Having the previous day decided he was definitely taking a rest day today, Jonty ascended the hill to explore Reflectorist with Buck, Joel and Becka. This was following a long day the previous day of Basecamp -> Homecoming -> Top Camp -> Basecamp, and a mildly sprained ankle. Jonty was then again personally victimised by the plateau, despite having consistently bowed to the plateau monster on passing. Sometimes the will of the plateau monster is indecipherable by lower minds. Fortunately, Doctor Alice Kirby was on hand to apply magic cream to the scrapes - a nice change for her as Jonty did not try to kick or spit on her (being neither a llama nor in danger of castration). @@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ The bags where left at the end of the tight crawl before Mongal Rally, and a goo
Lucky Crowbar was at 33T 411074 5282956. Joel free-climbed down 5m to a snow plug with no way off horizontally. No Draught.
2025-js-06 at 33T 411092 5282971 had a weak draught out. Joel descended 5m on Petzl Pulses to a boulder blockage over a p15. The boulders would need a crowbar or capping to pass.
-We then reached Gruffalo where I was *most* impressed by the absolutely arctic draught blasting out of it. Joel and Hamish had already had a trip to the top of the second pitch but Joel wanted to do some rerigging so I basked in the sun until that was done and I could start the survey. I'd failed to bring any nail varnish so Joel obligingly partly drilled holes to mark stations. He rigged our first 2 ropes and I went out to fetch the third and thaw out my hands. He rigged the second pitch beyond two unpleasant thrutches over wedged boulders then threw rocks at a massive icicle until it was felled to make the pitch a bit safer. He continued down, next to a huge ice floe. We finished our rope and hangers and the survey at the start of a catchy rift, 1m high x 0.5m wide with an absolute gale howling out. I headed out but, oh no, it was now raining. We waited until it stopped then I insisted on a different route back, following the easy, obvious, steadily ascending bunde-free cleft NNE for ~250m until it intersected the usual path SE up to the Tunnocks col (again, easy, bunde-free and steadily ascending) then back to Top Camp on the usual Balkon path +We then reached Gruffalo where I was *most* impressed by the absolutely arctic draught blasting out of it. Joel and Hamish had already had a trip to the top of the second pitch but Joel wanted to do some rerigging so I basked in the sun until that was done and I could start the survey. I'd failed to bring any nail varnish so Joel obligingly partly drilled holes to mark stations. He rigged our first 2 ropes and I went out to fetch the third and thaw out my hands. He rigged the second pitch beyond two unpleasant thrutches over wedged boulders then threw rocks at a massive icicle until it was felled to make the pitch a bit safer. He continued down, next to a huge ice floe. We finished our rope and hangers and the survey at the start of a catchy rift, 1m high x 0.5m wide with an absolute gale howling out. I headed out but, oh no, it was now raining. We waited until it stopped then I insisted on a different route back, following the easy, obvious, steadily ascending bunde-free cleft NNE for ~250m until it intersected the usual path SE up to the Tunnocks col (again, easy, bunde-free and steadily ascending) then back to Top Camp on the usual Balkon path. +
+Rigging topo for first 3 pitches in Gruffalo +(as far as the rift below Turbine Hall) +
+
After meeting a tired, smoked out Joel we had noodles and packed. The team was now: Joel, me, Big Tom and Frank and the objective of the day was pushing Gruffalo. Gruffalo had been the word on everyone’s tongue the night before: a new cave with a stonking draft and a pitch at the bottom from which rocks had been chucked a very long way.