Passage off the bottom of Brezno Strahov, above climb down to connection.
Spiny Norman is a series of chambers connected by rift. From Brezno Strahov, turn right, and climb down through boulders, followed by a rift to a pitch with a an awkward pitch head. There are no rebelays. First lead is "Where god went wrong", which is horizontal squeeze straight on from the first pitch. This leads to a climb down to a rift.
A spiralling climb above "Where God went wrong" leads to "Spiny Norman" squeeze. At the far side of "Spiny Norman" there is an airy climb. Climb up through a rift to a chamber. Cross the chamber to an eye-hole. Through this is followed by a series of downwards climbs and muddy crawls with numerous ways off. The passage becomes steeper and turns to the right. Finally makes right-angle turn to right at small chamber. Surveyed way on continues down and chokes. Crossing chamber leads to narrow rift, "Norfolk Enchance". Needs hammering.
One pitch soon after Brezno Strahov. 25m of rope is more than sufficient. Natural backup and natural first hang (long slings very usefull!). Single bolt round to left, less than one metre below first hang but more than one metre away allows free hang to bottom. Climb after "Spiny Norman" squeeze really needs rope. Less than ten metres needed, and a very nice natural hang would make this easy were it not for the fact that passing the squeeze with a harness on was not so frustrating.
"Where God went wrong" squeeze has been pushed into rift, with no end in sight. "Norfolk Enchance" squeeze has been pushed to two body lengths, but some "smoothing" is necessary.
Nearest permanent survey station to "Where God went wrong" is bottom of the rope at the chamber that leads into it (stn spiny.4), or alternatively at the top of the slope of Brezno Strahov Chamber (spiny.1). The nearest permanent survey station to "Norfolk Enchance" is at the base of the climbs that make up the main passage (stn dinsdale.27).
Author(s): Da Gowt
Last modified: 17/7/00
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