Difference between revisions of "Expo 2008/Logbook 2007"

Revision as of 08:22, 1 June 2008

Expo 2007

2007-07-18|Razordance| Duncan, MarkD, Dour

We got underground at 9:30 and made rapid progress down to God Loves a Drunk, Mark pausing en-route to swap his radon detectors. Regrouping at GLAD we brewed up a couple of packets of soup and a dehydrated meal to fuel us up for the push.

At 1pm we reached the front and started to rig and survey onwards. Mark wielded the drill, I weilded the pencil and Dour brought up the rear with a shetland attack pony.

Four and a half hours later we had descended five pitches and were looking down a sixth, with no hiltis left and precious few hangers, so we headed out via another very welcome soup at GLAD.

According to the survey data, 204 now has a vertical range of 599.99m.

T/U: Duncan 12.5, MarkD 12, Dour 14

[rigging diagram]

2007-07-22|Razor Dance|Dunks 'n' Dour

The previous trip down Razor Dance had returned with tales of a deep pool that they had started traversing around to where they could see into a perpendicular rift with running water audible. Could this be the bottom? The target for this trip was to continue the traverse into the side rift to find out whether the sound of water was a continuation or an inlet.

Set off down at 10:30 with Dunks in the lead. I was therefore surprised (and a little perturbed) to arrive at the pushing front to find no sign of him. I soon heard him thrutching through the rift. It turns out that he had missed the traverse level below Yeast pitch had had thrashed through at stream level to emerge at a ~15-20m pitch with no rope on it – presumably where the water drops in at Pepper Pot.

Before continuing the traverse we opted to try one of the self-heating meals provided by Andrew that the Welsh diggers “swear by not at”. After following the instructions to the letter and waiting the requisite 15 minutes, it was still stone cold, so we scoffed it anyway.

Duncan then started work on the traverse. Andreas had bolted along a ledge on the right-hand wall (opposite the cross-rift). Duncan elected to take out his last two bolts and bolt on the left-hand wall instead, then he bridged across the (narrower) cross rift. Some time later I followed, hating every minute of it (so I took the opportunity to spit into a pot).

It turns out that the sound of water in the side rift comes from an inlet, and that the deep pool is a sump – so 204 is now 622m deep. A bit disappointing that it didn't go deeper, but at least we've bottomed the bastard.

The inlet is keyhole passage with ~3m round phreatic part elongate along the dip direction, and a trench that is typically 5m deep, trending upwards at 25°. We surveyed up this for ~70m before running out of time. Our last survey station is by a junction where the main route continues for ~40m to a climb which may or may not be climbable, and an inlet rift that is passable for some distance. With that we headed out with the drill and spare metalwork at a sedate pace (set by my), pausing for a food stop at GLAD. Duncan emerged at 04:50, and I got out at 06:20.

Duncan had a suspicion that the inlet contained water from the Midnight in Moscow series. Survex reinforced this suspicion: if the project the inlet up at its current angle for ~100m along and ~25m up, it will hit the bottom of Rasputin in 161 – so hopes are high for a connection, which would be a satisfactory 2nd prize after its failure to go very deep.

T/U: Dunks 18:12 hrs, Dour 20hrs

2007-07-24|Razordance -> The forbidden City|Andreas, MarkD, George

The trip was originally intended to compose of Andreas, James and myself, but unfortunately James was feeling a touch ill, and so Mark stepped in to take his place. The weather was looking a little overcast, but still dry and we made a late-ish start at 11:00am. All went smoothly until we reached the top of Copper pitch where we heard an ominous rumble/whistling noise in the distance. Although we all heard this noise we stayed quiet until we reached the following pitch where-upon it became obvious that the water levels were rising. A couple of minutes later the water levels had reached impressive heights! After a brief discussion we decided to press on into the drier part of the rift.

Although the lower pitches were a bit damp none of them proved too wet so we carried on to do some pushing. At the top of the long slippery ramp that Dunks and Dour had explored two days previously we took a left turn into a steeply ascending dry passage. We followed this up 10-15 short free climbs, via some quite nice formations. Eventually we reached a phreatic tunnel which levelled out, and then started to head downhill. Sensing that a connection with KH was imminent we ditched the instruments and went for a poke around.

A low sandy crawl emerged 2m up the wall of what was clearly a very large passage. unfortunately the climb down was a bit on the suicidal side so we tried a lower crawl that emerged a bit closer to the floor. Although still a little on the loose and necky side we all reached the bottom and set up off the large 6m diameter tunnel. Downslope a stream could be heard (Midnight in Moscow?) and upslope gave us some fine long survey legs until an impressive echo started to sound. The source of the echo was a ~40m diameter chamber which was greeted with much whooping. Several leads go off from this and after we did a few survey legs across it we headed out.

Again all went smoothly, we stopped for some food at GLAD, until we reached Mystery Wind pitch where it became clear that the cave was flooding again, only this time rather more so. It was some relief that we reached the bottom of Kiwi Suit which was very cool, windy and wet. The amount of water now flowing down RD was at least 10 x that of when we had entered. I couldn't help thinking that we had got out just in the nick of time. After a long and tedious prussik we all eventually all reached the surface at 00:30 -> 01:00. An excellent trip!

T/U: 13 ½ hrs

2007-07-07|Razor Dance -> Gobi Trail|Andrew A, Andrea + George

We had meant to get underground before 9.00am, but unfortunately Andreas and myself were feeling rather sleepy in the morning and so we managed to get underground shortly after 11:00am. We had a smooth 4 and a bit hour journey down to the pushing front, slowed down slightly by Andrew As enormous camera case (which was later left in “The Silk Road”.

We commenced the surveying by re-doing a couple of the legs in “The forbidden City” that had gone pear-shaped on the previous visit. We had also had a quick look down some sandy crawls at the base of the chamber, but they would all seem to offer only long term digging prospects. We surveyed up the large loose passage at the top of the chamber for approximately 100m. There is a climb there where care needs to be taken not to slip! It appeared as though the passage was going to crap out, but a low crawl lead to a complex junction. We chose the RH passage as it was heading towards KH, but the LH passage looked excellent too. A few survey legs with good formations lead us to a junction with a passage with a very small trickle of water flowing down it, where we decided to call it a day. Our highest point is now 118m above the sump level. Another uneventful if tiring, journey out had us at the surface at 1.00am is. Lots more question marks!

T/U: 14 hrs

2007-07-29|Razordance -> Far East|MarkD, Duncan, JonT, OllieS

Back down Razordance to take another look at the Far East. Uneventful journey down. Jon took a look at the tubes at the bottom of the Forbidden City. After ½ hour working with a crowbar we decided that it was a long-term job to dig through. We also looked downhill at the end of the Silk Road. After descending a ~6m drop a shortish passage leads to the top of a pitch. This is almost certainly the same pitch which can be reached from below “Carry on the Khyber” by following the water. After that we continued along the phreatic passage above the Forbidden City (the ”Gobi Trail”) to the first major junction. Left here was unsurveyed so we surveyed in, clocking up ~100m of new passage to a point where a vadose canyon intersected. Right (up) led to a 6m aven, reasonably climbable with some gear. Left led, via a climb down, to a continuing rift which heads towards the left zipper/right zipper area in Razordance. The phreas clearly continues over the top of the vadose canyon but would require some effort to reach it. Finally we tidied up a few minor leads. Closing a loop which led back to the gobi trail at the climb (where we had previously rigged a hand line). Then out. A long hard struggle back up Razordance and all of us ran out of puff in the Ariston series. Ollie got slightly lost at Wolpertinger Way, but it was his first trip in the cave. Given that he has only been caving a year this trip was a major step up for him and all the rest of us thought he did BLOODY WELL. We can expect HARD BASTARD exploits from this chap in the future. Hats off!

T/U 18 hrs

2007-07-31|Razordance -> push horizontal leads. Combined push, survey, photo + derig trip. Sigh.|Wookey, Julian, Andrew, Becka

Woken up by Andrew to the news that we were going down Razordance. Hmm, really? I was prussiking out of 204E at 10pm last night + fancied a bit of a mellow, shallow shufty. Still, now or never as the derig loomed + Wookey was keen. Then Julian astounded us all by muttering that he'd come along. He went off for a dump whilst we consulted Andrew who was going to have to shepherd us down there. Why not? says Andrew, so we were underground by 10am feeling a bit old, unfit + generally fragile for all of this lark. Slowly down the pitched then into the rift. And more rift. And more sodding rift, ye gods. Only Andrew had been through before (+ then only once) so we got lost a couple of times, particularly trying to find the oxbow thing but finally we hit the sump + the infeasible traverse. don't worry, its easier this direction says Andrew. Hmm, reassuring. Quick chochy stop + off up lots of scramble climbs – not too bad but it felt a long way from here by now. What's all this about? asks Wookey. We have to go up 120m now says Andrew. Bloody hell. Wish we'd looked at the survey a bit more carefully before setting off – except that would probably have discouraged us from all this nonsense. This is wasting my valuable getting-out energy grumbles Julian. Picked up Andrew's camera case + did some 4 flash shots in the big chamber then split with Andrew + Julian taking photos + Wookey + I continuing Andrew, George + Andreas' Gobi Trail survey ~ SW for 130m including plenty of diddly 2m legs in mainly crawly / stoopy tubes with sand or pebble floor. A reasonable draft heading in with us. It was all quite cosy + friendly and we could easily have notched up a few more hours surveying but Wookey decided that enough was enough so we took some cheesy group shots + left things at a complex junction wuth 2 QM A's and a QM B with sound of water. One to a Razordance-like rift with water, the other with a strong draft coming out + heading up steeply. Derigged the hand line + I picked up the tacklesack of unrigged rope + back to the sump to put on our SRT gear. I failed to palm off the tacklesack on anyone + set off to the start of the traverse. I'd heard Dunks muttering that cutting the rope for the traverse without leaving a tail down to the sump level had been a bit overkeen on scrimping with the rope + the muddy slope from the end of the traverse down had been a awkward on the way but hey, nobody had actually fallen off it yet. Andrew had mentioned it was easier high but with the tacklesack I didn't want to slither a long way down so I gingerly teetered forward on muddy ledges + eyed up the slot in the sump, wondering if it was narrow enough that I couldn't possibly fall down it. Yes I thought + promptly my foot slid + I decided to check it out. 'Shit'. Then I've got one foot under the water + the other braced on the far wall with the tacklesack dangling like a Mafioso's cement sack from my waist + some serious knee shake. “Andrew's coming” shouts Wookey. He gets his long cows tail into the traverse + I manage to clip my cow's tail into his footloops + then do a flailing prussik up him and onto the traverse. Still nobody volunteered to take the Fucking tacklesack. I hauled myself across the traverse trying to maintain enough stress that my 8pm spit sample on the far side was a good 'un. Right, that was my low point, literally as well as figuratively. Andrew derigged the traverse whilst collecting his spit + gobs as soon as he gets over. Were you holding the spit pot whilst you derigged? asked Wookey. Er, he's good but even Andrew probably didn't have a spare hand there. Tootled up the rift – not as bad as feared, route-finding easier than on the way down + it didn't seem any more energetic than on the way down, especially as all the pitches are nice + bite sized. I didn't let anyone have a cup-of-soup at the camp as we didn't deserve it. On + on, I'd forgotten all the pitches by now. I managed to do an awkward section right at the bottom whilst everyone else wandered around trying to find the way higher up. Then a really long pitch, followed by another largish one. I got a bit concerned as Julian would be slow on this + I knew Razordance started with an awkward section + a couple of short pitches so we must still have quite a long way to go in the rift... Andrew came up swearing at his dysfunctional jammer. How many more pitches? I asked. 12. OK altogether, but how many to go? Well, we've done 1 or 2. No, but the first ones in Razordance are short... ah! You mean I'm not in the rift any more??? Great news – halfway up Kiwi Suit before I knew it. No time out from here. Andrew + I got out + rehydrated, went to bed + Julian + Wookey came out a couple of hours later. Julian did an ad hoc spit sample just to see what euphoria hormones look like (though how he gets his 4am baseline comparison I don't know). A fine trip – once in a lifetime, literally, for Julian at least... Combined age of 4 team members = 152 years, what's the retirement age for this kind of nonsense?

T/U: 16-17 hrs

2nd LogBook

2007-08-02 and 2007-08-03|John B's account of Razor Dance derigging trip

John Billings, Aaron Curtis, Jon Telling (+ Duncan Collis, Mark Dougherty, Richard Mundy + George North)

Left basecamp for an “early start” at (maybe) 10am. (Duncan + Mark had been talking about a R.D. trip the day before...) Got to Stone Bridge early afternoon. JonT was itching for a RD derigging trip. - already up there for a few days, wanted a “decent” trip. Aaron + I pulled on our gear quickly, & then the three of us set off down 204A... Duncan & Mark to follow after a few hours.

My second trip in Austria, first one was with Aaron to do some science stuff in a shallow cave. This RD trip turned out to be quite vertical. Not much horizontal caving, at least to start with. Stopped briefly for my 2pm spit sample. We carried on downwards (later learnt that this was the Kiwi series).

After a couple of hours we hit Razor Dance. Much more horizontal & quite tight. Had a few problems finding the correct level – it's quite a deep vertical rift in a few/most places. Lots of grunting. JonT: “flow with the rock, not against it”.

Got to final pitch before sump at bottom. Jon + Aaron already down. Just as I was half-way down, Jon shouts for me to start going back up. What the fuck? Shouts that it's getting very wet. Bloody hell, he's got a point, this little RD stream has got a lot wetter. Better had get out. Oops, not chest jammer on central MR (in dangly bag) – have to go right down. Thunderstorm?

Put chest jammer on. Jon volunteers to derig – yes please! Start heading out, followed by Aaron then Jon. Bottom pitches very wet – get quite soaked. After a while, bump into Duncan& Mark. Good to see them. Say they've re-rigged Paster of Muppets pitch 'cause it's a bit damp. Follow Duncan up to top of Pepper Pot. Duncan, Mark & I wait there for an hour (damn cold!) until Aaron & Jon turn up. Given heavy tacklesack full of wet rope, carry on pushing up through RD. Duncan goes on ahead.

Turns out that it's quite a mission to push a tackle sack through tight, vertical rift. Almost leave it a couple of times. Arms tired. Actually, there is a technique to it. Push it ahead and wedge it, then follow.

Got to basic 'camp' (stove + food) called “God Loves a Drunk” - passed straight through on way down. Hot food, courtesy of Duncan. Richard & George also there! Set off again after a bit, following Jon. Hear him now & then at top of pitches.

Leave tacklesack at bottom of Kiwi Suit next to Jon's Start up, bloody hard work. See Duncan following at the bottom of pitches. Should have brought more chocolate bars. Find my discarded water bottle on way up – very thirsty, quite welcome! Also a flap-jack cache :)

Eventually got to the surface at 2am. “Job's a good 'un”. Food then sleep. Won't do that again in a hurry. Appears there was a ~7pm thunderstorm.

Finis.

T/U: John+Jon+Aaron 12hrs

Duncan + MarkD: 11hrs

Richard + George: 8 ½ hrs

2007-08-03|Razordance – Finish derigging|Wookey, Andrew + Becka (plus OllieS for last third)

Down 10am. Wookey + I fetched the tackle sack of rope from Mystery Wind + derigged the two pitches. By the time we were back at the bottom of Kiwi Suit Andrew had unbagged all the rope and done paella number one (& two) up the first pitch by himself... at which point we were committed... to 9 more paella stacks until the last one emerged onto the slaps outside of Top Camp. Ollie came along to help when we were on the big pitch below Wolpertinger Way, which made life easier (down to only one tackle bag each) + on the final pull we had an excellent surface support party of Aaron, Richard, John + Jon to do all the hard work. Rope dried overnight, coiled the next day so all the RD derigged in 2.5 trips – not bad.

T/U: Wookey, Andrew + Becka: 11 hrs

Ollie S: 5hrs

2007-08-04|Rigging Tunnockschacht|Jon, Becka

Neither of us had been before but the magic of GPS and a good set of cairns got us to the entrance. Jon then winged all the way down the entrance pitch about rubs. I just thought he was seeing some standard CUCC rigging but as I went down it went rub, twang, rub along with a hail of loose rocks. On the way out we realized that some of the problem was that the snow level was way down on last year … but we’d also not been warned about the three rope protectors needed. After that comes a small sloping crawl. Should I take the tacklesack? Asks Jon. No, it’s OK if you just roll it ahead says I. Oh no- you OK? Er, do you want to go check out this QMC down this little shaft? Fortunately Jon could get down & reported it kept going as a QMB…& fetched the tacklesack. We then looked at 06-19A which looked an excellent lead. After some gardening there was no time left to survey so nosed around the rest of the passage there & then out. Be a lovely cave if someone with a drill rigged the entrance more creatively.

T/U 4 ½ hrs

2007-07-30|Fucking about in the Quarries (?)|Pete, Jon T, Nial, Sarah, Frank (Maybe others)

Some of the people at top camp decided that caving was effort. They were right. Therefore we decided to look at some hole we had walked past on a previous slack day showing newcomers where Tunnocks is.

We passed 204 E to find some reasonably deep but snow filled holes. Armed with a drill Nial bolted our way down a hole. Our team (Nial Pete and Sarah) was joined by Jon after Pete had descended and decided we didn't have enough rope. Aided by Jon what we decided was 2007.03 was descended to a snow plug and a slot followed by Jon. We surveyed down the slot to a choke. It turns out this place was probably already explored in 2002. Frank laddered down a hole that had a vital connection to where we had been. Sarah and I looked [continued 3 pages later: “Quarries continued” ] in another hole that had a bolt already in place and found no leads. Sarah + Jon looked at some other places further in the Tunnocks direction which one of them will have to write about. To conclude: Time wasted – 1 day.

2007-08-01|Surface Shaft|Jenny + Olly

Having failed to find 2004-04 the previous afternoon we had another go and it was still hidden sadly. Then went to look for 84 which we also failed to find, I guess it is either well hidden or not close to 83 to the WNW.

Found an interesting looking hole (2007-73) walking entrance down a snow slope which then went down a bit to a chamber. Olly looked at the continuation which was a bit snowy & small. We will return later in expo.

2007-08-02|82-85|Jenny & Olly

Went over to survey the connection with 85. Shortly into the connection is an aven up to the surface a new higher entrance!

As we surveyed we could hear very loudly a Thunderstorm overhead, and a waterfall appeared near the 85 entrance.

Olly had a look at the continuation of 85 but thought the climb wasn't freclimbable due to the current snowline position.

2007-08-03|76: Boiling Tubes|Jenny & Olly

It had rained a lot overnight + was still raining so decided the pitch in 148 might be unpleasant, so decided on 76 instead. Went to the end of the Boiling Tubes where we left 3 leads in 2004. None of the leads looked great, but we started with 04-62B, the straight on lead. This was crawling then wiggling to a boulder which was followed shortly by a stal blockage – unusual for Austria. The stals weren't huge, but neither was the passage. I surveyed back while Olly took notes, and sadly my promising lead haeding straight for 2007-71 was no more. (There was a small red spider there)

Olly removed some soil from the RH lead 04-63C and discovered that the soil continued for quite some way, so we left off that and looked at the final crap lead (04-04C), after moving some rocks I crawled down, slightly downhill + over rocks. I was realy hoping that I would be able to turn around at some point as I wasn't looking forward to reversing back.

Then I noticed the passage was echoing. In my experience so far small crawls tend not to make large echos. This made me excited and optimistic that I might be able to turn round. After a few more meters the crawl enlarged enough that I could just turn round yay! Rocks droped down the pitch went for ~ 2.5s then bounced a bit more. Shame it would be a crap place to carry gear.

Returned to BUW[BNW?, bivi?] and looked at 04-25C, surveyed down to where it got small - is very easy to move rocks through. It looks like it connects with Loopy so probably easier to get through from the south.

Finally looked at 04-26B, scramble in (easily) [something] - the A+ pitch ledges into a narrow walking height passage followed this up to a T junction, L is low crawling and right a bit larger – both are C grade leads. The RH one may join 04-41C perhaps. Surveyed this and left, removing the radon detectors on route.

T/U: 7 1/4 hrs

2007-08-04|81|Jenny & Olly

Went back to 81 to survey the bew stuff. Not a heugely long cave but a lot of entrances (which we have put hiltis in for the tags (and for 82b tag). There is still a couple of leads to look at later as well. What we surveyed was mostly walking passage and quite pleasant.

T/U: 2hrs

2007-07-19|Razor Dance|Dave, Andreas, James

Our hopes of an early start were sabotaged by the realisation that the drill battery was (a) flat and (b) broken. Several hours of charging and some gaffer later, we got underground around noon.

At the pushing front, James + I cowered damply while Andreas rigged the pitch with a Y-hang + rebelay 2m further down. This landed in an elongated rift chamber, with a fairly narrow but ruler-straight slot leading off. Andreas went ahead with the bolting gear while we started surveying.

The slot widened out somewhat + a scramble up onto a ledge led to a keyhole – type phreatic tunnel + slot in the floor. Andreas rigged a traverse were the slot began to widen + reached a stance overlooking a deep, dark pool of water.

Andreas attempted to answer the question “is this a sump?” by traversing out along the ledge to see round a corner, but ran out of battery. So we headed out, leaving the depth certainly over 600m.

T/U: 15hrs

2007-07-25|Random leads in Insig|Dave, Djuke, Frank

[to be typed]

2007-07-25|Trisselwand – the Ivth|2007-08-05 Wookey<u/>, Niall Peters, Andrew Atkinson

[to be typed]