Meanwhile Becka was hand bolting a traverse to get to 03-30B - three naturals and five (yes, far too many) bolts later I got to the +
Meanwhile Becka was hand bolting a traverse to get to 03-30B – three naturals and five (yes, far too many) bolts later I got to the muddy up-slope only to be told there was no time to check it out because I had to survey Dave's pitch. Actually I was pooped by the having spent half an hour suspended 5m above the floor in a rift far too wide to bridge, trying to get to the far side. I tried prusiking up my own long cowstail, putting slings for extra footloops into cowstails + sheer brute ignorance. It was also pretty exciting (i.e. dynamic) -getting back - a free-hanging traverse. Surveyed Dave's pitches. Names: my traverse will be The Generation Game, Dave's first pitch +getting back – a free-hanging traverse. Surveyed Dave's pitches. Names: my traverse will be The Generation Game, Dave's first pitch is Gardeners' World, and his next one is University Challenge. Way out up Gaffered was way, way, way too -muddy - I'd had to do a welly-brake on the way down + both my hand + my chest jammer were slipping on the way up ... but I didn't have +muddy – I'd had to do a welly-brake on the way down + both my hand + my chest jammer were slipping on the way up ... but I didn't have nearly as much fun as Dave who became an incandescent Mr. Angry + ended up prusiking twice as far as the rest of us. I left him to Earl's -calming tongue. [I think my jammers are knackered - the teeth don't bite like they used to.—DL].
+calming tongue. [I think my jammers are knackered – the teeth don't bite like they used to.—DL].[Continuation in Becka's handwriting] Earl kept rigging the pitch but the drill battery ran out after the pitchhead + deviation -bolts (part way through a Y-hang ~20m down from the pitchhead - probably another 15m drop beyond here). We then went back to Sweet Sight +bolts (part way through a Y-hang ~20m down from the pitchhead – probably another 15m drop beyond here). We then went back to Sweet Sight passage + went up the left-hand roof tube QM just after the drippy aven with the bat skeleton. We surveyed 8 legs up there, past a tight thrutch into an aven with water coming in and a too tight rift off. Out + home.
@@ -557,14 +557,14 @@ thrutch into an aven with water coming in and a too tight rift off. Out + home.<We decided that today we would continue down the 70s route and see how far we could get with the rope + hangers we had. I wanted to play with the drill, so set off down to the current end of the rigging (the next ledge on from the Test Tube passage) and put in a nice -Y-hang. Meanwhile Olly swung around on the snow plugs below to retrieve my spanner he had lost. The pitch was really nice - the best so +Y-hang. Meanwhile Olly swung around on the snow plugs below to retrieve my spanner he had lost. The pitch was really nice – the best so far, a lovely hang in a huge shaft, on down to the next ledge + some 1970s spits, one of which was used as part of the Y, a deviation later and I was at the bottom of "Plugged Shaft" on a bouldery floor with a huge bit of scaffold bar longer than I am! The next pitch -wasn't far away, and as we weren't certain how solid the floor was we continued the rope round - this is where the 112m rope ended, so we +wasn't far away, and as we weren't certain how solid the floor was we continued the rope round – this is where the 112m rope ended, so we tied on the 85m and Olly bolted down "Saved Shaft" with, as is typical of this cave, a deviation. We now arrived at a HUGE boulder pile, with at least one boulder bigger than a car! The way on was under these with the draft. The boulders actually looked quite wedged, but it is probably worth trying to get over the top sometime (a) to see if it goes anywhere new and (b) in the hope that it is safer. Olly rigged @@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ rigging, and went back to teh base of Saved Shaft. We surveyed back till it conn
Olly fettled the rigging in the entrance to add a tight guide line above the rock bridge, and we went into the Test Tube, and onto Brave New World, this time turning right to the pitch, traversing round it (which I found scary as it was loose) and itno the oxbow on the @@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ very fast.
Decided to carry the drill through the Test Tube to bolt stuff in Brave New World. We decided it would be better to carry SRT kits rather than wearing them too. Carrying tackle made the Test Tube seem much smaller and more arduous... Turned right into BNW, and Olly got @@ -620,18 +620,18 @@ then left the cave.
Didn't feel like carrying tackle through the Test Tube again, so took survey gear to tick off some leads (hopefully). The first lead we looked at was the tube on the right around halfway along, near the probable 99 connection. It got progressively narrower, and then there were some small pristine white stals. We decided that it would be hard to get past them without touching them, so surveyed out. Continued into Brave New World, and turned left to survey the oxbow passages, these are small and crappy and the 3 passages end up uniting and going -to a pitch in a stream canyon - we surveyed to here and attempted to plumb the pitch. It is ~6m deep. Still had time left so went the +to a pitch in a stream canyon – we surveyed to here and attempted to plumb the pitch. It is ~6m deep. Still had time left so went the other way along BNW, round the pitch and to the cahmber we started surveying from on the 25th. Looked down the passage on the right, this gets bigger for a bit raising our hopes of this being the Train Tunnel passage we had been looking for, but it got lower and a crawl led to a big aven chamber which looked not too hard to climb. From the chamber it was not obvious where we had come from as it all looked small, so Olly named it "No Ways Chamber" though in fact I found another crawl out near ours that became vadose passage of a reasonable -size to an aven - this is still to be surveyed.
+size to an aven – this is still to be surveyed.Earl was all for going straight back down to push Subsoil but I'd promised myself not to go down there again until there was fresh rope -on it so we carried in a 100m and a 65m and rerigged from Tape Worm all the way down (I replaced the top 91m - again - whilst +on it so we carried in a 100m and a 65m and rerigged from Tape Worm all the way down (I replaced the top 91m – again - whilst Earl Mud-Doesn't-Stick-To-Me Merson zoomed down on the slimy rope + replaced the bottom one). Then Earl went off to have a third attempt at re-rigging Gardeners' World whilst I draped conservation tape around Sirens, Bracket Fungus, the Crystal Pool + Quiz Rift. I then got cold + grouchy waiting whilst Earl put in deviation after deviation on Gardeners' World plus fresh pitch-head bolts + then had two @@ -690,7 +690,7 @@ hang bolt on Gaffered, I found the rope really tight. Having a handy Earl, I man a mini-plunge + then he said that seemed to have sorted it.
Right down to Subsoil, rigged the tiddly 4m pitch (8m rope) off the boulder then started surveying out of Subsoil up Heavily Soiled -passage (very muddy - again) (need a 15m rope rigged off obvious natural to get down to it) with a good draft. Initially large, +passage (very muddy – again) (need a 15m rope rigged off obvious natural to get down to it) with a good draft. Initially large, steepish passage ending in a broken down area then popped out on edge of a large chamber. We were on a bank of mud only ~2m above the chamber floor but we had no gear. The mud was crumbly and Earl was very cold so we stopped there. Also a drippy aven ahead there, again trickly to get there despite being very close given the dubious tensile strength of banks of undercut mud. Stopped the survey + stomped @@ -698,7 +698,7 @@ back to Subsoil. Earl then took the drill to put in too spits (last, highest one this is the best Hilti I've ... oh dear") Meanwhile I conservation tabled some crystals + the mud floor at the start of Hippo Hollows + the mud banks + spires at the bottom of the Subsoil chamber. Then we went up Earl's new 17m traverse into Earthenware passage, + we surveyed as we went in, past various mud pretties + pools, stepping over a large + wet rift pitch + lots of QMs until Earthenware passage -reduced in size (but sill drafting? hard to tell - draft is very strong into your face at the start of Earthenware). At this point +reduced in size (but sill drafting? hard to tell – draft is very strong into your face at the start of Earthenware). At this point we decided tos urvey down the large passage off left that led steeply down + twisting (Stoneware, as we finally lost the mud), + ended in a muddy aven + then a drippy wet aven at a convenient 6.55pm, time to go home. Took the drill battery out. For two people it takes ~ 1 1/2 hours to get to the bottom of Subsoil and ~ 2 1/2 hours to get out again, if carrying no real load.
@@ -742,9 +742,9 @@ undersuit proved futile (not helped by rushing up the hill in the dark and rain callout time for the Eisluft team). So at 8am I pulled on soaking wet undersuit prior to a 10am trip start. Twenty hours later I took it off again, and for most of the intervening time I was too cold. -Uneventful trip as far as the start of Razor Dance, wehere the water level was higher than I've ever seen - probably double the usual +
Uneventful trip as far as the start of Razor Dance, wehere the water level was higher than I've ever seen – probably double the usual levels. The wet climb was unpleasant but passable so we elected to carry on. Most of the pitches were fine: an extra waterfall had -appeared at Mash Tun, but it was OK. The bottom of Copper was very wet - borderline dangerous. The rebelay on Yeast is in a star +appeared at Mash Tun, but it was OK. The bottom of Copper was very wet – borderline dangerous. The rebelay on Yeast is in a star place for avoiding the water (shame about the pitch head bolts, which need a tector). In conclusion, Razor Dance will be OK in the wet with an extra couple of bolts: one on the first wet climb, and another for a water avoidance deviation on Copper.
@@ -752,11 +752,11 @@ with an extra couple of bolts: one on the first wet climb, and another for a wat rebelay bolt on Pepper Pot) while Dave + Dour surveyed. Dave couldn't read the instruments so I was forced to peer through the murk. SOme creativity was required to fabricate some data. Much tedious dicking about in the rift to find the right level and a 6m pitch later we reached the deep point (204 now 544m deep) where the water goes down a tiny slot. Round the corner an ascending traverse goes to a much -wider bit (~4m wide) - looks like a weak bed has been exploited to make the widening - the bed is visible cutting across the passage. A -line is needed where the traverse gets muddy and slippy - lots of brown mud with a black crust with dessication cracks (at least there +wider bit (~4m wide) – looks like a weak bed has been exploited to make the widening - the bed is visible cutting across the passage. A +line is needed where the traverse gets muddy and slippy – lots of brown mud with a black crust with dessication cracks (at least there was before I stomped/bumslid across it). The drill battery had done its usual trick of going from 4 bars to none in no time at all, so a Martin special pushing rig was put in place. Cartoon laws of rigging apply: the naturals are sound so long as you don't look at them too -closely. More bolts needed next time. At the end is a pitch that we couldn't get close enough to see down - estimate 20m on the basis of +closely. More bolts needed next time. At the end is a pitch that we couldn't get close enough to see down – estimate 20m on the basis of throwing one rock down it (i.e. it could be any length at all). [Incidentally, this point is around 10m above the level at which the stream was last seen.—DL] @@ -771,7 +771,7 @@ there are enough (i.e. more than 4) moderately hard (but not necessarily bionic)"Come and look at our great new cave" they said. "Could be a new 204 entrance" they said. "DON'T YOU DARE FIND THE END OF IT" they (Becka) said.
@@ -834,7 +834,7 @@ gear. Olly M kindly came along for the walk and to help me carry. (Perhaps also plateau forever more.)The walk proceeded quickly and with minimum moaning on my part (due mostly to my empty rucksack). Olly and I deviated from the path to -invesitage a few cave entrances - turning out to be in the 80s. We were rejoined by Julian and Becka shortly afterwards, near the +invesitage a few cave entrances – turning out to be in the 80s. We were rejoined by Julian and Becka shortly afterwards, near the beginning of the slabs.
Towards the end of the slabs, I did the often done thing of slipping with one of my walking poles. I then managed to kick said pole, @@ -854,7 +854,7 @@ rethreaded through the bomber natural instead of via the sling.
Once out of Hauchhöhle, I found Olly hunting around on the edge of the hole for a second thread / natural belay. Tony appeared on his way to the bridge, and recommended rigging a scramble down the back end of the hole, where the drop was more, around 10m. We did this, -rigged from the single bit of usefully fixed rock in the vicinity - a bomber thread.
+rigged from the single bit of usefully fixed rock in the vicinity – a bomber thread.[Diagram, with captions including "fuckwit caver who throws his gear down holes"]
@@ -909,7 +909,7 @@ etc, and to carry a bag of rope down to The Ledge ready for the next day.Went down to the top of Keg Series with lots of rigging gear + drill. Olly did some more gardening (but there is still lots of loose stuff around) and went down; rather than heading straight down the pitch like last time, he swung across into the passage ~ 1/3 of the way @@ -924,12 +924,12 @@ ledge with (for the first time in a while) a solid rock floor. Olly went down a therefore significant this passage/pitch series was. At the bottom Olly found a sump and I felt guilty for wanting one earlier...
[Editor's note: Blanks were left in the above description to be filled in later, but it seems noone did so. The above numbers are -extracted from the survey data but it's not clear to me exactly where one pitch stops and the next starts - these are my best guesses. +extracted from the survey data but it's not clear to me exactly where one pitch stops and the next starts – these are my best guesses. —DL]
I climbed down to check it really was a sump (it was, and not a very impressive one at that) whilst Olly looked at a small passage -going off the other way till it got small; I came out and looked there - after a short crawl (~5m) it met a small stream passage which I -followed for a short way till it felt small + committing - the passage does however continue. Meanwhile Olly had found a more promising +going off the other way till it got small; I came out and looked there – after a short crawl (~5m) it met a small stream passage which I +followed for a short way till it felt small + committing – the passage does however continue. Meanwhile Olly had found a more promising lead by climbing above the sump and following a tortuous vadose canyon downhill until it got bigger and became another pitch series; we decided to leave this for next year and surveyed out to the top of Keg Series.
@@ -968,9 +968,122 @@ space marked "GPS".] photoed by Olly and GPSed. [Another arrow into the blank space.]We then walked back to where Tantalus Schacht should be and didn't find it, but did allocate 2004-09, which is a shaft with "a -good drop and rattle" - sorry no photos or survey, but it was GPSed.
+good drop and rattle" – sorry no photos or survey, but it was GPSed.P.S. Olly's GPS seems to have lost these coords, so we'll have to refind them next year.
Went back down to the top of Keg Series, but this time continued down the 70s route, down a short climb to a small chamber. The route +continued down the rift; we used a chockstone (a big one) as a backup and Olly suggested a good place for a spit. I climbed round and +started to put the spit in; I got as far as it nearly being set when I gave up (sore ankle + leg cramp) + let Olly take over. Olly was +impressed at how far out I had managed to place the spit and didn't call me a wuss for not finishing it. A deviation got us to the next +ledge where Olly put in a backup spit and got started on a Y. Over the space of a couple of minutes what was a very distant small water +trickle became very loud + sounded very close - I was concerned that a raging torrent along with loose rocks would appear from an aven +above; fortunately it didn't and we didn't die. It transpired that it had started to rain about 40mins earlier. Olly carried on down the +pitch and got to a narrowish rift; this widened out where a passage joined from the right into a chamber with big boulders (the Tap Room). +This was very drippy and wet so we left rigging on for another day and looked at the other inlet, reached from a small climb. This soon +intersected a big pitch, with the passage continuing on - it looked reasonably easy to swing across, but we left this for a later date. We +surveyed and derigged out; I greased the spits as well, until the grease ran out at the bottom of Plugged Shaft, which was good as we had +far too much to carry already.
+ +Went in 2003-02 with Earl's drill and rigged to the bottom of the pitch. Abbed off pitchhead bolt put in 2003 down 6m to rebelay then 2 +rebelays on far wall to main drop. Dropped a few stones to find best hang through a narrow rift 13m below; didn't quite judge it right so +put in another bolt as a deviation when I got down to the rift.
+ +Then a 43m hang to a rebelay where I wibbled a bit, feeling isolated and wet, then down to the floor. Bollocks! No way on. But wait, a +short climb up the side of the shaft and another hole. But no more rope, so I went home.
+ +Surveyed to bottom with short rope to investigate rifty hole at base of shaft: it closed down after a 5m climb down through boulders. +Went home.
+ +Started out walking to the NE of 204 area until we met the big change in slope overlooking the valley with the Stogerweg at the bottom. +Then walked along side of valley until we found two entrances of note: GPSsed, tagged and photographed them.
+ +Went back via Damoclesschacht.
+ +Using club drill + blue dynamic rope, bolted around corner from pitch head bolt (2003-02-01 survey station #8) and up wall on right +side of chamber to small window. Squeezed through to small chamber (~5m) with no way on. Derigged + exit.
+ +Rigged in to base of pitch. Tony put in 2 bolts to climb A lead in right wall of chamber. Revealed short passage to corner; left way on +blocked by boulders - persuaded downwards - revealing a climbable rift to a tube again blocked by removable boulders, to narrow low +awkward passage to pitch head blocked by large boulder. Needed persuaders. Went home.
+ +Came back with lump hammer and crowbar and persuaded boulder to reduce in size. Tony forced a way through to place a pitch head bolt +and descend to small chamber with a squeeze through a rift in the floor. Descended to rifty chamber with no way on. Went home.
+ +Off to rig + survey leads at the end of Hippo Hollows in Subsoil. Nial + Becka surveyed two tubes on the left at the end of Hippo +Hollows. First just popped out to look over the rift that the main passage ended on. Further back, the tube went steeply up to a small +pitch. Earl put in two bolts for a Y-hang. We put in a comedy traverse over the top of the pitch (not far, but rigged on feeble naturals +on the far side, and passing over slippery mud) and continued the survey up the tube the far side to a small pitch with a possible vocal +connection to the rift at the end of Hippo Hollows. Pitch a QM B. Then back to the Y-hang and I descended the short pitch. A +small crawl at the bottom seemed to immediately open out onto a pitch. I didn't push it (needed to take SRT kit off) but another +QM B.
+ +Meanwhile Earl had belayed Julian as he free-climbed down the rift at the end of Hippo Hollows to descend into Fat Worm Blows a +Sparky. Becka and Nial surveyed down into FWBAS and started to survey there whilst Earl tried to drill spits for a more sensible rig +down to FWBAS (and failed - we were using a rope dangled down the rift with lots of rubs so you have to free climb up and down). Found +some weird white formations like plastic in a passage at the end of the survey, which Julian photographed.
+ +Becka + Julian set off an hour ahead of the crowd + did some virtuous QM ticking by surveying up the sandy tube at the top of the +Subsoil chamber where Gardeners' World / U. C. pitch comes in. The right tube closed down. The left one was small but straightforward and +connected in to Earl + my Heavily Soiled survey so ticked off one of the sandy crawl QMs there too (still leaving another crawl QM off +from Heavily Soiled to be checked). Back to Subsoil and met others. I went with Frank to continue the Earthenware survey, going straight +ahead where Stoneware branched left. After a short while continuing straight ahead, I saw black space up to the right so we surveyed up +there (care, nice calcite on left wall, we conservation-taped this route off on the next trip). Into big passage +and surveyed left (north). The roof rapidly closed in due to massive collapse of rock from the roof to end in a boulder choke which didn't +really draft.
+ +Back to Subsoil and Frank headed out. Earl was still trying to get a better rig into Fat Worm Blows a Sparky (see yesterday). Nial and +I continued the survey off FWBAS from Julian + his survey until we'd run out of time + pretty well ticked off all the horizontal leads. +The last bit of our survey down a thin rift only needed a handline to protect a climb down and was the deepest part surveyed. [As far +as I can tell from the survey this doesn't seem to be true - station 17 of the Fat Worm 2 survey is a good five metres +lower.—DL] Where Nial and I started to survey, beyond the dead bat, there was a freeclimb (QM B) up to the left which then +needed protecting for the final few metres up to an enticing-looking lead. [For some reason the description of the exploration of this +three days later is written up here; I have restored it to its logical chronological position.—DL] Earl then was removed from +his rigging and we went home, letting Earl escape first to get the food on.
+ +