4/7/94 | Plateau | Sean

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

F.S.K.

<--- What a lot of toss.

First written up trip of Expo. - Rig - basically rigged to Poxy, went to Boulder Alley and came out, all the ropes were too short, so some conservative rigging required. got very slack, came out. TU = 5¾ hrs

Previous trip (1993 derig) / Next trip

Followed Ali and Petel down to the top of Boulder Alley where they went home. I rigged Knossus and went home too.

TU 6 hrs

Previous trip / Next trips: Gnome / Beyond Knossus

Mike rigged in France as far as Algeria, I watched. Pottered around in Algeria for a bit, then prussiked out at lightning speed.

TU 6 hrs

Previous trip (1993 derig) / Next trip

                                              V----- WHAT IS ALL THIS CRAP
6/7/94  Started Raining .... [small cloud graphic]  - THIS IS A CAVING BOOK
                                                    No, it's a log book, and
  ..and Helen wound everybody up about expo         hardly anyone mentions logs
   money for a whole day :-)                        at all.
   (miserable bitch  AJD)   Ha Ha Ha (H.12 ^)

Pushing trip through tight squeeze off Gnome passage (off Dreamtime). Only person to have got through previously was Wookey. Andrew and Sean were supposed to go down France with Anthony, but he jacked due to so-called "bad weather". Andy A went through first and started putting in a bolt at the top of small pitch at end of squeeze - divested of all SRT gear and with rope tied to foot. Sounds of hammering transmitted through rock and curses through air. Andrew D followed with Andy A's gear - almost broke left knee trying to get round sharp bend but after consultation with Sean turned onto back and got through somehow. Sean tried to get through, got stuck, reversed, tried again, got through. Ralph decided he couldn't make it, so he and Mike returned to surface, and Helen joined us. Andrew D put in first ever spit at top of next pitch - 25m, with much help from Andy A. It was a pretty shit spit, but nevertheless decided to trust it. Andrew D's SRT gear at far end of squeeze since no-one had brought it through, so abseiled down to ledge on Andy A's descender, and was stranded there as Andy A came down and rigged a deviation to the bottom. The two Andys came back up and Sean and Helen went for a stomp at the bottom - found another pitch with 4 second or 2 x 3 second drop time - to be pushed on Saturday, then we all came out - squeeze was even worse coming back. Got out about 11.30. Sean and Andrew D got lost on way back to top camp. First new bit of cave of Expo !

[Helen continues]

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

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

[Ralph adds]

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

T.U. 9 hrs

Previous trip / Next trip / Beyond Knossus

Trolled down to Knossus (tun te tum) with 4 tacklesacks then got another one so we had 5 + a rocket tube then we went to the tyrolean and I rigged it pretty slowly and then I climbed up the other side it was shit the rigging is crap so did Mike then Ali came across and ranted and then we went to the campsite and had some soup and found the Vestas we left there last year were OK and then we went to 3 Wise men and I got ½-way across and then Ali said his arm hurt and could we stop caving now please and although me and Mike really wanted to go and push the end we had to come back because we weren't tired really but had to come back and then we came down to Base camp because we wanted to get drunk. The End Love Pete.

TU: MTS 9 hrs

Previous trip / Next trip

Failed to find bolt driver at main entrance and so it became impossible to do anything to keen. Since I am very novice at S.R.T. the trip took a lot longer than it should have. Anthony took me down France, as far as the bottom of Toothless. On the rebelay just before the bottom of Toothless I got nicely strung up by accidentally abseiling too low. My chest jammer got twisted and so I was unable to get the rope into it to prussik back up. Eventually I got past the rebelay by Anthony prussiking up to it and hauling me across. A bit of a cock up really ! At the bottom of Toothless Anthony went off to the right to examine a new lead. Sadly !? he was unable to pursue it because of lack of a bolt driver. We then both prussiked slowly out of the cave.

T.U. 7 hours

Previous trip / Next trip

MTS & Ali were going to come too but they didn't so we jacked so we went prospecting & we found a big hole but fuck knows where it is & then me & Sean went caving to the far end so we zoomed down to the campsite 1 hr 45 mins. then my electric broke then we had a cup of soup then we zoomed out 2 hrs so that was it then we came home. Sean doesn't drive slowly. The End Love Pete TU 4 hrs

In a fit of enthusiasm following a plateau washout returned in the morning from base camp & got underground at 2.30 pm. Very fast (1 hr or so) down to Gnome II with 140m of rope and geraldine. Then spent 50 mins moving same & some SRT gear & other garbage to get the next 10m or so. Wot a bar-steward. Rerigged the knot pass and thence down to where Sean & co. got to. Scrotted about in the rift to get to the pitch only to find that Geraldine didn't want to play, hence "Driller Killer". Andy put in a bolt by hand while I drilled 5mm, then I put in two bolts while Andy did 5mm - so abandoned her. Down 35-40m pitch (actually 27m !! :-) and broke into bedding plane with loadsa passages. Most promising lead led eventually to 3 sec. drop into mega rift. Survey out doing 50 legs - what heroes. and dragged Geraldine, now less the power cable, out. Wot a bar-steward II. Out at 0400 am. Walked back in gathering dawn, really nice, makes the plateau all worthwhile.

TU 13½ hours

Previous trip / Next trip

We first both went down to re-rig the top of France, then went down a hole 25m dead end, then another icy, I farted and needed to get out very rapidly. That's it really.

TU ½ hour tops
MTS TU 10 mins

Previous trip / Next trip

TEAM FAST, EFFICIENT & DESPERATELY HARD GO CAVING (somewhere else)

The plan was to rig/survey/derig the big pitch found last year at the bottom of Toothless, which was thought to probably link into Twin Tubs, which sounded like a suitably Noddy trip, then move onto some of the leads off Algeria on the following days. Laugh. Scout jacked at the cave entrance because of his ankle, but that still left four people and one bolting kit, so a lot of sitting around followed whilst we put in five bolts just getting to the head of the big pitch which we failed to descend at all, though we did rig a fine deviation of which Ralph and I were rather proud. I then went down to Algeria to rescue some hangers and rigged the "Y-hang deviation" off two shit spits down Frogs Legs. Emerged to find that Ali & MTS (slack jacking bastards) had put in a traverse line down the cave entrance, which was jolly helpful - I always go wrong there.

TU: 8½ hours too long.

Previous trip / Next trip

Went back to finish rigging/surveying/derigging, Ralph jacked due to a knackered leg. Rigged the new pitch ("Top Loader") with a Y-hang from the bottom of the rift pitch ("Standard deviation"), then a deviation off the right hand wall for a free hang down the pitch (which is jolly fast on 9mm). "Top Loader" comes out into "Washer" as expected. Rope rubs a bit so we all went out via the usual route to Algeria, some surveying got done, as did the derigging.

Previous trip / Next trip

Found another idiot to go down Gnome on a quick trip just to put a bolt on. Trundled off to the bottom, Olly only unripping a bit on the corner but swearing never again. Another one lost. Got to pitch, put bolt half in lots of cracks so gave up. Climb onto boulder suspended in the middle of the pitch got too scared must be time to go home. In Driller Killer, saw the drill lead so went down to get it. Decided it was a little dangerous so called Olly to stop just as I reached a little too far and found myself stuck upside down in a rift. PUSH - oh shit - PUSH - oh fuck - OLLY - Spent the next 20 minutes upside down edging slowly out. Balls leg stuck back to the start. Wonder when the rescue comes. Another 20 mins dying of carbide - eventually the right way up. Quick push thro a too small hole and a slow prussick to home, saying not to go again. Well not till the next day.

TU 8 hrs

Previous trip / Next trip

"We'll rig, survey and derig today, then look at Sultans of Swing tomorrow" : thus quoth Anthony, so on the third day Ralph & I went down to finish the surveying and derigging ! Zoomed down to Standard Deviation and surveyed up the rift to "CM on wall" (take your pick from three plausible looking carbide marks at the bottom of Toothless). What an easy trip ! Short trips are the biz.

T.U. 4¼ hours

Previous trip / Next trip

Went to look at a ? which is on the way to Gnome. It involved going the other way from usual at the bottom of a pitch (probably Eyehole). After a bit of bedding plane there was a pitch with a rebelay all on naturals. After traversing through some rift, there was a horribly tight pitch (~12m). At the bottom, dribbled out of a tiny hole so I happily got out of the cave having crossed off a ?

T U 2 hrs

Previous trip / Next trip

Thought we'd introduce Bob to K-hohle's massive chambers & stomping passageways so went on another trip to Gnome ! Got to where Andy & Olly had tried to bolt, carried on, split rock, decided rock was total shit, so rigged from lower down via hole in floor on naturals. Anthony put in a typical ABD (Anthony Bastard Deviation) later converted to a still pretty awful rebelay. Down at the bottom of the rift ... footprints - someone has been here before*. Some scrotting about later, Andy popped out above Over the Rainbow. Hurray ! Out via the Chunnel, Snot etc. & no Gnome passage squeeze !! Back to base camp for river & expo dinner.

* Later discovered from survey to be Vestabule.

T/U 5 hours

Previous trip / Next trip

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

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

FRANCE TU 13 h

Previous trip / Next trip

Back down Mississippi. Julian + Ali found loads of stomping cave while Anthony and Kate had a lovely time surveying bloody Mohr im Hemd. We went and looked at Regurgitation first. It has a boulder floor with lots of holes (surprise, surprise), and one possible lead in a rift with stream running at the bottom. Probably all go down to the same level about 10-15m below the floor. Surveying Mohr im Hemd was a bit like eating 10 of them - starts off OK but with a sense of worse to come, then gets appallingly tedious, then bloody grim. Average survey length 1.8m. I didn't quite realise the consequences of being all keen and crawling down small things on my first Expo caving trip. Error ! Anyway, enough ranting. Anthony may add to this. He was not very happy by the end.

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

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

Is it fuck ! Not likely mate.

France TU 9 hr

Previous trip / Next trip

Kate reliably informed us that she had cleverly left the compass + clino at Missisipi, so as Heather needed some string practice we went off caving. Went firstly down the hole near 161c that me and Mike rigged on a previous trip of epic proportions, for SRT practice. Then France itself. I went down entrance rift with Heather then as she was quite happy fucked off down to Missisipi where the number of survey kits was ZERO !! So came back out. Had a poke at a tube going off ½ way down Deja Vu, it's rift similar to top of Toothless but doesn't appear to go but the French haven't been there - untouched mud. Then bits started collapsing so I came out. The survey kit was in Kate's kit at the ENTRANCE !!!

TU Total = 4¼ hr

Previous trip / Next trip

Bob must be on keen-ness pills. A mere 9 hours or so after his France trip, back down to Driller Killer. In via Snot & the chunnel with a fettled geraldine. On arriving at Vestabule, Andy & Mike TA scrotted about a bit, and the latter popped out into Stomping without doing the pitch ! Yeh !! So now we can get to the bottom of Driller Killer without ever going via Gnome II.

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

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

T/U 13½ hrs ? ^--- 14½ hrs ---^

Previous trip / Next trip (final derig)

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

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

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

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

No T/U.

Back down to Mississippi to survey the fat wads of cave already found. I was too keen and legged it off down the cave forgetting to put my clothes away. (It rained) (rant).

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

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

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

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

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

After that we pissed off.

P.S. My clothes were all piss wet so I got lost on the plateau in my caving gear.

Previous trip / Next trip

meanwhile surveyed "Ginger Crunch", "Rich Tea", "Hobnob" passage, "Digestive" pitch and "Biscuit Factory", eventually linking up with the other surveying team at the entrance to "Heart of Gold". It was so exciting. Andy's survey station at the head of Ginger Crunch (chosen so as to give a good hang to the floor) was quite entertaining to reach, especially when one of the hand holds detaches itself from the wall (I ignored the fact that the pitch was rigged off two flakes of similar dimensions). The backup ("It was a traverse line", Julian H) at the top of Digestive also proved to be irrelevant after Andy breathed on it from the wrong angle and it fell off.

As if that wasn't enough fun for one day, we then went and surveyed a bit off the side of Mississippi (called "Fudge Brownie") as far as a climb up an overhanging bank of choss, where the compass (mercifully) misted up terminally and we ran away.

TU  Julian  }

    Andy A   } 9 hrs

    Petel   }          - Due to variable

    Steve   ] 10 hrs     prussikking speed

    Anthony ]

    Kate      10½ hrs

Previous trip / Next trip

(note ordinary order of date, compscis)

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

[graphic]

Then we were pissed off so we went out. Emerged to rain.

T/U 5 hrs
(Not slackers, just efficient).

Previous trip / Next trip

Andy A went down to Vestabule to find a dropped bit from his carbide so I went for a wander on the plateau, with the intention of looking for some of the laser rangefound points, 0/1 to 0/6. I ended up finding 84, then headed east and a bit north to 107 and 83. which are meant to be by 0/5. Mike Martin's sketch in the 1987 logbook looks something like this:

[graphic]

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

* I've since noticed that Wolfhöhle is actually approx SSE of 0/5, so MM has shown the gully's upper end as wider than the lower end. I did poke around where this should mean 0/5 would be, but didn't spot it. I'll try to pop back for another look before the end of Expo.

Once upon a time not long enough ago a frustrated caver (with a very short memory) went up a dangerous path (the toll road) to face unknown dangers and the glory of a working carbide light by recovering the missing piece. The journey was tretrous (it was raining and Olly was driving) but he battled on and eventually reached the dragons (rabbits) hole. He donded his armour undeterbed by the onslaught from the gods (it was pissing down) and eventually descended into the icy depths. Battling his way on thro' touchous lands (Snot, chunnel, vestible, stomping) he eventually found the hidden land (Dreaming of limo) to recover the trophy mounted on a rock (read lying in a puddle). Returning along the same route with only a diversion to Dreamtime to collect x metres of rope so no fool could be misled again he strode towards daylight only to have one of his bags of treasures snatched from his grasp by the automatic doors. He emerged into the sunset (well, it was an hour to sunset and it was still pissing down) purged of his need to cave for another day.

TU 3½ hrs

Previous trip / Next RHR side leads trip (1995) / Next 161 trip this year (Siberia)

France - Pushed a ridge (rift ?) at the end of 'Fudge Brownie'. Found it linked to previous shaft surveyed by Steve. Rock very unstable but what's new ? [Julian, Martin + Heather]

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

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

Previous trip / Next trip (derig)

Andy's too lazy to write this up so I'll just mention the "high" lights. We found a few hundred metres of passage, ending in a 3½ seconds drop pitch (rift in the floor stuff, rather like Shell pitch in Puffball). Should be riggable as a Y-hang then straight down. Rocks land with a wet noise, so expect water and/or mud. We surveyed from the junction with the new passage back to a known point, which took ages due to widdly passage, the mud and my eyesight. It's all jolly cold and draughty, and has thus been named "Siberia". I got jolly tired on the way out (I had told Andy I'd be slow) - I'm beginning to see how Julian S feels.

T/U 10 hours + 10 mins extra for Olly 'cos he's slow.

Previous trip / Next trip beyond Knossos / Next Siberia trip (in 1997)

It was fucking hard. We were fucking shagged.
TU 7 hrs

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

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

Previous trip / Next trip (final derig)

Previous trip / Next trip (1995)

Photo trip K H messing, and the campsite is fucking cold. Photos of Strange Across Fall, Poxy, Chunnel, Knossus. All sponsorship photos shit apart from [illegible] as Andy did not adjust focus, sigh ! Good trip.

TU 12½

Previous trip / Next trip

Push, survey, derig France beyond Fudge Brownie. Finished rigging at rift beyond Fudge Brownie [two words illegible]. Rocky Horror Surveyed to bottom of rift connecting to Steve's passage. Found another rift 20-28m down, fucking scary because loose as Ali's ass after a bean feast. 2 leads either end, but requires real caving. Very good trip.

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

- Tackle hauling is also shit gear. Took 5 hrs to derig from Algeria, with a couple of diversions whilst I went & measured the length of a survey leg nr top of Frogs Legs that I had failed to record, and failed to derig entrance pitch deviation so had to go back down & get it. Performing a changeover whilst attached to a sod off tacklebag is really shit gear. AJD.

TU martin 8, Anthony + Julian (Fatty) 12

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• 1994 Expedition info:
  • Index (more complete than this list)
  • Expedition Report 1994
  • BCRA Caves & Caving Report
  • American Wrinklie on Tour (an independent view of the expo)
  • Index to Kaninchenhöhle trips in the log
  • This year's sponsors
• (Index of) Published accounts
• Back to Expedition intro page
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