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<title>1999: Logbook</title>
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<h1>Austria 1999</h1>
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<p><em>Note: The images for this logbook were once on the web but appear to have vanished some while ago. They may be re-scanned, as the original paper logbook is still around in the expo library - would anyone like to volunteer? —DL 2004-04-29</em></p>
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<p>The first part of the log is traditionally taken up by the journey
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out.<br> If this is of no interest, here is a link <a href="#start">to
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the caving</a>!
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<hr />
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<p>1999-07-10 | Journey - Journey | Duncan, <u>Erin</u></p>
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<p>Duncan arrived at Cambridge at 10:20 and a mere 7 hours later we set off
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for the ferry. Thanks to Earl's magnificent trailer-packing, we didn't need
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to fettle it at all along the way. Duncan's new "Northern Expo Route*" was
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pretty successful, although we did manage to get lost in Brussels and
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inadvertantly explore their tunnel network (T.U. 20 minutes)
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<p>We arrived at base camp @ 3 pm and promptly imbibed too much Gösser
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(what's with the fried mice ?)
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<p>* Not actually a new route, but the first time I've tried going by the A3
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instead of A8
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<hr />
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<p>1999-07-10 | Journey - Journey | Julian T, Theo + <u>Becka</u></p>
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<p>Theo (from Cambridge)</p>
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<p>Julian left Cambridge 1 pm, ballsed up the ferry, finally got to France,
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Dover 7 pm, turned up in Tuebingen 10 am next morning, via a bit of a
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Brussels diversion + lay-by sleep. Julian knackered so Theo wandered into
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town, Julian slept, we set off 2 pm. Max 65 mph all the way, 7 hours to
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Austria, arrived 9 pm. Said hi to Hilde, had a couple of beers + collapsed
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(John had beaten us here by an hour)
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<hr />
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<p><a name="start">1999-07-11 | Loser Plateau - Carries | Julian T, <u>Becka</u>, John, Theo</a></p>
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<p>Did 2 carries each to set up Top Camp - all the rope we'd got, all the
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bolts + tacklesacks, tent, gear, food etc. On the way back from the 2nd, went
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for a walk. We all wandered around the far side of Bräuning Zinken,
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Julian went for the mental climb up the gap (loose vertical choss, lovely) +
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the rest of us climbed up onto the col (above the campsite) instead, then
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contoured to Julian then more contouring on 60° slopes + back via the
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lake. Duncan already 2 beers down when we got back.</p>
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<hr />
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<p>1999-07-10 | Journey - Journey | <u>John P</u></p>
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<p>Got here by plane - Munich - and was the very first person to arrive this
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year. Got stranded in town and buggered up the public phone in a cafe, but
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got a lift to the gasthof eventually. Ju, B, T got here later and spent
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evening in gasthof cafe.
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<hr />
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<p>1999-07-11 | Loser Plateau - Carries | <u>John P</u>, Julian T, Becka, Theo </p>
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<p>Carried some stuff up then buggered around the local hills as above. Yes,
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the main route to top camp is by far the easiest.
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<hr />
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<p>1999-07-12 | Base Camp - Base Camp | <u>John P</u>, Duncan, Erin, Theo </p>
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<p>Somewhat fewer concrete achievements today but went into town for food
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etc., bolts for the beer tent etc. Set up the 'new' tent, spent the rest of
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the day drinking beer (One crate of Gösser + 2 Sainsbury's), eating
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green chillis, bench traversing, trying to ride Julian's unicycle, wrestling
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and stuff.
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<hr />
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<p>1999-07-16 | Cave - Bullethöhle | <u>Dunks</u>, Theo, Erin, John P </p>
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<p>Strolled out across the plateau to find a hole I noted last year, which
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rattled for a while when stones were lobbed down it, but which was
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constricted at the top. Went armed with drill & hilti caps, intending to
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alleviate the constriction slightly. The method is simple: drill an 8mm hole
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about 10 cm deep, poke a cap in and insert the firing pin (a bit of 8mm
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threaded bar cut to a chisel tip), put something in place to stop shrapnel
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from flying out (a carrymat in this case), and tonk the firing pin with a
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hammer until the cap goes off and splits the rock.
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<p>People always ask: "why doesn't the cap just blow the firing pin straight
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back out of the hole ?". The answer is that the momentum of the hammer is
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sufficient to stop it. And it always works. I've probably set off about 30
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caps before, and have been present when numerous others have been detonated.
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The result is always the same: the rock falls apart, and the firing pin
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doesn't shoot off out of the hole.
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<p>First cap: Firing pin popped out of the hole. Didn't drop down shaft
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because it was tied to my wrist with a bit of string. Rock unscathed.
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<p>Second cap: ditto
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<p>Third cap: Firing pin went into reverse and fucked off at about 500 miles
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an hour, rock unscathed. Fortunately, the string holding it to my wrist
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snapped, or it would have gone in a circle and straight through my back. As
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it was, it simply reddened the skin of my wrist a bit.
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<p>Fourth cap (different hole): Chipped off very small chunk of rock. Then we
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went back to TC as it was raining.
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<hr />
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<p><a id="id1999-161-1">1999-07-17 | 161 - Triassic Park | <u>Dunks</u>, Theo, Erin, John P</a></p>
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<p>A stroll along Triassic Park to show the other 3 around. En route, we
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looked at a few qms, some documented, some undocumented, in order to decide
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which to push. Whilst doing this we spotted a tube above a documented lead
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(the pitch just below the "A" of Triassic on the survey [C1995-161-43, WebEd.]), and crawled up it.
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Hammered a flake out of the way to enter an aven. Also crawled up a tube just
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next to the undescended pitch opposite the way to Puerile Humour. This goes
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about 10m. Eventually decided to descend a pitch in the floor of TP just
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beyond the one first mentioned here. banged a couple of bolts in, showing the
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others how to; they will return tomorrow to make the descent.
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<p>On the way out, traversed on ledges high above the floor of TP around the
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point where Wheelchair Access goes off, and found two passages on the E side,
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which both choked after a short distance.
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<p align=right>TU 5¼
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<hr />
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<p>1999-07-20 | 136 - 161 - Steinschlagschacht to Scarface through trip | <u>Dunks</u>, Mick</p>
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<p><a id="id1999-136-4"></a>
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<p>Went to push pitch off top left hand corner of HOTMC. My first trip down
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SSS and Mick's first ever trip on expo. Very impressed by the endless
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succession of rebelays. Even more impressed by The Gods Traverse, where we
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met Rhino & Brian, who had suffered drill battery failure - see their
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write up for details of their trip. Mick & I went to HOTMC and found the
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pitch. Loud noises of moving water from the pitch. Lobbed rocks down - boom,
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bang, boom, etc.....
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<p>.... six spits (and about 3 hours) later we were down and very
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disappointed to find no way on. However, a crawl concealed behind a flake led
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to a small chamber with a too-narrow slot in the floor. Rock dropped down
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here rattled, then fell free for over 2 seconds. The crawl continued beyond
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the chamber and suddenly ended overlooking an impressive rift. Seems to be
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about a 3 second drop before rocks bounce off stuff, then more silence
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before <font size=+1>boom</font> bang <font size=-1>bang</font>
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<font size=-2>bang</font> <font size=-3>bang</font>.
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Should be possible to get a freehang straight down the middle, for maximum
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exposure.
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<p>While in HOTMC, we did some poking around, and at the extreme northern
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end, where the chamber apparently ends at a choke, noted a strongly
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draughting crawl below an undercut on the L wall.
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<p>Didn't fancy 200+m of prussiking back out, so we went to look at Stairway
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to Hell. Didn't seem too bad (especially if you zoom through quickly). Got
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through OK, then found that we had a 4m pitch up into Rocky Horror.
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Super-chossy-removeable-handholds-climb up. Lots of adrenaline. Rigged rope
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from a knobble for Mick to prussik up. Then out of 161d.
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<p align=right>TU 10½
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<hr />
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<p><a id="id1999-136-1">1999-07-18 | 136 - Rigging in to Steinschlagschacht | Brian, Julian H</a></p>
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<p>Packed 3 bags of rope (330m), 50 hangers and 10 slings and went caving.
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Two carries to the cave and much farting about later we eventually got
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underground about 5 pm! Rigging proceeded swiftly, which was just as well as
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it was already late.
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<p>A few things to note for next time:
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<ul>
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<li>The web site says something like 60m for the entrance pitch and then 135m
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was "easily long enough - some spare cut off" for getting to the Eyehole. In
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fact when using pre-shrunk 10mm (new), the roll was barely long enough to
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reach the same place. [Previously I think we rigged with unshrunk rope and
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all the loops shrunk in situ].
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<li>All the spits were well greased with matchsticks poking out. Easy to
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find, however difficult to screw bolts in because of the hydraulic pressure
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of the grease. Would be better in future to put much less grease in the
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spits.
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</ul>
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<p>We put in another spit at the head of the 2nd pitch to make the ascent
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<u>much</u> easier - no longer are you pulled into the narrowest bit of the
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slot by the pitch-head bolt. Also put a deviation about 10m below the head of
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the 2nd to remove a rub lower down. Just below the former 2nd rebelay (on 2nd
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pitch) was a <u>bad</u> rub previously. This area is now littered with spits!
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I moved the rebelay bolt to the other wall which seems to have fixed the rub
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without the need for Andy A's deviation (from a <u>very</u> shoddy spit).
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<p>Eventually arrived at the bottom of the Theatre and went for a look at the
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aven that I'd planned to climb. Unfortunately it wasn't quite as I'd
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remembered it!
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<p>T/U 6½ hours
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<hr />
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<p>1999-07-21 | Base Camp - Base Camp | <u>Dunks</u> </p>
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<p>Oh look! [arrow points to a toenail sellotaped in to the book]
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<p>My little toenail has just fallen off!
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<hr />
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<p>1999-07-21 | Journey - Anthony + Julia make it to expo | Anthony + Julia </p>
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It took us about 16 days, although we did get diverted via Turkey for a bit. My luggage was a little
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reticent about joining us, and is probably in Paris as I write these
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(illegible) lines.
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<p>Anyway, I appear to be here & my beer isn't quite empty ....
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<hr />
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<p>1999-07-21 | Journey - Journey | <u>Mark S</u></p>
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Lovely flight from Stansted -> Salzburg. 1 h 20 m :-)
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Highly recommended.
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<hr />
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<p><a id="id1999-136-2">1999-07-19 | 136 - Aven climbing in Steinschlagschacht | Brian, <u>Julian H</u></a></p>
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<p>Slight improvement on start time - underground by 2pm. Whizzed down to the
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bottom of the Theatre, stopping only to put another bolt in at the rebelay
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for the start of Traverse of the Gods, which is also the rebelay for the main
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hang into the Theatre. This rebelay now looks like spaghetti junction! Four
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ends of rope and a coil of spare rope all hang from here together with a
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sling!
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<p>Went back up the mud-bank climb at the bottom of the Theatre and across to
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the aven at the extreme SEish of the survey. This turned out to be a slopey,
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rifty crack part filled of mud and pebbles. Climbed up about 10m with Brian
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belaying me on the new dynamic rope. Put about 6 Hilti's in on the way and
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used usual climbing runners. Got tired soon after and went home.
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<p>T/U 7½ hours
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<hr />
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<p><a id="id1999-136-3">1999-07-20 | 136 - More aven climbing in 136 | Brian, <u>Julian H</u></a></p>
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<p>Whizzed back to the bottom (25 mins) to continue climbing up the same aven
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as yesterday. Spent some time getting kitted up, climbed up to where we'd
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finished the day before, did the next move and then tried to put in another
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Hilti. Oh dear, the drill battery's flat! Not sure why that happened - we'd
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only done about 10 holes out of that pack. It seems likely that the drill
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stnadby current (I'd left the battery connected to the drill overnight) is
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high enough to flatten the battery quite quickly (overnight).
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<p>So we prussiked back up to Traverse of the Gods and met Duncan and Mick on
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their way in. Having nicked a piece of rope, we trundled across the traverse
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and up to northern end of Elin Algor, with the intention of having a look
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down the obvious big hole in the floor. Unfortunately I'd forgotten we needed
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a rope to get down the mud bank above, so that knocked that plan on the head.
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However, just around the corner to the right of the spit for the mud bank
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pitch, there's a muddy, loose ramp going up at around 45°. I climbed a
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long way up this (probably 20-30m), which turned left(ish) soon above the
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bottom. Right at the top is a small rifty slope, choked mostly with mud and
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rocks, through which is a pitch of perhaps 20m. Unfortunately its going to be
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very difficult to fit through the pitch head.
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<p>Having exhausted possibilities in Elin Algor, we bumbled off to HOTMC to
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have a look at some of Wookey's QMs at the bottom of the chamber. We spent
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some time poking around in the boulder choke and found little except loose
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rocks and small pseudo-chambers made of unstable rock and shit. I doubt very
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much that there is anything worth looking at further down here.
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<p>After that I went up to the big holes at the top of the lower bit of HOTMC
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where Duncan and Mik were busy bolting. About 8m up the right hand wall, over
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the right hand of the two holes in the floor, is a window into what loks very
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much like a bit of passage. Needs bolting to get up for a look, so went bac
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home instead.
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<p>T/U 8½ hours
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<hr />
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<p><a id="id1999-136-5">1999-07-22 | 136 - More aven climbed planned - Footlights extension instead | Brian, <u>Julian H</u></a></p>
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<p>Having been back to base camp to charge the drill battery, the plan was to
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go back to the aven and do some more bolting. Brian had the idea of going to
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Footlights with the plan of trying to have a look at the top of the aven up
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which we were climbing. So off we set, with the now mandatory bag of
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rope planned to rig the bottom section of Footlights.
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<p>Anyway, about <sup>2</sup>/<sub>3</sub> of the way down Footlights, just
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by the last rebelay bolt, I spotted a hole in the wall up a pile of rubble.
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On closer inspection this turned out to be a short pitch into a chamber with
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about 4 QMs. All plans to continue aven climbing were abandoned as we'd just
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found a going lead where the survey said there were none.
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<p>So we did some dodgy rigging off hollow sounding threads and loose
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boulders and got into first chamber. The first hole on the right appeared to
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go but subsequently ended up in a large but choked rift. About halfway down
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this climb there's a climb up to a roof tube which is probably a grade-C QM.
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<p>Back in the chamber we traversed over two or three holes in the floor to
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reach a rift with a muddy floor on the opposite side. This rift goes and
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goes. There's a hole in the floor to traverse over (on dodgy naturals)
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followed by another chamber. This second chamber has a big rift-like hole in
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the floor and a ramp down on the right. We went down the ramp (boulders +
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mud) to reach the head of a short (9m) pitch into another chamber. Very nice
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bit of cave just here. At the far end of chamber is a hole (p10?) into a
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<u>very</u> rainy chamber with a <u>big</u> echo. Can't see around corner so
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no idea where it goes.
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<p>Spent 3 hrs getting cold surveying, then left. Pouring rain and typical
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plateau low cloud all the way to top camp. Yuk
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<p align=right>T/U 10 hours
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<hr />
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<p><a id="id1999-136-6">1999-07-24 | Cave - Cave | Julian H, Brian</p>
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Push Oatso and survey back out</a> - info from call-out book, no logbook write up [WebEd]
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<hr />
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<p><a id="id1999-161-7">1999-07-25 | 161 - REGURGITATION | <u>Mark</u>, Julian T</a></p>
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<p>Went to Black Suspender (see separate report) with Earl & Heather and
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bimbled on to Mohr im Hend & the Regurgitation Chamber.
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<p>Water issues from a fissure S corner and from aven above, lip where water
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pours into chamber is about 100-120' off floor. Roof is out of sight above
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this.
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<p><u>ROOMINATION RIFTS</u> (beyond REGURGITATION CHAMBER)<br>
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On W side is hole in wall, very chossy, with hole on R leading into rift
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which splits immediately. L to be explored later. R leads to traverse.
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Traverse @ high level not explored. Bridging down to passage -> one way
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(doubling back) leads back to Regurg chamber. Other way leads to ~15m pitch
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down (*), stream at bottom. Straight on "not very promising", left leads to
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traverse, hole to ~15m pitch. It is believed that the bottom of at least the
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2nd pitch of these two (or <u>possibly</u> both) can be reached from the
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bottom of the pitch (*) [Julian bridged down - difficult climb up]
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<p>To be looked at and surveyed later
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<p align=right>T/U 5½ hrs
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<hr />
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<p><a id="id1999-161-8">1999-07-25 | 161 - Novice KH Trip | Earl + <u>Heather</u></a></p>
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<p>WOW! MY 1<sup>ST</sup> CAVING TRIP <u>EVER!</u> BECKA + JULIAN T TALKED ME
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INTO IT, BUT I MUST SAY I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED, ALTHOUGH I WILL SLEEP QUITE
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WELL 2NITE. I DID QUITE WELL UNTIL JULIAN + MARK TRIED TO GET ME ACROSS A
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PASS W/A 40-50m DROP - WHICH I SIMPLY COULDN'T SCALE - WITH A ROPE. SORRY,
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BEING THE NOVICE I AM, I SIMPLY COULDN'T FUCKING DO IT. STILL, I HAD AN
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ABSOLUTELY SPLENDID TIME MUCKING ABOUT + LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT TIME!
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<p align=right>HEATHER A WILD TU 3 h
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<hr />
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<p><a id="id1999-161-6">1999-07-24 | 161 - Iceland | <u>Julia</u> + Anthony</a></p>
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<p>First KH trip for me. In a nutshell: the cave was much nicer than I
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expected and the walk was a lot shitter. In through 161e, quick stomp to
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Iceland, only to discover a distinct lack of ice. On to the pitch QM which
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Anthony remembered as being a climb down to a short pitch/climb which needed
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a rope. Discovered that it was in fact a sizeable pitch. Put a backup bolt
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in, then realised we'd forgotten the hangers, so pissed off out.
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<p><center>TU 2½ hours</center>
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<hr />
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<p><a id="id1999-204-1">1999-07-25 | Loser Plateau - Surface stroll | <u>Dunks</u>, Dour, Mick</a></p>
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<p>BECKA - digital logbook gave dates of 25th and 26th for this write-up</p>
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<p>Bimbled across the plateau and up into the col twixt Nied Augst Eck & HSK. Lots & lots of entrances here, many of which are horizontal - see notes for this trip. Main find, on the col itself, was a very large horizontal entrance near a prominent rock bridge.
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<p><center>[IMAGE: Sketch of entrance. MISSING]<!-- img alt="sketch of entrance - 4k gif" width=650 height=350 src="log1.png" --></center>
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<p>Two entrances, 'a' found first.
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<p>ent 'a' - short scramble down into entrance gulley leads to large opening
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and immediate pitch. Daylight visible from opp. side of pitch.
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<p>ent 'b' - pretty much as for 'a' except descent looks easier via this
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entrance.
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<hr />
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<p><a id="id1999-204-2">1999-07-26 | 204 - Steinbrückehöhle | <u>Dunks</u>, Mick</a></p>
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<p>Strolled up to cave found yesterday. Took 1½ hours from Top Camp,
|
|
including time spent lost or looking at big ice stal in
|
|
Bräuninghöhle. Slanting descent from 'b' entrance leads via a
|
|
rebelay (also needs a deviation next trip) to a wodge of snow. Climb down and
|
|
slither round r. hand side of snow led to a gentle slope down to 2nd pitch.
|
|
This is about 7m diameter. Our rope wasn't quite long enough to reach the
|
|
snow at the bottom. Without having a stroll around the bottom, can't tell if
|
|
the 3 possible ways on we can see are real or not. Bum.
|
|
|
|
<p>Walked back to top camp via summit of HSK & 136. Moved our gear to the
|
|
HSK/VSK col, ready to lug it over HSK for next trip, when we will take more
|
|
rope.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-136-7">1999-07-25 | 136 - 136 | <u>Wookey</u>, Becka, Julian H, Brian</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>1st trip for Wook - and what a success! Relatively prompt start saw all @
|
|
136 by 9.30 ish & underground by 11.
|
|
|
|
<p>All gathered at head of Footlights pitch (start of Oatso). Wook, Julian H
|
|
& Becka descended Footlights to collect climbing stuff from Julian's
|
|
climb. Brian carried on to put some bolts in the 1st traverse in Oatso. Soon
|
|
became clear that Julian's climb connected to holes above so it was derigged
|
|
(1 hanger & some thin string left on it just in case).
|
|
|
|
<p>Wook & Becka connected survey from bottom of Theatre pitch to bolt at
|
|
head of Footlights. Noted that small porthole near foot of climb on L let you
|
|
throw rocks into pitch descending farther. Small hole under rocks in floor
|
|
had similar effect. Julian throwing rocks down wet hole at top of Footlights
|
|
showed this was the same thing but it didn't end up in the bottom of the rift
|
|
like most of the other holes. Derigged Footlights. Wet pitch is a good QM.
|
|
|
|
<p>All trogged on to catch up with Brian & Julian just about finished
|
|
fettling traverses. Whilst Julian put last bolt in, Wook abbed a bit down big
|
|
hole on L. Saw huge space beyond but Julian couldn't - weird. Then other
|
|
three got down & ran around whooping. Wook prussiked back up furiously to
|
|
catch them, but by the time I got down they had all gone, and following
|
|
footprints in chamber led to dead-ends! Where were they ?
|
|
|
|
<p>Ran around for five minutes before going back up pitch to try again. Way
|
|
on was down LH side of rib & under massive undercut. Beyond was 200m of
|
|
<u>massive</u> fault-controlled passage going dead along 220°! Wook
|
|
caught others up towards end when passage went up large rock-pile to meet
|
|
roof at small draughting hole through which water could be heard & huge
|
|
chamber seen. Exciting stuff !
|
|
|
|
<p>Split into 2 teams to survey 'The Overrun'
|
|
<font color="#000080">(actually overshoot)</font> from either end. (We were
|
|
now probably going straight past Eishöhle). After meeting we rigged
|
|
first hole through which water could be heard, hoping to go under big boulder
|
|
pile, but in fact it ended in a big flat-floored chamber with a small
|
|
waterfall coming in one side. Bum. Time to go home, although Julian went to
|
|
end to have a look and found that supposed pitch could actually be walked
|
|
down.
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>T/U 12 hours.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-136-8">1999-07-25 | 136 - Oatso Simple tourist trip | Erin, Theo</a></p>
|
|
|
|
Oatso Simple tourist trip not written in log (added here by WebEditor from Call-out book - no T/U given)
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-136-9">1999-07-26 | 136 - Carry on to check out the Overrun | <u>Wookey</u>, Tony, Paul H, Erin, Phil U</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>All wizzed down 136, where Tony had first ever 'forgotten to shut Stop
|
|
faceplate' experience on 2nd pitch. Improved eyehole rigging slightly. At
|
|
bottom all went to end and checked out new chamber 'Lost in Space'. It is
|
|
<u>huge</u> ! with 3 big holes in floor & 4 other pitches. Far end is
|
|
enormous jumble of boulders where lots of cavers wandered about in the
|
|
interstices peering out over big holes at each other and shouting 'Where am
|
|
I' a lot.
|
|
|
|
<p>Wook went along lower part of chamber which almost chokes off but dodgy 4m
|
|
climb gets to look over big space in boulders. Opposite side & top can be
|
|
reached by climbing through boulders in upper part of passage. Wook's climb
|
|
got him into continuation but he was sufficiently keen to avoid reversing it
|
|
that he failed to check out a way on and just shinned down a chimney to
|
|
'escape'. Having got there he found the others had forgotten how they got
|
|
there, but Erin saved the day by finding the way out.
|
|
|
|
<p>Then we surveyed it all (with much moaning from Tony towards the end as
|
|
it became clear we wouldn't get out before dark).
|
|
|
|
<p>Then far too much trekking & rope to get out. Paul H brought climbing
|
|
rope out & was shattered.
|
|
|
|
<p>Another top trip - now more than halfway to Schwabenschacht !
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>T/U 9-10 hrs
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p>1999-07-27 | Base Camp - Hydrospeeding Hilde's River | Wook, Paul, Dunks, <u>Julian T</u> </p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Wook's body board & inner tube available. Walked up along river to
|
|
check it out, and failed to do it properly. Wook & Paul were dropped in
|
|
above big weir, but it was easy to get out. They shot past Hilde's and made
|
|
it to the next bridge. Then Julian & Paul did it from further up towards
|
|
Grundlsee from campsite on left just beyond footbridge. It's slow and shallow
|
|
there, except the bit under the bridge. Lastly Dunk & Julian walked up on
|
|
other side of the river and got changed. Dunk had borrowed Paul's surfing
|
|
wetsuit and got a foot in the arm and the zip the wrong way around before
|
|
complaining that it was too small. It was 5 pm, so quite biered up. A top
|
|
caving alternative. Who'll dare do it after 5 days of rain.
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>T/U 0 hrs 0 mins 0 secs.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p>1999-07-25 | 1999-01 - Norden Alpen Schacht - Rigging the surface shaft that Brian found on 25/7/99 | <u>Becka</u> + Brian</p>
|
|
|
|
<p><center>Surface shaft provisionally named Norden Alpen Schacht.</center>
|
|
|
|
<p>Brian rigged the smaller of 2 holes down the obvious fault line (the
|
|
lower, larger hole just above the snow field had an ice/snow plug at the
|
|
bottom). Meanwhile I traversed around the hill (~30m) to a narrow ledge over
|
|
a cliff where there's a low q strongly drafting hole. It went to a flat out
|
|
crawl in mud (the top of a filled-in phreatic q large tube) with a blocked
|
|
left + then a left view into the bottom of the snow at the larger hole (voice
|
|
connection to Brian bolting at the top) + passage to the right (still low)
|
|
with another window to a chamber a few metres below & then a crawl over +
|
|
down into a tube which dropped into a small passage with boulders + leads on
|
|
down - I then backtracked to Brian.
|
|
|
|
<p><center>IMAGE: Sketch<!-- img alt="sketch - 6k gif" width=582 height=232 src="log2.png" --></center>
|
|
|
|
<p>Brian had rigged the pitch off naturals + a bolt. Down to chamber +
|
|
fortunately the rope was also ~good for the hole in the floor of it through
|
|
loose choss to small passage with bouldery floor down (chamber) which led to
|
|
base of ice plug at bottom of larger hole (we traversed to the far side of
|
|
this + it blocked fairly convincingly). However I'd dug out stones at the
|
|
base at the right as it was drafting nicely. A couple of metres of flat out
|
|
over rocks + into nice walking old stream passage. This went round the corner
|
|
+ a little water entered + then it dropped down what looked about a 10m
|
|
pitch. Brian clambered to the left of this etc. Then we surveyed everything
|
|
(~70m all told).
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>T/U 5 hours
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-136-10">1999-07-27 | 136 - 136 to Lost in Space | <u>Becka</u>, Brian, Andy A, John</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Andy + John went straight to where Wookey left off surveying at top end of
|
|
the boulder chamber in Lost in Space. Andy freeclimbed over a boulder &
|
|
put a 7m rope on it (needs a bolt + a longer rope on it), then rigged ~30m
|
|
sloping pitch down from the boulders choked in the passage (3 spits including
|
|
a v. free-hanging rebelay). They went to the base of the sloping-down - wedge
|
|
boulder-floored chamber at the bottom, poked around, then surveyed back up to
|
|
Wookey's survey. Brian + Becka tried to bolt the pitch which Julian had been
|
|
working on just <u>before</u> all the big stuff. A <u>very</u> pretty chamber
|
|
after the 5m sloping pitch down which Julian had already rigged, then a
|
|
strongly drafting hole looking out to a dripping large-echo chamber. Lots of
|
|
pretties just at the pitch head, together with some lovely loose boulders.
|
|
Brian threw a few pretties down the pitch + belayed off the boulders. Oh
|
|
well! Then the drill battery turned out to be dead. Then we found that the
|
|
hammer had no handle and the driver had no handle. And it was a damn cold
|
|
place to bolt. After Brian had messed around for a bit + I'd let my infected
|
|
foot cool down we decided we weren't <u>quite</u> interested in jerry-rigging
|
|
it <u>just</u> off the boulders so we went off to find Andy + John. Brian put
|
|
a bolt in on the pitch below Andy's (which needs a backup if anyone else is
|
|
doing it, currently backed up off a boulder). Down ~35m (pitch provisionally
|
|
called Steady Aim) to steeply sloping down bouldered floor leading at
|
|
~240°, clean-washed (area "water chute") + some drips coming in various
|
|
spots. End on a jammed boulder at a pitch (~?10m) following the stream down.
|
|
Finally getting a bit smaller here, pretty big everywhere above. Andy + I got
|
|
out + Brian + John got out a bit later.
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>T/U 11 hours
|
|
|
|
<p>Oh yes, Brian + I found a bit more on the left at the start of the survey
|
|
that Wooks + I did 2 days ago + we surveyed it. Its just before Lost in
|
|
Space, a couple more avens on the LHS as you go in.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-161-9">1999-07-26 | 161 - Pushing <a href="../../1623/161/icelnd.htm#qC1996-161-25">96-25</a> in
|
|
Iceland | <u>Anthony</u>, Julian T, Earl</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Took the drill off to Iceland anticipating that the pitch me and Julia had
|
|
failed to descend 2 days earlier would end quickly so we could go off and
|
|
start bolting the aven in Iceland. Walk in was crap, esp. the bit from d to e
|
|
in caving gear in blazing sun. Got to the pitch head and put in a practice
|
|
bolt for a traverse line, then I descended the pitch via 3 bolts. Pitch is
|
|
fairly spacious in hading rift for ~30m in 3 10m sections, separated by
|
|
chossy sloping ledges where it is impossible to avoid kicking crap down.
|
|
Found somewhere to cower and the others came down. Beyond is a further pitch,
|
|
est. at 15m, but we had no more rope. So we put some bolts in for it and
|
|
left. Rift is still a fair size and looks moderately promising, but isn't
|
|
quite what I was expecting (short pitch leading to horizontalish rift).
|
|
|
|
<p><center>TU 7 hours</center>
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-136-13">1999-07-29 | 136 - Photo + push in 136 | <u>Becka</u>, Julian T, Julian H</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Down ~11, Julian H still bleary from his midnight return from 136 with
|
|
Erin. I derigged he rope off the Theatre (52m) + took it down Oatso. Took
|
|
photos of end of Oatso, the chamber above Windy Bottom (pretty) & the
|
|
Overshoot main passage. Then derigged Pit of Damnation (choss nonsense in
|
|
Lost in Space that Julian H + Erin looked at yesterday). Julian H used the
|
|
drill (which died after 3 bolts) + then a hand bolt to descend ~20m into
|
|
Breeze Through. We went down & slung the rope around a dodgy roof natural
|
|
to get down the final 10m after the sloping boulder-strewn ledge. And Julian
|
|
spotted the distant rumble of Wookey + Andy surveying at the same depth. So
|
|
we fixed our survey to the bottom of theirs & surveyed out. Finally done
|
|
gone 8. Took drill battery out & went out rather slowly, all feeling a
|
|
bit knackered. Complete cock-up trying to rig a deviation to stop a rub on
|
|
the 2nd pitch below the eyehole. Bodged it + gave up<br>
|
|
T/U JulianH 11½, Becka + Julian T 12½
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p>1999-07-28 | Loser Plateau - Assorted surface things | <u>Wook</u>, Earl, Mark S, Brian</p>
|
|
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li>Look for 92
|
|
<li>Fix 93-94 survey error from 1998
|
|
<li>Survey from 138 - 136 - 135
|
|
<li>Put in spit for 135 tag
|
|
</ul>
|
|
|
|
<p>Day looked a bit grey and rainy for a while so went to 92 area to sort
|
|
problem with last year's survey 93->94, and try to find the elusive 92.
|
|
4 of us spent at least an hour slogging through the bunde to no avail. Checked the bunde areas to N, S, W & E (back past crappers to TC). Fuck knows
|
|
where it is !
|
|
|
|
<p>Next, once we decided it probably wasn't going to rain significantly,
|
|
Wook & Mark S went up to 156 to join up tag & 1st rigging bolt,
|
|
then on to Vord summit, signed book & surveyed from 138 to 136 to 135.
|
|
Put spit in 135 for forthcoming tag. Spent another hour or so traipsing
|
|
around looking for the elusive 137. No joy, although we found a hole (shaft) that goes at least a bit in the middle of one of the bunde lumps directly below the Vord summit cliff. GPSed to:
|
|
|
|
<p><center>IMAGE: Sketch<!-- img alt="sketch - 6k gif" width=380 height=305 src="log3.png" --></center>
|
|
|
|
<p>Then it was getting past tea-time & started raining. Got thoroughly
|
|
wet on way home & cooked in super-spacious new tent.
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>T/U : 0
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-136-14">1999-07-29 | 136 - More in Chile | <u>Wook</u>, Andy A</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Co-incident with Becka, Julian, Julian trip
|
|
|
|
<p>Trundled on down 136. At last pitch before Theatre Y-hang (below new
|
|
deviation added on previous bit a day or two before) Wook noticed that
|
|
annoying rub had become serious - rope was deeply shagged with core starting to show. As we had a drill handy, put in a hole, before realising I had no spit or hanger. Andy came back to foot of pitch & I descended (after tying knot round dodgy bit & another for clip-in loop). Stole hanger from rigging & spit from Andy & went back up. Then realised I had setting tool,
|
|
but no hammer - sigh ! gave up & left spare rope, explaining to others
|
|
that it needed fettling.
|
|
|
|
<p>At bottom, collected hammer & hangers & went along Overshoot. At
|
|
point where Undershoot goes off right, noticed climb up to L. Andy A shinned
|
|
up with aid of sling & short gibber. Beyond was 15m pitch back down.
|
|
Bolted and descended. We only had one rope so took it off climb up to go down
|
|
here.
|
|
|
|
<p>At bottom narrow rift led to narrow shaft, with breeze descending. Apart
|
|
from the breeze it would be pretty unpromising. Wooks started shinning down
|
|
before andy pointed out that it looked rather too much like a pitch for that
|
|
to be sensible, so rigged from a bolt. It soon belled out into big space
|
|
(Andy was right!) After a couple of rubs put in rebelay. Looked like rope
|
|
didn't quite reach bottom, so Andy went back to Overshoot to yell at Becka
|
|
from top of climb to go find some more rope. She duly obliged. In fact rope
|
|
was only a couple of feet off floor (= OK). Now in large rift which took some
|
|
time to explore (up climb to chamber, then down climbable rift to big, wet
|
|
aven, then back down other way out of chamber to 15m pitch). Spare rope again
|
|
- just reached bottom. Fortunately this stopped so we only had a really long
|
|
survey to do. Part-way through Haines & Co. arrived high at far end of
|
|
rift, having descended next QM along Overshoot. Surveys were duly connected.
|
|
Eventually finished and went to Lost in Space to join up Pit of Damnation
|
|
survey properly. Then checked QM at end (looks good) & wended weary way
|
|
out.
|
|
|
|
<p>Both teams forgot a setter on the way out, so Julian had to put in a crap
|
|
hand spit instead (on the deviation on 2nd pitch below the eyehole).
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p>1999-07-30 | Loser Plateau - Useful surface things | <u>Wook</u>, Andy A</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Changed 99-01 tag to 'CUCC 201' (99-02 tag removed a few days earlier)
|
|
|
|
<p>Changed 'TBH 87-03' tag to 'CUCC 199'
|
|
|
|
<p>Survey 199 to grade 3-and-a-bit, working out why the previous surveys
|
|
had differed so much (there are 2 side passages - each previous trip had
|
|
only found one).
|
|
|
|
<p>Met Tony, Paul & Becka near 136 checking out 97-08 and related holes. See survey book for details. Wook knocked ski-stick down hole just as we were
|
|
packed to go so lined descent of 54' deep shaft was needed to retrieve it - mutter.
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>T/U 30 mins
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-136-11">1999-07-28 | 136 - Windy Bottom (136) / Pit of Damnation (136) | <u>Julian H</u>, Erin</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Underground about 11.30 am - damn hot as usual. Went straight to the
|
|
undescended pitch into a wet chamber, with the intention of rigging it
|
|
for a look. Howling gale blowing through the relatively small window into
|
|
the chamber - damn cold putting bolts in. Having eventually rigged the c 5m
|
|
pitch, it turned out that there was nothing more than a very big aven, which
|
|
we were at the bottom of. Fairly clean vertical shaft going up around 30-40m
|
|
and about 8-10m in diameter. There must be something good at the top of this,
|
|
judging for the size and draught. Exceptionally wet place when raining
|
|
outside.
|
|
|
|
<p>So, having surveyed and derigged Windy Bottom, we thought we'd go for a
|
|
look at the most southerly extension of the "new bit" (now Chile). Boulder
|
|
choke looked both hard work and too high up in the hading rift, so we
|
|
picked a big hole in the floor at the bottom of "Lost in Space" to push
|
|
instead.
|
|
|
|
<p>Rigging was exciting due to the huge piles of hanging death all around.
|
|
Having got over the lip of the pitch, it quickly became aparent that a
|
|
rebelay would be in order. Unfortunately, the walls of the "pit" were
|
|
entirely made up of boulders and small rocks glued on with mud - none of
|
|
which was very appealing for a rebelay. Decided to ignore the rub and proceed
|
|
to the bottom anyway.
|
|
|
|
<p>At the bottom is a fairly large extension of the hading rift visible
|
|
above, in Lost-in-Space. Unfortunately there were no good leads to go any
|
|
further, so we surveyed and derigged. Time now very short for meeting
|
|
call-out so exited in a big hurry.
|
|
|
|
<p>T/U 11½ hrs (Julian)<br>
|
|
13¼ hrs (Erin)
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-136-12">1999-07-28 | 136 - push end towards Stellerweg | John, Andy A</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p> 136, push end towards Stellerweg</p>
|
|
<p>[info from call-out book, no logbook write-up, WebEd]
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-204-3">1999-07-29 | Loser Plateau - surface surveying to Steinbrückenhöhle | Mick and Duncan</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>[in call-out book as surface surveying to Steinbrückenhöhle - no write-up, WebEd.]
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p>1999-07-29 | 204 - Comment | <u>Duncan</u></p>
|
|
|
|
<p><font size=+2>STEINBRÜCKENHÖHLE GOES!<br>
|
|
NEW CAVE !!</font>
|
|
|
|
<p>70m deep<br>
|
|
260m surveyed<br>
|
|
12 qms<br>
|
|
still going . . . . .
|
|
|
|
<p>Proper write-up soon. x x x dunks [there never was. WebEd.]
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p>1999-07-31 | Journey - Helen and Nick go to Expo | Helen and <u>Nick</u></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>We drove Helen's shiny new car for a long time. The journey was almost
|
|
completely uneventful apart from being stopped by the Pirmasens Police
|
|
for speeding (50 mph in a 50km zone) and for having an illegal load (the
|
|
hang-glider protruded 50cm in front of the car - not allowed in Germany).
|
|
So we pleaded stupidity, smiled a lot, untied the glider and pushed it
|
|
back a bit (making it very unstable) and tied it back on. Nice Mr. Policeman
|
|
relieved us of £10 and wished us a good day.
|
|
|
|
<p>Saw the aftermath of a 'coming together' on the autobahn - no-one hurt,
|
|
just lots of bent metal. Strange what happens when people drive at 120 mph.
|
|
|
|
<p>Arrived at 1:00 in the morning to be greeted by Duncan, pissed off his
|
|
face and spouting complete bullshit. Went to bed happy in the knowledge
|
|
that some aspects of Expo never change.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p>1999-08-01 | 40 - Go look in Eishöhle | <u>Wook</u>, Andy A, Becka, Paul, Mark S, Julian T, Simon</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Went to look in eishöhle to see if we could find some extra ways on.
|
|
Everyone gawped at Schneevulcanhalle for a bit, then we split into 3 teams:
|
|
Mark S & Simon took pictures, Wook & AndyA tried to find ways on, and
|
|
the rest went towards 'the old cave', after putting in a second bolt on the
|
|
pitch. Becka, Paul and Julian surveyed this, called "Oldway". Wook & Andy
|
|
tried shinning up the rubble slope on the W side of the chamber. It just
|
|
leads to a wet boulder choke. However, on he LH wall there was a slot which
|
|
had a major gale coming out of it. No-one had got round the bend so Wook was
|
|
soon into new passage (again!). Soon led to pitch. Went back for Andy &
|
|
rope. Rigged 15m pitch into big descending canyon. Yipee! Reached another
|
|
pitch after a climb-down. We only had one hanger left so rigged a huge
|
|
deviation with a knotted sling to get to the floor. Unfortunately it ended!
|
|
So we surveyed out, but noted significant draught still, so left it rigged
|
|
for tomorrow.
|
|
|
|
<p align=right><u>T/U 6 hours</u>
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p>1999-08-01 | 40 - Eishöhle | <u>Mark S</u></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>[Date guessed at and heading added]
|
|
|
|
<p><u>Mark S</u> :- Photo trip somewhat abortive due to flash failure
|
|
(results to be discovered -:) We took a few photos in Schneevulkanhalle and
|
|
then went down the pitch into the passage which Julian, Becca + Paul had
|
|
descended around to the left of the chamber (coming down the snow slope).
|
|
This eventually ended in a "too-hard" ice climb [see survey data] + we went
|
|
back.
|
|
|
|
<p>Not too hard, drafting well, but ice all too soft, better done on rock or
|
|
entering from the other direction ?
|
|
|
|
<p>On way back (still in the "oldway" down the pitch) Simon + Mark explored a
|
|
hole on the left [whilst returning to Schneevulkanhalle] down a small ice
|
|
slope; this led to a pitch (~15-20m??) with a rusty spit (not of CUCC origin)
|
|
in place [Pitch not descended].
|
|
|
|
<p>Out of time => back to SVH
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p>1999-07-31 | Loser Plateau - Mark S goes hunting for 155 "et al" | <u>Mark S</u></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Set off from carpark with intention of finding 155 "et al" at about
|
|
midday.
|
|
|
|
<p>Took 201 "Stogerweg" path towards Eishöhle. Missed turning @ red
|
|
omega and so ended up going past 22 (?32) - needs checking - and "88" -
|
|
presume numbered incorrectly - then turned back.
|
|
|
|
<p>This time I found the omega and so headed up towards Bunter's Bulge ("The
|
|
Nipple") or "Weiße Warze". <u>LOST PATH!</u>
|
|
|
|
<p>Thrashed through bunde with GPS for a whole hour, at least, but eventually
|
|
found "it".
|
|
|
|
<p>GPS took me to a snow-plugged "entrance" [more of a choked shakehole] -
|
|
seemed to fit 155 desc. - but no number in evidence - so headed back to
|
|
Weiße Warze.
|
|
|
|
<p>* checked 153 (sic) position (from desc. on WWW) => 013° of
|
|
Weiße Warze
|
|
|
|
<p>* INCONSISTENT with GPS position (check GPS + you'll see what I mean).
|
|
|
|
<p>=> search for 153 aborted
|
|
|
|
<p>* few holes in area came across seem to be mainly insignificant
|
|
|
|
<p>* nothing else of significance found except shaft with snow at bottom 1999MS02 posn in Wook's GPS - just on traverse from 136 towards Bunter's Bulge.
|
|
|
|
<p>* if this needs clarifying, please email Mark
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-136-16">1999-07-31 | 136 - Chile Again | <u>Becka</u>, John + Simon</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Down to the Far End beyond Lost in Space. Sent John to rerig Andy A's
|
|
pitch (bit of an unusual rig of a clown + missed the critical rebelay,
|
|
otherwise OK!) + put a second hand bolt at head of Brian's Steady Aim pitch.
|
|
Simon + I looked down the pitch Earl + Phil had rigged to the left of Andy's
|
|
pitch + surveyed back to Andy + John station 5 (this survey the Left Route
|
|
survey, linked to LostinSpace2). Looks good down there, complex, lots of
|
|
holes all over + possibly also some horizontal stuff + good draught.
|
|
|
|
<p>Came out + shouted to John we'd be 10 minutes to get to him. Got to head
|
|
of Steady Aim pitch, no John, though his dangly bag with spare food, water +
|
|
carbide was there, plus the bolting kit. Simon went down to the pitch +
|
|
couldn't see him. We both started searching + shuting + whistling. This
|
|
lasted about 30 minutes and was bloody distressing looking for mangled
|
|
oversuits at the bottom of climbs. Finally he turned up - he'd found a way
|
|
through boulders to the bottom of the floor after Steady Aim pitch, and had
|
|
scooped 200m passage. Finally decided to come back + got lost on the way.
|
|
Ticked off. Started to survey back where he'd been, down ramps (q. steep)
|
|
with a few QM's until got to a narrow canyonny bit. Stopped the survey +
|
|
looked up the passage, a sticky mud option plus two ways on, left goes
|
|
slightly upwards in lovely passage with fossils in the roof. Down gets watery
|
|
+ eventually narrowed down. Simon went in, got wet, + reported Darren-like
|
|
passage, which opened up a bit + then choked bit probably a way on. Headed on
|
|
out fairly slowly.
|
|
|
|
<p>T/U Becka 12½ hours, Simon + John 13½ hours
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p>1999-08-02 | Loser Plateau - Surface survey + shaft bash around Nordalpenhöhle (1999-01)| <u>Becka</u> + Brian</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Surveyed a leg from new cave tag for Nordalpenhöhle to end of
|
|
previous surface + cave survey, then surface surveyed to the other shaft that
|
|
Brian + Julian H found at the same time as Nordalpenhöhle about a week
|
|
ago. Brian put a spit in at the head of this shaft then found the tub of
|
|
spits + cones he had brought was actually carbide.
|
|
|
|
<p>So he rigged the shaft on naturals + two deviations. Down 30m or so (v.
|
|
roughly) + he got to a big chamber with a couple of places with a draft
|
|
coming out of chokes/boulders. He thought somebody else had probably been
|
|
there already. Not very exciting. Came out, derigged. I'd surface surveyed to
|
|
the low horizontal drafting tube I'd looked in the first time (26th July)
|
|
that Brian + I went to Nordalpenhöhle (last station marked with a red B
|
|
on the underside of its roof). We both went in + had a <u>really</u>
|
|
miserable time doing the flat out crawl over sticky mud + pointy rocks which
|
|
I'd forgotten from last time. Took all the rope etc. back to the col.
|
|
|
|
<p><center>IMAGE: Sketch<!-- img alt="sketch - 7k gif" width=660 height=360 src="log4.png" --></center>
|
|
|
|
<p>T/U Becka 30 min, Brian 60 min
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p>1999-07-30 | Loser Plateau - Surface bumbling around 136 etc | <u>Becka</u>, Paul, Tony, Andrew, Wookey</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Various tidying up of surface survey stuff + ferrying bits of gear to
|
|
Eishöhle (by Paul, Andy + Wookey) + lots of sitting around by 136 going
|
|
down all the holes there. Paul went 54 foot narrow rift on ladders, Andy
|
|
found a through trip and I found some squitty holes. I went to the top of
|
|
the Schwarzmooskogel + it was very pretty. Fester day.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-136-15">1999-07-30 | 136 - Far End of 136 | Phil U, <u>Earl M</u></a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Underground about 11:45 am. Descended pitches to 'Lost in Space'.
|
|
Through boulders to short climb - needs re-rigging to avoid poor rub. On to
|
|
4m pitch and finally to pushing front. Set two spits and rigged 10m pitch.
|
|
Descended into small chamber: ways on down through boulders or forward.
|
|
Downward route was not pushed; Forward leads to ~30m rift pitch with
|
|
possible way on at bottom. This was not descended as Phil's light was
|
|
failing. Returned to surface bringing Oldham drill battery, 16m, 14m + 30?m
|
|
ropes out. Installed improved deviation using spit placed by Wookey.
|
|
|
|
<p>T.U. 12 hours
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p>1999-07-31 | Loser Plateau - Surface exploration around VSK | Erin L, <u>Earl M</u></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Started from 136 with intention of looking for alternative entrance to
|
|
136. Followed obvious rift on surface until we realised that this was not
|
|
necessarily above 136 anymore. Eventually made our way to the summit of
|
|
VSK. Rift on bearing 220° from 136 passes close to summit of VSK and
|
|
continues downhill. ~50m from VSK large rift crosses this at right angles
|
|
(see Tim VB's report 1998.07.15) Placed bolt for 50' ladder (nearly
|
|
reaches bottom) and climbed down. Small snow patch on bottom, connection
|
|
to neighbouring shaft, no obvious leads.
|
|
|
|
<p>T.U. ~30 seconds
|
|
|
|
<p>Wook investigating other shafts to the north of this (?)
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-147-1">1999-08-01 | 147 - ReExplore and resurvey 147 |Tony R, <u>Earl M</u></a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Started by exploring whole cave, to gain understanding of its structure.
|
|
Main passage is a hading rift. After entrance, main passage continues
|
|
horizontally for some distance, with two (joined) pitches (reachable along
|
|
loose slope from entrance - care!) in floor. These can be traversed over.
|
|
Passage (now phreatic tube 1m diameter) zig zags onwards to climbs down and
|
|
terminal aven (~20m). Several holes in floor at various stages. Two notable
|
|
side passages: shortly after entrance, tube on right passes windows onto
|
|
pitches, then heads away from rift for ~20m before becoming too tight. Mid
|
|
way along main passage, vadose side passage on right leads after ~20m to mud
|
|
bank blocking 80% of passage. Could be moved easily. Passage continues beyond
|
|
for at least 5m, but further unknown. Returned to surface to ditch tackle,
|
|
then surveyed main passage.
|
|
|
|
<p>TU 4 h
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-161-10">1999-07-30 | 161 - Survey "Frozen Turkey" (pitch off Iceland) | <u>Anthony</u> & Julia</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Plan was to go to Iceland, survey the stuff we'd found earlier, push until
|
|
we ran out of rope, and derig so we could relocate to somewhere more
|
|
interesting. Didn't move my arse out of Top Camp until 12:20, so we knew we
|
|
were in for a late finish. Changed at 161d, walked to 161e and were under by
|
|
3 pm. Survey went reasonably well, but at no great pace owing to verticality
|
|
and lots of loose shit around. Rigged the undescended pitch which we'd bolted
|
|
on the last trip, to find our rope didn't reach the bottom. I set off down
|
|
with another one, but the pitch needs another bolt to avoid a bad rub, and
|
|
Julia was now very cold, so we jacked. Looks like there may be a way on at
|
|
the bottom through a fairly narrow rift (probably another pitch).
|
|
|
|
<p>Derigging went smoothly and we emerged from 161e at 11:45. Changed at 161d
|
|
and left there at 01:20 carrying my gear and a bag of rope. Arrived Top Camp
|
|
03:00. The walk was grim, and it later transpired that I'd also carried
|
|
Julia's SRT kit inadvertantly, which didn't help matters.
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>T/U 8½ hours
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-204-5">1999-08-01 | 204 - Steinbrückenhöhle |<u>Anthony</u>, Duncan, Tina</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Looking for a nice easy trip the day after a major session in Bad Aussee.
|
|
Carried mine and Tina's gear to Steinbrück between us, and went for a
|
|
look round since there wasn't any gear available to finish the survey. Cave
|
|
is very promising indeed - mostly Puerile Humour sized phreatic tubes
|
|
trending up and down dip at about 20 degrees, including a superb ~40m long
|
|
phreatic ramp, and a number of promising leads. Went to one of the best - a
|
|
pitch at the lowest point of the known cave. Banged in 3 bolts but didn't
|
|
have time to descend.
|
|
|
|
<p><center>T/U 4 hours</center>
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-136-17">1999-08-01 | 136 - 136 | Jon, Mike</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Returned to finish survey of day before, and look at new leads. Completed
|
|
survey - most promising lead (trending SE) ends at infilled passage - may be
|
|
possible to pass with short climb. Otherwise continues along small, narrow,
|
|
wet 'Darrenesque' crawl. Also investigated passage going in opposite
|
|
direction (Goo junction) - turns into short, narrow VERY muddy passage, into
|
|
a squeeze leading to a sump and a very water-filled passage. Not recommended!
|
|
|
|
<p><center>T/U: 13½ hrs</center>
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-136-18">1999-08-04 | 136 - Steinschlagschacht | <u>Becka</u>, Jon, Earl, Brian</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Down to Lost in Space and looked at Left Route. Down Jon's 4m pitch and
|
|
Earl + Phil's 10m pitch. Brian + I rigged to the 2 alternative bottoms
|
|
entirely on naturals (!) as it wasn't <u>too</u> steep. Brian's way went to a
|
|
deadend chamber. My way got all clean-washed + drippy + ended in a too-tight
|
|
rift. Sigh. Higher up there was a Grade C QM up a steep mud climb, looked
|
|
like there could be a pitch down the other side &/or a tube heading off
|
|
horizontally - but I climbed up to the same level as the tube & it looked
|
|
mud-filled under the glare of my dodgy yellow electric.
|
|
[IMAGE - MISSING]
|
|
<!-- img alt="sketch - 4k gif" width=548 height=140 align=right hspace=10
|
|
vspace=10 src="log5.png"--> Earl + Jon surveyed out + detackled. Brian went up
|
|
a climb at the top of Jon's pitch (ie. at the end of the big rift chamber v.
|
|
near Andy's pitch). Loose & didn't lead to anything promising. Had a
|
|
third attempt at re-rigging Andy's 6m upclimb more sensibly + bodged it again
|
|
- doesn't seem to be any easy way to do it. Brian went down the hole in the
|
|
floor directly below Andy's upclimb. Went to a chamber under the boulder
|
|
floor with no draught + no obvious way on. Turned round + went home, taking
|
|
out 60m rope and a tonne of hangers.<br clear=all>
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>T/U 11 hours
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-40-4">1999-08-05 | 40 - Eishöhle | <u>Becka</u>, Paul, Wookey, Andy A, Julian T</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Through the scrot to the traverses. Andy rerigged the climb before that
|
|
and about 8 more bolts went into the traverse (we discovered we'd brought 3
|
|
bolting kits so thought we'd better damn well use them). Surveyed from beyond
|
|
traverses to pitchhead. Rigged pitch + traverse before it (to avoid the
|
|
drips), down ~15m to another pitch. Paul + I decided we were superfluous to
|
|
requirements + bummed off out, only an hour out from the pitch head + got to
|
|
do most of the walk in the light, a <u>good</u> thing. The other three rigged
|
|
down 'eiscream' as far as a tightish squeeze with the pitch series carrying
|
|
on beyond. They'd run out of hangers by then so surveyed + derigged out + had
|
|
a hard walk back with all the rope.
|
|
|
|
<p>T/U Becka + Paul 8 hours<br>
|
|
Wookey, Andy + Julian 13½ hours
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p>1999-08-03 | Loser Plateau - Looking for 193 | <u>Nick</u></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Found in 1995 and never seen again. Had a wander round and found something
|
|
that is roughly right and in roughly the right place. It'll do. Need to
|
|
survey to it at some point.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-204-6">1999-08-04 | 204 - Steinbrückenhöhle | Anthony, Julia, <u>Nick</u></a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Went to survey lots of passage and push the pitch rigged on the previous
|
|
trip. Team efficient consisted of Nick making up the numbers, Julia
|
|
converting them to illegible scrawl and Salvador on pictures - seemed to work
|
|
quite well. Pushed a couple of leads - the airy traverse over the hole in the
|
|
floor was airy and led to not much more cave. Julia scrotted over a boulder
|
|
choke and found some really tight horrible stuff. At this point, sense
|
|
prevailed and we went to do the pitch, to find Duncan's calling card at the
|
|
bottom - a Tunnocks Bar Wrapper. Mick and Duncan had gone down a parallel
|
|
shaft and beaten us to it. More stomping passageway and phreatic tube-type
|
|
stuff. Did a bit more surveying then got bored and came out. 1st pitch is
|
|
jolly awkward. Good trip.
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>TU 7 hrs
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-204-8">1999-08-05 | 204 - Steinbrückenhöhle | Anthony, Helen, <u>Nick</u></a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Went back to push the phreatic tube. This was draughting and seemed
|
|
promising. A hole in the floor was gardened and became a very small phreatic
|
|
tube going down 4-5m. Needs a rope (C-). Beyond the top of the hole the cave
|
|
again became small and scrotty. There is a possible lead (QM C---) - a small
|
|
crawl from the bottom of a pit in the floor. We were running out of leads, so
|
|
surveyed out. Then Helen decided to climb up into a small roof tube. Anthony
|
|
had looked at this briefly. Roof tube heading upwards - obviously going to be
|
|
full of mud. Helen disappeared round a corner. "It goes!" . "It's big"
|
|
|
|
<p>"Oh really" came the enthusiastic reply
|
|
|
|
<p>"Can you hear the echo .... echo .... echo ?"
|
|
|
|
<p>The tube popped out into a large chamber - 10m in diameter, high roof and
|
|
about 25m to the floor. Started bolting and used up both our hangers
|
|
descending 6m. Needs another rebelay, then should be straight down to floor.
|
|
By this time we were cold, so headed out.
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>TU 6 hrs
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-204-7">1999-08-04 | 204 - Steinbrückenhöhle | <u>Dunks</u>, Mike TA</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Went to descend 3m diameter shaft near entrance. Animal rig consisting of
|
|
thread, boulder & 'tector got us down ~18m pitch into 6-9m wide phreas
|
|
with ice formations. This led to a spacious but loose pitch, and a phreatic
|
|
maze. While scrotting around the maze, found an aven with a loop of rope
|
|
visible up in the air - the pitch the others were planning on descending.
|
|
Decided to leave a Tunnocks bar so they'd know we'd beaten them to it. Then
|
|
decided to eat the bar and leave the wrapper.
|
|
|
|
<p>Then we went to descend the loose pitch. Several possible pitch heads were
|
|
inspected, until we decided on a reasonable one. Thread & single spit led
|
|
down a short pitch to a bridge of wedged rocks, from which we were able to
|
|
descend a further 15m in a large shaft. At the bottom were two ways on, both
|
|
short pitches.
|
|
|
|
<p>Started to survey out. Met the others, agreed to complete survey, then
|
|
meet up again to decide which other bits each team should survey. However, on
|
|
our way to find the others we inadvertantly found '115 a day passage', 115m
|
|
of very dusty phreas heading up dip. This eventually splits and becomes
|
|
narrow (grade 'c' qms), but there is a pitch at the end (grade 'a' qm)
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>TU 6 hrs
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-40-3">1999-08-04 | 40 - Eishöhle | <u>Wook</u>, Andy A, Simon</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>[Call-out book says 08.04 and 08.05 was another trip to the same place] </p>
|
|
<p>BECKA - Previous line from previous (anon) webeditor - I think the trip written up here is actually the 08.04 trip and the 08.05 trip was
|
|
written up as Becka's 08.05 write up earlier - except for the extra comment in the next entry about rigging the traverse. </p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Went back to end of 'Up, Up & away' to go down pitches. One bolt &
|
|
crummy deviation got Simon to bottom. Unfortunately it was full of rocks
|
|
so it didn't go, apart from a tiny hole with a draught down which thrown
|
|
stones went some distance. Simon hammered this for 15mins before giving
|
|
up. Some Hilti caps would fix it.
|
|
|
|
<p>Draught also disappears into 1" wide rift at far end - mutter. Wooks swung
|
|
into rift which looked promising part way down pitch, unfortunately it just
|
|
goes to the bottom of an aven. So we ended up back at the top looking at
|
|
traverse over top of pitch, where most of draught came from. Put in a knotted
|
|
sling belay and Wook got over to far wall & climbed up, then put in bolt.
|
|
Another traverse beyond. Andy's turn this time, achieved with skyhook & 2
|
|
bolts.
|
|
|
|
<p>Beyond was steeply ascending ramp/rift, surprsingly easy to ascend 45m
|
|
following strong draught, until finally some walking passage is reached. We
|
|
surveyed as far as this then went for a run-around. Most of draught came from
|
|
up more steep rampy shit, but some went other way, which led to a big,
|
|
wet pitch. Finally, something going down ! 1st window was very wet, but
|
|
traversing past (needs an 8m rope, 2 slings, 1 hanger) leads to a nice dry
|
|
hang.
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>TU 11 hrs
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-40-4">1999-08-05 | 40 - Eishöhle | <u>Becka</u>, Paul, Wookey, Andy A, Julian T</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Logbook claims this is an addendum to 08.06 write-up but dates screwed up for this and previous entry so I've put it down as 08.05
|
|
<p>1999-08-06 (Addendum to Becka's write up)
|
|
|
|
<p>Traverse was left rigged with 23m 1994 9mm, 1 old bend, 3 new bends,
|
|
3 twists, 2 rings, 1 bollard.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-40-2">1999-08-02 | 40 - Eishöhle | <u>Wook</u>, Andy A, Paul</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Went to check out where draught goes at bottom of 'deviant alternative'
|
|
[this bit is now called 'Delaying Tactics' - 'Deviant Alternative' now refers
|
|
only to the initial entry passage, WebEditor]. Andy skyhooked into roof and
|
|
then descended on dodgy sling belay - didn't help get round corner. Wook
|
|
followed. Andy climbed up instead, on belay to get round corner. Chambery
|
|
thing reached with 4 tubes going off. 1 was too tight, 1 went back to point
|
|
at pitch head, 1 went to boulders blocking way to enticing space. Last
|
|
allowed access to same space but this also just led back to above pitch-head.
|
|
Decided this was defo dead.
|
|
|
|
<p>Paul now very cold & bored as we had arsed around for 1.5 hrs. Went up
|
|
to Andy's lead above original pitch (now derigged). More climbing up here
|
|
(Paul refused on 1st bits, Wook on 2nd, Andy on neither) led to walking
|
|
passage with strong wind. Main rift stopped at drippy boulder choke. Passage
|
|
went for ~30m to rock bridge overlooking nice pitches (one either side,
|
|
possibly the same thing). Did hurried survey out to get back for dinner.
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>TU 6
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-136-21">1999-08-07 | 136 - 136 | <u>Becka</u>, Neil + Jon</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Under by 10.45, pootled beyond Lost in Space. Neil rerigged (another bolt)
|
|
Andy's pitch to give 2 pitchhead bolts . . . but it still rubs + still has
|
|
the free-hanging rebelay in it. Then Neil put a deviation bolt in Brian's
|
|
pitch which now doesn't rub (we had a drill, by the way!) Whilst Jon looked
|
|
at the traverse on the left in the inbetween chamber - pretty sure it drops
|
|
down into the left route stuff. Down the 30m pitch at the end of Carpetland
|
|
(Pebbledash) to get to the pushing front. I thought the next pitch looked
|
|
free-climbable but by the time Neil had scrambled up the wall a bit the drop
|
|
was at least 5m. Jon + I surveyed down whilst Neil wielded the drill. We just
|
|
about kept up with him down 4 squitty pitches to a really wet drippy aven and
|
|
<u>passage</u> ... that lasted about 50m in tightish canyonny passage with
|
|
some delicate stals and weird bulbous calcite that looked like it regularly
|
|
flooded - muddy and gloomy. The drill faded out on the final pitch <u>and</u>
|
|
Neil dropped the spits down it, so he slung a rope around a weakly-wedged
|
|
boulder in the canyon (the good belay) and a sling around a vague stump of
|
|
calcite (can you sit on this belay please) & lobbed off down. He came
|
|
back - found a sump! We'd been about ready to turn round but decided we had
|
|
to finish the survey (<u>lovely</u> bit of stream passage at the bottom
|
|
followed by a big, dark, ominous circular sump pool with froth on top and
|
|
<u>no</u> way on, Tick). Then derigged all the rope up to Carpetland +
|
|
staggered off with 2 tacklesacks of rope + rigging gear, the drill + battery
|
|
to bottom of Oatso, aided + abetted by some of Neil's marzipan + impeded by a
|
|
failed attempt to haul up Brian's pitch (rope fails to hit bottom cock-up).
|
|
Got out steadily + <u>fantastic</u> stars, with a couple shooting.
|
|
|
|
<p>T/U 15 hours
|
|
|
|
<center><p><a name="log6img">IMAGE: pitch 1, 2 rigging - 6k gif<!-- img alt="pitch 1, 2 rigging - 6k gif" width=583 height=295 src="log6.png" --></a>
|
|
<p>IMAGE: pitch 3 rigging - 5k gif<!-- img alt="pitch 3 rigging - 5k gif" width=485 height=232 src="log7.png" -->
|
|
<p>IMAGE: pitch 4, 5 rigging - 8k gif<!-- img alt="pitch 4, 5 rigging - 8k gif" width=540 height=370 src="log8.png" -->
|
|
<p>IMAGE: pitch 6 rigging<!-- img alt="pitch 6 rigging - 6k gif" width=576 height=320 src="log9.png" --></center>
|
|
|
|
<p>NOTE - Passage continues for 50m streamway to sump <u>TOTALITY</u>
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-136-19">1999-08-05 | 136 - 136 | <u>Jon</u>, Neil, Tanya, Simon</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>- Previous to above trip, went down through 'Lost in Space' and 'Steady
|
|
Aim' pitch down to 'CarpetWorld', where Neil did a cracking job of rigging
|
|
the traverse and 30m pitch. Then down the pitch and onto more meandering rift
|
|
and short pitches (see above), then surveyed back. also had another look at
|
|
end of 'runny bottom' to SE - climb looks loose and unprotected, crawl OK but
|
|
not a pleasant day out!!! Somehow managed to stay down 14 hrs - Simon's
|
|
initial stab at surveying being a minor factor?!! (I can sort of see some
|
|
numbers, but they're pretty blurred.....) Everyone pretty knackered on that
|
|
last pitch up...
|
|
|
|
<p><center>T/U 14 hours</center>
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-204-9">1999-08-05 | 204 - Unclear if trip occurred | Erin and Duncan</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>In call-out book as intending to descend Steinbrückenhöhle - not clear if this trip
|
|
took place, no write-up in logbook, WebEd.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-204-10">1999-08-07 | 204 - Unclear if trip occurred | Mike, Tina and Earl</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p> In call-out book as intending to descend Steinbrückenhöhle same day as Helen, Nicka
|
|
and Brian - not clear if this trip took place, no write-up in logbook, WebEd.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-204-11">1999-08-07 | 204 - Steinbrückenhöhle | <u>Helen</u>, Nick, Brian</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Pushing lead from Millennium Dome (it <u>didn't</u> need another
|
|
re-belay), Nick scrotted thru the boulder choke on LHS, which had a gentle
|
|
breeze but got too small. No leads at top of boulder choke. Rift on RHS,
|
|
tight entrance to pitch (rigged off 2 large boulders), opened to medium sized
|
|
aven, 10m pitch to rock bridge between 2 pitches. One side ~10m ? pit, looked
|
|
to be boulder choked (+ ½ way up aven, keyhole/rift lead). Other pitch
|
|
looked promising - ledge/aven ~5m down, continued thru hole in floor. Brian
|
|
rigged to this hole, reported lots of blackness below and lack of rope ->
|
|
came out, no survey due to lack of survey gear at Top Camp.
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>TU 6 hrs
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-204-12">1999-08-08 | 204 - 204 | Nick, Brian, Anthony</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>From the makers of 'Interview Blues', we proudly present a major new
|
|
motion "Scrotty Rift Pitch Series II - This time its even more pointless"
|
|
|
|
<p>With Brian pushing, Anthony and Nick surveyed in. Brian's bottom of
|
|
blackness turned out to be a blind 30m pitch with scrotty rift (too tight) at
|
|
the bottom and the sound of running water just round the corner. Brian tried
|
|
the next hole along, which came to the same place. The next hole, rigged 'au
|
|
naturel' (from a large boulder, rather than without clothes) went down
|
|
parallel to the 30m pitch with several windows onto it, before landing in ...
|
|
wait for it ... scrotty rift! Another short pitch (which was by-passable) and
|
|
then several climbs down saw us deep in the rift. At this point Brian the
|
|
Bolter bolted (out of the cave) and Nick and Anthony finished the next pitch,
|
|
a fine 15m hang into a largish chamber with lots of echo and a small
|
|
unpromising rift in the floor, and not a lot else. At this point we left,
|
|
derigging the rope for Duncan to play with on his pitch series the next day.
|
|
230m of surveying Hurray! This bit of cave has 2 leads left - the eye-hole
|
|
off the 1st pitch from the Millennium Dome (QM B) and the rift at the bottom
|
|
which is small, but draughts (QM B).
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>TU Nick & Anthony 10½<br>
|
|
Brian 8½
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-136-23">1999-08-09 | 136 - Push near Runny Bottom | <u>Becka</u>, Jon, Neil</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>An hour down to the end of Oatso, pretty damn familiar territory by now.
|
|
Down Steady Aim and the CM arrow climb under boulders to the aven climb I'd
|
|
told Andy + Simon to look at + which they'd free-climbed partway up
|
|
yesterday. En route, we looked at the big wet canyon on the bottom right of
|
|
Lost in Space, but decided it didn't look too promising. Likewise the pitch
|
|
at the base of the CM arrow climb below Steady Aim pitch. Likewise the
|
|
squitty rift at the base of Steady Aim pitch (opposite side of the boulder
|
|
chamber). Anyway, back to our aven, easy freeclimb up ~20m, right goes to
|
|
mud-filled tube, on left rift goes off up steeply. Jon climbed up to under
|
|
the crux, which was smoother and more vertical than the lower section, which
|
|
had lots of footholds + thutch potential. Jon put a protection bolt in, then
|
|
Neil belayed him (on lovely muddy SRT rope), put a sling around a higher
|
|
natural then had a few minutes of heavy breathing as he strained up to the
|
|
easier section ("I'm nervous" said Neil!) Jon put a bolt in at the top, below
|
|
2 roof tubes, I came up + put another bolt in, then Jon went up again towards
|
|
the more vertical roof tube, which had a great draft (and <u>impressive</u>
|
|
white hand-sized helictites) but had conclusive carbide + electric failure +
|
|
we decided we'd really not got the kit for this so we surveyed 3 legs out +
|
|
went home (derigging Steady Aim & Andy's pitches).
|
|
|
|
<p>T/U 11½ hours
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-161-11">1999-08-10 | 161 - 161D - Pushing Regurgitation (almost) | Becka, <u>Julian T</u></a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p> T/U 6 hours
|
|
|
|
<p>Last trip to fetch bolting kit & rope left behind on noddy trip 3
|
|
weeks ago that we (expo) never got back to. Scarface was well out of favour
|
|
with all the other entrances not so hard to get to, except for Eishöhle
|
|
with its really horrible pushing front as well. We stretched across Fear-on
|
|
traverse, which was really horrible, and lifted up 100m of 1994 9mm rope
|
|
which was muddy and stiff as wire and no good to anyone. There was a storm
|
|
outside and water was pissing heavily down every side shaft and rumbling from
|
|
the passages. The candle I had left on at the Guillotine was welcoming,
|
|
though Becka had objected because it was a waste of wax. Down towards Mohr im
|
|
Hemd my carbide was dingy again and I had to beg the use of Becka's pricker
|
|
for the third time which was inconveniently entangled with her dodgy backup
|
|
electric such that it stopped working when you got it out. Much complaining
|
|
along the lines of get your own. But where from ? Down the pitch into
|
|
Regurgitation on the two lovely bolts fitted by me and Mark Shinwell opposite
|
|
the gorgeous natural. We bickered some more and got into the opposite rift
|
|
and bolted a pitch using some of the 9 mil we'd chopped in half with a rock
|
|
in Staud'nwirt palace. I got to the bottom where there was a layer of mud and
|
|
a passage heading back under Regurge and we rolled around in some very tight
|
|
crawls and watery bits all loosely packed with boulders as you would expect.
|
|
At one point I got an echo from the chamber above. I tried really hard,
|
|
desperate to find some new cave to call my own, but it wasn't going to happen
|
|
here. Went up from the floor (Becka had added another bolt to warm herself up
|
|
and decided to detour into the side bit I had climbed down to last time when
|
|
Mark was saying it was about time we got home. Pushed a bit harder and got
|
|
into easy rift which traversed comfortably on and down for maybe 60m till it
|
|
got a bit wide and off the floor. Could have done it if someone was there,
|
|
still going well, but I turned back and got lost. Quite confusing area. I
|
|
didn't recognise most of it. Then I heard Becka screaming for me like someone
|
|
who has just seen the sump monster. As if I could do anything. I yelled
|
|
"Don't Panick!" into the nearest space I could hear the sound, but she
|
|
continued, getting me all hett-up such that I had to force my way through
|
|
loose boulders anywhere. And I came out at the bottom of the pitch from a
|
|
place I had determined 20 mins earlier there to be no way on. We surveyed
|
|
nothing, exited, detackled and discovered a dangli bag missing at surface. It
|
|
was left at the bottom of ladder pitch at end of Staud'nwirt passage by Becka
|
|
who never makes mistakes like that unless she's tired, and it was my fault
|
|
she was tired so I had to put on an oversuit and go and get it. Borrowed her
|
|
carbide and took the pricker out as soon as I was around the corner so I
|
|
could prick it whenever I fucking well liked and have a big flame so I didn't
|
|
get too spooked by the sump monster. Solo caving just gives me the shivers.
|
|
We left some crap by the bunde highway to pick up in the morning rather than
|
|
lugging it all in one gut-busting load as we did at Eishöhle with 3
|
|
macho men and no feminine voice of reason. Bit tedious to fetch in the
|
|
morning. Would have preferred a lie in with a slightly more broken body.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-204-14">1999-08-09 | 204 - Steinbrückenhöhle | Erin and Earl</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Erin and Earl descended Steinbrückenhöhle on a photographic trip (date from call-out book).
|
|
We know this trip occurred, because the photos are on the site, but there is
|
|
no log-book write-up.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-204-15">1999-08-10 | 204 - Steinbrückenhöhle | <u>Nick</u>, Anthony, Helen, Julia</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Derigging trip - first three pitches were left to do. Plus some extra
|
|
tackle sacks. We came, we went down, we came back up again with our friends.
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>TU Helen 1 hour, Julia 1½ hr<br>
|
|
Nick & Anthony 2 hrs
|
|
|
|
<p>Saw a salamander on the way to the cave
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-204-16">1999-08-11 | 204 - Steinbrückenhöhle | <u>Duncan</u>, Mike TA</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Pushing down the Ariston (& on & on ...) series.
|
|
Basically, it goes. Now over 200m deep, 3 qms at the bottom, one of which is
|
|
a 3 s drop in a wide shaft. Surveyed & derigged. Arrived at the bottom of
|
|
the 2nd pitch to the sound of rushing wateer. Sprinting exit to find 2cm
|
|
diameter hailstones all over the place.
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>TU 10½
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-204-13">1999-08-08 | 204 - Steinbrückenhöhle | <u>Duncan</u>, Julia</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>??/8/99 given in digital log book but [1999-08-08 from call-out book]
|
|
|
|
<p>Bimble round ticking off QMs in the top phreatic stuff. Found a new qm at
|
|
the foot of the 2nd pitch. Land on the snow & shin up about 2m - oh look,
|
|
there's a pitch. Perhaps one day we'll have some rope. . . .
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>TU 5
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-161-2">1999-07-18 | 161 - Triassic Park - Latzio | <u>Erin</u>, Theo, John P</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>The 3 of us headed back down T.P. to the undocumented q.m. hole in the
|
|
floor where we'd previously hammered in a few spits. I rigged + dropped the
|
|
pitch (Latzio) while John tried to put a spit in at the top of Scorchio
|
|
(named in honour of the fucking hot weather). Latzio got too tight at the
|
|
bottom, but I could see a way on through a tiny mud-choked hole, so in a fit
|
|
of keenness I tried unsuccessfully to bash my way through a bit of the choke.
|
|
After a while I decided I needed a bigger hammer. Meanwhile John had
|
|
discovered that the rock at the top of Scorchio was deeply shit - all 3 of
|
|
the spits he'd tried to put in had caused the rock to crumble, so we decided
|
|
to call it a day.
|
|
|
|
<p>T.U.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-161-3">1999-07-19 | 161 - Triassic Park - Scorchio | <u>Erin</u>, Theo, John P</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>On the advice of old lags, I decided to give up on hammering through the
|
|
tight bit of Latzio, so Theo & I surveyed it and declared it finished.
|
|
After much faff, the 3 of us finally decided where we'd put the spits for
|
|
a y-hang. John and I pounded them in, while Theo sat around, getting mildly
|
|
hypothermic. After an hour 40, we had 2 spits, the world's largest y-hang,
|
|
about 3 rub points, and a deviation rigged off a pebble.
|
|
|
|
<p>T.U.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-161-4">1999-07-20 | 161 - Triassic Park - Scorchio | <u>Erin</u>, Theo, John P</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>It was John P's last day on expo, so we decided to finish off Scorchio,
|
|
which he'd found on Saturday by looking through a window on the left side of
|
|
T.P.2. John went down the pitch and put in a spit for a rebelay, while Theo +
|
|
I kept warm by surveying in circles. John declared the bottom of the pitch
|
|
too tight, so we all went down to base camp + drank some beer.
|
|
|
|
<p>T.U.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-161-5">1999-07-24 | 161 - Triassic Park - Scorchio | <u>Erin</u>, Theo</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Date of [24th - from call-out book]
|
|
|
|
<p>After being trapped in our tent for 3 days due to rain, we headed back to
|
|
T.P. with relief and the desire to move onto something more interesting. I
|
|
went down Scorchio to derig + survey, and was overcome by the drive to see
|
|
what was beyond the squeezy bit. Unfortunately, even after I'd kicked a good
|
|
bit of mud glop out of the squeeze, I still had to take my belay belt off to
|
|
get through. Forgetting to put my stop on a cow's tail made the whole thing a
|
|
bit exciting and all I found was another vertical squeeze. Chickening out, I
|
|
declared it done enough, and we surveyed the accessible bit. The bottom of
|
|
Scorchio is definitely a grade W q.m. Across the passage, Theo hammered in a
|
|
spit for Dynamo Kiev, the last q.m. in our little area. There was much
|
|
rejoicing when it, too, was too tight, so we could survey + go home.
|
|
|
|
<p>T.U. 6¼ hours
|
|
|
|
<p>P.S. It's worth noting that we didn't look at the most promising
|
|
hole-in-the-floor q.m. in that area which is located [at this critical
|
|
point, the log-book write up just stops, Webeditor. However, perusal of
|
|
the 1995 survey book suggests this is
|
|
<a href="../../1623/161/offtri.htm#qC1995-161-43">C1995-161-43</a>]
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-136-20">1999-08-07 | 136 - 139 to 136 and surface surveyed 147 | Andy A, Simon F</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Date given as "[must be 1999.08.07, Webeditor]"
|
|
|
|
<p>Went to 136 to push the far end. Got to cave entrance & didn't feel
|
|
fit enough for the trip. Still managed to spend 6 hrs underground buggering
|
|
about though (everything was going wrong & the time kept adding up).
|
|
First though we surface surveyed 147 *. Next dropped 139 into 136 &
|
|
surveyed it. And that's it. 6 hrs!
|
|
|
|
<p align=right>* bolt connection to orange spot
|
|
|
|
<p>[Webeditor's note: the reference to dropping 139 into 136 is a surface
|
|
survey reference and the implication that this is an underground connection
|
|
is disinformational]
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
<p><a id="id1999-136-22">1999-08-08 | 136 - 136 | Andy A, Simon F</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Date given as "[1999.08.08 from survey data, Webeditor]"
|
|
|
|
<p>Return to 136 to push far end. This time made it down to far end. Intent
|
|
on climbing the Avens Becka had described as a possible lead. This turned out
|
|
to require multipitch climbing on moonmilk using static cord & thread
|
|
belays around rock that wobbled and broke off. Chickened out at ½ way
|
|
through my lead due to lack of dodgy threads but the roof was drafting. Jon T
|
|
later chimneyed up solo at a narrower point (nutter) only to find that it
|
|
just continues up & up. Surveyed the aven to Undershoot survey already
|
|
done. Next continued further down watershoot to another aven, but this sadly
|
|
turning into a downward trend & rejoined the winding passage to
|
|
carpetworld at the end of watershoot. Didn't seem much point surveying this.
|
|
There was, however, a side rift, but this, according to andy's unpleasurable
|
|
experience, tended downwards & became tighter. The sounds that were
|
|
emerging from the slot where he disappeared were testimony as to how much of
|
|
a bitch it was to reverse.
|
|
|
|
<p>Finally, it was my turn to do the nasty cold wet Darren Cilau entrance
|
|
crawl. I had been down it before & noticed a passage on the right &
|
|
it was this I had come back to see. (The end of the crawl incidentally
|
|
appeared to just fragment into tighter, sharper, more closed down streamway -
|
|
altogether I think that there would be no way through). The side passage
|
|
though, was much more promising. It opened up into a rift which seemed to be
|
|
coming from the waterfall at the start of the crawl (blocked) & going in
|
|
the same line as the passage before it, ie. towards Stellerweg. It may,
|
|
therefore be the continuation of the dry cave (but there is no obvious
|
|
draft). Further progress in the rift was stopped by the need for a short
|
|
traverse over a big hole, a passage continues at my level on the other side
|
|
of the hole, at the top of the rift. Worth a look anyway.
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<p><center>T/U 11 hrs</center>
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<hr />
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<p><a id="id1999-136-24">1999-08-09 | 136 - derigging in 136 | Neil, Brian</a></p>
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[info from call-out book, no logbook write-up, WebEd]
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<hr />
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<p><a id="id1999-136-25">1999-08-10 | 136 - derigging in 136 | Duncan, Andy A, Simon, John, Earl</a></p>
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Derigging in 136 [info from call-out book, no logbook write-up, WebEd]
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<hr />
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<p> ... and that seems to be it. No write up of derigging trips, nor of a
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photographic trip in 204 (Erin and Earl) so the logbook seems to be an
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incomplete record, Webeditor.
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<!-- LINKS -->
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<ul id="links">
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<li>1999 Expedition info:
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<ul>
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<li><a href="index.htm">1999 index</a> (more detail than in this list)</li>
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<li>Expedition <a href="report.htm">Report</a> 1999</li>
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<li>Pre-expo <a href="goals.htm">mission statement</a></li>
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<li>Index to <a href="161.htm">Kaninchenhöhle trips</a> in the log</li>
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<li><a href="../../pubs.htm#pubs1999">Published accounts</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li><a href="../../pubs.htm">Index</a> to all publications</li>
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<li><a href="../../sponsr.htm">Current year's</a> sponsors</li>
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<li><a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expeditions intro page</a></li>
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<li><a href="../../../index.htm">CUCC Home Page</a>
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</ul>
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</body>
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</html>
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