From 45d9bb40a80a870465ebc2688a30ecdbf058b644 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Philip Sargent Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2022 23:08:53 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] converting old logbooks, adding Kraken blog --- years/1993/frontmatter.html | 14 + years/1993/logbook.html | 412 +++++ years/1994/frontmatter.html | 17 + years/1994/logbook.html | 339 ++++ years/2009/logbook.html | 1 + years/2010/logbook.html | 4 +- years/2011/logbook.html | 1 + years/2012/logbook.html | 1 + years/2013/logbook.html | 1 + years/2014/logbook.html | 1 + years/2015/logbook.html | 2 + years/2016/logbook-temp.html | 1599 +++++++++++++++++ years/2016/logbook.html | 1466 ++++++++------- ...heKrakenWakes.html => thekrakenwakes.html} | 0 years/2017/logbook.html | 1 + 15 files changed, 3244 insertions(+), 615 deletions(-) create mode 100644 years/1993/logbook.html create mode 100644 years/1994/logbook.html create mode 100644 years/2016/logbook-temp.html rename years/2016/{TheKrakenWakes.html => thekrakenwakes.html} (100%) diff --git a/years/1993/frontmatter.html b/years/1993/frontmatter.html index f2667b305..4fbdabbbf 100644 --- a/years/1993/frontmatter.html +++ b/years/1993/frontmatter.html @@ -3,3 +3,17 @@

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! + +

diff --git a/years/1993/logbook.html b/years/1993/logbook.html new file mode 100644 index 000000000..b8ffa2021 --- /dev/null +++ b/years/1993/logbook.html @@ -0,0 +1,412 @@ + + + + +1993 Expo Logbook + + + + + + +

Title page: 1993 LOG of RANTS

+ +

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! + +

+ + +
+ +
1993-06-26
+
Adam Cooper,
+
Journey out
+ +Rant #1 Adam's trip here

OR - why do I get psychopath criminals on long hitch hikes in foreign countries.

Left Durham 8 am 24/6 & had merry time hitching to Dover via a turkey processing factory, getting there in 12 hours. 10pm ferry to Ostend as better place to find hitch out of, same price as Calais & only 4 hrs. Thumb out in the port area and "ee-gads" in 5 minutes someone stopped & they were going to Bulgaria via Saltzburg - my lucky number had come up. Except he was a complete psychopath, whose convoluted story unfolded for the next 13 hours of living, waking nightmare. First he wanted money for petrol - OK I thought, a good lift - so what. Apparently he had been radiation sick for 10 days after Chernobyl & I think it must have done him in. Things seemed just a bit odd until 9.30 am, the only things of note being the story of how he spotted the croupier cheating at a casino & 1) got £1000 off the casino to keep it quiet 2) got £2000 off the victim to say how he was being cheated - this led to a private eye & some sugar in a petrol tank - sounded rather undergroundish. It seems this was not unconnected with my driver's flat being cleared out & £2500 being stolen - he claimed he knew who & would kill him. Now I believe the threat. Anyway, 9.30 he stops for a massage & a prostitute, despite claiming to not have enough money for petrol to Bulgaria. 20 minutes after starting again & we were drifting towards the crash barrier at 85 mph (in a 1.2 Lada!) & it seemed appropriate to shake his arm to waken him. So we pulled over for a rest. Next we ran out of petrol in the middle of sodding nowhere, so off I tramped for 1 hour along the hard shoulder until the maniac reappeared, having obtained some petrol through a doctor who had stopped. Now he had said he had been a champion rallye driver for Bulgaria & as time went on it became clear he drove like a C++T. 4 wheel slide into a slip road. Overtaking on the hard shoulder just as it was about to run out, doing the same with inches of space either side - at 80 mph. Slotting into gaps 1.01 car length in size. He would probably have given Chris Sharman (in his driving madness heyday) white knuckles. All this pissed the Germans off a lot & they gestured & horned a bit. His response was to pull out the craft knife, which I had earlier sabotaged in case he used it to rob me, and to pick up a stone off the floor. The culmination of much high speed knobbing about to get in front of one driver who had expressed his displeasure was the propulsion of said stone at the other car. The result was a broken front screen & he (the other car) went into a tree. Clearly if this guy wanted to "do me in" he would.

Eventually we stopped in & on the wrong side of Munich as he wanted to sleep & I escaped, gibbering, never having been so scared for so long. Had to walk through Munich, & dossed for the night in a park. Saturday was shit - it rained all day, all lifts were short and it took 11 hours to get to Hilde's. It is well worth walking from Bad Reichenhall to the border for a lift & not hitching on Sat as all cars _full_. All in all he demanded £40 and I lost a few weeks from my life so a) hitching can be dangerous to your health b) hitching is not as cheap as staying at home, c) I hope I get a lift from a caver going home - hint !

Adam. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-06-30
+
Nick Proctor, Clive George,
+
161 - rigging
+ +So, Adam was being organised & said we ought to go caving. We can make it to Knossos in 1 trip can't we. At Top Camp this goes down to the bottom of S'not. Get underground at 4 pm ! Set a precedent we do ! Adam rigged traverse line & [??] better than last year. Then Clive rigs Y-hang, rebelay, goes down looking for deviation. Then goes up & finds rebelay. Then slowly down again "I could do with a deviation here". Marvel of Marvels there is one (off a shit bolt). Eventually down (1 hr to rig !) It was my first one and I bet hundreds of people moan & rerig it etc. etc. rant rant. 2nd pitch. 11mm rope turned to steel hawser. Trying to put it in a clown - eventually hit it with a rock to make the bend small enough. Abbing silly impossible. Shit, push I went with the rope. Crabbed stop off. Push I went some more. Find another deviation. Whee ! (well, almost). Then off crawling a bit, decide we can't find S'not and exit. T/U 3 hrs (I even ran a bit back from T.C. it was so nice) ooh, it was epic.

Previous trip (1992 derig) / Next trips: +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-01
+
Adam Cooper, Nick Proctor, Andy Waddington, Mike Pigram,
+
Plateau - Prospecting
+ +Much time spent wandering about the plateau looking for caves. Two new (?) ones were found. At the first, Adam decided to abandon the traditional technique of chucking a rock down the hole, and lobbed his rucksack into it instead. Since this contained the rope, a ladder descent was deemed necessary. Adam went down, retrieved the rucksack, and found another pitch which proved to be too long for either the ladders or the rope. Hence a return visit is planned with more rope (>25m) to which end we have marked the route with a cairn (!) The second cave was narrow and sharp and didn't go anywhere.

[Editor's note: "Lost Rucksack Cave" was not found again in 1993, was relocated and better marked in 1995 and finally descended in 1998] +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-02
+
Nick Proctor, Clive George, Spencer Davey,
+
Plateau - Prospecting - 189 Glitterstompf
+ +Intended to explore 'Rucksack' Cave (see above), but decided to do a 'tourist' down Ice cave next to 164. Very jolly, very cold - some ice formations, Some dodgy SRT practice occurred, under the excellent leadership of Clive - Mr. Safety himself. In short - we all got cold, Spencer's Stop got bent and no-one died. (Oooh it wasn't epic !) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-02
+
Andy Waddington, Mike Pigram, Adam Cooper,
+
161 - rigging into Knossos
+ +Started rig from S'not, which Clive had failed to locate

[ grade 1 of how to find S'not ]

Had to put a new bolt in at ~-6m (from the large thread at the top) as suspect previous riggers had used a dodgy thread which fell down the pitch with 2 hammer blows. Zoomed to bottom & hence to Chunnel Pitch, which was >7m (as the rigging guide sez) so we had to use a Bungalow/Poxy pitch rope & cut the top off the new 11mm rope for Poxy. Andy was cold & running thin on light (stinky was dead, Zoom was of unknown duration) so left at Bungalow. Easy rigging down into Knossos, noting the new Hilti bolt on the R from the top belay is much better & gives a fine freehang. Poked about in Yapate etc. to familiarise Mike with system. Out from near Flat Battery in just over 1½ hours to find epic thunderclaps etc. Fortunately not too wet. Good trip.

Previous trip / Next trips: +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-03
+
Nick Proctor, Clive George,
+
161 - France
+ +This time Nick was being keen. Once more the intrepid team of finding ability (first take a compass bearing, then walk in a random direction anyway, viz.: Juniper Gulf, Juniper Gulf again, the right way out of Salzburg, S'not, Rucksack Cave, the list is seemingly endless) set off, rucksacks lightly loaded with rope coz we were feeling clever this time with the intention of rigging the first 130m of rope down France. At first we thought we'd broken the jinx. Wandered from KH, down and to right and lo and behold: 161c or "Guess what I've found". Change, Nick wanders off with bolts, I'm left to pack 137m of rope into _my_ tackle sack (sigh, forgot to tell people this morning). Ooops - horribly tangled as predicted. Never mind - some later (3.20 pm) off down cave. Nick begins rigging [??] finds devn eventually. Then he bored so I have a go - Nick mysteriously tied his dangly bag round the rope - how silly - and had to go up rerigging as he went to untangle himself. Clive meanwhile on failing carbide, goes slowly down & runs into rub - I want a deviation ! or was it Nick first. Anyway, much faffing and looking later, Clive pissing off out for a piss & carbide change, we get pissed off. Wish we'd had a bolting kit - so much easier ! and I leave to find greedy bastards had eaten all the food and the rest of the world all appearing very drunk !

Previous trip (1992 France derig) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-04
+
Spencer Davey, Nick Proctor,
+
Plateau - Prospecting
+ +While we were prospecting we found a small cave, no name. It was bottomed with a Zoom in 10 min. 2 entrances, about 10m apart underground or 30m apart above ground 'cos the terrain is ridges & valleys. About 5 mins from Top Camp 90° anticlockwise from Khole. Sketch over ->

[grade 1]

We put red crosses (or plusses) on each entrance.

Please - leave room for more accurate cave location if anyone ever finds it again:

DON'T BOTHER !

Rucksack Cave remains to be found again, so if you fancy wandering around the plateau for several hours talk to Adam or Nick for misdirections. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-04
+
Andy Waddington,
+
Plateau - Photographic trip.
+ +T/U. nil. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-04
+
Hugh Adams, Julian Haines, Alistair Morris, Pete Lord,
+
161 - France
+ +Second day on expo, walked up to top camp with radio gear, supplies and general caving shit gear. Assembled radio and aerial etc. then headed for entrance to France. Followed previous rigging. Started rigging from 'Roll of the Dice' (inc) for another 140 metres of rope adding in a few missing spits on the way down. Rigging stopped at the top of the pitch above Algeria due to no more rope. Got out of the cave with lors of ranting and headed back to Top Camp, watched interesting bolts of lightning move towards us. Decided to head for car ! From car park down watched heap big storm. Got caught in storm, visibility nil, rain lots, lightning scary. We were all scared ! Arrived safely at base camp, ate slop, and decided being alive was great. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-04
+
Tess Jones, Wookey,
+
161 - Tourist
+ +Tourist trip, intended to visit Knossos, but its hard work this caving lark. Bottom of second pitch doesn't look at all like survey. Hading rift pitch at end of passage - worth a look ? Looked at Big Sainsbury's, down S'not, Over t'Rainbow, Bungalow. Ticked off ? above Chunnel Pitch.

Now the comment: It were grim. F'in 2nd + last time I do SRT, especially on naff Wadders gear <- ie. ancient set up. Stinky died. Crashed head. Stinky died again ! Mutter. Grumble. Caving ... +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-04
+
Mike Pigram, Adam Cooper,
+
161 - Kaninchenhöhle Push Final Cut
+ +Rigged from Yapate as far as Final Cut & it looked smaller than I recalled. Traverse over hole into continuation of hading rift (which goes up where). Struggled to put 2 bolts in - drill just fitted in narrow rift. MTS went down first, demonstrating that there wasn't much space in the slot for gear or lard. Only 2m down traversed off into dry bit away from wet pitch. 20m (ish) along in direction of Burble found another slightly wider slot, which turned out to be a superb 45m freehang, dry pitch. Continuing along rift above pitch is an unclimbed 2m, up pitch, which might lead to an alternative descent. At bottom of 45m pitch the passage turns back to break into the avoided wet pitch again via another not overly large slot.

We had no rope left so made an honourable exit to meet Wook & Tess on the entrance pitch. Just made Top camp before a huge storm. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-07
+
Julian Todd, Wookey, Clive George,
+
Base Camp - THE FUCK OFF BIG ABSEIL OFF THE CLIFF PAST GRUNDLESEE
+ +Go there - a 200m freehang, the Austrians said. Slog uphill, rig off hill, debate about rubs, rebelays (subsequently dealt with by tying a tacklesack to the rope). Eventually Wooks goes down with spare rope cos it thinks it is 20m too short. Bottoms years later. Jumps onto van (pitch free doesn't work !) Julian next - lot of gibbering. Then me. Probably fairly typical reaction "Fuck me I'm a long way up & scared". Then tackle sack 'tector falls down rope. Watch it land 200m later, oops. Carry on. Abseil slowly, stop getting very hot. How to uncrab a stop mid descent - use chest jammer to hold rope (from "stop"go'to'stop") and 2 hands to take crab out of stop. More descent. More heat. More bounce. Why does it still look like I'm only half way down. More. I'm scared. Think about rope melting. Still abseiling slowly. Think about rubs. Abseil non bouncily (or try to). Wave at Germans. SWEAR loudly. God I'm scared. Abseil some more. "How far to the bottom" Still feels like halfway up. Hands knackered from gripping rope. Stop hot. Ledge - take some weight off rope - mistake - feed several metres of rope through stop without moving then fell. Please don't bounce this much. Scared. Abseil and this is the last bit isn't it. Abseil. Land. GROUND ! I'm safe. Legs numb, forgot how to walk on scree slope. Say hello to ground party - walk around a while. Tell tourists a rope will soon fall on their heads. Have a random conversation with them coz their English is about as good as my German. Rope falls. Whish noisy - very impressive fall. Tanglepack. Home. The others say they were scared too. The end love Clive. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-07
+
Nick Proctor, Adam Cooper, Mike Pigram,
+
161 - Gob on you
+ +to Gob on You then some pushing. Got to the entrance and Adam and I found our furries wetter than when we had left them to dry - see Hugh's account of epic thunderstorm.

After a rather grim Yorkshire-style change we bounced on down to Yapate, Gob on you and nice big pitch which is so far nameless. By this time Nick had given up on his carbide which hummed but produced no flame. Adam started bolting from the narrow slot at the bottom of nameless pitch and continued to do so for the next 2 hrs (yawn, shiver). The route down rejoined the water from Gob on You and was mainly on lovely 9mm rope (gibber). We found the bottom 120m down this pitch and at a total depth of 480m. Footprints were found at the bottom and a couple of spits were found on the way out - it turned out that we had joined the bottom of Dehydration. We had planned to survey on the way out but compass and clino had misted up so this will have to be done later - any takers ? I thought I could find my way out so let Adam zoom off out. By the time Mike and I had returned to Yapate he was somewhat tired and my electric backup was giving up - my carbide having already run out.

By the time we got to the top of Knossos I had no light at all so we had a serious carbide fettle. I was left with a carbide that just worked and Nick with a dodgy FX5 due to the top of the Oldham box being ripped off in the slot at the bottom of Gob on You. We slowly prussiked out.

It was fucking xepicx I nearly died
censored

Previous trip / Next trip (Far Too Far) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-08
+
Julian Haines, Pete Lord, Alistair Morris,
+
161c - France
+ +General plan was for me to continue rigging to the pushing front from Frogs Legs onwards whilst Pete and Ali looked down side hole with apparently water at the bottom. Much faffing at entrance then Pete rerigged some of entrance pitches so that boulder slope below Roll of the Dice was less epic. Rerigged top of Frogs Legs as big 'Y-hang' to make get-off easier then Ali lobbed a rock down their pitch. It took about 4 seconds to reach the bottom ! We decided this must go into Algeria and therefore continued there via original route. This hypothesis needs checking sometime. I rigged the big pitch into Algeria initially with 39m rope - more than a little bit too short. Then tried new 200m rope - rebelay at the top of the chamber is absolutely stunning ! Eventually rigged down to the pushing front then Pete and Ali went down scrotty hole with water to find more pitch (~50m or so). I looked at hole in corner of chamber below "Orient Express"; rigged and found crap small hole and tight rift. Crap small hole was below _very_ unstable sandy roof and unlikely to go anywhere .·. not pushed. Tight rift was tried without danglies but was defintely too tight. Throwing rocks suggested either deep pool (or sump ?) beyond - definitely much larger than the few metres of rift. Eventually gave up and went to find Pete and Ali. Pete placed crap spit then everyone too cold/tired/pissed off and started heading out. On the way out Ali knocked a fucking enormous rock off "Orient Express" which crashed and crashed down towards Pete and I on pitch below. Fortunately rock stopped before pitch otherwise 2 very dead cavers ! Many rocks knocked off on the way out in various places. To quote previous year's log book entry, KH is "Fucking cold, fucking loose and very, very brown." Rope below Orient Express definitely needs checking before descending because of rock fall ! Whole of France requires lots of care to avoid killing people ! +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-08
+
Wookey, Dave Milne, Julian Todd,
+
161 - The bitter end (KH, Far Too Far)
+ +Very slow. So much faffing we did not enter till 1.30pm. Plonder down to Yapate (trying to explain route to Lummat so he can explore the cave without us from now on because he's keen). Lummat picks ammo box drill battery and its hinges come off and everything apart from the lid thumped down Staircase 39 after he prussiked up it. Box was a bit mangled and I couldn't get the batteries to work on the drill so we abandoned it. We froze in Chicken Flied Nice while Wook rigged next pitch and 4 ring bolts and lots of knitting at rebelay for the tyrolean. Abbed down, prussiked up fixed rope at other side, then constructed the tyrolean with 1 SRT rope and 2 climbing rope backups. Lummat and I were slightly concerned by the fact that this was now our only way back. On to the nonsense in Satan's Sitting Room with Wook pointing out all these undescended pitches on either side of the route. The place looks vicious. We put in a few more traverse lines. We faffed a lot in the walking passage beyond until it was suddenly 11:15 pm and I was dog tired and sick of sucking on fudge having missed about 4 meals now. Wook explored some horizontal passage at the farthest far end. Was too tired to get scared on tyrolean back. Not entirely convinced of its effectiveness in shortening the trip. Can we rename Boulder Alley as Shit Alley now ? It was dawn when we got out. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-09
+
Nick Proctor,
+
Base camp
+ +Fuck all happened. Noone went caving. Somebody went shopping, Ali's birthday so we threw him in the river. Seemed the proper thing to do. I am pissed in case you haven't noticed. Lots of beer. No caving. A good day. Adam was a hard bastard and went walking for miles and miles. My writing is almost as crap as Clive's and I am pissed. We had a treat tonight. Celebration. No bean slop. Sausages and chicken. A good day, too much meat and beer.

This is probably all illegible. Basically we got pissed. Ali & MTS sharked and failed. So what. Your local pissed bastard.
_W_
Nick the alcy

AAAAARGHH !!!!! [this last written diagonally across an entire page, Ed.] +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-10
+
Dave Milne, Dave Galvin,
+
161 - Pushing KH beyond Arrow Chamber
+ +We planned a six hour trip to look at a question mark beyond Arrow Chamber. Some chance. Neither of us knew the cave, but we managed to find the chamber fairly easily. We rigged a lunatic traverse with no handholds across the two huge holes in the chamber, and reached the undescended pitch via a five metre pitch at the back of Arrow, into a comfortable passage that forks. We took the right hand fork, and rigged a twenty metre pitch into an Alpine pitch-ramp system which quite excited Lummat ! Bolted the twenty metre pitch at the top of the ramp and decided that it was time to return. We reached the entrance pitch at 10 pm, top camp at 2 am. Hmm..

Well, it was like this: I began to feel ill at the top of S'not, and by the time I was prussiking up the entrance pitch, I had lost all strength. I got strung up on the last rebelay, hung around for over an hour and spent about twenty minutes of that hour chundering down the pitch. Eventually, Lummat managed to drag me up. Two hours of aimless wandering along the plateau (vainly following 251° compass bearing) followed, accompanied by lots more chundering, falling into inconveniently placed holes and mad charging through colonies of bunde bushes, and top camp was reached, only about five hours later than we had planned. Top camp was finally found by following through the heavy mist JulianS's, Hugh's and Anthony's zooms, as they hurried around Top camp preparing for a rescue trip down Khöle. Base camp were also getting into action. By the time we had reached Top Camp, Wookey and Wadders had almost reached the top of the toll road. They were saved a trek to top camp thanks to a hastily cobbled together CB in the Wadmobile, three zoom batteries attached together in series and lots of quick thinking on Hugh's part (which I hope someone will get around to ranting about soon, in some more detail)

That was Saturday in Top Camp. Sunday was spent in Pete's tent, all five of us in our pits (me, Lummat, JulianS, Anthony, Hugh) watching the weather doing its act - rain sleet, mist, drizzle, hail, and, of course, over an inch of snow ! Add to this a) no car at the Berg Restaurant and b) no radio contact with Base Camp, and you have the makings of a productive and fun-filled day !

Go caving, they said. It's fun, they said. Expo is ace, they said.

THEY WERE WRONG !!!

Previous trip (rigging in) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-10
+
Anthony Day, Hugh Adams, Julian Shilton,
+
161 - Pushing Surveying hole at bottom of 2nd pitch
+ +Wandered down. Some surveying was done. Got bored and found a passageway which led back to Big Sainsbury's. Re-"found" Skull pitch - oh, and pushed horrible - upward sloping rift but it dead-ended. Threw rocks down pitch at end and they went down for miles.

Previous trip (rigging in) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-11
+
Andy Waddington,
+
Top camp - (callout) Höhlenrettungbessofene
+ +Drive of the mad yobbos commenced after jury rigging CB into Wadders van; two cars up toll road at a mad dash. Stamped on jury wire and blew fuse just as top camp called rescue off, but had sent four heroic rescuers ahead on path before reestablishing communication. Clive selflessly stayed up at the radio shouting "All clear at Top Camp" until we finally got sorted and replied from a sensible place. Came home. What heroes ! T/U nil.

For information: mobile radio is _crap_ from usual parking place but works fine from Kehre 13 (first right hand hairpin on way down). Probably OK from edge of car park too. Couldn't raise top camp, but heard them from ~½ way up toll road.

[there follows a grade 1 elevation "New bit of France (below Orient Express)" connected to the previous write-up by a long arrow and labelled "Danger - done when pissed, no survey" ] +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-12
+
Dave Milne, Mike Pigram,
+
161 - Beyond Arrow Chamber
+ +Descended 161 to Arrow Chamber and to top of 2nd pitch in Pitch-Ramp Series. Descended pitch to second ramp. Single bolt rebelay, deviated by rocking boulder still required & protector to descend to 3rd ramp. Ascending ramp led to too tight a trench and expiry of phreatic tube.

Returned to Left-hand fork from Arrow Chamber. Found pitch-ramp series without pitches. Phreatic tube passable for a short distance.

[grade 1 sketch]

Returned to top of Pitch-Ramp Series. Traversed across top of pitch to possible continuation of phreatic. Didn't go anywhere - dropped back into vertical.

[full page grade 1 sketch of Pitch-Ramp Series] +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-14
+
Wookey, Adam Cooper,
+
161 - Kaninchenhöhle - Gob - survey & derig
+ +We came, we surveyed & we derigged. Nothing too epic happened, the worst being breaking a (measuring) tape whilst trying to plumb a pitch. The 48m rope was found to be on a 52m pitch, which suggests -!. (previously thought to be 45m) It was cold & wet & dark & took ages, but we had a good time until we came out & it was raining.

Postscript - the survey loop with the bottom of Half Shaft was < 0.1% :-)

The 52m pitch is called 'Alexander Technique'. The climb reached after traversing over the top of Alexander Technique was done & a few metres further along the rift, the small passage broke into the side of an aven (drippy). From the survey, this is nowhere near anything already known and should be done. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-14
+
Dave Milne, Nick Proctor, Dave Galvin,
+
161 - Survey and derig beyond Arrow Chamber
+ +("Chunder Pitch Series")

Two trips were planned on 14/7, one by Julian S, Anthony and Hugh to look at lead off Big Sainsbury's and one by L, N and DG down to Arrow Chamber. Ours almost didn't happen because there was not a single working clino in Top Camp. We took a clouded one up to the cave in the hope that it might clear up. It didn't. So, after much faffing and discussion, J,A,H and N went down to push while L and DG went Bunde bashing. Having found a promising hole we went back to the cave mouth to get Zooms etc. and found the clino clear. Yes, we are going caving we said ! We finally set off 2 hours late, Nick joined at the bottom of Big Sainsbury and we went and surveyed, regularly stopping to shout at the blasted cloudy clino. DG managed to get stuck climbing up through a nice tight squeeze. Hmm... Got out and it was wet and horrible (Rained all next day at Top Camp. What a surprise. Lummat is the Rain God). +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-14
+
Anthony Day, Hugh Adams, Julian Shilton,
+
161 - "Ignore this bit"
+ +Went Caving +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-16
+
Andy Waddington,
+
161 - Kaninchenhöhle - Photo/tourist/geology trip
+ +Managed to walk to the cave before the inevitable thunderstorm struck, which it did just as I was putting on Solid Rubber Trussing gear. First - try out photo gear in Big Sainsbury's. Difficult solo isn't it ? Slave flash seems to have disappointing range. Then on down S'not looking for subjects. Another couple at Chunnel pitch, then decided that a tripod and ammo can tied together really were _too_ awkward to carry, so dumped the kit and headed on down. Crap takeoff to Bungalow Pitch, chaps, even if it is improved... Almost failed to find Boulder Alley .... almost wished I had. Knossos is a fine pitch - would be excellent on ladders (both as a climb and for photography). Some random wandering in Tower Hamlets before finding Waterfall Chamber and Carrefour. Then YAPATE. Wow ! nice passage in Austria - almost unheard of ... Staircase 36 nice pitch - looks an awful climb ! And so to Chicken Flied Nice - now this really _is_ nice passage. Poke head into Strange Downfall, then the aven in Burble. Start geologising.

The Burble aven is on a small fault/joint (looks a little shattered so probably the former)

The tube of the crawl is wholly on the south side of this fault and is formed on the same horizon as CFN which is a massive creamy white limestone just above a layer of more thinly bedded stuff. The bottom of the aven, and the canyon in the floor of Burble and CFN, cut down into two shelly bands.



Chicken Flied Nice has nice scallops indicating fairly slow flow to the north. There are much smaller, ie. higher energy, scallops in the canyon walls - the direction of these near Strange Downfall isn't very clear. The roof scallops in Burble are also smaller, suggesting a faster-flowing tributary to the main palæotrunk of CFN. The Burble aven fault has just about fizzled out before reaching CFN, showing, if at all, as just a tiny parting in the wall. There are pretty much no significant joints in CFN, and this remains true at the 100° bend - so this is apparently not joint-determined. This all changes at Staircase 36...

Staircase 36 is developed on an approx east-west fault with a downthrow of c 1.5m to the south. This is clearly visible in the wall to your right as you face the rock on the climb/abseil. The wall of S36 cuts through both the shelly bands noted above which show up very clearly as the rock is so clean. The same cannot be said of the YAPATE side of Gob on You, which is much muddier. There may well be one/more en echelon faults here, but its not very clear. Adam's write-up puts the main Gob fault/joint on 260°. YAPATE appears to be formed on exactly the same horizon as CFN, but the shelly bands aren't visible because of the mud. I couldn't see them by peering down Flapjack, but this is hardly surprising. All the geology on the way back is harder, due to either collapse or mud or both !

Knossos nice to climb. Bad ascender slip on Poxy, Bungalow, Chunnel and some on S'not. Entrance pitch OK. There are some shell bands on entrance pitch too, but I didn't make careful notes. Very slow out. T/U 6¾ hours. All dry on surface !

A.

PS. CFN is the nicest and most interesting place I've seen underground on expo. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-16
+
Julian Haines, Alistair Morris, Pete Lord,
+
161 - France
+ +THE END !

Too much caving led to the pushing front from last year - Titfield Thunderbolt. We soon found that my impressions from last time were right and that the new bit of cave I'd found was too wet, too tight & too awful. Julian descended, ignored my shit spit, and found pitch "Attempted Penetration" - about 25m down to v. loose boulder slope "Disintegration". Character of cave now changed from huge chambers, big pitches etc. to classic (ie. awful) rift/water development. After boulder slope, another short pitch - Fat Knot Fruity, due to epic(ish) large knot led to a short pitch to what we thought was a sump - rigged off robust threads, hence "Natural Deception". Unfortunately this gave onto a short boulder slope into an absolutely typical Yorkshire streamway (in 161 ?) - cascades, pools, the works. This terminated in a ~20m pitch crapply rigged on 4 traverse bolts with much rubbing, into a small chamber which appeared to go underneath a fallen boulder. Thankfully the streamway quickly led to an awful tight sump at ~-450m. Much prussiking remained to exit; everyone was too fed up and had no gear to commence the survey. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-16
+
Nick Proctor, Hugh Adams, Mike Pigram,
+
161 - Ignore this bit
+ +Finished off Ignore this bit (off 2nd pitch). There was one more pitch before it stopped in a boulder choke. So we surveyed it and prussiked out and we were dead efficient (see TU). The pitch is called Ignorance is Bliss, and so it is.

Previous trip / Next 161a trip (LHR) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-17
+
Hugh Adams, Dave Galvin,
+
161 - Arrow Chamber Nick
+ +We intended to descend one of the holes in Arrow Chamber (either Baker or Candlestickmaker, whichever proved more convenient.) The descent was done via an epic traverse, a spaghetti junction-like tangle of ropes at the pitch-head, and a wonderfully tight hanging rebelay, all of which were rerigged on the way out by Nick to make the pitch more caver-friendly. The holes in the chamber turned out not to be holes at all, but part of a deep elliptical chamber, thirty-ish metres across and about fifteen metres wide, of which much of Arrow Chamber seems to be a rather dubious false floor. We went down thirty metres of what we thought was the floor of the chamber, a large flat debris strewn area with two large holes at either end. A little bit of poking around soon showed up the "floor" to be a lot of rocks kept in place by a lot more rocks - a metre deep false floor precariously suspended thirty metres above what might be the real floor of the chamber. We had neither time nor rope to descend further, so we headed out, connecting the survey of Chunder trip pitch with Arrow Chamber on the way.

It was dry when we got out of the cave ! Something is going horribly right with the weather ! +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-17
+
Pete Lord, Alistair Morris, Julian Haines,
+
161 - France - The same Likewise
+ +After a burst of sumping, we were all _too keen_ and went caving again to survey and de-rig up to Algeria. Donning of wet gear was followed by a quick descent to Algeria where Ali & Petel started to survey & Julian started bolting some of the other leads, promising to follow the surveyors shortly. After 3½ hrs we'd surveyed to the streamway, where Julian joined us. Surveying eventually took 4+ hrs, after which I (Petel) pissed off to Titfield Thunderbolt whilst Ali & Julian derigged all the pseudo-Yorkshire bits below. When they turned up I took a tacklesack & went up Orient Express, now measured as a freehanging (well almost) 52.1 metres. I dumped this in Algeria & carried on to the entrance, prussiking the top 200m one footed (.·. slowly) due to blisters and leaving Ali & Julian to derig T.T. & O.E.

After waiting 45 mins at entrance, I was a bit worried, and decided to start for rescue. Fortunately I heard a shout from below so stuck about. At +1hr Julian emerged & I found that derigging O.E. had taken 1½ hrs due to the epic boulder that Ali had dislodged 2 trips ago having landed over the rope; it was too big for 2 cavers to lift, so 50+m of rope had to be pulled underneath it - then remained the task of hauling 150m of rope up O.E. Rope was left at Algeria to be derigged and used in further pushing of leads. 8½ hrs Julian H, Ali

Rigging: [ sketch ] +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-18
+
Julian Todd, Spencer Davey,
+
Plateau - Prospecting above KH
+ +Intention was to sort out the '-' signs made by Wookey & co. in the area above the KH system. The first needed 2 ladders + apalling rigging to get to a rocky pit going nowhere. The other entrance from that day (the day before) required an oversuit (essential gear for proper prospecting). A rather snug vertical slot led into a chamber full of rock and gravel avalanches. All the ways on seemed to connect together underneath. I double checked. Then tried to get out and had to send Spencer (who hadn't entered the chamber) up to get the bolting hammer to remove a bit of rock so that I could get out. One final lead was a hole on the ridge near the Hinter. Proper rigging this time with even a lifeline for this 40' hole. Nearly fell through a snowplug at the bottom. Nothing else was down there. ½ hr Spencer +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-18
+
Nick Proctor, Hugh Adams,
+
161 - Arrow Chamber
+ +The return to the holes in Arrow Chamber - this time with more rope, fortitude in our hearts and the hastily acquired knowledge of how to tie two ropes together. With Hugh looking forward with great delight to his first knot pass, we went down the hole to the 'ledge' we had reached previously, pausing only whilst I tried to rerig the deviation and dropped it down the pitch. Sigh ! Much faffing then ensued. Once we were both safely established on the ledge we did some bolting to create a fine freehang over yawning nothingness. ('Gibber' to quote Hugh - and I was going first !) Down I went - just before the knot pass became inevitable there was a ledge - very convenient. The bottom of this pitch 'Pointless' was reached 8m below this ledge. Then we found a scrofulous little crawl leading to another chamber. 'Lets shift some boulders' said Hugh. So he did, opening the passage by, ooh, all of half a foot. "We can get through now". Faff, faff, take off SRT gear, grunt, rant, faff, thrutch, swear, curse, apple strudel, and we're through. Shit - another pitch to rig. Tap, tap, tap for 25 minutes until bored, rig another bastard rebelay, go down to bottom, which indeed it was. Hoorah ! So we surveyed and derigged our way out, taking oodles of rope. Prussiking with two tacklesacks is awful. Almost as crap as caving itself (satisfied, Anthony ?) More faffing whilst I derigged the traverse - Hugh waiting patiently whilst I swore at every piece of caving gear in sight. Eventually finished, dumped the tacklesacks at Dewdrop (?) and came slowly out. A good trip. The two pitches have been finished, I didn't die and it wasn't epic. It was also my last caving trip. Hooray ! Oh Joy ! Oh Rapture ! Now I can go home and do something else other than caving. Unfortunately Hugh still has 1½ weeks to go. Ha Ha.
Right, ranting over, please take the book away from me, before I get too pissed (see back).

[Nick Pissed Illegible Ranting - from back of logbook. Ed.]

Once upon a time there was a caver. He was fucking hard. Nobody liked him. The Author of this tale got pissed. The caver fell down a pitch and died. The narrator of this tale was pissed and didn't give a toss. This may be given as evidence against me and I dont care. Caving is _SHIT_ especially with hard bastard _adam_ he is so hard. I want him. . But I'll have to make do with weegies and pissed novices. I care not and know not as long as they have powerful zooms - Ooh the things we get up to. Too much beer. Caving? What a shit idea! There are sceptics who think caving is good and a nice idea. Fuck off and die. Caving is shite, especially if you follow Adam down to 480m deep and then try to prussik out again. I'm a weegie and he's a hard bastard. Fuck off. I'm pissed and dont give a fuck.

For my sanity and yours, I shall stop now. If you are a caver, or have understood any of the above I would appreciate it if you would fuck off.

PS I hate caving
PPS I am very pissed
PPS I am extremely pissed
PPPS FUCK OFF
PPPPS Goodnight
PPPPPS Sad Bastard

AAARGH ! ! !

PPPPPS _Julian fuck off and die extremely horribly_


_ Nick the Alcoholic _


Hugh,

What boulder, I only kicked it a bit, honestly, as for as the tackle sacks' mine threw me off the pitch, rant. Nick was very brave, he only ranted most of the way down, and anyway I gave him lots of immoral support and carried two tackle sacks out. As for the squeeze I may never be the same again, something of me was left for prosperity. It was awfull (sp.)

* All relevant rant ends here [can't find the referent * on the photocopy, Ed., or in the book - other Ed.]

End of rant.

Or is it !! Lets hope so !

spelling 5/10

Look I'm an Engineer, OK !
Whats gramar anyway ? So am I, ignorant git

PS please make the cunning attempt to fill the logbook with complete bullshit ! (Sorry, this is what we should be doing anyway)

Where's my W.P. it can't spell either, hah ! I got to the end of the page, I win, I win, and no you are not going to write here.

Oh no you don't cos I can write small.

so can I hah !

[You can tell this is CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY caving club, can't you ? Ed.] +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-18
+
Wookey, Mike Pigram, Dave Milne, Clive George,
+
161 - KH far too fucking far
+ +Went to the end. Wadders seems to have got it mostly right, (Todd too ie. Strange Acrossfall is airy, SSR is MENTAL (Hooray for Aggy)). After leaving Wux at Beehive to play camping, we went and crawled up muddy hole which Wux found earlier (prev. trip) crawled out, met him, set off surveying it. Got bored, exit to Black Velvet for water, food, piss. Carry on scive. Oh, found vocal connection to bit W & MTS were rigging. More survey. Others find us near end. Then all out. Together as far as Knossos. HGS still airy - Lummat preferred to go up & down (he also didn't like the boulder step). (Oh, we did some rigging down a pitch too. It went down & stopped in mud. A traverse may gain continuation of passage far side. Wux found rope later, descended, said 'Why did you leave it ?' as a 9m plumb !) Anyway, there we were watching people going up Knossos. Make it up eventually - q knackered, lots of resting. Then Shit Alley (Todd is right !) Climb following obvious path. Get to top but I carry on up mud path due to lack of eyesight (glassed fogged). Up, airy traverse (Wux did it with rope ! I on sandy cliff. Must be wrong - descend to bottom of mud path. Where am I ? (Completely disorientated, now a bit psyched, cliff) Go down somewhere, see 2 obvious bolts, Oh must be a pitch, go up again, wander a bit more. Where am I ! STOP. Next few hours sitting down hallucinating (heartbeat becomes footsteps, waterfall shifting rocks in distance becomes people on ropes sending loose shit down). Don't go to sleep or I will die. Sit shivering lots, occasionally moving (wait a few hours). Eventually recovered, awake sufficiently to sort myself out. So dam obvious pile of shit rocks. 2 obvious bolts are in fact carbide marks. Until see Knossos rope. Found myself ! Climb out (sigh, its hard work) go past overnight bits. Follow obvious path now, past cairn and see where I went wrong. Get to Poxy. "Hooray I'm on my way again". Start prussiking to hear cavers "Hooray the rescue". Lovely to see them. Talk a bit at top of Poxy, then set on out. Oh - overnight the lid came off my FX5, so I was caving with the battery in dangly bag. After some fudge, Ali held Bungalow rope so prussik faster than normal. Going out, find traverse (Wook's climb) to slit up - anyway, the wire on my FX eventually broke, so in dark. "Julian can you light me" Thank them - they brought a club Oldham. Quick lamp swap. Out some more. Cavers everywhere on S'not (like HGS. One on traverse, 2 on down/up, one at waiting - cavers dotted randomly round cave) Rebelays are good gear. Slowly up 2nd (probably climb up rocks wrong way coz a bit airy again) Stop at bottom of entrance to rest, eat fudge so I can get out. Out in waterfall (slow again) meet Hugh "tea or coffee" to which the answer is milk. Oh well, they tried jolly hard. Wux & Nick also there being helpful. Wot nice people team surface are too. Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. Rain it went. Soaked gear - at least my gear will change from "short glob of mud, long glob of mud, mud with loop of mud on the end, glob of mud with red muddy handle, etc." Change. Walk down (Rain above can be interspersed randomly from here on) slowing down - oops tired then. Put pit in bin bag -> car park. Very tired then - had to stop on the easy bit of the path ! Drive down slowly behind bus - still quite awake - in shreddies. There aren't any bus overtaking places on the way down. Campsite. Jump in river -> clean. Eat ice lolly. Go to bed. Have supper there (Julian, Dave G sorted that out). SLEEP (@ 730 or so !) Wake up to rain. Exit heap at noon when can stand it no more. The expo carries on. My feet hurt. Jack out.

Camping works with 2 furrys & hat but have to shiver to keep warm. Ta for rescue (Julian S, Julian H, Ali) surface (Hugh, Nick, Wux) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-18
+
Wookey,
+
Further - continuation of previous rant
+ +MTS & Wook put in some hammock bolts - MTS failed to get into hammock at all - laugh - well nearly. Dropped a bolard down tiny hole - boo.

Went to the end. Found Lummat's pitch rigged - went down to dead end - grrr. Measured & derigged (9m). Didn't give expected ramp up to continuation on far side - it was a pitch. So went to 9m at the end. MTS & then Wook power-drilled down 20m ramp to big chamber. Passage back led to previous 2 QMs. Passage to R draughted in & led to small pitch. Huge passage forward went about 30m to dead end - grr. Tiny rift on L is t.t. Draught at end came out of roof - bugger. Did soil pitch 1st - easier - unsure of depth/difficulty so bolted it - proved pointless - abbed about 3 feet. More windy passages at bottom ------> lots of draught. 1st rift too tight, lots of sandy passages beyond - goes to a tight, dodgy soily bit to big space - & a 10m pitch.

Went to climb: fairly hard, but had threads at all difficult points. Only went 10m to a big space & more pitch.

Scrofulosity area sketch +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-19
+
Julian Haines, Julian Shilton, Alistair Morris,
+
161 - KH Rescue Possé
+ +Wookey woke up at 10 am, we asked "where's Clive ?" - "Um, err, dunno" was the reply. Last saw him at Knossos. He was out of the cave at 4.30 am and back to Top Camp at 5:30am assuming Clive was just prussiking slowly. But no sign. So Julian S disappeared off to the entrance. Me + Julian H followed once it was found that Clive wasn't at base camp. Clive's gear was at the entrance, so we headed off down. We eventually found Clive prussiking up Poxy. He was generally alright having slept for 1/2 hours, got horrendously lost at Boulder Alley. He may write his own bit later. Well I wanted to see KH, but not really this way. Love + hugs, ALI xx

T.U. = 3½ Clive = 27 hours (counted elsewhere) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-20
+
Wookey, Pete Lord, Mike Pigram,
+
161 - The Far End
+ +Took camping gear down to Beehive and then went caving to utterly the far end. The SRT (Silly Rope Tech) was fairly exciting. With mental rigging leading to some free climbs that shouldn't have been. The "Three Wise Men" rigging in particular was very ... special. We found that we'd managed to lose the Hilti driver, and so decided to rely on the bolting kit that had been left just between TWM. However, on getting there we decided that the bolt driver was missing, so we were completely without any means of putting spits in. Wux & Petel surveyed some scrotty passages & found a pitch (v. tight) with 3s+ drop, whilst MTS rigged another pitch off naturals. By this time we were all shagged, so returned to campsite at Beehive. Having consumed our vestas, we retired - Wux to his thermarest on the ground, MTS & Petel to their hammocks strung off spits across the passage. Seven hours later we arose, with Wux having had 6 hrs of sleep & MTS & Petel having no sleep after being strapped into hammocks. Veggie meals led to another days caving with MTS & Wux surveying whilst Petel descended new scrotty pitch series, left going due to lack of things to rig off. After that days caving we gave up as it was too awful - mud everywhere and no bolting gear (thats why we jacked, honest). So after a thoroughly awful trip out with too many tacklesacks we emerged into the rain. 38 hrs (Wux) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-22
+
Julian Haines, Spencer Davey, Alistair Morris, Anthony Day, Julian Todd,
+
161 - France
+ +The other four departed from Top Camp an hour before I did and were still faffing at the entrance. One hour later, Spencer was still not underground. I poked around in an unmarked hole, then thought about going down. Met Spencer before 2nd pitch (there are only two pitches) and waited a bit more. Apparently Anthony fucked up on the Algeria rebelay by clipping _around_ the loop of the rebelay (thus wedging krab over knot) instead of through the loop. He didn't die. Or even fall. The task was to explore the hole in the wall opposite the pitch rope (free climbed, but now had a prussiking rope). On the other side is "Twin Tubs". Two pitches, one next to the other. The closer one (which you have to traverse over) is the "Washer". The other one is the Drier. Julian H rigged Washer on Wook's BCRA prize rope while Anthony and Ali did work on the Drier (more bolts required 'cause of ledges). J.H. asked Spencer if he wanted to go down it or survey (with me). Spencer opted to go down. Julian H surveyed with me. We were fairly efficient. And got around to Washer (after part of Drier). Shouted down to Spencer. "It doesn't go", he said. Ali went down. Came back after a poke around. Very silently. Due to the water. Then we waited for Spencer to come up. It definitely sounded like a Monkey House down there. Groans and cusses. Julian H identified problem as bollocks. This was confirmed. He must have attached the tackle sack to his scrotum instead of central MR. A & A were "cringing" behind a boulder with each wail of pain. J.H. and me surveyed down. An appallingly rigged 5m pitch bolted to a boulder was below this 26m pitch. I went down. It was a standard boulder jam that makes you feel intimidated and unwilling to poke around too much. We got out. Horrible drippy pitch which makes water pool in your oversuit bum and fill your wellies. (Before this, Ali and Anthony discovered that their route merged with this route so J.H. handed them the survey equipment.) I cleared out of the cave early. Too cold. It was raining (it fucking rains all the fucking time. This country has a weather woman, not a weather man, thats why its so crap). I walked back in caving gear with 3m visibility, many backtracks necessary 'cause to lose the path would have been epic. It took over an hour. The others arrived at 3:15 am (I got to Top Camp at 1 am) after shoving in a few bolts in readiness for their next pushing front. 13 hrs (the others) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-23
+
Dave Galvin, Julian Shilton, Hugh Adams,
+
161 - entrance
+ +Felt enthusiastic. Went to cave mouth. Lost Enthusiasm. Went home. I was underground, honest)
Julian S \ (looking into a nice (ie. doesn't go anywhere) hole
DCG } 2 min at first snow plug on way to cave)
Hugh /

YOU IDLE BASTARDS +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-25
+
Julian Haines, Alistair Morris, Pete Lord, Hugh Adams,
+
161 - France
+ +"Shitty when wet"

A bright sunny day dawned over base camp so the intrepid explorers raced up to top camp, then sat, festered, ate a vesta, took some photos and eventually trogged over to the cave. Soon ish people began to drift into the entrance. Soon Julian and I were in Algeria. I placed a spit at the top of question mark at the east side of Algeria. Julian went down one of the holes in the floor, unfortunately found more QMs looking a bit like this:

[sketch plan "Drawn by Julian H Aged 3¾"]

This is a highly accurate grade 6C survey of course. He wasn't drunk though.

As I came around the corner to find Julian with the spits there was a sudden change in the noise and water level. Algeria went wet. [There was 2½ inches in 15min at base camp] Once Seb, Hugh and Petel had got to Algeria it was too wet and windy to push so we went back out. Seb was slowish on the way out. I got out ½ hour before Julian H. I was cold so Hugh and I headed back. Julian H waited for 1 hour, made voice contact with Pete, everything was OK so also headed back. The weather was shite. Pete and Seb got lost slightly [an arrow points to this word from the caption "fucking loads"] on the way back and eventually got back to top camp 3 hours after Hugh and I. Hugh + Julian H - 4½ hours
Pete + Seb - 6 hours

Previous trip / Next trip (derigging) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-27
+
Julian Haines, Pete Lord, Hugh Adams, Dave Galvin,
+
161 - France - Derigging
+ +Derigging France

Because Ali had to get an early lift to Bad Ischl to catch his train, we decided to be ultra efficient and had left base camp by 6.30 am. Stopped for breakfast at top camp and woke them up there. We were underground by 10, and headed straight down to Algeria. Derigging was fun - but not as much fun as hauling the rope out ! Hugh volunteered to bring a full Goldflash out from Algeria - after the first few prussiks he rapidly regretted it ! Meanwhile, we made a slight error on the tacklesack front, and so Julian H and David G ended up taking out overflowing tacklesacks, Julian hauling about one hundred metres of rope out the 1st pitch hand over hand. There was much ranting from all four of us at the cave mouth, but we were appeased by a brilliant blue sky and the arrival of Spencer + Anthony to cart away gear. David G 6 hrs
Julian H 6½ hrs

Previous trip / Next trip (in 1994) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-27
+
Clive George, Julian Todd,
+
Base camp - Hang gliding
+ +Hang-gliding in a west wind (crap direction)

I tried 2 flights. First was rubbish - no lift at all. Passing German laughed "ten minutes". Fuck off. Tried again after buying Clive and Seb an ice cream. This time managed to soar below take off on west face close enough to the rock to see my shadow. Most of the time I shared airspace with a helicopter which flipped here and there and once passed by dangling a dead cow by its neck. I reckon this is a good symbol for this expo.

T/above ground 40 mins +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-27
+
Wookey, Mike Pigram, Julian Shilton,
+
161 - Far too far
+ +Went to Far Too Far to pick up two tacklesacks and drill. God it was awful. Wooks & MTS looked at nasty hole in Tblocks. Didn't go. That drill battery is a little fat bastard ! The two hard bastards each pulled dozens of tacklesacks out through S'not (6 bags between 2 for Gods sake). Wookey drops large rock (it was fuckin huge) about 20 ft onto Julian S (who is a complete wimp and was making fucking heavy going with Geraldine and LFB). It hurt. A lot. I shouted. A lot. Bastard. Wux + MTS prove superhero status by taking the baggies all the way out. I was knackered.

Previous trip / Next trip (final derig) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1993-07-28
+
Wookey, Mike Pigram,
+
161 - derigging
+ +The last derigging trip !

Waited till torrential rain turned to sensible rain (11 am) Fixed 3 ! broken poles on my crap expensive Wild Country tent. Trogged up to cave, went caving - down to Knossos in 25 mins (1 hr 15 from Top Camp !)

Efficient derigging - out after 4 hrs - still bloody raining.

Previous trip / Next trip (rigging in 1994) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ + diff --git a/years/1994/frontmatter.html b/years/1994/frontmatter.html index 4548b87a6..2ee7c80f2 100644 --- a/years/1994/frontmatter.html +++ b/years/1994/frontmatter.html @@ -8,3 +8,20 @@ sunny.

F.S.K.

<--- What a lot of toss. + +

diff --git a/years/1994/logbook.html b/years/1994/logbook.html new file mode 100644 index 000000000..b4d0c05a8 --- /dev/null +++ b/years/1994/logbook.html @@ -0,0 +1,339 @@ + + + + +1994 Expo Logbook + + + + + + +

1994 EXPO - SUNSHINE BOOK

+ +

4/7/94 | Plateau | Sean + +

Walked up to top-camp, walked down and got blisters. But it's still +sunny. + +

F.S.K. + +

<--- What a lot of toss. + +

+ + +
+ +
1994-07-05
+
Alistair Morris, Pete Lord,
+
161 - Rigging entrance a
+ +First written up trip of Expo. - Rig - basically rigged to Poxy, went to Boulder Alley and came out, all the ropes were _too_ short, so some conservative rigging required. got very slack, came out. _TU = 5¾ hrs_ +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-05
+
Mike Pigram, Sean Houlihane, Andrew Davidson,
+
161 - Rigging Knossus
+ +Followed Ali and Petel down to the top of Boulder Alley where they went home. I rigged Knossus and went home too.

Previous trip / Next trips: +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-05
+
Anthony Day, Mike Richardson,
+
161 - rigging France
+ +Mike rigged in France as far as Algeria, I watched. Pottered around in Algeria for a bit, then prussiked out at lightning speed. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-06
+
Anthony Day,
+
Base camp - Started raining
+ +
 V----- WHAT IS ALL THIS CRAP 6/7/94  Started Raining .... [small cloud graphic]  - THIS IS A CAVING BOOK No, it's a log book, and ..and Helen wound everybody up about expo         hardly anyone mentions logs money for a whole day :-)                        at all. (miserable bitch  AJD)   Ha Ha Ha (H.12 ^)
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-07
+
Helen Twelftree, Sean Houlihane, Mike Richardson, Ralph Harwood, Andrew Davidson, Andrew Atkinson,
+
161
+ +Pushing trip through tight squeeze off Gnome passage (off Dreamtime). Only person to have got through previously was Wookey. Andrew and Sean were supposed to go down France with Anthony, but he jacked due to so-called "bad weather". Andy A went through first and started putting in a bolt at the top of small pitch at end of squeeze - divested of all SRT gear and with rope tied to foot. Sounds of hammering transmitted through rock and curses through air. Andrew D followed with Andy A's gear - almost broke left knee trying to get round sharp bend but after consultation with Sean turned onto back and got through somehow. Sean tried to get through, got stuck, reversed, tried again, got through. Ralph decided he couldn't make it, so he and Mike returned to surface, and Helen joined us. Andrew D put in first ever spit at top of next pitch - 25m, with much help from Andy A. It was a pretty shit spit, but nevertheless decided to trust it. Andrew D's SRT gear at far end of squeeze since no-one had brought it through, so abseiled down to ledge on Andy A's descender, and was stranded there as Andy A came down and rigged a deviation to the bottom. The two Andys came back up and Sean and Helen went for a stomp at the bottom - found another pitch with 4 second or 2 x 3 second drop time - to be pushed on Saturday, then we all came out - squeeze was even worse coming back. Got out about 11.30. Sean and Andrew D got lost on way back to top camp. First new bit of cave of Expo !

[Helen continues]

Well he's missed a few interesting bits: Sean originally got stuck in the squeeze. Because he was pushing his helmet and light, these got left in the squeeze... He did eventually make it after working out that his back wouldn't go round a 90° bend (in squeeze) on the inside. I followed, managing to light my carbide tube (rescued by Sean) on the way, followed by lighting my hair....

The pitch and stuff is all as Andy D2 says, well, except for the comedy rigging.... I'm not commenting on the bolting, just the knot pass 2 metres from the top of the 25m pitch, then a deviation that takes a bit of swinging to get to. The know pass would have been ok, except my foot loop was too long and I had to re-tie them hanging from the rope... The squeeze on the way back was .... interesting. I got a tad stuck but not for too long, lit my hair again (getting stuck with your hands trapped and your head in your carbide light isn't too clever !). Anyway, much faffing later we got out. walking back in the dark was ok (Andy A didn't get lost), we saw some lights up above us.... Sean and Andy D2 lost on the plateau. Anyway, we all got back ok by about 1 am. Sean at this point decided to go back to base camp... Ho Hum. (H. 12 ^)

[Ralph adds]

Having heard Sean getting stuck, and judging our comparitive height and sizes, I decided it would have been a bit tight for me, so with a large dose of common sense, Mike TA and I decided to leave those already through to push on, whilst we went out. We got out of the cave at 21.15 and were cooking a vesta by 22.15 at top camp. A nice first expo trip, but a pity it wasn't a bit bigger.

T.U. 9 hrs
save MTA & Ralph TU 7 hrs
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-08
+
Mike Pigram, Alistair Morris, Pete Lord,
+
161 - Far north
+ +Trolled down to Knossus (tun te tum) with 4 tacklesacks then got another one so we had 5 + a rocket tube then we went to the tyrolean and I rigged it pretty slowly and then I climbed up the other side it was shit the rigging is crap so did Mike then Ali came across and ranted and then we went to the campsite and had some soup and found the Vestas we left there last year were OK and then we went to 3 Wise men and I got ½-way across and then Ali said his arm hurt and could we stop caving now please and although me and Mike really wanted to go and push the end we had to come back because we weren't tired really but had to come back and then we came down to Base camp because we wanted to get drunk. The End Love Pete.
Ali, _Petel_ 9½ hrs
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-08
+
Anthony Day, Dave Collins,
+
161
+ +Failed to find bolt driver at main entrance and so it became impossible to do anything to keen. Since I am very novice at S.R.T. the trip took a lot longer than it should have. Anthony took me down France, as far as the bottom of Toothless. On the rebelay just before the bottom of Toothless I got nicely strung up by accidentally abseiling too low. My chest jammer got twisted and so I was unable to get the rope into it to prussik back up. Eventually I got past the rebelay by Anthony prussiking up to it and hauling me across. A bit of a cock up really ! At the bottom of Toothless Anthony went off to the right to examine a new lead. Sadly !? he was unable to pursue it because of lack of a bolt driver. We then both prussiked slowly out of the cave.

T.U. 7 hours +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-10
+
Mike Richardson, Andrew Atkinson,
+
161 - Driller Killer
+ +In a fit of enthusiasm following a plateau washout returned in the morning from base camp & got underground at 2.30 pm. Very fast (1 hr or so) down to Gnome II with 140m of rope and geraldine. Then spent 50 mins moving same & some SRT gear & other garbage to get the next 10m or so. Wot a bar-steward. Rerigged the knot pass and thence down to where Sean & co. got to. Scrotted about in the rift to get to the pitch only to find that Geraldine didn't want to play, hence "Driller Killer". Andy put in a bolt by hand while I drilled 5mm, then I put in two bolts while Andy did 5mm - so abandoned her. Down 35-40m pitch (actually 27m !! :-) and broke into bedding plane with loadsa passages. Most promising lead led eventually to 3 sec. drop into mega rift. Survey out doing 50 legs - what heroes. and dragged Geraldine, now less the power cable, out. Wot a bar-steward II. Out at 0400 am. Walked back in gathering dawn, really nice, makes the plateau all worthwhile. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-11
+
Pete Lord, Sean Houlihane,
+
161
+ +MTS & Ali were going to come too but they didn't so we jacked so we went prospecting & we found a big hole but fuck knows where it is & then me & Sean went caving to the far end so we zoomed down to the campsite 1 hr 45 mins. then my electric broke then we had a cup of soup then we zoomed out 2 hrs so that was it then we came home. Sean doesn't drive slowly. The End Love Pete TU 4 hrs +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-11
+
Mike Pigram, Alistair Morris,
+
161 - France
+ +We first both went down to re-rig the top of France, then went down a hole 25m dead end, then another icy, I farted and needed to get out very rapidly. That's it really.
MTS TU 10 mins +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-11
+
Anthony Day, Ralph Harwood, Helen Twelftree, Andrew Davidson,
+
161 - FRANCE
+ +_TEAM FAST, EFFICIENT & DESPERATELY HARD GO CAVING_ (somewhere else)

The plan was to rig/survey/derig the big pitch found last year at the bottom of Toothless, which was thought to probably link into Twin Tubs, which sounded like a suitably Noddy trip, then move onto some of the leads off Algeria on the following days. Laugh. Scout jacked at the cave entrance because of his ankle, but that still left four people and one bolting kit, so a lot of sitting around followed whilst we put in five bolts just getting to the head of the big pitch which we failed to descend at all, though we did rig a fine deviation of which Ralph and I were rather proud. I then went down to Algeria to rescue some hangers and rigged the "Y-hang deviation" off two shit spits down Frogs Legs. Emerged to find that Ali & MTS (slack jacking bastards) had put in a traverse line down the cave entrance, which was jolly helpful - I always go wrong there. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-12
+
Helen Twelftree, Andrew Davidson, Anthony Day,
+
161 - France
+ +Went back to finish rigging/surveying/derigging, Ralph jacked due to a knackered leg. Rigged the new pitch ("Top Loader") with a Y-hang from the bottom of the rift pitch ("Standard deviation"), then a deviation off the right hand wall for a free hang down the pitch (which is jolly fast on 9mm). "Top Loader" comes out into "Washer" as expected. Rope rubs a bit so we all went out via the usual route to Algeria, some surveying got done, as did the derigging. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-12
+
Andrew Atkinson, Olly Betts,
+
161 - Gnome
+ +Found another idiot to go down Gnome on a quick trip just to put a bolt on. Trundled off to the bottom, Olly only unripping a bit on the corner but swearing never again. Another one lost. Got to pitch, put bolt half in lots of cracks so gave up. Climb onto boulder suspended in the middle of the pitch got too scared must be time to go home. In Driller Killer, saw the drill lead so went down to get it. Decided it was a little dangerous so called Olly to stop just as I reached a little too far and found myself stuck upside down in a rift. PUSH - oh shit - PUSH - oh fuck - OLLY - Spent the next 20 minutes upside down edging slowly out. Balls leg stuck back to the start. Wonder when the rescue comes. Another 20 mins dying of carbide - eventually the right way up. Quick push thro a too small hole and a slow prussick to home, saying not to go again. Well not till the next day. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-13
+
Andrew Davidson, Ralph Harwood,
+
161 - France
+ +"We'll rig, survey and derig today, then look at Sultans of Swing tomorrow" : thus quoth Anthony, so on the third day Ralph & I went down to finish the surveying and derigging ! Zoomed down to Standard Deviation and surveyed up the rift to "CM on wall" (take your pick from three plausible looking carbide marks at the bottom of Toothless). What an easy trip ! Short trips are the biz.

T.U. 4¼ hours +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-13
+
Mike Pigram,
+
161 - Gnome
+ +Went to look at a ? which is on the way to Gnome. It involved going the other way from usual at the bottom of a pitch (probably Eyehole). After a bit of bedding plane there was a pitch with a rebelay all on naturals. After traversing through some rift, there was a horribly tight pitch (~12m). At the bottom, dribbled out of a tiny hole so I happily got out of the cave having crossed off a ?

T U 2 hrs +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-14
+
Andrew Atkinson, Robert Bloodworth, Mike Richardson,
+
161
+ +Thought we'd introduce Bob to K-hohle's massive chambers & stomping passageways so went on another trip to Gnome ! Got to where Andy & Olly had tried to bolt, carried on, split rock, decided rock was total shit, so rigged from lower down via hole in floor on naturals. Anthony put in a typical ABD (Anthony Bastard Deviation) later converted to a still pretty awful rebelay. Down at the bottom of the rift ... footprints - someone has been here before*. Some scrotting about later, Andy popped out above Over the Rainbow. Hurray ! Out via the Chunnel, Snot etc. & no Gnome passage squeeze !! Back to base camp for river & expo dinner.

* Later discovered from survey to be Vestabule.

T/U 5 hours +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-15
+
Julian Haines, Robert Bloodworth, Steve Bellhouse, Kate Janossy,
+
161 - France
+ +Went to look at the big muddy shelf off Sultans of Swing. It leads to a huge dried up river (Mississippi). This leads to a pitch into a chamber with a rift going off. Probably doesn't go anywhere but worth another look (and proper rigging). The first passage (Mississippi Mud Pie) on the left leads to a big pitch. Noone went down - left it for next time. The second passage on the left is also big. We gave up at a short climb up to a smaller bit near the ceiling & came back to do some surveying. This might go but will probably end up near Mississippi Mud Pie. Kate found a small scrotty bit of wiggly stuff leading into a big chamber. Surveying it will be really grim (Called Mohr im Hemd & Regurgitation after Kate's efforts at the dinner).

Surveyed Mississippi and Mississippi Mud Pie. 250m of cave ! There's lots more to be done too. Suddenly everyone has got all keen to go caving.

FRANCE TU 13 h +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-16
+
Andrew Atkinson, Robert Bloodworth, Mike Richardson,
+
161 - Driller Killer
+ +Bob must be on keen-ness pills. A mere 9 hours or so after his France trip, back down to Driller Killer. In via Snot & the chunnel with a fettled geraldine. On arriving at Vestabule, Andy & Mike TA scrotted about a bit, and the latter popped out into Stomping without doing the pitch ! Yeh !! So now we can get to the bottom of Driller Killer without ever going via Gnome II.

Set off down Stomping, part way along, Andy remembers that hangers are at pitch in Vestabule, sigh. Andy & Bob carry on with Geraldine to derig KnotWhat & Driller Killer by pulling rope through. Yours truly goes back to get hangers, then rigs traverse line at the bottom of Driller Killer to get to opposite passage; then mostly excavates alternative crawl to stop boredom. Andy & Bob return with Geraldine to rig pitch into chamber .... Geraldine (working at top of KnotWhat) now packs up - battery buggered. SIGH ! Bolt by hand in awkward place, descend .... various pitches off !!! Climb up opposite side of chamber to .... various passages off (so, what's new ?). Follow one until Andy says "Mike, have you been here, there's footprints" - "No, don't think so" ... carry on a bit ... "Mike - you have been here before" ... pop out at the bottom of Driller Killer _again_. Survey back round loop (traverse line not strictly needed anymore as only turn off surveyed to conclusion) and also Stomping/Vestabule connection.

Stagger around with Bob's Bastard Big Bag full of recovered rope & hangers & dump the contents just above OTR as now knackered. Prussik slowly out to a fine morning. Lug Geraldine back (again ....)

T/U 13½ hrs ? ^--- 14½ hrs ---^

Previous trip / Next trip (final derig) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-16
+
Olly Betts, Ralph Harwood, Anthony Day,
+
Plateau - Surface survey P147 to cairn on summit of Vord
+ +1623/136 is linked to the summit cairn of the Vord. Schwarzmooskogel, but this isn't linked anywhere, so to link it to the net around 161, we surveyed from P147 (fixed station at 1623/147 entrance). From 147, we headed east initially and zig-zagged up the slope, then along the top to the summit. We signed the book in the green box, and looked at CUCC visits in past years, and then hacked down vaguely south towards the path from the Loser Hut to top camp. It was not too hard, but cairns are scarce. Near the end we discovered a cave marked +185, which is odd 'cos 1623/185 is 2 year's gestation, which is by 161. The red paint was fairly faded, but it was definitely 185. The entrance is slightly constricted and then opens out to a 2m or so diameter shaft. Stones drop for a second or 2 and then rattle. We didn't see any bolts. Bearings 284.5° to Zinken, 235° to Loser. Here's a map of how to reach it from the top camp path:

Webeditor's note: Approx north on this pic is very approx. In fact it is roughly due east.


You shouldn't be able to miss it, but if you reach a sandy depression, you've gone too far. It is _definitely_ not 158, BTW, as I've been there since.

I also checked out a couple of shafts (one off the KH path and one on the Vord. ridge). Neither went and they now sport red + signs.

No T/U. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-17
+
Julian Haines, Alistair Morris, Anthony Day, Kate Janossy,
+
161 - France
+ +Back down Mississippi. Julian + Ali found loads of stomping cave while Anthony and Kate had a lovely time surveying bloody Mohr im Hemd. We went and looked at Regurgitation first. It has a boulder floor with lots of holes (surprise, surprise), and one possible lead in a rift with stream running at the bottom. Probably all go down to the same level about 10-15m below the floor. Surveying Mohr im Hemd was a bit like eating 10 of them - starts off OK but with a sense of worse to come, then gets appallingly tedious, then bloody grim. Average survey length 1.8m. I didn't quite realise the consequences of being all keen and crawling down small things on my first Expo caving trip. Error ! Anyway, enough ranting. Anthony may add to this. He was not very happy by the end.

Julian + Ali returned with tales of loads of big cave, which I don't know much about.

_Ali_ We found lots of big cave. Two naturals produced an excellent Y-hang, leading to a large chamber with more passageway, coming off, about 100m down this passage, another pitch into chamber with no footprints. Left led to a pitch with a spit, soon stopped. Right up an interesting climb with bits breaking off led to stomping phreatic passageway (300m) to a large pitch 45m deep - is this STELLERWEG, the connection so dream for by all the compsci nargs.

Is it fuck ! Not likely mate.

France TU 9 hr +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-18
+
Alistair Morris, Heather McAdam,
+
161 - France
+ +Kate reliably informed us that she had cleverly left the compass + clino at Missisipi, so as Heather needed some string practice we went off caving. Went firstly down the hole near 161c that me and Mike rigged on a previous trip of epic proportions, for SRT practice. Then France itself. I went down entrance rift with Heather then as she was quite happy fucked off down to Missisipi where the number of survey kits was ZERO !! So came back out. Had a poke at a tube going off ½ way down Deja Vu, it's rift similar to top of Toothless but doesn't appear to go but the French haven't been there - untouched mud. Then bits started collapsing so I came out. The survey kit was in Kate's kit at the ENTRANCE !!! +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-19
+
Julian Haines, Pete Lord, Steve Bellhouse,
+
161 - Mississippi
+ +Back down to Mississippi to survey the fat wads of cave already found. I was _too keen_ and legged it off down the cave forgetting to put my clothes away. (It rained) (rant).

Anyway, by the time I'd got the rope out of Kate's crap, scrotty passage (can't remember what its called )(Mohr im Hemd) Pete and Julian had already found wads more cave. What a surprise.

Rigged and stomped down to the wet shaft where spits had been found previously. Then guess what ? Caving is shit and it all went wrong. Due to the tape being shagged, Julian had put it in _MY_ dangly bag when I had thought he had put it in _HIS_ and I left mine behind as I didn't need it. So I had to go back and get it.

Anyway, after all that messing about we surveyed lots of cave, met up with another surveying trip (Andy A, Anthony, Kate) then decided what to do next.

We sent them to survey somewhere else, then we went to survey a side passage and scrotty pitch.

Due to 'Scientific accuracy' (said Pete) and nothing to do with Pete and Julian collaborating to send the fuckwit down the slimy pitch, I went down a pointless dead end hole with a tape measure while Fatty and Petel stood at the top.

After that we pissed off.

P.S. My clothes were all piss wet so I got lost on the plateau in my caving gear. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-19
+
Andrew Atkinson, Kate Janossy, Anthony Day,
+
161 - Ginger Crunch
+ +meanwhile surveyed "Ginger Crunch", "Rich Tea", "Hobnob" passage, "Digestive" pitch and "Biscuit Factory", eventually linking up with the other surveying team at the entrance to "Heart of Gold". It was so exciting. Andy's survey station at the head of Ginger Crunch (chosen so as to give a good hang to the floor) was quite entertaining to reach, _especially_ when one of the hand holds detaches itself from the wall (I ignored the fact that the pitch was rigged off two flakes of similar dimensions). The backup ("It was a traverse line", Julian H) at the top of Digestive also proved to be irrelevant after Andy breathed on it from the wrong angle and it fell off.

As if that wasn't enough fun for one day, we then went and surveyed a bit off the side of Mississippi (called "Fudge Brownie") as far as a climb up an overhanging bank of choss, where the compass (mercifully) misted up terminally and we ran away. 
 TU  Julian  }
 Andy A   } 9 hrs
 Petel   }          - Due to variable
 Steve   ] 10 hrs     prussikking speed
 Anthony ]
 Kate      10½ hrs
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-20
+
Andrew Atkinson,
+
161 - Quest for the holy generator thingy
+ +Once upon a time not long enough ago a frustrated caver (with a very short memory) went up a dangerous path (the toll road) to face unknown dangers and the glory of a working carbide light by recovering the missing piece. The journey was tretrous (it was raining and Olly was driving) but he battled on and eventually reached the dragons (rabbits) hole. He donded his armour undeterbed by the onslaught from the gods (it was pissing down) and eventually descended into the icy depths. Battling his way on thro' touchous lands (Snot, chunnel, vestible, stomping) he eventually found the hidden land (Dreaming of limo) to recover the trophy mounted on a rock (read lying in a puddle). Returning along the same route with only a diversion to Dreamtime to collect x metres of rope so no fool could be misled again he strode towards daylight only to have one of his bags of treasures snatched from his grasp by the automatic doors. He emerged into the sunset (well, it was an hour to sunset and it was still pissing down) purged of his need to cave for another day.

TU 3½ hrs

Previous trip / Next RHR side leads trip (1995) / Next 161 trip this year (Siberia) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-21
+
Mike Pigram, Steve Bellhouse, Pete Lord,
+
161 - FRANCE 161c
+ +(note ordinary order of date, compscis)

Intention was to take Robert TWC caving (or let him take us after we'd pointed him at the entrance). But he didn't turn up, so we foolishly went anyway. Pissed off. Nearly jacked at many points. Then went. Down to Algeria in 30 mins. Went to look at mudslope which lies to left at right turn in big rift / collapse chamber ("Ginger Crunch" I think, but fuck knows about all these biscuit names). MTS climbed up using a bolting hammer to pile loads of choss down on his unwitting belayer & eventually got to the top after much fear. Ends in a pitch straight down again too dangerous to bolt & that is hopefully the end of that - this bit is dangerous. Steve threw some boulders at us & then we went to continue survey of lead off Mississipi (Fudge Brownie as I believe it has amusingly been dubbed). Surveyed to rift whilst MTS bolted to descend rift, also surveyed small side passage which bypasses crawl. Rift rock too rubbish so bashed spit, but found climb down which leads to 2 points at which rift could be descended (2 + sec drop + [?]ing):

[graphic]

Then we were pissed off so we went out. Emerged to rain.
(Not slackers, just efficient). +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-21
+
Olly Betts,
+
Plateau - Surface wandering
+ +Andy A went down to Vestabule to find a dropped bit from his carbide so I went for a wander on the plateau, with the intention of looking for some of the laser rangefound points, 0/1 to 0/6. I ended up finding 84, then headed east and a bit north to 107 and 83. which are meant to be by 0/5. Mike Martin's sketch in the 1987 logbook looks something like this:

[graphic]

Now, 83 is actually on the other side of the gully (assuming north is approx. up page, and it doesn't work at all otherwise*). The whole area to the south of the gully has lots of bunde on it, and there's a fair bit to the north too. I checked all the rock I could get to near the gully and didn't find it. After about 45 minutes I gave up & returned to camp. Maybe a GPS would help, but you could be pretty close and still not spot it. (it's an 8mm spit, possibly with a blue nylon tag or blue paint triangle round it).

* I've since noticed that Wolfhöhle is actually approx SSE of 0/5, so MM has shown the gully's upper end as wider than the lower end. I did poke around where this should mean 0/5 would be, but didn't spot it. I'll try to pop back for another look before the end of Expo. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-21
+
Andrew Atkinson, Olly Betts,
+
161 - Push Exhaustion Pitch (Burble area) & survey
+ +Andy's too lazy to write this up so I'll just mention the "high" lights. We found a few hundred metres of passage, ending in a 3½ seconds drop pitch (rift in the floor stuff, rather like Shell pitch in Puffball). Should be riggable as a Y-hang then straight down. Rocks land with a wet noise, so expect water and/or mud. We surveyed from the junction with the new passage back to a known point, which took ages due to widdly passage, the mud and my eyesight. It's all jolly cold and draughty, and has thus been named "Siberia". I got jolly tired on the way out (I had told Andy I'd be slow) - I'm beginning to see how Julian S feels.

Previous trip / Next trip beyond Knossos / Next Siberia trip (in 1997) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-22
+
Julian Haines, Anthony Day, Alistair Morris, Heather McAdam, Martin Sabry,
+
161 - France
+ +France - Pushed a ridge (rift ?) at the end of 'Fudge Brownie'. Found it linked to previous shaft surveyed by Steve. Rock _very_ unstable but what's new ? [Julian, Martin + Heather]

Mean while, Anthony + Ali went - to Skeleton in the Cupboard (pitch at end of Infinite Improbability Drive) to connect the survey with Fat Not Fruity at Julian's suggestion. Julian is a fat bastard. The pitch (rigged off two shit French bolts, one barely adequate French bolt and a dubious natural) was a little drippy at the top and a _miserable pissing waterfall_ at the bottom. Five damp survey legs later we ran away and met up with the others, including Julian, who was nice and dry. AJD.

On the way up - Heather nearly killed everyone by knocking off a ginormous rock - and both her lights died - but she got there in the end (eventually). TU 7½ hr

Previous trip / Next trip (derig) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-23
+
Andrew Atkinson, Kate Janossy, Steve Bellhouse, Martin Sabry,
+
161 - Photo trip
+ +Photo trip K H messing, and the campsite is fucking cold. Photos of Strange Across Fall, Poxy, Chunnel, Knossus. All sponsorship photos shit apart from [illegible] as Andy did not adjust focus, sigh ! Good trip. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-24
+
Alistair Morris, Pete Lord,
+
161 - Derig Far End
+ +It was fucking hard. We were fucking shagged.
TU 7 hrs

PS - 1993 Tyrolean rope is somewhere at the bottom of Strange Upfall. If anybody wants they can go and get it because I'm fucking not. It was crap. Luv Pete.

P.P.S. The inner of the tent, some carbide is at the campsite at Pipeless. Also if you want to get it, you're fucking welcome too. Love & hugs, Ali

Previous trip / Next trip (final derig) +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-24
+
Anthony Day, Julian Haines, Martin Sabry,
+
161 - Fudge Brownie
+ +Push, survey, derig France beyond Fudge Brownie. Finished rigging at rift beyond Fudge Brownie [two words illegible]. Rocky Horror Surveyed to bottom of rift connecting to Steve's passage. Found another rift 20-28m down, fucking scary because loose as Ali's ass after a bean feast. 2 leads either end, but requires real caving. Very good trip.

P.S. Tackle sacs full of rope and bolting kits is _shit_ gear.

- Tackle hauling is also shit gear. Took 5 hrs to derig from Algeria, with a couple of diversions whilst I went & measured the length of a survey leg nr top of Frogs Legs that I had failed to record, and failed to derig entrance pitch deviation so had to go back down & get it. Performing a changeover whilst attached to a sod off tacklebag is _really_ shit gear. AJD. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
1994-07-25
+
Andrew Atkinson, Mike Pigram, Olly Betts, Steve Bellhouse,
+
161 - Derigged from Knossus
+ +Derigged from Knossus, really tedious, nothing interesting happened except Olly throwing a tackle sack off the top of Bungalow, which Mike went to rescue. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ + diff --git a/years/2009/logbook.html b/years/2009/logbook.html index 50618e41b..c0ea4e959 100644 --- a/years/2009/logbook.html +++ b/years/2009/logbook.html @@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ 2009 Expo Logbook + diff --git a/years/2010/logbook.html b/years/2010/logbook.html index 9e9768e05..62e619872 100644 --- a/years/2010/logbook.html +++ b/years/2010/logbook.html @@ -1,9 +1,9 @@ - - + 2010 Expo Logbook +

Expo 2010

diff --git a/years/2011/logbook.html b/years/2011/logbook.html index c98c92557..3ae75c09c 100644 --- a/years/2011/logbook.html +++ b/years/2011/logbook.html @@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ 2011 Expo Logbook +

Expo 2011

diff --git a/years/2012/logbook.html b/years/2012/logbook.html index 0f2bb9aa5..6e94b36e2 100644 --- a/years/2012/logbook.html +++ b/years/2012/logbook.html @@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ 2012 Expo Logbook + diff --git a/years/2013/logbook.html b/years/2013/logbook.html index 3de84457d..7b2a8dac9 100644 --- a/years/2013/logbook.html +++ b/years/2013/logbook.html @@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ 2013 Expo Logbook + +

[This blog is dated 4 August 2016. /the-kraken-wakes/] +

+

Avid readers of this blog will recall that I spent six weeks of last summer exploring caves in Austria. Near the end of the 2015 expedition, we had found a 5m diameter tube heading down at 30º into the unknown beyond the end of our one remaining rope. When summer 2016 rolled round, it was time for a rematch.

+

Exploration in this part of the cave was becoming quite arduous due to remoteness (600+m deep), and trips were starting to take quite a long time (typically 15 hours) and were only going to get longer as the exploration front moved steadily further away from the entrance. Fortunately, in 2015 we had spotted a potential site for an underground camp in the large chamber, named Kraken, near the bottom of the cave: there was a nice, flat mud floor in a sheltered corner of the chamber, with a water supply nearby. What more could one wish for?

+

So it was that I found myself as part of a three-man team charged with establishing the underground camp – something I had never done before. On arrival in Kraken chamber, it turned out that the “flat” mud floor of my memory was not quite so flat in reality. Thus we ended up digging out the mud with sub-Neanderthal excavation tools and building a retaining wall to hold back the spoil to create a flat area for our custom-built tent. We managed to find enough nobbles on the wall from which to suspend the tent, apart from one corner which required a boulder to be rolled up hill (a three-man job) so that we could reach high enough to place an anchor. With that done, “Camp Kraken” was born.

+

Kraken1

+

After a remarkably warm and comfortable night in our newly established luxury bivouac, it was time to go exploring. I admit to a certain degree of nervousness at this point. The continuing tube looked very promising, but you never really know what is going to happen. It might lead to untold caverns measureless, but equally it might choke up with boulders just round the next corner, or run into a sump (flooded passage), or disappear up an aven that would require equipment we didn’t have to climb… the possibilities are endless. The only way to find out was to go and have a look.

+

Kraken2

+

Off we went with a 100m length of rope – considerably more than we had had at our disposal the previous year. I had the privilege of going first, and set off down the tube. It kept on going down… then down some more… and more, until eventually I reached the end of the rope. By this point, the gradient had slackened off somewhat so I cautiously got off the rope and poked my head around the corner – and there was a 10m round passage heading off.

+

With a mixture of relief and excitement we went off exploring and clocked up 350m of new passage with half a dozen promising leads before returning to the surface to relay the good news. Subsequent campers who went in found more passages and even more leads. The region was christened Hydra since, for every lead that closed down, another two appeared.

+

Kraken3

+ +
+
2016-07-09
+
Anthony Day,
+
Balcony - The Kraken Wakes 2
+ +

[This blog is dated 4 August 2016. /the-kraken-wakes/] + +

A week or so after the first camp, I got the the opportunity to go down again. The plan was that three of us would stay underground for two nights, giving us two days to explore before exiting on the third day. Things did not go entirely according to plan. The exploration part went reasonably well: although all the leads we explored ultimately closed down, we were quite satisfied with our finds. At 11:00 on the third morning, we prepared to exit. One of my companions got kitted up and wandered off towards the rope… except when he got to where the rope was supposed to be, he couldn’t find it. Kraken is quite a big chamber and it is easy to get disorientated, so we spent quite a while wandering around looking for the rope without any success. Then we looked up, and saw a loop of rope caught up on a ledge at least 40m off the floor – presumably pulled up there by accident by the last member of the previous camping party. There was no way we could reach it. We were comprehensively marooned.

+

We had left a “call out” (the time at which we were officially overdue) on the surface of 09:00 the following day – so we knew nobody was going to come looking for us until then. Fortunately, we had brought more food with us than we intended to eat, so Camp Kraken was well stocked. We had plenty of battery life for lights and plenty of equipment, so we went off for an additional bonus day of exploration. We found a muddy passage that ultimately closed off, and rigged a pitch which had a couple of promising leads at the bottom. We called the pitch Indian Rope Trick since it appeared that one of our colleagues had achieved mastery of this particular illusion.

+

We spent an additional night in camp, and around 11:30 the following morning heard the voices of the rescue team heading towards us. The rope was freed and we exited without incident. The guys on the surface were understandably concerned by our non-appearance, and – although they had correctly guessed approximately what had happened – they weren’t taking any chances given how deep we were underground. Consequently two waves of rescuers had been sent in, and the third wave were just heading in when the message came out that we were ok. In addition, the Austrian cave rescue had been alerted and eight of them had turned up at the entrance in a police helicopter (which had gone by the time I got out, so I missed the chance of a lift down the hill).

+

I want to publicly thank the members of the expedition and the Austrian cave rescue for coming to look for us. We knew we were fine, but they didn’t and the action they took was both timely and appropriate. I always knew that, if I ever did get into a sticky spot underground, my mates have got my back. It’s nice to have that proved.

+

It turned out that one of the leads at the bottom of Indian Rope Trick was very important indeed. A later camping party went to look at it, and romped off into a master cave with a substantial stream in places. It eventually choked, but not before reaching 903m depth – by some distance the deepest we have ever been in Austria.

+ +
+
2016-07-18
+
Anthony Day,
+
Balcony - The Kraken Wakes 3
+ +

[This blog is dated 4 August 2016. /the-kraken-wakes/] +

Eventually, the end of the expedition loomed and we had to get a substantial amount of rope out of the cave. The last camping party made a start by removing some of the ropes below camp and the final pitch, leaving a substantial pile behind for the next derigging party, of which I was a member.

+

Kraken4

+

What we needed was a paella. As we proceeded, all the ropes we collected were fastened together to make one continuous length that was hauled up the pitches (aka Pull An Extremely Long Length Altogether). By the time we had finished the pile was four times bigger than at the start (about 1200m in total) which disappeared into ten bags and was spirited out of the cave.

+

So that was it for another year. Camp Kraken was an unqualified success and definitely made for efficient exploration of the deep levels of the cave. Altogether there were seven camping trips involving eighteen different people, and between us we found and explored over 3.5km of passages. That represents a better return than I could ever have hoped for, and I feel justified in promoting the original lead from which it was all found as a good place to look for new cave.

+

Same again next year?

+

PS: My camera didn’t make it underground this year – so thanks go to Chris Densham, Becka Lawson and Fleur Loveridge for permission to use their photos.

+ +
T/U: 0 hours
+ +
+ + diff --git a/years/2016/logbook.html b/years/2016/logbook.html index f17c9b5ee..acb2392df 100644 --- a/years/2016/logbook.html +++ b/years/2016/logbook.html @@ -2,260 +2,299 @@ -2016 Expo Logbook - +2016 Expo Logbook + + + + + +

CUCC Logbook 2016

+
+
2016-06-22
-
Nat, Ash & Elliott
+
Nat Dalton, Ashley Gregg, Elliott Smith,
Balcony - to rig the entrance shaft
-

After day of topcamp fettling we set off to Balcony to rig the entrance shaft, after + +

After day of topcamp fettling we set off to Balcony to rig the entrance shaft, after initially intending to do only a carry. We reflected en-route, so as to be able to find out way back, arriving ~ 8pm. I rigged the first few rebelays, not really understanding what the bolts wanted me to do. Elliott took over & we eventually got to the bottom with some bodge. Due to a -lack of inspiration we headed back out & back to top camp, getting there ~midnight.

- -
T/U: ~3 hours
+lack of inspiration we headed back out & back to top camp, getting there ~midnight. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
-
2016-06-23a
-
Nat, Ash
+ +
2016-06-22
+
Jenny Black, Olly Betts,
+
2007-71 Ngauruhoe
+ +

Got sufficient gear up the hill to go caving ish (failed to remember sunscreen my safety +cord and a few other things). + +

Went to 2007-71 to look at pitch leads. Started with 07-02C, as it looked easier to get into than 07-01B. Pitch drops down on right, passage continues a few metres on with a couple of other holes to the pitch then ends as a tight inlet. + +

Olly rigged down, natural backup in main poassage, natural, bolt, bolt, deviation to get to the floor. Pitch got wider on the way down to end in a moderate sized chamber with an icy/rocky floor and a very pretty snowcone. Sadly no way on. I pushed into a tight passage, but it only went a couple of meters. Exited, confirming that 07-01B connects. + +

Left rigged to survey once we've calibrated the distox. + +

Checked 15-01B - it is too small to get in to sadly. It might be possible (but not trivial) to move the rock. +
T/U: 3.5 hours
+ +
+ +
2016-06-23
+
Nat Dalton, Ashley Gregg,
Tunnocks - rig entrance shaft
-

Feeling Keen we set off to rig Tunnocks entrance shaft, optimistically we took ropes /hangers +

Feeling Keen we set off to rig Tunnocks entrance shaft, optimistically we took ropes /hangers to get to the bottom of ducks on ice. Burdened by 2 bags & equipped with me skyhook I set off; several exciting swings & wall destruction (by skyhook) complete saw Ash & I in sight of the bottom ice/snow plug; after a final swing & lunge to gain a skyhook placement I put a bolt in & looked up to see the other hilti for a u-hang out of reach. At this point I got fed up of silly -acrobatics & we went home despite the end of the entrance being in sight.

- -
T/U: 4?? hours
+acrobatics & we went home despite the end of the entrance being in sight. +
T/U: 4.0 hours
-
2016-06-22
-
Jenny, Olly
-
2007-71 Ngauruhoe
-

Got sufficient gear up the hill to go caving ish (failed to remember sunscreen my safety -cord and a few other things).

- -

Went to 2007-71 to look at pitch leads. Started with 07-02C, as it looked easier to get into than 07-01B. Pitch drops down on right, passage continues a few metres on with a couple of other holes to the pitch then ends as a tight inlet.

- -

Olly rigged down, natural backup in main poassage, natural, bolt, bolt, deviation to get to the floor. Pitch got wider on the way down to end in a moderate sized chamber with an icy/rocky floor and a very pretty snowcone. Sadly no way on. I pushed into a tight passage, but it only went a couple of meters. Exited, confirming that 07-01B connects.

- -

Left rigged to survey once we've calibrated the distox.

- -

Checked 15-01B - it is too small to get in to sadly. It might be possible (but not trivial) to move the rock.

- -
T/U: 3.5 hours
- -
2016-06-23
-
Becka, Andrew, Sioned
+
Becka Lawson, Andrew Atkinson, Sioned Haughton,
Walk over Grimming from Niederstuttern via Grimminghutte, Multerek + Grimmingsgipfel+ending at Kulm
-

Left my bike at Kulm then drove to Neiderstuttern (this is definitely the better route for + +

Left my bike at Kulm then drove to Neiderstuttern (this is definitely the better route for the bike->car shuttle as all downhill!). Set off 8:45 but already hot + near heat stroke on the initial ascent. I had 3l water which wouldn't have been enough except there's an excellent spring some way above the Grimminghutte where we refilled. Q a few wires + metal foot poles so like an unprotected via ferrata on ascent + decsent + may be problems with snow earlier in year or in a high-snow year. Descent down deep ridges + narrow stony gullies in a fairly improbable manner - impressive there's a route over at all. A very fine day out though sadly Julian didn't -get to hang-glide over us though we collected him from his field in Bad Mittendorf.

-
T/U: 0hrs, 7½hrs walking
+get to hang-glide over us though we collected him from his field in Bad Mittendorf. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-06-23
-
Nat, Ash
+
Nat Dalton, Ashley Gregg,
-

Feeling Keen we set off to rig Tunnocks entrance shaft, optimistically we took ropes /hangers + +

Feeling Keen we set off to rig Tunnocks entrance shaft, optimistically we took ropes /hangers to get to the bottom of ducks on ice. Burdened by 2 bags & equipped with me skyhook I set off; several exciting swings & wall destruction (by skyhook) complete saw Ash & I in sight of the bottom ice/snow plug; after a final swing & lunge to gain a skyhook placement I put a bolt in & looked up to see the other hilti for a u-hang out of reach. At this point I got fed up of silly -acrobatics & we went home despite the end of the entrance being in sight.

-
T/U: 4?? hours
+acrobatics & we went home despite the end of the entrance being in sight. +
T/U: 4.0 hours
+
2016-06-24
-
Nat & Elliott
+
Nat Dalton, Elliott Smith,
Balcony rigging - guide (start of 2016)
-

After a disgustingly warm carry up the hill with Anthony, Ash & Elliott, Elliott & I decided +

After a disgustingly warm carry up the hill with Anthony, Ash & Elliott, Elliott & I decided we still wanted to go caving. We headed over to Balcony with 100m of 11mm snake rope, bolting & surveying kit. Derigging the far too thin, previous rope we set about swinging into windows on the 34m pitch, my only lead from 2014 that hadn't been snaffled. (for good reason after a loose climb & another scary climb (that Elliott went up) it crapped out, giving the grand total of surveyed new passage of ~10m. (swingers) After re-rigging the entrance on speedy 11mm we went -for a little bimble & found the natural highs had been derigged. See below for rigging guide.

+for a little bimble & found the natural highs had been derigged. See below for rigging guide. -

100m + 20m

+

100m + 20m -

~17 hanger required

+

~17 hanger required -

Balcony rigging guide

+

Balcony rigging guide
22:00
-
T/U: 6 hours
+
T/U: 6.0 hours
+
2016-06-25
-
Becka, Anthony, Sion
+
Becka Lawson, Anthony Day, Sioned Haughton,
Tunnocks - Rigging to start of String Theory
-

I found the end of Nat's rigging on the swing over above the final snow slope and rigged down with 3m less rope than + +

I found the end of Nat's rigging on the swing over above the final snow slope and rigged down with 3m less rope than would have been ideal. Some fine ice columns at the bottom of the pitch. I then rigged Caramel Catharsis on 70m of the unloved 11mm, cursing all the way - I had to brace to force my way down and the knots were like dinner plates - no more 11mm please, ever! We then decided to rig the traverse over the top of Usual Suspects to avoid the long route round which, oddly, everyone has chosen to do the past few years. However, this left only four bolts left for String Theory so Andrew rigged down to the corner above the main pitch with the new 200m of 10mm and we headed out the long way round to show Sion the way. Traverses all left rigged on nasty red 9mm. Sion got v.v. overheated coming out of the entrance so I think my double furry advice won't -be taken up. Walked down the hill just missing the storm.

+be taken up. Walked down the hill just missing the storm.
22:00
-
T/U: 7 hours
+
T/U: 7.0 hours
+
2016-06-26
-
Elliott, Ash
+
Elliott Smith, Ashley Gregg,
BalkonH - Gosser Wager
-

Callout book entry

+ +

Callout book entry
22:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-06-26
-
Anthony, Nat
+
Anthony Day, Nat Dalton,
Tunnocks - Procrastination
-

Rigging trip down Tunnocks, Anthony continued rigging down string Theory whilst I sat & + +

Rigging trip down Tunnocks, Anthony continued rigging down string Theory whilst I sat & refrigerated. String Theory rigged we consolidated rigging Kit and Anthony continued rigging down procrastination. I continued to refrigerate. Rigging complete we headed out. 9 Krbas, 9 -maillons, 9 hangers (N of Beast, magic glue (dev))

+maillons, 9 hangers (N of Beast, magic glue (dev))
22:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-06-26
-
Olly, Jenny
+
Olly Betts, Jenny Black,
101 survey practice
-

Got a lift up the hill in the morning and learnt to use the distoX +

Got a lift up the hill in the morning and learnt to use the distoX and topodroid in the bivi cave. Learnt enough to go and do something useful, so headed to 101. Sounds simple. Sadly we didn't completely remember where 101 was (having last visited in 2012) and we had no data in the GPS to help. Spent over an hour wandering around the plateau in caving gear. Headed back to camp to enlist the GPS + an old -prospecting map print out. Found the cave easily!

+prospecting map print out. Found the cave easily! -

Surveyed in splaying and topodroiding (in colour!) as we went. Got past the skylight +

Surveyed in splaying and topodroiding (in colour!) as we went. Got past the skylight entrance and down the climb before it got too tight for Olly, and we were cold. Headed out -surveying out the skylight entrance as we went.

+surveying out the skylight entrance as we went.
20:00
-
T/U: 2 hours
+
T/U: 2.0 hours
+
2016-06-27
-
Olly, Jenny
+
Olly Betts, Jenny Black,
2007-71 Ngauruhoe survey
-

Down to the Ngauruhoe snowcone and surveyed out. On the way we lost the nail polish back down +

Down to the Ngauruhoe snowcone and surveyed out. On the way we lost the nail polish back down the pitch (I looked for a while, but gave up in the end). I swung across into the parallel shaft from 07-01B and confirmed there were no further bolts. Derigged and planned to move onto 15-02B, but had failed to bring a drill battery. Had a wander on the surface instead looking for -new entrances.

+new entrances. -

Later on went for an unsuccessful walk looking for 2004-04, though it did at least warm us up.

+

Later on went for an unsuccessful walk looking for 2004-04, though it did at least warm us up.
20:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-06-27
-
Wookey, Nat
+
Wookey, Nat Dalton,
Tunnocks
-

Set off to continue rigging down Tunnocks (aiming to carry 2 bags to camp). On the way the +

Set off to continue rigging down Tunnocks (aiming to carry 2 bags to camp). On the way the one bolt wonder handline before usual suspects was converted (more or less) into a bonafide traverse line. Picked up Krabs, hangers & maillons from bottom of string theory & carried on down procrastination; Wookey rigged number of the beast & we carried on down to magic glue, putting deviations in along the way. Once at magic glue faff ensued with rope misbehaving & getting tangled. Once I was at the bottom, wookey instaled a deviation; having previously dropped Krab/sling down the pitch: "It's a good job we're not climbers or we'd have to retire -that", on a spike, bags were left just below magic glue, with a long plod out.

+that", on a spike, bags were left just below magic glue, with a long plod out. -

Stuff left: 2 bags of camping stuff, 1 drill, 2 drill bits, 1 battery, blow tube, +

Stuff left: 2 bags of camping stuff, 1 drill, 2 drill bits, 1 battery, blow tube, hammer/setter & hiltis
No drill tackle sack
-8 maillions, 6 krabs, 4, hangers, 2 bits of tat

+8 maillions, 6 krabs, 4, hangers, 2 bits of tat
T/U: 11.5 hours
07:00 +1
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-06-27
-
Sioned, Andrew, Becka
+
Sioned Haughton, Andrew Atkinson, Becka Lawson,
Balkonhöhle
-

Went for an explore with a few 30m lengths of rope. Was mine & Andrew's first trip down & +

Went for an explore with a few 30m lengths of rope. Was mine & Andrew's first trip down & Becka hadn't been down since 2014. Andrew was initially considering dropping down one of the pitches at Natural High but George suggested a better option further on that turned out to be called consolidation Pitch. Rigging of a bolt on the traverse across a series of pitches down to a ledge with a clear 4 second drop straight down with lots of water dripping. Due to lack of reop we traverses over to the opposite ledge to descend the pitch beyond that was dry. [unfilled blank] m down with a couple of rebelays ended on a boulder slope with a smaler passage coming in -from the right & a squeeze over a 4m drop at the bottom but we had no rope left.

+from the right & a squeeze over a 4m drop at the bottom but we had no rope left.
22:00
T/U: 6.5 hours
+
2016-06-27
-
Nathan, George, Luke
+
Nathan Walker, George Breley, Luke Stangroom,
Balkonhöhle - Bipedal
-

Callout book entry

+ +

Callout book entry
22:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-06-28
-
Olly, Jenny
+
Olly Betts, Jenny Black,
2007-71, 15-02B
-

Olly rigged down 15-02B. Sadly it ended about where the final disto leg of 2015 +

Olly rigged down 15-02B. Sadly it ended about where the final disto leg of 2015 landed. Derigged out and removed all of our gear from the cave. I was very sad it had ended. Went to look at 97 (The day before I had climbed down the entrance chimney to see if the vocal connection to 2007-71c was worth digging - it isn't as it will just be too tight after the dig. The chimney is a fairly easy climb but tricky in current ice levels to exit at the top - it is tight and you are wedged in at the top of a 10m climb!). Anyway today we surveyed -from the tage the doline and the climb.

+from the tage the doline and the climb. -

Had a look at the surface near 2007-71, There is a strong linear feature with a small chamber -off it, but not really an actual cave.

+

Had a look at the surface near 2007-71, There is a strong linear feature with a small chamber +off it, but not really an actual cave.
20:00
T/U: 2.5 hours
+
2016-06-28
-
Olly, Jenny
+
Olly Betts, Jenny Black,
76 rigging
-

Took the first rope in to 76 to make a start on the rigging. I've barely rigged in years, +

Took the first rope in to 76 to make a start on the rigging. I've barely rigged in years, and not been to 76 since 2007, and was using the stop that Julian kindly lent me, having only used a rack for years. Anyway it all went fine, and 76 was comfortably familiar, the hiltis has survived the last decade fine (though the one at the top of Draft Bitter had a bit of rusty grease in it). Got to the rock bridge rebelay and decided a drill would be useful to add a higher deviation so I came out, ready to walk down the hill and experience going to the dentist -in German the next day!

+in German the next day! -

+

20:00
T/U: 1.5 hours
+
2016-06-28
-
Becka, Sioned, Andrew
+
Becka Lawson, Sioned Haughton, Andrew Atkinson,
Balkon - Pitch of Bipedal
-

We went back to investigate the lead with some more short pieces of rope & 100m of + +

We went back to investigate the lead with some more short pieces of rope & 100m of 9mm. Having received a 13m piece of rope that had been dropped at Natural High. We rerigged the initial drop & continued back to the bottom of the boulder slope. Squeezing round a piller we descended into a wet chamber with some pretty & sharp rock formations. The passage continued @@ -266,141 +305,175 @@ slope and free climbed the squeezy bit? He had just run out of batteries for sur not been able to return (hence the name - Batteries). We decided not to survey the incoming passage & instead Becka went down the main 75m pitch to investigate and survey. There was nothing at the bottom & surveying turned out to be impossible as the disto we had that day was -only up to 50m (the one we used the day before was 100m) so we de-rigged and came out.

+only up to 50m (the one we used the day before was 100m) so we de-rigged and came out. -

rigging topo

+

rigging topo
22:00
-
T/U: 6 hours
+
T/U: 6.0 hours
+
2016-06-28
-
Nat, Luke
+
Nat Dalton, Luke Stangroom,
Tunnocks - entrance rerig
-

Fettled Tunnocks entrance:
+ +

Fettled Tunnocks entrance:
- Replaced all slings in deviations with tat
- Fiddled with hang on a 2nd rebelay (clown) - Fiddled with deviation on a 2nd rebelay (taken out) - Re-rigged final drop onto ice plug (similar to 2015 now as opposed to 2014 rig? - Added natural to y-hang at Caramel Catharsis pitch -

21:00
-
T/U: 4 hours
+
T/U: 4.0 hours
+
2016-06-28
-
Nathan, George
+
Nathan Walker, George Breley,
Balkonhöhle - Bipedal
-

Callout book entry

+ +

Callout book entry +
T/U: 0.0 hours
-
2016-06-29 to 30
-
Nathan, Chris D, Anthony
+ +
2016-06-29
+
Nathan Walker, Chris Densham, Anthony Day,
Tunnocks - Set up Camp and Living the Dream
-

Weds 29th

-

I had spent a year dreaming of where the 5m diameter phreatic tunnel "Octopussy" led, + +

Weds 29th +

I had spent a year dreaming of where the 5m diameter phreatic tunnel "Octopussy" led, from the bottom of Kraken chamber. Sitting on a knot at the end of a long length of 6mm cord, -the tunnel ramped down at 30 degrees but we really had run out of gear and time on 2015 expo.

-

So it was wonderful for Anthony and me to return together with Nathan, laden with a fat -tacklesack each and picking up two more and drill left by Wookey and Nat on the way down.

-

Kraken was roughly as we remembered it and Anthony and Nathan set about leveling the dry +the tunnel ramped down at 30 degrees but we really had run out of gear and time on 2015 expo. +

So it was wonderful for Anthony and me to return together with Nathan, laden with a fat +tacklesack each and picking up two more and drill left by Wookey and Nat on the way down. +

Kraken was roughly as we remembered it and Anthony and Nathan set about leveling the dry mud floor in the large alcove we had identified as our bivi location. I collected water, installed -the antenna for the OUCC System Nicola (the original) that I had borrowed, and installed the lavatory:

-

crapper

-

WARNING: Approach the crapper in a way that a male porcupine may approach a female, ie. very carefully.

-

Andrew's specially made bivvi tent was eventually suspended from the roof, with one corner requiring +the antenna for the OUCC System Nicola (the original) that I had borrowed, and installed the lavatory: +

crapper +

WARNING: Approach the crapper in a way that a male porcupine may approach a female, ie. very carefully. +

Andrew's specially made bivvi tent was eventually suspended from the roof, with one corner requiring a large boulder to be rolled uphill by the three of us to act as a footstool to place a bolt in the roof. At 9pm we plugged in our radio for our pre-arranged call to Steinbrucken, only 650m distant according to the survey. We heard the same noise as we heard on the surface when testing it, but no -voice. Nothing. We enjoyed boil-in-the-bag curries with couscous and slept soundly.

-

Thurs 30th June

-

We rose to make our 9am call and this time couldn't even hear any noise - total silence. We had +voice. Nothing. We enjoyed boil-in-the-bag curries with couscous and slept soundly. +

Thurs 30th June +

We rose to make our 9am call and this time couldn't even hear any noise - total silence. We had produced too much humidity for the bivvi tent for it to breathe, so we had an enforced 3hr fester to -dry out the sleeping bags and set off for the bottom at 12:30pm.

-

Anthony placed a second bolt at the top of Octopussy, and replaced the short length of SRT and long +dry out the sleeping bags and set off for the bottom at 12:30pm. +

Anthony placed a second bolt at the top of Octopussy, and replaced the short length of SRT and long length of 6mm cord left in situ from 2015 with a 100m length of new 9mm. He descended the ramp and a while later called up to say if we wanted to reach the bottom we should bring more rope. Nathan took what we had, and soon all three of us were looking around at a 10m diameter phreatic tunnel that we had dropped into. It -was a beautiful passage in pale limestone with many delicately fluted formations in the floor.

-

"Octopussy" is a 5m diameter 100m long phreatic tunnel that ramps down -due to the West at an angle of +was a beautiful passage in pale limestone with many delicately fluted formations in the floor. +



"Octopussy" is a 5m diameter 100m long phreatic tunnel that ramps down -due to the West at an angle of around 30 degrees. It drops into "Living the Dream", a series of phreatic tunnels. To the North is ongoing unexplored, with a phreatic ramp heading up East parallel to Octopussy (QMA) and a possible choke to the Northwest (QMC). The south, Living the Dream is initially 10m diameter and reaches a crossroads after c. 30m. The main passage heads East up a ramp to a horizontal dry cracked mud floored passage. This ends with a junction with a climb down a ramp East to the head of a 20-30m pitch (QMA) or a climb up a steep gully to -the West which leads to a potential 25m traverse over a pitch/rift (QMB) and a hole down (QMC).

-

Back at the crossroads, 30m South of the junction between Octopussy and Living the Dream, a dry mud +the West which leads to a potential 25m traverse over a pitch/rift (QMB) and a hole down (QMC). +

Back at the crossroads, 30m South of the junction between Octopussy and Living the Dream, a dry mud floored passage meanders South for 50m, past several passages to the East (the first connects in a loop, the second is a QMC and the third appears too tight). At the southern end the passage ends in a 32m pitch (QMA), -Psychospeleogenesis (?) in a rift heading approximately East-West.

-

The third passage from the crossroads heads initially West, into a passage heading off SW downhill (QMB) and +Psychospeleogenesis (?) in a rift heading approximately East-West. +

The third passage from the crossroads heads initially West, into a passage heading off SW downhill (QMB) and the main passage meandering in a generally Northerly direction. The passage is generally horizontal with two dry U-bends according to the angle of dip. Two passages head off to the East, probably connecting (QMC). After -a short crawl the passage continues Northwards (QMA).

-

With c. 300m in the book we headed out, me adding two bolts to Tentacle Traverse and all stopping for +a short crawl the passage continues Northwards (QMA).

+

With c. 300m in the book we headed out, me adding two bolts to Tentacle Traverse and all stopping for soup at camp Kraken. We left camp over 7-8pm, staggered for safety, exiting over 12am-2am not necessarily in -the same order.

-

Living the Dream

+the same order. +

Living the Dream
09:00 +2days
-
T/U: 36 hours
+
T/U: 36.0 hours
+
2016-06-29
-
Luke, George, Frank
+
Luke Stangroom, George Breley, Frank Tully,
Balkonhöhle - Dig Dug Pitch
-

Callout book entry

+ +

Callout book entry
21:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
2016-06-29
+
Anthony Day,
+
Balcony - The Kraken Wakes
+ + +

[This blog is dated 4 August 2016. /the-kraken-wakes/] +

+

Avid readers of this blog will recall that I spent six weeks of last summer exploring caves in Austria. Near the end of the 2015 expedition, we had found a 5m diameter tube heading down at 30º into the unknown beyond the end of our one remaining rope. When summer 2016 rolled round, it was time for a rematch. +

Exploration in this part of the cave was becoming quite arduous due to remoteness (600+m deep), and trips were starting to take quite a long time (typically 15 hours) and were only going to get longer as the exploration front moved steadily further away from the entrance. Fortunately, in 2015 we had spotted a potential site for an underground camp in the large chamber, named Kraken, near the bottom of the cave: there was a nice, flat mud floor in a sheltered corner of the chamber, with a water supply nearby. What more could one wish for? +

So it was that I found myself as part of a three-man team charged with establishing the underground camp – something I had never done before. On arrival in Kraken chamber, it turned out that the “flat” mud floor of my memory was not quite so flat in reality. Thus we ended up digging out the mud with sub-Neanderthal excavation tools and building a retaining wall to hold back the spoil to create a flat area for our custom-built tent. We managed to find enough nobbles on the wall from which to suspend the tent, apart from one corner which required a boulder to be rolled up hill (a three-man job) so that we could reach high enough to place an anchor. With that done, “Camp Kraken” was born. +

Kraken1 +

After a remarkably warm and comfortable night in our newly established luxury bivouac, it was time to go exploring. I admit to a certain degree of nervousness at this point. The continuing tube looked very promising, but you never really know what is going to happen. It might lead to untold caverns measureless, but equally it might choke up with boulders just round the next corner, or run into a sump (flooded passage), or disappear up an aven that would require equipment we didn’t have to climb… the possibilities are endless. The only way to find out was to go and have a look. +

Kraken2 +

Off we went with a 100m length of rope – considerably more than we had had at our disposal the previous year. I had the privilege of going first, and set off down the tube. It kept on going down… then down some more… and more, until eventually I reached the end of the rope. By this point, the gradient had slackened off somewhat so I cautiously got off the rope and poked my head around the corner – and there was a 10m round passage heading off. +

With a mixture of relief and excitement we went off exploring and clocked up 350m of new passage with half a dozen promising leads before returning to the surface to relay the good news. Subsequent campers who went in found more passages and even more leads. The region was christened Hydra since, for every lead that closed down, another two appeared. +

Kraken3 +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+
2016-06-30
-
Becka, Nat, Andrew, Sioned
+
Becka Lawson, Nat Dalton, Andrew Atkinson, Sioned Haughton,
Tunnocks (258)- Champagne on Ice (rigging)
-

Nat and I had good memories of the leads down Champagne on Ice so we packed four + +

Nat and I had good memories of the leads down Champagne on Ice so we packed four tacklesacks and ~260 rope and started rigging. Missed the 1st two pitches by (something) Tom Claytons sneaky route through boulders below the short climb on the main route. Took turns rigging + cursing the rigging guide which gave no indication of scale + insufficient detail (Nat got particularly) grumpy but after a couple of false drops + some hunting for spits (not helped by thorough greasing of the spits making them near-invisible) we rigged to the bottom + -the short traverse beyond.

-

Redone Rigging guide 2016 - Champagne On Ice

-

Starting from climb down at Petticoat junction (to avoid first two pitches from Hedonism Highway route) -

Champagne on Ice topo1

-

Champagne on Ice topo2

-

Champagne on Ice topo3

-

Champagne on Ice topo4

+the short traverse beyond. +

Redone Rigging guide 2016 - Champagne On Ice +

Starting from climb down at Petticoat junction (to avoid first two pitches from Hedonism Highway route) +

Champagne on Ice topo1 +

Champagne on Ice topo2 +

Champagne on Ice topo3 +

Champagne on Ice topo4
23:00
T/U: 9.5 hours
+
2016-07-01
-
Becka, Julian, Andrew
+
Becka Lawson, Julian Todd, Andrew Atkinson,
Balkonhöhle 264 - Frozen North
-

Had a good orientation session trying to spot good QMs in 264. Went up Turtlehead and + +

Had a good orientation session trying to spot good QMs in 264. Went up Turtlehead and looked for QM92A and concluded it probably didn't exist (it was just the p6). Then looked just to N, looked at S side of QMAp60 but v. wet this side so we picked our way around to passage on its S side and Andrew rigged down to a large ledge and then floor, no way on - a fine 40m pitch but a dissapointing end. Then checked the snow slope on far NW of Frozen North and Andrew kicked steps up snow for c. 15m then I came up and he put in a bolt and I belayed him up another 20m. Good draft and lots of moss, leaves etc but no sign of light so our hopes of escaping -out of a new entrance were dashed so we headed back via Cock Aven.

-

93b pitch topo

+out of a new entrance were dashed so we headed back via Cock Aven. +

93b pitch topo
22:00
-
T/U: 8 hours?
+
T/U: 8.0 hours
+
2016-07-01
-
Nat, George
+
Nat Dalton, George Breley,
Tunnocks - Champagne on Ice
-

Nat promised me an “adventure” and so led me down Tunnocks after excessive faff to push a +

Nat promised me an “adventure” and so led me down Tunnocks after excessive faff to push a lead he’d last visited in 2014. We descended relatively efficiently and route finding was not much of an issue. The following changes were made to the ‘champagne on ice’ pitch series:
-Replaced sling at 1st pitch head with additional bolt to form proper y-hang
-Improved the traverse at the very end with the addition of a single bolt in the ceiling of - the passage at the very bottom of the series.

+ the passage at the very bottom of the series. -

Beyond this I rigged a P5, although it should be noted that this pitch is probably larger +

Beyond this I rigged a P5, although it should be noted that this pitch is probably larger than 5m as an 11m rope was insufficient to reach the bottom. After rigging a pre-bolted traverse we soon arrived at the lead, a drafting hole atop a seemingly easy climb just beyond a >10m hole. The traverse required to get round the hole was somewhat more sketchy than Nat @@ -409,15 +482,18 @@ facilitated bolting of the traverse please consult either Nat or myself. ‘What think’ traverse was rigged around the corner too a floor at the base of the climb up to the lead. At this point we turned back due to tiredness, cold and Nat being a big baby. This far the traverse consists of 4 bolts ascending to a further 5th bolt up to a ledge around the -corner (backed up with by a spike).

-

traverse topo

+corner (backed up with by a spike). +

traverse topo
08:00 +1
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-01
-
Olly, Jenny
+
Olly Betts, Jenny Black,
76 - Rigging Plugged Shaft
-

Back into 76 to continue rigging. Olly continued where I left off starting the 65m rope at + +

Back into 76 to continue rigging. Olly continued where I left off starting the 65m rope at The Ledge. This year we rigged along the ledge side, with a deviation on the Test Tubes side. This was a good success - it uses fewer hangers, is easier and quicker to pass and hangs better. Olly rigged tightly - the Y-hang at The Ledge Below The Ledge was temporarioly a single @@ -427,17 +503,18 @@ of slack through! I wasn't convinced there was 2m of slack rope in the whole cav this pitch. Anyway I converted the comfortable Y-hang to a single hanger with deviation, then the rope just reaches. We realised this wasn't very workable, but also a knot pass isn't good in a trade route rig. So we headed out to rethink. -

-

Callout book entry

+

Callout book entry
20:00
-
3.5 hrs
+
T/U: 3.5 hours
+
2016-07-02
-
David, Roshni, Mark D
+
David Walker, Roshni Gohil, Mark Dougherty,
264 Balcony - Cathedral Chasm
-

First 7 hours of the trip went relatively smoothly, despite David forgetting to bring a pencil + +

First 7 hours of the trip went relatively smoothly, despite David forgetting to bring a pencil for surveying. We made our way to Cathedral Chasm, which included getting past a particularly awkward climb, requiring removal of SRT gear and much swearing on my part. Traversed around a rather large pitch and put in an extra bolt at the end of the traverse before continuing onwards to the possible @@ -457,8 +534,8 @@ I was fairly slow to respond and lost some motor function. I recall having some point it was about 8pm, and the start of a very long, cold night. Tried to warm up as much as possible without much success, while waiting for cave rescue. Mostly it was boring - time seems to drag so 10 minutes feels like an hour. Conversation between David and I was forced - included pineapple trivia. The -survival bag did work though, we were alive when Mark arrived at 11pm.

-

There was some miscommunication between David and Mark which delayed rescue by 15 minutes or so; neither +survival bag did work though, we were alive when Mark arrived at 11pm. +

There was some miscommunication between David and Mark which delayed rescue by 15 minutes or so; neither could hear the other over the water, whch was incredibly forceful at this point. After that faff, Mark finally got down and from that point things moved pretty efficiently. Got into a bivvy, consumed some soup and then we waited for about 5/6 hours. It wasn't the most comfortable night. That said, going from incoherent to somewhat @@ -466,19 +543,20 @@ functional was a definite improvement in condition, so I won't complain too much so high as they would have been had we died of hypothermia. I suppose dead people can't feel miserable, but it would have been a hassle for everyone else. Around 5am, the condition of the pitch had dramatically improved, and Mark made the excecutive decision to get out then. Again, it was a very efficient operation. Mark and I tandem -prussicked out, and David followed behind. By 6am we were officially out of Balkonhöhle.

-

There are several lessons to be learned here. The first is to avoid wet pitches - don't be swayed by hubris. +prussicked out, and David followed behind. By 6am we were officially out of Balkonhöhle. +

There are several lessons to be learned here. The first is to avoid wet pitches - don't be swayed by hubris. Secondly, appreciate cushions, try sitting still on unforgiving limestone for several straight hours if you don't. Thirdly, you don't need to take drugs to experience altered states of consciousness. Just get really cold. But at -the end of the day, it was an experience, albeit not a fun one. We live to cave again.

-
18 hrs
+the end of the day, it was an experience, albeit not a fun one. We live to cave again. +
T/U: 18.0 hours
+
2016-07-02
-
Mark D, George, Nat, Haydon
+
Mark Dougherty, George Breley, Nat Dalton, Haydon Saunders,
Balkonhöhle Rescue
-

At 22:00 David and Roshni's callout went live. We scanned the hill for lights, but saw +

At 22:00 David and Roshni's callout went live. We scanned the hill for lights, but saw nothing. So we prepared for a rescue and departed for the entrance. We had the response bag and Mark had some extra emergency equipment in his own kit. Nat stayed on the surface, prepared to run for more help if needed. Mark and George descended the cave and established contact halfway @@ -487,19 +565,19 @@ bottom to see a rather cold and worried David and a VERY cold Roshni. Because of descending the pitch, Mark signalled to George that he should go back out. First action was to put extra clothes (duvet vest) on Roshni. We then set up camp. Tacklebags etc. on the floor to sit on and then the bothy to get onto. Hot soup and plenty of flapjack. Candles for extra -warmth.

+warmth. -

At 05:00 we judged it sufficiently improved that we could try to get out. That went very +

At 05:00 we judged it sufficiently improved that we could try to get out. That went very smoothly. Mark gave Roshni an assisted prussic and she put in as much effort as she could. We -met Becka at the col whilst slowly making our way back to camp.

+met Becka at the col whilst slowly making our way back to camp. -

Some thoughts: +

Some thoughts:

  1. The bothy shelter was great
  2. The extra clothes I had were very useful. On a call out, pack a few fleeces, cagoules, whatever in a dry bag and take down.
  3. The short length of SRT rope I took was very useful, not only for prussic assist but also for lifelining up the balcony climb.
  4. Communication with David up the pitch was impossible. Use a whistle! If you are in trouble and need the rescuers to come down, give the standard emergency signal (six blasts).
    5. -

+
T/U: Mark 7 hours
@@ -507,47 +585,52 @@ George 3 hours
Nat 2 hours
Haydon 2 hours (extra reinforcement at the surface)
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-02
-
Jenny
+
Jenny Black,
76 - Plugged Shaft ropework
-

We came up with a plan of starting with our one remaining thick rope (29m) and shift +

We came up with a plan of starting with our one remaining thick rope (29m) and shift everything else down accordingly. Olly needed a day to rest his knees, so I spent the day untying and re-tying knots in Plugged Shaft. On the second go I got the 29m to reach the second of the twin rebelays (31m would be better). Then the 65m reached Yesterday's Terminus (again a few m more would have been better). Then the 48m comfortably reached the bottom of Saved Shaft. I tweaked some of the lengths on my way out. Today the weather Gods smiled on me, and I -got my gear dry before the heavy rain started.

-
T/U:4.5 hrs
+got my gear dry before the heavy rain started. +
T/U: 4.5 hours
+
2016-07-02
-
Haydon (Twat), Ash, Mark D, Sioned
+
Haydon Saunders, Ashley Gregg, Mark Dougherty, Sioned Haughton,
Balkonhöhle
-

Went down to Long Drop after Haydons desire to do some f**king caving after ecoli.

-

First tried to approach pitch from wrong direction after Marks misguided directions from last year and Haydon hanging -off questionable naturals. (Hammer and setter may have been left here!).

-

After continuing to the correct pitch Haydon continued to rig the pitch only to find that the hammer and setter was left +

Went down to Long Drop after Haydons desire to do some f**king caving after ecoli. +

First tried to approach pitch from wrong direction after Marks misguided directions from last year and Haydon hanging +off questionable naturals. (Hammer and setter may have been left here!). +

After continuing to the correct pitch Haydon continued to rig the pitch only to find that the hammer and setter was left at the last pitch. Ash and Sioned retrieved this from the previous pitch while Haydon gardened some sizeable boulders from -a ledge 10m down, that Ashley could hear from the other end of Balkonhöhle.

-

After rope and setter had returned Haydon dropped the pitch to approx 50m and the first main ledge, to continue the next -drop having cold grumblings from the top of the pitch (who knows why?).

-

Ash's perspective continued below:

-

After Sion and I retrieved the hammer and setter that some numpty had left at the previous traverse (aka Haydon!), Haydon +a ledge 10m down, that Ashley could hear from the other end of Balkonhöhle. +

After rope and setter had returned Haydon dropped the pitch to approx 50m and the first main ledge, to continue the next +drop having cold grumblings from the top of the pitch (who knows why?). +

Ash's perspective continued below: +

After Sion and I retrieved the hammer and setter that some numpty had left at the previous traverse (aka Haydon!), Haydon began his dodgy bolting down the pitch. In between, Mark, Sion and I froze at the top of the pitch and quickly got bored. So we decided to do some survey practicing down a side passage of loose rock. After giving up, as using a PDA is a right pain in the arse, we continued to freeze our tits off at the top of the pitch. Eventually the c**nt (Haydon) returned from bolting and -we were able to leave this stupid pitch that will be the end of me.

-
T/U:8 hrs
+we were able to leave this stupid pitch that will be the end of me. +
T/U: 8.0 hours
+
2016-07-02
-
Becka, Andrew, Luke
+
Becka Lawson, Andrew Atkinson, Luke Stangroom,
Tunnocks - Champagne on Ice - Rigging Daft Choice beyond Straight Choice Exposed
-

A slick trip with the drill back to the Straight Choice Exposed bold bolted climb that Andrew had climbed whilst I belayed + +

A slick trip with the drill back to the Straight Choice Exposed bold bolted climb that Andrew had climbed whilst I belayed back in 2010. The ankle-high traverse wasn't too bad once you realised where the holds were but definetely non-standard SRT. Luke and I then settled down to flapjack whilst Andrew bolted a traverse across the continuation - the left wall of a p15 or so. This, again, was a fairly strenuous number to cross but he eventually gained a small tube on the left which bypassed the last few metres @@ -559,62 +642,74 @@ surveyed left (passage on R, N side was done by Frank and me on 5/7/16 - it soon complex breakdown rift. We finished after ~40 survey legs looking onto a fairly promising continuation. When we plotted the data the bottom of Champagne on Ice pitches was only ~18m from the far end of the Daft Choice traverse which would obviously make it much faster and easier to gain the Daft Choice leads, but on 5/7/16 Frank and I didn't spot a continuation from in Daft choice, and on 6/7/16 Andrew, -George and Luke didn't connect when they rigged a parallel shaft in Champagne on Ice.

-

rigging topo

-
T/U:12 hrs
+George and Luke didn't connect when they rigged a parallel shaft in Champagne on Ice. +

rigging topo +
T/U: 12.0 hours
+
2016-07-03
-
Ash, Sioned
+
Ashley Gregg, Sioned Haughton,
Balcony - Fetching Drills
-

Callout book entry

+ +

Callout book entry
17:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-03
-
Luke, Andrew, Becka, George
+
Luke Stangroom, Andrew Atkinson, Becka Lawson, George Breley,
Looking for 2nd Balkonhöhle entrance (dropping 2010-04)
-

Dropped 2010-04 using naturals to get to snow slope. Andrew and I used the shovel to dig at the base and the side in 3 spots. -Soft snow initially and some gaps but no draft. Gave up after less than an hour. Survey in folder #8 (2016-08).

-

Dropped 2010-03 using naturals. Becka down - no way on. Turned out Noel had also checked this in 2012 and surveyed it.

-

Scouted the area but nothing new found.

-

2010#4 survey

+ +

Dropped 2010-04 using naturals to get to snow slope. Andrew and I used the shovel to dig at the base and the side in 3 spots. +Soft snow initially and some gaps but no draft. Gave up after less than an hour. Survey in folder #8 (2016-08). +

Dropped 2010-03 using naturals. Becka down - no way on. Turned out Noel had also checked this in 2012 and surveyed it. +

Scouted the area but nothing new found. +

2010#4 survey
20:00
-
T/U:~1 hrs (Becka and Andrew), Others 0 hours
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-03
-
Nat, Haydon
+
Nat Dalton, Haydon Saunders,
Balcony - Haydon's pitch near gear dump
-

Callout book entry

+ +

Callout book entry
22:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-03
-
Olly, Jenny
+
Olly Betts, Jenny Black,
76 - Keg Series
-

Much wetter in Plugged Shaft today, but totally passable. Got to Boulder Chamber and Olly + +

Much wetter in Plugged Shaft today, but totally passable. Got to Boulder Chamber and Olly started to rig Keg Series. We were last here in 2004, despite me remembering which rope we rigged it on then, I had no idea on the actual rigging details. Olly started from the Follow Thru' Shaft end. I had a go and concluded that was wrong. I also concluded that the original rig needed bolts adding, was loose and looked pretty drippy. So we decided to change plan and rig down Follow Through Shaft, then go down the Adventures in Time and Space route to the bottom of Keg Series (last visited by us and Dave Loeffler in 2005). Again we were hazy on the -rig.

+rig. -

I was happy that the traverse had been left rigged at the top and was only a bit +

I was happy that the traverse had been left rigged at the top and was only a bit drippy. Olly rigged down for a bit then I took over, eventually finding a suitable deviation for the final bit. Last 10m or so was drippy (but less bad with the deviation in). I had a quick look in Razor Advance while Olly came down. Keg Series was very wet and drippy, but Razor Advance was dry, so we left the drill and survey kit there and headed out. When tired and unfit it took just over 2 hrs out. -

T/U:8.25 hrs
+
T/U: 8.25 hours
+
2016-07-04
-
Frank, Elliott, Peachey, Rob, Katey, Alice, Nathan
+
Frank Tully, Elliott Smith, Ian Peachey, Rob Watson, Katey Bender, Alice Smith, Nathan Walker,
Balcony Tourists on Independence Day
-

There was no cock to crow for the momentous day of Independence for the + +

There was no cock to crow for the momentous day of Independence for the country served by K Bender, but fortunately Densham did arise at Dawn to faff impressively before going down to camp. We waited for Elliott to get back from retrieving his thermals before going underground, thus achieving plenty of faff @@ -624,24 +719,27 @@ it took just over 2 hrs out. arrived at Haydons big pitch and were impressed. Then a fast team of me, Nathan, Elliott and Katey we on out while Alice, Frank and Peachey took photos. I dropped my tackle bag down a hole and so was duty bound to retrieve it the - following day.

+ following day.
T/U: 5 hrs
22:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-04
-
Wookey, Chris, Nat
+
Wookey, Chris Densham, Nat Dalton,
Tunnocks, 2-night camp
-

Callout book entry

+ +

Callout book entry
07:00 +3
-

After a fairly restful trip with Haydon down Balcony (pushing londrop). I came back to camp +

After a fairly restful trip with Haydon down Balcony (pushing londrop). I came back to camp to find Chris attempting to recruit people to go to camp. As he’d only managed to recruit a -partially recovered Wookey I reluctantly volunteered to go to camp.

-

After ~3.5 hours I reached camp and set up the washing line (major task #1). Wookey & Chris +partially recovered Wookey I reluctantly volunteered to go to camp. +

After ~3.5 hours I reached camp and set up the washing line (major task #1). Wookey & Chris set off to fettle Tentacle Traverse whilst I caused havoc by spilling mushroom soup everywhere. After a brief scolding from Chris we ate dinner & went to sleep (n.b. creamy pasta with herbs & risotto travel lunches are very salty).

-

The following day we up at 6.30 am (!!!) and were caving by 10(?) in massive +

The following day we up at 6.30 am (!!!) and were caving by 10(?) in massive phreas. Surveying continued until ~9 (an ~11 hour surveying day without significant breaks). We managed to generate more leads than we killed, byepassing a pitch Chris rigged, surveying tunnel sized passage & finding a stream (!!!); a greasy traverse above the stream was deemed to @@ -652,77 +750,90 @@ after several more hours we were allowed back for dinner. The following day we w met by Becka, David & a haggard looking Julian. 4.5 hours later saw me catch up with George & Luke who’d been down Champagne on Ice. [Nats boots developed large holes across the toes on this tip, kicking walls hurts with no foot protection]

+

T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-05
-
Andrew, Sioned
+
Andrew Atkinson, Sioned Haughton,
Balcony - Frozen North
-

After finding a promising looking snow slope on a previous trip with Becka and Julian, and an unsuccessful prospecting trip + +

After finding a promising looking snow slope on a previous trip with Becka and Julian, and an unsuccessful prospecting trip to identify the entrance from the surface, Andrew convinced me to accompany him on a trip to dig our way out from the inside. It was very cold and unsuccessful. Andrew finished off the 55m rope that had been left from the previous trip getting to the top of the slope where a further few metres of digging in the snow didn't get anywhere. Another 17m rope was used to traverse -from a rock ledge into a passage in the ceiling but that closed down and the rope was left in situ.

+from a rock ledge into a passage in the ceiling but that closed down and the rope was left in situ.
22:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-05
-
Becka, Katey, Frank, Peachey
+
Becka Lawson, Katey Bender, Frank Tully, Ian Peachey,
Tunnocks - Champagne on Ice - Daft Choice 2
-

Only I had been to Champagne on Ice before and Peachey hadn't been to Tunnocks so we touristed to the head of String Theory + +

Only I had been to Champagne on Ice before and Peachey hadn't been to Tunnocks so we touristed to the head of String Theory on the way in and Peachey took a few photos on the way down. We all went up the Straight Choice Exposed climb but decided to split up at the Daft Choice traverse. Katey and Peachey continued taking photos whilst Frank and I surveyed the passage on the right after the C3 described in my 2 July logbook entry and then the QM on the R near the end of the 2 July survey, + some draft. All met up on the pitches on the way out and I turned one of the nuiscance pitches on Champagne on Ice into a traverse to -simplify the route (which needs a rigging guide, Nat!).

+simplify the route (which needs a rigging guide, Nat!).
22:00
-
T/U: ~10 hours
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
-
2016-07-05/06?
-
Olly, Jenny
+ +
2016-07-05
+
Olly Betts, Jenny Black,
76
-

Callout book entry

+ +

Callout book entry
07:00 +1
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-05
-
Rob, Elliott, Nathan
+
Rob Watson, Elliott Smith, Nathan Walker,
Balcony - Batteries! finishing off and bag retrieval
-

A day of tidying up loose ends and transporting equipment. Went and rigged Batteries! and surveyed it to a conclusion. + +

A day of tidying up loose ends and transporting equipment. Went and rigged Batteries! and surveyed it to a conclusion. About 50m in the book. Ended in a too tight tube heading down. In common with other passages taking water in Balcony there was very little development. We then went and retrieved my tackle bag which required a 15m pitch to be rigged. Y-hang off two naturals (thread and big column) with spike deviation. Another immature clean washed aven. Drippy. Then left the derigged -Batteries! rope at Hilti-a-Plenty for rigging that. Bipedal traverse still rigged! Out quickly with drill and bolting kit.

-
T/U: 6 hours
+Batteries! rope at Hilti-a-Plenty for rigging that. Bipedal traverse still rigged! Out quickly with drill and bolting kit. +
T/U: 6.0 hours
-
2016-07-06 to 07
-
David, Becka, Julian
+ +
2016-07-06
+
David Walker, Becka Lawson, Julian Todd,
Tunnocks - Kracken
-

We got to the entrance at 10:45am and started the long descent leaving behind a plateau + +

We got to the entrance at 10:45am and started the long descent leaving behind a plateau asleep under a blanket of clag. Down we went, accompanied by a backing track of grumbling from -Julian. He was clearly enjoying himself.

-

Kraken was as big as promised and we made it to the camp at about 4:30pm just as the +Julian. He was clearly enjoying himself. +

Kraken was as big as promised and we made it to the camp at about 4:30pm just as the previous team were coming up Octopussy. Nat bubbled with excitement as he described what lay below. Wookey sketched out a plan of the leads they had found - our survey missing some 800m of passages. The only bad news was a shortage of bog roll having been promised there was plenty! -Fortunately we were able to separate Nat from his emergency supply.

-

After some soup we descended Octopussy; a fantastic 5m wide steeply sloping tube. We then +Fortunately we were able to separate Nat from his emergency supply. +

After some soup we descended Octopussy; a fantastic 5m wide steeply sloping tube. We then headed to our first A lead - a large phreatic tube heading up a muddy slope. We followed this for at least 100m before it ended at the bottom of a downward slope where the mud filled the passage. This passage had some pristine white formations and excellent mud floors. A fine start -to our surveying.

-

We proceeded to explore the remaining known passages. Discover the upstream sump from which +to our surveying. +

We proceeded to explore the remaining known passages. Discover the upstream sump from which a small stream emerged. Julian spotted a large collection of dead 'cave lobsters' in the -passage leading to the sump (washed into a muddy crawl during a flood).

-

This ended our first day of exploration and we made the tough ascent of Octopussy. The mud +passage leading to the sump (washed into a muddy crawl during a flood). +

This ended our first day of exploration and we made the tough ascent of Octopussy. The mud makes the climb slippery and impeded jammer operation. On return to camp we set about making -dinner and getting ready for bed.

-

After a relatively comfortable and very warm night(compared with the night I spent +dinner and getting ready for bed. +

After a relatively comfortable and very warm night(compared with the night I spent underground a few days prior) we arose. Julian and I were moaned at for our lack of enthusiasm for leaving our nice warm pits until after breakfast. However we were soon once again doing -battle with Octopussy.

-

We set off down our next A lead- relatively horizontal 5m diameter tube heading north. This +battle with Octopussy. +

We set off down our next A lead- relatively horizontal 5m diameter tube heading north. This passage had 2 smaller passages off the left which we connected back into known passage. The large passage reached a fault in the rock where a short pitch of ~20m would no doubt resulted in more cave. Having made good progress (survey legs typically exceeding 20m) we started on @@ -730,66 +841,73 @@ another nearby A lead where Chris's team had turned around. We followed more mas before reaching a chamber around a stone pillar some 10m across, Five ways lead off from here. One passage slopped down to the sound of water requiring a rope another 2 tubes (only 2m in diameter) lead off upwards while the 6m passage took a downward direction after meeting another -large passage from above.

-

First we set off down, the passage meandered before reaching a pitch roughly 30m deep, it +large passage from above. +

First we set off down, the passage meandered before reaching a pitch roughly 30m deep, it couldn't be approached safely without a rope. However the real highlight of this passage was a living cave lobster! Whilst sat at a survey station I noticed it climbing up the wall, no idea where it thought it was going, or what it could be eating, but it could certainly move. My comrades took photos and video. To finish our survey we ascended the aforementioned slope leading to a large rift. The two up sloping tubes connected and lead to a 4m free climb which we left for the next party. We met the team in question at the camp whilst eating our pre exit -dinner (~4pm). A long prusik followed.

+dinner (~4pm). A long prusik followed.
07:00 +1
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-06
-
Elliott, Peachey, Nathan
+
Elliott Smith, Ian Peachey, Nathan Walker,
The pitch formally known as "Haydon's pitch" -> "Long Drop"
-

Sorry for the write-up delay!

-

After Haydon had headed down the hill, Nathan, Peachey and I took over the 'project'. Haydon + +

Sorry for the write-up delay! +

After Haydon had headed down the hill, Nathan, Peachey and I took over the 'project'. Haydon had said he had dropped ~60m to a large ledge, before getting a 6 second drop off it! Of course, -we didn't believe him.

-

We tidied up the initial traverse, before Peachey went off to get bolting. As Haydon's team (the +we didn't believe him. +

We tidied up the initial traverse, before Peachey went off to get bolting. As Haydon's team (the lazy, good-for-nothing *!?#*!?'s) hadn't surveyed squat, Nathan and I got on with it. Approx 50m to -the first ledge, which then forms the take off to a >120m pitch! Balcony has some surprises yet...

-

From the LHW, a short traverse takes you to a pitch head proper. Approx 25m down, working towards +the first ledge, which then forms the take off to a >120m pitch! Balcony has some surprises yet... +

From the LHW, a short traverse takes you to a pitch head proper. Approx 25m down, working towards the right, a good sized window gains access to "ICU with a view". Chock stones provide a chossy floor -on which to stick up a bothy.

-

I found Peachey in the ICU, having a good garden and looking slightly taken aback by the scale of +on which to stick up a bothy. +

I found Peachey in the ICU, having a good garden and looking slightly taken aback by the scale of things! After re-supplying him with kit, he set off down a rift that leaves the ICU from the North. Masterful bolting from Peachey saw us ~60m further down a lovely section of rebelays. The pitch follows the RHW (looking from the ICU), pulling you away from the initial, pretty loose rift. The passage is -4-6m wide, but runs N-S from the main shaft, towards the North for ~80m.

-

Peachey had got cracking on the next drop, but we ran out of hangers and rope.

-

NB This actually occurred over two days!

-
T/U: 17.5 hours (total)
+4-6m wide, but runs N-S from the main shaft, towards the North for ~80m. +

Peachey had got cracking on the next drop, but we ran out of hangers and rope. +

NB This actually occurred over two days! +
T/U: 17.5 hours
+
2016-07-06
-
Rob, Alice, Katey
+
Rob Watson, Alice Smith, Katey Bender,
Hilti-a-Plenty exploration - rigging trip
-

Underground by 11am. It being Alice's first expo, we wanted to give her some experience of rigging in + +

Underground by 11am. It being Alice's first expo, we wanted to give her some experience of rigging in Austria and this seemed a good choice being close to the entrance, quite deep but not too deep and promising quite a few leads to push later. Alice rigged very well - safe, tight, high and functional rigging all round and efficient to. Once at the bottom, we decided to have a look around at the leads and what had allready -been surveyed.

-

First we went left from the bottom of the pitch series to a small bouldery chamber, from there we went +been surveyed. +

First we went left from the bottom of the pitch series to a small bouldery chamber, from there we went left and along a tightish passage to a draughty aven. Quite a promising lead via a traverse over the aven and into a small phreatic crawl was left. Then we went back to the small bouldery chamber and went up a vadose ramp to Spunge Chamber (4 pots in a row), this back to find some excellent mud formations. Then back to the bottom of the Hilti-a-Plenty pitch and turning right to the large bouldery chamber with many leads. Leaving -pushing for another day, we then headed out.

-
T/U: 6 hours
+pushing for another day, we then headed out. +
T/U: 6.0 hours
+
2016-07-06
-
Rob, Alice, Katey
+
Rob Watson, Alice Smith, Katey Bender,
Balkonhöhle - Hilti-a-Plenty, surveying Northen Straight
-

My (Alice) first surveying trip. We started at where myself, Katey and Rob had had a nose around the day + +

My (Alice) first surveying trip. We started at where myself, Katey and Rob had had a nose around the day before. George and I started surveying while Rob went ahead to rig a traverse further ahead. across a pitch ~6m. The larger passage continues to the right into a tight popcorny squeeze which brings you out onto a wedged -boulder which prevents you from falling down the pitch.

-

After a lot of contorting, Alan Partridge references blossoming from Rob and George, which ended up becoming +boulder which prevents you from falling down the pitch. +

After a lot of contorting, Alan Partridge references blossoming from Rob and George, which ended up becoming some of the names for bits of passage. The passage continued to the north, with a c lead looking fairly small, muddy and miserable to the East, and the main passage continuing to the West before reaching a massive pillar and a short climb down into an aven, which eventually becomes enormous (40m up on a disto shot onto a ledge, actual roof probably @@ -797,72 +915,80 @@ higher) with a muddy floor which climbs up to a small passage which leads up to When surveying this section, a leg was shot straight across, followed by one which came through another entrance to the chamber. An extra survey station had to be added in between the two (2m apart) to connect them, which made book nice and confusing. From there, a hading rift went up to the right, and a passage continued up a 45 degree slope to -the right, finishing in an aven (Rob said this has now crapped out).

-

All in all a good trip ~200m surveyed.

-

survey

+the right, finishing in an aven (Rob said this has now crapped out). +

All in all a good trip ~200m surveyed. +

survey +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-07
-
Andrew, Sioned, Becka
+
Andrew Atkinson, Sioned Haughton, Becka Lawson,
Balcony
-

Callout book entry

+ +

Callout book entry +
T/U: 0.0 hours
-
2016-07-07 to 10
-
Mark D, Anthony, Luke
+ +
2016-07-07
+
Mark Dougherty, Anthony Day, Luke Stangroom,
Tunnocks Camp
+

Day 1

-

Descended lunchtime and sent down at a steady pace. Met up with David, Julian and Becka at +

Descended lunchtime and sent down at a steady pace. Met up with David, Julian and Becka at the camp. After a quick brew we went off exploring. WE headed to the 4m climb mentioned by the previous party's write up. Mark climbed it and beyond the passage soon reached another pitch down where we could hear water. After that it was time to get back to camp for dinner. The -night was pretty comfortable.

+night was pretty comfortable.

Day 2

-

Big day of exploration. First lead was the "short pitch of 20m". A quick rig from Mark and +

Big day of exploration. First lead was the "short pitch of 20m". A quick rig from Mark and it was 12m. Below a fine piece of passage led to a blind alcove. A smaller side passage led directly to a mud sump the consistence of a blancmange. We christened this "The Wrong -Custard".

-

Next up was a ramp just after the northern branch splits off. Luke took the lead and up we -went! Some superb cracked mud floor at the top.

-

Then we finished off with a crack at the deep pitch in Lobster Passage. Mark put in the +Custard". +

Next up was a ramp just after the northern branch splits off. Luke took the lead and up we +went! Some superb cracked mud floor at the top. +

Then we finished off with a crack at the deep pitch in Lobster Passage. Mark put in the first few traverse bolts in, then Luke took over and rigged the actual descent. A superb 45m freehang into a chamber. At the bottom was some very glutinous mud and a sump. An inlet passage -led to an aven at least 20m high.

+led to an aven at least 20m high.

Day 3

-

We had breakfast and then Mark went up the boulder slope to get onto the rope..but couldn't +

We had breakfast and then Mark went up the boulder slope to get onto the rope..but couldn't find it. Anthony (our illustrious trip leader with a pocket full of surveys and notes) came up the slope prepared to point "the old duffer" in the right direction. But he soon realised that the rope really was missing. With our lights on full power we managed to locate it about 20 m -off the floor. Bugger.

-

To avoid wasting a day we decided to go pushing anyway. A rescue seemed inevitable but we -couldn't do anything about it.

-

First up was a B-lead not far from the bottom of Octopussy. This went for ~140m, sloping +off the floor. Bugger. +

To avoid wasting a day we decided to go pushing anyway. A rescue seemed inevitable but we +couldn't do anything about it. +

First up was a B-lead not far from the bottom of Octopussy. This went for ~140m, sloping down all the way to a very muddy conclusion. After this, Mark went back to camp (in case another party came down). Meanwhile Anthony and Luke took a look at the two pitches nearby. One (to the left) proved awkward due to a big loose boulder. The other (to the right) is in a rift and was easier to rig. Anthony took up the cudgels and descended down to a chamber/passage with two ways on. Either another pitch or an ascending ramp. Those were left for another day. Dinner was calm and we spent some time inventing ridiculous games to pass the time in case of a -protracted wait for rescue. "Soup snap" was one idea.

+protracted wait for rescue. "Soup snap" was one idea.

Day 4

-

At about 11:45 we heard the first sounds of rescuers approaching. Soon after we welcome +

At about 11:45 we heard the first sounds of rescuers approaching. Soon after we welcome sight of Nat abseiling down meant that we were at last able to get out. An efficient prussic -out and everybody was back on the surface by 17:00.

-

Many thanks to all the EXPO members who organised a very efficient rescue!

-
T/U: T/U 77 hours
+out and everybody was back on the surface by 17:00. +

Many thanks to all the EXPO members who organised a very efficient rescue! +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-07
-
Jenny, Olly
+
Jenny Black, Olly Betts,
76 - Keg Series
-

Headed into Razor Advance with drill, rope and survey kit to see what happened next. On the + +

Headed into Razor Advance with drill, rope and survey kit to see what happened next. On the way in we had switched the rope in Adventures in Time and Space for the 72m - a few m longer would be better. We also added a bolt to protect the traverse across to the rope up to Razor -Advance (but there was insufficient rope to add a backup).

-

Followed the rift on, and it quickly became apparent that the rope was needed. Olly put in a +Advance (but there was insufficient rope to add a backup). +

Followed the rift on, and it quickly became apparent that the rope was needed. Olly put in a few bolts and we got further along the rift to a nice spot to descend, a Y-hang gave a lovely hang - this is an inlet into a much larger cross rift. Water comes out on the right part way down - it seems likely that this is the Keg Series water from the size and position. Pitch is @@ -873,26 +999,30 @@ that didn't look climbable. Went back to a higher level that had a phreatic roof sometimes a separate passage. Got slightly further, but again to a not free-climbable drop. Attempted to survey out, but after a couple of legs realised the disto wasn't properly calibrated (we discovered this quickly thanks to Andrew's advice to take three readings of a -leg in different directions every so often). Gave up and exited.

+leg in different directions every so often). Gave up and exited.
T/U: 10.5 hours
+
2016-07-08
-
Jenny, Olly
+
Jenny Black, Olly Betts,
171 survey
-

I'd noticed that 171 was a moderately sized cave on the plateau that was unsurveyed, so + +

I'd noticed that 171 was a moderately sized cave on the plateau that was unsurveyed, so decided it was a nice job for a rest day. To make life easier just took helmets, clothing and survey kit. We'd spent the morning successfully recalibrating the distox2 inside the bivi cave. Started at 171a and surveyed to 171b - a nice phreatic passage with multiple skylights. A low bit in the middle. Continued a bit beyond the "b" entrances, but decided to return to -finish with oversuits.

+finish with oversuits.
T/U: 2.5 hours
+
2016-07-08
-
Rob, George, Frank
+
Rob Watson, George Breley, Frank Tully,
Dropping pitches and finding more
-

Frank brought his spade/shovel along in case of digging potential, but unfortunately his + +

Frank brought his spade/shovel along in case of digging potential, but unfortunately his illness prevented him from achieving this. Then me and George went to the pitch down the sandy ramp and climb. I bolted the pitch and put George on book. It turned out this was a bad idea. 14 legs of shit later we derigged and left for Spunge Chamber. We tried to find survey stations but @@ -902,100 +1032,133 @@ First we went right down hill to a dripping pitch, which could also be traversed beyond.Then we went uphill to a pot which could be dropped (pretty draughty) or traversed over to the right for another horizontal continuation. We did a bit of an exposed traverse to a straight on lead, heading up a 5m climb to an uphill ramp to a big draughty pot. Around 150-200m in the book -then out.

-

survey

-
T/U: 9 hours
+then out. +

survey +
T/U: 9.0 hours
+
2016-07-09
-
Jenny, Olly
+
Jenny Black, Olly Betts,
16-JB-01 Hohle der guten Hoffnung
-

Intended to go back and finish surveying 171, so took ovesuits, kneepads as well as helmets + +

Intended to go back and finish surveying 171, so took ovesuits, kneepads as well as helmets and survey kit. Olly wanted to try a different route to walk there so headed past 2006-70 and up from there. I saw a few shafts and had to have a peer down each one. Near the local high point was an especially interesting hole. I climbed down the 3m climb into the snowfilled shakehole, at the S end a key hole passage led off. I followed the top of it, in lovely solid -clean white rock, down a couple of climbs and with a draft. Very exciting!

-

I went out to get my oversuit, kneepads, survey kit and Olly. We returned and descended a +clean white rock, down a couple of climbs and with a draft. Very exciting! +

I went out to get my oversuit, kneepads, survey kit and Olly. We returned and descended a couple more climbs. This reached a harder climb down to a ledge overlooking a larger chossy chamber. Olly traversed round to get a better look and realised this was also free -climbable.

-

The chamber was drippy and full of loose rocks. Down a climb to the bottom end led to a +climbable. +The chamber was drippy and full of loose rocks. Down a climb to the bottom end led to a squeeze overlooking a dirty snow plug. Back at the climb a pitch goes back underneath - this is undescended. Surveyed out. Cave drops a surprising 40m (over 80m of survey) all descended -without gear.

-
T/U: 3 hours
+without gear. +
T/U: 3.0 hours
+
2016-07-09
-
Rob, George
+
Rob Watson, George Breley,
Annoying resurvey and no Cashback (Pitch is now called Young Love)
-

After discovering lots of easy horizontal passage the day before, we returned to get that + +

After discovering lots of easy horizontal passage the day before, we returned to get that sorted. After 11 long legs. we popped out in the big bouldery chamber. We later found out that Nathan had surveyed this passage - quite annoying. Then we went to bolt the pitch at the end of cock piss partridge - pre-emptively named Cashback. Cashback appeared to be a premature prediction as the aven crapped out into an immature meander immediately after we got to the bottom. George then bolted the pitch below the Cock Piss Partridge, which also crapped out immediately. Then out. -Still lots to go at!

-
T/U: 6 hours
+Still lots to go at! +
T/U: 6.0 hours
+ +
2016-07-09
+
Anthony Day,
+
Balcony - The Kraken Wakes 2
+ + +

[This blog is dated 4 August 2016. /the-kraken-wakes/] + +

A week or so after the first camp, I got the the opportunity to go down again. The plan was that three of us would stay underground for two nights, giving us two days to explore before exiting on the third day. Things did not go entirely according to plan. The exploration part went reasonably well: although all the leads we explored ultimately closed down, we were quite satisfied with our finds. At 11:00 on the third morning, we prepared to exit. One of my companions got kitted up and wandered off towards the rope… except when he got to where the rope was supposed to be, he couldn’t find it. Kraken is quite a big chamber and it is easy to get disorientated, so we spent quite a while wandering around looking for the rope without any success. Then we looked up, and saw a loop of rope caught up on a ledge at least 40m off the floor – presumably pulled up there by accident by the last member of the previous camping party. There was no way we could reach it. We were comprehensively marooned. +

We had left a “call out” (the time at which we were officially overdue) on the surface of 09:00 the following day – so we knew nobody was going to come looking for us until then. Fortunately, we had brought more food with us than we intended to eat, so Camp Kraken was well stocked. We had plenty of battery life for lights and plenty of equipment, so we went off for an additional bonus day of exploration. We found a muddy passage that ultimately closed off, and rigged a pitch which had a couple of promising leads at the bottom. We called the pitch Indian Rope Trick since it appeared that one of our colleagues had achieved mastery of this particular illusion. +

We spent an additional night in camp, and around 11:30 the following morning heard the voices of the rescue team heading towards us. The rope was freed and we exited without incident. The guys on the surface were understandably concerned by our non-appearance, and – although they had correctly guessed approximately what had happened – they weren’t taking any chances given how deep we were underground. Consequently two waves of rescuers had been sent in, and the third wave were just heading in when the message came out that we were ok. In addition, the Austrian cave rescue had been alerted and eight of them had turned up at the entrance in a police helicopter (which had gone by the time I got out, so I missed the chance of a lift down the hill). +

I want to publicly thank the members of the expedition and the Austrian cave rescue for coming to look for us. We knew we were fine, but they didn’t and the action they took was both timely and appropriate. I always knew that, if I ever did get into a sticky spot underground, my mates have got my back. It’s nice to have that proved. +

It turned out that one of the leads at the bottom of Indian Rope Trick was very important indeed. A later camping party went to look at it, and romped off into a master cave with a substantial stream in places. It eventually choked, but not before reaching 903m depth – by some distance the deepest we have ever been in Austria. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+
2016-07-10
-
Olly, Jenny
+
Olly Betts, Jenny Black,
171, near old top camp - surveying
-

Headed to 171 with oversuits and kneepads to finish the survey. On phoning basecamp + +

Headed to 171 with oversuits and kneepads to finish the survey. On phoning basecamp discovered that the camping team were overdue, but that things were in hand, and there was -nothing we could do in the short term. Took the phone with us to get updates.

-

Started at 171a and surveyed down to the final daylight entrance. Heard the rescue +nothing we could do in the short term. Took the phone with us to get updates. +

Started at 171a and surveyed down to the final daylight entrance. Heard the rescue helicopter, which worried us, but no message from basecamp, so we continued. Went down the wide but low and breakdwon-y side passage. This continued to pop out 2/3 of the way down a day light shaft. Headed out after surveying this, and failed to identify the daylight entrance from the -surface - it must be a narrow gryke by the surface.

-

Headed to 171b and surveyed north along a slightly drafty passage - there is a parallel rift +surface - it must be a narrow gryke by the surface. +

Headed to 171b and surveyed north along a slightly drafty passage - there is a parallel rift on the rift with a snow patch and another daylight aven. There is a small passage doubling back here that we didn't thoroughly explore, because we assumed it would trivially reconnect. The main passage finally ends at a low drafting (out) choke. Looking at the survey shows this is very close to the end of [gap in logbook, probably meant 250]. Got a text message reporting from basecamp the camping team were safe which was a relief. Olly cancelled our callout (by phone) which unfortunately didn't make the call out book. So team rescue very efficiently came -down to our camp to check we were safe - thank you!

-

Callout book entry. Have rope + spare drill battery on surface if needed

+down to our camp to check we were safe - thank you! +

Callout book entry. Have rope + spare drill battery on surface if needed
20:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-10
-
Nat, Rob
+
Nat Dalton, Rob Watson,
The Non Rescue - 1st Response Team
-

Team were overdue in Tunnocks so me and Nat headed down to camp with the grab bag and first aid + +

Team were overdue in Tunnocks so me and Nat headed down to camp with the grab bag and first aid kit. Underground by 8.45. Arrived at Kraken for 11.45 to find rope caught up beneath the overhang rebelay on a ledge. Then started to head out. Rope at the bottom of magic glue got wrapped around a large boulder - be aware of the rope catching on the boulder when you ascend the pitch. Out -reasonably sufficiently after waiting to see that Mark D could untangle the rope from Magic Glue.

-
T/U: 7 hours
+reasonably sufficiently after waiting to see that Mark D could untangle the rope from Magic Glue. +
T/U: 7.0 hours
+
2016-07-11
-
Ashley, Luke, Alice
+
Ashley Gregg, Luke Stangroom, Alice Smith,
Balcony - Long Drop
-

Callout book entry.

+ +

Callout book entry.
19:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-11
-
Sioned, Elliott, Andrew
+
Sioned Haughton, Elliott Smith, Andrew Atkinson,
Balcony - Gosser, Wager
-

Callout book entry.

+ +

Callout book entry.
20:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
-
2016-07-11 to 13
-
Chris, Peachey, Rob, Katey
+ +
2016-07-11
+
Chris Densham, Ian Peachey, Rob Watson, Katey Bender,
Camp - Tunnocks master cave and unprecedented depth potential!
-

A most amazing trip, which despite being shortened by the rescue of the previous day, managed to provide + +

A most amazing trip, which despite being shortened by the rescue of the previous day, managed to provide much new cave and a lot of new prospects. We arrived at camp for 1.15pm and ate some noodles and soup. Off down Octopussy for 2pm. Headed to the bottom of the 30m pitch bolted by Anthony et al on the last camping trip. -After a quick reconoitre of the area we split into 2 surveying teams.

-

Myself and Chris initialy headed in a Northwards direction into a rather nice and very pretty chamber with a +After a quick reconoitre of the area we split into 2 surveying teams. +

Myself and Chris initialy headed in a Northwards direction into a rather nice and very pretty chamber with a number of very nice stalactites and a wonderful poached egg on the floor. On the far side of the chamber was a 7-10m climb which Chris started but then encountered too many delicate calcite crusts/flakey formations to continue. Predicting that we might well drop into the passage from somewhere else anyway, we left it behind for another trip @@ -1016,9 +1179,9 @@ exploration fever having ebbed away, we surveyed back to the junction where we m contain our excitement, we told them of our findings. They then headed off up a ramp in the opposite direction to see what could be found (apparantly a lot of passage) while chris went to fetch the 100m of Anthony's 9mm so we could rig this thing properly and safely - we were conceivably 800m deep if not more! I was charged with bolting it, and soon we we -were down, albeit with a few annoying rub points en route!

-

rigging topo

-

After dropping this ramp, we headed down through the slippery boulder slope below the master cave only to find the +were down, albeit with a few annoying rub points en route! +

rigging topo +

After dropping this ramp, we headed down through the slippery boulder slope below the master cave only to find the most amazing development at the bottom: an upward ramping phreatic borehole 4x4m and certainly getting bigger! By now it was long after 10pm and only getting later, so we resolved to survey the scooped passage tomorrow and headed back to camp for a welcome tea. In bed by 1am. Up at 8am and needing a shit - the facilities are excellent! The camp overall is @@ -1028,69 +1191,79 @@ After breakfast we headed back to the lead for a survey accompanied by some exce at this depth really needed bolting. Leaving it for the next trip we headed back to camp before attempting to head out of the cave. I unfortunately got to Procrastination at 7pm just as a flood pulse hit the pitch. I was at the first rebelay when the pulse hit and luckily was prepared to change over quickly and descend back to Bring on the Clowns to wait it out for 12 -hours until we made a break for it at 8am the next day after a rather restless night.

-

Procrastination

-

After making a break for it after a long 12 hour wait, I was swiftly out for 10am to meet with Luke and out the entrance -series. Overall a truly memorable and excellent trip, one of my best ever and one to remember my whole life!

+hours until we made a break for it at 8am the next day after a rather restless night. +

Procrastination +

After making a break for it after a long 12 hour wait, I was swiftly out for 10am to meet with Luke and out the entrance +series. Overall a truly memorable and excellent trip, one of my best ever and one to remember my whole life!
09:00 +2
-
T/U: 48 hours.
+
T/U: 48.0 hours
+
2016-07-11
-
Fleur, Pete, Nathan, Andy A
+
Fleur Loveridge, Pete Talling, Nathan Walker, Andrew Atkinson,
Balcony - Hilti-a-Plenty "Roundabout.svx"
-

Pete and Fleur's first caving trip of 2016 expo - to a lead in Hilti-a-Plenty following a tip from Rob Watson et al. We + +

Pete and Fleur's first caving trip of 2016 expo - to a lead in Hilti-a-Plenty following a tip from Rob Watson et al. We rather enjoyed the Hilti pitches, where we met Andy Atkinson. Nicely sculpt firatic shaft action, top notch. Then we went to Boulder Chamber down some sandy tubes, and arrived at a pitch that Rob had free climbed across. We put a rope across, and found two possible ways on. Pete bolted the more obvious way on down a 5m pitch, whilst Fleur and Nathan survey up a 3m climb to a higher level that also stopped at a pitch - which was left undescended. It is a reasonable lead, probably only 5-7m pitch, -with a traverse (3 bolts -easy) to a continuing small phreatic passage.

-

Meanwhile, the team assembled at base of Pete's pitch, which carried on as a small rift that descended and carried on for +with a traverse (3 bolts -easy) to a continuing small phreatic passage. +

Meanwhile, the team assembled at base of Pete's pitch, which carried on as a small rift that descended and carried on for ~50m to a larger rift chamber. Then a very nice 3m wide descending phreatic tube was spied and looked very exciting. Nathan just free climbed down it, whilst the others put in a handline. Unfortunately, Nathan found a survey station - so this must connect back. Back in the chamber above, another clean washed phreatic tube headed upwards. Nathan climbed that to the base of -a choke, with the others following to survey. Then back to the ranch for tea and medals, or at least a curry.

-

survey

+a choke, with the others following to survey. Then back to the ranch for tea and medals, or at least a curry. +

survey
23:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-11
-
Nat, Becka, George
+
Nat Dalton, Becka Lawson, George Breley,
Prospecting North of Balcony
-

Callout book entry.

+ +

Callout book entry.
22:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-11
-
Jenny
+
Jenny Black,
76 - Atomic
-

Olly's knees were recovered enough to cope with prussicking, so we returned to Keg Series + +

Olly's knees were recovered enough to cope with prussicking, so we returned to Keg Series with the now happily calibrated distox2. Started surveying in to get the pitch done, in case it rained later, or it took a while. Happily got it first time and in 1 leg. From the bottom followed the stream to the drop, and Olly rigged down. *IMPORTANT: this hilti is not properly set*. I've marked a nil polish slash across it. If anyone goes there again, please set it -first, or else rig from higher (probably better).

-

The rift continues beyond this, at stream level it is tight, but higher is much +first, or else rig from higher (probably better). +

The rift continues beyond this, at stream level it is tight, but higher is much wider. Shortly the roof drops down to the wide level, and it becomes the phreatic roof tube of a very tall keyhole passage. I stopped following this when it reached some loose looking perched rocks above a climb. I retreated and wriggled along at stream level, down a drop and through some bits narrower than my helmet. Reached the base of the climb I'd looked down on, and ascertained that it was climbable and the rocks were well wedged Climbed up to get the survey kit and Olly. Again followed ledges above the stream until the roof dropped down, and we -reached another drop. This was wider but not freeclimbable.

-

Surveyed out. I derigged to Keg Series and left the rope bag at the Tap Room. Took the drill -bag all the way home.

-

As we were ascending Follow Through Shaft, we heard a low rumbling noise, it sounded like +reached another drop. This was wider but not freeclimbable. +

Surveyed out. I derigged to Keg Series and left the rope bag at the Tap Room. Took the drill +bag all the way home. +

As we were ascending Follow Through Shaft, we heard a low rumbling noise, it sounded like people coming - I wondered if we had a callout mix up, and people were coming to rescue us. Then the rumbling got louder, and louder and it became apparent it was raining. Fortunately -we were past the Tap Room and Keg Series, so had an uneventful exit.

-
T/U: 12 hours
+we were past the Tap Room and Keg Series, so had an uneventful exit. +
T/U: 12.0 hours
+
2016-07-12
-
Nat, Becka, George
+
Nat Dalton, Becka Lawson, George Breley,
Tunnocks - Derigging and pushing Champagne on Ice
-

Set off with the intention of derigging traverse beyond Arctic Angle and pushing Nat's lead ("What would your Mother say") + +

Set off with the intention of derigging traverse beyond Arctic Angle and pushing Nat's lead ("What would your Mother say") before finally derigging the Champagne on Ice pitch series and derig traverse beyond Arctic Angle and WWYMS. Off to a flying start I forgot both drill batteries, only realising at the bottom of Champagne on Ice. Subsequently, myself and Becka went to replace slings on Andrew's traverse past Arctic Angle with rope cut from excess length of the existing rope and salvaged a @@ -1099,37 +1272,43 @@ WWYMS is easily found by bearing left at the 1st junction after the P5 (probably at major junctions and involves a traverse around a large ~30m hole. We discovered that Nat had bravely/foolishly allready reached the top of the climb some 6/7m above the traverse previously rigged on another trip. The new rigging differed in that it comprised completely of extremely sketchy naturals with not a bolt or reliable belay in sight by virtue of my forgetting to bring drill -batteries. We tentatively followed Nat to the top of the traverse/deathtrap - see below for updated rigging diagram.

-

topo

-

From the top of the climb, following the draft/draught? leads to a 2/3m climb down, continuing emerges into large hading rift +batteries. We tentatively followed Nat to the top of the traverse/deathtrap - see below for updated rigging diagram. +

topo +

From the top of the climb, following the draft/draught? leads to a 2/3m climb down, continuing emerges into large hading rift and good "A" lead requiring rope to continue further. The only other alternative passage atop the climb leads to a large aven -(very drippy at far end) with stream descending 10-15m through hole in the floor (?c).

-

On the descent, after having surveyed as far as possible, Becka knocked a fairly integral natural belay off the wall with -suprisingly little effort. As a result the rigging was modified to allow me and Nat to get down "safely", see below.

-

topo

-

To avoid monumentous clusterfuck this was left rigged but using the rope to ascend beyond the bolted traverse should be done +(very drippy at far end) with stream descending 10-15m through hole in the floor (?c). +

On the descent, after having surveyed as far as possible, Becka knocked a fairly integral natural belay off the wall with +suprisingly little effort. As a result the rigging was modified to allow me and Nat to get down "safely", see below. +

topo +

To avoid monumentous clusterfuck this was left rigged but using the rope to ascend beyond the bolted traverse should be done so with EXTREME CAUTION or not at all due to the nature of the naturals it is backed up to. Rather cold and glad to be alive we began the return journey, derigging the traverse and P5 on the way. Upon arriving at the bottom of Champagne on Ice pitches (~19.00) Nat reported hearing a flood pulse. At the bottom of the 15m hang we encountered a waterfall not previously reported that rendered the pitch impassable without getting soaked. We waited ~5 hours in bothy at a ledge below for water to ease. Eventually prussicked out when flow was weaker but still involved swinging under very drippy section. Higher up was still a bit drippy but not too unpleasant. Everyone out of the cave by 03.30. Several empty tacklesacks were left below the wet section and one full sack. Drill was brought out -with some hangers.

-

Nathanael should not be allowed to rig unsupervised in the future.

+with some hangers. +

Nathanael should not be allowed to rig unsupervised in the future.
09:00 +1
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-12
-
Nathan, Elliott, Alice, Luke
+
Nathan Walker, Elliott Smith, Alice Smith, Luke Stangroom,
Balkon - Gosser Wager
-

Callout book entry.

+ +

Callout book entry.
22:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-12
-
Pete, Fleur, Aidan
+
Pete Talling, Fleur Loveridge, Aidan Marks,
Balkon - end of Dark Arts via Bipedal
-

The first aim was to derig Bipedal traverse; which was soon dispatched by Fleur. The 40m rope was then taken to the end of + +

The first aim was to derig Bipedal traverse; which was soon dispatched by Fleur. The 40m rope was then taken to the end of Dark Arts. There was some climbs and traverses along Dark Arts, including final climb that stopped Fleur and Pete two years ago. The new end was down a short 5m pitch and looked rather good - with a strong and exciting draft. The dry pitch on the right had been dropped, so Fleur started bolting the drippy shaft on the left. At 2pm the drips suddenly became a waterfall onto a ledge @@ -1139,113 +1318,135 @@ watching the water for 5-10 minutes they decided it was not getting worse, and P and the team were soon at the top. Aidan had some excitement with his central maillon, and did rather well. Indeed, it was sunny when they got out and walked back to camp. Very nice. But at 7pm there was a large storm that blew rain into the nether regions of the bivvy. The other team in Balconyhohle that day were not so lucky and got flooded in by this second rainstorm for a couple of -hours.

-

Note that the flood pulse we saw at end of Dark Arts was almost immediately after a short period of rain. It is an A* lead with -draft, but needs dry and settled weather!

-

survey

+hours. +

Note that the flood pulse we saw at end of Dark Arts was almost immediately after a short period of rain. It is an A* lead with +draft, but needs dry and settled weather! +

survey
21:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-12
-
Haydon
+
Haydon Saunders,
Via Ferata: Intersport - Klettersteig
-

Callout book entry.

-

[Probably not Haydon, but anonymous.] + +

Callout book entry. +

[Probably not Haydon, but anonymous.]

23:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-16
-
Luke, Fleur, Pete, Martin, Elaine
+
Luke Stangroom, Fleur Loveridge, Pete Talling, Martin Green, Elaine Oliver,
Tunnocks - Champagne on Ice
-

Callout book entry.

+ +

Callout book entry.
22:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-16
-
Elliott, George, Nathan, Michael
+
Elliott Smith, George Breley, Nathan Walker, Michael Sargent,
Kraken Camp - pushing Song of the Earth (258)
-

Down to camp

-

Being the 6th? camping trip to Kraken, we supposedly had a lot of leads to choose from. Getting to camp was easy enough, + +

Down to camp +

Being the 6th? camping trip to Kraken, we supposedly had a lot of leads to choose from. Getting to camp was easy enough, there being almost twice as much rope as passage length along the way. Eliott, Nathan and George descending using stops were faster than me with my rack, and we went underground at 10.30am and arrived all at Kraken camp by 2.45pm. A brief rest and -some noodles and we were set to go pushing.

-

Pushing

-

We went down Octopussy to the gear dump, Elliott bringing up the rear and replacing the 100m line on Octopussy with a 50m +some noodles and we were set to go pushing. +

Pushing +

We went down Octopussy to the gear dump, Elliott bringing up the rear and replacing the 100m line on Octopussy with a 50m one as the lower section was nicer by comparison. At the gear dump we put together a pushing bag with drill, battery, hangers -and such, with the new liberated 100m pushing rope. This was taken down as yet unnamed "Luke's Pitch" (Indian Rope Trick).

-

Coming to the start of SOng of the Earth, we left the drill for whichever team needed it, and split up. Nathan and George +and such, with the new liberated 100m pushing rope. This was taken down as yet unnamed "Luke's Pitch" (Indian Rope Trick). +

Coming to the start of SOng of the Earth, we left the drill for whichever team needed it, and split up. Nathan and George took a phreatic tube going upward, and Elliott and I went to find the deep end of Song of the Earth, hoping to push the cave -even deeper.

-

Song of the Earth continued as a large phreatic tube angled downward at apptox 30 degrees, heading almost exactly west. The +even deeper. +

Song of the Earth continued as a large phreatic tube angled downward at apptox 30 degrees, heading almost exactly west. The floor was treacherous boulder choke, covered in a layer of slippery black mud. After about 100m of similar passage, with the occassional rock arch or muddy helictite, it came to a large chamber approx 20m high. The climb down into the chamber was tricky, but when there the black mud dissappeared from the boulders. A depression in the floor looked to be the filled in way on. Skirting around the depression and a large boulder pile showed two passages on the far side. The first was a short way to a solid mud sump -that currently marks the lowest point of Tunnocks at -903m, obviously impassable.

-

The second lead went to a small squeeze with a gravel floor with a howling gale coming through. Not wanting to stop there, we +that currently marks the lowest point of Tunnocks at -903m, obviously impassable. +

The second lead went to a small squeeze with a gravel floor with a howling gale coming through. Not wanting to stop there, we dug the squeeze until it was large enough to pass through (Don't Stop Me Now). this entered another vedose passage now leading upward and north east, obviously a different passage feeding the large chamber. We only followed this a short way because we ran -out of time, and headed back to camp.

-

On the way back, we found another 20m of rope had been tied to the end of the shortened Octopussy rope. Apparantly Nathan and +out of time, and headed back to camp. +

On the way back, we found another 20m of rope had been tied to the end of the shortened Octopussy rope. Apparantly Nathan and George had found the rope a bit too short, and had spent 40 minutes digging footholds to get up to the rope. We were all back in -Kraken camp by 10.30pm.

-

Faffing

-

Intending to get up and do some pushing before heading out, we agreed to get up at 8am. However it turns out we were all very good +Kraken camp by 10.30pm. +

Faffing +

Intending to get up and do some pushing before heading out, we agreed to get up at 8am. However it turns out we were all very good at faffing about, so no caving got done in the end. It didn't help that Nathan and George crapped out all their leads except ones that needed bolt climbing, so the only viable lead (Don't Stop Me Now) was a 4 hour round trip from camp. Instead we opted to wait around for a bit to see if the next camping group arrived before we would leave. By 1pm noone had arrived (they had intended for a 6am start) -so we opted to go out.

-

Nathan went first,and just went hell for lesthor prussicking out, leaving George behind to also exit the cave alone. Not a clever +so we opted to go out. +

Nathan went first,and just went hell for lesthor prussicking out, leaving George behind to also exit the cave alone. Not a clever move since Nathan was supposedly leading the trip. I came third with Elliott close behind, he being faster than me. In the end, we were all up on the surface by 7.30pm, where we found the wether a bit grim and claggy. That was the reason the second camping group -hadn't come underground, and indeed lower Procrastination had been a bit drippier than usual.

+hadn't come underground, and indeed lower Procrastination had been a bit drippier than usual.
09:00 +2
-
T/U: 33 hrs
+
T/U: 33.0 hours
+
2016-07-16
-
Olly, Jenny
+
Olly Betts, Jenny Black,
2016-JB-01 Hopeless
-

Walked up in the morning, having had a tooth extracted the previous day - I promised the dentist that I would avoid + +

Walked up in the morning, having had a tooth extracted the previous day - I promised the dentist that I would avoid strenuous activities for a few days and also not cave if it was raining (he was very concerned that we might underestimate -the flooding risk underground!).

-

Went to look at the remaining lead in 16-JB-01. This time we had a rope so started it on the ledge overlooking the chossy +the flooding risk underground!). +

Went to look at the remaining lead in 16-JB-01. This time we had a rope so started it on the ledge overlooking the chossy chamber, avoiding the dodgy climb, I put a bolt in and Olly went through the slot while I fetched the survey kit. Olly got down with a natural rebelay to a small aven/chamber. This led to a second connected similar aven/chamber, but no train tunnel passage sadly. We each climbed up in different places, my climb from the 2nd chamber looked to connect with the second -slot near the pitch head. Olly's from where the chambers join became an inlet.

-

Surveyed and derigged out. I carried gear up the climbs, while Olly had a final look in the chossy chamber, and found us -another lead for the next trip.

+slot near the pitch head. Olly's from where the chambers join became an inlet. +

Surveyed and derigged out. I carried gear up the climbs, while Olly had a final look in the chossy chamber, and found us +another lead for the next trip.
20:00
-
T/U: 4 hrs
+
T/U: 4.0 hours
+
2016-07-16
-
Rob, Peachey, Martin
+
Rob Watson, Ian Peachey, Martin Green,
Balcony - Hilti-a-Plenty
-

Callout book entry.

+ +

Callout book entry.
22:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-16
-
Luke, Fleur, Pete, Martin, Elaine
+
Luke Stangroom, Fleur Loveridge, Pete Talling, Martin Green, Elaine Oliver,
Tunnocks - Champagne on Ice derig
-

Callout book entry.

+ +

Callout book entry.
22:00
+
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-17
-
Jenny
+
Jenny Black,
Tagging Jobs
-

It rained and rained some more, so enthusiasm was low for going underground and getting wet. It brightend up + +

It rained and rained some more, so enthusiasm was low for going underground and getting wet. It brightend up in the afternoon (ie was claggy not actually raining) so Olly made up some cave tags and we changed the Bivi -cave (2004-01) to 269, then I walked to Cairn Cave and tagged it (2006-70) and finally retagged 1987-02 as 267.

+cave (2004-01) to 269, then I walked to Cairn Cave and tagged it (2006-70) and finally retagged 1987-02 as 267. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+
2016-07-17
-
Rob, Luke
+
Rob Watson, Luke Stangroom,
Hilti a Plenty - Pushing and Evening Breakthrough
-

After a morning of grim rain delayed the campers from camping, myself and Luke became bored of shit-talking and card games + +

After a morning of grim rain delayed the campers from camping, myself and Luke became bored of shit-talking and card games and headed to off into Balcony in the mist to see what could be found. In quickly and soon I was bolting one of the three pots that me and George found in "Lets be Appalling" last time in. After a wee while, and one rogue bolt which decided to fall out along with some of the wall while I was setting it, we were down. It was pretty draughty and seemed quite promising. We could @@ -1258,14 +1459,16 @@ head which we left for another team to probe. We then headed south to find the d culminating in a too tight passage with what appeared to be a mud sump at the end. We then went uphill on the ramp rather than downhill and found a promising horizontal B lead - continuation of the ramp - and a climb up a phreatic tube in which the sound of water could be heard. Exciting stuff, and judging by the survey heading off in an as yet unexplored direction - an excellent -prospect for next year!

-
T/U: 6 hours.
+prospect for next year! +
T/U: 6.0 hours
+
2016-07-18
-
Rob, Ash, Anthony
+
Rob Watson, Ashley Gregg, Anthony Day,
Long Drop - final push, survey & Derig
-

After a rather late start to say the least (Anthony & I seem to have a way of starting + +

After a rather late start to say the least (Anthony & I seem to have a way of starting far to late when we cave with the other), I arrived at balcony Gear Dump (Having shown the Hilti-a-Plenty leads found the other day to Pete, Elliott, Aidan & Martin beforehand) at around 3pm. We then headed to the bottom of Long Drop, where kit was sorted & we all got @@ -1276,20 +1479,22 @@ see around 20m to the floor where the thing closed down into an immature? meande it - seen that before! With all looking rather shit, we decided to turn around. I sprinted up the pitch, having absolutely frozen my tits off despite wearing all my clothes (belay jacket!) while surveying. I sat in the group shelter alone waiting for the others, then we got the -derig under way - a warm up paella for the big derig on Wednesday in Tunnocks.

-

Everything went pretty well, with only 1 intermediate pile before the top (at ICU with a view) +derig under way - a warm up paella for the big derig on Wednesday in Tunnocks. +

Everything went pretty well, with only 1 intermediate pile before the top (at ICU with a view) and despite an extremely antisocial double fishermans right below a rebelay we got all the knots out and it ran pretty smoothly. At the top it was 10:15 & we were pushing callout, so I headed out while the others sorted things out. Back at Top Camp for 11:25, our midnight callout was made. -Great success!

-
T/U: 11.5 hours (Rob) 12.5 hours (Ash and Anthony).
+Great success! +
T/U: 11.5 hours
-
2016-07-18 to 19
-
Katey, Elaine, Fleur, Peachey
+ +
2016-07-18
+
Katey Bender, Elaine Oliver, Fleur Loveridge, Ian Peachey,
Camp Kraken - Song of the Earth + Derig (Downstream)
-

To be read in conjunction with Fleur's report...

-

While Fleur and Peachey headed to the uphill lead, Elaine and I went down to the lead advertised as being + +

To be read in conjunction with Fleur's report... +

While Fleur and Peachey headed to the uphill lead, Elaine and I went down to the lead advertised as being a 2m wide rift with a howling draft, reached by a massive chamber with a mountain in it! Wow! As it turns out, the chamber was similar dimensions to the rest of the preceeding passage... okay. The sandy crawl was rather less drafty than advertised, but drafts are fickle, right? Three survey legs later we reached the end for that @@ -1297,212 +1502,73 @@ day. A 6m climb up lead to an upward sloping phreatic passage with a mud/water c was a bit neeky for -900m and Elaine didn't fancy it, so I marked the final station and climbed down. The continuing passage we called a QMB and it will likely need some bolting to progress - steep incline + slippery mud = sadness. The climb up will also need bolting for any handline/rope. That done, and slightly disappointed, we headed out to -meet Fleur and Peachey.

+meet Fleur and Peachey. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
-
2016-07-18 to 19
-
Fleur, Katey, Elaine, Ian
+ +
2016-07-18
+
Fleur Loveridge, Katey Bender, Elaine Oliver, Ian Peachey,
Song of the Earth and Camp Derig
-

It was supposed to be a 2 night camp starting on Sunday. But on Sunday we woke up and it had been raining in the + +

It was supposed to be a 2 night camp starting on Sunday. But on Sunday we woke up and it had been raining in the night and continued to rain. So we deferred to avoid starting off cold and wet. Instead an "alpine start" was called for and I got everyone up at 6am on Monday. We were underground by 8am and down at camp for a late lunch. The idea was to try and make some good going leads in Song of the Earth. Elaine and Katey went to the downstream limit, supposedly -drafting and blowing sediment in your face. Meanwhile I agreed to belay Ian up the upstream lead.

-

As we left camp I was impressed with Chris and Anthony finding the way on via Tentacle traverse - now a very +drafting and blowing sediment in your face. Meanwhile I agreed to belay Ian up the upstream lead. +

As we left camp I was impressed with Chris and Anthony finding the way on via Tentacle traverse - now a very slippery beast indeed! Luke's Pitch down into Song of the Earth was much bigger than I expected, and perhaps a tad -underbolted.

-

As we entered the master cave, Ian and I went "upstream" via the bouldery awfulness eventually arriving at the +underbolted. +

As we entered the master cave, Ian and I went "upstream" via the bouldery awfulness eventually arriving at the limit of exploration. Ian was certainly correct that it was a promising location - howling gale going uphill and the -??? appearing to continue in a ramp translated higher up. However, it was a long way up!

-

Ian was efficient though, climbing up around 10-15 metres until the rope drap was too much, while I went through +??? appearing to continue in a ramp translated higher up. However, it was a long way up! +

Ian was efficient though, climbing up around 10-15 metres until the rope drap was too much, while I went through my song repetoire. He then rigged a pitch for the first section while I took some photos. Then, after chocolate, we both went up to the belay so Ian could climb the next section. This was mostly a ramp as opposed to a true pitch. Although Ian was efficient again (another 15+m ascended) I got very cold tied off to the belay. Unfortunately at the top of the pitch the passage got smaller, continuing as an upstream canyon with trickle of water, before finishing at an aven. Time to go -home to Kraken.

-

By this time Elaine and Katey had appeared so it was a quick survey before departure. The others had not had much luck +home to Kraken. +

By this time Elaine and Katey had appeared so it was a quick survey before departure. The others had not had much luck "downstream" so it was decided to derig the master cave. I was very tired (+ Elaine very cold) so Ian and Katey did this while Elaine and I took the drill, etc back to camp. We arrived back about 11pm after 15 hours caving. The other two were -about an hour to 90 mins behind us.

-

The campsite was great, and we had a comfy night, oversleeping and not getting up until almost 10am.

-

It took around 3 hours to get breakfasted and pack up camp. We sent Elaine out first. Then me and Katey. Ian derigged +about an hour to 90 mins behind us. +

The campsite was great, and we had a comfy night, oversleeping and not getting up until almost 10am. +

It took around 3 hours to get breakfasted and pack up camp. We sent Elaine out first. Then me and Katey. Ian derigged Kraken and we three paelled up the master cave ropes in the base of Inferno. [Note - Octopussy, Tentacle, Luke's pitch etc -all left in situ]

-

I left the base of the Inferno pitch around 5pm. Half an hour later Ian was shouting up about something catching. He and +all left in situ] +

I left the base of the Inferno pitch around 5pm. Half an hour later Ian was shouting up about something catching. He and Katey ended up derigging a little more. Meanwhile I prussicked on, catching Elaine up at the top of String Theory. We did the -last section together and exited around 11pm.

-

Ian and Katey returned to Steinbrucken about one hour after us.

-
T/U: 39 hrs
+last section together and exited around 11pm. +

Ian and Katey returned to Steinbrucken about one hour after us. +
T/U: 39.0 hours
+
2016-07-18
-
Jenny, Olly
+
Jenny Black, Olly Betts,
16-JB-01 Dirty Snow
-

Weather wasn't great, so we had quite a slow start. Headed back to 16-JB-01 to look at Olly's new lead. Again we + +

Weather wasn't great, so we had quite a slow start. Headed back to 16-JB-01 to look at Olly's new lead. Again we started the rope at the ledge, but went down further along, then Olly went to the northen end of the cheesey chamber and over a rock bridge to a rift. The end of this dropped down to a very dirty snow cone, with deep drip holes. Firstly all looked south, and saw two tight rifts dropping in (the ones we were the top side of on the 9th). To the East was a short passage heading off which quickly ended. Traversed round the west of the snow, underneath is a layered snow plug, so presumably it has been here for many years. Passage continued to the north through a squeeze, through some rocks and up a climb. Although there were a lot of boulders and collapse it felt fairly solid. Decided that we couldn't -get further without gear. Surveyed out.

-
T/U: 4 hrs
+get further without gear. Surveyed out. +
T/U: 4.0 hours
-
2016-07-19
-
Mark D, David, Ashley
-
Balcony - Cathedral Chasm
-

Went down to limit of exploration. David rigged a couple of 10m pitches but both were -choked. Walls covered with some nice "flapjack" crystalline calcite.

-

Meanwhile Mark and Ashley explored a B/C lead. A couple of dead bats. After about 50m it -began to get lower, but a flat-out crawl popped out into a big, obviously well used passage! It -turned out to be right next to Trident Junction.

-

We finished off by detackling the upper way into Cathedral Chasm. Any further pushing can be -more conveniently done via the crawl, rather than going all the way round, which includes a -slightly dodgy pitch and a couple of traverses.

-
T/U 8 hours.
- -
-
2016-07-19
-
Pete, Aidan, Elliott, Martin, Rob (guide - went off to Long Drop after guiding us)
-
"Just Keeps Giving" and "Water Torture" (Below Hilti-a-Plenty)
- -

The team kept pushing the lead below Hilti-a-Plenty rigged by Rob and Luke on 17/7/2016 (Evening Breakthrough). Rob -kindly showed the rest of the team to the right place. Aidan and Pete surveyed upwards from T-junction up a steeping -phreatic tube that was muddy but relatively easy to climb. The passage had the sound of water (mmmmm) and a draft (mmm) -but the muddy phreatic tubes choked. The noise came from a squeeze on right into a tight meandering rift. Pete squirmed -down rift for 5m to small stream. It was too tight upstream and would need a lump hammer to make progress down stream --although it seems to widen a bit after approx 5m. I wonder if this is the same stream heard at bottom of pitch rigged -by Rob and Luke the day before.

-

Meanwhile, Elliott had rigged and dropped a nice 15-20m pitch from the end of Rob and Lukes far point. This is very -promising and goes into a bigish chamber with two ways on. But the two ways on may be going to the same place. They both -have a good cold draft. The first way involves scrambling easily around a big jammed boulder to the low point in the chamber. -Elliott climbed down sketchily for approx 7m to see two possible pitches that are probable 10-15m deep?

-

The second way on from main chamber is a 15m traverse from the jammed block into a large descending phreatic tube. Nicely -rigged by Martin from a bolt and various naturals/slings. It then goes to a blind aven, but there is also a 10-15m pitch -down with good draft.

-

Overall, these are A leads with a draft.

- -
-
2016-07-19
-
Jenny, Olly
-
76 Derig
- -

Decided to derig 76 whilst it wasn't raining, and to free up rope for 16-JB-01. Last year I masterminded a very efficient -derig of 107 with 3 people and 6 bags of gear. This year we had 2 people for 76, 4 bags, and 6 bags worth of gear. I went down to -Keg series to derig that. I met Olly at the Tap Room, from there I shuttled bags out the cave while Olly derigged.

-

5 hours after entering the cave, after much miscommunication, shouting and inefficiency, we had 3 and a half bags out -and everything derigged to the Ledge Below the Ledge.

-

Went back in for another 2 hours of derigging (Olly) and bag shuttling (me). Now we never need return!

-
T/U 7 hours.
- -
-
2016-07-20
-
Olly, Jenny
-
16-JB-01: Hohle der Guten Hoffnung
- -

Continuing to push the same route as 18th, we (re)rigged on the way in, then dropped the down-climb we'd called -it a day at, then down a short pitch with a rebelay to reach some large boulders with a view out into a void beyond. -A thrown rock suggested a 20m drop but we only had a couple of metres of rope left, so surveyed back to the end of -the previous survey, briefly hampered by Jenny taking out a survey station which turned out to be less well connected -to the boulder it was on than it appeared to be.

-
T/U 6 hours 5 Minutes.
- -
-
2016-07-20
-
Anthony, Elliott, David, Mark D, Rob
-
Tunnocks derig, Upper Kraken to String Theory
- -

The objective of this trip was to derig at least as far as the top of the flood-prone Procrastination pitch. The -intention was to use the PAELLA (Pull An Extremely Long Length Altogether) technique which, a practice run in Long Drop -apart, none of us had really done before. A planning session the day meant we had a good idea of what we wanted to -do on each pitch, which made for a pretty slick operation. The previous camping team had also done us a massive -favour by tackling the Kraken pitch and the bottom hang of Inferno so we only had to go two thirds of the way down -Inferno.

-

The paella proceeded as follows:

-

topo

-

topo

-

topo

-

At the top of Procrastination, the timely arrival of reinforcements in the shape of Pete, Ash and Aidan allowed us -to paella and derig up String Theory by means of brute force.

-

topo

-

At the top 9 tacklesacks were waiting, so all the rope (approx 1200m of it) was bagged and ferried out of the cave. A -most satisfying and effective detackling trip and a good, solid effort from all concerned.

-

Other events of note:

-

When prussicking up the bottom part of Widow Twankees, Rob managed to pull a TV sized boulder off that caught him a -glancing blow on his helmet and shoulder, smashing the glass on his Duo. He walked away shaken but substantially unhurt. -It could have been a lot worse - care required!

-

When derigging String Theory, Elliott left his personal bag at the bottom so had to put a couple of bolts back in to -go down and retrieve it. This news was greeted by sympathetic laughter at the top.

-

topo

-
T/U: 14 - 15 hrs.
- -
-
2016-07-21
-
Jenny, Olly
-
16-JB-01: Nervous Breakdown
- -

This had to be our final trip, so we could carry gear down the next day. Managed to get underground at 9:05am -to maximise our chances.

-

Whizzed down to the pushing front and Olly started off with the rigging, from the final bolt -of yesterday, a couple of naturals then a bolt got us down to a big boulder slope - a scary boulder slope at about -the critical angle of slope failure, with boulders arange of sizes. Olly crossed the slope to the other side and put -another bolt in before I crossed. After I crossed and Olly was placing the next bolt, some of the slope started moving -towards me. We survived.

-

Another few bolts got us down a short pitch (formed by some very big boulders) to get more boulder slope. this was -marginally less steep and therefore considerably more stable. This was fortunate because we had run out of rope.

-

Continued down the slope - passage got narrower, and was noticably draughty (out). Finally the roof came down, the -passage appeared to end. The draught came out of some gaps between big boulders. This looked stable, and plenty big -enough, and appeared to drop about 10m. It did not look freeclimbable. We contemplated going back up, cutting the end off -the rope and going down, but there really wasn't going to be time. So we looked down one last time, imagined the caverns -measureless to man that lay beyond, and surveyed out.

-

Looked at a few inlets/alcoves at floor level on the way up, but nothing went. Higher up there are many inlets 1/2 + -way up the walls. Derigged as we surveyed and survived the boulders again.

-

Surveying finished, I shuttled bags as Olly derigged. Placed a hilti at the entrance, to which we added a tag two days -later while pcking the bivi. Noticed that the entrance is incredibly close to the old path to 204/topcamp (i.e. the one -in all-with-tracks).

-
T/U 10 hours.
- -
-
2016-07-24
-
Ash, Martin
-
Balcony - Hilti-a-Plenty - Galactica
- -

Went to explore Hilti-a-Plenty and push a pitch discovered by Rob and co. This pitch was eventually -named Deep Space 9 - suggested by Rob on a later trip. Martin bolted and rigged, before we descended to -a large rocky passage. At the end of this was a promising pitch which Martin began to rig. Meanwhile I -started surveying a scrotty side passage.

-

The side passage was shite for a fair bit before emerging into -a sandy chamber. From here an archway led to a massive chamber - Galactica. Petzl Duo could not make out -opposite wall, left wall, right wall, ceiling, or floor. Recalling Martin, with spot light could detect walls -now. 90m from side to side and 50m to near floor - could not actually make it out. Will need to go back next -year.

-

Concluded the trip by surveying a smaller lead off the first chamber to conclusion. Good 150m of cave -surveyed not including mahoosive Galactica. Of course it was the last day of pushing.

- -
-
2016-07-25
-
Ash, Martin, Rob
-
Balcony Derigging - Hilti-a-Plenty
- -

Went to show Rob Galactica before then the big derigging began. Derigged Deep Space 9 then the traverse -of Om? then Can't Stop Now this is Bat Country. Also finished an odd bit of surveying left behind by Rob -from before on the pitch. Then I derigged Hilti-a-Plenty with a tackle bag a tad too small. One rebelay near -the top proved particularly difficult to de-rig, resulting in a slip and swing and crash, to my discomfort.

-

We met Elliott and Michael near the entrance pitch and left them to de-rig this as we headed out. Rob left -before Martin and I, dissappearing down the hill rather quickly. We were a bit slower, weighted down with -lots of gear. And after today all of Balcony was finally derigged and the derig was completed for this year.

-
2016-07-18
-
Elaine, Katey, Fleur, Peachey
+
Elaine Oliver, Katey Bender, Fleur Loveridge, Ian Peachey,
Tunnocks - Camping in Tunnocksschacht - CHECC Grand Prize entry
-

+

It was decided that this year, the CUCC expo would establish an underground camp in Kraken Chamber, Tunnocksschacht, as pushing trips to the lower leads were getting to be around 18 hours, which was bordering on the unsafe in terms of fatigue in combination with navigating the nylon highway required to get in and out. -

+

Having arrived late at expo, I was to be on the last pushing trip of the season, after which we'd start to derig. The plan had been to spend two nights underground, but heavy rain and flooding pitches meant we postponed our start and would only spend one night down there. This would be by far the deepest I had ever been - my @@ -1513,7 +1579,7 @@ panic attack. Very much type 2 fun at this point. I really felt like I had reach at -500m, but of course there were many more metres to go... at least I had avoided getting strung up on the knot passes. Some noodles upon reaching the campsite briefly restored spirits before we descended further into the bowels of the earth. -

+

I became significantly happier upon reaching Song of the Earth, a massive steeply ramping railway tunnel of a borehole discovered only a week or two previously. This was mainly because I was not dangling precariously on a small bit of string. At this point we split into two teams: Katey and myself were to go on down and look at what @@ -1528,24 +1594,198 @@ a look up there and reported back that it was very muddy and slippery. We decide bolt this to make it safe - a small slip at this depth could have very serious consequences, but sadly, we'd not been expecting to need bolting kit and the expedition was running out of rope anyway, so we shot a final survey leg before reluctantly turning around. -

+

We went to find Fleur and Peachey, who were on the far side of what Fleur described as "proper fucking horrible bouldery death". There was a mysteriously fresh dead bat. Got a bit chilly waiting around, then headed back up to camp for dinner and the newly invented camp cocktail, custard tea, before a nip of Kraken rum restored feeling to my toes and I jumped into the welcoming embrace of the world's largest sleeping bag. -

+

The next morning we broke camp, but decided to leave a lot of kit there as there were still some very plausible leads for next year. I headed out first with a couple of tackle bags, including the giant sleeping bag (it had done a sterling job of keeping me alive in the 0C cave...) while the others derigged a lot of the rope with the PAELLA technique (Pulling An Extremely Long Length Alltogether, I think) ready for removal by hauling teams the next day. Katey and Peachey stayed back to do even more derigging while Fleur caught me up, then we headed back to the Top Camp bivi for some curry, which was the best meal of my life up to that point. -

+

This trip (with many words of encouragement from Fleur in particular) showed me that I am actually capable of a lot more than I think I am, and though I'm a long way from being as fluid and quick as the others on ropes, I think I've moved past some mental barriers there. Right now I don't feel like I want to rush straight back to the camp, but give it time - I'm sure that by next summer I'll be ready to break my Bottom Inspector record once again. +

T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
2016-07-19
+
Mark Dougherty, David Walker, Ashley Gregg,
+
Balcony - Cathedral Chasm
+ +

Went down to limit of exploration. David rigged a couple of 10m pitches but both were +choked. Walls covered with some nice "flapjack" crystalline calcite. +

Meanwhile Mark and Ashley explored a B/C lead. A couple of dead bats. After about 50m it +began to get lower, but a flat-out crawl popped out into a big, obviously well used passage! It +turned out to be right next to Trident Junction. +

We finished off by detackling the upper way into Cathedral Chasm. Any further pushing can be +more conveniently done via the crawl, rather than going all the way round, which includes a +slightly dodgy pitch and a couple of traverses. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
2016-07-19
+
Pete Talling, Aidan Marks, Elliott Smith, Martin Green, Rob Watson,
+
"Just Keeps Giving" and "Water Torture" (Below Hilti-a-Plenty)
+ +

The team kept pushing the lead below Hilti-a-Plenty rigged by Rob and Luke on 17/7/2016 (Evening Breakthrough). Rob +kindly showed the rest of the team to the right place. Aidan and Pete surveyed upwards from T-junction up a steeping +phreatic tube that was muddy but relatively easy to climb. The passage had the sound of water (mmmmm) and a draft (mmm) +but the muddy phreatic tubes choked. The noise came from a squeeze on right into a tight meandering rift. Pete squirmed +down rift for 5m to small stream. It was too tight upstream and would need a lump hammer to make progress down stream +-although it seems to widen a bit after approx 5m. I wonder if this is the same stream heard at bottom of pitch rigged +by Rob and Luke the day before. +

Meanwhile, Elliott had rigged and dropped a nice 15-20m pitch from the end of Rob and Lukes far point. This is very +promising and goes into a bigish chamber with two ways on. But the two ways on may be going to the same place. They both +have a good cold draft. The first way involves scrambling easily around a big jammed boulder to the low point in the chamber. +Elliott climbed down sketchily for approx 7m to see two possible pitches that are probable 10-15m deep? +

The second way on from main chamber is a 15m traverse from the jammed block into a large descending phreatic tube. Nicely +rigged by Martin from a bolt and various naturals/slings. It then goes to a blind aven, but there is also a 10-15m pitch +down with good draft. +

Overall, these are A leads with a draft. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
2016-07-19
+
Jenny Black, Olly Betts,
+
76 Derig
+ +

Decided to derig 76 whilst it wasn't raining, and to free up rope for 16-JB-01. Last year I masterminded a very efficient +derig of 107 with 3 people and 6 bags of gear. This year we had 2 people for 76, 4 bags, and 6 bags worth of gear. I went down to +Keg series to derig that. I met Olly at the Tap Room, from there I shuttled bags out the cave while Olly derigged. +

5 hours after entering the cave, after much miscommunication, shouting and inefficiency, we had 3 and a half bags out +and everything derigged to the Ledge Below the Ledge. +

Went back in for another 2 hours of derigging (Olly) and bag shuttling (me). Now we never need return! +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
2016-07-20
+
Olly Betts, Jenny Black,
+
16-JB-01: Hohle der Guten Hoffnung
+ +

Continuing to push the same route as 18th, we (re)rigged on the way in, then dropped the down-climb we'd called +it a day at, then down a short pitch with a rebelay to reach some large boulders with a view out into a void beyond. +A thrown rock suggested a 20m drop but we only had a couple of metres of rope left, so surveyed back to the end of +the previous survey, briefly hampered by Jenny taking out a survey station which turned out to be less well connected +to the boulder it was on than it appeared to be. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
2016-07-20
+
Anthony Day, Elliott Smith, David Walker, Mark Dougherty, Rob Watson,
+
Tunnocks derig, Upper Kraken to String Theory
+ +

The objective of this trip was to derig at least as far as the top of the flood-prone Procrastination pitch. The +intention was to use the PAELLA (Pull An Extremely Long Length Altogether) technique which, a practice run in Long Drop +apart, none of us had really done before. A planning session the day meant we had a good idea of what we wanted to +do on each pitch, which made for a pretty slick operation. The previous camping team had also done us a massive +favour by tackling the Kraken pitch and the bottom hang of Inferno so we only had to go two thirds of the way down +Inferno. +

The paella proceeded as follows: +

topo +

topo +

topo +

At the top of Procrastination, the timely arrival of reinforcements in the shape of Pete, Ash and Aidan allowed us +to paella and derig up String Theory by means of brute force. +

topo +

At the top 9 tacklesacks were waiting, so all the rope (approx 1200m of it) was bagged and ferried out of the cave. A +most satisfying and effective detackling trip and a good, solid effort from all concerned.

+

Other events of note: +

When prussicking up the bottom part of Widow Twankees, Rob managed to pull a TV sized boulder off that caught him a +glancing blow on his helmet and shoulder, smashing the glass on his Duo. He walked away shaken but substantially unhurt. +It could have been a lot worse - care required! +

When derigging String Theory, Elliott left his personal bag at the bottom so had to put a couple of bolts back in to +go down and retrieve it. This news was greeted by sympathetic laughter at the top. +

topo +
T/U: 14.0 hours
+ +
+ +
2016-07-20
+
Anthony Day,
+
Balcony - The Kraken Wakes 3
+ + +

[This blog is dated 4 August 2016. /the-kraken-wakes/] +

Eventually, the end of the expedition loomed and we had to get a substantial amount of rope out of the cave. The last camping party made a start by removing some of the ropes below camp and the final pitch, leaving a substantial pile behind for the next derigging party, of which I was a member. +

Kraken4 +

What we needed was a paella. As we proceeded, all the ropes we collected were fastened together to make one continuous length that was hauled up the pitches (aka Pull An Extremely Long Length Altogether). By the time we had finished the pile was four times bigger than at the start (about 1200m in total) which disappeared into ten bags and was spirited out of the cave. +

So that was it for another year. Camp Kraken was an unqualified success and definitely made for efficient exploration of the deep levels of the cave. Altogether there were seven camping trips involving eighteen different people, and between us we found and explored over 3.5km of passages. That represents a better return than I could ever have hoped for, and I feel justified in promoting the original lead from which it was all found as a good place to look for new cave. +

Same again next year? +

PS: My camera didn’t make it underground this year – so thanks go to Chris Densham, Becka Lawson and Fleur Loveridge for permission to use their photos. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
2016-07-21
+
Jenny Black, Olly Betts,
+
16-JB-01: Nervous Breakdown
+ +

This had to be our final trip, so we could carry gear down the next day. Managed to get underground at 9:05am +to maximise our chances. +

Whizzed down to the pushing front and Olly started off with the rigging, from the final bolt +of yesterday, a couple of naturals then a bolt got us down to a big boulder slope - a scary boulder slope at about +the critical angle of slope failure, with boulders arange of sizes. Olly crossed the slope to the other side and put +another bolt in before I crossed. After I crossed and Olly was placing the next bolt, some of the slope started moving +towards me. We survived. +

Another few bolts got us down a short pitch (formed by some very big boulders) to get more boulder slope. this was +marginally less steep and therefore considerably more stable. This was fortunate because we had run out of rope. +

Continued down the slope - passage got narrower, and was noticably draughty (out). Finally the roof came down, the +passage appeared to end. The draught came out of some gaps between big boulders. This looked stable, and plenty big +enough, and appeared to drop about 10m. It did not look freeclimbable. We contemplated going back up, cutting the end off +the rope and going down, but there really wasn't going to be time. So we looked down one last time, imagined the caverns +measureless to man that lay beyond, and surveyed out. +

Looked at a few inlets/alcoves at floor level on the way up, but nothing went. Higher up there are many inlets 1/2 + +way up the walls. Derigged as we surveyed and survived the boulders again. +

Surveying finished, I shuttled bags as Olly derigged. Placed a hilti at the entrance, to which we added a tag two days +later while pcking the bivi. Noticed that the entrance is incredibly close to the old path to 204/topcamp (i.e. the one +in all-with-tracks). +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
2016-07-24
+
Ashley Gregg, Martin Green,
+
Balcony - Hilti-a-Plenty - Galactica
+ +

Went to explore Hilti-a-Plenty and push a pitch discovered by Rob and co. This pitch was eventually +named Deep Space 9 - suggested by Rob on a later trip. Martin bolted and rigged, before we descended to +a large rocky passage. At the end of this was a promising pitch which Martin began to rig. Meanwhile I +started surveying a scrotty side passage. +

The side passage was shite for a fair bit before emerging into +a sandy chamber. From here an archway led to a massive chamber - Galactica. Petzl Duo could not make out +opposite wall, left wall, right wall, ceiling, or floor. Recalling Martin, with spot light could detect walls +now. 90m from side to side and 50m to near floor - could not actually make it out. Will need to go back next +year. +

Concluded the trip by surveying a smaller lead off the first chamber to conclusion. Good 150m of cave +surveyed not including mahoosive Galactica. Of course it was the last day of pushing. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
+ +
+ +
2016-07-25
+
Ashley Gregg, Martin Green, Rob Watson,
+
Balcony Derigging - Hilti-a-Plenty
+ +

Went to show Rob Galactica before then the big derigging began. Derigged Deep Space 9 then the traverse +of Om? then Can't Stop Now this is Bat Country. Also finished an odd bit of surveying left behind by Rob +from before on the pitch. Then I derigged Hilti-a-Plenty with a tackle bag a tad too small. One rebelay near +the top proved particularly difficult to de-rig, resulting in a slip and swing and crash, to my discomfort. +

We met Elliott and Michael near the entrance pitch and left them to de-rig this as we headed out. Rob left +before Martin and I, dissappearing down the hill rather quickly. We were a bit slower, weighted down with +lots of gear. And after today all of Balcony was finally derigged and the derig was completed for this year. +
T/U: 0.0 hours
diff --git a/years/2016/TheKrakenWakes.html b/years/2016/thekrakenwakes.html similarity index 100% rename from years/2016/TheKrakenWakes.html rename to years/2016/thekrakenwakes.html diff --git a/years/2017/logbook.html b/years/2017/logbook.html index 94c381647..6c581276f 100644 --- a/years/2017/logbook.html +++ b/years/2017/logbook.html @@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ 2017 Expo Logbook +