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<title>2000: Logbook</title>
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<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../css/main2.css" />
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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="#id2000-204-1">to
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the caving</a>!
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<hr />
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<p>2000.07.15-16
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<p>The Incredible Journey
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<u>Duncan</u> Earl Mark B
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<p>Up at 6.30 am. Finished packing. Drive to Sheffield (<u>north</u> from
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Chesterfield, grrr...) to pick up Mark, then down to Cambridge to fettle the
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trailer. Much banging, spannering, socket setting and angle grindering on
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Wook's new driveway later and we gave up with the intended fettle half done
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as it was going to be far too hard.
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<p>Went to the tackle store to pack. Humungous amount of shit, so Earl + I
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ran away to get more shit from Earl's house, leaving Mark to pack the
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trailer. Returned to find the trailer FULL, packed with a mountain of shit
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rising high above the level of the sides of the trailer. Unfortunately, there
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was still one and a half times as much stuff lying on the ground waiting to
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be packed.
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<p>Advanced trailer packing methods were clearly required so we constructed a
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palisade of full tackle sacks standing upright round the edge of the trailer,
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and then filled up the space in the middle, making a mound which rose up well
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above the height of the tackle bags (there should be a photo of this
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somewhere). Got Mark to perch on the edge of the back seat of the car, and
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stuffed gear in beyond him right up to the roof. Eventually <u>everything</u>
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was packed except one bag of onions (Earl + Mark both refused to have a bag
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of onions on their lap), and the connector for the lights on the trailer were
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less than 2 inches off the ground.
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<p>En-route to Dover, Mark realised that his passport was in a bag which we
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had carefully packed into the trailer. Fquit #1. Then Earl found the
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Tacklestore keys in his pocket. Fquit #2. So in Dover we had some
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Chish'n'fips and then team Einstein opened the trailer to rescue Mark's
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passport, then rang up Caius p'lodge to explain where the keys were, and
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posted them back.
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<p>Mark and Earl both enjoyed 15½ hours of driving across Europe; Earl
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couldn't move his feet and Mark couldn't move anything (in a traffic jam, we
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spotted some Germans pointing out Mark's face pressed against the window, and
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laughing), but did get to know whenever I used the indicators, as the buzzer
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was just behind his head.
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<p>Eventually we arrived and everything was alright. The plug on the trailer
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lights were only a bit ground down due to scraping on the
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<span lang="de">autobahn</span>. Into the <span lang="de">Gasthof</span> for
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<span lang="de">Schnapps,</span> food + bier, which did its stuff. Later we
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went back to the <span lang="de">Gasthof</span> again for a sesh, during the
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course of which I lost the ability to stand up and staggered around, to
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everyone's amusement, eventually falling over in the middle of the room.
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<hr />
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<p>2000.07.14-15 Phil U Si Lee
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<p>The Fantastic Fiesta rides south !
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<p>Drove from Lancs down to Cambridge, leaving at 1830, arriving 2230. Off to
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Tacklestore to be met with a huge pile of shite, destined for my car, which
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was clearly larger than the car itself. Standard unpack everything, and shove
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it back in carefully. Roof box fully loaded, requiring two people to close it
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while I locked it. A sound of muted creakings followed.
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<p>Drove down to Dover, and caught the 0245 ferry. Kipped for a bit, and
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drove to Hilda's.
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<p>Journey unremarkable bar -<br>
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a) Looney German driving<br>
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b) Phil's looney driving (didn't notice caravan)<br>
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c) Si's looney driving (couldn't decide whether to go off
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<span lang="de">autobahn</span> or not, so
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compromised, and aimed for the dividing bit).
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<p>All in all, a fairly dull journey.
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<hr />
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<p>15th July 2000 Mark S, Martin fly to Expo.
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<p>Left central Cambridge at 05.15 on Saturday for Stansted. Good flight to
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Munich (Lufthansa, £84 return) & took bus to Munich rail station
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(25km from airport!) Arrival in Munich delayed us & we thought we'd
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missed the early train - but it was an hour late and so on we jumped! Got to
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<span lang="de-at">Bad Aussee</span> via <span lang="de-at">Salzburg</span>
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& <span lang="de-at">Attnang Pucheim</span> at 7pm. [~£30 quid
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return Munich <-> <span lang="de-at">Bad Aussee].</span> Jumped on the
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last bus 7.05 and arrived at the door of <span lang="de-at">Gasthof
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Staud'nwirt</span> at 7.15. Put up tent, inspected Potato hut and retired to
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Hilde's for a fantastic meal of smoked pork ribs,
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<span lang="de">sauerkraut</span> and <span lang="de">knödel.</span> Oh,
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much <span lang="de-at">Gösser</span> was supped too. Met Phil + Si Lee
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when they arrived and drunk more <span lang="de-at">Gösser.</span> Got
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pissed. Went to bed. (25 <span lang="de-at">Gössers</span> drunk).
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<hr />
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<p>Sun 16th <u>Mark S</u> + others
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<p>Dunks + Earl + Mark roll up in the afternoon. Went and drunk <span
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lang="de-at">Gösser</span> in Hilde's, ate more spare ribs. Drunk more
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<span lang="de-at">Gösser.</span> Dunks was knackered so we left, but
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returned later to sup more. Dunks was wasted and failed to tell a (probably
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awful!) joke, and fell over an air conditioning unit. Once again we all got
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pissed and went to bed.
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<hr />
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<p>Tue 18th Taty hut fester. <u>Various</u>
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<p>Well, right now most have gone to bed. Phil U is face down on the table.
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Mark B has just sliced his hand open trying to open a
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<span lang="de-at">Gösser</span> with another bottle, and MarkS has got
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peanut butter all over his trousers. Duncan (your scribe) is surprisingly
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conducting himself with considerable decorum.
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<p>PS. Mark B is OK, now that he has had his hand plastered by the equally
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plastered Phil, supposedly Dr. Phil. Hopefully I can go caving tomorrow.
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Mark.
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<hr />
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<p>Wed 19th Piss up. Again. Duncan, Si², Mark², Earl, Phil, Martin
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<p>Had several <span lang="de-at">Gössers</span> and then wobbled across
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the road to ask about the fridge and sample some schnapps. Couldn't decide
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which schnapps to try so we had one of each (large ones!) all round. Yum.
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Then Hilde gave us a big mug of <span lang="de-at">Jagetee,</span> which had
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such alcoholic vapours rising from it that it could be lit. Polished off the
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schnapps and <span lang="de-at">Jagetee,</span> then hit the
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<span lang="de-at">Gössers.</span> Back to the Taty hut for more. I gave
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up early and went to bed, but the inebriated revelry carried on until 5:30
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am.
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<p>N.B. we need to remember to pick up the bill. And ask about the fridge....
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<hr />
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<p>Thu 20th Estimated number of beers supped: 176 (about 20 gallons = 2
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barrels)
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<hr />
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<p><b><a id="id2000-204-1">Friday 21st July</a> -
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<span lang="de">Steinbrückenhöhle.</span>
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<u>Duncan,</u> Si F, Martin</b>
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<p>Went to rig <span lang="de">Steinbrückenhöhle.</span> Had enough
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rope to rig most of the cave. Found much more snow at the foot of 1st pitch -
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massive snow slope leading down to head of 2nd, burying the spits. 2nd pitch
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appears to be several metres shorter than last year, and it looked unlikely
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that there would be any way on at the bottom. Looked at the traverse to the
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right, and figured that it would probably be easy with the drill. Bolts
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placed for the traverse would also allow a descent of the second so figured
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there was no point expending effort digging out the existing bolts or placing
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new ones, so left.
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<p>Remembered a hole I'd noticed last year about 10m away from 204b. Went to
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have a look.
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<p align="right">TU ½ hour
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<p>Thought that we might get lucky and find a way into 204. Didn't, but found
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a pleasant little cave. Explored + surveyed perhaps 70m, with a handful of
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uninspiring QMs left for tomorrow....
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<p align="right">TU 5 hour (?)
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<hr />Saturday 22nd July Duncan, Si L
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<span lang="de">Tranngoldhöhle</span>
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<p>Went to worry a boulder that was blocking a draughting crawl heading
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towards 204. Initially acting alone, I pulled out all the gravel and small
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rocks around the boulder in question to find a small rock chocking it in
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place. Wiggled the chockstone until it came out, which allowed the boulder to
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be rocked. Repeatedly rocked the boulder back, scraping out gravel from
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beneath it before dropping the rock back down. Thus was the boulder gradually
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lowered to allow a squeeze over the top which I didn't fancy attempting
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without some backup.
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<p>Went in search of folks to come play. Found a surveying party, and stole
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Si L. Mendip las Si shot through the squeeze like a greased weasel. There was
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an alcove on the other side and between us we manoeuvred the boulder into it
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to clear the way. Down a climb, then a very loose tube at 45 degrees and
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another two climbs down led to a solid choke. Daylight was visible above the
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45 degree choss tube, and we climbed out to the surface. Also connected
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another branch of the cave to the stone bridge after which
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<span lang="de">Steinbrücken</span> is named, via the hole in the
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boulder floor.
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<p align="right">TU 3 hours (?)
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<hr />
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<p><b>Sunday 23rd July - Eishole Olly, <u>Dave H,</u> Fay, Martin</b>
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<p>Walked to Eishole with our kit, set off rather late in the afternoon so it
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was getting rather dark when we found a cave to dump our kit. Did a bit of
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Bunde bashing to find the main Eishole entrance. Followed a marked path to
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within a few hundred metres of the Top Camp path. At this point got very lost
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and spent several hours Bunde bashing to get to the path.
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<hr />
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<p>21-24th July <u>Julia,</u> Anthony drive to Expo
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<p>Left Durham on Friday afternoon, drove for a couple of minutes, then
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realised we were minus one European Road Atlas. Doh! Fetched that and drove
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to Anthony's house. Watched his sister get married, drank wine, drank
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champagne(?), ate lots of party food. Later, ate more food + drank Black
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Sheep, then went home + drank Bunny. The next morning, Anthony drove to
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Austria...
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<p>Lots of tedious traffic near London, but made it to Dover in time to catch
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an earlier ferry (9.30). Kipped out somewhere in Belgium. Got up and drive
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here. That's it really. There was a bit of an error at a German petrol
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station, where Anthony told me to get DM 250 out of a cash machine "just to
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see if my card worked" before realising that he meant a slightly smaller
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number of marks, meaning me to get a tenner out of the cash point, rather
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than 100 quid! Anyone need any <span lang="de">Deutsch marks</span> ?
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<hr />
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<p><a id="id2000-204-2"><b>Thur 27 July
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<span lang="de">Steinbrückenhöhle</span> <u>Dunks,</u>
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Anthony</b></a>
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<p>Had sesh in taty hut night before. Awoke early, breakfasted and went up
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the hill with drill and battery. Had had problems with battery - when we
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tested it out the previous day, it was utterly dead. In the morning it
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mysteriously worked. Oh well....
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<p>At top camp, spent ages repacking 200m of 11mm rope into one HUGE
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tacklesack. Christened the rope 'Fat Freddy'. Took turns carrying Fat Freddy
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up to 204. Arrived knackered about 2:30. We seemed to have used up all our
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energy and enthusiasm and so sat around for ages.
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<p>Eventually went underground at 6:15. Drill was an utter twat, and would
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only work if the cable from the battery was held at a particular angle, so
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the drill could only be used if an assistant was less than a cable's length
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away. Rigged an alternative pitch which bypasses You're So Veined and the
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next 2 pitches. A fine hang which is straight down the middle of a big shaft.
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Think we'll call it 'Pot U Like'.
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<p align="right">TU 6½
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<hr />
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<p>Fri 28 July Andy A, Julian + <u>Becka</u> drive to Expo
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<p>Julian + I set off yesterday from Liverpool after a fine Green Fish lunch.
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Down to Bill's house near Oxford. Dumped the car + Andy A picked us up + we
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stuffed all our crap on top of all his crap and his two bikes. Missed our
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9.30 pm ferry, got the 10.45 one + off on the traditional
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<span lang="fr">Dunkirk, Mons, Namur, Luxembourg,</span>
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<span lang="de">Pirmasens</span> route. Then cocked up + ended up going on #7
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to <span lang="de">Ulm</span> then finally hitting
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<span lang="de">München.</span> Andy A & I driving, both far too old
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for this lark, swopping every couple of hours and very fuzzy heads. Did the
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non-motorway route to Salzburg + wandered feebly round but finally escaped.
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Arrived ~ 6.30pm to find a load of pissed cavers who'd had their trip to see
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the Austrian cavers postponed until tomorrow but, having come down the hill
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on the run, had decided they'd better have a sesh anyway...
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<hr />
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<p>[There follows one of those illegible scrawls that periodically appear in
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Expo logbooks when someone gets very pissed indeed. This one is more
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illegible than most and my thanks go to Wookey for translating it. WebEditor]
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<p>WRONG.
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<p>Fucking Pissed.
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<p>Fought Dour.
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<p>Don't
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<p>punched him. - didn't mean to.
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<p>I'm sorry But I'll go home if it is terminally wrong.
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<p>I think it is.
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<p>I really don't know why this happenned.
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<p>Background: Biers at Hildes. I wanted to go to bed because it was going
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round in circles. I <u>thought</u> in my pissed way that I wasn't allowed,
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punched Dour. Ricoched off onto Tony. Didn't mean to. Went to bed. Then woke
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up to hear voices. Thought (in my own pissed way) that I was being criticised
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for dropping out of the conversation about way.
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<p>Oaths. Went back into Taty hut. Had Argument with Dour that I didn't
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understand. Next bit I don't remember for fear of being sued.
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<p>Very sorry.
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<p>Go home tomorrow. Life Finished.
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<p>Dunks
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<hr />
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<p>Friday 21st July <u>Phil,</u> Earl 195 ? Driver diver
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<p>Finally went caving after vast quantities of beer and festering. Tootled
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up to 195, and had a think about rigging it. Finally got around to rigging
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it, and I dropped the driver down the hole. Bum. Rigged everything off
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naturals instead. Earl went down first, and found the driver and a small
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hole. I went down to have a look, declared the hole too small, and sent Earl
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down it. It didn't go.
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<hr />
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<p><a id="id2000-204-3"><b>Thursday 27th July Phil, <u>Mark B,</u> Martin
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204</b></a>
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<p>Thursday morning we left top camp at 9.05 and surface surveyed in the
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rain. By the afternoon everyone else turned up. I went with Mark B and Phil
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to 110 a day. I raced Mark B to take off our SRT kit so Phil would take it
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along 110 a day in a tackle bag, where he would rig the pitch QM 16A.
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Unfortunately I won. Mark B and I went down the crawl QM 11C, leaving the
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sediment-filled chamber with only one footprint. The crawl energed in a
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walking sized junction. Mark predicted a pitch to the left, which
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miraculously turned out to be one. After initial excitement and the usual
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stone throwing, we explored to the left going into a hole in the floor and
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followed small passages based around a fault line. We did some surveying to
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the pitch, where we saw Si and Si walk past the top of the pitch and thus it
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was identified as Pendulum. I decided to go out with them as Phil was
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planning to go on all night. Unfortunately my SRT kit was the other end of
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110 a day, I had a light failure (as is now standard), and on the way back to
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thread I took a wrong turning down either 12C or 13C which went quite a
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distance looking quite like 110 a day before I realised my mistake. This led
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to Simon Flower waiting an hour for me (whoops). But Si Lee and Brian had
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food for us when we got back. Phil meanwhile finished rigging the pitch and
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descended....
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<p><u>Phil</u> takes over:
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<p>Having rigged the pitch-head off one natural, one bolt and an iffy
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deviation (using an MR - crab provision failure), I lobbed down, and put
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another deviation and a rebelay in. Meanwhile, Mark was cooling down from the
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110 a day slog. At the bottom, there was a small hole, about the same size as
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me. Took all my gear off (including carbide, which was now dead). Spent 10
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minutes going through the small bit to get to a very small chamber, with a
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much-too-tight rift leading off it. Eventually managed to turn round, and
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spent 20 minutes going 2 metres through the squeeze on the way out. It was
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not very nice. Spent another 10 minutes getting my breath back, and left,
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derigging as I went. Gave the tackle bastard to Mark, and left the cave,
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steaming up the pitches. Waited for about 2 hours under the stone bridge, and
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went back to top camp, arriving 4:40 am. Lovely. Only got lost twice.
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<hr />
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<p><a id="id2000-40-1"><b>Wednesday 26th July
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<span lang="de">Eishöhle</span>-poking <u>Mark S,</u> Dave H, Olly, Fay
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T/U 3 hrs</b></a>
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<p>Walked to <span lang="de">Eishöhle</span> from the car park.
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Eventually arrived without incident at 40a (the large entrance with the
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plaque). Earl had helped carry gear up, so Olly went back with him to Top
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Camp, inadvertantly discovering the correct path to Bunter's Bulge from the
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<span lang="de-at">Appelhaus</span> turning on the way. Meanwhile, Dave, Mark
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and Fay poked around the row of entrances terminating at 40e. Went down one
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of the two large entrances back from 40e (the one with a rubble slope leading
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in - old French bivvy site we think).
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<p>This terminated in a shaft of say 20m. New ARGE survey stations visible
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(May 2000). Turns out this entrance is <span lang="de">"Nichts 50".</span>
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Then we looked down a hole further back still, thus:
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<p><graphic to add>
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<p>Short passage ends at a 4m pitch. Decided to return the next day to bolt
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it.
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<hr />
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<p><a id="id2000-40-2"><b>Thursday 27th July
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<span lang="de">Eishöhle</span> <u>Mark S,</u>
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Dave H, Olly, Fay T/U 6 hrs</b></a>
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<p>Mark and Dave returned with drill to bolt 4m pitch; descended into
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chamber. Despite the good draught felt at the pitchhead the source of it in
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the large rubble-filled chamber could not be found. Loose scramble to the top
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of the rubble slope; no way on found. Olly and Fay found a hole down through
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the rubble but abandoned it after a few metres as it was too unstable.
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<p>Whilst Olly and Fay were poking here, Mark + Dave went to the large
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entrance with a snow-slope leading in (see picture to left [above on web
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page, ed.]). At the bottom a snow-floored tube leads downwards; the floor
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soon turns to solid ice. Dave placed a bolt at the top. The draught was
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fierce, and bitterly cold. Frozen, Dave retreated to let Mark have the
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pleasure of sliding down the icy tube. It turns out, despite the initial
|
|
investigation suspecting a pitch that it is just an ice slope which enlarges
|
|
to a fairly large rift where one can get off the rope (35m rope used). Mark
|
|
shouted up to Dave to descend and then noticed a strange murmuring sound.
|
|
Shouted again and heard a large echo. Strolled out into
|
|
<span lang="de">Schneevulkanhalle,</span> emerging from behind the "elephant"
|
|
formation.
|
|
|
|
<p>(Thus this entrance is 40h - shown in the wrong place on the survey -
|
|
we'll resurvey it this year).
|
|
|
|
<p>Had a quick look around and then popped out for some lunch and to get the
|
|
others.
|
|
|
|
<p>When all four were in SVH we inspected the icefall next to the rubble
|
|
slope which needed investigation. Olly started to bolt up the wall. Mark and
|
|
Dave went to investigate the "low (wet!) passage just to the right of
|
|
<span lang="de">Elephantengang</span> pitch" (as described by Wookey). Dave
|
|
attempts to lower the water level in the crawl under the wall but Mark
|
|
decided to go for it and slid through. The crawl is almost flat-out but is
|
|
very short; it emerges into an ice-floored chamber with a rock-floored rift
|
|
leading off and up. This leads to a complex series of rifts and
|
|
upward-sloping planes. The passage leads to the top of the icefall coming
|
|
into SVH between the wet crawl and the POV slope. From here further passages
|
|
lead off and one tube, with a pristine earthen floor, leads via a small
|
|
section to a canyon. This ends abruptly half-way up a shaft. The shaft is
|
|
probably 20-30m and almost 6-8m diameter. A stack of four rocks was noticed
|
|
where the canyon hits the pitch. - maybe a cairn?? If so it was probably
|
|
placed by someone descending the pitch, as the route to the the pitch
|
|
appeared never to have been passed along before. Went back to SVH where
|
|
Olly's done about 2/3 of the bolting up. People were cold so out we went, to
|
|
return in due course with surveying gear and a recharged drill battery. At
|
|
least we now known for sure where entrance 40h is!
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b>2000.07.30 Surface wandering on <span lang="de">Hinter</span></b>
|
|
|
|
<p><u>Wook,</u> Andy A.
|
|
|
|
<p>Went up to col to survey 96-02,03,04 to <span lang="de">Hinter.</span>
|
|
|
|
<p>Fixed VD1 en route & 161a (VD1 alt: 1774, 161a alt: 1795)
|
|
|
|
<p>Moved 161a tag from rigging bolt to P161a (red spot above painted number).
|
|
|
|
<p>Then walked up ridge to 'PLUS', a plus-marked cave found on '96 walk
|
|
(Wook, Wads, JulianT. Tagged as '2000-02'.
|
|
|
|
<p>GPSed as '2000-02', alt 1803m, fom 5.4.
|
|
|
|
<p>Then on to 96-04. Gave Andy GPS and let him find cave with it - he walked
|
|
right to it - so it can work, even with pre-2000 fixes.
|
|
|
|
<p>Re-GPSed 96-02, 96-03, 96-04
|
|
|
|
<p>Surveyed from 96-02 -> 96-03 -> 96-04 then towards
|
|
<span lang="de">Hinter.</span> Found one horizontal cave en-route. Tagged as
|
|
'2000-03'.
|
|
|
|
<p>Tube about 1.5 x 1.0m which goes for about 25m to a 2nd entrance which is
|
|
blocked by a rock. Included this on survey, did sketch & continued. Had
|
|
to stop when it went dark, threaded through bunde off front of
|
|
<span lang="de">Hinter</span> & followed
|
|
<span lang="de">Steinbrücken</span> path back (reflectors are handy).
|
|
Only missed call-out by 10 mins.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><a id="id2000-40-3"><b>2000.07.31 <span lang="de">Eishöhle</span> -
|
|
POV</b></a>
|
|
|
|
<p><u>Wook,</u> Andy A, Fay, Bob.
|
|
|
|
<p>Slogged with gear over to 40. Bumped into Mark S, Olly, Dave H party going
|
|
down. Slow start due to waiting for it to stop raining meant we went
|
|
underground at about 2:45. In lovely new <span lang="de">Eistunnel</span>
|
|
entrance - great fun. Went in with 100m rope + various bits to improve
|
|
rigging. Fettled Up, Up, & put handlines on Angle of Dangle climb. Fay
|
|
went down 40-03 and found it went down about 6m to where it split into 2
|
|
too-tight passages. Bob went up 40-04 - climbed about 8m up to where it was
|
|
entirely choked. Went down pitches, fettling rigging a bit & bolted tight
|
|
QM at bottom 40-10. Fay went down hole to drop 8m to next level. Wook
|
|
followed. Andy A tried but had a bit of an epic, got stuck for a while.
|
|
Meanwhile Wook went down tight slot another 5m to next level where rift was
|
|
hamster-sized along entire length, so that was that ! Others above relieved
|
|
to hear they didn't need to come down. Wook struggled back out of bottom slot
|
|
& then both escaped, Andy A derigging to top of Eiscream where we checked
|
|
40-... which goes to a pitch, so left gear for next time. Actually, left in
|
|
Bob's sack - oops! Out in 2 hours so now rather late for call-out, so Wook
|
|
& Andy came back via col whilst Fay & Bob went via their gear @ 40a
|
|
& the <span lang="de-at">Stogerweg.</span> W & A were back faster
|
|
than they expected in 50 mins, at 11.30, the others got somewhat lost &
|
|
rolled back in at 2:30 am.
|
|
|
|
<p>T/U : 7 hrs
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b>2000.08.01 More surface stuff</b>
|
|
|
|
<p><u>Wook,</u> Andy A
|
|
|
|
<p>Andy couldn't face caving so we went to finish off
|
|
<span lang="de">Hinter</span> survey & go down to base at noon. Took
|
|
rather longer than we intended - got down about 7pm!
|
|
|
|
<p>Showed Ol lower route to col. Stopped for ½ hour to document small
|
|
cave '2000-04' about 40m from 145. It's a descending joint-controlled cave
|
|
about 10m long, choked at end/bottom. Tagged '2000-04', GPSed (Wook & Ol)
|
|
Photoed (Julian T camera), surveyed & drawn.
|
|
|
|
<p>At VD1 Andy fettled bunde a bit whilst Wook looked for WK5 & 6. GPS
|
|
location was about 50m out, so it took half an hour or so. Once found, WK6
|
|
was tagged 'WOOK6' & photoed. WK5 was photoed but as Andy started bolting
|
|
the hammer head fell off, down the cave & through the hole too miserable
|
|
to do without gear! So it's not yet tagged! Survey from WK5 -> WK6 ->
|
|
205 <span lang="de">(Nordalpenhöhle)</span> (located by GPS). Couldn't
|
|
change tag there from CUCC99-BO-01 to 205 as no spanner - damn. Photoed.
|
|
|
|
<p>Then 'followed' survey data to nearby shaft with pre-drilled spit hole
|
|
& put in tag - called it '1999-10' to be sure of a free ID. Talking to
|
|
Brian there is >50m of passage so it needs a real survey.
|
|
|
|
<p>Finally, headed off to <span lang="de">Hinter</span> to connect unfinished
|
|
survey (96-02,3,4) to <span lang="de">Hinter,</span> then back via SteinB
|
|
path. Noted several holes that need designations. Big Hole, 2 big rifts,
|
|
another shaft & nearby horizontal low-arched cave (visible from TC).
|
|
These must all have been checked before, but until they get numbers it will
|
|
keep happening. Only had < 1l water all day between us so tired on
|
|
return. And now its 1:53 am & I've agreed to get up at 7:00 to go
|
|
caving.....
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-161-1">161D - Regurgitation I</a><br>
|
|
2000. July 30 Becka - <u>Julian</u> T/U 3 hours</b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Regurgitation. No-one tempted to come with us to 161d. Quite lonesome.
|
|
Rigged the surface walk and rebuilt the cairns (could do with some lessons).
|
|
Weather was so shit and rainy we decided to get changed just inside the
|
|
entrance where the wind freezes your fingers. My carbide was not working at
|
|
all, so used crappy electric on pilot. Not surprisingly it ran out by the
|
|
time we got to Regurge. Very pissed off after all that walking in the rain.
|
|
Dumped tackle near the way on, left SRT gear at top of Regurge pitch, climbed
|
|
out and walked back in the fog.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-161-2">161D - Regurgitation II</a><br>
|
|
2000.July 31 Becka, MikeTA, <u>Julian</u> T/U 7 hours</b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Spent the morning (in the freezing fog) getting help to fettle my carbide.
|
|
The tube and the pipe in the generator were completely packed with soggy
|
|
'bide. Brian fixed this by whipping it against the ground & probing the
|
|
generator with a fork prong. Mike TA had poked in Regurge some years ago with
|
|
Tina and found no way on, so was curious. (I had found way on with Mark Sh.
|
|
last year, but it was not properly pushed). The lead goes out of the chamber
|
|
behind a rock opposite the pitch through a scrotty hole which drops you
|
|
straddling over a deep rift. In spite of its free-climbability I was
|
|
out-voted and they put a handline along it and used the 2 bolts already there
|
|
to rig the pitch. Halfway down you step into a rift, follow it into a tight
|
|
squeeze and drop into another streamway rift where the climb down caused more
|
|
complaints. Mike put a rope in while I followed upstream along the floor (as
|
|
I'd done the previous year when lost & following Becka's howls at the
|
|
pitch in Roomination) into a void underneath the boulders of Regurge where
|
|
there were a couple of loose boulders. I pulled some of them down and climbed
|
|
round to the bottom of Room. pitch and brought Becka in by that route. We
|
|
scooted along the stream to a tight bit in the water which Mike didn't fit
|
|
through. We backed up and traversed higher through the rift and climbed down
|
|
to the same spot (on the other side of the tight bit) and reached a pitch.
|
|
One natural and one bolt by me while they surveyed a bit got us to a ledge
|
|
below, then a crap bolt used as a deviation over a sharp rock into a wet v.
|
|
drippy aven. Mike freeclimbed down and up while I bolted (the deviation) and
|
|
said a rope would help. Very splashy. Round the corner another pitch in
|
|
narrow rift where I sat and bunged in two bolts either side while the others
|
|
surveyed out. The perch of my bum on the cold rock nearly caused a
|
|
spontaneous shit. As it was I managed to hold it in only until the end of
|
|
<span lang="de-at">Mohr-im-Hemd.</span> Becka whinged about 'Black Suspender'
|
|
[Editor's note - this is not actually the place called Black Suspender - some
|
|
confusion by the authors] but was getting used to it. The rain had completely
|
|
cleared outside so Mike decided to leave his gear at the entrance and come
|
|
back tomorrow. But he washed his hair and left in the middle of the night to
|
|
<u>walk</u> back down to base camp because somebody had smelly feet in the
|
|
tent. My other electric failed too. And I ripped a huge hole in the bum of my
|
|
oversuit.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-161-3"><u>Julian</u>, Becka 161D Regurgitation III</a>
|
|
T/U 8 hours</b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Someone brought a club light up for me so I could cave without light
|
|
failure for once, which would be good with only two of us. We had to be
|
|
careful to not spook each other all alone miles away from where anyone else
|
|
was caving without any proper cavers (eg. Wookey) around to dispell the
|
|
irrational fear. I'd had nightmares about 'Suspender' [see note in previous
|
|
write-up - Webeditor]. The trip went without incident save for rigging the
|
|
next pitch (the one I'd put 2 bolts in for yesterday) with a too short rope
|
|
at first. This required a deviation to get out of the water and a rebelay
|
|
from a ledge. The rock was all bright and crunchy sharp like flapjack -
|
|
exactly the sort of cave I hate because its the kind which stonks right down
|
|
to 500m without doing anything interesting.
|
|
|
|
<p>Next "pitch" was a sling hang off a boulder down 3m. Then the next pitch
|
|
rigged as a Y-hang from 2 bolts on the same wall. It was cold and wet. The
|
|
series could be called 'Irrigation'. Splashed along the stream a couple of
|
|
metres till it went through the floor again and we reached a window into a
|
|
vast aven and pitch with more water coming from the right and the space
|
|
continuing to the left. Now out of rope so we surveyed out and derigged to
|
|
the entrance thinking that no-one would be interested enough to come back
|
|
this year.
|
|
|
|
<p>Survey first leg unreadable, the deepest leg of a miserable survey.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<b><p align="right"><a id="id2000-204-6">31/7/2000 [I assume this is 204,
|
|
Webeditor]</a>
|
|
|
|
<p>Earl, <u>Julia,</u> Brian.</b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Me a bit pissed. Brian went first, then Brian, then me. It was harder than
|
|
last year 'cos of all the snow + stuff. The 2nd pitch is a snow plug, so you
|
|
go through a tube which isn't nice backwards. Then down. One of the leads was
|
|
shite, well it needed gear anyway. It looked bigger than where we were. Me n
|
|
Earl surveyed the shite bit. One of the leads was good. I too tired so I went
|
|
out, yes, I jacked. Earl went to find Brian & waited a long time
|
|
(~¾hour) for AJD to rebolt the pitch. Then I went back to my pit. The
|
|
end.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><a id="id2000-40-6"><b><span lang="de">Eishöhle</span> <u>Wookey,</u>
|
|
Fay 2000.08.02</b></a>
|
|
|
|
<p>Back to POV. On way in Fay stuffed herself down 1999-40-06, which I had
|
|
previously declared too tight. Climbing down onto a shelf leads to a short
|
|
pitch (10m?) into quite a large space, but it doesn't draught, and she had to
|
|
take her gear off to get back out. So better put it back on QM list.
|
|
|
|
<p>Then went to top of Eiscream & dropped 1999-04, 08, 09 (actually the
|
|
same QM). This went down about 15m in narrow canyon that got too tight near
|
|
the bottom. Water can be heard at one end, but not seen. Did a quick drawing,
|
|
derigged & left. Fay got to spend ages stuffing 30m of PMI into a
|
|
tacklesack - ridiculous stuff - but good for dropping pitches with no rigging
|
|
worth mentioning.
|
|
|
|
<p>Next went up at 1st junction in North Utsira, alleged not to go last year
|
|
by both Becka & Simon Flower, but found by Andy last trip to go
|
|
significantly. This is where most of the wind in N.U. is coming from.
|
|
|
|
<p>Surveyed to the chamber where lots of passages join, but ran out of time
|
|
to do more. Slogged out with all the gear. After we got changed it started
|
|
raining as it went dark, the thunder & lightning getting closer. The walk
|
|
back turning into an extremely miserable experience slogging through the
|
|
driving rain surrounded by lightning flashes. Got turned around in the gulley
|
|
up to 163 (very confusing place in crap weather) but worked it out after a
|
|
bit of wandering. Found that waterproof wasn't & got soaked to the skin
|
|
& very cold. Fay was knackered so it took 1½ hrs back to TC.
|
|
Couldn't find start of upper route near VD1 it was so shit, so used Wook
|
|
alternative instead, which fortunately went OK. I haven't had such a
|
|
thoroughly miserable experience for years - getting into a warm pit &
|
|
having noodles brought by Fay was glorious. Bloody rain even had the gall to
|
|
stop 10 mins after we got back!
|
|
|
|
<p>T/U 7½ hrs
|
|
|
|
<p>P.S. Couple of ropes left rigged: backup for 'Hooked on Classics' - 10m
|
|
& c 18 afterwards (~15m + hanger (twist IIRC))
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><a id="id2000-40-8"><b><u>Wook,</u> Andy A, Mike A 2000.08.03
|
|
<span lang="de">Eishöhle</span> bits & bobs</b></a>
|
|
|
|
<p>Dinner day so a slack trip in order.
|
|
|
|
<p>Sorted out 188, 99OB03 & 99OB04 (right by lower TC) & marked them.
|
|
Tags needed.
|
|
|
|
<p>Then went to <span lang="de">Eishöhle</span> with Mike (taking his
|
|
gear). En-route we fettled a few things:
|
|
|
|
<p>Put a spit in 145b (not at previous stations)<br>
|
|
Put a spit in at WK5<br>
|
|
Put a spit in at 163. Unfortunately fixed point was under snow so used a
|
|
new location.<br>
|
|
Put a spit in at 'H88...' the 80's cave downslope from 163 in the gulley (may
|
|
be <span lang="de">Schwarzblatthöhle?)</span>
|
|
|
|
<p>Did all these as we were carrying the drill.
|
|
|
|
<p>Finally, got to <span lang="de">Eishöhle</span> & showed Becka
|
|
& Brian which ents were which & how to label them:
|
|
|
|
<p>40e <span lang="de">Brennerbeselschluf:</span> 1623/40e<br>
|
|
(Small ent. ignored)<br>
|
|
Next ent (low, wide) 'CUCC 2000-05' - need to see if it connects
|
|
(now: 215)<br>
|
|
40h <span lang="de">Eistunnel:</span> '1623/40h'<br>
|
|
<span lang="de">'Nichts 50':</span> 'CUCC 2000-06' (now 216)<br>
|
|
Cave at bottom of snow cwm with spit 'CUCC 2000-07' (now 217)
|
|
|
|
<p>Whilst we got changed, Mike realised we weren't going back via TC - no-one
|
|
had told him so he had no pit! He resolved to have a short look-see trip
|
|
& then go back & meet us at the car-park, despite having come via a
|
|
circuitous route bolting above caves. We wished him luck and gave him a GPS !
|
|
|
|
<p>Surveyed <span lang="de">Eistunnel</span> entrance to new bolt, went to
|
|
<span lang="de">Grüner eingang</span> & rigged up-pitch with proper
|
|
rope & bolts, tried to dig G.E. out (it is still under 2-3m of snow, but
|
|
a chink of light could be seen) & left a 7m rope at pitch into 'old cave'
|
|
before coming out.
|
|
|
|
<p>For the 2nd time in 2 days it started raining as we left the cave &
|
|
soon was a full thunderstorm. Got soaked to the skin <u>again</u> in the 57
|
|
mins walk back.
|
|
|
|
<p>All the paths were brown rivers flowing into shakeholes - I have never
|
|
seen it like that before ! Parts of path were ankle-deep - remarkable. Back
|
|
for dinner with perfect timing.
|
|
|
|
<p>T/U 3 hrs.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><a id="id2000-161-4"><b>Aug 2nd 2000 Becka, Bill + Sharon T/U 3 hours 161D</b></a>
|
|
|
|
<p>161D tourist trip to <span lang="de">Staudn'wirt</span> Palace, looked at
|
|
top of ladder climb then along Triassic to look at Fear-on Traverse, top of
|
|
Knossos + Spatial Awareness. Removed the last candles from the Guillotine +
|
|
pootled out. Took the 2 tacklesacks of ex-Regurgitation gear + Mike TA's kit
|
|
back to Top Camp along with the 2 surface handlines, V. hot work in the
|
|
belting sun.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><a id="id2000-40-4"><b>31.7.00 <u>Dave H,</u> Mark S, Olly TU 5½
|
|
hrs</b></a>
|
|
|
|
<p><span lang="de">Eishöle</span> - split into two parties. Olly
|
|
continued to bolt up the ice waterfall whilst Mark and Dave went to survey
|
|
the "Night Manipulations" series. The attempt to reduce the water in the
|
|
entrance crawl by chipping a drainage channel with an ice axe has worked to
|
|
some extent as there was much less water - you still get wet though.
|
|
|
|
<p>Surveyed only the main line - side passages / ? still need doing. Stopped
|
|
at the really narrow bit, cos both Mark & Dave were freezing and Dave
|
|
didn't like the tight bit. Mark went through as far as the big pitch &
|
|
confirmed by talking to Andy A who was exploring POV that the pitch was one
|
|
of the parallel shafts at Radio 3.
|
|
|
|
<p>Went back to main chamber to find Olly just about finished bolting, but
|
|
run out of hangers so Dave prussiked up, removing one of the now redundant
|
|
ones used lower on the bolt climb.
|
|
|
|
<p>Olly rigged to the top to find a further short climb up the ice; then a
|
|
20-30m pitch down. It might also be possible to traverse up & over the
|
|
pitch. Having run out of tackle we came out.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-40-5">1st Aug 00</a> Olly, Mark S, <u>Dave H</u> TU 6
|
|
hrs (less for Mark)</b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Olly to continue rigging the pitch series down from the ice climb, Dave H
|
|
& Mark to survey it, Mark not very enthusiastic.
|
|
|
|
<p><u>Olly</u>: Rigged 90m rope down 25m pitch down side of big icicle, then
|
|
down ice ramp. No idea whats to come, or how many holes the drill will do, so
|
|
just one bolt + 3 naturals. Bottom of ramp leads to icy pool which narrows to
|
|
an unpleasant crux ("Francohydrophobia") which appears to be where the french
|
|
turned back. Given the draught (which blows ripples in the pool) and the
|
|
knowledge that 136 lay not far away I forced my way through, then along a
|
|
short crawl with gloopy sediment floor to a rifty pitch with 2½+
|
|
second drop. Back through pool to get 56m rope, then mimimal rigging down
|
|
pitch to choked bottom. Back up, through window and down to just about reach
|
|
floor with available rope. Crawl leads to large aven-ed chamber. Out of
|
|
time so returned to find concerned Dave on ice ramp pitch.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p>[a page or so of rigging guide for Regurgitation not yet scanned]
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-204-4">2000-07-31</a> Mick, Dunks - 204</b>
|
|
|
|
<p>[This trip to rig rest of Ariston to the pushing front was apparently
|
|
successful (see next day) but never written up, Webeditor]
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><a id="id2000-204-5"><b>31/7/00 <u>Anthony</u> <span
|
|
lang="de">Steinbrückenhöhle</span> TU 4 hrs</b></a>
|
|
|
|
<p>Plan was for Mick and Dunks to rig rest of Ariston Series whilst I sorted
|
|
out the rigging on Stitch This (the new way into the top of Thread pitch)
|
|
then follow them down and push the bottom. By the time I'd finished bunging
|
|
in an extra bolt and undoing the knot at the rebelay (which took 20 mins) it
|
|
wasn't worth following them, so I buggered off out.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><a id="id2000-204-7"><b>1/8/00 Dunks, Mick, <u>Anthony</u>
|
|
<span lang="de">Steinbrückenhöhle</span> TU 10 hrs</b></a>
|
|
|
|
<p>Dunks and Mick had rigged to the pushing front the day before, so we
|
|
planned to push the big pitch lead at the bottom of Ariston. Bombed down the
|
|
Ariston Series, which is very nice apart from the last pitch which is loose
|
|
and nasty. There are two holes at the bottom which connect to the same shaft.
|
|
Dunks dropped one of these last year to land on a soggy ledge overlooking a
|
|
10m diameter shaft with a 3s drop. Plan was to bolt the other hole in the
|
|
hope of missing the ledge. Much wibbling at the exposure, and eventually Mick
|
|
got kitted up with the drill. 1½ holes later the battery packed in. I
|
|
banged in a hand bolt and descended to a place for a hang bolt. From here we
|
|
were obviously going to land on a ledge ~20m down - almost certainly the same
|
|
ledge Dunks reached by the other route last year. Hand bolting on a wet
|
|
exposed ledge not being our idea of fun, we pulled the rope out and went to
|
|
look at the other pitch lead at the bottom of Ariston which looked much more
|
|
friendly. Pitch starts as a narrowish hading rift, and stones lobbed down
|
|
rattled a bit - we estimated it at 20m. Rigged off a
|
|
couple of naturals and headed down a little way to where the pitch becomes
|
|
more vertical. Rocks lobbed down from here seemed to go further than 20m.
|
|
Mick went down and found the least shit bit of rock for a bolt, went further
|
|
down and put another one in, then Dunks had a go. By the time we packed in
|
|
Dunks had descended about 30m, could see a further ~30m of pitch to a ledge
|
|
with a big black hole in. Could be quite a big one, but is fairly friendly in
|
|
that it doesn't feel exposed.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b>2/8/00 Earl & <u>Anthony</u> Surface Bimble looking for 187 &
|
|
192</b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Walked to 161a and then up onto the ridge to the
|
|
<span lang="de">Hinter</span> to look for 187, which is allegedly marked
|
|
"CUCC 90". Wandered around for yonks, lots of <span lang="de">Bunde</span>
|
|
bashing and falling over, but couldn't find any such cave. We have one
|
|
bearing off the <span lang="de-at">Nase</span> and one off the central peak
|
|
of the <span lang="de-at">Dachstein.</span> Assuming the bearing off the
|
|
<span lang="de-at">Nase</span> is right, the area to search is very small
|
|
indeed because you can only just see the <span lang="de-at">Dachstein</span>
|
|
from the very top of the ridge at that point. The most likely candidate is a
|
|
hole which could reasonably be described as a "5m climb down in a nearly
|
|
vertical bedding plane" (which is really jointing). However, there is no
|
|
paint (however hard we tried, we couldn't persuade any of the pink bits of
|
|
lichen to spell CUCC 90) and the 1990 log describes the cave as being by an
|
|
isolated patch of bunde on a slab. Our hole is in the middle of loads of
|
|
<span lang="de">Bunde</span> and therefore it probably isn't 187.
|
|
|
|
<p>Gave up and went to 161c to look for 192 which is allegedly ~100m away.
|
|
Wandered around for 1½ hours but couldn't find it. There's quite a bit
|
|
of snow on that side of the hill, so it might be covered over.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><a id="id2000-40-9"><b>2000.08.05 <span lang="de">Eishöhle</span> -
|
|
mission impossible</b></a>
|
|
|
|
<p><u>Wook,</u> Andy A, Mike Allen, Becka
|
|
|
|
<p>Walked up from base camp as it was not raining for a change. Mike &
|
|
Becka (who set off first) were nowhere to be seen - they'd got sidetracked
|
|
onto the <span lang="de">Schwabenschacht</span> track & turned up about
|
|
an hour after us, very pissed off :-) Both even more dismayed to find soggy
|
|
undersuits!
|
|
|
|
<p>Went off down Mission Impossible to survey it. Left Mike rerigging
|
|
up-pitch to remove rubs. Moved deviation of p25 (Good afternoon Mr. Phelps)
|
|
& start of next sloping pitch (off floor). Wet pool not quite as bad as
|
|
we had been led to believe, but still not great. Put in a couple of rocks to
|
|
allow a reasonably dry passage. Laughed at the extraordinary spider-web of
|
|
rigging on big pitch ( [blank where name ought to have been inserted, Ed.] )
|
|
and re-rigged (as we had drill) with a traverse & new rebelay. Rope
|
|
didn't reach so we used old rope for bottom part. Wook & Becka did
|
|
tape/plumb parts of survey down pitch.
|
|
|
|
<p>Very impressive pitch. Traverse across top may lead to somewhere different
|
|
- needs checking. 20m down it narrows & then chokes - continues through
|
|
narrow connecty bit to enter side of another big shaft - possible ways on
|
|
on other side.
|
|
|
|
<p>At bottom wind comes out of low passage & into low one, blocked by
|
|
rocks after a few feet (could be dug). Surveyed this horiz. passage after
|
|
running around quite extensive horizontal development, and pulling 100m rope
|
|
out of streamway, where it was rigging a 6m pitch. Mike went out as he was
|
|
very cold. Becka stuck it out & was pleased to prussik out with 100m
|
|
rope to warm up. Wook & Andy finished off survey up pitches, derigging
|
|
old rope en-route. Left with 100m rigged on a traverse ready to go down
|
|
pitch. Good trip. Nice bit of cave - but where the hell is the connection
|
|
hidden ?
|
|
|
|
<center><p>T/U = 8½ hrs</center>
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-40-10">2000.08.06</a> Wook, Mike Allen, Andy A, Ol, Mark
|
|
S</b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Tagged WK2 & WK3 as '1996, 1623/207' '1996 1623/208' respectively,
|
|
whilst drying out Mike's kit (Wook's tent leaks and so does his plastic bag).
|
|
|
|
<p>Then had more tea & went to <span lang="de">Eishöhle.</span>
|
|
Surveyed the 2000-05 ent. with Mike whilst Andy fettled camera gear. Found
|
|
another small entrance directly above & surveyed to that too (needs
|
|
tagging). Ol & Mark S arrived (Ol having tried to fall down 40B).
|
|
|
|
<p>Eventually got underground at 4pm after watching massive thunderstorm off
|
|
to NE. Photoed Elephant, SVH & Mission Impossible as far as the pool (6"
|
|
lower than yesterday!)
|
|
|
|
<p>Ol found bashed knee too bad for caving (got as far as 1st pitch) so he
|
|
& Mark S surveyed ents on to 40a - which revealed 60m error in old VfHO
|
|
surface survey, moving potential connection pt. about 50m further up
|
|
<span lang="de">Elin Algor</span> away from the Theatre.
|
|
|
|
<table>
|
|
<tr><td>T/U:</td><td>Wook, Mike:</td><td>4 hrs</td></tr>
|
|
<tr><td></td><td>Andy A:</td><td>3½ hrs</td></tr>
|
|
<tr><td></td><td>Mark S, Olly:</td><td>½ hr.</td></tr>
|
|
</table>
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b>2000-08-06 <u>Duncan,</u> Mick, MTA, Mark B</b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Went to 204 for push down 2 pitches. En-route met Becka who was very
|
|
excited at having found a new cave (turns out Brian + Earl found same cave
|
|
about a week earlier). Strolled to 204 via Becka's cave and a cave noted by
|
|
Duncan, Mick & Anthony last week. At stone bridge, discoverd that Animal
|
|
+ Mark hadn't got a bolting kit or any spits or hangers. This immediately
|
|
scuppered half the trip and ultimately led to a complete Jack.
|
|
|
|
<p>In the end, Duncan, Mark & Animal did surface survey from 204 to new
|
|
entrance, and preliminary investigation of both holes.
|
|
|
|
<p>2000-08 <strike>(not tagged yet)</strike> TAGGED
|
|
|
|
<p>Short pitch (~6m) from chossy naturals leads to large (~4m wide) unroofed
|
|
passage. Uphill leads to rift, which is choked (corresponding to nearby
|
|
choked surface rift). Downhill passes a wedged rock to a climb down onto a
|
|
snowbank. Right is blind, left descends and leads to a blind pit with a
|
|
too-tight continuation (looks diggable though), with a big echo.
|
|
|
|
<p>2000-09 <strike>(not tagged yet)</strike> TAGGED
|
|
|
|
<p>Horizontal entrance slopes downhill for about 20m, passing beneath
|
|
skylight and passing a crawl to the left. The crawl leads to a small
|
|
chamber, where there are two ways on. Left becomes too small, straight ahead
|
|
has not been pushed but is a crawl.
|
|
|
|
<p>Back in the entrance passage, at the bottom of the slope there is a
|
|
wriggle up over rubble into a chamber. From here, the obvious way on is a
|
|
~15m pitch, but there is a possible crawl above this (doesn't look
|
|
promising). At foot of pitch, in large rift passage, a crawl on the left
|
|
leads to a small chamber. From the chamber to the left leads for ~15 metres
|
|
before turning left and becoming too tight. Straight ahead, a crawl reaches a
|
|
junction, with a continuation upwards to the left, straight ahead and to the
|
|
right, none of which have been pushed. To the right is a further unpushed
|
|
crawl.
|
|
|
|
<p>Back in the rift chamber, an exposed (but easy looking) ascending traverse
|
|
has not been pushed; there is a short climb down, after which a climb up is
|
|
blind, and the continuing descent passes a narrow point before entering an
|
|
ascending traverse in a rift which leads to a chamber some 5m above the
|
|
floor; this chamber has not been entered.
|
|
|
|
<p>TU 2 (Dunks + Mick)
|
|
|
|
<p>[sketch survey]
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p>7/8/2000 Becka Cycle up the toll road
|
|
|
|
<p>Toll booth -> water butt at Bergrestaurant a bit under 70 min, even
|
|
overtook someone + it included ~4 stops on the way up to uncrick my back as
|
|
Andy's bike was all the wrong size for me. Bloody cold + slow on the way
|
|
down, wet road. Brian only took an hour to get up earlier in Expo.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-161-5">2000.08.08 'The Connection trip' <u>Wook,</u> Andy
|
|
A</a></b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Becka & Bob went in <span lang="de">Eishöhle,</span> Wook &
|
|
Andy went in KH to <span lang="de">Elin Algor</span> via Stairway to Hell.
|
|
The idea was to shout at each other & work out where the pitches connect
|
|
so we could go down the right one.
|
|
|
|
<p>Went via <span lang="de">Eishöhle</span> to collect our gear and slog
|
|
over to 161d - which is on just about the same level as
|
|
<span lang="de">Eishöhle</span> but you have to go a few hundred metres
|
|
up & down to get there of course. Took an hour to get to 161d. Ol &
|
|
<span lang="de">Thilo</span> doing surface walk went past as we were just
|
|
going in. Trundled through Scarface, Brownie's Cunt & Rocky Horror.
|
|
Rigged pitch very badly & bodged our way down (SRT gear packed in bags
|
|
for going through Stairway to Hell) Did this. Had to bail 2" out of
|
|
puddle to get in, but the choke itself was OK - the more you do it the less
|
|
likely to all fall in it seems&ellip;
|
|
|
|
<p>Climbed down into <span lang="de">Elin Algor</span> & went to look at
|
|
pitch (1996-161-82C). 6m climb up (3-4m above the head-sized window) gives
|
|
access to the pitch. Wook went in a bit whilst Andy went to look for leads
|
|
further down towards the Theatre. Pitch turned out to be 14m deep with a 2"
|
|
slot at the bottom - bum.
|
|
|
|
<p>Andy found that 1996-161-94C (hole through rocks at
|
|
<span lang="de">Tirolia Werke</span> junction) didn't go. He also found an
|
|
interesting large skeleton (about the size of a small rabbit?) and loads of
|
|
climbs up into the rift, none of which went anywhere except the roof.
|
|
Everything was proddled, including going back to stick Wook into the tiniest
|
|
bits - nothing. The stream sink at the start of T.W. was checked by the man
|
|
with the TSA (Wook) - blocked by rocks (84C). Next tried going North East.
|
|
Passage on R just after pitch gives access to roof 20m above pitch &
|
|
there is a further way into ceiling on SE side, but too hard for us. Looked
|
|
at impressive aven on R & shinned up traverse until it closed down. Also
|
|
checked lead (ramp) above chamber at NE end of E.A. Goes 10-15m but is just a
|
|
solution dead-end. Now tired & dispirited, so went out. Gear incredibly
|
|
filthy & several kilos heavier than on the way here (which was already
|
|
'bloody heavy'). Carried it all back as far as junction with
|
|
TC-><span lang="de">Eishöhle</span> route then went back via TC,
|
|
getting rained on for walk down.
|
|
|
|
<p>13½ hours tatty hut to tatty hut, over 12 hours almost solid effort
|
|
for a 5½ hr caving trip - driving up, walking up, carrying gear,
|
|
rigging in, exploring, derigging, carrying gear, walking back, driving back
|
|
makes for an awful lot of 'overhead' & work. We were both shagged.
|
|
(Surface survey to connect p161d to new tag).
|
|
|
|
<p>T/U 5 hrs 40 mins
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-40-7">2000.08.02</a> Bob, <u>Olly</u> Mission Impossible,
|
|
<span lang="de">Eishöhle</span></b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Went up from base camp so didn't have a chance to get any survey
|
|
instruments. Wookey had a set, but wanted to survey + derig POV so just took
|
|
my pocket compass. Added a couple of deviations to big pitch to avoid rubs -
|
|
not enough rope for anything else. Poked around chamber at bottom. Crawl off
|
|
other side leads to a small chamber - very soily. Draught can be felt on
|
|
entry, but unclear where it comes from. Bob found way down into stream canyon
|
|
from 1st chamber which has a few avens and an on-going awkward serpentine
|
|
stream canyon. Nothing conclusive but at least we have some leads. Did pocket
|
|
compass + pace / body length survey and left before FX5 ran out. T/U 7 hours.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-40-11">2000-08-08</a> <u>Becka</u> + Bob T/U 8 hours</b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Down <span lang="de">Eishohle,</span> rerigged bottom pitch on naturals +
|
|
started surveying down sandy crawl to final chamber. Then ran off as 2 pm +
|
|
shouted + banged rocks a lot. The surveyed some more. Then 3pm then souted +
|
|
banged rocks. And some more survey until 4pm shout + bang. Each time
|
|
expecting to hear Wooks + Andy from <span lang="de">Elin Algor</span> in via
|
|
161D but that wierd chinking sound dripping water makes + sounds in your
|
|
head. Derigged the 6m pitch in the stream rift + headed on out with rope +
|
|
battery. The icy pool had receded still further, barely even an obstacle now.
|
|
All the poncy rerigging + deviations a bugger with heavy tackle sacks. Out at
|
|
last. Walked to Top Camp with both our sets of gear + got there just before
|
|
dark + just before started minging down, for a change !
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-204-9">2000-08-10</a> <u>Becka</u> + Brian</b>
|
|
|
|
<p><span lang="de">Steinbrückenhöhle</span> T/U 10 hours
|
|
|
|
<p>Derigged Earl's pitch + traverse to get more rope then to head of Brian's
|
|
100m pitch, ready to start surveying .... er - but where's the tape ? Bugger.
|
|
I prussiked out to fetch the tape (meeting sunbathing Duncs
|
|
<span lang="la">et al</span> on the surface) whilst Brian fettled his
|
|
rigging. Finally us two got back together + set off surveying down the pitch
|
|
(badly - lots of joke plumbs as it wasn't quite vertical but v. elegant large
|
|
pitch ~100m with only a couple of bolts, lots of naturals). Brian rigged the
|
|
last 20m or so section on naturals to end in ... pebbly chamber with a
|
|
too-tight rift heading off. Well, I couldn't be bothered to force myself to
|
|
try the rift (probably doable without SRT kit). Out, derigging the 100m rift.
|
|
Took out lots of tackle sacks + it was q. slow going. 9 pm out, in 11 am in
|
|
the morning, think the early start was a record, this expo.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-204-11">2000-08-11</a> <u>Becka</u> + Mike Allen</b>
|
|
|
|
<p><span lang="de">Steinbrückenhöhle</span> T/U 8 hours
|
|
|
|
<p>Down with 'Mike the Kiwi' I was left a stone arrow to follow to get from
|
|
the end of Ariston to the start of the new series. All nice, big well-rigged
|
|
shafts, luverly. Started surveying down the 50m, then a 20m and a 10m then
|
|
Mike rigged a 47m or so off a natural and a bolt with a wee deviation + we
|
|
were <u>down.</u> Survey finished here but, sadly, the cave did not. Off it
|
|
went in tight, scrapy stream rift meanders, heading down for at least 50m.
|
|
Sod that. Sidled on out with one tacklesack. Slowly. <u>And</u> got a lift
|
|
down from the <span lang="de">Loser</span> to
|
|
<span lang="de">Bergrestaurant,</span> courtesy of Mick the <u>hero,</u> so
|
|
here supping <u>Bier</u> at last!
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><u>Wook,</u> Andy - 170's 2000.08.09</b>
|
|
|
|
<p>It was afternoon by the time it cleared up enough to encourage us up to TC
|
|
so caving abandoned in favour of doing plateau stuff. Intended to go out via
|
|
the 170's to the <span lang="de">Hinter</span> & tag the 96-ones with
|
|
real numbers, check out 2000-02 & WK5 (we were carrying a ladder &
|
|
oversuit). As it happened we only got a small fraction of this done before it
|
|
went dark.
|
|
|
|
<p>Set off to 171 & thence to find 172, which we did by hacking straight
|
|
through the bunde. Also found a small '+' marked cave en-route. GPSed both
|
|
then surface surveyed back from 172->+->171b->171a. Took ages due to
|
|
bunde. '+' cave photoed, drawn, surveyed, tagged '00AA01'. 171 has at least
|
|
a-g entrances & needs an underground survey. Then continued to the
|
|
101-102,173, LRH(200) area & gpsed those caves. 102 was tagged, contrary
|
|
to the list. Changed the LRH tag to '1993 1623/200'. Then spent quite a while
|
|
looking for 174, 175 & 176. Eventually found them all & GPSed them.
|
|
Too late to surface survey so just walked back in the gloaming. Tried to find
|
|
210 to tag but it was too dark.
|
|
|
|
<p>[list of GPS locations still to type]
|
|
|
|
<p>Also surveyed inside 172 & 00AA01. 171 needs a proper survey!
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-40-12"><u>Wook</u> & Andy 2000.08.10</a> <span
|
|
lang="de">Eishöhle:</span> MI pushing</b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Went back to <span lang="de">Eishöhle</span> to try another angle on
|
|
the connection - going 'over the top'. Took drill & 60m rope to top of
|
|
big pitch after pool (when <u>will</u> Ol think up some names!). The pool had
|
|
nearly dried up - much more civilized. Traversed over pitch to next hole -
|
|
not the same as pitch, but turned out to be blind - about 12-15m deep.
|
|
Draught coming out was coming down next aven along & back up this hole.
|
|
Whilst Wook was bolting, Andy shinned up passage between the 2 holes &
|
|
found a tube going to another big shaft - looks like something different.
|
|
|
|
<p>One Hilti split off the nose so the descent above was rather dodgy.
|
|
Continued traverse - made easy by the power of skyhook. Short 6m pitch at end
|
|
drops into big space which is top of big pitch. Got down to 1st rebelay
|
|
before running out of rope & hangers & snapping driver. 12 bolts
|
|
placed - not a bad day's work. Surveyed out (all of 40m). Good trip - decent
|
|
bit of cave.
|
|
|
|
<p>Plenty of draught comes this way so it's looking good, although this pitch
|
|
seems likely to go down too far (40m+ deep).
|
|
|
|
<p>T/U 7 hrs
|
|
|
|
<p>Also put 162 spit & tag in on way to cave, put 163 tag & 'VFM
|
|
1988' tag (should have had an 'H' on the end but I forgot).
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-40-14"><u>Wook</u> & Andy 2000.08.11</a>
|
|
<span lang="de">Eishöhle:</span> MI pushing</b>
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<p>Back to try again down splendid stonking cave.
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|
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<p>En-route tagged 145b, Surface survey connected 163tag to old 163 station
|
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which had just come out of the snow. Had a quick poke down these to confirm
|
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that draughting - but blocked. Blocked ent. on path to
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<span lang="de">Eishöhle</span> (from VD1) is skylight in 163. Also
|
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swapped 'WOOK6' tag to correct cave (previously designated 'WK5' on this
|
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expo, incorrectly) and put 'WK5' tag on correct cave.
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<p>In <span lang="de">Eishöhle,</span> took another 60m & 30m of
|
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rope & had a fun time bolting down ~60m pitch in 3 steps. Very excited at
|
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bottom as Andy shouted 'I think I know where we are'. Then somewhat irritated
|
|
as we realised we had arrived down one of the big avens at the bottom. Bum.
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<p>So went & poked down streamway - Wook getting slightly further than
|
|
previous push but not enjoying it much ! Definitely a C-lead, but draughting
|
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nicely.
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|
|
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<p>Also shinned up into a bit Bob had found which ended in a small tunnel
|
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with a big draught, unfortunately partially blocked by choss. Stuffing Wook
|
|
in made more draught come the other way, so went down tight rift & dug a
|
|
bit more out to finally reach a small chamber with draught coming out of 3"
|
|
slot.
|
|
|
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<p>Did a proper survey of start of streamway & grade 2 of streamway &
|
|
other bit. Then surveyed & derigged back up pitches, noting that traverse
|
|
across top of bottom chamber was easy but no time left. (Canyon on 205°)
|
|
|
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<p>Dragged the 3 baggies out between us, then slogged back, Wook carrying
|
|
gear, to reach tatty hut about Midnight:15.
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|
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<p>T/U 9 hrs
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<p>(P.S. left 30m rope on traverse + 4 twists & 1 ring).
|
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|
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<hr />
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<p><b>Martin + <u>Julia</u> Surface Bashing 10th August</b>
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|
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<p>The planned surveying trip in 204 failed to happen due to lack of
|
|
instruments (one set at base camp, all cars up the hill. Doh!) So we wandered
|
|
off to do surface stuff instead. Got to B11, then sat around for ages trying
|
|
to get the GPS to do its stuff. Eventually worked it out and GPSed the
|
|
following caves.
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|
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<table border=0>
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<tr><th></th><th>Photoed</th></tr>
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<tr><td>B11 Alt 1658</td></tr>
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<tr><td>B8 Alt 1655</td></tr>
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<tr><td>80 Alt 1684</td><td>tick</td></tr>
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<tr><td>145 Alt 1698</td></tr>
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<tr><td>201 Alt 1791</td></tr>
|
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<tr><td>156 Alt 1804</td><td>tick</td></tr>
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<tr><td>147 Alt 1815</td><td>tick</td></tr>
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<tr><td>WK2 Alt 1753</td></tr>
|
|
<tr><td>193</td><td>tick</td></tr>
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</table>
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|
|
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<p>The numbers are in Wook's GPS. (Note. WK2 is not really WK2. The thing we
|
|
labelled is called WK2TEM according to Wook's GPS. It is tagged incorrectly,
|
|
and is located near 161c. It is also marked with a painted cross). We then
|
|
surface surveyed 193 (refound this year). The route from 161c is as follows.
|
|
Walk around the bottom of the snow plug in front of 161c and along the
|
|
terrace, past cairn on large boulder. At cairn (235° to France) turn
|
|
right and climb down to the next terrace. Walk along this level (northish)
|
|
then turn right and climb down another level to a traverse on a stone bridge.
|
|
Walk over limestone with drops either side towards the bunde. Continue in the
|
|
same direction towards final cairn. The bearings from this cairn (directly
|
|
above Ent. pitch, station 11 in surface survey) are
|
|
|
|
<table border=0>
|
|
<tr><td>Cross on <span lang="de">Trisselberg</span></td><td>186°</td></tr>
|
|
<tr><td><span lang="de">Vord</span></td><td>237°</td></tr>
|
|
<tr><td>Summit of <span lang="de">Hinter</span></td><td>001°</td></tr>
|
|
</table>
|
|
|
|
<p>Cave is tagged as CUCC 1623/193 and surveyed. Martin descended 193, so he
|
|
can write a cave description....
|
|
|
|
<hr />
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|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-40-13">10th August
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|
<span lang="de">Eishöhle</span></a> <u>Mark S,</u> Earl</b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Plan was to go to do one-leg survey to connect <span lang="de">Grüner
|
|
Eingang</span> survey to old cave + then MI pushing. Stomped up
|
|
<span lang="de">Elephantengang</span> & rigged pitch down to old cave.
|
|
Rope only <u>just</u> long enough (7m) - take 12m in future. Noticed a small
|
|
draughting hole at the top of the canyon at the foot of the pitch. Blowing
|
|
like a bastard it was, so we excavated it using bolting hammer, spit and
|
|
driver to the grand proportions of 20cm x 75cm wide. Mark lowered himself in
|
|
to find an immediate 6m ice pitch. No rope, so we surveyed out and named it
|
|
the Bastard 'Ole. Photo'd <span lang="de">Elephantengang.</span> Almost time
|
|
to go out, so we took a few snaps in SVH + headed out. It turns out that the
|
|
hole almost certainly connects with <span lang="de">Elephantengang,</span>
|
|
but it's now a QM for someone to check.
|
|
|
|
<p align="right">T/U 7 hrs
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-40-15">14th August
|
|
<u><span lang="de">Eishöhle</span> Mark S,</u> Earl</a></b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Mark S bashed his knee on the walk in so Earl went to derig Oldway pitch.
|
|
Went and did more SVH photos. Then rigged slope down from lowest pt of
|
|
chamber to blocked squeeze. Excavated it in a few minutes using a trowel.
|
|
Wandered up <span lang="de">Kalter Gang</span> to
|
|
<span lang="de">Spinnedfriedhof</span> to reach a pitch down (one bad spit)
|
|
after a difficult traverse (take a 10m rope & rig this next time). Ran
|
|
out of time so went out + carried a load of crap back to the car park.
|
|
|
|
<p>Interestingly, <span lang="de">Kalter Gang</span> blows away from SVH, but
|
|
the <span lang="de">Spinnenfriedhof</span> blows in your face as you descend
|
|
it. There are also marked changes in the temperature of the air in
|
|
<span lang="de">Spinnenfriedhof</span> - one minute it's as cold as SVH and
|
|
five minutes later you can't see your breath at all. Definitely worth a
|
|
return visit next year.
|
|
|
|
<p align="right">T/U Earl 5 hrs Mark S 4½ hrs
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-204-12">14/8/2000 <u>Becka,</u> Martin + Mark B<br>
|
|
<span lang="de">Steinbrückenhöhle</span></a><br>
|
|
T/U Becka 5 hours, Martin + Mark 6½ hours</b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Up to Top Camp - no one there so I stomped off to
|
|
<span lang="de">Steinbrücken</span> to catch the other two as they were
|
|
about to go in. They were going to finish off their infamous tape + notes but
|
|
no compass or clino survey off 110-a-day. Whizzed down the 3 entrance
|
|
pitches, dumped SRT gear + set off down stoopy, crawly Swiss-cheese passage,
|
|
holes off the side, in the floor + ceiling. Some draught though not strong. I
|
|
poked at various QMs, seemed an interesting spot. The survey ended in a
|
|
supposedly small chamber. I got here to find something larger than I was
|
|
expecting + various leads. We split up to look round. I went up the ~25°
|
|
ramp, stooping + found two walking passages off it, ending in large chambers
|
|
- <u>whoa,</u> getting pretty damn excited. Back to meet the others who'd
|
|
also found stuff so I armtwisted them to keep going with the survey. Found 3
|
|
more pitches off the bottom end of the 'chamber' then surveyed up the ramp to
|
|
where I'd checked out the walking passages. I set off up the passage straight
|
|
ahead to check if it linked back to the passage on the right I'd looked at
|
|
before to decide where best to survey. It kept heading on up + got gradually
|
|
larger ... and more + more drafty + lots of what looked like bat shit on
|
|
floor. By now I was stonking fast + then popped into a big walking passage,
|
|
still heading up. Raced down + screamed at mark to get out of the scrofulous
|
|
hole he had thrutched into + we abandoned the survey (I'd hardly any time
|
|
before I had to go out to make the carpark for 9pm). Raced up into the
|
|
walking passage + stomped off up the hill, passage getting bigger + bigger,
|
|
lovely solution holes in the ceiling + <u>still</u> a draft. Finally it
|
|
turned, continued, then came to a big chamber. Loads of ways on all along it
|
|
and it continued <u>down</u> past the point that we had entered. Yelped a lot
|
|
then headed out with Martin's carbide not lighting (+ he'd forgotten his duo)
|
|
+ Martin's lamp dead (and a dodgy zoom). Hopped off happily home.
|
|
<u>Great</u> trip!
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b>15/8/2000 Becka, Andy A + Earl T/U 0 hrs<br>
|
|
<span lang="de">Dachstein</span></b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Up 6 am, took just under 90 min to drive past
|
|
<span lang="de-at">Schladming</span> (go the
|
|
<span lang="de-at">Bad Mitterndorf</span> direction) to the
|
|
<span lang="de-at">Dachsteinsudseilbahn.</span> It starts 8 am, last one down
|
|
17:50. Pay O$20/per person to get up the toll road to the cable car then
|
|
O$265 for return cable car (or~O$160 for single fare) which basically gets
|
|
you to the top of the hill, only ~300m vertical off the
|
|
<span lang="de-at">Hohe Dachstein</span> peak.
|
|
|
|
<p>[sketch map to scan]
|
|
|
|
<p>Route up to <span lang="de-at">Hohe Dachstein</span> (1) was full of
|
|
people, many roped. First section you can use cows tails but the upper
|
|
section is q. exposed freeclimbing or you could rope up (we didn't + I'm not
|
|
sure it would help if you fall). The route off the back side of the peak (2)
|
|
was far less busy + easier, all protected using cows tails, ditto (3) the
|
|
route over a rock ridge from the 'back' to the front glacier (the one you can
|
|
see from <span lang="de-at">Loser).</span> Earl + I then went up (4) a final
|
|
<span lang="de">klettersteig</span> off from the cable car up to a helipad +
|
|
weather station. We were at the top at 9am, back from (1), (2), (3) at the
|
|
cable car by 2pm (v. leisurely, hour for lunch etc.) + then a faster stomp up
|
|
(4) + back took 2 more hours. We didn't need crampons at all or ice axes (not
|
|
necessarily true other times of year etc.) but used harnesses + cowstails a
|
|
lot. Beware loose rock, especially when there are gangs of people above you
|
|
(1) + its easy to avoid the crowds which are all between the cable car and
|
|
(1). Damn good day out + much more fun than doing it properly (ie. from the
|
|
bottom). Be crap in bad weather though.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-204-14">16/8/2000 Becka + Martin T/U 5 hours</a><br>
|
|
<span lang="de">Steinbrückenhöhle</span> final trip !</b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Down to 110-a-day to survey the other [see (2)] (right, as opposed to
|
|
straight on) big passage - which petered out q. soon + ended in lots of small
|
|
drafting QMs. Then took another look along the stuff they'd surveyed
|
|
yesterday + which we found on the 14th - several damn fine QMs. (We surveyed
|
|
to a drafting aven with a nasty tight rift in the floor - but draft
|
|
elsewhere) Then started a survey [see (1)] from the initial chamber to a
|
|
pitch I'd found on 14th but only had time to survey part way along. Packed up
|
|
+ ran home. I derigged to entrance pitches, inconveniently one tackle sack
|
|
short of making life easy so struggled up the entrance with 100m stuffed into
|
|
the one sack and a load of loose rope clutched in my hand. Out to hot
|
|
sunshine. Stomped down the hill to join in the striking Top Camp
|
|
mélee, so still trudging along with a big pack at 10pm but the job was
|
|
<u>DONE.</u>
|
|
|
|
<p>(2) Survey down nice passage, the floor is decorated, NEEDS TAPING
|
|
|
|
<p>[large sketch of bit surveyed - still to scan]
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><a id="id2000-204-8">8/8/2000
|
|
<span lang="de">Steinbrückenhöhle</span></a>
|
|
<u>Anthony,</u> Dunks, Mick TU 9 hrs
|
|
|
|
<p>Went back to pitch at bottom of Ariston we had partially descended on
|
|
1/8/2000. I went down and banged in a bolt, then descended 38 m to a "ledge"
|
|
of sorts. Tried to bang in another bolt but the rock cratered loads. I
|
|
reckoned Dunks & Mick were probably cold by now at the top of the pitch
|
|
(there is nowhere to cower and lots of loose crap around, which goes straight
|
|
to the bottom, hence we only had one person on the pitch at a time). Dunks
|
|
went down and banged in another couple of bolts, by which time we'd pretty
|
|
much run out of rope without bottoming the pitch, so we went out. Mick had
|
|
spent ~5 hours sitting at the top of the pitch freezing his kanackers off
|
|
whilst me and Dunks were bolting. Dunks was hassled by a bat on his way up,
|
|
hence pitch is called <span lang="de">Fledermausschacht.</span>
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-204-10">10/8/2000
|
|
<span lang="de">Steinbrückenhöhle</span></a>
|
|
<u>Anthony</u> & Dunks TU 11 hrs</b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Surveyed down <span lang="de">Fledermausschacht,</span> somewhat nervously
|
|
due to the huge potential for kicking crap off (esp. a precariously balanced
|
|
boulder near one of the rebelays). Managed not to kick anything too large on
|
|
Duncan. Got to the pushing front, banged in a bolt and descended a further
|
|
~25m to the bottom of the pitch. No ways on, loads of big boulders jammed in
|
|
the rift. So we surveyed the last bit, derigged and prussiked sedately
|
|
out with a bag of rope apiece. Pitch is 112m broken by two ledges mostly in a
|
|
hading rift of friendly dimensions.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p><b><a id="id2000-204-15">15/8/2000
|
|
<span lang="de">Steinbrückenhöhle</span></a>
|
|
<u>Anthony,</u> Dunks (TU 14½ hrs), Mike Allen 12½ hrs</b>
|
|
|
|
<p>Bombed down to the bottom of Mike & Becka's pitch series (descended on
|
|
11/8/2000). To push/survey the rift at the bottom until we got to the end or
|
|
another pitch, or until we got bored, whichever came first. Rift is a bit of
|
|
a pain in the arse - mostly ~50cm wide, apart from a widening at a ~5m
|
|
cascade (handline useful), very sharp. Lots of shinning up and down the rift
|
|
(which is essentially infinitely tall) occurred to try and find the widest
|
|
bit. Got 90m of survey in the book when we came across a pitch of ~10m. Looks
|
|
like the rift continues with significantly larger dimensions (though it could
|
|
just narrow down again quite quickly). Last survey station (at the top of the
|
|
undescended pitch) is at a new deep point of -365m. This is a good lead, but
|
|
pushing it is likely to become a serious trip, esp. if the rift continues in
|
|
a similar vein. There is a reasonable stream (estimate about like the TC
|
|
water hole in spate).
|
|
|
|
<p>Then derigged out, fairly efficiently, but it took a while. Derigged to
|
|
top of Ariston greasing most of the spits (but no matchsticks). I spent ~ 15
|
|
mins trying to undo one of Mike's deviations, but failed so the sling is
|
|
still there.
|
|
|
|
<p>Rift is to be christened "Razor Dance" after the Richard Thompson ditty of
|
|
the same name.
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<p>?/8/2000 Surface tour to show <span lang="de">Thilo</span> entrances for
|
|
<span lang="de">Nils</span> to GPS fix<br>
|
|
<u>Olly,</u> <span lang="de">Thilo Müller</span> (ARGE)
|
|
|
|
<p>Started from ARGE "camp" in Bergrestaurant car park. Hiked up to col by
|
|
<span lang="de">Nase</span> and tried to find the laser point there (the one
|
|
with the wrong coords - ?/?). Failed, so gave up and hiked up to 147, then
|
|
VD1. Then up to 136, down to 161d via a couple of Wook caves. Met Wook and
|
|
Andy at 161d and did a one leg survey. Back up to 161c and 161b, up to 161a,
|
|
back to VD1 to collect ski pole I'd left there, then up ridge towards 204. In
|
|
valley leading approx S from 204 found interesting entrance with draught
|
|
going in, somewhat above 204 (?m according to GPS). Met Dunks, Kiwi Mike and
|
|
co. at 204, and followed Dunks' modified route back, but lost it towards the
|
|
end (Dunks later said it wasn't fully reccied). Had a rest at top camp, then
|
|
showed Thilo caves around there, then packed up my tent and headed back to
|
|
car park, and then base camp for meeting with Austrians about next year's
|
|
event.
|
|
|
|
<p>T/U: None to note
|
|
|
|
<hr />
|
|
|
|
<!-- LINKS -->
|
|
<p><ul>
|
|
<li>2000 Expedition info:
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li><a href="index.htm">2000 index</a> (more detail than in this list)</li>
|
|
<li>Expedition <a href="report.htm">Report</a> 2000</li>
|
|
<li>Pre-expo <a href="goals.htm">mission statement</a></li>
|
|
<li>Index to <a href="161.htm">Kaninchenhöhle trips</a> in the log</li>
|
|
<li><a href="../../pubs.htm#pubs2000">Published accounts</a></li>
|
|
</ul></li>
|
|
<li><a href="../../pubs.htm">Index</a> to all publications</li>
|
|
<li><a href="../../sponsr.htm">Current year's</a> sponsors</li>
|
|
<li><a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expeditions intro page</a></li>
|
|
<li><a href="../../../index.htm">CUCC Home Page</a></li>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
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|
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