expoweb/years/2025/log_entries/2025-07-01a.json

{
 "date": "2025-07-01",
 "title": "Plateau - Rope ferrying - Homecoming to Topcamp",
 "place": "Plateau",
 "other_people": "",
 "text": "The mission: ferry over 1km of rope (plus some other gear) between Homecoming and Topcamp.\n<p>\nThe hope: to be done with this early enough to go and push Joel, Jonty, and Julia's newly discovered cave SE of Balkon: 'Reflectorists'.\n<p>\n<p>\nWe set off up the hill along with Harry, Hannah, Ella, and Hamish, with Becka and Chris a little ways ahead. At the col we parted, with the latter two walking to Topcamp and the rest of us heading straight towards Homecoming. On the way we passed many very enticing holes, most of which had been logged in 2023 but not dropped. The plateau along that walk is practically swiss cheese!\n<p>\n<p>\nUpon arrival at Homecoming, we had a break and some flapjack before packing rope (and a few bolt hammers and through bolts) whilst Harry, Hannah, Ella, and Hamish headed up to Garlic Camp to collect useful gear. We managed to take the majority of it, but there was still a considerable amount left. \n<p>\n<p>\nWe then set out across the plateau towards Topcamp, the sun absolutely sweltering hot, but very fortunately obscured intermittently by clouds.\n<p>\nWe had a break at Fishface, spending awhile enjoying the cold breeze in the entrance. After saying hi to Becka, who was on her way to Homecoming to pick up more rope, we started back on the path. \n<p>\n<p>\nThis section of the walk felt like it went much quicker, since most of it was taken up by Joel and Jonty trying to remember all the many sections of the path they'd named on previous expos.\n<p>\n<p>\nIt wasn't until we got to the top of Mount Densham that Joel realised he'd lost his phone. We feebly attempted to locate it on google maps, but all this told us was that he was as Basecamp 13 hours ago, and we determined it had no signal by attempting to send it whatsapp messages. After a little discussion, we determined it had most likely been lost around Fishface, since it was the last place we'd stopped. Joel and I dumped our bags and headed back to Fishface whilst the others continued on towards Topcamp.\n<p>\nOh my god, walking across the plateau is SO much nicer without a bag. You can jump!!! It was a lovely walk back, and we found Joel's phone almost instantly in the entrance to Fishface, propped against a wall. I refilled my now emptied waterbottle with some snow from the meagre snowplug at the entrance, then we headed back to our bags and onwards to Topcamp. Once we got back, we dumped rope and had some food. The Garlic Camp group arrived, having also taken some rope back from Homecoming.\n<p>\n<p>\nGiven that it was already around 2, and Julia needed to be down the hill for her train at 8, and Jonty had injured his ankle, we decided to head down the hill early, unfortunately abandoning our hopes of pushing Reflectorists for another day. We substituted Joel for Ella, as Joel was planning on sleeping at Topcamp, and started on our way.\n<p>\n<p>\nThe walk down went smoothly, but was incredibly hot. We passed Becka on the way back, who had managed to take the last of the rope back from Homecoming, leaving only the drum of metalwork there. After sweating through the rest of the walk, we finally returned to the carpark, did a quick shop, then headed to the lake via Basecamp for a very lovely and refreshing evening.",
 "slug": "2025-07-01a",
 "time_underground": 0.0,
 "author": {
  "slug": "buck-blake",
  "nickname": "Buck Blake",
  "tu": 0.0
 },
 "trippersons": [
  {
   "slug": "buck-blake",
   "nickname": "Buck Blake",
   "tu": 0.0
  },
  {
   "slug": "alice-kirby",
   "nickname": "Alice Kirby",
   "tu": 0.0
  },
  {
   "slug": "becka-lawson",
   "nickname": "Becka",
   "tu": 0.0
  },
  {
   "slug": "joel-stobbart",
   "nickname": "Joel Stobbart",
   "tu": 0.0
  },
  {
   "slug": "jonty-pine",
   "nickname": "Jonty Pine",
   "tu": 0.0
  },
  {
   "slug": "julia-kikel",
   "nickname": "Julia Kikel",
   "tu": 0.0
  }
 ],
 "expedition": {
  "year": "2025",
  "name": "CUCC expo 2025"
 }
}