expoweb/years/1982/newbit.htm

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1982: Cambridge Underground report
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<h3>NEW DISCOVERIES</h3>
<p align=right>Mike Thomas
<p>Only a day of prospecting was done this year, surprising considering the
alternatives along the caving line. One small but powerfully draughting
entrance (132) was found by Phil T. also a larger but static entrance (131),
131 being just above 32 on the Wildensee Hut track, so probably connecting
with the 41 - 115 system, but about 15m below 41. They were both left while
the push went on in 115.
<p>Unfortunately the heavens opened one day, forcing everyone to hide in the
Bar Fischer and when Phil and Mike went up to push 115 they had to park the
car in a lake. Realising that we couldn't return for a while and finding the
restaurant closed, we decided to look at recent finds.
<p>After swimming through the bunde, we found the well concealed entrance
blowing a gale. Phil put on his hard caving gear comprising jeans, T-shirt
and even a wetsuit top and descended into the beckoning void. He raced in,
and avoiding the howling gale blowing in his ear, crawled up the blind
passage to find Mike squeezing through a hole he had just dug out. We were
in. The cave just got bigger and bigger. So, after running round and losing
each other, we surfaced after an arduous two hour trip. 131 was then looked
at. Although it has a probable 80m pitch down a narrow rift, past experience
has shown that the draught is necessary for a sizeable system.
<p>The next trip pushed further afield and found a medium sized chamber with
several leads going off. Doug and Mike tried to fill one of these in, but
decided to leave as the rocks were taking rather a long time to hit bottom.
They then lost each other and left separately to rescue each other.
<p>When this news was heard, it was ealised by an intelligent few that here
was an easier alternative to 115. So, a crack team did the half hour trip to
the head of the undescended pitch. When the bolts were finally placed and
powerful electric lights failed to show the rope to touch bottom, Mike and
Andy decided to jack but Tim abseiled into the gloom to find a 35-40m pitch
into a gigantic chamber approximately half the dimensions of Gaping Gill
(yes, it's all from memory - very grade 1). Two very promising leads
involving a squeeze past hanging death or a tumble down a tube were found in
the half hour's exploration which followed. The final trip derigged the rope
and left all the unexplored ends till next year.
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<ul>
<li>1982 Expedition info:
<ul>
<li><a href="log.htm">Logbook</a></li>
<li>Main Expo report, Cambridge Underground 1983:
<ul>
<li><a href="report.htm">CUCC in Austria</a> - Phil Townsend</li>
<li><a href="41gd.htm">Stellerweg Guidebook Description</a> by Pete Lancaster</li>
<li><a href="41svy.htm">Stellerweg Survey</a> article by Andy Waddington</li>
<li><a href="41camp.htm">The Underground Camp</a> by Chas Butcher</li>
<li><a href="bats.htm">The Bats of 115</a> by Dave Brindle</li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="bcracc.htm">BCRA Caves &amp; Caving Report</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="../../pubs.htm#pubs1982">Index</a> to all publications</li>
<li><a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expeditions intro page</a></li>
<li><a href="../../../index.htm">CUCC Home Page</a>
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