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<title>2003 Logbook</title>
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<h1>EXPO 2003</h1>
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<p><i>Typed up David Loeffler, January 2004. I've done my best to
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decipher this but bits are still illegible; there are also a lot of
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dangling cross-references to trips that never actually got written
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up. Editorial comments (in italics) are mine.</i></p>
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<p>(20th Expo at Staud'n'Wirt)</p>
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<hr />
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<p>10/7/2003 -- Journey , Packing and Journey to
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Austria -- <u>Mark S</u>, Earl (driving),
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Olly Madge, Martin</p>
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<p>[et al. - others not listed above]
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<p>(to 12/7/2003) In fact it's not the 12th July at all, it's Wednesday 16th but
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we've only just gotten around to buying a log book. It appears that
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I have the pleasure of inscribing the first of what will</p>
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<p>[LARGE DEAD FLY STUCK TO PAGE, COVERED IN CELLOPHANE, LABELLED
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"3D FLY-O-SCOPE - DIE FLY"]</p>
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<p>Never look a log book in the mouth. As I was saying,</p>
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<p>no doubt be the usual collection of impecably <i>[sic - I can't
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tell if this is deliberate!]</i> written reports, each written
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longingly with due care and attention (ignoring distractions such
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as <i>[illegible]</i> insects), with the authors in a sufficiently
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sober state so as to recount the superbly accurate tales in the
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worst manner possible.</p>
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<p>Horse flies in Austria weren't the only ones taking the piss. AN
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excellent sponsorship effort by Julia led to the delivery of 125kg
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of noodles (912 packets, just think how far those noodles would
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stretch!) in 33 boxes of varying size. A mammoth van-packing
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effort, including trips to every corner of Cambridge (and Bury St.
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Edmunds, root of all evil) [<i>footnote:</i> Greene King Ltd.
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(PLC?)] managed to cram 100kg of the noodles and an amazing pile of
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other shit into Mark's van.</p>
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<p>The drive out - Mark and Early - was good, except for a few
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minor hiccups (Eurotunnel had told us the wrong time & we had
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to wait an hour, etc). Van temperature light came on twice so we
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paused briefly to cool down. Driving all day - 4am to 10pm - in 1
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1/2 - 2 hour shifts works <u>very</u> well - could have done the
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journey in 12 1/2 hrs without the tunnel + cooling problems.
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Arrived at 11pm prompt and headed for Hilde's bar.</p>
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<p>T/U a bit (in tunnels).</p>
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<p>At this juncture Mark noticed that the front two pages of the
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logbook were stuck together. By gaffer tape of course.</p>
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<hr />
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<p>16/7/03 -- Journey , Travel
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out -- Dour, <u>Julia</u>, Dave</p>
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<p>Having quit my job on Thursday, and with Dave dossing on our
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floor Thursday night, I wasn't worried about packing the car and
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hadn't done much beyond throwing a few things into a useful box,
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and packing the top-camp meals into a suitcase (of course).
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However, first job of Friday was to go to the DVLA in Wimbledon to
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get a tax disk for Dour. That done, and journey food bought, the
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morning was waring on so a massive pile of gear was collected and
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assembed next to the Tunnocks mobile. I then discovered that,
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whilst an inordinate amount of noodles had safely arrived, there
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was no sign of any Tunnocks bars. Disaster! Alsoa bit annoying, as
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I'd confirmed sponsorship to folk almost a month ago. So I rang
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Tunnocks and left a polite message inquiring about the lack of
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Thomas Tunnock Ltd products. The result of this was to be told that
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my e-mail confirming dates and a delivery address was never
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received...oh poo. However the nice man aat Tunnocks was only a bit
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grumpy and agreed to send the stuff on to another address. Sorted.
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I then had a bit of a stress about the size of the shit pile.</p>
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<p>** NEWS FLASH 8.51pm - it's gonna rain ** Hurrah!</p>
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<p>So went upstairs to a create more gear whilst Dave organised the
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stuff already by the car. Once Dave had done the hard work (well
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the flat needed cleaning) it started to look OK, and we ahd a good
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half an hour sitting around before Dour got home from work. Then we
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were off. Made it onto the 7pm ferry and after that it was just the
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occasional coffee + petrol stop. Dour drove pretty much all thru
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the night. Arrived at the Pötschen Pass to find some major bike
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race going on, and it was still going on in Bad Aussee, actually
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quite handy as there were marshals on the silly corner to wave you
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through when it was safe to go. The three of us arrived; five
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minutes later Tony arrived chauffered from the station by Hilde. We
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sat and festered for a bit, then got round to putting the bier tent
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up. Not long afterwards, when the frame was up but far from stable
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the heavens opened, and we all looked a bit silly, stood there
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getting drenched whilst supporting a massive metal structure. We
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got bored after a while and went over the road. Karin: "It is
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funny. You are here ... and it is raining."</p>
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<hr />
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<p>17/7/03 -- Journey , Journey -- <u>Becka</u></p>
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<p>Got here ~ 3.30pm. Baking hot + everything locked up. Ate last
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night's slop + got a beer in. Bad head from no sleep at all last
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night (blame Richard Branson).</p>
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<hr />
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<p>18/7/03 -- 204 , Rigging down towards
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Razordance -- <u>Dave</u>,
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Mark -- T/U 5hrs</p>
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<p>Rigged 204a ent pitches to Wolpertinger Way. Stuck a rope down
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Pot-u-Like; we weren't very convinced by the bolting + came out
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again.</p>
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<p>On reaching surface were soundly patronised by Dour and Becka
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who went on to rig rest of Ariston.</p>
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<hr />
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<p>18/7/03 -- 204 , Rigging 204e ent
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pitch -- <u>Dave</u> -- T/U
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1hr</p>
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<p>Got bored so put a rope down 204E. Couldn't remember route from
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bottom of pitch so came straight back out again.</p>
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<hr />
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<p>18/7/03 -- 204 , Rigging
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Ariston -- <u>Becka</u> +
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Anthony -- T/U 7 hours</p>
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<p>Just back up from carry 2 in time to see Mark + Dave emerge.
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Down with 2 tacklesacks with rope for Kiwi Suit & down Ariston
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to finish off rigging that & take sacks to top of Kiwi Suit,
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plus some fettling of rigging.</p>
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<hr />
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<p>19/7/03 -- 204 , 204 tourist
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trip -- <u>Becka</u>, Earl + Julian
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H -- T/U 7hrs</p>
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<p>Tourist trip, courtesy of Earl, to show Julian the highlights of
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204. Walked over to 204D + rigged in - q. lot of snow. Julian did
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the climb up - <b>we should leave the 8m rope on this</b>. Down
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into Swings + Roundabouts. Took 2 tacklesacks of rope to head of
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Gaffered to the Walls for rigging. Up Treeumphant Passage, poking
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around various holes. Looked at bottom of 204E then Earl + I went
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to bottom of Helter Skelter. Earl reckoned the climb up would lik
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to the climb he did at the far N end of Swings + Roundabouts. I
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moved some boulders from the bottom of Helter Skelter, I reckon I
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could get through the gap (especially given a lump hammer) with a
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nice draught through it + tube (q. big) beyond - should be pushed
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through. Back + looked at 01-10A - rope still on the up-climb (C4)
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+ 2 hangers left from pitch down but our rope not long enough.
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Since so easy to access this from 204E this should be looked at
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again. Through short cut (v. easy, recommended) back into
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Treeumphant + up to Cave Tree Chamber. Found a
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<u><strong>tacklesack</strong></u> crabbed to the bottom of
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(still-rigged) traverse, complete with short rope + 4 slings.
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Presumably been there 2 years, oops. Took it out with us. Back +
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out via No Pain No Gain (looking into Pleasure Dome from start) +
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then down to Millennium Dome (looking in from top) + to initial
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part of Merry Fucking Christmas until climb down. Then saw Mark +
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Anthony coming up + offering a lift down the hill, sorted.
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Everybody out 204A. Fun trip.</p>
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<hr />
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<p>19/7/03 -- 204 , Kiwi Suit
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rigging -- <u>Mark S</u>, Dave,
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Dour -- T/U 6 1/2 hrs</p>
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<p>Abbed down to bottom of Ariston and followed crawl to head of
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Kiwi Suit. Proceeded to watch Dour shit his pants over the head of
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the 54m. Two bomber naturals ensured a safe descent. Into a nice
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stream canyon, down the next short pitch to the top of the 20m.
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Rope (101m, or so it said) didn't reach the bottom, even though the
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traverse and backups at the thead of the 54m had been rigged on
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another rope. We resolved to bring more rope and went home. Met
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Haines and co. at the bottom of Wolpertinger, at the end of their
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tour of 204. Prussiked out and went down the hill. Drank
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Gösser.</p>
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<hr />
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<p>20/7/03 -- 204 , 204E to Helter
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Skelter -- <u>Becka</u> +
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Martin -- T/U 6 hours</p>
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<p>Walked up hill + Julian+Earl doing traverse at Gaffered to the
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Walls so thought we'd rig down Gaffered + be sociable. Obviously we
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didn't think too hard about it as when we got there they were
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lobbing endless rocks off their ledge. Rigging Gaffered not an
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option. Watched them a moment + adminred the long drop into space
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then retreated to QMs back nearer 204E. First went up Crowning
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Glory to end to <b>QM 2001-10A</b>. andclimb rope left from 2001 up
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then rigged down (like I did on yesterday's trip). Pit at bottom of
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this pitch <u>blind</u>. Walked up boulder slope on the other side
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of pitch + gardeded the next drop then Martin down on rest of rope
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from first pitch with a tackle sack rope protector. To left was
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rift with aven (went 3m). In LH wall, 2m up, small crawl (QM C).
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Straight on, rift continued down moderate pitch (QM B) + above
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passage continued (QM B) which could be reached by bolting up ~3m.
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Then went down Helter Skelter to far end. We moved boulders +
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stacked them up for some time until could finally get under the low
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wall at end. It went right, under another low squeeze, + then
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opened into a small pitch which Martin descended on naturals ~8m.
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2m slot in floor. Pitch <u>blind</u> + drippy (got wet when we
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surveyed it the next day + it rained on the surface). Came back up
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Helter Skelter slowly looking at QMs. Martin found <b>QM
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2001-14B</b>, a sandy crawl with a draft + pushed it into <u>new
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stuff</u>. Yahoo (embarrasing we didn't spot it in the original
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2001 survey though). Looked at lots until time to go home. Met Earl
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+ Julian back at the 204E rope + exited together. Good trip.</p>
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<hr />
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<p>21/7/03 -- 204 , 204E to survey Sandpit off
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Helter Skelter -- <u>Becka</u> + Martin
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-- T/U 9hrs</p>
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<p>Julian + Earl still bolting above Gaffered to the Walls so no
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point trying to rig below them so off to survey yesterday's stuff
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in Sandpit of Helter Skelter. Sandy crawl (was QM 2001-14B) leads
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to small passage. Closes off up + to right; main way goes past
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<u>dead furry bat</u> to sandy hole which we'd dug out yesterday.
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This tube goes up steeply. At top, straight ahead leads up into
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small chamber with a pitch to right + up from there. Go left
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another rift/pitch which probably links to the first one. Main way
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from sandy tube follows the draft to the <u>left</u> along a
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crawling tube past a couple of not-bad straws into a small chamber.
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Rift, thin, deep, narrow to the right (leading to small shaft?).
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Ahead, nasty loose hole to left but main way is under low wall +
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crawl up ramp on right side. Over a loose boulder wall, to the
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right went to a pitch head with a huge boulder perched on top. It's
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possible to free-climb down this rift to the left to a drippy floor
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+ Martin climbed a further 2m below this but still not down to
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bottom of shaft (doesn't look promising though). Various tubes
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above pitch head, probably don't go. Main way is to <u>left</u>
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after boulder wall, crawling to edge of ramp. Can climb down to
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left, to bottom, nasty loose pitch to left at bottom. Ahead,
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clamber over boulders. At far end, small passage leads off + up but
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gets too small. At left climb up + then follow up a solution tube
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several metres up to top of aven then tube closes down. Main way on
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at ramp is across + up to small sandy tube. Down this + to right.
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Small crawly passage with odd boulders in it needing gardening +
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more bat skeletons led up + past final squeeze into q. large drippy
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rift. Into this + we climbed up two levels (first one a rather
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dodgy free climb) until too hard to upclimb but aven continued up
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beyond this point. End of that survey. Back + down to bottom of
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Helter Skelter + surfeyed down to the pitch we found yesterday
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(last leg a joke plumb as we didn't rig the pitch). As down there,
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rain started + everything got drippy + worse. Checked off most of
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the Helter Skelter QM's on way up (2001 - 56C, 58C, 15C all don't
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go; 16A downgraded to B). Also M 2000-20C dead from day before this
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in Treeumphant. We left QM 2001-17C in Helter Skelter which is over
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attractive white mud, while 2001-56C might go if you want to climb
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diddly tubes.</p>
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<hr />
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<p>22/7/03 -- Loser Plateau , Surface
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prospect -- <u>Becka</u> +
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Earl -- T/U 30min</p>
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<p>Headed off with Martin;s GPS above various bits of 204. Ended up
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at the top of the Hinterer Schwartzmooskogel then went back to 204
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Top Camp near the top of the ridge logging various holes, dead +
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otherwise. Met Mark, Julian + Dave at camp. Had lunch, then me,
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Julian + Dave up North to prospect for an hour. Found a couple more
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holes. Finally Earl + I watched Mark desced 2000-08. Possible way
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on to side of it - narrow rift, needed a rope. Earl + I found a
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couple more holes, ended. Back down hill. GPS positions etc. in
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survey folder.</p>
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<p>22/7/03 -- Loser Plateau , Surface
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wander -- <u>Dave</u>, Julian
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T -- T/U ?? <i>[must have been about 1
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hour]</i></p>
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<p>Returned to holes 'up North' minus Becka but plus gear: rigged
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one hole down pitch (see sketch) + tagged that as 2003/03.</p>
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<div style="text-align: center"><img src="2003-03sketchelev.jpg" /></div>
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<p>Julian's other entrance, tagged as 2003/04, is a small
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down-sloping crawl in the western side of a depression visible from
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the stone bridge. (At the south end of the depression is a short
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tunnel leading out onto the hillside, the other end of which is
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clearly visible from 204). Anyway this gives access to some
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bouldery phreatic passage perhaps 5m wide + high heading westwards
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<i>[actually it was northwards, as we found when we surveyed the
|
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thing some while later]</i> which is choked after perhaps 30-50m
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(we should really return + survey it, alhtough it has no obvious
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leads left to push).</p>
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<hr />
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<p>23/7/03 -- 204 , Razordance rigging (+ pushing a
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bit) -- <u>Dave</u>, Dour,
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Mark -- T/U Mark 12h, Dave 13h, Dour 14h</p>
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<p>Rigged <i>[Julia's handwriting in margin:</i> No you didn't,
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Anthony did <i>]</i> bottom two pitches of Kiwi Suit and commenced
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the merry task of hauling a huge tackle sack containing our 200m
|
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pushing rope through Razordance itself. Dour bolted Steady Now, the
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pitch at the old pushing front (Duncs descended it last year on the
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||
rope from the previous pitch, which must have been rather damp).
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This gave access to some more rift and another wet climb (rigged as
|
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a pitch). An awkward climb up through some boulders leads to a
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sizeable chamber (originally named The Brewhouse, now renamed God
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Loves a Drunk). Another pitch was visible around the corner,
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provisionally named The Mash Tun; rather than bolt this we turned
|
||
around and slogged out, eventually emerging at intervals of about
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||
an hour with the last man (Dour) emerging at about 3.30 am. (We
|
||
must all be nuts!)</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>
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||
24/7/03 -- Loser Plateau , Surface-bashing -- Dave,
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<u>Mark</u></p>
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<p>Went with Brian to see 2003-{01, 02} and then on to
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Damoclesshacht (2003-05) which Brian was to descend. Went on and
|
||
eventually found Julian T's new cave (2003-06). Spent some time
|
||
prospecting around here. Found zero caves and one adder. A most
|
||
unproductive day.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>
|
||
25/7/03 -- 204 , Razordance -- <u>
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Mark</u>, Dour, Dave -- T/U 10-12hrs
|
||
approx</p>
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||
<p>Mark + Dave went to the bottom of Steady Now to start surveying
|
||
the passage drom the previous trip. Dour followed, to bolt The Mash
|
||
Tun - an 8m pitch after the God Loves A Drunk chamber. Took Dour a
|
||
while to bolt it, so the surveyors caught up with him. Descended
|
||
Mash Tun to land in a pool, leading to a much wider (2-3m) canyon.
|
||
Very soon the head of the next pitch, Copper Pitch, is reached -
|
||
looks like a fine shaft of 20-30m. [<i>Footnote:</i> Actually 17m
|
||
60cm - Mark.] Rift bends around to the left after the pitch, still
|
||
looks 3m or more wide. Distinct change in the character of the
|
||
cave. Drill battery failed afer 1 1/2 holes on the Y-hang so we
|
||
went home. Took about 4 hours to get out.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>20/7/03 -- 204 , 21 Bolt Salute traverse (Part
|
||
1) -- <u>Earl</u> + Julian
|
||
H -- T/U ??</p>
|
||
<p>On our tourist trip yesterday, Julian had spotted a QM across
|
||
the head of the 70m pitch 'Gaffered to the Walls'. This is on the
|
||
edge of the current survey and heading south/southwest direction,
|
||
so Julian's cave detector was off the scale given that this passage
|
||
is also on the main phreatic level of Steinbrucken. Thus Julian and
|
||
I returned to traverse around the right hand wall...</p>
|
||
<p>There are significant ledges and other footholds around for most
|
||
of the way, which is just as well given the variable quality of the
|
||
rock. Starting from the tarvese line by the head of the pitch, we
|
||
climbed up to a large ledge. I bolted ahead while Julian hand
|
||
bolted a backup. After about 10m the ledge runs out and we were
|
||
left hanging on the bolts placed in what limited sound rock we
|
||
could find; hardly ideal placements.</p>
|
||
<p>A pull up onto a muddy ledge brings us to about the halfway
|
||
point. Here a muddy tube slopes up to a mud/sand choke (dry, QM C,
|
||
not drafting noticeably). We put on a few bolts on a ledge, and
|
||
were now on the NW corner of the shaft but not any better able to
|
||
tell if the QM at our objective will go. Incidentally, the ~4
|
||
second drop from the traverse to the bottom of the pitch really
|
||
impresses! We return tomorrow to finish the job.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>21/7/03 -- 204 , 21 Bolt
|
||
Salute -- <u>Earl</u> + Julian
|
||
H -- T/U ??</p>
|
||
<p>More bolt traverse fun! Reached the corner of the shaft and
|
||
climbed into a small slot (hoping this to be a quick way to get to
|
||
the large QM) but although there is a view through boulders, it
|
||
didn't seem to be wise to try and get through. Back out of the slot
|
||
(hmm, kneeling on one's traverse line) and three more bolts bring
|
||
us to a short abseil onto the target QM's boulder slope. Julian
|
||
followed across and we explore where this stoking QM goes ... Main
|
||
way blocked by boulder slope, but a phreatic rift/joint area on the
|
||
left leads upwards with a strong breeze. Following this breeze we
|
||
climbed up for about 6m to where boulders blocked the passage, the
|
||
breeze whistling through a small gap. Julian had a good look and
|
||
declared that there was 'a lot of cave' around here, just we
|
||
couldn't get to it. We may return with a crow bar to proddle the
|
||
boulders a little. We surveyed out, measuring the top of the 70m
|
||
pitch as over 20m.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>
|
||
23/7/03 -- 234 , Hauchhöhle -- <u>
|
||
Julia</u></p>
|
||
<p>Went to have a quick look at the pitch lead in Hauchhöhle. Put a
|
||
bolt in for the hang. There's a friendly-looking ledge not far
|
||
down, looks like you could scout out a good place for a rebelay, as
|
||
rocks seem to fall free from here.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>24/7/03 -- Loser Plateau , Finding tent spaces + surface
|
||
wandering -- <u>Julia</u> + Anthony</p>
|
||
<p>Anthony was buggered following his nails 'ard trip down
|
||
Razordance the previous day. So we festered for some time. At 2pm
|
||
we were just going to leave and so something useful when some folk
|
||
arrived. ARGE were doing a long weekend of prospecting and rekkying
|
||
(almost certainly not spelt like that) <i>[indeed not - editor]</i>
|
||
something further up. Spent some time with them looking for tent
|
||
spaces, then headed for a hole spotted last year near 204c which
|
||
turned out to be tagged 2002-04. Martin had kindly compiled a list
|
||
of all known caves in the area, 2002-04 was nowhere to be found. I
|
||
put a tag in at the pitch head and rigged a ladder. The pitch is
|
||
v.short, only 5 metres or so. Down a slippery climb, the whole
|
||
passage curves round to the left (it's about 3 metres high, wiht
|
||
rocks wedged in at various levels) then stops, a tiny bit of a
|
||
crawl starts but isn't even a Wook lead. To the right is a pitch
|
||
climb of maybe 4/5 m which I didn't drop as Dour had run away. (It
|
||
was raining Ahhh...) Doesn't look very inspiring, but a crawl at
|
||
the bottom might carry on. Collected Dour and we did a surface
|
||
survey back to 204C. At the moment I've no idea where 2002-04 is,
|
||
because 204C has never been linked into the data-set - will go back
|
||
and do an underground survey at some point. Treading on bees
|
||
doesn't help when you're intending to walk up the hill.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>24/7/03 -- 204 , Round Gaffered (Traverse +
|
||
down) + Dutch Beauty squeeze -- Julian H,
|
||
Martin, Earl + <u>Becka</u> -- T/U Martin 8 1/2, Becka 10 1/2, Julian
|
||
8 1/2, Earl 6 1/2 or something like that</p>
|
||
<p>Julian + I in first with new-from-Eisenhof, 50% bigger crowbar
|
||
to prod boulders. Across Gaffered 21-Bolt Traverse (mmm,
|
||
acrobatic), up the boulders, to the top of the tube + looked at the
|
||
boulders. Not much room for manoeuvre, or for a quick escape when
|
||
they start raining on your head. Nevertheless Julian + I alternated
|
||
levering them out (all too easy - some came out even from chucking
|
||
a rock at them) for an hour or two. Bloody cold in the draft.
|
||
Finally got enough out to see that the good-looking way on was just
|
||
a solution pocket whilst the draft was coming from directly above +
|
||
there could be many, many boulders funnelled up there. Decided we'd
|
||
stretched our nerves enough. Out + I de-rigged the traverse. By
|
||
then Earl + Martin had turned up. I then went with Martin rigging
|
||
into Gaffered (we hadn't wanted to start before the traverse was
|
||
derigged as loose stuff kept dropping down the pitch). Rigged the
|
||
70m, the next pitch, the traverse + pitch and finally the eyehole
|
||
pitch so 4 pitches in all with Martin adding extra spits here +
|
||
there to beef up the rigging + avoid dodgy naturals. Meanwhile
|
||
Julian + Earl had been going to look at Pleasuredome for horizontal
|
||
leads but got distracted + ended up finding the squitty squeeze off
|
||
Dutch Beauty which Earl linked up to the end of the 21 Bolt
|
||
Traverse (doh!)</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>25/7/03 -- 204 , Survey Rhino Rift from Dutch
|
||
Beauty -- Julian H +
|
||
<u>Becka</u> -- T/U 10hrs</p>
|
||
<p>Off to survey Earl's link to the end of the 21 Bolt Travese of
|
||
Gaffered. Having squeezed through, discovered there was <u>much</u>
|
||
more cave than Earl had described - yahoo! Julian disappeared off
|
||
for <u>some</u> time + came back very excited. First surveyed up to
|
||
link to 21 Bolt Traverse with Julian doing the squeeze through the
|
||
dodgy boulders onto the loose boulder pile perched on top of
|
||
Gaffer's 70m pitch. He'd missed seeing the passage we'd emerged
|
||
from from the other direction when I asked him about it yesterday,
|
||
because Earl had popped out of a tube just below it which Julian
|
||
thought was what I'd seen. We then continued surveying Rhino Rift
|
||
until we ran out of time. This was supposed to be Julian's las
|
||
caving trip before he went home but he decided he'd have to come
|
||
back tomorrow...</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>26/7/03 -- 204 , Rig Deviated + survey On A
|
||
Mission -- Julian H +
|
||
<u>Becka</u> -- T/U 9 1/2 hrs</p>
|
||
<p>Underground by 10am, ouch. Back through the squeezes of Rhino
|
||
Rift. We'd intended dropping the short pitch at the end of
|
||
yesterday's survey but on the way Julian suggested dropping the
|
||
Deviated Pitch. I wasn't keen, it looked like a modern chamber with
|
||
more pitches but we slung a rope down with dodgy rubs all over. At
|
||
the bottom, as expected, two more pitches, dull - but, a-ha, also a
|
||
walking passage leading off - + bigger round the corner. I went 30m
|
||
to check it went then told Julian to come down. I let him see a
|
||
little bit but the wrestled him away from stoping off down + we
|
||
surveyed in all the way down the main passage. We'd just about run
|
||
out of time at the end when Earl + Martin turned up + en mass we
|
||
jerry-rigged the pitch at the end which Julian shot down before
|
||
Earl had put in the pitch head bolt! He then poked around until
|
||
Earl had rigged it properly then Julian + I had to run out
|
||
[<i>footnote:</i> Fortunately, on the way in, Earl + Martin, being
|
||
well-trained riggers, had fettled Deviated Pitch so it actually did
|
||
deviate and didn't rub] in time for Julian to head down the hill in
|
||
the last of the light, drive Anthony's car down + draw up surveys
|
||
until the wee hours before heading home early the next day.
|
||
Excellent trip.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>27/7/03 -- 204 , Continue surveying in Rhino
|
||
Rift + On a Mission -- Julian Todd +
|
||
<u>Becka</u> -- T/U 9 hours</p>
|
||
<p>First went to the end of the 25/7/03 survey of Rhino Rift +
|
||
continued until we ran out of horizontal + I put a bit (not enough)
|
||
of conservation tape around the mud pretties. Cold. Then down
|
||
Deviated Pitch + showed Julian On A Mission. Surveyed Rat Biscuit
|
||
to frustrating end in drafting boulders (lost most of the draft
|
||
before then though?) Finished up by surveying into Belief (last leg
|
||
<u>before</u> main chamber, in the phreatic passage).</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>28/7/03 -- 204 , On a
|
||
Mission -- Julian Todd, Martin, Tony +
|
||
<u>Becka</u> -- T/U 9 1/2 hrs</p>
|
||
<p>Tying up the last horizontal main leads of On a Mission. Martin
|
||
+ Tony surveyed the chamber at the end of On a Mission whilst
|
||
Julian + I surveyed Swallow Hard, up pretty steeply. All 4 of us
|
||
then tied up the survey in that chamber + looked at the leads
|
||
there. Then did a partner-swap: Martin + I surveyed Crimper - tight
|
||
+ awkward + not much draft but is a reasonable horizontal way on at
|
||
the end, just needs a bit of a clamber, + it's in an interesting
|
||
place. Meanwhile Julian + Tony rigged into Unconformity. Julian,
|
||
Tony + I had a quick look down the pitch before we all headed
|
||
out.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>29/7/03 -- 204 , Rigging + survey down
|
||
Gaffered -- Martin +
|
||
<u>Becka</u> -- T/U 10hrs</p>
|
||
<p>I'd promised Martin I'd go down Gaffered today if he did On a
|
||
Mission yesterday but I wasn't particularly looking forward to it,
|
||
especially as I'd got miserably damp on the 70m last time as it was
|
||
raining on the surface. In the event, though, it was a fine trip to
|
||
a very starnge bit of cave with stunning pretties, best I've seen
|
||
in Austria I think. Down to top of last pitch that Martin + Earl
|
||
had rigged to (on their trip - on 26th or 27th?) <i>[Not written up
|
||
apparently]</i>. I looked at the mud tube (Eeyore) that went off
|
||
from the bridge - it led, after a a short crawl, to a huge chamber.
|
||
We surveyed to it then I left Martin there + went down the final
|
||
pitch into the Underworld + walked around shouting but Martin
|
||
couldn't hear me so that chamber seems to be separate from the
|
||
Underworld despite being so close. Then we went to the end of Earl
|
||
+ Martin's previous survey + rigged down Poohstyx (Mark's name!)
|
||
This dropped 25m in a drippy shaft to end in a flat floor with a v.
|
||
thin rift going off, cold + small stream running. I clambered up
|
||
2-3m up a wall at the bottom of the shaft + looked over - a passage
|
||
continued on down - perhaps not needing rope but looking wet +
|
||
sharp + <u>not at all</u> inviting given how cold I was so we
|
||
consigned it to a B QM and went up the pitch. Martin, ever the keen
|
||
surveyor, then insisted on looking across the top of the pitch -
|
||
and yes, that went too. A cold survey ended in a fine aven
|
||
<i>[There is an asterisk here but apparently the footnote it
|
||
corresponds to was never written.]</i> via some odd, mud-coated
|
||
passage + random lumps of ceiling that had landed on the floor. Oh,
|
||
and bat bones which had been washed donw the cave. All rather
|
||
strange. Had a little time left so Martin pointed out another
|
||
unpromising QM which I climbed up into - which emerged in a
|
||
<u>huge</u> chamber (Sirens) with stunning bright white active
|
||
stalactites, as well as loads of cauliflower and a couple of
|
||
exciting-looking potential QMs as well as the usual dull pitches.
|
||
Finished that survey + I was <u>freezing</u>. Martin fettled the
|
||
rigging a bit on the way out + I'd just about got warm at the top
|
||
of Gaffered.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>30/7/03 -- 204 , Survey down Unconformity + push
|
||
in Rhino Rift -- Julian T +
|
||
<u>Becka</u> -- T/U 7hrs</p>
|
||
<p>Down to where Julian + Tony had finished their Unconformity
|
||
survey yesterday. Julian put in a spit for the pitch/ramp/climp
|
||
down below the <i>[illegible]</i> whilst I poked around. I found a
|
||
tube they'd missed yesterday + crawled past a dead + partially
|
||
<u>calcited</u> bat skeleton into a small chamber (which they'd
|
||
been able to look into from another passage yesterday but they'd
|
||
not been able to climb into). A clamber of ~2.5m up the far side
|
||
got to a bridge overlooking a <u>v. large</u> pitch. This (or the
|
||
chamber itself) was where I'd made a vocal connection to Julian
|
||
when I'd gone up the passage higher up Unconformity which ended in
|
||
sharp limestone + which Julian + Tony had rigged yesterday. We then
|
||
went down the pitch Julian had put a spit in for. At the bottom was
|
||
another pitch and, much more interesting, a possible <u>horizontal
|
||
lead</u> from an easy traverse over the top of that pitch. Surveyed
|
||
out + up the pitch + into the small chamber. In the small chamber I
|
||
climbed up ~3m into the continuation of the bat calcited phreatic
|
||
passage which soon became mud filled. Out, up the Deviated Pitch +
|
||
along Rhino Rift to the pitch where Julian H + I had ended our
|
||
survey on 23/07/03. I put in a spit + down on it + a dodgy natural
|
||
+ 6m + 8m of rope. Just made the floor. A mud crawl with little
|
||
draft let to an uninteresting looking pitch. No time to survey so
|
||
derigged the 8m to put back on the traverse above Deviated + showed
|
||
Julian Swings + Roundabouts so he could take some more photos on
|
||
the way out. Down the hill to <b>showers</b> + bread - oh, +
|
||
inputted at least 750m survey.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>30/7/03 -- 204 , Razor
|
||
Dance -- Frank, Dave +
|
||
<u>Anthony</u> -- T/U Frank ?, Dave + Anthony
|
||
11hrs</p>
|
||
<p>Plan was for me and Frank to go pushing in Razor Dance (my last
|
||
chance for a trip down there before going home). However, Frank had
|
||
a trapped nerve in his back, so Dave got roped in too in case Frank
|
||
had to jack. Dave and Frank went down so that Dave could bolt the
|
||
pitch at the pushing front under supervision. I followed 1/2 hr
|
||
later to find the y-hang almost rigged. Frank headed out at this
|
||
point to test his fitness, whilst Dave put in a deviation and
|
||
descended what turned out to be an 18m pitch. Dave inadvertently
|
||
dunked the drill in a puddle at the bottom, and the battery
|
||
promptly started discharging itself. Attempted to start surveying,
|
||
but the clin was terminally fogged. Faced with the prospect of
|
||
total gear failure, we went for a quick push. From the bottom of
|
||
the pitch a rift heads off - similar dimensions to that higher up,
|
||
but the rock is less catchy (have we moved into a different bed?)
|
||
eventually reaching a pitch. By the time we got back to the bottom
|
||
of the pitch the clino still wasn't working, so we dragged the rope
|
||
and bolting gear off to the new pitch. There was enough life in the
|
||
battery to get 3 bolts in for a descent of ~10m. Dave was freezing
|
||
his nuts off by now, so I went on for a quick look at the next bit.
|
||
More rift leads to a bit where the water goes down a very narrow
|
||
bit. It might be possible to follow it, but it seems foolish given
|
||
that there is a comfortably wide section higher up. I followed this
|
||
to a widening - couldn't see round the corner but some rope will be
|
||
required, either to descend to stream level or protect a bad steop
|
||
if the traverse level continues.</p>
|
||
<p>With that we pottered sedately out. Thanks to Frank & Dave
|
||
for accompanying me down Razor Dance when they would clearly rather
|
||
have been somewhere else.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>29/7/03 -- Cave 2002-04 , 2004-04 = Tröpfelnhöhle
|
||
(Dripping Cave) -- <u>Julia</u>,
|
||
Anthony -- T/U ??</p>
|
||
<p>Did a surface survey to link 204C tag bolt in, then went to
|
||
survey Tröpfelnhöhle (so called because the surveyors got
|
||
thoroughly dirpped on in their dry (ha!) grots). Chucked a ladder
|
||
down it, this was just long enough to get down the 4m pitch at the
|
||
bottom, there are a couple of small passages off the bottom of this
|
||
pitch which are full of rocks. That's it really.</p>
|
||
<p><i>[In different colour pen and noticeably less
|
||
legible]</i>There might be giants, or worse!</p>
|
||
<p>I should do more caving, caving is nice, but I never quite get
|
||
round to it. I want to go to Hauchhöhle and nobody else does
|
||
everybody likes pitches.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>1/8/03 -- Loser Plateau , Left Tatty Hut after Expo Dinner
|
||
at 5.55 am. -- <u>Mark S</u>, Frank, Olly M -- Time underwater: Julia,
|
||
Martin, Dave 10sec.</p>
|
||
<p>"The survivors</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>31/7/03 -- Loser Plateau , Surface
|
||
wander -- Earl, <u>Dave</u>,
|
||
Olly -- T/U Not very much</p>
|
||
<p>Walked to 204d. Pottered around a bit, took some photos; had a
|
||
look at a small nearby cave which has a window to the 204d
|
||
shakehole.</p>
|
||
<p>Mark had messaged up from base camp the bearing + distance from
|
||
204d to the position of the end of a passage he, Earl + Olly had
|
||
found the previous day in On a Mission. This took us to a gully
|
||
leading down to a huge choss bowl.</p>
|
||
<p>We split up + poked around a bit in the bowl. I found a small
|
||
slot with a slight draft; Olly succeeded in wedgeing himself down
|
||
it and reported that there was a pitch beyond with a 1 sec drop but
|
||
he couldn't see beyond this as the light he had borrowed (mine) was
|
||
too feeble.</p>
|
||
<p>This was eclipsed by Olly's discovery - a large entrance, choked
|
||
after a few metres but with a slot on the right. The slot was low
|
||
and blocked by pebbles; but a howling gale was emerging. Some
|
||
moving of rock later Olly (the thinnest member of the party) forced
|
||
himself in, reporting a walking size passage beyond, which was not
|
||
explored due to lack of time + gear. Based on the strength of the
|
||
draft Earl offered to stake a crate of Gösser it would connect to
|
||
204.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>4/8/03 -- Loser Plateau , The walk back from top camp
|
||
without using a helicopter. -- <u>Julian T</u>
|
||
+Becka, Martin, Earl -- T/U N/A</p>
|
||
<p>Arrived at top camp on 2/8 early walk up all excited, and had a
|
||
slip-up on the slab below the cooling rock in the stone bridge. It
|
||
didn't hurt, but I had a lie down. Then I got up and it hurt like
|
||
hell. Like a piece of razor wire had been substituted for a tendon
|
||
between my lower back and right knee. If I could just get around
|
||
without it flexing and slicing through my flesh, it was bearable.
|
||
But most movements caused pain that amost heated up the region and
|
||
made my left thumb go numb due to neurological noise across the
|
||
regions of the humunculus (brain area that has the body map). <i>[I
|
||
have no idea whether or not he is making this up - editor.]</i> So
|
||
I didn't go caving. I sat on the slabs the whole day happy when not
|
||
moving because it didn't hurt. Often I thought I was cured, only to
|
||
have to get up for a pee and scream with each step. On Day 2 I
|
||
could move a little bit more. The pain intensity was the same but
|
||
the barrier was a little further away so I was more mobile. Since I
|
||
wasn't dead it was probably not a ruptured spleen. It just hurt
|
||
like an inaccessible splinter. The sun beat down on the carrymat
|
||
over my head. I sat like a cripple and was driven insane by the
|
||
inefficiency of team fester who didn't get a move on and leave me
|
||
in peace until 4.30pm. Man! <i>[As a member of 'team fester' I
|
||
should point out that I hadn't got out of the cave the previous day
|
||
until 4.50am and was possibly more knackered than I have ever been
|
||
in my life before. - DL (editor)]</i> Meanwhile Earl + Becka were
|
||
doing lots of wonderful caving, discovering lots of stuff and doing
|
||
useful work. Becka's going to marry Earl if I don't pull myself
|
||
together. I climbed into bed after it got dark, after team fester
|
||
had left all the litter all over the slabs until it was dary so
|
||
they couldn't see it and therefore couldn't clear it up. In the
|
||
morning I was still sore. I was not going to spend another day like
|
||
this, like a refugee cowering under a scrap of cardboard waiting
|
||
for food handouts and for someone to care, just happy to be alive.
|
||
So while everyone was discussing stretchering me off (not possible)
|
||
or calling a helicopter (last resort) I drifted off to the path to
|
||
the derision of people observing how long it was <u>taking</u> me
|
||
to get out of sight. Once out of earshot I could howl, which helped
|
||
overcome the pain (I've always been a crybaby). Becka joined me
|
||
later, carrying my pack. It was better if she walked separately so
|
||
I could pick my pace, stopping for refueling stops. Martin arrived
|
||
from base camp and we headed for the Bergrestaurant. Earl followed
|
||
after an hour and drove us all down. I haven't experienced pain of
|
||
this sort in a while. I've learnt my lesson. I hope it gets better.
|
||
I just want to go home and not get carted off to some pill-pusher
|
||
for some pointless ointment. Get me out of here.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>2/8/03 -- 204 , Rhino Rift
|
||
Fester -- Earl, <u>Becka</u>, Dave +
|
||
Frank -- T/U Dave ?6, Frank ?8, Becka + Earl
|
||
10.</p>
|
||
<p>Me down 204E with Frank + showed him Treeumphant + Swings +
|
||
Roundabouts on a quick tourist then Earl + Dave caught up with us
|
||
at the Taking the Piss / Deviated pitches. To the chamber at the
|
||
end of On a Mission + continued Mark + Earl's survey in What No
|
||
Butcombe through various loops. [<i>footnote:</i> Notes for this
|
||
are in file #24 but not yet drawn up as I am going home tomorrow
|
||
and THE FUCKING BLOODY PRINTER ISN'T WORKING so I don't have a
|
||
centreline - DL]. I showed Dave the way out whilst Frank + Earl
|
||
finished surveying. We then derigged everything at the end + Frank
|
||
headed out. Earl + I then went down Unconformity. Earl snooted at
|
||
Julian + my rigging then put in one measly bolt with his drill to
|
||
get across the traverse at the bottom of our last pitch. Pitch
|
||
itself q. short, only ~10m, but this is only a ledge + the pitch
|
||
continues. Over the traverse is another 20 or 30m horizontal with
|
||
holes in the floor + possible QMs up. Needs surveying but we had to
|
||
get out as our time was up.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>3/8/03 -- 204 , Gaffered / Underworld push,
|
||
survey + derig -- <u>Becka</u> +
|
||
Earl -- T/U 10hrs</p>
|
||
<p>Tempted Earl down [<i>Comment, in what looks like Mark's
|
||
handwriting:</i> ooh err!] with promise of long bolted traverses
|
||
across Sirens. Unfortunately he managed to do it all on naturals
|
||
(<u>why</u> do we bother with drills?) (Mind you, Earl was eyeing
|
||
up the <u>v. long</u> traverse to the opposite side of the chamber
|
||
where it looks like another phreatic passage may head off.) Popped
|
||
over + it looked like it went - again - so we settled down for a
|
||
long survey. Strong draft throughout most of the area. Straight on
|
||
from the traverse, through the bracket-fungus rift gets to a
|
||
convenient ledge behind a column overlooking what looked v.like the
|
||
shaft we'd finished our survey on (Martin + me, 29/7/03, see in
|
||
write-up). Earl rigged another traverse line on naturals along this
|
||
ledge (superfluous?) + we kept surveying up the slope beyond. Ran
|
||
out of time with plenty of horizontal QMs - Earl frustrated as we
|
||
could have stomped around everywhere if we didn't have to wait for
|
||
him to draw his damn pictures. V. odd little pool filled with
|
||
?mud/?calcite which we didn't survey to the end. Plenty to go back
|
||
to next year - a whole new phreatic level? Derigged; I got 2 bags
|
||
out + Earl got the remaining 2 bags tied to the bottom of the 70m
|
||
Gaffered pitch. Another v. fine trip.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>5/8/03 -- 204 , Derigging
|
||
Razordance -- Earl, Frank +
|
||
Becka -- T/U 6hrs Frank + Becka, 7hrs
|
||
Earl.</p>
|
||
<p>My last chance to go caving so I persuaded Frank I'd be useful
|
||
derigging if he could drive me down the hill in time for my train
|
||
for my flight. Dave + Mark had left 3 tacklesacks at the top of
|
||
Mystery Wind. Got there + decided the big yellow monster wasn't
|
||
going anywhere + rebagged it in a sensible bag then double-bagged
|
||
the drill bag which had holes all in the bottom. Good team effort
|
||
through the rift then a sociable prusik out. 2 hours down pitch
|
||
series, 3 hours in + out of rifts of Razordance + packing rope +
|
||
derigging + 2 hours out; a v.fine, spanking trip. Then down the
|
||
hill to Gösser + bread + cheese.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>30/7/03 -- Base Camp , Grabenbach Canyon -- Martin, Brian,
|
||
<u>Julian T</u></p>
|
||
<p>(Dinner day) Grabenbach canyon. We did it. It rained on the way down and we
|
||
made it back to the dinner with 1 minute to spare. Here's the
|
||
survey.</p>
|
||
<div class="centre"><img src="grabenbach.jpg" /></div>
|
||
<p>Walk up: 45mins. Canyon down: 3hrs 30.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>4/8/03 -- 204 , Razordance attempted
|
||
derig -- Mark, <u>Dave</u></p>
|
||
<p>T/U: Dave 15 1/2 hrs (1.20pm - 4.50 am); Mark 14hrs (1.20 - 3.15
|
||
approx)</p>
|
||
<p>Surveyed from the bottom of Copper Pitch to pushing front,
|
||
ending at a plumb of the local widening discovered by Dour on the
|
||
previous push. This task was enlivened by Mark suddenly discovering
|
||
an <u>urgent</u> need to have a crap, which led to him relieving
|
||
himself wile squatting half-naked over the top of a 10m pitch.
|
||
[<i>Margin note:</i>Bloody spicy food! - M.]</p>
|
||
<p>Then the derig began, shepherding Big Bertha (Marc Hesse's
|
||
enormous yellow tackle sack, engorged with the remains of our 200m
|
||
pushing rope) out of Razordance. Much cursing + swearing got us
|
||
from Yeast to Copper. Copper was an easy haul, as was Mash Tun. We
|
||
stopped at God Loves a Drunk to sample a self-heating meal.
|
||
Unfortunately after waiting 12min it was still stone cold - waste
|
||
of a fiver. (One incident worth noting occured as I derigged Yeast.
|
||
It's rigged with a rebelay just below the pitch head; after
|
||
removing this I swung sideways into the line of fire, and a
|
||
mysterious brown stain appeared on the stain of my oversuit.)</p>
|
||
|
||
<p>As we slogged from GLAD to Steady Now we were both flagging
|
||
noticeably, and the effort required to get the sacks through the
|
||
tube in the roof below Mystery Wind took a lot out of us. By the
|
||
time I had hauled two heavy tackle sacks up to the Crow's Nest in
|
||
the Armstrong fashion I was thoroughly broken, as was Mark, and we
|
||
decided to dump the bags and head out. Not surprisingly I ran out
|
||
of steam on Kiwi Suit and crawled slowly up the remaining pitches
|
||
to emerge at nearly 5am. I was greeted by an enthusiastic Mark
|
||
reporting that 204 had overtaken Eislufthöhle as the deepest cave
|
||
not connected to the main system, at over 500m deep.</p>
|
||
|
||
<p><u>Mark</u>: Worth noting for the future that you <u>really</u>
|
||
need more people than this to derig Razordance, even for the lower
|
||
parts of it if anything else has to be done on the same trip. We
|
||
probably pushed ourselves too far on this trip.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>6/8/03 -- 204 , Kiwi Suit + Ariston
|
||
derig -- <u>Mark</u>,
|
||
Martin -- T/U 7 hours</p>
|
||
<p>Went splendidly. Ropes tied together in "paella" style and
|
||
hauled up pitches etc, which generally worked very well. Left all
|
||
the rope at the bottom of Wolpertinger for later collection - what
|
||
a big pile!</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>3/8/03 -- Loser Plateau , Festering +
|
||
surveying -- <u>Dave</u>,
|
||
Frank -- T/U 1hr ish</p>
|
||
<p>Surface surveyed to 2003-04, Dreieckhöhle (Triangle cave) &
|
||
did a quick underground survey. Interesting place, full of boulders
|
||
but with a strong inward draught.</p>
|
||
<p>Later on (after lunch) did a surface survey to 2003-03,
|
||
Kartoffelbreischacht (Mashed Potato Shaft). Unfortunately I seem to
|
||
have mis-recorded some survey legs as the whole survey makes no
|
||
sense at all. Frank has volunteered to do this again.</p>
|
||
<p>[<i>Note in margin, Olly's handwriting:</i> But he didn't. O.
|
||
(Under direction from der Fuhrer (M))) (always close bracket.]</p>
|
||
<p>Notes for this are in file 2003#23.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>2/8/03 -- Cave 2003-09 , Exploring + Surveying Olly's
|
||
Höhle (2003-09) -- <u>Olly</u>,
|
||
Mark -- T/U 4hrs</p>
|
||
<p>Went to look at hole I discovered with Dave and Earl before the
|
||
dinner. It blows very hard, so we thought it must go somewhere.
|
||
Surface surveyed to 204d first, then we crawled into the passage on
|
||
the right of the entrance, where the draught was coming from. (Earl
|
||
and I had previously cleared rocks from it to allow entry.) After a
|
||
crawl the passage opens up with scatterings of ice and snow. A
|
||
passage goes up to the left as the main way on turns a corner. It
|
||
enters a large (> 10m diameter) chamber with an ice floor, and
|
||
an ice stal on the floor. There is some passage with dodgy boulders
|
||
to the right, but the draught comes from a very dodgy boulder slope
|
||
on the left (reached by climbing round the edge of the ice). Might
|
||
be worth poking, but it's quite unstable. We looked up the passage
|
||
on the left but it doesn't seem to go anywhere. (Maybe a tightish
|
||
meander in the floor might go (blows outwards a bit), but awkward
|
||
to enter. QM C.) About 100m of survey in total.</p>
|
||
|
||
<p><i>[Long list of stuff left in supply dump at the end of
|
||
Expo]</i></p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>10/8/03 -- 204 , 204a
|
||
derig -- <u>Mark</u>,
|
||
Lucia -- T/U 2hrs</p>
|
||
<p>Went to check 5m pitch at top of Ariston to ensure it was
|
||
derigged. It was, so we went out again derigging as we went.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>9/8/03 -- Base Camp , Searching for an
|
||
Alm -- <u>Mark</u>, Olly</p>
|
||
<p>Idea was to find the alm visible from the stone bridge (and much
|
||
of the walk-in) - obvious large grassy patch in a saddle between
|
||
two hills. Bearing from the stone bridge was 250degrees.</p>
|
||
<p>Initial reckonings were that the alm was Hinterer Sandlingalm,
|
||
also known as Pitzingalm. We went first by road to Bad Ischl, and
|
||
tried to get access to the alm without a long walk. Unfortunately
|
||
the way from near Rettenbachalm (the place which is probably the
|
||
source of the two close-together lights visible at night from the
|
||
stone bridge) was blocked by a locked barrier at the foot of the
|
||
Grabenbach valley. We also tried access from [<i>illegible</i>] but
|
||
the road said "residents only" and we went back - would have been a
|
||
very long way round anyway.</p>
|
||
<p>Went back to Altaussee to try access from the head of the salt
|
||
mine road. You drive up the road to a large car park, then continue
|
||
(up the Forststrasse) to the prominent left bend visible on the
|
||
map, where there is a wooden building on the right and some old
|
||
cart rails. (Started walking at 4.30pm.) Path leads off uphill,
|
||
after some while crossing a ski run, to arrive at Sandlingalm. Just
|
||
above the huts, a path to the right (signed Pitzingalm & marked
|
||
with single red stripes on the trees) diverges from the main path
|
||
(marked with the usual Austrian markers). Following the new path
|
||
downhill through the woods emerges at a grassy area - turning left
|
||
and following the path over logs placed across bogs leads to
|
||
Pitzingalm, and a junction to the right with another main path.</p>
|
||
<p>Now, unfortunately by this time it was obvious that Pitzingalm
|
||
was not the correct place, as there was no view of the
|
||
Schwarzmooskogel ridge. Arse. Next we walked to Pitzingmoos on the
|
||
main path, but this was obviously not the correct place either.
|
||
Mark suggested thrashing westwards [<i>No, I don't know why he's
|
||
talking about himself in the third person either - editor</i>] in
|
||
the trees (actually easy) as it looked more open up there. This
|
||
soon hit a much bigger track which we identified on the map,
|
||
dropping to a point with a quarried (?) section on a corner. (Again
|
||
this is marked on the map.)</p>
|
||
<p>Consulting the map, we identified H<>tteneckalm as a next
|
||
possible target. We actually soon saw this alm, from our newfound
|
||
path, and it was immediately obvious that it was the intended
|
||
destination. However, it was not obvious as to how to reach it.
|
||
Despite it being a relatively small horizontal distance away - and
|
||
not very much higher than us - a big stream valley was in the way.
|
||
The alternative route would have been to go back to Pitzingalm and
|
||
then to H<>ttenbachalm via the Lambacherh<72>tte path (201). However,
|
||
the latter was too far - it being nearly 6pm - so we decided to
|
||
descend down the current path and then thrash directly up a stream
|
||
(!) (Mark's idea - Olly) which would then lead directly to
|
||
H<EFBFBD>tteneckalm. Thankfully common sense got the better of us, and
|
||
when we spotted a path on the other (south) side of the stream
|
||
which we were descending towards, we followed it - despite the map
|
||
showing it ending some way from our destination. However, from that
|
||
point it didn't look on the map to be too much further to the Aml -
|
||
at least the path would gain us most of the height.</p>
|
||
<p>Anyway, we soon reached the end of the path. Two tiny cairns
|
||
heralded the way on - a tiny path which continued for what seemed
|
||
like ages. Some thrasing through greenery and assorted undergrowth
|
||
was required (no bunde tho' !) - but the "path" did eventually pop
|
||
us out at the bottom of the Alm at about 7pm or so. We were
|
||
knackered. Just as well we hadn't tried climbing up the original
|
||
stream valley - looked very steep.</p>
|
||
<p>So, there we were on the Alm. Slogged up it to arrive at an area
|
||
of felled/burnt trees, with (finally) the elusive view of the
|
||
Schwarzmooskogel ridge we had wanted. (Photos on Expo website.)
|
||
Looks a long way away and somewhat unremarkably flat - the most
|
||
striking thing is the distances between the Nieder
|
||
Augst-Eck/Griesskogel/Wildkogel etc, which is revealed far better
|
||
from this angle.</p>
|
||
<p>Anyway, there we were having walked for ages with no easy way
|
||
back to the van and under 2 hours of daylight left. Error! We'd
|
||
thought that we were in for an easy walk and thus didn't have any
|
||
lights.</p>
|
||
<p>The options were two: either to return down the tiny path,
|
||
thence go (up!) to Pitzingalm and back the way we had come
|
||
originally to that point. Alternatively, we could go on the main
|
||
path to the Lambacher H<>tte, thence to Vorderer Sandlingalm and
|
||
then to Sandlingalm, to rejoin the route we'd come on at the
|
||
junction where we had previously turned off to Pitzingalm.</p>
|
||
<p>Given the situation we decided on this second option, as it
|
||
would keep us on major paths. We headed to the top of H<>tteneckalm
|
||
to start off. There, we found a couple of huts and a Gasthof(!) -
|
||
plus several cars. There were many merry people being amused
|
||
outside the Gasthof by a gentleman in some weird garb which I
|
||
didn't quite understand. Given the cars, we resolved to return on
|
||
another occasion by road if possible - drinking bier up there would
|
||
be entertaining adn the place also has FANTASTIC views of the
|
||
Dachstein range. Would be well worth photographing, when the sun's
|
||
in the right direction (early morning maybe? not sure).</p>
|
||
<p>And so we set off, climbing to reach the Lambacherh<72>tte after
|
||
quite a lot of path. Took about 50 minutes. Still light. Continued
|
||
down to Vorderer Sandlingalm, by which time a sunset was starting -
|
||
nice clouds in the sky (see photo on website). From here, the path
|
||
was thankfully easy until Sandlingalm. By this time light was
|
||
fading and it was hard to see in the trees - in the open a
|
||
nearly-full moon helped a lot.</p>
|
||
<p>We definitely set off from this Alm on the correct path, but by
|
||
now it was dark and Mark's misremembering of the position of a
|
||
junction (thought to be later than it was) contributed to us losing
|
||
the marked path (Olly was convinced we were still on the correct
|
||
path, but Mark wasn't sure). Anyway, we emerged at the top of the
|
||
aforementioned skirun instead of halfway up it, as we should have.
|
||
Descended the skirun to the correct path, thankfully obvious.
|
||
Sometime about now Olly discovered that his digital camera could
|
||
give quite a lot of light, so we kept that in reserve - saving
|
||
batteries and not disturbing our night vision. Mark rang Base Camp
|
||
sometime about now on his mobile, in case someone had come down the
|
||
hill during the day and was now worrying about us. However, it
|
||
turns out that we'd accidentally taken the keys to the spud hut
|
||
with us (precautions against Romany nicking things at Base Camp) -
|
||
they were languishing in the van! Turns out that Earl + Frank
|
||
<u>had</u> come down the hill & couldn't get into the spud hut.
|
||
Since we'd had to take Frank's tent down earlier in the day, as the
|
||
gypsies had slashed it and Hilde wanted it moved (the gypsies had
|
||
claimed it was in the way of them oving their caravans, when Hilde
|
||
asked them to move the caravans so as to accomodate more guests),
|
||
then he didn't have anything to sleep in. They didn't want to
|
||
disturb Hilde and so went back up the hill - already late, they
|
||
were delayed even more by a bottle of squash exploding in Frank's
|
||
car and needing to be cleaned up. They ended up walking in the
|
||
dark, presumably without lights. Meanwhile, we were also walking in
|
||
the dark. Progress was slow but steady - it was hard to see the
|
||
rocks, pipes, roots, trees and assorted obstacles along the way
|
||
with only a hint of moonlight to guide us.</p>
|
||
<p>However, courage prevailed. No wild animals were encountered and
|
||
we didn't hurt ourselves. Reached the track near the end of the
|
||
walk, where the normal route would be to continue down the hillside
|
||
on the other side of the track to the parking space. However this
|
||
would have meant more walking down very dark, steep sections and so
|
||
we took the main road/track back to the van - a lot further but
|
||
safer and easier.</p>
|
||
<p>We reached the van at 10.10pm, a little spaced out. Ate a
|
||
Tunnocks and then fucked off to Base Camp to get pissed.</p>
|
||
<hr />
|
||
<p>9/8/03 -- Base Camp , Searching for an Alm (Abridged)
|
||
(Olly's Pissed Rant) -- Mark, <u>Olly</u></p>
|
||
<p>Once upon a time two cavers got pissed. "Wouldn't it be a good
|
||
idea to walk up a hill which we have no idea where it is or what
|
||
it's called?" said Mark. "Um. Gurgle gurgle hic hic" said Olly. And
|
||
it came to pass that we did awake the next morning ato the scorch
|
||
of the sun and the scurry of ants, and after recovering from the
|
||
previous night's excesses we needed something to take our minds off
|
||
the dawning headaches. And with a vague recollection of the
|
||
previous night's conversation, a compass bearing and a map kindly
|
||
lent by Hilde we set off on what would become an epic journey (and
|
||
writeup - see previous). Caving is shit. Getting lost in a wood is
|
||
worse. We walked for fucking ages, took a few pictures and buggered
|
||
off into the fading light. It got <u>dark</u>. Fucking light.
|
||
Bollocks. We got lost. Mark had locked our potential rescuers out
|
||
of the spud hut. Bollocks! But we finally made it. (You probably
|
||
guessed, dead people rarely write pissed rants in the log book.)
|
||
Gösser is good stuff. Drink more! 2 crates and less than 2 days.
|
||
Well, I've done my bit tonight. Wonder what comments Mark will make
|
||
to this. Winning the beer tally (Mark) bastard! On the spot Gösser
|
||
fines for limo aren't clearing it fast enough. This was supposed to
|
||
be abridged and it fucking is! Stop complaining you cunts. Mark's
|
||
is fucking pages long. You could have stopped reading it if you
|
||
were bored. Frank goes to bed. Fucking lightweight. Gösser
|
||
braumeister says fuck off!</p>
|
||
</body>
|
||
</html>
|