left SRT gear at top of Regurge pitch, climbed out and walked back in the fog. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-31
    +
    Wookey, Andrew Atkinson, Fay Hartley,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle - POV
    + +Slogged with gear over to 40. Bumped into Mark S, Olly, Dave H party going down. Slow start due to waiting for it to stop raining meant we went underground at about 2:45. In lovely new Eistunnel entrance - great fun. Went in with 100m rope + various bits to improve rigging. Fettled Up, Up, & put handlines on Angle of Dangle climb. Fay went down 40-03 and found it went down about 6m to where it split into 2 too-tight passages. Bob went up 40-04 - climbed about 8m up to where it was entirely choked. Went down pitches, fettling rigging a bit & bolted tight QM at bottom 40-10. Fay went down hole to drop 8m to next level. Wook followed. Andy A tried but had a bit of an epic, got stuck for a while. Meanwhile Wook went down tight slot another 5m to next level where rift was hamster-sized along entire length, so that was that ! Others above relieved to hear they didn't need to come down. Wook struggled back out of bottom slot & then both escaped, Andy A derigging to top of Eiscream where we checked 40-... which goes to a pitch, so left gear for next time. Actually, left in Bob's sack - oops! Out in 2 hours so now rather late for call-out, so Wook & Andy came back via col whilst Fay & Bob went via their gear @ 40a & the Stogerweg. W & A were back faster than they expected in 50 mins, at 11.30, the others got somewhat lost & rolled back in at 2:30 am. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-31
    +
    Becka Lawson, Mike Richardson, Julian Todd,
    +
    161 - 161D - Regurgitation II
    + +

    Spent the morning (in the freezing fog) getting help to fettle my carbide. The tube and the pipe in the generator were completely packed with soggy 'bide. Brian fixed this by whipping it against the ground & probing the generator with a fork prong. Mike TA had poked in Regurge some years ago with Tina and found no way on, so was curious. (I had found way on with Mark Sh. last year, but it was not properly pushed). The lead goes out of the chamber behind a rock opposite the pitch through a scrotty hole which drops you straddling over a deep rift. In spite of its free-climbability I was out-voted and they put a handline along it and used the 2 bolts already there to rig the pitch. Halfway down you step into a rift, follow it into a tight squeeze and drop into another streamway rift where the climb down caused more complaints. Mike put a rope in while I followed upstream along the floor (as I'd done the previous year when lost & following Becka's howls at the pitch in Roomination) into a void underneath the boulders of Regurge where there were a couple of loose boulders. I pulled some of them down and climbed round to the bottom of Room. pitch and brought Becka in by that route. We scooted along the stream to a tight bit in the water which Mike didn't fit through. We backed up and traversed higher through the rift and climbed down to the same spot (on the other side of the tight bit) and reached a pitch. One natural and one bolt by me while they surveyed a bit got us to a ledge below, then a crap bolt used as a deviation over a sharp rock into a wet v. drippy aven. Mike freeclimbed down and up while I bolted (the deviation) and said a rope would help. Very splashy. Round the corner another pitch in narrow rift where I sat and bunged in two bolts either side while the others surveyed out. The perch of my bum on the cold rock nearly caused a spontaneous shit. As it was I managed to hold it in only until the end of Mohr-im-Hemd. Becka whinged about 'Black Suspender' [Editor's note - this is not actually the place called Black Suspender - some confusion by the authors] but was getting used to it. The rain had completely cleared outside so Mike decided to leave his gear at the entrance and come back tomorrow. But he washed his hair and left in the middle of the night to _walk_ back down to base camp because somebody had smelly feet in the tent. My other electric failed too. And I ripped a huge hole in the bum of my oversuit. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-31
    +
    Earl Merson, Julia Day, Brian Outram,
    +
    204 - [I assume this is 204, Webeditor]
    + +

    Me a bit pissed. Brian went first, then Brian, then me. It was harder than last year 'cos of all the snow + stuff. The 2nd pitch is a snow plug, so you go through a tube which isn't nice backwards. Then down. One of the leads was shite, well it needed gear anyway. It looked bigger than where we were. Me n Earl surveyed the shite bit. One of the leads was good. I too tired so I went out, yes, I jacked. Earl went to find Brian & waited a long time (~¾hour) for AJD to rebolt the pitch. Then I went back to my pit. The end. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-31
    +
    Dave Horsley, Mark Shinwell, Olly Betts,
    +
    40 - Eishöle
    + +

    Eishöle - split into two parties. Olly continued to bolt up the ice waterfall whilst Mark and Dave went to survey the "Night Manipulations" series. The attempt to reduce the water in the entrance crawl by chipping a drainage channel with an ice axe has worked to some extent as there was much less water - you still get wet though.

    Surveyed only the main line - side passages / ? still need doing. Stopped at the really narrow bit, cos both Mark & Dave were freezing and Dave didn't like the tight bit. Mark went through as far as the big pitch & confirmed by talking to Andy A who was exploring POV that the pitch was one of the parallel shafts at Radio 3.

    Went back to main chamber to find Olly just about finished bolting, but run out of hangers so Dave prussiked up, removing one of the now redundant ones used lower on the bolt climb.

    Olly rigged to the top to find a further short climb up the ice; then a 20-30m pitch down. It might also be possible to traverse up & over the pitch. Having run out of tackle we came out. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-31
    +
    Mick Thompson, Duncan Collis,
    +
    204 - 204
    + +

    [This trip to rig rest of Ariston to the pushing front was apparently successful (see next day) but never written up, Webeditor] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-07-31
    +
    Anthony Day,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
    + +

    Plan was for Mick and Dunks to rig rest of Ariston Series whilst I sorted out the rigging on Stitch This (the new way into the top of Thread pitch) then follow them down and push the bottom. By the time I'd finished bunging in an extra bolt and undoing the knot at the rebelay (which took 20 mins) it wasn't worth following them, so I buggered off out. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-01
    +
    Wookey, Andrew Atkinson,
    +
    Loser Plateau - More surface stuff
    + +

    Andy couldn't face caving so we went to finish off Hinter survey & go down to base at noon. Took rather longer than we intended - got down about 7pm!

    Showed Ol lower route to col. Stopped for ½ hour to document small cave '2000-04' about 40m from 145. It's a descending joint-controlled cave about 10m long, choked at end/bottom. Tagged '2000-04', GPSed (Wook & Ol) Photoed (Julian T camera), surveyed & drawn.

    At VD1 Andy fettled bunde a bit whilst Wook looked for WK5 & 6. GPS location was about 50m out, so it took half an hour or so. Once found, WK6 was tagged 'WOOK6' & photoed. WK5 was photoed but as Andy started bolting the hammer head fell off, down the cave & through the hole too miserable to do without gear! So it's not yet tagged! Survey from WK5 -> WK6 -> 205 (Nordalpenhöhle) (located by GPS). Couldn't change tag there from CUCC99-BO-01 to 205 as no spanner - damn. Photoed.

    Then 'followed' survey data to nearby shaft with pre-drilled spit hole & put in tag - called it '1999-10' to be sure of a free ID. Talking to Brian there is >50m of passage so it needs a real survey.

    Finally, headed off to Hinter to connect unfinished survey (96-02,3,4) to Hinter, then back via SteinB path. Noted several holes that need designations. Big Hole, 2 big rifts, another shaft & nearby horizontal low-arched cave (visible from TC). These must all have been checked before, but until they get numbers it will keep happening. Only had < 1l water all day between us so tired on return. And now its 1:53 am & I've agreed to get up at 7:00 to go caving..... +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-01
    +
    Julian Todd, Becka Lawson,
    +
    161 - 161D Regurgitation III
    + +'''

    BECKA: No date given for this trip in the digital log book - have given it the date after the last trip to Regurgitation since I went caving elsewhere on the 2nd and 3rd

    Someone brought a club light up for me so I could cave without light failure for once, which would be good with only two of us. We had to be careful to not spook each other all alone miles away from where anyone else was caving without any proper cavers (eg. Wookey) around to dispell the irrational fear. I'd had nightmares about 'Suspender' [see note in previous write-up - Webeditor]. The trip went without incident save for rigging the next pitch (the one I'd put 2 bolts in for yesterday) with a too short rope at first. This required a deviation to get out of the water and a rebelay from a ledge. The rock was all bright and crunchy sharp like flapjack - exactly the sort of cave I hate because its the kind which stonks right down to 500m without doing anything interesting.

    Next "pitch" was a sling hang off a boulder down 3m. Then the next pitch rigged as a Y-hang from 2 bolts on the same wall. It was cold and wet. The series could be called 'Irrigation'. Splashed along the stream a couple of metres till it went through the floor again and we reached a window into a vast aven and pitch with more water coming from the right and the space continuing to the left. Now out of rope so we surveyed out and derigged to the entrance thinking that no-one would be interested enough to come back this year.

    Survey first leg unreadable, the deepest leg of a miserable survey. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-01
    +
    Olly Betts, Mark Shinwell, Dave Horsley,
    +
    40 - Eishöle
    + +

    Olly to continue rigging the pitch series down from the ice climb, Dave H & Mark to survey it, Mark not very enthusiastic.

    _Olly_: Rigged 90m rope down 25m pitch down side of big icicle, then down ice ramp. No idea whats to come, or how many holes the drill will do, so just one bolt + 3 naturals. Bottom of ramp leads to icy pool which narrows to an unpleasant crux ("Francohydrophobia") which appears to be where the french turned back. Given the draught (which blows ripples in the pool) and the knowledge that 136 lay not far away I forced my way through, then along a short crawl with gloopy sediment floor to a rifty pitch with 2½+ second drop. Back through pool to get 56m rope, then mimimal rigging down pitch to choked bottom. Back up, through window and down to just about reach floor with available rope. Crawl leads to large aven-ed chamber. Out of time so returned to find concerned Dave on ice ramp pitch.

    [a page or so of rigging guide for Regurgitation not yet scanned] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-01
    +
    Duncan Collis, Mick Thompson, Anthony Day,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
    + +

    TU 10 hrs'''

    Dunks and Mick had rigged to the pushing front the day before, so we planned to push the big pitch lead at the bottom of Ariston. Bombed down the Ariston Series, which is very nice apart from the last pitch which is loose and nasty. There are two holes at the bottom which connect to the same shaft. Dunks dropped one of these last year to land on a soggy ledge overlooking a 10m diameter shaft with a 3s drop. Plan was to bolt the other hole in the hope of missing the ledge. Much wibbling at the exposure, and eventually Mick got kitted up with the drill. 1½ holes later the battery packed in. I banged in a hand bolt and descended to a place for a hang bolt. From here we were obviously going to land on a ledge ~20m down - almost certainly the same ledge Dunks reached by the other route last year. Hand bolting on a wet exposed ledge not being our idea of fun, we pulled the rope out and went to look at the other pitch lead at the bottom of Ariston which looked much more friendly. Pitch starts as a narrowish hading rift, and stones lobbed down rattled a bit - we estimated it at 20m. Rigged off a couple of naturals and headed down a little way to where the pitch becomes more vertical. Rocks lobbed down from here seemed to go further than 20m. Mick went down and found the least shit bit of rock for a bolt, went further down and put another one in, then Dunks had a go. By the time we packed in Dunks had descended about 30m, could see a further ~30m of pitch to a ledge with a big black hole in. Could be quite a big one, but is fairly friendly in that it doesn't feel exposed. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-02
    +
    Wookey, Fay Hartley,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle
    + +Back to POV. On way in Fay stuffed herself down 1999-40-06, which I had previously declared too tight. Climbing down onto a shelf leads to a short pitch (10m?) into quite a large space, but it doesn't draught, and she had to take her gear off to get back out. So better put it back on QM list.

    Then went to top of Eiscream & dropped 1999-04, 08, 09 (actually the same QM). This went down about 15m in narrow canyon that got too tight near the bottom. Water can be heard at one end, but not seen. Did a quick drawing, derigged & left. Fay got to spend ages stuffing 30m of PMI into a tacklesack - ridiculous stuff - but good for dropping pitches with no rigging worth mentioning.

    Next went up at 1st junction in North Utsira, alleged not to go last year by both Becka & Simon Flower, but found by Andy last trip to go significantly. This is where most of the wind in N.U. is coming from.

    Surveyed to the chamber where lots of passages join, but ran out of time to do more. Slogged out with all the gear. After we got changed it started raining as it went dark, the thunder & lightning getting closer. The walk back turning into an extremely miserable experience slogging through the driving rain surrounded by lightning flashes. Got turned around in the gulley up to 163 (very confusing place in crap weather) but worked it out after a bit of wandering. Found that waterproof wasn't & got soaked to the skin & very cold. Fay was knackered so it took 1½ hrs back to TC. Couldn't find start of upper route near VD1 it was so shit, so used Wook alternative instead, which fortunately went OK. I haven't had such a thoroughly miserable experience for years - getting into a warm pit & having noodles brought by Fay was glorious. Bloody rain even had the gall to stop 10 mins after we got back!

    P.S. Couple of ropes left rigged: backup for 'Hooked on Classics' - 10m & c 18 afterwards (~15m + hanger (twist IIRC)) +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-02
    +
    Becka Lawson, Bill Miners,
    +
    161 - 161D
    + +

    161D tourist trip to Staudn'wirt Palace, looked at top of ladder climb then along Triassic to look at Fear-on Traverse, top of Knossos + Spatial Awareness. Removed the last candles from the Guillotine + pootled out. Took the 2 tacklesacks of ex-Regurgitation gear + Mike TA's kit back to Top Camp along with the 2 surface handlines, V. hot work in the belting sun. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-02
    +
    Earl Merson, Anthony Day,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Surface Bimble looking for 187 & 192
    + +Walked to 161a and then up onto the ridge to the Hinter to look for 187, which is allegedly marked "CUCC 90". Wandered around for yonks, lots of Bunde bashing and falling over, but couldn't find any such cave. We have one bearing off the Nase and one off the central peak of the Dachstein. Assuming the bearing off the Nase is right, the area to search is very small indeed because you can only just see the Dachstein from the very top of the ridge at that point. The most likely candidate is a hole which could reasonably be described as a "5m climb down in a nearly vertical bedding plane" (which is really jointing). However, there is no paint (however hard we tried, we couldn't persuade any of the pink bits of lichen to spell CUCC 90) and the 1990 log describes the cave as being by an isolated patch of bunde on a slab. Our hole is in the middle of loads of Bunde and therefore it probably isn't 187.

    Gave up and went to 161c to look for 192 which is allegedly ~100m away. Wandered around for 1½ hours but couldn't find it. There's quite a bit of snow on that side of the hill, so it might be covered over. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-02
    +
    Olly Betts,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle - Mission Impossible
    + +

    Went up from base camp so didn't have a chance to get any survey instruments. Wookey had a set, but wanted to survey + derig POV so just took my pocket compass. Added a couple of deviations to big pitch to avoid rubs - not enough rope for anything else. Poked around chamber at bottom. Crawl off other side leads to a small chamber - very soily. Draught can be felt on entry, but unclear where it comes from. Bob found way down into stream canyon from 1st chamber which has a few avens and an on-going awkward serpentine stream canyon. Nothing conclusive but at least we have some leads. Did pocket compass + pace / body length survey and left before FX5 ran out. T/U 7 hours. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-03
    +
    Wookey, Andrew Atkinson, Mike Richardson,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle bits and bobs
    + +Dinner day so a slack trip in order.

    Sorted out 188, 99OB03 & 99OB04 (right by lower TC) & marked them. Tags needed.

    Then went to Eishöhle with Mike (taking his gear). En-route we fettled a few things:

    Put a spit in 145b (not at previous stations)
    Put a spit in at WK5
    Put a spit in at 163. Unfortunately fixed point was under snow so used a new location.
    Put a spit in at 'H88...' the 80's cave downslope from 163 in the gulley (may be Schwarzblatthöhle?)

    Did all these as we were carrying the drill.

    Finally, got to Eishöhle & showed Becka & Brian which ents were which & how to label them:

    40e Brennerbeselschluf: 1623/40e
    (Small ent. ignored)
    Next ent (low, wide) 'CUCC 2000-05' - need to see if it connects (now: 215)
    40h Eistunnel: '1623/40h'
    'Nichts 50': 'CUCC 2000-06' (now 216)
    Cave at bottom of snow cwm with spit 'CUCC 2000-07' (now 217)

    Whilst we got changed, Mike realised we weren't going back via TC - no-one had told him so he had no pit! He resolved to have a short look-see trip & then go back & meet us at the car-park, despite having come via a circuitous route bolting above caves. We wished him luck and gave him a GPS !

    Surveyed Eistunnel entrance to new bolt, went to Grüner eingang & rigged up-pitch with proper rope & bolts, tried to dig G.E. out (it is still under 2-3m of snow, but a chink of light could be seen) & left a 7m rope at pitch into 'old cave' before coming out.

    For the 2nd time in 2 days it started raining as we left the cave & soon was a full thunderstorm. Got soaked to the skin _again_ in the 57 mins walk back.

    All the paths were brown rivers flowing into shakeholes - I have never seen it like that before ! Parts of path were ankle-deep - remarkable. Back for dinner with perfect timing. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-05
    +
    Wookey, Andrew Atkinson, Michael Allen, Becka Lawson,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle - mission impossible
    + +Walked up from base camp as it was not raining for a change. Mike & Becka (who set off first) were nowhere to be seen - they'd got sidetracked onto the Schwabenschacht track & turned up about an hour after us, very pissed off :-) Both even more dismayed to find soggy undersuits!

    Went off down Mission Impossible to survey it. Left Mike rerigging up-pitch to remove rubs. Moved deviation of p25 (Good afternoon Mr. Phelps) & start of next sloping pitch (off floor). Wet pool not quite as bad as we had been led to believe, but still not great. Put in a couple of rocks to allow a reasonably dry passage. Laughed at the extraordinary spider-web of rigging on big pitch ( [blank where name ought to have been inserted, Ed.] ) and re-rigged (as we had drill) with a traverse & new rebelay. Rope didn't reach so we used old rope for bottom part. Wook & Becka did tape/plumb parts of survey down pitch.

    Very impressive pitch. Traverse across top may lead to somewhere different - needs checking. 20m down it narrows & then chokes - continues through narrow connecty bit to enter side of another big shaft - possible ways on on other side.

    At bottom wind comes out of low passage & into low one, blocked by rocks after a few feet (could be dug). Surveyed this horiz. passage after running around quite extensive horizontal development, and pulling 100m rope out of streamway, where it was rigging a 6m pitch. Mike went out as he was very cold. Becka stuck it out & was pleased to prussik out with 100m rope to warm up. Wook & Andy finished off survey up pitches, derigging old rope en-route. Left with 100m rigged on a traverse ready to go down pitch. Good trip. Nice bit of cave - but where the hell is the connection hidden ?
    +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-06
    +
    Wookey, Michael Allen, Andrew Atkinson, Olly Betts, Mark Shinwell,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle - Plus surface work
    + +

    Tagged WK2 & WK3 as '1996, 1623/207' '1996 1623/208' respectively, whilst drying out Mike's kit (Wook's tent leaks and so does his plastic bag).

    Then had more tea & went to Eishöhle. Surveyed the 2000-05 ent. with Mike whilst Andy fettled camera gear. Found another small entrance directly above & surveyed to that too (needs tagging). Ol & Mark S arrived (Ol having tried to fall down 40B).

    Eventually got underground at 4pm after watching massive thunderstorm off to NE. Photoed Elephant, SVH & Mission Impossible as far as the pool (6" lower than yesterday!)

    Ol found bashed knee too bad for caving (got as far as 1st pitch) so he & Mark S surveyed ents on to 40a - which revealed 60m error in old VfHO surface survey, moving potential connection pt. about 50m further up Elin Algor away from the Theatre.
    T/U:Wook, Mike:4 hrs
    Andy A:3½ hrs
    Mark S, Olly:½ hr.
    +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-06
    +
    Duncan Collis, Mick Thompson, Mike Richardson, Mark Byers,
    +
    204 - 204
    + +Went to 204 for push down 2 pitches. En-route met Becka who was very excited at having found a new cave (turns out Brian + Earl found same cave about a week earlier). Strolled to 204 via Becka's cave and a cave noted by Duncan, Mick & Anthony last week. At stone bridge, discoverd that Animal + Mark hadn't got a bolting kit or any spits or hangers. This immediately scuppered half the trip and ultimately led to a complete Jack.

    In the end, Duncan, Mark & Animal did surface survey from 204 to new entrance, and preliminary investigation of both holes.

    2000-08 (not tagged yet) TAGGED

    Short pitch (~6m) from chossy naturals leads to large (~4m wide) unroofed passage. Uphill leads to rift, which is choked (corresponding to nearby choked surface rift). Downhill passes a wedged rock to a climb down onto a snowbank. Right is blind, left descends and leads to a blind pit with a too-tight continuation (looks diggable though), with a big echo.

    2000-09 (not tagged yet) TAGGED

    Horizontal entrance slopes downhill for about 20m, passing beneath skylight and passing a crawl to the left. The crawl leads to a small chamber, where there are two ways on. Left becomes too small, straight ahead has not been pushed but is a crawl.

    Back in the entrance passage, at the bottom of the slope there is a wriggle up over rubble into a chamber. From here, the obvious way on is a ~15m pitch, but there is a possible crawl above this (doesn't look promising). At foot of pitch, in large rift passage, a crawl on the left leads to a small chamber. From the chamber to the left leads for ~15 metres before turning left and becoming too tight. Straight ahead, a crawl reaches a junction, with a continuation upwards to the left, straight ahead and to the right, none of which have been pushed. To the right is a further unpushed crawl.

    Back in the rift chamber, an exposed (but easy looking) ascending traverse has not been pushed; there is a short climb down, after which a climb up is blind, and the continuing descent passes a narrow point before entering an ascending traverse in a rift which leads to a chamber some 5m above the floor; this chamber has not been entered.

    [sketch survey] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-07
    +
    Becka Lawson,
    +
    Base Camp - Cycle up the toll road
    + +

    Toll booth -> water butt at Bergrestaurant a bit under 70 min, even overtook someone + it included ~4 stops on the way up to uncrick my back as Andy's bike was all the wrong size for me. Bloody cold + slow on the way down, wet road. Brian only took an hour to get up earlier in Expo. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-08
    +
    Wookey, Andrew Atkinson,
    +
    161 - 'The Connection trip'
    + +

    Becka & Bob went in Eishöhle, Wook & Andy went in KH to Elin Algor via Stairway to Hell. The idea was to shout at each other & work out where the pitches connect so we could go down the right one.

    Went via Eishöhle to collect our gear and slog over to 161d - which is on just about the same level as Eishöhle but you have to go a few hundred metres up & down to get there of course. Took an hour to get to 161d. Ol & Thilo doing surface walk went past as we were just going in. Trundled through Scarface, Brownie's Cunt & Rocky Horror. Rigged pitch very badly & bodged our way down (SRT gear packed in bags for going through Stairway to Hell) Did this. Had to bail 2" out of puddle to get in, but the choke itself was OK - the more you do it the less likely to all fall in it seems…

    Climbed down into Elin Algor & went to look at pitch (1996-161-82C). 6m climb up (3-4m above the head-sized window) gives access to the pitch. Wook went in a bit whilst Andy went to look for leads further down towards the Theatre. Pitch turned out to be 14m deep with a 2" slot at the bottom - bum.

    Andy found that 1996-161-94C (hole through rocks at Tirolia Werke junction) didn't go. He also found an interesting large skeleton (about the size of a small rabbit?) and loads of climbs up into the rift, none of which went anywhere except the roof. Everything was proddled, including going back to stick Wook into the tiniest bits - nothing. The stream sink at the start of T.W. was checked by the man with the TSA (Wook) - blocked by rocks (84C). Next tried going North East. Passage on R just after pitch gives access to roof 20m above pitch & there is a further way into ceiling on SE side, but too hard for us. Looked at impressive aven on R & shinned up traverse until it closed down. Also checked lead (ramp) above chamber at NE end of E.A. Goes 10-15m but is just a solution dead-end. Now tired & dispirited, so went out. Gear incredibly filthy & several kilos heavier than on the way here (which was already 'bloody heavy'). Carried it all back as far as junction with TC->Eishöhle route then went back via TC, getting rained on for walk down.

    13½ hours tatty hut to tatty hut, over 12 hours almost solid effort for a 5½ hr caving trip - driving up, walking up, carrying gear, rigging in, exploring, derigging, carrying gear, walking back, driving back makes for an awful lot of 'overhead' & work. We were both shagged. (Surface survey to connect p161d to new tag). +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-08
    +
    Becka Lawson,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle - Mission Impossible
    + +

    Down Eishohle, rerigged bottom pitch on naturals + started surveying down sandy crawl to final chamber. Then ran off as 2 pm + shouted + banged rocks a lot. The surveyed some more. Then 3pm then souted + banged rocks. And some more survey until 4pm shout + bang. Each time expecting to hear Wooks + Andy from Elin Algor in via 161D but that wierd chinking sound dripping water makes + sounds in your head. Derigged the 6m pitch in the stream rift + headed on out with rope + battery. The icy pool had receded still further, barely even an obstacle now. All the poncy rerigging + deviations a bugger with heavy tackle sacks. Out at last. Walked to Top Camp with both our sets of gear + got there just before dark + just before started minging down, for a change ! +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-08
    +
    Anthony Day, Duncan Collis, Mick Thompson,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
    + +

    TU 9 hrs

    Went back to pitch at bottom of Ariston we had partially descended on 1/8/2000. I went down and banged in a bolt, then descended 38 m to a "ledge" of sorts. Tried to bang in another bolt but the rock cratered loads. I reckoned Dunks & Mick were probably cold by now at the top of the pitch (there is nowhere to cower and lots of loose crap around, which goes straight to the bottom, hence we only had one person on the pitch at a time). Dunks went down and banged in another couple of bolts, by which time we'd pretty much run out of rope without bottoming the pitch, so we went out. Mick had spent ~5 hours sitting at the top of the pitch freezing his kanackers off whilst me and Dunks were bolting. Dunks was hassled by a bat on his way up, hence pitch is called Fledermausschacht. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-09
    +
    Wookey, Andrew Atkinson,
    +
    Loser Plateau - - 170's
    + +It was afternoon by the time it cleared up enough to encourage us up to TC so caving abandoned in favour of doing plateau stuff. Intended to go out via the 170's to the Hinter & tag the 96-ones with real numbers, check out 2000-02 & WK5 (we were carrying a ladder & oversuit). As it happened we only got a small fraction of this done before it went dark.

    Set off to 171 & thence to find 172, which we did by hacking straight through the bunde. Also found a small '+' marked cave en-route. GPSed both then surface surveyed back from 172->+->171b->171a. Took ages due to bunde. '+' cave photoed, drawn, surveyed, tagged '00AA01'. 171 has at least a-g entrances & needs an underground survey. Then continued to the 101-102,173, LRH(200) area & gpsed those caves. 102 was tagged, contrary to the list. Changed the LRH tag to '1993 1623/200'. Then spent quite a while looking for 174, 175 & 176. Eventually found them all & GPSed them. Too late to surface survey so just walked back in the gloaming. Tried to find 210 to tag but it was too dark.

    [list of GPS locations still to type]

    Also surveyed inside 172 & 00AA01. 171 needs a proper survey! +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-10
    +
    Becka Lawson, Brian Outram,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
    + +'''

    Derigged Earl's pitch + traverse to get more rope then to head of Brian's 100m pitch, ready to start surveying .... er - but where's the tape ? Bugger. I prussiked out to fetch the tape (meeting sunbathing Duncs et al on the surface) whilst Brian fettled his rigging. Finally us two got back together + set off surveying down the pitch (badly - lots of joke plumbs as it wasn't quite vertical but v. elegant large pitch ~100m with only a couple of bolts, lots of naturals). Brian rigged the last 20m or so section on naturals to end in ... pebbly chamber with a too-tight rift heading off. Well, I couldn't be bothered to force myself to try the rift (probably doable without SRT kit). Out, derigging the 100m rift. Took out lots of tackle sacks + it was q. slow going. 9 pm out, in 11 am in the morning, think the early start was a record, this expo. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-10
    +
    Wookey, Andrew Atkinson,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle: MI pushing
    + +

    Went back to Eishöhle to try another angle on the connection - going 'over the top'. Took drill & 60m rope to top of big pitch after pool (when _will_ Ol think up some names!). The pool had nearly dried up - much more civilized. Traversed over pitch to next hole - not the same as pitch, but turned out to be blind - about 12-15m deep. Draught coming out was coming down next aven along & back up this hole. Whilst Wook was bolting, Andy shinned up passage between the 2 holes & found a tube going to another big shaft - looks like something different.

    One Hilti split off the nose so the descent above was rather dodgy. Continued traverse - made easy by the power of skyhook. Short 6m pitch at end drops into big space which is top of big pitch. Got down to 1st rebelay before running out of rope & hangers & snapping driver. 12 bolts placed - not a bad day's work. Surveyed out (all of 40m). Good trip - decent bit of cave.

    Plenty of draught comes this way so it's looking good, although this pitch seems likely to go down too far (40m+ deep).

    Also put 162 spit & tag in on way to cave, put 163 tag & 'VFM 1988' tag (should have had an 'H' on the end but I forgot). +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-10
    +
    Martin Green, Julia Day,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Surface Bashing
    + +

    The planned surveying trip in 204 failed to happen due to lack of instruments (one set at base camp, all cars up the hill. Doh!) So we wandered off to do surface stuff instead. Got to B11, then sat around for ages trying to get the GPS to do its stuff. Eventually worked it out and GPSed the following caves.
    Photoed
    B11 Alt 1658
    B8 Alt 1655
    80 Alt 1684tick
    145 Alt 1698
    201 Alt 1791
    156 Alt 1804tick
    147 Alt 1815tick
    WK2 Alt 1753
    193tick


    The numbers are in Wook's GPS. (Note. WK2 is not really WK2. The thing we labelled is called WK2TEM according to Wook's GPS. It is tagged incorrectly, and is located near 161c. It is also marked with a painted cross). We then surface surveyed 193 (refound this year). The route from 161c is as follows. Walk around the bottom of the snow plug in front of 161c and along the terrace, past cairn on large boulder. At cairn (235° to France) turn right and climb down to the next terrace. Walk along this level (northish) then turn right and climb down another level to a traverse on a stone bridge. Walk over limestone with drops either side towards the bunde. Continue in the same direction towards final cairn. The bearings from this cairn (directly above Ent. pitch, station 11 in surface survey) are
    Cross on Trisselberg186°
    Vord237°
    Summit of Hinter001°


    Cave is tagged as CUCC 1623/193 and surveyed. Martin descended 193, so he can write a cave description.... +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-10
    +
    Mark Shinwell, Earl Merson,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle
    + +

    Plan was to go to do one-leg survey to connect Grüner Eingang survey to old cave + then MI pushing. Stomped up Elephantengang & rigged pitch down to old cave. Rope only _just_ long enough (7m) - take 12m in future. Noticed a small draughting hole at the top of the canyon at the foot of the pitch. Blowing like a bastard it was, so we excavated it using bolting hammer, spit and driver to the grand proportions of 20cm x 75cm wide. Mark lowered himself in to find an immediate 6m ice pitch. No rope, so we surveyed out and named it the Bastard 'Ole. Photo'd Elephantengang. Almost time to go out, so we took a few snaps in SVH + headed out. It turns out that the hole almost certainly connects with Elephantengang, but it's now a QM for someone to check. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-10
    +
    Anthony Day, Duncan Collis,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle Fledermausschacht
    + +

    Surveyed down Fledermausschacht, somewhat nervously due to the huge potential for kicking crap off (esp. a precariously balanced boulder near one of the rebelays). Managed not to kick anything too large on Duncan. Got to the pushing front, banged in a bolt and descended a further ~25m to the bottom of the pitch. No ways on, loads of big boulders jammed in the rift. So we surveyed the last bit, derigged and prussiked sedately out with a bag of rope apiece. Pitch is 112m broken by two ledges mostly in a hading rift of friendly dimensions. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-11
    +
    Becka Lawson, Michael Allen,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
    + +

    Down with 'Mike the Kiwi' I was left a stone arrow to follow to get from the end of Ariston to the start of the new series. All nice, big well-rigged shafts, luverly. Started surveying down the 50m, then a 20m and a 10m then Mike rigged a 47m or so off a natural and a bolt with a wee deviation + we were _down._ Survey finished here but, sadly, the cave did not. Off it went in tight, scrapy stream rift meanders, heading down for at least 50m. Sod that. Sidled on out with one tacklesack. Slowly. _And_ got a lift down from the Loser to Bergrestaurant, courtesy of Mick the _hero,_ so here supping _Bier_ at last! +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-11
    +
    Wookey, Andrew Atkinson,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle: MI pushing
    + +

    Back to try again down splendid stonking cave.

    En-route tagged 145b, Surface survey connected 163tag to old 163 station which had just come out of the snow. Had a quick poke down these to confirm that draughting - but blocked. Blocked ent. on path to Eishöhle (from VD1) is skylight in 163. Also swapped 'WOOK6' tag to correct cave (previously designated 'WK5' on this expo, incorrectly) and put 'WK5' tag on correct cave.

    In Eishöhle, took another 60m & 30m of rope & had a fun time bolting down ~60m pitch in 3 steps. Very excited at bottom as Andy shouted 'I think I know where we are'. Then somewhat irritated as we realised we had arrived down one of the big avens at the bottom. Bum.

    So went & poked down streamway - Wook getting slightly further than previous push but not enjoying it much ! Definitely a C-lead, but draughting nicely.

    Also shinned up into a bit Bob had found which ended in a small tunnel with a big draught, unfortunately partially blocked by choss. Stuffing Wook in made more draught come the other way, so went down tight rift & dug a bit more out to finally reach a small chamber with draught coming out of 3" slot.

    Did a proper survey of start of streamway & grade 2 of streamway & other bit. Then surveyed & derigged back up pitches, noting that traverse across top of bottom chamber was easy but no time left. (Canyon on 205°)

    Dragged the 3 baggies out between us, then slogged back, Wook carrying gear, to reach tatty hut about Midnight:15.

    (P.S. left 30m rope on traverse + 4 twists & 1 ring). +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-14
    +
    Mark Shinwell, Earl Merson,
    +
    40 - Eishöhle
    + +

    Mark S bashed his knee on the walk in so Earl went to derig Oldway pitch. Went and did more SVH photos. Then rigged slope down from lowest pt of chamber to blocked squeeze. Excavated it in a few minutes using a trowel. Wandered up Kalter Gang to Spinnedfriedhof to reach a pitch down (one bad spit) after a difficult traverse (take a 10m rope & rig this next time). Ran out of time so went out + carried a load of crap back to the car park.

    Interestingly, Kalter Gang blows away from SVH, but the Spinnenfriedhof blows in your face as you descend it. There are also marked changes in the temperature of the air in Spinnenfriedhof - one minute it's as cold as SVH and five minutes later you can't see your breath at all. Definitely worth a return visit next year. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-14
    +
    Becka Lawson, Martin Green, Mark Byers,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
    + +

    Up to Top Camp - no one there so I stomped off to Steinbrücken to catch the other two as they were about to go in. They were going to finish off their infamous tape + notes but no compass or clino survey off 110-a-day. Whizzed down the 3 entrance pitches, dumped SRT gear + set off down stoopy, crawly Swiss-cheese passage, holes off the side, in the floor + ceiling. Some draught though not strong. I poked at various QMs, seemed an interesting spot. The survey ended in a supposedly small chamber. I got here to find something larger than I was expecting + various leads. We split up to look round. I went up the ~25° ramp, stooping + found two walking passages off it, ending in large chambers - _whoa,_ getting pretty damn excited. Back to meet the others who'd also found stuff so I armtwisted them to keep going with the survey. Found 3 more pitches off the bottom end of the 'chamber' then surveyed up the ramp to where I'd checked out the walking passages. I set off up the passage straight ahead to check if it linked back to the passage on the right I'd looked at before to decide where best to survey. It kept heading on up + got gradually larger ... and more + more drafty + lots of what looked like bat shit on floor. By now I was stonking fast + then popped into a big walking passage, still heading up. Raced down + screamed at mark to get out of the scrofulous hole he had thrutched into + we abandoned the survey (I'd hardly any time before I had to go out to make the carpark for 9pm). Raced up into the walking passage + stomped off up the hill, passage getting bigger + bigger, lovely solution holes in the ceiling + _still_ a draft. Finally it turned, continued, then came to a big chamber. Loads of ways on all along it and it continued _down_ past the point that we had entered. Yelped a lot then headed out with Martin's carbide not lighting (+ he'd forgotten his duo) + Martin's lamp dead (and a dodgy zoom). Hopped off happily home. _Great_ trip! +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-15
    +
    Becka Lawson, Andrew Atkinson, Earl Merson,
    +
    Base Camp - Dachstein
    + +T/U 0 hrs

    Up 6 am, took just under 90 min to drive past Schladming (go the Bad Mitterndorf direction) to the Dachsteinsudseilbahn. It starts 8 am, last one down 17:50. Pay O$20/per person to get up the toll road to the cable car then O$265 for return cable car (or~O$160 for single fare) which basically gets you to the top of the hill, only ~300m vertical off the Hohe Dachstein peak.

    [sketch map to scan]

    Route up to Hohe Dachstein (1) was full of people, many roped. First section you can use cows tails but the upper section is q. exposed freeclimbing or you could rope up (we didn't + I'm not sure it would help if you fall). The route off the back side of the peak (2) was far less busy + easier, all protected using cows tails, ditto (3) the route over a rock ridge from the 'back' to the front glacier (the one you can see from Loser). Earl + I then went up (4) a final klettersteig off from the cable car up to a helipad + weather station. We were at the top at 9am, back from (1), (2), (3) at the cable car by 2pm (v. leisurely, hour for lunch etc.) + then a faster stomp up (4) + back took 2 more hours. We didn't need crampons at all or ice axes (not necessarily true other times of year etc.) but used harnesses + cowstails a lot. Beware loose rock, especially when there are gangs of people above you (1) + its easy to avoid the crowds which are all between the cable car and (1). Damn good day out + much more fun than doing it properly (ie. from the bottom). Be crap in bad weather though. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-15
    +
    Anthony Day, Duncan Collis, Michael Allen,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
    + +

    Bombed down to the bottom of Mike & Becka's pitch series (descended on 11/8/2000). To push/survey the rift at the bottom until we got to the end or another pitch, or until we got bored, whichever came first. Rift is a bit of a pain in the arse - mostly ~50cm wide, apart from a widening at a ~5m cascade (handline useful), very sharp. Lots of shinning up and down the rift (which is essentially infinitely tall) occurred to try and find the widest bit. Got 90m of survey in the book when we came across a pitch of ~10m. Looks like the rift continues with significantly larger dimensions (though it could just narrow down again quite quickly). Last survey station (at the top of the undescended pitch) is at a new deep point of -365m. This is a good lead, but pushing it is likely to become a serious trip, esp. if the rift continues in a similar vein. There is a reasonable stream (estimate about like the TC water hole in spate).

    Then derigged out, fairly efficiently, but it took a while. Derigged to top of Ariston greasing most of the spits (but no matchsticks). I spent ~ 15 mins trying to undo one of Mike's deviations, but failed so the sling is still there.

    Rift is to be christened "Razor Dance" after the Richard Thompson ditty of the same name. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-15
    +
    Olly Betts,
    +
    Loser Plateau - Surface tour to show Thilo entrances for Nils to GPS fix
    + +'''

    BECKA WRITES - Date given as 200-08-?? so have guessed 15th

    Thilo Müller is an ARGE German caver

    Started from ARGE "camp" in Bergrestaurant car park. Hiked up to col by Nase and tried to find the laser point there (the one with the wrong coords - ?/?). Failed, so gave up and hiked up to 147, then VD1. Then up to 136, down to 161d via a couple of Wook caves. Met Wook and Andy at 161d and did a one leg survey. Back up to 161c and 161b, up to 161a, back to VD1 to collect ski pole I'd left there, then up ridge towards 204. In valley leading approx S from 204 found interesting entrance with draught going in, somewhat above 204 (?m according to GPS). Met Dunks, Kiwi Mike and co. at 204, and followed Dunks' modified route back, but lost it towards the end (Dunks later said it wasn't fully reccied). Had a rest at top camp, then showed Thilo caves around there, then packed up my tent and headed back to car park, and then base camp for meeting with Austrians about next year's event. +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + +
    2000-08-16
    +
    Becka Lawson, Martin Green,
    +
    204 - Steinbrückenhöhle - final trip
    + +

    Down to 110-a-day to survey the other [see (2)] (right, as opposed to straight on) big passage - which petered out q. soon + ended in lots of small drafting QMs. Then took another look along the stuff they'd surveyed yesterday + which we found on the 14th - several damn fine QMs. (We surveyed to a drafting aven with a nasty tight rift in the floor - but draft elsewhere) Then started a survey [see (1)] from the initial chamber to a pitch I'd found on 14th but only had time to survey part way along. Packed up + ran home. I derigged to entrance pitches, inconveniently one tackle sack short of making life easy so struggled up the entrance with 100m stuffed into the one sack and a load of loose rope clutched in my hand. Out to hot sunshine. Stomped down the hill to join in the striking Top Camp mélee, so still trudging along with a big pack at 10pm but the job was _DONE._

    (2) Survey down nice passage, the floor is decorated, NEEDS TAPING

    [large sketch of bit surveyed - still to scan] +
    T/U: 0.0 hours
    + +
    + + diff --git a/years/2001/frontmatter.html b/years/2001/frontmatter.html index 42b77c779..8ac3d3269 100644 --- a/years/2001/frontmatter.html +++ b/years/2001/frontmatter.html @@ -1,4 +1,6 @@

    EXPO 2001

    The first part of the log is traditionally taken up by the journey -out.
    If this is of no interest, here is a link to +out.
    If this is of no interest, here is a link     to the caving! +

    This logbook is now pretty much complete apart from a bit of markup +and a few sketches

    diff --git a/years/2001/goals.htm b/years/2001/goals.htm index 75c3b82ee..ef87fd638 100644 --- a/years/2001/goals.htm +++ b/years/2001/goals.htm @@ -104,10 +104,10 @@ There is still a significant amount of work to be done, probably in 2001 we will concentrate on the Kaninchenhöhle side. Any stone left unturned here has potential for someone else to walk in easily and link the systems !
    ---->Schotterland 50m pitch to big passage - right by the entrance
    ---->Push POV
    ---->Good leads in Plastic
    ---->Leads at Kalter Gang end +≫Schotterland 50m pitch to big passage - right by the entrance
    +≫Push POV
    +≫Good leads in Plastic
    +≫Leads at Kalter Gang end
  • Further pushing of numerous leads in Kaninchenhöhle via Steinschlagschacht with a view to connecting to the nearby southern Schwarzmooskogel system, with a potential length/depth in excess of 47km/1056m. @@ -125,17 +125,17 @@ same sort of level as the Eishöhle entrances)
  • Photography and other documentation work. Many caves need a rudimentary survey or sketch, and description and a photo.
    ---->Survey to B4 (on col by top camp - only 1 or 2 legs) - already documented
    ---->Find and identify +≫Survey to B4 (on col by top camp - only 1 or 2 legs) - already documented
    +≫Find and identify non-CUCC 1980s caves (Eishöhle area) from survey data: Grunstein Eishöhle, Schwarzblatthöle, Kuppelhöhle, Lamperlhöhle
    ---->Connect up East and West surface surveys near 163
    ---->Try to work out where +≫Connect up East and West surface surveys near 163
    +≫Try to work out where Seniorenschacht and Braunsteinhöle are (near one of the Eishöhle entrances)
    ---->Draw pictures for the 147 survey!
    ---->A few caves are still missing and need searching out....177, 178, 181, 187, 192, 193
    ---->
    • +≫Draw pictures for the 147 survey!
    +≫A few caves are still missing and need searching out....177, 178, 181, 187, 192, 193
    +≫
  • There are loose ends in some older CUCC discoveries which may be useful to pursue to tie surveys in: + diff --git a/years/2001/index.htm b/years/2001/index.htm index aa82f6367..7a30d5de5 100644 --- a/years/2001/index.htm +++ b/years/2001/index.htm @@ -18,16 +18,10 @@ been merged into the main body of the documentation on this site).

  • 2001 Expedition info:
    • Expo mission statement
      • -
    • Expo Logbook
      +
    • Expo Logbook

      - - diff --git a/years/2001/logbook.html b/years/2001/logbook.html new file mode 100644 index 000000000..811f10fcc --- /dev/null +++ b/years/2001/logbook.html @@ -0,0 +1,471 @@ + + + + +2001 Expo Logbook + + + + + + +

      EXPO 2001

      +

      The first part of the log is traditionally taken up by the journey +out.
      If this is of no interest, here is a link to +the caving! +

      This logbook is now pretty much complete apart from a bit of markup +and a few sketches

      + + +
      + +
      2001-08-04
      +
      Duncan Collis, Martin Green,
      +
      Journey - Dunks + Martin go to Austria
      + +

      Got up 6am and packed. Drove to Cambridge for 11. A bit of driving around to Collect stuff from various places. Halfway through extracting shit from the tackle store to pack. I threw a 7 and landed on community chest:



      So packed the car + then headed north to Chesterfield (130 miles, 2¼ hours away) to get the rope. 24¼ hours after leaving Cambridge, 19½ of which were spent driving, arrived at base camp. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-04
      +
      Tony Rooke, Mike Cox, Letty Harkel,
      +
      Journey - Journey, Letty koen naar Oostenrijk.
      + +

      [the ijk ending appears all over; I can't tell if it is ijk or ijh or yk or yh]

      DATE UNCLEAR - written as Zondas uif Augustus.

      Trein had naturlijh zeals gewoonljh weer vertraging. Eindelijk een ruirn halfuur te latt in Hock van Holland Tony & Mike tegengehomenl toen hat voor elhaar gehregen om ongeveer een nur rond Schiedam rond te blijven ryden voordat we de hoofdweg konden vinden.

      Toen nix - behalve hele kolonnes Amerkaanse soldaten langs de autobahn in Duitsland - prima, hoe meer hoe beter. En ze reden niet richting noord-west, dus geen probleem. Nach osten und immer gerade aus, und bring mir mein fahrrad zurück. En dat soort dingen.

      Na nog veel meer saais eindelijk Oostenrijk - wahher geworden toen de weg ineens stopte en grindpad werd, maar dat gebeurde daar na nog 10 X en is blijkbaar normaal in ditland. Oostenrijkers sijn blijkbaer vergelijkbaar met Duitsers, Belgen. Rond zonsopgans aangehomen; paer biertjes en wat te rohen en stapen _ in andere woorden _ de recs overleefd, zonder dat allerslei illegaals wit onze auto was gejat door de moffen _ _ En zonder dat we ergens een berg afgereden zijn. Verbazingwehlend genog _ en ih geloof dat ik niets hatelijx over onze chauffeur mag zeygen dusdar zalihniet doen maar hijheet tony. Maar we zijn leverd aangehomen _ [acid-type smiley]

      You what? You did What? MCT [ed: this line in different pen] +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-05
      +
      Mark Shinwell,
      +
      Journey - Mark S travels to Austria
      + +

      An uneventful but pleasant journey via Venice (don't ask!). Flew Stansted -> venice, then bus to Venitia Mestré station. Train to Bad Aussee, arriving at 8.05pm (on the dot!) after 16 hours' traveling. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-06
      +
      Mark Shinwell, Martin Green, Earl Merson, Brian Outram, Mike Cox,
      +
      Loser Plateau - Carry to 204
      + +

      Set off from the Bergrestaurant about lunchtime, after ordering five Germknödel in the said restaurant. Cargo was two black water butts and the equipment to assemble the waterworks at 204. At the Kratzer junction, there was a delay of 15 mins 'cos Martin's butt had opened (it was being carried upside-down); thankfully no shit fell out. Eventually arrived at Top Camp and proceeded to 204. Nearly at 204, Martin had anothr accident with the butt again. Earl + Mark took a detour to find a quicker route from the slabs to 204, but ended up just finding Germknödelhöhle, to the west of 204 by a few hundred metres. A low entrance leads to a couple of chambers of a climb to a higher entrance. Eventually Mark + Earl got to 204 (after investigating a hole with a choke and a skeleton - chamois??). Set up some water-collecting equipment and then walked back to the car park. Went to Base Camp. Food in Hilde's. Weissbier. Gösser. Tatty Hut. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-08
      +
      Tony Rooke, Letty Harkel, Olly Betts,
      +
      40 - Eishöhle
      + +Rigging trip. I descended while Tony and Letty fettled crampons. Used 40E (Eistunnel / Elephant's Arsehole) entrance, since it's open this year. Rope up Mission Impossible climb frozen into ice at the bottom, but came out with a bit of tugging. However rope above rebelay is approx ½m below ice. Tried to rig up original bolts, but they've not been greased and are too rusty. Return to entrance to find Tony and Letty just about to descend. Return to climb and ascend using ice screws, and rig new rope from rebelay. Rig as far as the duck, then exit and return to base (bivvy not yet set up). T/U Tony, Letty 4 hours; Olly 5 hours +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-09
      +
      Martin Green, Brian Outram,
      +
      204 - Steinbrucken
      + +

      Rig 1st pitch, 2nd pitch, Stich this & Thread down to Wolpertinger*. Go on joll to Cave tree chamber to check out what new stuff was discovered at end 2000 expo, via 110 bidet, no pain no gain, Insig Chmb etc. on the way out drill new spit for Y hang at top of 2nd (Jim'll fix it) pitch).

      * Deviate thread Pitch with dodgy natural on left wall looking SW above 99-06C QM deviating into potential water down pitch but away from rub point and towards above QM. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-09
      +
      Phil Underwood, Mike Richardson,
      +
      Journey - Phil & Mike TA go to Austria
      + +

      Set off Ormskirk 1900h -> Elland to pick up MCT. Tanked down M1 to cambridge - pick up stuff from Wookey. Drove to dover to watch our ferry leave. Slept. Ferry. Autobahn. Austria.

      Speeding cameras activated on 14.

      Phil U:1 MCT:1 .: draw

      decider on way home. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-10
      +
      Martin Green, Brian Outram,
      +
      204 - 204
      + +

      Go down to Insignificant chamber to push lead ( ) climb up to left TU 5 +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-11
      +
      Becka Lawson, Martin Green,
      +
      204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
      + +

      Survey down 24A QM from 2000, midway up on left in Treeumphant passage. Easy passage heading up for 9 legs up to chamber with way on continuing (probably) up easy but loose climb - needs a handline? Then surveyed off lead just back from this climb heading down + south, initially into small chamber with lots of snow and I thought I could see a glimmer of daylight alcove. Passage continued on other side of chamber, initially walking down v. atractive phreatic passage the becoming lower, stooping. Had to turn back (after 5 hours surveying) to reach call-out without finishing, so still an open lead. after 40 legs, I was still toasty warm + hadn't put my balaclava on - regretted the extra furry on the way out though. Survey called 'Crowning Glory'. T/U 7hrs 30min +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-12
      +
      Becka Lawson, Martin Green,
      +
      204 - Steinbrückenhöhle
      + +

      Survey down   41A   QM from 2000. For Becka + Martin, after showing Andy + Wayne where 40A lead was. They put 2 bolts in to put handline / shunt - needed? on short climb up over pitch. After tootling back to find us to say their bolts wouldn't set, we eventually realised they'd omitted the cone. Ah. They went back, got up + into 100m passage, large, sloping up + they thought continuing the same direction as Treeumphant passage + ending in a large aven with a further climb to do, to enter continuation of passage. Martin + I surveyed up 41A, smallish walking passage heading North, parallel to Treeumphant passage. Bridged over pitch, only ~5m down but seemed to be a couple more pitches below from rocks bouncing + the draft possibly came from it, not very large but fine except for large, loose boulders at head of it. well worth looking at. We continued surveying up to aven with mud pile on floor, + then another branch off left, passage in tightish rift, small chamber to right, passage continued left into near flat-out-crawl, deteriorating to flat out crawl. Stopped survey at T-junction, ways L+R about large enough to continue but fortunately our time was up. 30 stations in 4 hours. Met other two + headed out. (over 350m surveying in 2 days). [bracket covering 5 lines from 'mud pile on floor' to 'to continue but' saying 'All heading up gently'] +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-12
      +
      Wayne Sheldon,
      +
      204 - Steinbrückenhöhle - SAME TRIP AS ABOVE
      + +

      ANDY (FROM TSG)

      I'M MORE USED TO USING THRU-BOLTS AND A DRILL WHEN IT COMES TO CLIMBING SO USING A HILTI BOLT WAS CHANGE TO ME. I THINK THE LAST TIME I USED A CONE ? (WELL I CAN'T REMEMBER) ANYWAY IT SOON CAME BACK TO ME WHEN I WAS TOLD WHAT TO DO!

      WE WERE DIRECTED TO CLIMB THIS SHORT CLIMB BY MARTIN & BECKA. IF YOU READ THE ABOVE, THEY HAVE FILLED YOU IN ON OUR CLIMBING ACTIVITIES. AFTER CLIMBING THE CLIMB, USING A SHUNT BECAUSE THEY CAN BE MOVED EITHER DIRECTION ON A ROPE, SO THERE IS NO NEED TO CHANGE DEVICES; IN TERMS OF ABSAILING OR PRUSSIKING DEVICES. THE POINT I PUT ACROSS WAS, THAT USING A SHUNT IN THE [IWTIYI ??] EXPLORATION OF THE CLIMB WAS ESSENTIAL, AS THAT I COULD HAVE CHANGED MY MIND ON CLIMBING UP AND THE SHUNT CAN EASILY BE MOVED DOWN THE ROPE TOWARDS ME IF REQUIRED. I NEVER SAID THAT A SHUNT WAS REQUIRED, ITS SOMETHING THAT I USE AND SOMETHING/a DEVICE THAT I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ALSO USE THEM. YOU CAN EASILY USE A COWSTAIL ON IT NOW. I'LL STILL USE A SHUNT, LIKE I DO ON MOST HANDLINES I DO!

      ABOUT THIS CLIMB, THERE WAS ABOUT 100 METRES OF SLOPING PASSAGE ENDING AT A AVEN, WITH PASSAGES CONTINUING BEYOND BUT NOT EXPLORED. IT GOES IN THE NORTH DIRECTION, BUT IN SEVERAL BENDS (MANY 90°). WE WILL SURVEY TOMORROW? +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-13
      +
      Wayne Sheldon, Mick Thompson, Duncan Collis,
      +
      204 - 204
      + +

      WE SURVEYED THE PASSAGE TO THE AVEN (SPEAK TO DUNCAN) MICK + ANDY LOOKED AT THE CONTINUATION OF THE PASSAGE, ANOTHER 50 METRES + PASSAGE, ENDING AT PITCHES. (SPEAK TO MICK T) DUNCAN WILL DRAW UP SURVEY. [all the E's in previous write-up are indistinguishable from U's]

      [In even bigger caps, pointing at above writeup] LURN TO FUCKING WRITU

      [In another hand:] Is this in hebrew? MCT. [And presumably in response:] IF YOU LIKE, FUCK OFF +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-13
      +
      Becka Lawson, Martin Green, Earl Merson,
      +
      Loser Plateau - Surface
      + +

      Had entered positions of Cave Tree, Great Oak Chamber + the snow chamber in Crowning Glory into Earl's GPS. Walked up to 204 + set off to find points on surface. Turned out to be q. high up , ~100m above the points we'd surveyed underground, though GPS aren't so good at height. Wandered right up to the bunde-covered peak then back down 204. Lots of big shafts, then Martin found pitch down a thin rift. Put a cairn by it. Mark S, Animal, et al surface surveyed to it next day (14/8) the next day Animal + MikeC (15/8) drill-bolted down + got into Cave Tree via a loose entrance pitch, ~35m down.

      T.U. 10 minutes +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-13
      +
      Duncan Collis, Wayne Sheldon,
      +
      204 - Chocolate Salty Balls
      + +

      Survey of stuff pushed by Wayne + Andy on an earlier trip. About 120m of stomping passage trending mainly north from Cave Tree Chamber. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-13
      +
      Tony Rooke, Letty Harkel, Olly Betts,
      +
      40 - Eishöhle
      + +Finally return with a working drill. Plan is that I rig in to the lead and start to bolt traverse; meanwhile Letty can put in her first hand-drilled spit, for a deviation on the big ice pitch.

      I'm just about to start bolting when Tony and Letty catch up. Tony is very cold from sitting in the draught while Letty bolted, so we exit instead. +
      T/U: 5.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-14
      +
      Becka Lawson, Martin Green, Earl Merson,
      +
      204 - 204
      + +

      Down Treeumphant + turned left down Crowning Glory (QM24A). Climbed up free climb at end of main passage where our survey on 11/8/01 down main passage had ended. Put handline (11 metres OK) on + left Earl to put in 2 bolts for pitch down Martin + + went back passage + down left, past snow chamber (put carbides out - Definately Daylight up there, albeit only a glimmer). Down to end of where 11/8/01 survey had ended (down walking passage q. steep down). Continued surveying on until something that looked like a pitch. Kicked rocks down then decided it was freeclimable, called it Helter Skelter. Ended in a draughting hole with boulders which looked like it could be squeezed over if you didn't mind loose stuff or given a bit of crow-bar persuasion. We dug it a bit then finished off the survey there + headed back to Earl. He'd just finished rigging a hand-line (needs ~16 metres) + got down to the floor, avoiding the pitch. He could scramble up a boulder slope the far side of the pitch + said there was another pitch with passage continuing the other side, needing bolting around the pitch to get to. We'd run out of rope, so headed back down main passage (called Bouldercoaster?) + left immediately after free-climb down to get shortcut back to Treeumphant via the QM28A. Did more taping, & showed Earl Cave Tree Chamber, then down to 53A. Earl thought about putting a bolt in for pitch there but decided against it, poor hang + not v.exciting pitch whilst Martin + I surveyed. We realised that 42B joined to 53A, so we surveyed between the two starting at 42B. Finally, still had a bit of time left so started surveying up 12B, which Mark Byers had had a quick look up last year. Quickly became pretty low, wide passage with nice mud on floor + white stals. Stopped surveying at station 7, at top of small chamber. Out, goood, varied trip. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-14
      +
      Anthony Day, Julia Day,
      +
      Loser Plateau - Surface Survey
      + +

      Sat around until 5pm when it was sufficiently cool to walk more than 5 yards without totally dehydrating. Surface surveyed from 204A to a hole Becka had spotted earlier in the week via 2 other holes. The first is a small downhill crawl at the bottom of a shakehole, looked at by Mike TA who declared it to be a dig [now tagged 2001/02]. The second hole is a short (~5m) downclimb with passage going off [now tagged 2001/03]. Survey puts this straight over the colonnade in 04 (which boasts a couple of avens). This hole had what appeared to be a freshly placed spit of unknown provenance. Neither hole has been tagged yet, though spits are placed for this. The final hole was descended by MikeTA and MikeC the following day... +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-15
      +
      Becka Lawson, Earl Merson,
      +
      204 - Huge passage
      + +

      Back to where we'd finished surveying down 12B yesterday at station 7. Surveying down into chamber (after putting in a largely superfluous 8m handline). Turned left, free-climbed down to bottom of chamber, clambered down + over boulders into rift for ~20m, until got to edge of very large pitch. 2+ second free drop + lovely clean shaft. Surveyed all that. Back to chamber, continued surveying up passage until popped out into HUGE passage. Ignored right passage + surveyed along passing several QMA's + getting 5 consecutive legs of over 20 metres. Finally ended in loose boulder slope leading up to hole in ceiling. Do-able but not great - the passage high above just before the boulder slope looked better. Back down the massive phreatic passage + met Martin, Tony + Letty. Sent them to look at the big stuff, whilst Earl + I surveyed up right where we'd popped out into big stuff. Didn't go far, right ended in another boulder slope up, straight on was a good, draughting walking size passage. Earl + I went back to the chamber with Letty to tie up + finish the survey there whilst Tony + Martin surveyed the first left in the big passage which became a rift + then we could see their light from our passages near the chamber. Fine trip. Out. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-15
      +
      Martin Green, Tony Rooke, Letty Harkel,
      +
      204 - No pain no gain
      + +

      Pushed leads in No pain no gain 2000-2B was pushed to the pitch under King Carbide just above pleasure dome. Pushed leads there which all ended in pitches into pleasure dome, apart from one which was left unpushed.

      We then went to look at the stuff of 12B, we surveyed one of Earl and Beckas side passages to find a number of white stalactites. We then met Earl and Becka who showed us the way to Swings and roundabouts. We had a tourist, then Tony I pushed a lead which looped back to a previous part of Becka and Earls survey. Meanwhile Letty showed Earl and Becka the side lead to confirm the connecting survey stations. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-15
      +
      Anthony Day, Duncan Collis, Mick Thompson, Brian Outram,
      +
      204 - 204
      + +

      Plan was for Mick & Brian to bolt across a pit at the northern extremity of "Chocolate Salty Balls" while me & Dunks caught up with the surveying backlog. Got to Cave Tree chamber to find a rope hanging out of the roof and an Animal stood at the bottom - hence 204 had its third entrance. We were warned that the pitch head was "rather loose" but planned to go out that way. Surveying proceeded at a reasonable pace, and we caught up with Mick & Brian just as Brian was preparing to place the last traverse bolt. At this point we noticed that there was no draught coming from across the pitch, so it came as less of a surprise when Brian teetered across to find all of four feet of cave. While we were there, we thought we might as well drop the pitch. At the bottom is a short horizontal passage leading to another pitch. This appears to be moderately deep as a stone rattled for 11 seconds down it ...

      Steamed on out and got to the bottom of the new entrance pitch. Pitch was very nice until the last 5m where the rope appeared to hang out of a "rather loose" boulder choke. Once off the rope, the fun continues with an uphill squeeze through mobile boulders.

      If this pitch is to become a trade route, some serious gardening must be performed because at the moment it is a deathtrap - one of the loosest pitch heads Dunks or I have seen in Austria *

      * This place is a fucking death-trap. it is in danger of major collapse. I'd give it a resounding Ø star recommendation. Duncan +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-15
      +
      Mike Richardson, Mike Cox,
      +
      204 - 204C (Hopefully)
      + +Went up to rig the entrance in the gulley found by Martin/Becka/Earl a day or two earlier. Clambered down to pitch head wearing dry grots, knocking down a fair quantity of crap, and put in bolts for a Y hang, then back to the surface, knocking down a further fair quantity of crap in the process. Geared up & went down again, knocking down another fair quantity of crap (get the idea??) I rigged and abseiled down through the pitch head, endeavouring not to knock down an extra quantity of crap, but with limited success. Put in rebelay about 5m down below lots of hanging death, then an easy 30mish down to another rebelay in big shaft about 6-7m diameter. While putting this in, Brian & Mick passed below - this is Cave Tree Chamber - so entrance is 204C indeed. Landed at the bottom of pitch and retired for safety to other side, and shouted for Mike C to come down. Ant & Dunk arrived while he did, and sheltered in passage while some crap came down the pitch. Mike C then bolted the drop at the bottom of Cave Tree. 100% shit bolt but it still got the MikeTA *Seal Of Approval* so he got to go down on it :) and so did I. At the bottom there is a rift to a perhaps 6m shaft with a puddle in the floor so probably blind. Prussicked back to Cave Tree then out _one at a time._

      This pitch is crap. You do not want anyone below the first rebelay while someone does the top!!! The enrtrance could maybe be stabilised!!

      [sketch] T/U 4 hours +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-17
      +
      Hilary Greaves, Olly Betts,
      +
      40 - Eishöhle - Mission Impossible - Connection seeking
      + +



      We heroically dragged ourselves out of our pits at 7.30 the morning after the Expo Dinner + headed up the hill to Find The Connection. - a bolt traverse around the head of Over The Top.

      Olly wants to call this traverse "Too Hard For CUCC" (I think on the grounds that he couldn't drag anyone else up here when there was 4k of open passage to be walked into on the other side of the hill, till an unsuspecting Oxford mug came along), but since he bolted the entire traverse while I fell asleep on a pile of rope, it might not be as appropriate as he'd hoped :-) [This smiley actually vertical - Ed]

      Anyway, we (Olly) bolted the traverse, and found a loose sand/rocks slope heading up a tunnel on the far side of the pitch chamber. TBC....



      Heading [Arrow pointing to comment in pencil Not surveyed'] back from Over The Top, I (when I wasn't asleep) dropped a pitch (~20m) to a rocky floor, with a slot in the wall at chest height, heading down a pitch of indeterminate length. *

      No naturals + I didn't have a bolt kit, so couldn't go any further. It's heading the wrong way for a connection anyway (both horizontally + vertically), & Olly thinks it might drop into a known pitch whose name he isn't sure of ("the Mission Impossible Pitch"/"Ol's Pitch"??).

      (* Stone rattle varies between ~5s and ~10s ) +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-17
      +
      Becka Lawson, Earl Merson,
      +
      204 - 204B
      + +

      Up + off early after the dinner. Plod up to 204 with 'bide + stuff. Underground ~1pm, still feeling a bit woozy after drinking too much last night. Down to Swings+ Roundabouts. Surveyed phreatic tube to RHS at start. Pretty, inclining up, gets to large but not especially deep pitch + side passage linked back into S+R. Back to S+R, + started to survey QM on LHS about halfway along as far as a pit in the floor. Out. 6hours? +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-18
      +
      Hilary Greaves, Olly Betts,
      +
      40 - Eishöhle - Mission Impossible
      + +

      More connection-seeking mit Hils + Olly (....cont'd from Fri 17th)



      Yesterday (18th - bit confused... ) we bolted/climbed up a 20m 45° slope, beyond the sandy slope ( see writeup of Fri 17th). This made us very happy, coz apparently the most promising-looking leads in KH around the Theatre - the nearest part to where we are - are unbolted up-pitches, so, we wanna get high...



      '''2001-08-19 | 40 - Eishöhle - Mission Impossible | Hils + Olly'''

      we gained a rift passage at the top of the 45° slope. It changes direction lots, has no roof or floor and is confusing. It feels like we're heading up an inlet, or possibly we've intersected one and could follow it up- or downstream. Going to plot centreline to figure out what's happening...

      [Olly (while calculating coordinates so we can figure out where the hell we're going); "Yay, we're 3mm further North"]

      Following the rift upstream leads to a climb which I've temporary-rigged (needs rigging as a pitch really). At the top you can go left, right or up ... TBC ...

      +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-18
      +
      Becka Lawson, Earl Merson,
      +
      204 - 204B Back to Swings + Roundabouts
      + +

      I think this was the 10am underground day. Back to Swings + Roundabouts. Finished surveying the LHS, QM which we started yesterday. Climbed into pit in floor. No big ways on. Up over the top, continued to loose boulder choked area. Thought I could dig through in the floor. Moved enough stuff to wriggle myself down + got into **BIG** passage with what looked like 3 ways on. Jabbered to Earl + started pulling boulders out of another small hole (so two ways out, both bit loose) + we surveyed through whilst I tried to work out which way we wanted to head for KH. Then Earl wandered out into the massive phreatic... and found a survey point - Earl sniggered like a manic mouse for a couple of minutes - Bum. Another QM A ticked off. Had a slow wander up S+R + couldn't see any more obvious ways on so I decided to have another look at the loose boulder slope at the end. Noticed a largish solution tube at the top, above the boulders. Climbed into it + whoa, it went up steeply + popped out near the top of the pile of boulders in a chamber with a ramp off to the right + a passage ahead. The passage had a 3m drop into what looked like the continuation of the Swings + Roundabouts main passage. Looked good! Slithered back down the boulders to Earl, Happy. Out +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-18
      +
      Mike Richardson, Mike Cox,
      +
      204 - 204B
      + +Went down to look @ that passage opposite the thread pitch rebelay. Decided to be optimistic & took 50m rope 'cos we were sure to get to KH :-) But it fills with soil after about 70m, so surveyed anyway & buggered orf aht. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-19
      +
      Becka Lawson, Earl Merson,
      +
      204 - 204B to 204D!
      + +

      Back to where had finished off yesterday. Continued the survey from the boulder pile up the solution tube ("Suspended Solutions") + rigged a ladder off a natural down into the passage below. Noticed a moth in the chamber - hmm. It turned out to be a 11m x 11m massive chamber, very alternative, huge q.low angled roof slab and boulder floor with a river bed of dry mud running through it. Earl + I squabbled over who got to go first. One main way out - and a pile of snow + ice. Hmm. Then Earl ducked under another low roof ridge - and saw daylight... slightly disappointed the passage had ended but a new entrance was the next best thing. Chimneyed up about 6m + there were several places with light chinking through boulders but nowhere big eough to get out . Earl put a bolt in from a ledge then hung off it as he hammered away at the boulders. After some considerable gardening (hard to stop Mr. Merson when he gets going so I just cowered) he could squeeze out + then had a better angle of attack to kick down yet more choss. Put a rope on to protect the freeclimb + surveyed out. The snow plug was rotten + q.hard to climb out of + the rock above chossy. Got out to a fine + novel view of the plateau + tried to decide which way was home. I persuaded Earl to surface survey back to 204D. Fortunately not too hot but it took some time + by about halfway I'd regretted pushing Earl to survey but by then he wasn't letting me duck out of it so we slogged on with me getting increasingly terse and grumpy. Eventually Mick heard us + found us another survey station (2001/03?) to survey to. Then Earl was a hero + went back down the 3 pitches of 204D to fish out my SRT gear. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-19
      +
      Phil Underwood, Mark Shinwell, Mike Cox, Mike Richardson, Duncan Collis,
      +
      Loser Plateau - Preparation for 161 tourist jolly
      + +

      Mark & I wandered up to 204 to pick up our kits, & met up with Mike C, Mike TA, Dunks.

      Stomped over the Hinter & went down to 161d, pausing to place a lovely blue polyprop handline off a _very_ iffy bolt. The plan now was to stomp down to the Stogerweg & go back to the Bergrestaurant. However, we instead found a nice grassy traverse level, at ~1600m altitude. Met some random Austrian walkers & tried to follow them, hoping they knew a nice way off the hill. Unfortunately, it turned out they were hoping we knew a nice way off the hill. 3 hours bunde bashing later, we had found a _nasty_ way off the hill. Part of this was on a _heavily_ engineered route. Thilo claims responsibility for this. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-19
      +
      Anthony Day, Julia Day,
      +
      Loser Plateau - Surface stuff + looking at horizontal hole nr. 204C
      + +Went off to 204C to place a tag. While Julia bashed in a bolt, I went for a wander down the adjacent gully, which is littered with shafts and also a 1m square horizontal entrance. This was interesting, so we investigated further. Entrance passage slopes downhill for ~ 5m and meets a cross passage which is choked left and a body-sized grovel right. This leads to a 3m deep pit with the roof-tube carrying on beyond. This didn't look massively promising, and was definitely oversuit country, but the cave was definitely worth a tag and and underground survey.

      The tube was trending uphill parallel to the gully, so the thought occurred that maybe it popped out of the hill higher up. Found a pile of boulders a little higher up which appeared to conceal a black space. Shifted a couple of rocks out of the way and an entrance appeared, so while I put a tag bolt in at the first entrance, Julia investigated. She found a descending tube heading towards the first entrance, via a couple of bouldery squeezes, with a black space apparent beyond. Rocks dislodged in the general direction of this black space went rumble, boom, bang, etc. etc., so she ran away quickly.

      Did surface survey from first entrance to 204c, then adjourned to the Stone Bridge for a protracted brew. Returned armed with an oversuit and survey gear. Sure enough, the continuation of the body sized hole beyond the 3m deep pit ends in a pitch thus ensuring a return... +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-20
      +
      Hilary Greaves, Olly Betts,
      +
      40 - Eishöhle - Mission Impossible
      + +

      Mon 20th am (ED: "FIRST BIT" not a caving trip, just an admin sesh)

      The currently closest explored EH point to KH is 37m away. Our bolt traverse over Over The Top started 102m away. The first day we got 32m closer. The second day we got 16m closer again. From this we conclude that our approach to KH is an exponential decay to a asymptote at 38m separation. FFS. Shall we just go to the pub?

      Oh yeah, and we've rejigged the "bolt traverse" round Over The Top as a pendule - new rigging topo:

      [pic]

      Guess what. Looking for a connection again.

      Now we've also rejigged the upper half of Devil's Chute: new rigging topo :

      [pic]

      We also climbed a few metres higher in yesterday's rift [ rerigged the pitch - new rigging topo:

      [pic]

      then decided to check out the downstream direction of the high-level rift, to see if it went anywhere different from downstream rift at low level (i.e. where we'd come from). It doesn't [appear to], so we surveyed + derigged it.

      The remaining lead is to continue climbing + traversing in the upstream direction. Following upstream at floor level reaches (yet another) drippy aven but (yet again), a few metres before the aven, it's possible to climb the rift (which we've now done), and traverse across. (The rift isn't confusing any more - linear, but hading and winding.)

      Top cave. Top 4 days. Don't know if I'm going back there, but somone else should :-} And here's my most important Top Tip: wear crampons that stay on your feet. Otherwise you end up doing a frighteningly friendly dance with Olly in order to claw your way out of Schneevulcanhalle. Euugghh.

      Hilary

      P.S. derigged the bolt traverse (Too Across)* and the going-the-wrong-direction pitch from Fri 17th.

      * (but left the pendule in place, obviously) +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-20
      +
      Becka Lawson, Mick Thompson, Earl Merson,
      +
      Cave 2001-05 - GNDN (Goes Nowhere Does Nothing) Cave
      + +Walked to 204D, showing Anthony where it was. Put in a tag bolt for it + surveyed to it. Then we all wandered around the area looking for likely entrances. The skylight in the 204D shake-hole looks into a cave with a large entrance (with a smashed glass bottle in) which quickly closes down with the only QM being at the base of an icy ramp which looked like it was filled with boulders but its worth someone going down to check out as its an interesting position. Lots of entrances in the area but we only found one really promising one which was drafting out strongly from a small horizontal entrance. Only about 50m from 204D, down the hill + N.

      Earl happily dragged out rocks until I could squeeze in. It went in ~5m horizontally then into hading rift. I climbed down ~5m to the head of a pitch + various possibilities. Back out. Earl in to rig pitch whilst Mick + I surface surveyed from 204D tag bolt to new cave + put in a tag bolt above its entrance. Mick + I then continued the survey down to Earl. Pitch went down, still hading, to large snow + ice plug ... with no ways on + we seemed to have lost the draft. Surveyed to far side of chamber then back out. Earl derigged + Mick + I went into passage at top of pitch which had two LHS small leads off, both of which drop into steeply descedning rift (the second one being too tight to go through). Mick dropped well down into the rift, which kept going, though without much draft, to a small way on which he reckoned would drop into the pitch. Its possible we did miss the way on in the cave as we seemed to have lost the draft down the pitch. Worth another look around probably.

      [graphic to scan] GNDN Cave
      (Goes Nowhere Does Nothing Cave)
      Currently temporarily tagged as 2001/05 +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-20
      +
      Phil Underwood, Mark Shinwell, Mike Cox, Mike Richardson, Duncan Collis,
      +
      161 - 161D jolly + 9 Austrian cavers
      + +Decided to go via Top Camp after all, as we thought our guests wouldn't be too impressed with us taking them on a 3-hour bunde-bashing tour of the VSK.

      One bloke (Swiss, 70, half-naked) decided to drop out, as he thought it would be crap climbing back again in the rain. And he hadn't even seen the bunde traverse.

      Got to the cave with a minimal amount of wibbling.

      Nice trip to Zombie Slime, and then up to Trifurcation & Minoan Surprise. Exitted with a short detour down Alternative Universe. Walked back to the Bergrestaurant, and it only rained for the last 15 minutes.

      T U 3 hours +

      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-20
      +
      Julia Day, Anthony Day,
      +
      Loser Plateau - Rigging horizontal entrance
      + +Having been a bit slack the previous day and jacked a bit early, I volunteered to put the back-up bolt in for the pitch we'd found Anthony had told me that this would be shit, but I can't have been listening too closely. *NOTE TO SELF - _DON'T_ volunteer to bolt something you haven't seen before*...

      Didn't get off to a very good start. My options for getting to the pitch head were to attempt a tricky looking climb out of the pit, or crawling through a tube over the pit. I chose the latter, but didn't fancy the short section of free space (over a 3m drop) between one crawl and the next. Unfortunately, to get down to the climb I needed to reverse out of the tube and traverse backwards over the pit. I didn't fancy this without someone telling me where to put my feet, not being able to turn round (or see through the back of my head). So I called back to Anthony, who grumbled a fair bit 'cos he was getting changed in a leisurely fashion and didn't want to rush. Sat all cosy in my little tube for 20 mins, then Dour turned up and assisted me in traversing backwards. Climbed up inot the crawl to the pitch, and took a while before being able to find a position that was bearable to be in whilst placing a bolt. It was shit, in no uncertain terms, and placing the backup bolt took a long time, due to the cramped position I was in.

      After that I sat and watched Anthony bolt. It was possible to turn round at the pitch head, but being a bit of a fuckwit, I opted to remain with my feet heading back into the crawl. I was consequently extremely uncomfortable as well as cold, so we jacked after Anthony had placed a hang bolt and a rebelay bolt ~6 metres down. Not the most productive of days.

      _TU_ 6 hours +

      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-21
      +
      Becka Lawson, Earl Merson, Mick Thompson,
      +
      204 - 204D
      + +Fettled the entrance to 204D (as well as cairning the route there from 204B). Put in 204D tag.

      [sketch to scan]

      Down 204D, up ladder + looked at QMs at the top of ladder. The hading rift on LHS went up q.a way as a freeclimb, drippy, some not too exciting ways on. To the right just looked boulder choked. The solution tube on the LHS above Suspended Solutions was boulder filled after ~5m. Down past Suspended Solutions + Earl put in a bolt on LHS wall above first section of boulder slope (~4m above the floor of Swings + Roundabouts main passage) + I belayed him as he traversed around the rock (after hammering off the worst choss, of which there was a lot). He ducked through under a boulder to get to a smallish aven, with a QM up a 3-4m climb + short slope on RHS leading to a solution tube leading steeply down, not drafting, would need rigging. Tube also went up but got small. Derigged the traverse + back to the entrance rope. Earl + Mick climbed up in the small chamber between the entrance rope chamber + the big main chamber with the ladder. Freeclimb led to large aven above + hole down into the big main chamber. Two dodgy climbs possible off this. I Squeezed past a boulder at floor level in [arrow points back to above-mentioned small chamber]. This same chamber which led to a crawl + then a body-sized tube off to the left which opened out into a small drippy aven. Obviously tempting fate to say so, but I think Earl + I have now looked at all the promising leads of the 12B series (Playground, Swings + Roundabouts, Suspended Solutions to the 204D entrance) except a bunch of pitches. The pitch off to the left of the chamber after Playground is _very_ large, not especially deep + would be nice to rig, probably the best of the lot, with the next best being up the walking passage/phreatic off first right as you enter Swings + Roundabouts (by the small boulder slope). Out, then Mick + I hacked down the hill to have a look at some of the series of huge, collapsed shake-holes at the bottom of the plateau. Not v. much that looked too good - not surprising given everything is so shattered? Area around 204D seems more promising. On our way back up we found another cave, only about ~50m from yesterday's GNDN cave, continuing in ~same direction from 204D. In horizontal crawling entrance which drafted, down q. steeply sloping walking passage. Daylight from left + tube up on right filled with rocks. Dropped into chamber with loose boulder floor. Possible way on, squeezing over rocks. Definitely worth another look and, as at GNDN cave, we seem to have lost the draft somewhere. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-21
      +
      Julia Day, Anthony Day,
      +
      204 - Rigging down 204E Entrance - Germknödel's Revenge
      + +All too soon we were back in that scrotty hole. As it turned out, we didn't need any more bolts. Got down, via a rebelay and two deviations, down a pleasant 25m shaft and pretty soon discovered we were in 204, due to a PM on the wall. Misread the compass and stomped off down dip, then back and had a quick poke around looking for Treeumphant Passage. Turns out we'd dropped into Crowning Glory. Surveyed the pitch on the way up (except for the plumb to the bottom of the pitch, which we did on the way down, ahem). It was a little crap doing a couple of bloody steep legs followed by muddy scrotty surveying thru the crawl at the top. 204 Entrance is to be called "Germknödel's Revenge".

      Finished the survey, went back to the Stone Bridge to cancel our first call out, then went back again, Anthony to derig, and me to establish a verbal connection with 204f and the pitch. Sure enough, Anthony shone a light thru to me. We'd found another entrance. So I put a tag on it. 204f is unrigged, it would be a shorter way to the pitch, but not very pleasant, and pretty hard to rig.

      [sketch] TU Julia 5 Anthony 6 +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-22
      +
      Duncan Collis, Hilary Greaves,
      +
      204 - 204
      + +Went to look at a qm recommended by Earl, to the left of the passage from Bonsai Crawl to 204d entrance. Just beyond the roped climb down, shin down some well dodgy BIG boulders and along about 10m to head of pitch. We were under the impression that the pitch was very wide, but the bottom was a great distance away, so we had only brought along a selection of fairly short bits of string. In fact the pitch is rather deep, possibly more than 40m. We tied the bits of string together, looped one end round a flake, and Hilary started bolting (we had planned on using my drill, but it had been 'borrowed'). Two abortive spits later, a total rout occurred, and we buggered off out via 204D entrance. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-22
      +
      Anthony Day, Julia Day,
      +
      Loser Plateau - Surface survey to "Olly's sucking hole
      + +Surface surveyed from 204a to what is thought to be the "sucking hole" found by Olly & Thilo in 2000. There appear to be two entrances, a very large (6mx3m) loose entrance, and a much friendlier looking ~5m drop which would be much easier to rig. The larger entrance is tagged 2001/04. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-23
      +
      Duncan Collis, Hilary Greaves,
      +
      204 - 204
      + +QM that doesn't exist just before ?99-19c (2nd hole in floor marked after passage to Millennium Dome)

      ~4m climb down, followed by another similar climb immediately. Descending tube choked with rocks (two of which I had inadvertantly booted down there earlier) which had to be excavated with feet and stacked in limited space at foot of 2nd climb. Way on was blocked by large flake, which succumbed to a few wellie-blows. Squeezed past the fallen flake feet first, and passage continued round r-hand bend. Sudden acetylene leak, plus concerns about reversing squeeze past mobile rock, caused a rout. Hilary had a go next, and was able to turn around just before the squeeze. Crawling in the conventional head-first direction, she progressed to a small aven, and called for me to follow with survey gear.

      After this point, the passage continued, and enlarged slightly, passing over a hole in the floor and enlarging to stooping height. Caught up with Hilary on a ledge overlooking a large chamber. The passage appears to continue on the other side, and doesn't look too hard to reach. There is a big ledge ~6m down, and then blackness, perhaps 40m deep. The chamber is called '7-11 chamber', as those were the rope lengths we had available, and the crawl is called "Merry Fucking Christmas". Surveyed out, which was not as grim as I expected. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-24
      +
      Hilary Greaves,
      +
      Base Camp - 6 am
      + +Is it against the rules to write friendly little notes in the logbook? Oh well.

      Thanx for letting me gatecrash - it's been a top week! Top caves, top beer, let me see what else, oh yeah, the people were alright too. Hope the rest of expo goes stormingly!

      I realise I owe you lots of money. Send me the bill (won't be able to pay it till October, in China :-))

      Hope to see most of ya @ BCRA!

      Hilaryarse +

      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-25
      +
      Martin Green, Olly Betts,
      +
      40 - Eishöhle - More quality, but even less quantity
      + +Back to Eishöhle with a new recruit for the uphill caving club. Today's plan is to try to get to the top of the rift and see if there's a phreatic tube there.

      First time on crampons for Martin, but he copes well. His carbide causes more problems though (later he discovers a hole where the tube attaches to the generator).

      At the top of the ramp we try climbing up, Martin bolting. We soon discover a phreatic tube ascending at the top of the rift. After 3 bolts from Martin and a couple from me we call it a day and exit. We seem to have reached the rift above the inlet chamber. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-26
      +
      Martin Green, Olly Betts,
      +
      Plateau - Surface exploration
      + +This entry covers two (or three?) days - written as 2001-08-26/28

      Found and GPSed 9 caves on a flattish bit of limestone uphill from the row of Eishöhle entrances. Coordinates and notes see Olly. Photos of entrances in Martin's and Olly's camera. 4 caves, 232, 233, 234, 235 were surveyed and have been drawn up. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-27
      +
      Martin Green, Olly Betts,
      +
      40 - Eishöhle - Reaching for the sky...
      + +I head in first and tweak the rigging on the way. Get to the pushing front before Martin and get most of a bolt in before he arrives. A second bolt gets us across the chamber and another gives a traverse to a level which emerges in the side of what I think is the final aven chamber I reached with Hilary. We need to keep at the top of the rift, I think. We also need more rope, so retreat back down the rift, surveying as we go. I stick in 2 more spits to improve the rigging at the end of the traverse while Martin derigs the top of the rift. Then I travel along the bottom and stick in a spit to tie the end of the rope to while Martin rerigs the rope down the inlet chamber. A 26m rope just fits the bill nicely. I ascend and stick in 2 extra spits. One more would get us back to the top of the rift, but we decide to head out so we can get down the hill and recharge the drill battery. Stick in more spits on the way out - one for a rebelay on the junction chamber pitch, one on each side of the pendule, two on the Modern Way traverse to take a higher route and two on "Good Afternoon Mr. Phelps" - one to stop the traverse line freezing into the ice and a deviation to keep the hang rope clear of the ice. Also a spit to replace the ice screw - a higher belay should improve the riggin on both sides. The drill battery has now done 21 spits in 2 trips (including one for a tag on 40s) using a "cross-tipped" bit, and I'm getting good at judging the depth for the HKD spits. Still no nearer to KH though. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-27
      +
      Phil Underwood, Mark Shinwell,
      +
      Cave - Olly's Sucking Hole
      + +Went to investigate this draughting orifice. Initial entrance climb is fine, if you chimney down on the R side. At the bottom, there are three ways on. The first one goes back under the entrance, down a boulder slope, to emerge in a large chamber "Cheesy dip". There are a number of small leads off, all choked. In the roof is lots of daylight, coming from 2001-046. Left from the entrance went down a loose slope (blowing). Right (Sucking) went along a bit. We decided to do some surveying. Which required red paint. Which was at the bivvi site. So we went and had a cup of tea for a bit. Came back with surveying gear and surveyed the LH route to a ~5m deep pit. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-28
      +
      Duncan Collis, Earl Merson,
      +
      204 - "Merry Fucking Christmas"
      + +Early start from bivi at Stone Bridge but despite having packed gear the previous evening didn't get underground until 12:40. Spent some time shifting rocks from the previous trip's spoil heap to make more room, and then Earl set about the boulder squeeze with a lump hammer until it was possible for us to remove the somewhat diminished remains. Then tedium getting ourselves and tackle through the crawl.

      Once at 7-11 chamber, 3 spits and 11m rope got us down to the ledge, and a further 3 spits and 19m rope was more than enough to reach the other side and the foot of the climb. Climb was only about 3 or 4 m, and easy. Placed a bolt for protection towards the top, largely because I could. Disappointingly, there was no passage leading off on the far side, just a 6m pitch with a small stream entering from above. At the foot of the pitch, a very tight nasty streamway (Infidelic Pagan Scum) led off almost due S, so took off string gear and thrutched down it. It goes round a very awkward bend to the right after ~4m and then one has to thrutch in a widening ~1m above the stream. After about a body length, could see the passage turn right again, and it got echoey - lobbed a rock down to confirm presence of a big pitch, almost certainly that in the floor of 7-11 chamber. Retreated back to the end of MFC overlooking the chamber, where Earl set off rigging a lunatic traverse 'Dancing with Boulders', using skyhooks, virtual naturals and probably a fair amount of divine intervention to reach ~15m of small passage which again led to the same big pitch. After Earl had made a rather exciting return journey across his traverse, we decide to call it a day. So did my light, and getting everything back through the small stuff was crap. Borrowed a light off Earl, and we were both out by 11:20 pm +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-29
      +
      Martin Green, Olly Betts,
      +
      204 - Carry on up the rift
      + +Cave 204? CHECK

      [Webeditor's note: the call out books seem not to have a trip for this date, but one for 3rd September which seems to fit

      A bit more rerigging on the way in, then we continue from where we left off, me on the dynamic rope bolting and Martin rerigging static behind. Higher up, just as I ran out of rope, there's a choice of routes. We regain the stream canyon off to the right, or there's a tube to the left which can be free-climbed to, and leads to another streamway. Martin catching up and bolts up the streamway to the side. The canyon becomes too tight at the head, though a tube up to the left looks like it bypasses this. We survey out and get back to the bivvy at about 2:30 am. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-30
      +
      Duncan Collis,
      +
      Base Camp - Duncan's Tasty Dish Pot. Ht.
      + +Written down by popular request
      1. Pan
      2. Add slart of oil
      3. Add " soy sauce
      4. Chop 1 onion into little bits + add to pan
      5. Chop 2 cloves garlic into slices + add to pan
      6. Sprinkle into pan stuff like garam masala powder, cardamom seeds, ginger powder, mixed herbs ... other yummy stuff
      7. Nearly forgot the important bit - chop heavy-as-lead bread into small cubes and add to pan
      8. Light stove + start frying, turning contents occasionally
      9. Crack 3 eggs into cup + whisk
      10. Sprinkle into eggs more yummy stuff
      11. Add slart of soy sauce into eggs
      12. When stuff in pan is going a bit crisp and slightly browner, tip egg mix in
      13. If possible, turn the omelette in one piece (ha ha!)
      14. Probably end up just scrunging it around the pan. make sure it cooked through + then eat.


      _Rave Reviews!!_
      Very yummy indeed. _Mark S_
      XLENT Brian +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-08-30
      +
      Earl Merson,
      +
      204 - 99-01C
      + +Brian and I had rigged the traverse at the top of Jim'll Fix it (on the right) back in 2000 off some quite dodgy naturals. Brian was stopped by a pool of icy water over ice, so I returned with some siphoning tube to drain it. Rigged the traverse with an 8m rope (only just long enough), 1 [???] hanger. 2 twists, 2 slings + 2 maillons. The pool of water had gone, replaced by 4" deep mud followed by a bank of earth/mud, which chokes the passage. The alternative way on, a small slot near near the traverse, was thought to be too committing, given that I was on my own. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-09-02
      +
      Duncan Collis, Mick Thompson,
      +
      Base Camp - Bierfest bei Altaussee
      + +Right now its tomorrow. Trumper is busy outside the spud hut hurling his beans. Just now we have cycled from Altaussee full of fizzy pop.

      A good evening - persuasive argument for having expo this late. Apparently its the biggest bier festival in Austria. Lots of young women (NO MINGERS!!) Lots of bier.

      A good evening. Bet you all wish you'd come along... Well - same again tomorrow night. We've been assured that tonight is the warm-up and that it gets even better.

      A good evening. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + +
      2001-09-04
      +
      Duncan Collis,
      +
      204 - 204c Derig
      + +After bierfest had streaming shits, probably due to dodgy roast chicken. Dr. Phil gave me a couple of immodium tablets, and that dried me up for the walk up on Monday evening.

      Apparently Immodium usually wears off within 24 hours or so, so I wanted to have a crap before even thinking of going underground, to see if my guts were still pumping out dishwater. Didn't especially fancy getting caught short midway up a loose pitch - it would just be too ironic.

      Eventually it got to about 7 pm & I thought "Sod it" & got out of my pit & put my gear on, just in time for the first of the derig team to emerge.

      Strolled through the clag to the entrance, where a strange thundering sound could be heard.

      Clambered down to the pitch head, where I could see that the pitch below was quite well watered. Considered jacking quite seriously for a while, but decided to suck it and see.

      Although a considerable stream was falling down the course of the rope, it was quite well concentrated and possible to avoid (mostly by judicious fending off the wall). The 10 ft above the final rebelay was a bit crap because the rope was sharing a gully with the water.

      Took out the rebelay, changed over & prussiked out derigging as I went.

      At the pitch head I was beginning to think 204c wasn't so bad after all, and was sussing out what needed gardening & where extra bolts should be put. By the time I'd stuffed the rope into a bag I quite liked the place. Then as I was ascending one of the clambers up to the surface a large block fell out, and ended up resting against one of my knees.

      Took a while to work out how to let the boulder drop without it hitting my other foot or me falling down the climb, but sorted it out. Job done.

      This entrance is still well dicey. However, careful, considered kicking down of loose crap, combined with a more defensive rig may make it OK for regular use.

      P.S. eventually managed to move bowels some 82 hours after taking medicine. Immodium is good shit. +
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      + +
      + + diff --git a/years/2011/endmatter.html b/years/2011/endmatter.html deleted file mode 100644 index dce1b6f19..000000000 --- a/years/2011/endmatter.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,23 +0,0 @@ -
      2011-08-16
      -
      Emma, Martin, (Holly, Noel, Andy)
      -
      258 derig
      -

      Quick trip down to the top of String Theory for me and Martin to pick up the bags of rope we'd left there after de-rigging string theory and below. Left all traverse lines in cave as they were all on old rope - only Caramel Catharsis & traverse to [unreadable] pitch was derigged. Andy, Holly & Noel derigged caramel catharsis & the entrance pitch after us - thankfully as some of the entrance derig must have been interesting. Last trip of expo for us [sad emoji].

      -
      T/U: ?
      - -
      2011-08-09
      -
      Cat Hulse, Wookey, Adam Henry, Therese Stolle
      -
      Klettersteig - Bad Goisern
      -

      Went to Bad Goisern for a couple of klettersteigs, one B one C. Car struggled up hill till too steep then back down till we found somewhere to park. Slogged up hill taking a bit of a shortcut but eventually finding path out into cliff.

      -

      Short walk gets us to start of 'easy' VF. It leads straight out up a cliff! Very exposed start on pegs. Poor Therese got rather more than the easy start promised. But it was very short and eased a bit at the top. Once she'd got over the shock she thought it was great.

      -

      We decided to walk over to the 2nd one as that was a very short day's entertainment. Beware 1:50000 maps in mountains as it turned out to be a long hot walk and we got a bit lost, but eventually found the way down alongside, then back up an interesting VF. With funcky traverse wires part way up, which Cat manfully attempted despite them being a really long way apart!

      -

      Got to the top, climbed cross, and walked back to car for an excellent, if hot day out. Oh yes and we enjoyed lunch in a very fine little hut on top of the cliff edge.

      -

      [Date not recorded, but worked out from klettersteig photos in photo archive]. -

      T/U: 0
      - - -
      2011-08-10
      -
      Wookey, Adrian, OllyM, Adam, Cat, Alex, -Jess, Amy
      -
      Bolt testing
      -

      Needs writing up... See Woookey photos in 2011

      -
      T/U: 0
      diff --git a/years/2012/endmatter.html b/years/2012/endmatter.html deleted file mode 100644 index 8f3077c96..000000000 --- a/years/2012/endmatter.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9 +0,0 @@ -
      2012-08-29
      -
      OllyB + Jenny
      -
      157
      - -

      Very quick down 157 to see if the snow plug had melted more - especially given the location in 107 we found on the 27th (also, 2 hrs of caving would get us to our magic 100hrs of caving!)

      - -

      There was still snow, but you could get to the floor. Next to the base of the pitch was an aven-climb with a small rift off (which is v. close to the way down we tried at the start of expo). Sadly no route to 107, so we surveyed and derigged.

      - -

      diff --git a/years/2012/logbook.html b/years/2012/logbook.html index 6e94b36e2..56fa42f47 100644 --- a/years/2012/logbook.html +++ b/years/2012/logbook.html @@ -256,10 +256,10 @@ Cirque du Soleil: QMB - Pitch on L as enter chamber

      Have we found the legendary phreas at the top of Razordance ????

      2012-08-07
      -
      Martin, Cat, Theresa
      +
      Martin, Cat, Therese
      204A
      -

      After Cat and Theresa managed to sponge a set of caving gear each, we set off to rig a bypass to the top of "King Carbide" and take Teresa on her first underground SRT trip. 204A was descended and thread pitch was rigged. Reflective markers were placed on route to 'No Pain No Gain' and on to half way down 'King Carbide' (although the last couple of markers are cairns) such that it could be followed in reverse by flooded-in cavers. On the way out, Cat demonstrated that 204B was free-climbable by the fool-hardy.

      +

      After Cat and Therese managed to sponge a set of caving gear each, we set off to rig a bypass to the top of "King Carbide" and take Teresa on her first underground SRT trip. 204A was descended and thread pitch was rigged. Reflective markers were placed on route to 'No Pain No Gain' and on to half way down 'King Carbide' (although the last couple of markers are cairns) such that it could be followed in reverse by flooded-in cavers. On the way out, Cat demonstrated that 204B was free-climbable by the fool-hardy.

      2012-08-06
      @@ -1032,7 +1032,7 @@ Had an explore, realised the 1978 survey has the wrong angle for the side passag

      - +
      diff --git a/years/2014/endmatter.html b/years/2014/endmatter.html index 38b61544a..5f85cabb0 100644 --- a/years/2014/endmatter.html +++ b/years/2014/endmatter.html @@ -1,7 +1 @@ -
      2014-08-12
      -
      Martin, RobW
      -
      Balcony Höhle, Dead Bat pitch
      -

      After a reasonably long trip the day before, Balcony was an ideal place to head to for some easy pushing. Weather was shit, so the entrance pitch was not too pleasant. We didn't really know where we were going, but we soon learnt which ways definitely weren't the right way. At around 6 we found the pitch we were intending to drop, after 4 hours of exploring already explored bits. I bolted it, only to find that it went nowhere. We surveyed it, then headed out, Martin got a bti chilly. We cut midnight callout a bit fine, after reaching the surface at 10pm.

      -
      T/U: 8 hrs
      -

      diff --git a/years/2014/logbook.html b/years/2014/logbook.html index f1a91a113..bc9b9f855 100644 --- a/years/2014/logbook.html +++ b/years/2014/logbook.html @@ -774,6 +774,6 @@ Heading out was no bother at all, with Becka finding the way easily. We caught M

      Balcony Höhle, Dead Bat pitch

      After a reasonably long trip the day before, Balcony was an ideal place to head to for some easy pushing. Weather was shit, so the entrance pitch was not too pleasant. We didn't really know where we were going, but we soon learnt which ways definitely weren't the right way. At around 6 we found the pitch we were intending to drop, after 4 hours of exploring already explored bits. I bolted it, only to find that it went nowhere. We surveyed it, then headed out, Martin got a bti chilly. We cut midnight callout a bit fine, after reaching the surface at 10pm.

      T/U: 8 hrs
      -

      +

      diff --git a/years/2022/frontmatter.html b/years/2022/frontmatter.html index f429ed4db..9c140696c 100644 --- a/years/2022/frontmatter.html +++ b/years/2022/frontmatter.html @@ -3,17 +3,3 @@ - - - -
      2022-07-27
      -
      Luke Stangroom, Hannah Collings,
      -
      Balkonhöhle - Entrance rigging
      - -

      Walked over with Chris, Hannah and Alice. -

      Rigged handline with nice rope (replaced with tatt later). Rigged the entrance, Hannah arrved just as I was finished We went off to see if Natural Highs was rigged, -it wasn't, back to the entrance to get the rope. (Needs more than 26m). Then rigged Natural Highs, 2nd traverse and 10m down pitch, all in need of fettling. Went to -the top of Honeycomb for an explore and then back to the entrance to find Alice and Chris. Arrived just as Alice was descending. Hannah led everyone back to Honeycomb, -we all helped put a bolt in then left Alice and Chris to rig Honeycomb. Me and Hannah left with minor fettling to the rigging on the way out. I headed down the hill to -sort out rope for Fishface. -
      T/U: 6.0 hours
      diff --git a/years/2022/logbook.html b/years/2022/logbook.html index cd6e81d20..09eb3cd2f 100644 --- a/years/2022/logbook.html +++ b/years/2022/logbook.html @@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ ALSO people should come BEFORE title ALSO title is {place hyphen title} --> +
      2022-07-27
      Luke Stangroom, Hannah Collings,
      @@ -119,7 +120,7 @@ rigging Therefore our rerigging plans turned into an enjoyable tourist trip and
      2022-07-30
      Frank Tully,
      -
      Top Camp
      +
      topcamp - Top Camp


      Fettling the new section of the water collcetion and installing ropes on top of the tarp to stop it blowing up and being damaged against the roof of the stone bridge
      T/U: 0.0 hours
      @@ -1577,10 +1578,13 @@ Jono had been gamely insisting that he wasn't cold but he must have been relieve
      2022-08-28
      -
      ,
      +
      Keiran,
      Expo - I'm going on an adventure!
      -Blog Author: ILoveCaves

      The Beginning (Post 1 of 2) -“I'm going on an adventure!”​

      After spending the better half of 2 months in north Africa on research, I was VERY MUCH not in any 'cave-fit shape', however, the idea of doing two underground camps some 500 meters down somehow seemed like a good idea at the time.....
      +Blog Author: ILoveCaves [guessed to be Kieran. ??!] + +
      +

      The Beginning (Post 1 of 2) -“I'm going on an adventure!”​

      After spending the better half of 2 months in north Africa on research, I was VERY MUCH not in any 'cave-fit shape', however, the idea of doing two underground camps some 500 meters down somehow seemed like a good idea at the time.....

      As I sit now facing my beautiful majestic breeze block office wall, I think back to how the view on top of the plateau might have been slightly better.