From 763d1fc863014487ba072d1390c56d48f1894452 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: dave Date: Fri, 7 May 2004 11:41:43 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] [svn r5971] Logbook now vaildates as XHTML save one thing: XHTML doesn't like . If XHTML says that, then XHTML is an ass. --- years/2003/logbook.html | 1532 +++++++++++++++++++++++---------------- 1 file changed, 921 insertions(+), 611 deletions(-) diff --git a/years/2003/logbook.html b/years/2003/logbook.html index 5a9a66abd..dc50ba7ea 100644 --- a/years/2003/logbook.html +++ b/years/2003/logbook.html @@ -1,662 +1,972 @@ - -

Typed up David Loeffler, January 2004. I've done my best to decipher this but bits are still illegible; there are also a lot of dangling cross-references to trips that never actually got written up. Editorial comments (in italics) are mine.

+ + + + +2003 Logbook + + + +

Typed up David Loeffler, January 2004. I've done my best to +decipher this but bits are still illegible; there are also a lot of +dangling cross-references to trips that never actually got written +up. Editorial comments (in italics) are mine.

EXPO 2003

-

(20th Expo at Staud'n'Wirt)

- -

10-12/7/2003  --  Packing and Journey to Austria  --  Mark S, Earl (driving), Olly M, Martin, et al. (packing)

- -

In fact it's not the 12th July at all, it's Wednesday 16th but we've only just gotten around to buying a log book. It appears that I have -the pleasure of inscribing the first of what will

- -

[LARGE DEAD FLY STUCK TO PAGE, COVERED IN CELLOPHANE, LABELLED "3D FLY-O-SCOPE - DIE FLY"]

- +

10-12/7/2003  --  Packing and Journey to +Austria  --  Mark S, Earl (driving), +Olly M, Martin, et al. (packing)

+

In fact it's not the 12th July at all, it's Wednesday 16th but +we've only just gotten around to buying a log book. It appears that +I have the pleasure of inscribing the first of what will

+

[LARGE DEAD FLY STUCK TO PAGE, COVERED IN CELLOPHANE, LABELLED +"3D FLY-O-SCOPE - DIE FLY"]

Never look a log book in the mouth. As I was saying,

- -

no doubt be the usual collection of impecably [sic - I can't tell if this is deliberate!] written reports, each written -longingly with due care and attention (ignoring distractions such as [illegible] insects), with the authors in a sufficiently -sober state so as to recount the superbly accurate tales in the worst manner possible.

- -

Horse flies in Austria weren't the only ones taking the piss. AN excellent sponsorship effort by Julia led to the delivery of 125kg of -noodles (912 packets, just think how far those noodles would stretch!) in 33 boxes of varying size. A mammoth van-packing effort, -including trips to every corner of Cambridge (and Bury St. Edmunds, root of all evil) [footnote: Greene King Ltd. (PLC?)] managed to cram -100kg of the noodles and an amazing pile of other shit into Mark's van.

- -

The drive out - Mark and Early - was good, except for a few minor hiccups (Eurotunnel had told us the wrong time & we had to wait an -hour, etc). Van temperature light came on twice so we paused briefly to cool down. Driving all day - 4am to 10pm - in 1 1/2 - 2 hour -shifts works very well - could have done the journey in 12 1/2 hrs without the tunnel + cooling problems. Arrived at 11pm prompt -and headed for Hilde's bar.

- +

no doubt be the usual collection of impecably [sic - I can't +tell if this is deliberate!] written reports, each written +longingly with due care and attention (ignoring distractions such +as [illegible] insects), with the authors in a sufficiently +sober state so as to recount the superbly accurate tales in the +worst manner possible.

+

Horse flies in Austria weren't the only ones taking the piss. AN +excellent sponsorship effort by Julia led to the delivery of 125kg +of noodles (912 packets, just think how far those noodles would +stretch!) in 33 boxes of varying size. A mammoth van-packing +effort, including trips to every corner of Cambridge (and Bury St. +Edmunds, root of all evil) [footnote: Greene King Ltd. +(PLC?)] managed to cram 100kg of the noodles and an amazing pile of +other shit into Mark's van.

+

The drive out - Mark and Early - was good, except for a few +minor hiccups (Eurotunnel had told us the wrong time & we had +to wait an hour, etc). Van temperature light came on twice so we +paused briefly to cool down. Driving all day - 4am to 10pm - in 1 +1/2 - 2 hour shifts works very well - could have done the +journey in 12 1/2 hrs without the tunnel + cooling problems. +Arrived at 11pm prompt and headed for Hilde's bar.

T/U a bit (in tunnels).

- -

At this juncture Mark noticed that the front two pages of the logbook were stuck together. By gaffer tape of course.

- -

- -

16/7/03  --  Dour, Julia, Dave travel out

- -

Having quit my job on Thursday, and with Dave dossing on our floor Thursday night, I wasn't worried about packing the car and hadn't done -much beyond throwing a few things into a useful box, and packing the top-camp meals into a suitcase (of course). However, first job of -Friday was to go to the DVLA in Wimbledon to get a tax disk for Dour. That done, and journey food bought, the morning was waring on so a -massive pile of gear was collected and assembed next to the Tunnocks mobile. I then discovered that, whilst an inordinate amount of -noodles had safely arrived, there was no sign of any Tunnocks bars. Disaster! Alsoa bit annoying, as I'd confirmed sponsorship to folk -almost a month ago. So I rang Tunnocks and left a polite message inquiring about the lack of Thomas Tunnock Ltd products. The result of -this was to be told that my e-mail confirming dates and a delivery address was never received...oh poo. However the nice man aat Tunnocks -was only a bit grumpy and agreed to send the stuff on to another address. Sorted. I then had a bit of a stress about the size of the -shit pile.

- -

-** NEWS FLASH 8.51pm - it's gonna rain ** -Hurrah!

- -

So went upstairs to a create more gear whilst Dave organised the stuff already by the car. Once Dave had done the hard work (well the flat -needed cleaning) it started to look OK, and we ahd a good half an hour sitting around before Dour got home from work. Then we were off. -Made it onto the 7pm ferry and after that it was just the occasional coffee + petrol stop. Dour drove pretty much all thru the night. -Arrived at the Pötschen Pass to find some major bike race going on, and it was still going on in Bad Aussee, actually quite handy as -there were marshals on the silly corner to wave you through when it was safe to go. The three of us arrived; five minutes later Tony -arrived chauffered from the station by Hilde. We sta and festered for a bit, then got round to putting the bier tent up. Not long -afterwards, when the frame was up but far from stable the heavens opened, and we all lokked a bit silly, stood there getting drenched -whilst supporting a massive metal structure. We got bored after a while and went over the road. Karin: "It is funny. You are here ... -and it is raining."

- -

- -

17/7/03 Becka

- -

Got here ~ 3.30pm. Baking hot + everything locked up. Ate last night's slop + got a beer in. Bad head from no sleep at all last night -(blame Richard Branson).

- -

- -

18/7/03  --  204: rigging down towards Razordance  --  Dave, Mark  --  T/U 5hrs

- -

Rigged 204a ent pitches to Wolpertinger Way. Stuck a rope down Pot-u-Like; we weren't very convinced by the bolting + came out again.

- -

On reaching surface were soundly patronised by Dour and Becka who went on to rig rest of Ariston.

- -

- -

18/7/03  --  Rigging 204e ent pitch  --    --  Dave  --  T/U 1hr

- -

Got bored so put a rope down 204E. Couldn't remember route from bottom of pitch so came straight back out again.

- -

- -

18/7/03  --  Rigging Ariston  --  Becka + Anthony  --  T/U 7 hours

- -

Just back up from carry 2 in time to see Mark + Dave emerge. Down with 2 tacklesacks with rope for Kiwi Suit & down Ariston to finish -off rigging that & take sacks to top of Kiwi Suit, plus some fettling of rigging.

- -

- -

19/7/03  --  204 tourist trip  --  Becka, Earl + Julian H  --  T/U 7hrs

- -

Tourist trip, courtesy of Earl, to show Julian the highlights of 204. Walked over to 204D + rigged in - q. lot of snow. Julian did the -climb up - we should leave the 8m rope on this. Down into Swings + Roundabouts. Took 2 tacklesacks of rope to head of Gaffered to -the Walls for rigging. Up Treeumphant Passage, poking around various holes. Looked at bottom of 204E then Earl + I went to bottom of -Helter Skelter. Earl reckoned the climb up would lik to the climb he did at the far N end of Swings + Roundabouts. I moved some boulders -from the bottom of Helter Skelter, I reckon I could get through the gap (especially given a lump hammer) with a nice draught through it + -tube (q. big) beyond - should be pushed through. Back + looked at 01-10A - rope still on the up-climb (C4) + 2 hangers left from pitch -down but our rope not long enough. Since so easy to access this from 204E this should be looked at again. Through short cut (v. easy, -recommended) back into Treeumphant + up to Cave Tree Chamber. Found a tacklesack crabbed to the bottom of -(still-rigged) traverse, complete with short rope + 4 slings. Presumably been there 2 years, oops. Took it out with us. Back + out via No -Pain No Gain (looking into Pleasure Dome from start) + then down to Millennium Dome (looking in from top) + to initial part of Merry -Fucking Christmas until climb down. Then saw Mark + Anthony coming up + offering a lift down the hill, sorted. Everybody out 204A. Fun -trip.

- +

At this juncture Mark noticed that the front two pages of the +logbook were stuck together. By gaffer tape of course.

- -

19/7/03  --  Kiwi Suit rigging  --  Mark S, Dave, Dour  --  T/U 6 1/2 hrs

- -

Abbed down to bottom of Ariston and followed crawl to head of Kiwi Suit. Proceeded to watch Dour shit his pants over the head of the 54m. -Two bomber naturals ensured a safe descent. Into a nice stream canyon, down the next short pitch to the top of the 20m. Rope (101m, or so -it said) didn't reach the bottom, even though the traverse and backups at the thead of the 54m had been rigged on another rope. We -resolved to bring more rope and went home. Met Haines and co. at the bottom of Wolpertinger, at the end of their tour of 204. Prussiked -out and went down the hill. Drank Gösser.

- +

16/7/03  --  Dour, Julia, Dave travel +out

+

Having quit my job on Thursday, and with Dave dossing on our +floor Thursday night, I wasn't worried about packing the car and +hadn't done much beyond throwing a few things into a useful box, +and packing the top-camp meals into a suitcase (of course). +However, first job of Friday was to go to the DVLA in Wimbledon to +get a tax disk for Dour. That done, and journey food bought, the +morning was waring on so a massive pile of gear was collected and +assembed next to the Tunnocks mobile. I then discovered that, +whilst an inordinate amount of noodles had safely arrived, there +was no sign of any Tunnocks bars. Disaster! Alsoa bit annoying, as +I'd confirmed sponsorship to folk almost a month ago. So I rang +Tunnocks and left a polite message inquiring about the lack of +Thomas Tunnock Ltd products. The result of this was to be told that +my e-mail confirming dates and a delivery address was never +received...oh poo. However the nice man aat Tunnocks was only a bit +grumpy and agreed to send the stuff on to another address. Sorted. +I then had a bit of a stress about the size of the shit pile.

+

** NEWS FLASH 8.51pm - it's gonna rain ** Hurrah!

+

So went upstairs to a create more gear whilst Dave organised the +stuff already by the car. Once Dave had done the hard work (well +the flat needed cleaning) it started to look OK, and we ahd a good +half an hour sitting around before Dour got home from work. Then we +were off. Made it onto the 7pm ferry and after that it was just the +occasional coffee + petrol stop. Dour drove pretty much all thru +the night. Arrived at the Pötschen Pass to find some major bike +race going on, and it was still going on in Bad Aussee, actually +quite handy as there were marshals on the silly corner to wave you +through when it was safe to go. The three of us arrived; five +minutes later Tony arrived chauffered from the station by Hilde. We +sta and festered for a bit, then got round to putting the bier tent +up. Not long afterwards, when the frame was up but far from stable +the heavens opened, and we all lokked a bit silly, stood there +getting drenched whilst supporting a massive metal structure. We +got bored after a while and went over the road. Karin: "It is +funny. You are here ... and it is raining."

- -

20/7/03  --  204E to Helter Skelter  --  Becka + Martin  --  T/U 6 hours

- -

Walked up hill + Julian+Earl doing traverse at Gaffered to the Walls so thought we'd rig down Gaffered + be sociable. Obviously we didn't -think too hard about it as when we got there they were lobbing endless rocks off their ledge. Rigging Gaffered not an option. Watched -them a moment + adminred the long drop into space then retreated to QMs back nearer 204E. First went up Crowning Glory to end to QM -2001-10A. andclimb rope left from 2001 up then rigged down (like I did on yesterday's trip). Pit at bottom of this pitch -blind. Walked up boulder slope on the other side of pitch + gardeded the next drop then Martin down on rest of rope from first -pitch with a tackle sack rope protector. To left was rift with aven (went 3m). In LH wall, 2m up, small crawl (QM C). Straight on, rift -continued down moderate pitch (QM B) + above passage continued (QM B) which could be reached by bolting up ~3m. Then went down Helter -Skelter to far end. We moved boulders + stacked them up for some time until could finally get under the low wall at end. It went right, -under another low squeeze, + then opened into a small pitch which Martin descended on naturals ~8m. 2m slot in floor. Pitch blind -+ drippy (got wet when we surveyed it the next day + it rained on the surface). Came back up Helter Skelter slowly looking at QMs. Martin -found QM 2001-14B, a sandy crawl with a draft + pushed it into new stuff. Yahoo (embarrasing we didn't spot it in the -original 2001 survey though). Looked at lots until time to go home. Met Earl + Julian back at the 204E rope + exited together. Good trip.

- -

- -

21/7/03  --  204E to survey Sandpit off Helter Skelter  --  Becka + Martin   --  T/U 9hrs

- -

Julian + Earl still bolting above Gaffered to the Walls so no point trying to rig below them so off to survey yesterday's stuff in -Sandpit of Helter Skelter. Sandy crawl (was QM 2001-14B) leads to small passage. Closes off up + to right; main way goes past dead -furry bat to sandy hole which we'd dug out yesterday. This tube goes up steeply. At top, straight ahead leads up into small chamber -with a pitch to right + up from there. Go left another rift/pitch which probably links to the first one. Main way from sandy tube follows -the draft to the left along a crawling tube past a couple of not-bad straws into a small chamber. Rift, thin, deep, narrow to the -right (leading to small shaft?). Ahead, nasty loose hole to left but main way is under low wall + crawl up ramp on right side. Over a -loose boulder wall, to the right went to a pitch head with a huge boulder perched on top. It's possible to free-climb down this rift to -the left to a drippy floor + Martin climbed a further 2m below this but still not down to bottom of shaft (doesn't look promising -though). Various tubes above pitch head, probably don't go. Main way is to left after boulder wall, crawling to edge of ramp. Can -climb down to left, to bottom, nasty loose pitch to left at bottom. Ahead, clamber over boulders. At far end, small passage leads off + -up but gets too small. At left climb up + then follow up a solution tube several metres up to top of aven then tube closes down. Main way -on at ramp is across + up to small sandy tube. Down this + to right. Small crawly passage with odd boulders in it needing gardening + -more bat skeletons led up + past final squeeze into q. large drippy rift. Into this + we climbed up two levels (first one a rather dodgy -free climb) until too hard to upclimb but aven continued up beyond this point. End of that survey. Back + down to bottom of Helter -Skelter + surfeyed down to the pitch we found yesterday (last leg a joke plumb as we didn't rig the pitch). As down there, rain started + -everything got drippy + worse. Checked off most of the Helter Skelter QM's on way up (2001 - 56C, 58C, 15C all don't go; 16A downgraded -to B). Also M 2000-20C dead from day before this in Treeumphant. We left QM 2001-17C in Helter Skelter which is over attractive white -mud, while 2001-56C might go if you want to climb diddly tubes.

- +

17/7/03 Becka

+

Got here ~ 3.30pm. Baking hot + everything locked up. Ate last +night's slop + got a beer in. Bad head from no sleep at all last +night (blame Richard Branson).

- -

22/7/03  --  Surface prospect  --  Becka + Earl  --  T/U 30min

- -

Headed off with Martin;s GPS above various bits of 204. Ended up at the top of the Hinterer Schwartzmooskogel then went back to 204 Top -Camp near the top of the ridge logging various holes, dead + otherwise. Met Mark, Julian + Dave at camp. Had lunch, then me, Julian + -Dave up North to prospect for an hour. Found a couple more holes. Finally Earl + I watched Mark desced 2000-08. Possible way on to side -of it - narrow rift, needed a rope. Earl + I found a couple more holes, ended. Back down hill. GPS positions etc. in survey folder.

- -

22/7/03  --  Surface wander  --  Dave, Julian T  --  T/U ?? [must have been about 1 hour]

- -

Returned to holes 'up North' minus Becka but plus gear: rigged one hole down pitch (see sketch) + tagged that as 2003/03.

- +

18/7/03  --  204: rigging down towards +Razordance  --  Dave, +Mark  --  T/U 5hrs

+

Rigged 204a ent pitches to Wolpertinger Way. Stuck a rope down +Pot-u-Like; we weren't very convinced by the bolting + came out +again.

+

On reaching surface were soundly patronised by Dour and Becka +who went on to rig rest of Ariston.

+
+

18/7/03  --  Rigging 204e ent +pitch  --    --  Dave  --  T/U +1hr

+

Got bored so put a rope down 204E. Couldn't remember route from +bottom of pitch so came straight back out again.

+
+

18/7/03  --  Rigging +Ariston  --  Becka + +Anthony  --  T/U 7 hours

+

Just back up from carry 2 in time to see Mark + Dave emerge. +Down with 2 tacklesacks with rope for Kiwi Suit & down Ariston +to finish off rigging that & take sacks to top of Kiwi Suit, +plus some fettling of rigging.

+
+

19/7/03  --  204 tourist +trip  --  Becka, Earl + Julian +H  --  T/U 7hrs

+

Tourist trip, courtesy of Earl, to show Julian the highlights of +204. Walked over to 204D + rigged in - q. lot of snow. Julian did +the climb up - we should leave the 8m rope on this. Down +into Swings + Roundabouts. Took 2 tacklesacks of rope to head of +Gaffered to the Walls for rigging. Up Treeumphant Passage, poking +around various holes. Looked at bottom of 204E then Earl + I went +to bottom of Helter Skelter. Earl reckoned the climb up would lik +to the climb he did at the far N end of Swings + Roundabouts. I +moved some boulders from the bottom of Helter Skelter, I reckon I +could get through the gap (especially given a lump hammer) with a +nice draught through it + tube (q. big) beyond - should be pushed +through. Back + looked at 01-10A - rope still on the up-climb (C4) ++ 2 hangers left from pitch down but our rope not long enough. +Since so easy to access this from 204E this should be looked at +again. Through short cut (v. easy, recommended) back into +Treeumphant + up to Cave Tree Chamber. Found a +tacklesack crabbed to the bottom of +(still-rigged) traverse, complete with short rope + 4 slings. +Presumably been there 2 years, oops. Took it out with us. Back + +out via No Pain No Gain (looking into Pleasure Dome from start) + +then down to Millennium Dome (looking in from top) + to initial +part of Merry Fucking Christmas until climb down. Then saw Mark + +Anthony coming up + offering a lift down the hill, sorted. +Everybody out 204A. Fun trip.

+
+

19/7/03  --  Kiwi Suit +rigging  --  Mark S, Dave, +Dour  --  T/U 6 1/2 hrs

+

Abbed down to bottom of Ariston and followed crawl to head of +Kiwi Suit. Proceeded to watch Dour shit his pants over the head of +the 54m. Two bomber naturals ensured a safe descent. Into a nice +stream canyon, down the next short pitch to the top of the 20m. +Rope (101m, or so it said) didn't reach the bottom, even though the +traverse and backups at the thead of the 54m had been rigged on +another rope. We resolved to bring more rope and went home. Met +Haines and co. at the bottom of Wolpertinger, at the end of their +tour of 204. Prussiked out and went down the hill. Drank +Gösser.

+
+

20/7/03  --  204E to Helter +Skelter  --  Becka + +Martin  --  T/U 6 hours

+

Walked up hill + Julian+Earl doing traverse at Gaffered to the +Walls so thought we'd rig down Gaffered + be sociable. Obviously we +didn't think too hard about it as when we got there they were +lobbing endless rocks off their ledge. Rigging Gaffered not an +option. Watched them a moment + adminred the long drop into space +then retreated to QMs back nearer 204E. First went up Crowning +Glory to end to QM 2001-10A. andclimb rope left from 2001 up +then rigged down (like I did on yesterday's trip). Pit at bottom of +this pitch blind. Walked up boulder slope on the other side +of pitch + gardeded the next drop then Martin down on rest of rope +from first pitch with a tackle sack rope protector. To left was +rift with aven (went 3m). In LH wall, 2m up, small crawl (QM C). +Straight on, rift continued down moderate pitch (QM B) + above +passage continued (QM B) which could be reached by bolting up ~3m. +Then went down Helter Skelter to far end. We moved boulders + +stacked them up for some time until could finally get under the low +wall at end. It went right, under another low squeeze, + then +opened into a small pitch which Martin descended on naturals ~8m. +2m slot in floor. Pitch blind + drippy (got wet when we +surveyed it the next day + it rained on the surface). Came back up +Helter Skelter slowly looking at QMs. Martin found QM +2001-14B, a sandy crawl with a draft + pushed it into new +stuff. Yahoo (embarrasing we didn't spot it in the original +2001 survey though). Looked at lots until time to go home. Met Earl ++ Julian back at the 204E rope + exited together. Good trip.

+
+

21/7/03  --  204E to survey Sandpit off +Helter Skelter  --  Becka + Martin +  --  T/U 9hrs

+

Julian + Earl still bolting above Gaffered to the Walls so no +point trying to rig below them so off to survey yesterday's stuff +in Sandpit of Helter Skelter. Sandy crawl (was QM 2001-14B) leads +to small passage. Closes off up + to right; main way goes past +dead furry bat to sandy hole which we'd dug out yesterday. +This tube goes up steeply. At top, straight ahead leads up into +small chamber with a pitch to right + up from there. Go left +another rift/pitch which probably links to the first one. Main way +from sandy tube follows the draft to the left along a +crawling tube past a couple of not-bad straws into a small chamber. +Rift, thin, deep, narrow to the right (leading to small shaft?). +Ahead, nasty loose hole to left but main way is under low wall + +crawl up ramp on right side. Over a loose boulder wall, to the +right went to a pitch head with a huge boulder perched on top. It's +possible to free-climb down this rift to the left to a drippy floor ++ Martin climbed a further 2m below this but still not down to +bottom of shaft (doesn't look promising though). Various tubes +above pitch head, probably don't go. Main way is to left +after boulder wall, crawling to edge of ramp. Can climb down to +left, to bottom, nasty loose pitch to left at bottom. Ahead, +clamber over boulders. At far end, small passage leads off + up but +gets too small. At left climb up + then follow up a solution tube +several metres up to top of aven then tube closes down. Main way on +at ramp is across + up to small sandy tube. Down this + to right. +Small crawly passage with odd boulders in it needing gardening + +more bat skeletons led up + past final squeeze into q. large drippy +rift. Into this + we climbed up two levels (first one a rather +dodgy free climb) until too hard to upclimb but aven continued up +beyond this point. End of that survey. Back + down to bottom of +Helter Skelter + surfeyed down to the pitch we found yesterday +(last leg a joke plumb as we didn't rig the pitch). As down there, +rain started + everything got drippy + worse. Checked off most of +the Helter Skelter QM's on way up (2001 - 56C, 58C, 15C all don't +go; 16A downgraded to B). Also M 2000-20C dead from day before this +in Treeumphant. We left QM 2001-17C in Helter Skelter which is over +attractive white mud, while 2001-56C might go if you want to climb +diddly tubes.

+
+

22/7/03  --  Surface +prospect  --  Becka + +Earl  --  T/U 30min

+

Headed off with Martin;s GPS above various bits of 204. Ended up +at the top of the Hinterer Schwartzmooskogel then went back to 204 +Top Camp near the top of the ridge logging various holes, dead + +otherwise. Met Mark, Julian + Dave at camp. Had lunch, then me, +Julian + Dave up North to prospect for an hour. Found a couple more +holes. Finally Earl + I watched Mark desced 2000-08. Possible way +on to side of it - narrow rift, needed a rope. Earl + I found a +couple more holes, ended. Back down hill. GPS positions etc. in +survey folder.

+

22/7/03  --  Surface +wander  --  Dave, Julian +T  --  T/U ?? [must have been about 1 +hour]

+

Returned to holes 'up North' minus Becka but plus gear: rigged +one hole down pitch (see sketch) + tagged that as 2003/03.

[ SKETCH ]

- -

Julian's other entrance, tagged as 2003/04, is a small down-sloping crawl in the western side of a depression visible from the stone -bridge. (At the south end of the depression is a short tunnel leading out onto the hillside, the other end of which is clearly visible -from 204). Anyway this gives access to some bouldery phreatic passage perhaps 5m wide + high heading westwards [actually it was -northwards, as we found when we surveyed the thing some while later] which is choked after perhaps 30-50m (we should really return + -survey it, alhtough it has no obvious leads left to push).

- +

Julian's other entrance, tagged as 2003/04, is a small +down-sloping crawl in the western side of a depression visible from +the stone bridge. (At the south end of the depression is a short +tunnel leading out onto the hillside, the other end of which is +clearly visible from 204). Anyway this gives access to some +bouldery phreatic passage perhaps 5m wide + high heading westwards +[actually it was northwards, as we found when we surveyed the +thing some while later] which is choked after perhaps 30-50m +(we should really return + survey it, alhtough it has no obvious +leads left to push).

- -

23/7/03  --  Razordance rigging (+ pushing a bit)  --  Dave, Dour, Mark  --  T/U Mark 12h, Dave 13h, Dour 14h

- -

Rigged [Julia's handwriting in margin: No you didn't, Anthony did ] bottom two pitches of Kiwi Suit and commenced the merry -task of hauling a huge tackle sack containing our 200m pushing rope through Razordance itself. Dour bolted Steady Now, the pitch at the -old pushing front (Duncs descended it last year on the rope from the previous pitch, which must have been rather damp). This gave access -to some more rift and another wet climb (rigged as a pitch). An awkward climb up through some boulders leads to a sizeable chamber -(originally named The Brewhouse, now renamed God Loves a Drunk). Another pitch was visible around the corner, provisionally named The -Mash Tun; rather than bolt this we turned around and slogged out, eventually emerging at intervals of about an hour with the last man -(Dour) emerging at about 3.30 am. (We must all be nuts!)

- +

23/7/03  --  Razordance rigging (+ pushing a +bit)  --  Dave, Dour, +Mark  --  T/U Mark 12h, Dave 13h, Dour 14h

+

Rigged [Julia's handwriting in margin: No you didn't, +Anthony did ] bottom two pitches of Kiwi Suit and commenced +the merry task of hauling a huge tackle sack containing our 200m +pushing rope through Razordance itself. Dour bolted Steady Now, the +pitch at the old pushing front (Duncs descended it last year on the +rope from the previous pitch, which must have been rather damp). +This gave access to some more rift and another wet climb (rigged as +a pitch). An awkward climb up through some boulders leads to a +sizeable chamber (originally named The Brewhouse, now renamed God +Loves a Drunk). Another pitch was visible around the corner, +provisionally named The Mash Tun; rather than bolt this we turned +around and slogged out, eventually emerging at intervals of about +an hour with the last man (Dour) emerging at about 3.30 am. (We +must all be nuts!)

- -

24/7/03  --  Surface-bashing  --  Dave, Mark

- -

Went with Brian to see 2003-{01, 02} and then on to Damoclesshacht (2003-05) which Brian was to descend. Went on and eventually found -Julian T's new cave (2003-06). Spent some time prospecting around here. Found zero caves and one adder. A most unproductive day.

- +

+24/7/03  --  Surface-bashing  --  Dave, +Mark

+

Went with Brian to see 2003-{01, 02} and then on to +Damoclesshacht (2003-05) which Brian was to descend. Went on and +eventually found Julian T's new cave (2003-06). Spent some time +prospecting around here. Found zero caves and one adder. A most +unproductive day.

- -

25/7/03  --  Razordance  --  Mark, Dour, Dave  --  T/U 10-12hrs approx

- -

Mark + Dave went to the bottom of Steady Now to start surveying the passage drom the previous trip. Dour followed, to bolt The Mash Tun - -an 8m pitch after the God Loves A Drunk chamber. Took Dour a while to bolt it, so the surveyors caught up with him. Descended Mash Tun to -land in a pool, leading to a much wider (2-3m) canyon. Very soon the head of the next pitch, Copper Pitch, is reached - looks like a fine -shaft of 20-30m. [Footnote: Actually 17m 60cm - Mark.] Rift bends around to the left after the pitch, still looks 3m or more wide. -Distinct change in the character of the cave. Drill battery failed afer 1 1/2 holes on the Y-hang so we went home. Took about 4 hours to -get out.

- +

+25/7/03  --  Razordance  --   +Mark, Dour, Dave  --  T/U 10-12hrs +approx

+

Mark + Dave went to the bottom of Steady Now to start surveying +the passage drom the previous trip. Dour followed, to bolt The Mash +Tun - an 8m pitch after the God Loves A Drunk chamber. Took Dour a +while to bolt it, so the surveyors caught up with him. Descended +Mash Tun to land in a pool, leading to a much wider (2-3m) canyon. +Very soon the head of the next pitch, Copper Pitch, is reached - +looks like a fine shaft of 20-30m. [Footnote: Actually 17m +60cm - Mark.] Rift bends around to the left after the pitch, still +looks 3m or more wide. Distinct change in the character of the +cave. Drill battery failed afer 1 1/2 holes on the Y-hang so we +went home. Took about 4 hours to get out.

- -

20/7/03  --  21 Bolt Salute traverse (Part 1)  --  Earl + Julian H  --  T/U ??

- -

On our tourist trip yesterday, Julian had spotted a QM across the head of the 70m pitch 'Gaffered to the Walls'. This is on the edge of -the current survey and heading south/southwest direction, so Julian's cave detector was off the scale given that this passage is also on -the main phreatic level of Steinbrücken. Thus Julian and I returned to traverse around the right hand wall...

- -

There are significant ledges and other footholds around for most of the way, which is just as well given the variable quality of the -rock. Starting from the tarvese line by the head of the pitch, we climbed up to a large ledge. I bolted ahead while Julian hand bolted a -backup. After about 10m the ledge runs out and we were left hanging on the bolts placed in what limited sound rock we could find; hardly -ideal placements.

- -

A pull up onto a muddy ledge brings us to about the halfway point. Here a muddy tube slopes up to a mud/sand choke (dry, QM C, not -drafting noticeably). We put on a few bolts on a ledge, and were now on the NW corner of the shaft but not any better able to tell if the -QM at our objective will go. Incidentally, the ~4 second drop from the traverse to the bottom of the pitch really impresses! We return -tomorrow to finish the job.

- +

20/7/03  --  21 Bolt Salute traverse (Part +1)  --  Earl + Julian +H  --  T/U ??

+

On our tourist trip yesterday, Julian had spotted a QM across +the head of the 70m pitch 'Gaffered to the Walls'. This is on the +edge of the current survey and heading south/southwest direction, +so Julian's cave detector was off the scale given that this passage +is also on the main phreatic level of Steinbrücken. Thus Julian and +I returned to traverse around the right hand wall...

+

There are significant ledges and other footholds around for most +of the way, which is just as well given the variable quality of the +rock. Starting from the tarvese line by the head of the pitch, we +climbed up to a large ledge. I bolted ahead while Julian hand +bolted a backup. After about 10m the ledge runs out and we were +left hanging on the bolts placed in what limited sound rock we +could find; hardly ideal placements.

+

A pull up onto a muddy ledge brings us to about the halfway +point. Here a muddy tube slopes up to a mud/sand choke (dry, QM C, +not drafting noticeably). We put on a few bolts on a ledge, and +were now on the NW corner of the shaft but not any better able to +tell if the QM at our objective will go. Incidentally, the ~4 +second drop from the traverse to the bottom of the pitch really +impresses! We return tomorrow to finish the job.

- -

21/7/03  --  21 Bolt Salute  --  Earl + Julian H  --  T/U ??

- -

More bolt traverse fun! Reached the corner of the shaft and climbed into a small slot (hoping this to be a quick way to get to the large -QM) but although there is a view through boulders, it didn't seem to be wise to try and get through. Back out of the slot (hmm, kneeling -on one's traverse line) and three more bolts bring us to a short abseil onto the target QM's boulder slope. Julian followed across and we -explore where this stoking QM goes ... Main way blocked by boulder slope, but a phreatic rift/joint area on the left leads upwards with a -strong breeze. Following this breeze we climbed up for about 6m to where boulders blocked the passage, the breeze whistling through a -small gap. Julian had a good look and declared that there was 'a lot of cave' around here, just we couldn't get to it. We may return with -a crow bar to proddle the boulders a little. We surveyed out, measuring the top of the 70m pitch as over 20m.

- +

21/7/03  --  21 Bolt +Salute  --  Earl + Julian +H  --  T/U ??

+

More bolt traverse fun! Reached the corner of the shaft and +climbed into a small slot (hoping this to be a quick way to get to +the large QM) but although there is a view through boulders, it +didn't seem to be wise to try and get through. Back out of the slot +(hmm, kneeling on one's traverse line) and three more bolts bring +us to a short abseil onto the target QM's boulder slope. Julian +followed across and we explore where this stoking QM goes ... Main +way blocked by boulder slope, but a phreatic rift/joint area on the +left leads upwards with a strong breeze. Following this breeze we +climbed up for about 6m to where boulders blocked the passage, the +breeze whistling through a small gap. Julian had a good look and +declared that there was 'a lot of cave' around here, just we +couldn't get to it. We may return with a crow bar to proddle the +boulders a little. We surveyed out, measuring the top of the 70m +pitch as over 20m.

- -

23/7/03  --  Hauchhöhle  --  Julia

- -

Went to have a quick look at the pitch lead in Hauchhöhle. Put a bolt in for the hang. There's a friendly-looking ledge not far -down, looks like you could scout out a good place for a rebelay, as rocks seem to fall free from here.

- +

+23/7/03  --  Hauchhöhle  --   +Julia

+

Went to have a quick look at the pitch lead in Hauchhöhle. Put a +bolt in for the hang. There's a friendly-looking ledge not far +down, looks like you could scout out a good place for a rebelay, as +rocks seem to fall free from here.

- -

24/7/03  --  Finding tent spaces + surface wandering  --  Julia + Anthony

- -

Anthony was buggered following his nails 'ard trip down Razordance the previous day. So we festered for some time. At 2pm we were just -going to leave and so something useful when some folk arrived. ARGE were doing a long weekend of prospecting and rekkying (almost -certainly not spelt like that) [indeed not - editor] something further up. Spent some time with them looking for tent spaces, then -headed for a hole spotted last year near 204c which turned out to be tagged 2002-04. Martin had kindly compiled a list of all known caves -in the area, 2002-04 was nowhere to be found. I put a tag in at the pitch head and rigged a ladder. The pitch is v.short, only 5 metres -or so. Down a slippery climb, the whole passage curves round to the left (it's about 3 metres high, wiht rocks wedged in at various -levels) then stops, a tiny bit of a crawl starts but isn't even a Wook lead. To the right is a pitch climb of maybe 4/5 m which I didn't -drop as Dour had run away. (It was raining Ahhh...) Doesn't look very inspiring, but a crawl at the bottom might carry on. Collected Dour -and we did a surface survey back to 204C. At the moment I've no idea where 2002-04 is, because 204C has never been linked into the -data-set - will go back and do an underground survey at some point. Treading on bees doesn't help when you're intending to walk up the -hill.

- +

24/7/03  --  Finding tent spaces + surface +wandering  --  Julia + Anthony

+

Anthony was buggered following his nails 'ard trip down +Razordance the previous day. So we festered for some time. At 2pm +we were just going to leave and so something useful when some folk +arrived. ARGE were doing a long weekend of prospecting and rekkying +(almost certainly not spelt like that) [indeed not - editor] +something further up. Spent some time with them looking for tent +spaces, then headed for a hole spotted last year near 204c which +turned out to be tagged 2002-04. Martin had kindly compiled a list +of all known caves in the area, 2002-04 was nowhere to be found. I +put a tag in at the pitch head and rigged a ladder. The pitch is +v.short, only 5 metres or so. Down a slippery climb, the whole +passage curves round to the left (it's about 3 metres high, wiht +rocks wedged in at various levels) then stops, a tiny bit of a +crawl starts but isn't even a Wook lead. To the right is a pitch +climb of maybe 4/5 m which I didn't drop as Dour had run away. (It +was raining Ahhh...) Doesn't look very inspiring, but a crawl at +the bottom might carry on. Collected Dour and we did a surface +survey back to 204C. At the moment I've no idea where 2002-04 is, +because 204C has never been linked into the data-set - will go back +and do an underground survey at some point. Treading on bees +doesn't help when you're intending to walk up the hill.

- -

24/7/03  --  Round Gaffered (Traverse + down) + Dutch Beauty squeeze  --  Julian H, Martin, Earl + Becka -T/U Martin 8 1/2, Becka 10 1/2, Julian 8 1/2, Earl 6 1/2 or something like that

- -

Julian + I in first with new-from-Eisenhof, 50% bigger crowbar to prod boulders. Across Gaffered 21-Bolt Traverse (mmm, acrobatic), up -the boulders, to the top of the tube + looked at the boulders. Not much room for manoeuvre, or for a quick escape when they start -raining on your head. Nevertheless Julian + I alternated levering them out (all too easy - some came out even from chucking a rock at -them) for an hour or two. Bloody cold in the draft. Finally got enough out to see that the good-looking way on was just a solution pocket -whilst the draft was coming from directly above + there could be many, many boulders funnelled up there. Decided we'd stretched our -nerves enough. Out + I de-rigged the traverse. By then Earl + Martin had turned up. I then went with Martin rigging into Gaffered (we -hadn't wanted to start before the traverse was derigged as loose stuff kept dropping down the pitch). Rigged the 70m, the next pitch, the -traverse + pitch and finally the eyehole pitch so 4 pitches in all with Martin adding extra spits here + there to beef up the rigging + -avoid dodgy naturals. Meanwhile Julian + Earl had been going to look at Pleasuredome for horizontal leads but got distracted + ended up -finding the squitty squeeze off Dutch Beauty which Earl linked up to the end of the 21 Bolt Traverse (doh!)

- +

24/7/03  --  Round Gaffered (Traverse + +down) + Dutch Beauty squeeze  --  Julian H, +Martin, Earl + Becka T/U Martin 8 1/2, Becka 10 1/2, Julian +8 1/2, Earl 6 1/2 or something like that

+

Julian + I in first with new-from-Eisenhof, 50% bigger crowbar +to prod boulders. Across Gaffered 21-Bolt Traverse (mmm, +acrobatic), up the boulders, to the top of the tube + looked at the +boulders. Not much room for manoeuvre, or for a quick escape when +they start raining on your head. Nevertheless Julian + I alternated +levering them out (all too easy - some came out even from chucking +a rock at them) for an hour or two. Bloody cold in the draft. +Finally got enough out to see that the good-looking way on was just +a solution pocket whilst the draft was coming from directly above + +there could be many, many boulders funnelled up there. Decided we'd +stretched our nerves enough. Out + I de-rigged the traverse. By +then Earl + Martin had turned up. I then went with Martin rigging +into Gaffered (we hadn't wanted to start before the traverse was +derigged as loose stuff kept dropping down the pitch). Rigged the +70m, the next pitch, the traverse + pitch and finally the eyehole +pitch so 4 pitches in all with Martin adding extra spits here + +there to beef up the rigging + avoid dodgy naturals. Meanwhile +Julian + Earl had been going to look at Pleasuredome for horizontal +leads but got distracted + ended up finding the squitty squeeze off +Dutch Beauty which Earl linked up to the end of the 21 Bolt +Traverse (doh!)

- -

25/7/03  --  Survey Rhino Rift from Dutch Beauty  --  Julian H + Becka  --  T/U 10hrs

- -

Off to survey Earl's link to the end of the 21 Bolt Travese of Gaffered. Having squeezed through, discovered there was much -more cave than Earl had described - yahoo! Julian disappeared off for some time + came back very excited. First surveyed up to -link to 21 Bolt Traverse with Julian doing the squeeze through the dodgy boulders onto the loose boulder pile perched on top of Gaffer's -70m pitch. He'd missed seeing the passage we'd emerged from from the other direction when I asked him about it yesterday, because Earl -had popped out of a tube just below it which Julian thought was what I'd seen. We then continued surveying Rhino Rift until we ran out of -time. This was supposed to be Julian's las caving trip before he went home but he decided he'd have to come back tomorrow...

- +

25/7/03  --  Survey Rhino Rift from Dutch +Beauty  --  Julian H + +Becka  --  T/U 10hrs

+

Off to survey Earl's link to the end of the 21 Bolt Travese of +Gaffered. Having squeezed through, discovered there was much +more cave than Earl had described - yahoo! Julian disappeared off +for some time + came back very excited. First surveyed up to +link to 21 Bolt Traverse with Julian doing the squeeze through the +dodgy boulders onto the loose boulder pile perched on top of +Gaffer's 70m pitch. He'd missed seeing the passage we'd emerged +from from the other direction when I asked him about it yesterday, +because Earl had popped out of a tube just below it which Julian +thought was what I'd seen. We then continued surveying Rhino Rift +until we ran out of time. This was supposed to be Julian's las +caving trip before he went home but he decided he'd have to come +back tomorrow...

- -

26/7/03  --  Rig Deviated + survey On A Mission  --  Julian H + Becka  --  T/U 9 1/2 hrs

- -

Underground by 10am, ouch. Back through the squeezes of Rhino Rift. We'd intended dropping the short pitch at the end of yesterday's -survey but on the way Julian suggested dropping the Deviated Pitch. I wasn't keen, it looked like a modern chamber with more pitches but -we slung a rope down with dodgy rubs all over. At the bottom, as expected, two more pitches, dull - but, a-ha, also a walking passage -leading off - + bigger round the corner. I went 30m to check it went then told Julian to come down. I let him see a little bit but the -wrestled him away from stoping off down + we surveyed in all the way down the main passage. We'd just about run out of time at the end -when Earl + Martin turned up + en mass we jerry-rigged the pitch at the end which Julian shot down before Earl had put in the pitch head -bolt! He then poked around until Earl had rigged it properly then Julian + I had to run out [footnote: Fortunately, on the way in, Earl + -Martin, being well-trained riggers, had fettled Deviated Pitch so it actually did deviate and didn't rub] in time for Julian to head down -the hill in the last of the light, drive Anthony's car down + draw up surveys until the wee hours before heading home early the next day. +

26/7/03  --  Rig Deviated + survey On A +Mission  --  Julian H + +Becka  --  T/U 9 1/2 hrs

+

Underground by 10am, ouch. Back through the squeezes of Rhino +Rift. We'd intended dropping the short pitch at the end of +yesterday's survey but on the way Julian suggested dropping the +Deviated Pitch. I wasn't keen, it looked like a modern chamber with +more pitches but we slung a rope down with dodgy rubs all over. At +the bottom, as expected, two more pitches, dull - but, a-ha, also a +walking passage leading off - + bigger round the corner. I went 30m +to check it went then told Julian to come down. I let him see a +little bit but the wrestled him away from stoping off down + we +surveyed in all the way down the main passage. We'd just about run +out of time at the end when Earl + Martin turned up + en mass we +jerry-rigged the pitch at the end which Julian shot down before +Earl had put in the pitch head bolt! He then poked around until +Earl had rigged it properly then Julian + I had to run out +[footnote: Fortunately, on the way in, Earl + Martin, being +well-trained riggers, had fettled Deviated Pitch so it actually did +deviate and didn't rub] in time for Julian to head down the hill in +the last of the light, drive Anthony's car down + draw up surveys +until the wee hours before heading home early the next day. Excellent trip.

-
- -

27/7/03  --  Continue surveying in Rhino Rift + On a Mission  --  Julian Todd + Becka  --  T/U 9 hours

- -

First went to the end of the 25/7/03 survey of Rhino Rift + continued until we ran out of horizontal + I put a bit (not enough) of -conservation tape around the mud pretties. Cold. Then down Deviated Pitch + showed Julian On A Mission. Surveyed Rat Biscuit to -frustrating end in drafting boulders (lost most of the draft before then though?) Finished up by surveying into Belief (last leg +

27/7/03  --  Continue surveying in Rhino +Rift + On a Mission  --  Julian Todd + +Becka  --  T/U 9 hours

+

First went to the end of the 25/7/03 survey of Rhino Rift + +continued until we ran out of horizontal + I put a bit (not enough) +of conservation tape around the mud pretties. Cold. Then down +Deviated Pitch + showed Julian On A Mission. Surveyed Rat Biscuit +to frustrating end in drafting boulders (lost most of the draft +before then though?) Finished up by surveying into Belief (last leg before main chamber, in the phreatic passage).

-
- -

28/7/03  --  On a Mission  --  Julian Todd, Martin, Tony + Becka  --  T/U 9 1/2 hrs

- -

Tying up the last horizontal main leads of On a Mission. Martin + Tony surveyed the chamber at the end of On a Mission whilst Julian + -I surveyed Swallow Hard, up pretty steeply. All 4 of us then tied up the survey in that chamber + looked at the leads there. Then did a -partner-swap: Martin + I surveyed Crimper - tight + awkward + not much draft but is a reasonable horizontal way on at the end, just needs -a bit of a clamber, + it's in an interesting place. Meanwhile Julian + Tony rigged into Unconformity. Julian, Tony + I had a quick look -down the pitch before we all headed out.

- +

28/7/03  --  On a +Mission  --  Julian Todd, Martin, Tony + +Becka  --  T/U 9 1/2 hrs

+

Tying up the last horizontal main leads of On a Mission. Martin ++ Tony surveyed the chamber at the end of On a Mission whilst +Julian + I surveyed Swallow Hard, up pretty steeply. All 4 of us +then tied up the survey in that chamber + looked at the leads +there. Then did a partner-swap: Martin + I surveyed Crimper - tight ++ awkward + not much draft but is a reasonable horizontal way on at +the end, just needs a bit of a clamber, + it's in an interesting +place. Meanwhile Julian + Tony rigged into Unconformity. Julian, +Tony + I had a quick look down the pitch before we all headed +out.

- -

29/7/03  --  Rigging + survey down Gaffered  --  Martin + Becka  --  T/U 10hrs

- -

I'd promised Martin I'd go down Gaffered today if he did On a Mission yesterday but I wasn't particularly looking forward to it, -especially as I'd got miserably damp on the 70m last time as it was raining on the surface. In the event, though, it was a fine trip to a -very starnge bit of cave with stunning pretties, best I've seen in Austria I think. Down to top of last pitch that Martin + Earl had -rigged to (on their trip - on 26th or 27th?) [Not written up apparently]. I looked at the mud tube (Eeyore) that went off from the -bridge - it led, after a a short crawl, to a huge chamber. We surveyed to it then I left Martin there + went down the final pitch into -the Underworld + walked around shouting but Martin couldn't hear me so that chamber seems to be separate from the Underworld despite -being so close. Then we went to the end of Earl + Martin's previous survey + rigged down Poohstyx (Mark's name!) This dropped 25m in a -drippy shaft to end in a flat floor with a v. thin rift going off, cold + small stream running. I clambered up 2-3m up a wall at the -bottom of the shaft + looked over - a passage continued on down - perhaps not needing rope but looking wet + sharp + not at all -inviting given how cold I was so we consigned it to a B QM and went up the pitch. Martin, ever the keen surveyor, then insisted on -looking across the top of the pitch - and yes, that went too. A cold survey ended in a fine aven [There is an asterisk here but -apparently the footnote it corresponds to was never written.] via some odd, mud-coated passage + random lumps of ceiling that had -landed on the floor. Oh, and bat bones which had been washed donw the cave. All rather strange. Had a little time left so Martin pointed -out another unpromising QM which I climbed up into - which emerged in a huge chamber (Sirens) with stunning bright white active -stalactites, as well as loads of cauliflower and a couple of exciting-looking potential QMs as well as the usual dull pitches. Finished -that survey + I was freezing. Martin fettled the rigging a bit on the way out + I'd just about got warm at the top of Gaffered. -

- +

29/7/03  --  Rigging + survey down +Gaffered  --  Martin + +Becka  --  T/U 10hrs

+

I'd promised Martin I'd go down Gaffered today if he did On a +Mission yesterday but I wasn't particularly looking forward to it, +especially as I'd got miserably damp on the 70m last time as it was +raining on the surface. In the event, though, it was a fine trip to +a very starnge bit of cave with stunning pretties, best I've seen +in Austria I think. Down to top of last pitch that Martin + Earl +had rigged to (on their trip - on 26th or 27th?) [Not written up +apparently]. I looked at the mud tube (Eeyore) that went off +from the bridge - it led, after a a short crawl, to a huge chamber. +We surveyed to it then I left Martin there + went down the final +pitch into the Underworld + walked around shouting but Martin +couldn't hear me so that chamber seems to be separate from the +Underworld despite being so close. Then we went to the end of Earl ++ Martin's previous survey + rigged down Poohstyx (Mark's name!) +This dropped 25m in a drippy shaft to end in a flat floor with a v. +thin rift going off, cold + small stream running. I clambered up +2-3m up a wall at the bottom of the shaft + looked over - a passage +continued on down - perhaps not needing rope but looking wet + +sharp + not at all inviting given how cold I was so we +consigned it to a B QM and went up the pitch. Martin, ever the keen +surveyor, then insisted on looking across the top of the pitch - +and yes, that went too. A cold survey ended in a fine aven +[There is an asterisk here but apparently the footnote it +corresponds to was never written.] via some odd, mud-coated +passage + random lumps of ceiling that had landed on the floor. Oh, +and bat bones which had been washed donw the cave. All rather +strange. Had a little time left so Martin pointed out another +unpromising QM which I climbed up into - which emerged in a +huge chamber (Sirens) with stunning bright white active +stalactites, as well as loads of cauliflower and a couple of +exciting-looking potential QMs as well as the usual dull pitches. +Finished that survey + I was freezing. Martin fettled the +rigging a bit on the way out + I'd just about got warm at the top +of Gaffered.

- -

30/7/03  --  Survey down Unconformity + push in Rhino Rift  --  Julian T + Becka  --  T/U 7hrs - -

Down to where Julian + Tony had finished their Unconformity survey yesterday. Julian put in a spit for the pitch/ramp/climp down below -the [illegible] whilst I poked around. I found a tube they'd missed yesterday + crawled past a dead + partially calcited -bat skeleton into a small chamber (which they'd been able to look into from another passage yesterday but they'd not been able to climb -into). A clamber of ~2.5m up the far side got to a bridge overlooking a v. large pitch. This (or the chamber itself) was where I'd -made a vocal connection to Julian when I'd gone up the passage higher up Unconformity which ended in sharp limestone + which Julian + -Tony had rigged yesterday. We then went down the pitch Julian had put a spit in for. At the bottom was another pitch and, much more -interesting, a possible horizontal lead from an easy traverse over the top of that pitch. Surveyed out + up the pitch + into the -small chamber. In the small chamber I climbed up ~3m into the continuation of the bat calcited phreatic passage which soon became mud -filled. Out, up the Deviated Pitch + along Rhino Rift to the pitch where Julian H + I had ended our survey on 23/07/03. I put in a spit + -down on it + a dodgy natural + 6m + 8m of rope. Just made the floor. A mud crawl with little draft let to an uninteresting looking pitch. -No time to survey so derigged the 8m to put back on the traverse above Deviated + showed Julian Swings + Roundabouts so he could take -some more photos on the way out. Down the hill to showers + bread - oh, + inputted at least 750m survey.

- +

30/7/03  --  Survey down Unconformity + push +in Rhino Rift  --  Julian T + +Becka  --  T/U 7hrs

+

Down to where Julian + Tony had finished their Unconformity +survey yesterday. Julian put in a spit for the pitch/ramp/climp +down below the [illegible] whilst I poked around. I found a +tube they'd missed yesterday + crawled past a dead + partially +calcited bat skeleton into a small chamber (which they'd +been able to look into from another passage yesterday but they'd +not been able to climb into). A clamber of ~2.5m up the far side +got to a bridge overlooking a v. large pitch. This (or the +chamber itself) was where I'd made a vocal connection to Julian +when I'd gone up the passage higher up Unconformity which ended in +sharp limestone + which Julian + Tony had rigged yesterday. We then +went down the pitch Julian had put a spit in for. At the bottom was +another pitch and, much more interesting, a possible horizontal +lead from an easy traverse over the top of that pitch. Surveyed +out + up the pitch + into the small chamber. In the small chamber I +climbed up ~3m into the continuation of the bat calcited phreatic +passage which soon became mud filled. Out, up the Deviated Pitch + +along Rhino Rift to the pitch where Julian H + I had ended our +survey on 23/07/03. I put in a spit + down on it + a dodgy natural ++ 6m + 8m of rope. Just made the floor. A mud crawl with little +draft let to an uninteresting looking pitch. No time to survey so +derigged the 8m to put back on the traverse above Deviated + showed +Julian Swings + Roundabouts so he could take some more photos on +the way out. Down the hill to showers + bread - oh, + +inputted at least 750m survey.

- -

30/7/03  --  Razor Dance  --  Frank, Dave + Anthony  --  T/U Frank ?, Dave + Anthony 11hrs

- -

Plan was for me and Frank to go pushing in Razor Dance (my last chance for a trip down there before going home). However, Frank had a -trapped nerve in his back, so Dave got roped in too in case Frank had to jack. Dave and Frank went down so that Dave could bolt the pitch -at the pushing front under supervision. I followed 1/2 hr later to find the y-hang almost rigged. Frank headed out at this point to test -his fitness, whilst Dave put in a deviation and descended what turned out to be an 18m pitch. Dave inadvertently dunked the drill in a -puddle at the bottom, and the battery promptly started discharging itself. Attempted to start surveying, but the clin was terminally -fogged. Faced with the prospect of total gear failure, we went for a quick push. From the bottom of the pitch a rift heads off - similar -dimensions to that higher up, but the rock is less catchy (have we moved into a different bed?) eventually reaching a pitch. By the time -we got back to the bottom of the pitch the clino still wasn't working, so we dragged the rope and bolting gear off to the new pitch. -There was enough life in the battery to get 3 bolts in for a descent of ~10m. Dave was freezing his nuts off by now, so I went on for a -quick look at the next bit. More rift leads to a bit where the water goes down a very narrow bit. It might be possible to follow it, but -it seems foolish given that there is a comfortably wide section higher up. I followed this to a widening - couldn't see round the corner -but some rope will be required, either to descend to stream level or protect a bad steop if the traverse level continues.

- -

With that we pottered sedately out. Thanks to Frank & Dave for accompanying me down Razor Dance when they would clearly rather +

30/7/03  --  Razor +Dance  --  Frank, Dave + +Anthony  --  T/U Frank ?, Dave + Anthony +11hrs

+

Plan was for me and Frank to go pushing in Razor Dance (my last +chance for a trip down there before going home). However, Frank had +a trapped nerve in his back, so Dave got roped in too in case Frank +had to jack. Dave and Frank went down so that Dave could bolt the +pitch at the pushing front under supervision. I followed 1/2 hr +later to find the y-hang almost rigged. Frank headed out at this +point to test his fitness, whilst Dave put in a deviation and +descended what turned out to be an 18m pitch. Dave inadvertently +dunked the drill in a puddle at the bottom, and the battery +promptly started discharging itself. Attempted to start surveying, +but the clin was terminally fogged. Faced with the prospect of +total gear failure, we went for a quick push. From the bottom of +the pitch a rift heads off - similar dimensions to that higher up, +but the rock is less catchy (have we moved into a different bed?) +eventually reaching a pitch. By the time we got back to the bottom +of the pitch the clino still wasn't working, so we dragged the rope +and bolting gear off to the new pitch. There was enough life in the +battery to get 3 bolts in for a descent of ~10m. Dave was freezing +his nuts off by now, so I went on for a quick look at the next bit. +More rift leads to a bit where the water goes down a very narrow +bit. It might be possible to follow it, but it seems foolish given +that there is a comfortably wide section higher up. I followed this +to a widening - couldn't see round the corner but some rope will be +required, either to descend to stream level or protect a bad steop +if the traverse level continues.

+

With that we pottered sedately out. Thanks to Frank & Dave +for accompanying me down Razor Dance when they would clearly rather have been somewhere else.

-
- -

29/7/03  --  2002-04 = Tröpfelnhöhle (Dripping Cave)  --  Julia, Anthony  --  T/U ??

- -

Did a surface survey to link 204C tag bolt in, then went to survey Tröpfelnhöhle (so called because the surveyors got -thoroughly dirpped on in their dry (ha!) grots). Chucked a ladder down it, this was just long enough to get down the 4m pitch at the -bottom, there are a couple of small passages off the bottom of this pitch which are full of rocks. That's it really.

- -

[In different colour pen and noticeably less legible]There might be giants, or worse!

- -

I should do more caving, caving is nice, but I never quite get round to it. I want to go to Hauchhöhle and nobody else does +

29/7/03  --  2002-04 = Tröpfelnhöhle +(Dripping Cave)  --  Julia, +Anthony  --  T/U ??

+

Did a surface survey to link 204C tag bolt in, then went to +survey Tröpfelnhöhle (so called because the surveyors got +thoroughly dirpped on in their dry (ha!) grots). Chucked a ladder +down it, this was just long enough to get down the 4m pitch at the +bottom, there are a couple of small passages off the bottom of this +pitch which are full of rocks. That's it really.

+

[In different colour pen and noticeably less +legible]There might be giants, or worse!

+

I should do more caving, caving is nice, but I never quite get +round to it. I want to go to Hauchhöhle and nobody else does everybody likes pitches.

-
- -

1/8/03  --  Left Tatty Hut after Expo Dinner at 5.55 am.  --  Mark S, Frank, Olly M - "The Survivors".  --  Time underwater: Julia, +

1/8/03  --  Left Tatty Hut after Expo Dinner +at 5.55 am.  --  Mark S, Frank, Olly M - +"The Survivors".  --  Time underwater: Julia, Martin, Dave 10sec.

-
- -

31/7/03  --  Surface wander  --  Earl, Dave, Olly  --  T/U Not very much

- -

Walked to 204d. Pottered around a bit, took some photos; had a look at a small nearby cave which has a window to the 204d +

31/7/03  --  Surface +wander  --  Earl, Dave, +Olly  --  T/U Not very much

+

Walked to 204d. Pottered around a bit, took some photos; had a +look at a small nearby cave which has a window to the 204d shakehole.

- -

Mark had messaged up from base camp the bearing + distance from 204d to the position of the end of a passage he, Earl + Olly had found -the previous day in On a Mission. This took us to a gully leading down to a huge choss bowl.

- -

We split up + poked around a bit in the bowl. I found a small slot with a slight draft; Olly succeeded in wedgeing himself down it and -reported that there was a pitch beyond with a 1 sec drop but he couldn't see beyond this as the light he had borrowed (mine) was too -feeble.

- -

This was eclipsed by Olly's discovery - a large entrance, choked after a few metres but with a slot on the right. The slot was low and -blocked by pebbles; but a howling gale was emerging. Some moving of rock later Olly (the thinnest member of the party) forced himself in, -reporting a walking size passage beyond, which was not explored due to lack of time + gear. Based on the strength of the draft Earl -offered to stake a crate of Gösser it would connect to 204.

- +

Mark had messaged up from base camp the bearing + distance from +204d to the position of the end of a passage he, Earl + Olly had +found the previous day in On a Mission. This took us to a gully +leading down to a huge choss bowl.

+

We split up + poked around a bit in the bowl. I found a small +slot with a slight draft; Olly succeeded in wedgeing himself down +it and reported that there was a pitch beyond with a 1 sec drop but +he couldn't see beyond this as the light he had borrowed (mine) was +too feeble.

+

This was eclipsed by Olly's discovery - a large entrance, choked +after a few metres but with a slot on the right. The slot was low +and blocked by pebbles; but a howling gale was emerging. Some +moving of rock later Olly (the thinnest member of the party) forced +himself in, reporting a walking size passage beyond, which was not +explored due to lack of time + gear. Based on the strength of the +draft Earl offered to stake a crate of Gösser it would connect to +204.

- -

4/8/03  --  The walk back from top camp without using a helicopter.  --  Julian (+Becka, Martin, Earl)  --  T/U N/A

- -

Arrived at top camp on 2/8 early walk up all excited, and had a slip-up on the slab below the cooling rock in the stone bridge. It -didn't hurt, but I had a lie down. Then I got up and it hurt like hell. Like a piece of razor wire had been substituted for a tendon -between my lower back and right knee. If I could just get around without it flexing and slicing through my flesh, it was bearable. But -most movements caused pain that amost heated up the region and made my left thumb go numb due to neurological noise across the regions of -the humunculus (brain area that has the body map). [I have no idea whether or not he is making this up - editor.] So I didn't go -caving. I sat on the slabs the whole day happy when not moving because it didn't hurt. Often I thought I was cured, only to have to get -up for a pee and scream with each step. On Day 2 I could move a little bit more. The pain intensity was the same but the barrier was a -little further away so I was more mobile. Since I wasn't dead it was probably not a ruptured spleen. It just hurt like an inaccessible -splinter. The sun beat down on the carrymat over my head. I sat like a cripple and was driven insane by the inefficiency of team fester -who didn't get a move on and leave me in peace until 4.30pm. Man! [As a member of 'team fester' I should point out that I hadn't got -out of the cave the previous day until 4.50am and was possibly more knackered than I have ever been in my life before. - DL (editor)] -Meanwhile Earl + Becka were doing lots of wonderful caving, discovering lots of stuff and doing useful work. Becka's going to marry Earl -if I don't pull myself together. I climbed into bed after it got dark, after team fester had left all the litter all over the slabs until -it was dary so they couldn't see it and therefore couldn't clear it up. In the morning I was still sore. I was not going to spend another -day like this, like a refugee cowering under a scrap of cardboard waiting for food handouts and for someone to care, just happy to be -alive. So while everyone was discussing stretchering me off (not possible) or calling a helicopter (last resort) I drifted off to the -path to the derision of people observing how long it was taking me to get out of sight. Once out of earshot I could howl, which -helped overcome the pain (I've always been a crybaby). Becka joined me later, carrying my pack. It was better if she walked separately so -I could pick my pace, stopping for refueling stops. Martin arrived from base camp and we headed for the Bergrestaurant. Earl followed -after an hour and drove us all down. I haven't experienced pain of this sort in a while. I've learnt my lesson. I hope it gets better. I -just want to go home and not get carted off to some pill-pusher for some pointless ointment. Get me out of here.

- +

4/8/03  --  The walk back from top camp +without using a helicopter.  --  Julian +(+Becka, Martin, Earl)  --  T/U N/A

+

Arrived at top camp on 2/8 early walk up all excited, and had a +slip-up on the slab below the cooling rock in the stone bridge. It +didn't hurt, but I had a lie down. Then I got up and it hurt like +hell. Like a piece of razor wire had been substituted for a tendon +between my lower back and right knee. If I could just get around +without it flexing and slicing through my flesh, it was bearable. +But most movements caused pain that amost heated up the region and +made my left thumb go numb due to neurological noise across the +regions of the humunculus (brain area that has the body map). [I +have no idea whether or not he is making this up - editor.] So +I didn't go caving. I sat on the slabs the whole day happy when not +moving because it didn't hurt. Often I thought I was cured, only to +have to get up for a pee and scream with each step. On Day 2 I +could move a little bit more. The pain intensity was the same but +the barrier was a little further away so I was more mobile. Since I +wasn't dead it was probably not a ruptured spleen. It just hurt +like an inaccessible splinter. The sun beat down on the carrymat +over my head. I sat like a cripple and was driven insane by the +inefficiency of team fester who didn't get a move on and leave me +in peace until 4.30pm. Man! [As a member of 'team fester' I +should point out that I hadn't got out of the cave the previous day +until 4.50am and was possibly more knackered than I have ever been +in my life before. - DL (editor)] Meanwhile Earl + Becka were +doing lots of wonderful caving, discovering lots of stuff and doing +useful work. Becka's going to marry Earl if I don't pull myself +together. I climbed into bed after it got dark, after team fester +had left all the litter all over the slabs until it was dary so +they couldn't see it and therefore couldn't clear it up. In the +morning I was still sore. I was not going to spend another day like +this, like a refugee cowering under a scrap of cardboard waiting +for food handouts and for someone to care, just happy to be alive. +So while everyone was discussing stretchering me off (not possible) +or calling a helicopter (last resort) I drifted off to the path to +the derision of people observing how long it was taking me +to get out of sight. Once out of earshot I could howl, which helped +overcome the pain (I've always been a crybaby). Becka joined me +later, carrying my pack. It was better if she walked separately so +I could pick my pace, stopping for refueling stops. Martin arrived +from base camp and we headed for the Bergrestaurant. Earl followed +after an hour and drove us all down. I haven't experienced pain of +this sort in a while. I've learnt my lesson. I hope it gets better. +I just want to go home and not get carted off to some pill-pusher +for some pointless ointment. Get me out of here.

- -

2/8/03  --  Rhino Rift Fester  --  Earl, Becka, Dave + Frank  --  T/U Dave ?6, Frank ?8, Becka + Earl 10.

- -

Me down 204E with Frank + showed him Treeumphant + Swings + Roundabouts on a quick tourist then Earl + Dave caught up with us at the -Taking the Piss / Deviated pitches. To the chamber at the end of On a Mission + continued Mark + Earl's survey in What No Butcombe -through various loops. [footnote: Notes for this are in file #24 but not yet drawn up as I am going home tomorrow and THE FUCKING BLOODY -PRINTER ISN'T WORKING so I don't have a centreline - DL]. I showed Dave the way out whilst Frank + Earl finished surveying. We then -derigged everything at the end + Frank headed out. Earl + I then went down Unconformity. Earl snooted at Julian + my rigging then put in -one measly bolt with his drill to get across the traverse at the bottom of our last pitch. Pitch itself q. short, only ~10m, but this is -only a ledge + the pitch continues. Over the traverse is another 20 or 30m horizontal with holes in the floor + possible QMs up. Needs -surveying but we had to get out as our time was up.

- +

2/8/03  --  Rhino Rift +Fester  --  Earl, Becka, Dave + +Frank  --  T/U Dave ?6, Frank ?8, Becka + Earl +10.

+

Me down 204E with Frank + showed him Treeumphant + Swings + +Roundabouts on a quick tourist then Earl + Dave caught up with us +at the Taking the Piss / Deviated pitches. To the chamber at the +end of On a Mission + continued Mark + Earl's survey in What No +Butcombe through various loops. [footnote: Notes for this +are in file #24 but not yet drawn up as I am going home tomorrow +and THE FUCKING BLOODY PRINTER ISN'T WORKING so I don't have a +centreline - DL]. I showed Dave the way out whilst Frank + Earl +finished surveying. We then derigged everything at the end + Frank +headed out. Earl + I then went down Unconformity. Earl snooted at +Julian + my rigging then put in one measly bolt with his drill to +get across the traverse at the bottom of our last pitch. Pitch +itself q. short, only ~10m, but this is only a ledge + the pitch +continues. Over the traverse is another 20 or 30m horizontal with +holes in the floor + possible QMs up. Needs surveying but we had to +get out as our time was up.

- -

3/8/03  --  Gaffered / Underworld push, survey + derig  --  Becka + Earl  --  T/U 10hrs

- -

Tempted Earl down [Comment, in what looks like Mark's handwriting: ooh err!] with promise of long bolted traverses across -Sirens. Unfortunately he managed to do it all on naturals (why do we bother with drills?) (Mind you, Earl was eyeing up the v. -long traverse to the opposite side of the chamber where it looks like another phreatic passage may head off.) Popped over + it looked -like it went - again - so we settled down for a long survey. Strong draft throughout most of the area. Straight on from the traverse, -through the bracket-fungus rift gets to a convenient ledge behind a column overlooking what looked v.like the shaft we'd finished our -survey on (Martin + me, 29/7/03, see in write-up). Earl rigged another traverse line on naturals along this ledge (superfluous?) + we -kept surveying up the slope beyond. Ran out of time with plenty of horizontal QMs - Earl frustrated as we could have stomped around -everywhere if we didn't have to wait for him to draw his damn pictures. V. odd little pool filled with ?mud/?calcite which we didn't -survey to the end. Plenty to go back to next year - a whole new phreatic level? Derigged; I got 2 bags out + Earl got the remaining 2 -bags tied to the bottom of the 70m Gaffered pitch. Another v. fine trip.

- +

3/8/03  --  Gaffered / Underworld push, +survey + derig  --  Becka + +Earl  --  T/U 10hrs

+

Tempted Earl down [Comment, in what looks like Mark's +handwriting: ooh err!] with promise of long bolted traverses +across Sirens. Unfortunately he managed to do it all on naturals +(why do we bother with drills?) (Mind you, Earl was eyeing +up the v. long traverse to the opposite side of the chamber +where it looks like another phreatic passage may head off.) Popped +over + it looked like it went - again - so we settled down for a +long survey. Strong draft throughout most of the area. Straight on +from the traverse, through the bracket-fungus rift gets to a +convenient ledge behind a column overlooking what looked v.like the +shaft we'd finished our survey on (Martin + me, 29/7/03, see in +write-up). Earl rigged another traverse line on naturals along this +ledge (superfluous?) + we kept surveying up the slope beyond. Ran +out of time with plenty of horizontal QMs - Earl frustrated as we +could have stomped around everywhere if we didn't have to wait for +him to draw his damn pictures. V. odd little pool filled with +?mud/?calcite which we didn't survey to the end. Plenty to go back +to next year - a whole new phreatic level? Derigged; I got 2 bags +out + Earl got the remaining 2 bags tied to the bottom of the 70m +Gaffered pitch. Another v. fine trip.

- -

5/8/03  --  Derigging Razordance  --  Earl, Frank + Becka  --  T/U 6hrs Frank + Becka, 7hrs Earl.

- -

My last chance to go caving so I persuaded Frank I'd be useful derigging if he could drive me down the hill in time for my train for -my flight. Dave + Mark had left 3 tacklesacks at the top of Mystery Wind. Got there + decided the big yellow monster wasn't going -anywhere + rebagged it in a sensible bag then double-bagged the drill bag which had holes all in the bottom. Good team effort through the -rift then a sociable prusik out. 2 hours down pitch series, 3 hours in + out of rifts of Razordance + packing rope + derigging + 2 hours -out; a v.fine, spanking trip. Then down the hill to Gösser + bread + cheese. -

- +

5/8/03  --  Derigging +Razordance  --  Earl, Frank + +Becka  --  T/U 6hrs Frank + Becka, 7hrs +Earl.

+

My last chance to go caving so I persuaded Frank I'd be useful +derigging if he could drive me down the hill in time for my train +for my flight. Dave + Mark had left 3 tacklesacks at the top of +Mystery Wind. Got there + decided the big yellow monster wasn't +going anywhere + rebagged it in a sensible bag then double-bagged +the drill bag which had holes all in the bottom. Good team effort +through the rift then a sociable prusik out. 2 hours down pitch +series, 3 hours in + out of rifts of Razordance + packing rope + +derigging + 2 hours out; a v.fine, spanking trip. Then down the +hill to Gösser + bread + cheese.

- -

30/7/03 (Dinner day)  --  Martin, Brian, Julian

- -

Grabenbach canyon. We did it. It rained on the way down and we made it back to the dinner with 1 minute to spare. Here's the -survey.

- +

30/7/03 (Dinner day)  --  Martin, Brian, +Julian

+

Grabenbach canyon. We did it. It rained on the way down and we +made it back to the dinner with 1 minute to spare. Here's the +survey.

[SURVEY - Longest pitch indicated is 30m.]

-

Walk up: 45mins. Canyon down: 3hrs 30.

-
+

4/8/03  --  Razordance attempted +derig  --  Mark, Dave

+

T/U: Dave 15 1/2 hrs (1.20pm - 4.50 am); Mark 14hrs (1.20 - 3.15 +approx)

+

Surveyed from the bottom of Copper Pitch to pushing front, +ending at a plumb of the local widening discovered by Dour on the +previous push. This task was enlivened by Mark suddenly discovering +an urgent need to have a crap, which led to him relieving +himself wile squatting half-naked over the top of a 10m pitch. +[Margin note:Bloody spicy food! - M.]

+

Then the derig began, shepherding Big Bertha (Marc Hesse's +enormous yellow tackle sack, engorged with the remains of our 200m +pushing rope) out of Razordance. Much cursing + swearing got us +from Yeast to Copper. Copper was an easy haul, as was Mash Tun. We +stopped at God Loves a Drunk to sample a self-heating meal. +Unfortunately after waiting 12min it was still stone cold - waste +of a fiver. (One incident worth noting occured as I derigged Yeast. +It's rigged with a rebelay just below the pitch head; after +removing this I swung sideways into the line of fire, and a +mysterious brown stain appeared on the stain of my oversuit.)

-

4/8/03  --  Razordance attempted derig  --  Mark, Dave

-

T/U: Dave 15 1/2 hrs (1.20pm - 4.50 am); Mark 14hrs (1.20 - 3.15 approx)

- -

Surveyed from the bottom of Copper Pitch to pushing front, ending at a plumb of the local widening discovered by Dour on the previous -push. This task was enlivened by Mark suddenly discovering an urgent need to have a crap, which led to him relieving himself wile -squatting half-naked over the top of a 10m pitch. [Margin note:Bloody spicy food! - M.]

- -

Then the derig began, shepherding Big Bertha (Marc Hesse's enormous yellow tackle sack, engorged with the remains of our 200m pushing -rope) out of Razordance. Much cursing + swearing got us from Yeast to Copper. Copper was an easy haul, as was Mash Tun. We stopped at God -Loves a Drunk to sample a self-heating meal. Unfortunately after waiting 12min it was still stone cold - waste of a fiver. (One incident -worth noting occured as I derigged Yeast. It's rigged with a rebelay just below the pitch head; after removing this I swung sideways into -the line of fire, and a mysterious brown stain appeared on the stain of my oversuit.)

- -As we slogged from GLAD to Steady Now we were both flagging noticeably, and the effort required to get the sacks through the tube in the -roof below Mystery Wind took a lot out of us. By the time I had hauled two heavy tackle sacks up to the Crow's Nest in the Armstrong -fashion I was thoroughly broken, as was Mark, and we decided to dump the bags and head out. Not surprisingly I ran out of steam on Kiwi -Suit and crawled slowly up the remaining pitches to emerge at nearly 5am. I was greeted by an enthusiastic Mark reporting that 204 had -overtaken Eislufthöhle as the deepest cave not connected to the main system, at over 500m deep.

- -

Mark: Worth noting for the future that you really need more people than this to derig Razordance, even for the lower -parts of it if anything else has to be done on the same trip. We probably pushed ourselves too far on this trip.

+

As we slogged from GLAD to Steady Now we were both flagging +noticeably, and the effort required to get the sacks through the +tube in the roof below Mystery Wind took a lot out of us. By the +time I had hauled two heavy tackle sacks up to the Crow's Nest in +the Armstrong fashion I was thoroughly broken, as was Mark, and we +decided to dump the bags and head out. Not surprisingly I ran out +of steam on Kiwi Suit and crawled slowly up the remaining pitches +to emerge at nearly 5am. I was greeted by an enthusiastic Mark +reporting that 204 had overtaken Eislufthöhle as the deepest cave +not connected to the main system, at over 500m deep.

+

Mark: Worth noting for the future that you really +need more people than this to derig Razordance, even for the lower +parts of it if anything else has to be done on the same trip. We +probably pushed ourselves too far on this trip.

- -

6/8/03  --  Kiwi Suit + Ariston derig  --  Mark, Martin  --  T/U 7 hours

- -

Went splendidly. Ropes tied together in "paella" style and hauled up pitches etc, which generally worked very well. Left all the rope -at the bottom of Wolpertinger for later collection - what a big pile!

- +

6/8/03  --  Kiwi Suit + Ariston +derig  --  Mark, +Martin  --  T/U 7 hours

+

Went splendidly. Ropes tied together in "paella" style and +hauled up pitches etc, which generally worked very well. Left all +the rope at the bottom of Wolpertinger for later collection - what +a big pile!

- -

3/8/03  --  Festering + surveying  --  Dave, Frank  --  T/U 1hr ish

- -

Surface surveyed to 2003-04, Dreieckhöhle (Triangle cave) & did a quick underground survey. Interesting place, full of -boulders but with a strong inward draught.

- -

Later on (after lunch) did a surface survey to 2003-03, Kartoffelbreischacht (Mashed Potato Shaft). Unfortunately I seem to have -mis-recorded some survey legs as the whole survey makes no sense at all. Frank has volunteered to do this again.

- -

[Note in margin, Olly's handwriting: But he didn't. O. (Under direction from der Führer (M))) (always close bracket.]

- +

3/8/03  --  Festering + +surveying  --  Dave, +Frank  --  T/U 1hr ish

+

Surface surveyed to 2003-04, Dreieckhöhle (Triangle cave) & +did a quick underground survey. Interesting place, full of boulders +but with a strong inward draught.

+

Later on (after lunch) did a surface survey to 2003-03, +Kartoffelbreischacht (Mashed Potato Shaft). Unfortunately I seem to +have mis-recorded some survey legs as the whole survey makes no +sense at all. Frank has volunteered to do this again.

+

[Note in margin, Olly's handwriting: But he didn't. O. +(Under direction from der Führer (M))) (always close bracket.]

Notes for this are in file 2003#23.

-
- -

2/8/03  --  Exploring + Surveying Olly's Höhle (2003-09)  --  Olly, Mark  --  T/U 4hrs

- -

Went to look at hole I discovered with Dave and Earl before the dinner. It blows very hard, so we thought it must go somewhere. Surface -surveyed to 204d first, then we crawled into the passage on the right of the entrance, where the draught was coming from. (Earl and I had -previously cleared rocks from it to allow entry.) After a crawl the passage opens up with scatterings of ice and snow. A passage goes up -to the left as the main way on turns a corner. It enters a large (> 10m diameter) chamber with an ice floor, and an ice stal on the -floor. There is some passage with dodgy boulders to the right, but the draught comes from a very dodgy boulder slope on the left (reached -by climbing round the edge of the ice). Might be worth poking, but it's quite unstable. We looked up the passage on the left but it -doesn't seem to go anywhere. (Maybe a tightish meander in the floor might go (blows outwards a bit), but awkward to enter. QM C.) About 100m of survey in total.

- +

2/8/03  --  Exploring + Surveying Olly's +Höhle (2003-09)  --  Olly, +Mark  --  T/U 4hrs

+

Went to look at hole I discovered with Dave and Earl before the +dinner. It blows very hard, so we thought it must go somewhere. +Surface surveyed to 204d first, then we crawled into the passage on +the right of the entrance, where the draught was coming from. (Earl +and I had previously cleared rocks from it to allow entry.) After a +crawl the passage opens up with scatterings of ice and snow. A +passage goes up to the left as the main way on turns a corner. It +enters a large (> 10m diameter) chamber with an ice floor, and +an ice stal on the floor. There is some passage with dodgy boulders +to the right, but the draught comes from a very dodgy boulder slope +on the left (reached by climbing round the edge of the ice). Might +be worth poking, but it's quite unstable. We looked up the passage +on the left but it doesn't seem to go anywhere. (Maybe a tightish +meander in the floor might go (blows outwards a bit), but awkward +to enter. QM C.) About 100m of survey in total.

- -

[Long list of stuff left in supply dump at the end of Expo]

- +

[Long list of stuff left in supply dump at the end of +Expo]

- -

10/8/03  --  204a derig  --  Mark, Lucia  --  T/U 2hrs

- -

Went to check 5m pitch at top of Ariston to ensure it was derigged. It was, so we went out again derigging as we went.

- +

10/8/03  --  204a +derig  --  Mark, +Lucia  --  T/U 2hrs

+

Went to check 5m pitch at top of Ariston to ensure it was +derigged. It was, so we went out again derigging as we went.

- -

9/8/03  --  Searching for an Alm  --  Mark, Olly

- -

Idea was to find the alm visible from the stone bridge (and much of the walk-in) - obvious large grassy patch in a saddle between two -hills. Bearing from the stone bridge was 250°.

- -

Initial reckonings were that the alm was Hinterer Sandlingalm, also known as Pitzingalm. We went first by road to Bad Ischl, and tried -to get access to the alm without a long walk. Unfortunately the way from near Rettenbachalm (the place which is probably the source of the -two close-together lights visible at night from the stone bridge) was blocked by a locked barrier at the foot of the Grabenbach valley. We -also tried access from [illegible] but the road said "residents only" and we went back - would have been a very long way round -anyway.

- -

Went back to Altaussee to try access from the head of the salt mine road. You drive up the road to a large car park, then continue (up -the Forststrasse) to the prominent left bend visible on the map, where there is a wooden building on the right and some old cart rails. -(Started walking at 4.30pm.) Path leads off uphill, after some while crossing a ski run, to arrive at Sandlingalm. Just above the huts, a -path to the right (signed Pitzingalm & marked with single red stripes on the trees) diverges from the main path (marked with the usual -Austrian markers). Following the new path downhill through the woods emerges at a grassy area - turning left and following the path over -logs placed across bogs leads to Pitzingalm, and a junction to the right with another main path.

- -

Now, unfortunately by this time it was obvious that Pitzingalm was not the correct place, as there was no view of the Schwarzmooskogel -ridge. Arse. Next we walked to Pitzingmoos on the main path, but this was obviously not the correct place either. Mark suggested thrashing -westwards [No, I don't know why he's talking about himself in the third person either - editor] in the trees (actually easy) as it looked -more open up there. This soon hit a much bigger track which we identified on the map, dropping to a point with a quarried (?) section on a -corner. (Again this is marked on the map.)

- -

Consulting the map, we identified Hütteneckalm as a next possible target. We actually soon saw this alm, from our newfound path, -and it was immediately obvious that it was the intended destination. However, it was not obvious as to how to reach it. Despite it being a -relatively small horizontal distance away - and not very much higher than us - a big stream valley was in the way. The alternative route -would have been to go back to Pitzingalm and then to Hüttenbachalm via the Lambacherhütte path (201). However, the latter was -too far - it being nearly 6pm - so we decided to descend down the current path and then thrash directly up a stream (!) (Mark's idea - -Olly) which would then lead directly to Hütteneckalm. Thankfully common sense got the better of us, and when we spotted a path on the -other (south) side of the stream which we were descending towards, we followed it - despite the map showing it ending some way from our -destination. However, from that point it didn't look on the map to be too much further to the Aml - at least the path would gain us most -of the height.

- -

Anyway, we soon reached the end of the path. Two tiny cairns heralded the way on - a tiny path which continued for what seemed like -ages. Some thrasing through greenery and assorted undergrowth was required (no bunde tho' !) - but the "path" did eventually pop us out at -the bottom of the Alm at about 7pm or so. We were knackered. Just as well we hadn't tried climbing up the original stream valley - looked -very steep.

- -

So, there we were on the Alm. Slogged up it to arrive at an area of felled/burnt trees, with (finally) the elusive view of the -Schwarzmooskogel ridge we had wanted. (Photos on Expo website.) Looks a long way away -and somewhat unremarkably flat - the most striking thing is the distances between the Nieder Augst-Eck/Griesskogel/Wildkogel etc, which -is revealed far better from this angle.

- -

Anyway, there we were having walked for ages with no easy way back to the van and under 2 hours of daylight left. Error! We'd thought -that we were in for an easy walk and thus didn't have any lights.

- -

The options were two: either to return down the tiny path, thence go (up!) to Pitzingalm and back the way we had come originally to -that point. Alternatively, we could go on the main path to the Lambacher Hütte, thence to Vorderer Sandlingalm and then to -Sandlingalm, to rejoin the route we'd come on at the junction where we had previously turned off to Pitzingalm.

- -

Given the situation we decided on this second option, as it would keep us on major paths. We headed to the top of Hütteneckalm to -start off. There, we found a couple of huts and a Gasthof(!) - plus several cars. There were many merry people being amused outside the -Gasthof by a gentleman in some weird garb which I didn't quite understand. Given the cars, we resolved to return on another occasion by -road if possible - drinking bier up there would be entertaining adn the place also has FANTASTIC views of the Dachstein range. Would be -well worth photographing, when the sun's in the right direction (early morning maybe? not sure).

- -

And so we set off, climbing to reach the Lambacherhütte after quite a lot of path. Took about 50 minutes. Still light. Continued -down to Vorderer Sandlingalm, by which time a sunset was starting - nice clouds in the sky (see photo on website). From here, the path was -thankfully easy until Sandlingalm. By this time light was fading and it was hard to see in the trees - in the open a nearly-full moon -helped a lot.

- -

We definitely set off from this Alm on the correct path, but by now it was dark and Mark's misremembering of the position of a junction -(thought to be later than it was) contributed to us losing the marked path (Olly was convinced we were still on the correct path, but Mark -wasn't sure). Anyway, we emerged at the top of the aforementioned skirun instead of halfway up it, as we should have. Descended the skirun -to the correct path, thankfully obvious. Sometime about now Olly discovered that his digital camera could give quite a lot of light, so we -kept that in reserve - saving batteries and not disturbing our night vision. Mark rang Base Camp sometime about now on his mobile, in case -someone had come down the hill during the day and was now worrying about us. However, it turns out that we'd accidentally taken the keys -to the spud hut with us (precautions against Romany nicking things at Base Camp) - they were languishing in the van! Turns out that Earl + -Frank had come down the hill & couldn't get into the spud hut. Since we'd had to take Frank's tent down earlier in the day, as -the gypsies had slashed it and Hilde wanted it moved (the gypsies had claimed it was in the way of them oving their caravans, when Hilde -asked them to move the caravans so as to accomodate more guests), then he didn't have anything to sleep in. They didn't want to disturb -Hilde and so went back up the hill - already late, they were delayed even more by a bottle of squash exploding in Frank's car and needing -to be cleaned up. They ended up walking in the dark, presumably without lights. Meanwhile, we were also walking in the dark. Progress was -slow but steady - it was hard to see the rocks, pipes, roots, trees and assorted obstacles along the way with only a hint of moonlight to -guide us.

- -

However, courage prevailed. No wild animals were encountered and we didn't hurt ourselves. Reached the track near the end of the walk, -where the normal route would be to continue down the hillside on the other side of the track to the parking space. However this would have -meant more walking down very dark, steep sections and so we took the main road/track back to the van - a lot further but safer and -easier.

- -

We reached the van at 10.10pm, a little spaced out. Ate a Tunnocks and then fucked off to Base Camp to get pissed.

- +

9/8/03  --  Searching for an +Alm  --  Mark, Olly

+

Idea was to find the alm visible from the stone bridge (and much +of the walk-in) - obvious large grassy patch in a saddle between +two hills. Bearing from the stone bridge was 250°.

+

Initial reckonings were that the alm was Hinterer Sandlingalm, +also known as Pitzingalm. We went first by road to Bad Ischl, and +tried to get access to the alm without a long walk. Unfortunately +the way from near Rettenbachalm (the place which is probably the +source of the two close-together lights visible at night from the +stone bridge) was blocked by a locked barrier at the foot of the +Grabenbach valley. We also tried access from [illegible] but +the road said "residents only" and we went back - would have been a +very long way round anyway.

+

Went back to Altaussee to try access from the head of the salt +mine road. You drive up the road to a large car park, then continue +(up the Forststrasse) to the prominent left bend visible on the +map, where there is a wooden building on the right and some old +cart rails. (Started walking at 4.30pm.) Path leads off uphill, +after some while crossing a ski run, to arrive at Sandlingalm. Just +above the huts, a path to the right (signed Pitzingalm & marked +with single red stripes on the trees) diverges from the main path +(marked with the usual Austrian markers). Following the new path +downhill through the woods emerges at a grassy area - turning left +and following the path over logs placed across bogs leads to +Pitzingalm, and a junction to the right with another main path.

+

Now, unfortunately by this time it was obvious that Pitzingalm +was not the correct place, as there was no view of the +Schwarzmooskogel ridge. Arse. Next we walked to Pitzingmoos on the +main path, but this was obviously not the correct place either. +Mark suggested thrashing westwards [No, I don't know why he's +talking about himself in the third person either - editor] in +the trees (actually easy) as it looked more open up there. This +soon hit a much bigger track which we identified on the map, +dropping to a point with a quarried (?) section on a corner. (Again +this is marked on the map.)

+

Consulting the map, we identified Hütteneckalm as a next +possible target. We actually soon saw this alm, from our newfound +path, and it was immediately obvious that it was the intended +destination. However, it was not obvious as to how to reach it. +Despite it being a relatively small horizontal distance away - and +not very much higher than us - a big stream valley was in the way. +The alternative route would have been to go back to Pitzingalm and +then to Hüttenbachalm via the Lambacherhütte path (201). However, +the latter was too far - it being nearly 6pm - so we decided to +descend down the current path and then thrash directly up a stream +(!) (Mark's idea - Olly) which would then lead directly to +Hütteneckalm. Thankfully common sense got the better of us, and +when we spotted a path on the other (south) side of the stream +which we were descending towards, we followed it - despite the map +showing it ending some way from our destination. However, from that +point it didn't look on the map to be too much further to the Aml - +at least the path would gain us most of the height.

+

Anyway, we soon reached the end of the path. Two tiny cairns +heralded the way on - a tiny path which continued for what seemed +like ages. Some thrasing through greenery and assorted undergrowth +was required (no bunde tho' !) - but the "path" did eventually pop +us out at the bottom of the Alm at about 7pm or so. We were +knackered. Just as well we hadn't tried climbing up the original +stream valley - looked very steep.

+

So, there we were on the Alm. Slogged up it to arrive at an area +of felled/burnt trees, with (finally) the elusive view of the +Schwarzmooskogel ridge we had wanted. (Photos on Expo website.) +Looks a long way away and somewhat unremarkably flat - the most +striking thing is the distances between the Nieder +Augst-Eck/Griesskogel/Wildkogel etc, which is revealed far better +from this angle.

+

Anyway, there we were having walked for ages with no easy way +back to the van and under 2 hours of daylight left. Error! We'd +thought that we were in for an easy walk and thus didn't have any +lights.

+

The options were two: either to return down the tiny path, +thence go (up!) to Pitzingalm and back the way we had come +originally to that point. Alternatively, we could go on the main +path to the Lambacher Hütte, thence to Vorderer Sandlingalm and +then to Sandlingalm, to rejoin the route we'd come on at the +junction where we had previously turned off to Pitzingalm.

+

Given the situation we decided on this second option, as it +would keep us on major paths. We headed to the top of Hütteneckalm +to start off. There, we found a couple of huts and a Gasthof(!) - +plus several cars. There were many merry people being amused +outside the Gasthof by a gentleman in some weird garb which I +didn't quite understand. Given the cars, we resolved to return on +another occasion by road if possible - drinking bier up there would +be entertaining adn the place also has FANTASTIC views of the +Dachstein range. Would be well worth photographing, when the sun's +in the right direction (early morning maybe? not sure).

+

And so we set off, climbing to reach the Lambacherhütte after +quite a lot of path. Took about 50 minutes. Still light. Continued +down to Vorderer Sandlingalm, by which time a sunset was starting - +nice clouds in the sky (see photo on website). From here, the path +was thankfully easy until Sandlingalm. By this time light was +fading and it was hard to see in the trees - in the open a +nearly-full moon helped a lot.

+

We definitely set off from this Alm on the correct path, but by +now it was dark and Mark's misremembering of the position of a +junction (thought to be later than it was) contributed to us losing +the marked path (Olly was convinced we were still on the correct +path, but Mark wasn't sure). Anyway, we emerged at the top of the +aforementioned skirun instead of halfway up it, as we should have. +Descended the skirun to the correct path, thankfully obvious. +Sometime about now Olly discovered that his digital camera could +give quite a lot of light, so we kept that in reserve - saving +batteries and not disturbing our night vision. Mark rang Base Camp +sometime about now on his mobile, in case someone had come down the +hill during the day and was now worrying about us. However, it +turns out that we'd accidentally taken the keys to the spud hut +with us (precautions against Romany nicking things at Base Camp) - +they were languishing in the van! Turns out that Earl + Frank +had come down the hill & couldn't get into the spud hut. +Since we'd had to take Frank's tent down earlier in the day, as the +gypsies had slashed it and Hilde wanted it moved (the gypsies had +claimed it was in the way of them oving their caravans, when Hilde +asked them to move the caravans so as to accomodate more guests), +then he didn't have anything to sleep in. They didn't want to +disturb Hilde and so went back up the hill - already late, they +were delayed even more by a bottle of squash exploding in Frank's +car and needing to be cleaned up. They ended up walking in the +dark, presumably without lights. Meanwhile, we were also walking in +the dark. Progress was slow but steady - it was hard to see the +rocks, pipes, roots, trees and assorted obstacles along the way +with only a hint of moonlight to guide us.

+

However, courage prevailed. No wild animals were encountered and +we didn't hurt ourselves. Reached the track near the end of the +walk, where the normal route would be to continue down the hillside +on the other side of the track to the parking space. However this +would have meant more walking down very dark, steep sections and so +we took the main road/track back to the van - a lot further but +safer and easier.

+

We reached the van at 10.10pm, a little spaced out. Ate a +Tunnocks and then fucked off to Base Camp to get pissed.

- -

9/8/03  --  Searching for an Alm (Abridged) (Olly's Pissed Rant)  --  Mark, Olly

- -

Once upon a time two cavers got pissed. "Wouldn't it be a good idea to walk up a hill which we have no idea where it is or what it's -called?" said Mark. "Um. Gurgle gurgle hic hic" said Olly. And it came to pass that we did awake the next morning ato the scorch of the -sun and the scurry of ants, and after recovering from the previous night's excesses we needed something to take our minds off the dawning -headaches. And with a vague recollection of the previous night's conversation, a compass bearing and a map kindly lent by Hilde we set off -on what would become an epic journey (and writeup - see previous). Caving is shit. Getting lost in a wood is worse. We walked for fucking -ages, took a few pictures and buggered off into the fading light. It got dark. Fucking light. Bollocks. We got lost. Mark had -locked our potential rescuers out of the spud hut. Bollocks! But we finally made it. (You probably guessed, dead people rarely write -pissed rants in the log book.) Gösser is good stuff. Drink more! 2 crates and less than 2 days. Well, I've done my bit tonight. -Wonder what comments Mark will make to this. Winning the beer tally (Mark) bastard! On the spot Gösser fines for limo aren't clearing -it fast enough. This was supposed to be abridged and it fucking is! Stop complaining you cunts. Mark's is fucking pages long. You could -have stopped reading it if you were bored. Frank goes to bed. Fucking lightweight. Gösser braumeister says fuck off!

+

9/8/03  --  Searching for an Alm (Abridged) +(Olly's Pissed Rant)  --  Mark, Olly

+

Once upon a time two cavers got pissed. "Wouldn't it be a good +idea to walk up a hill which we have no idea where it is or what +it's called?" said Mark. "Um. Gurgle gurgle hic hic" said Olly. And +it came to pass that we did awake the next morning ato the scorch +of the sun and the scurry of ants, and after recovering from the +previous night's excesses we needed something to take our minds off +the dawning headaches. And with a vague recollection of the +previous night's conversation, a compass bearing and a map kindly +lent by Hilde we set off on what would become an epic journey (and +writeup - see previous). Caving is shit. Getting lost in a wood is +worse. We walked for fucking ages, took a few pictures and buggered +off into the fading light. It got dark. Fucking light. +Bollocks. We got lost. Mark had locked our potential rescuers out +of the spud hut. Bollocks! But we finally made it. (You probably +guessed, dead people rarely write pissed rants in the log book.) +Gösser is good stuff. Drink more! 2 crates and less than 2 days. +Well, I've done my bit tonight. Wonder what comments Mark will make +to this. Winning the beer tally (Mark) bastard! On the spot Gösser +fines for limo aren't clearing it fast enough. This was supposed to +be abridged and it fucking is! Stop complaining you cunts. Mark's +is fucking pages long. You could have stopped reading it if you +were bored. Frank goes to bed. Fucking lightweight. Gösser +braumeister says fuck off!

+