From 69b367993dbba9be9849fc99780b79411f0ecc63 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Philip Sargent <philip.sargent@gmail.com> Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2024 19:52:12 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] Ash logbook extra entries never written up elsewhere --- years/2023/ashtripreports.txt | 195 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 195 insertions(+) create mode 100644 years/2023/ashtripreports.txt diff --git a/years/2023/ashtripreports.txt b/years/2023/ashtripreports.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000..3a901bab9 --- /dev/null +++ b/years/2023/ashtripreports.txt @@ -0,0 +1,195 @@ +<div class="tripdate" id="t2023-07-07a">2023-07-07</div> +<div class="trippeople"><u>Ash</u>, Mealy, Will Kay, Alice Kirby</div> +<div class="triptitle">Fishface – Surveying Stalagtite Loop to the top of Liquid Luck</div> +<p>Following our previous shallow trip into Fishface we set out to continue the previous combined +leads from the day before. The journey across the plateau and into the cave was uneventful, aside from +the other group catching up with us. Dropping down into Blitzen Boulevard we continued along the rift +and dropped Mike and teams previously rigged pitch (as we had de-rigged fivemoose), getting to the pushing +front.</p> +<p>Since the PDA had officially died, it was on to sexytopo on phone, with Mealy keen to do more on +notes. Alice and Will were both (unusually) keen to survey which allowed me, as the most experienced, +to take on the role of chief scooper / co-ordinator.</p> +<p>The rift continued, bending slightly to the right as we surveyed along, soon becoming a sandy crawl. +Passing a tight deep hole (likely connecting into Liquid Luck) we reached a junction. Right quickly +crapped out at a puddle below a blind aven. Left, crawling continued with stalagtites and popcorn/coral +formations. In hindsight we should have taken photos. The passage became more rifty again with a few more +formations.</p> +<p>We could hear voices seemingly ahead, which did not bode well. I scooted ahead to find the rift +connected with the far side of the top of the Liquid Luck Pitch. Unfortunately, this was Jonty and +teams lead for the day so they were quite annoyed, although hadn’t started bolting their way across +yet.</p> +<p>We finished off surveying and I went round the long way to the far side of the pitch to ensure we +could close the loop. Done for the day, there was now a clusterfuck of people all trying to leave fish +at the same time. One by one people left the bothy and headed up Blitzen to the surface. Back to top +camp for curry.</p> + + +<div class="tripdate" id="t2023-07-12a">2023-07-12</div> +<div class="trippeople"><u>Ash</u>, Janis</div> +<div class="triptitle">Amphitheatre – Surveying Frozen Unknown</div> +<p>We went back to continue exploring Amphitheatre. Since we were now pushing decently underground, we kitted +up and then headed in. Adjusted the initial traverse line rigging slightly.</p> +<p>I started bolting the second pitch, hugging the left-hand wall to avoid the steadily dripping water +at the near end of the pitch. Unfortunately the slope of the wall was not ideal and a couple of re-belays +were required to avoid rope rub. This was about as good as we would get so dropped down the remaining 25m +or so onto a large snow and ice pile. To one side this dropped steeply down to a wet puddle, joined by the +drips from the near end of the pitch, with no continuation. Travelling along the chamber down the snow +slope became increasingly treacherous, climbing down large appliance-sized ice boulders. Carefully +tip-toeing under an iceberg wedged 10m up in the ceiling the continuation became more like a boulder choke, +but made of ice. This became steep enough that rope would be required, but with the treacherous conditions, +and nothing to rig off other than ice anyway, I retreated. </p> +<p>We both then surveyed the extent of the cave and de-rigged on the way out. Janis de-rigging for the +‘learning experience’. Unfortunately, cave killed until a future year with very low snow perhaps. There +was no evidence of a draft at the bottom so not particularly promising.</p> + + +<div class="tripdate" id="t2023-07-15a">2023-07-15</div> +<div class="trippeople"><u>Ash</u>, Ely, Janis</div> +<div class="triptitle">Prospecting - Up to Homecoming from the Col</div> +<p>Deciding I needed to get into this prospecting lark and find some new caves we kept an eye out for +undocumented potential on our walk up to top camp. The intention was to walk up from the Col to Homecoming +and then Garlic cave (also dropping off supplies). Janis GPS trailed the route (being vaguely sure of it +having done it the other day). There were several confusing bits and many cairns which were mostly +helpful.</p> +<p>The following caves were found on the way up:</p> +<ul> +<li>2023-ASH-01 47.68168N 13.80678E 1695m. Approx 8m shaft with snow at bottom.</li> +<li>2023-ASH-02 47.68692N 13.80660E 1722m. Rift dropping approx. 8m to boulder floor.</li> +<li>2023-ASH-03 47.69010N 13.80547E 1728m. Large rift of approx. 15m depth. Snow at bottom.</li> +<li>2023-ASH-04 47.69176N 13.80512E (UTM33 5282733, 410338), 1721m. Small hole surrounded by bunder, +drops approx. 5m with snow at bottom, can't clearly see bottom from top.</li> +</ul> +<p>Entrance photos were also taken. (Note: These caves are all entered on website).</p> + + +<div class="tripdate" id="t2023-07-15b">2023-07-15</div> +<div class="trippeople"><u>Ash</u>, Ely, Philip B</div> +<div class="triptitle">2018-DM-04 – Prospecting, exploring, surveying</div> +<p>The plan was to do some prospecting in the relatively uncovered area around Garlic cave. +We met up with Philip at Garlic cave and had some noodles for lunch. Philip had already done some +looking around the area and suggested we go look at 2018-DM-04 and 2018-DM-05.</p> +<p>We had one caving helmet between us (the rest of my kit was at top camp). We only got round to +looking at 2018-DM-04, following a slightly up and down plateau route to get there. The tag was found +underneath a rock. Got Ely to practice bolting and place the first back up bolt. Then I started down +the cave -an open shaft approx. 4x5m. A big flake made a suitable hang point, with with a further +deviation put in allowed a good hang down to a large snow plug. This mountain of snow could be +carefully passed down one side between the cave wall. A re-belay was necessary with the cave dropping +down and to the side. A further re-belay and past the snow now led down to a rocky floor. Unfortunately, +there was no further continuation.</p> +<p>Headed back out and then we surveyed before derigging. Named cave Bunderstruck, and is approx. 50m, +mostly vertical. Then back to garlic cave to drop off rope (and Philip) before walking across to +Top Camp.</p> + + +<div class="tripdate" id="t2023-07-16a">2023-07-16</div> +<div class="trippeople"><u>Ash</u>, Evelyn</div> +<div class="triptitle">Prospecting - Much prospecting near Balcony</div> +<p>Deciding I wanted to go prospecting but didn’t particularly want to walk back over to garlic cave, +so recruited Evelyn, our resident non-caver to go wander around near balcony. Armed with known cave +entrances on OSMand plus the cave/plateau overlay developed by Martin, we set off. The path to Balcony +is more pleasant than the one to Fish with plenty of cairns meaning we were soon there.</p> +<p>We ambled around on the plateau finding several caves of interest and recording photos and gps points. +We generally followed a loop, heading East then North, then West, then South, then East again ending up +back near Balcony. Recorded 10 new caves. When heading back to Top camp we detoured through the bunder +up to the top of Niederes Augst-Eck, bushwhacking around and eventually making our way back. This did not +yield any new caves.</p> +<p>The following caves were found. All entrance details (description and photos) are now on website:</p> +<ul> +<li>2023-ASH-05a 47.69577N 13.82630E 1916m</li> +<li>2023-ASH-05b 47.69571N 13.82636E 1916m</li> +<li>2023-ASH-06 47.69582N 13.82640E 1916m</li> +<li>2023-ASH-07 47.69649N 13.82678E 1926m</li> +<li>2023-ASH-08a 47.69671N 13.82719E 1935m</li> +<li>2023-ASH-08b 47.69673N 13.82723E 1935m</li> +<li>2023-ASH-09 47.69699N 13.82776E 1938m</li> +<li>2023-ASH-10 47.69845N 13.82528E 1941m</li> +<li>2023-ASH-11 47.69863N 13.82550E 1941m</li> +<li>2023-ASH-12 47.69773N 13.82347E 1916m</li> +<li>2023-ASH-13 47.69733N 13.82426E 1910m</li> +<li>2023-ASH-14 47.69734N 13.82444E 1910m</li> +</ul> + + +<div class="tripdate" id="t2023-07-17a">2023-07-17</div> +<div class="trippeople"><u>Ash</u>, Emma, Oakem</div> +<div class="triptitle">Fishface – Kresh connection confusion</div> +<p>Joel had discovered an exciting new cave, unfortunately this left us with rope and a lead down in +the Fish face – happy butterfly connection which no-one was going to. I was naively convinced to go and +look at this lead which needed another y-hang to drop into potential new stuff. Looking at the survey +didn’t reveal much information, and none of our group had been here before which wasn’t ideal.</p> +<p>We set off and made our way down the cave, through the rifts until reaching the end of the previous +rigging without much difficulty. I rigged the last y-hang and this dropped down to traverse rigged with +a mixture of hilti’s and through-bolts above a large hole, with a boulder wedged across the middle. +(We later found out this is the ff-hb connection). Ill prepared and confused by the mixture of different +paint/survey stations and assortment of rigging options, we decided to traverse up into some side +passages and explore round. Half this had been surveyed, but it was unclear what hadn’t so we re-surveyed +a large loop – kreshconnectionconfusion. It turned out half of this hadn’t been surveyed so was somewhat +worthwhile on an otherwise pointless trip.</p> + + +<div class="tripdate" id="t2023-07-18a">2023-07-18</div> +<div class="trippeople"><u>Ash</u>, Zac Woodford, Merryn Matthews</div> +<div class="triptitle">Tempest – Touch of Death</div> +<p>Excited to go and see (and kill) this new cave, two groups set off to push the two ‘A’ leads at the +extent of Tempest. Arriving at the cave we prepared the bags and realised we’d forgotten a hammer, so +I went over to Fishface to fetch one that would hopefully still be there, allowing the other team some +time to get down the cave.</p> +<p>We all convened at the bottom of the entrance series, after descending on rope down the two snowy +slopes. The final pitch was narrow and loose, dropping shortly down into a passage heading both left and +right. After some discussions Joel/Lizzie’s team decided to head right down an icy slope to what would +be another pitch. Zac and I headed left.</p> +<p>Job done we headed back to the junction where we met up with the others. Despite being gone probably + hour they were still yet to do anything? Snacks were eaten in a bothy and then Zac and I headed out + where we met Merryn and Ely on the surface, who had walked up the plateau.</p> +<p>Merryn joined Zac and I to scope out a couple of side passages just as you start going down Tempest. +One of these a snow slope heads off into a side rift which can be squeezed up through boulders, but then +loops back around to the same (Tempest) pitch at a higher level. Surveyed as Fartichoke. The other was +a very short arch in the ceiling joining immediately back in, and not going anywhere further, +as this was just the ceiling of the main passage below.</p> +<p>It had rained whilst we were in the cave and Ely had conveniently covered over most of our stuff +which we’d left lying around. Once out we packed up and headed back to Top Camp.</p> + + +<div class="tripdate" id="t2023-07-19a">2023-07-19</div> +<div class="trippeople"><u>Ash</u>, Zac Woodford, Will Kay</div> +<div class="triptitle">Prospecting – dropping Boring Hole and Dead on Arrival</div> +<p>Took Zac to bolt a cave he had previously found not too far of the path to Fishface. Slight delay as +we’d forgotten something important (bolts maybe?), which Will went back to get.</p> +<p>One bolt wonder dropped over a tackle-sack rope protector 5m to a snow slope. Cave then crapped out. +Zac named it Boring hole (2023-ASH-16). Surveyd and then de-rigged.</p> +<p>Found another cave just over an escarpment, a large rift in the ground. Excellent opportunity for +Will to learn/practice bolting so he set to gardening, before installing a y-hang. At the bottom of the +rift the were no continuations. Will named it Dead on Arrival (2023-ASH-15). Surveyed and then de-rigged.</p> +<p>Headed back to Top camp for noodles.</p> + + +<div class="tripdate" id="t2023-07-19b">2023-07-19</div> +<div class="trippeople"><u>Ash</u>, Will Kay</div> +<div class="triptitle">Plateau - Surveying Little Tent and Gollum Grotto</div> +<p>Deciding we weren’t done for the day yet an afternoon evening trip was decided upon to survey some +of the caves Evelyn and I had found a few days ago. Will and I gathered the necessary gear and set off +towards Balcony.</p> +<p>Upon trying to re-find the triangular rock arch from a cave before, I led us slightly too far to the +south to find another arch -this was only a metre long so not a cave. However we then found a new cave. +20 or so metres of horizontal development with a crawl also linking in the side. We explored and +surveyed this cave (2023-ASH-17) which Will named Gollum Grotto.</p> +<p>We then found the triangular arch I had been looking for originally. Surveyed this short cave +(2023-ASH-07) and named it Little Tent. The cave is very short with the addition of a climb down through +boulders, but this doesn’t go anywhere.</p> +<p>With the threat of thunderstorms, we headed back, making it back in time to then watch some lightning +off on the edges of the plateau. Plus curry for dinner.</p> + + +<div class="tripdate" id="t2023-07-20a">2023-07-20</div> +<div class="trippeople"><u>Ash</u>, Tom Phillips</div> +<div class="triptitle">Plateau - Surveying Top Camp Band and Bat versus Rat</div> +<p>Decided to go and survey/kill a couple more caves before heading down off the plateau for the year. +Aware that I would have a lot of data to sort out and vague plans to go canyoning Friday before the +dinner, this needed to be an efficient trip. Las as is always the case with caving we didn’t get down +to the car park until around 5pm.</p> +<p>The caves we surveyed near Balcony, Evelyn and I had previously found a couple days ago, 2023-ASH-08 +and 2023-ASH-09 now correspondingly named Top Camp Band and Bat versus Rat by Tom. They are both quite +short with horizontal routes in. Top Camp Band was the more extensive of the two, with a second entrance +consisting of a tight 10m high aven down to the main chamber, which a crawl leads back to the first +entrance. Good opportunity for Tom to have more practice on book (paperless).</p> +<p>It was then back to top camp to pack up everything to then walk down.</p> \ No newline at end of file