From: David Wilson <davewilson21@btinternet.com>
To: migovec2003@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: migovec2003@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: RE: [migovec2003] chart toppers
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 14:11:40 +0100
X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.2.0.9
I've just got back home (Tuesday lunchtime.) Went down GW on Thursday
for a photo/pushing/survey trip with Brian, and got out Friday evening.
The phreatic series (Leprechaun) is still going on (and on, and on),
though the rock is a bit rotting in places - long through-bolts may be
needed next year to rig some small climbs properly? Tetley/Pete J. went
down to camp on Saturday for the last pushing trip, combining that with
initial derigging. The main straight-ahead lead in the 'cascade' series
(Take Nothing / Moondust) closed down, but there are still several
promising leads running off it in the region of the streamway.
When I left the bottom, there was a pitch to drop and a nearby shaft to
climb at the end of Leprechaun, (and the small streamway part way along
it), the various leads off Moondust, and there is still Leopard and the
down route at Zimmer, so there's absolutely loads to do next year, possibly
with a deeper camp. When I get my pictures back,I'll post some scans on my
website.
From: David Wilson <davewilson21@btinternet.com>
To: migovec2003@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: migovec2003@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: RE: [migovec2003] chart toppers
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 15:35:34 +0100
X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.2.0.9
More information on who did what. in the last week or so.
Tetley and Dave went down Sunday morning, exiting Tuesday 2-30am. Had a
look at end of Leprechaun and high-level passage above. Securely rigged and
surveyed Take Nothing / Moondust past point of initial exploration by Brian
& Colm, Surveyed one side-passage just after streamway. Took photographs in
Take Nothing / Moondust (~5 locations) and around Playboy Junction.
Brian and Martin went down Monday morning, exiting Tuesday evening. Pushed
end of Leprechaun down short pitches and climbs. Dug through sand choke to
continuation of phreatic passage beyond. Rigged uncertain traverse. Found
another small streamway (as yet unexplored).
pushed main route up rift passage to drop. Surveyed ~200m.
Martin got infected finger (grit rubbed in near base of nail). Had to go to
doctor to get pus drained. Out of caving, so on carry-down-hill duties.
Rub-point at top of Zimmer (rope caught round small flake) nearly resulted
in Brian taking 50m lob - sheath and some core sliced through.
Shed & Jan down Tuesday, out Thursday morning ~2am. - told about Zimmer on
way down by B&M, and did initial re-rigging. Some time taken learning new
parts of cave (neither had been beyond end of main pitch series previously)
Continued work in Moondust.
Pete J. and Rick down Wednesday, out Thursday evening. Pushed & surveyed
end of Moondust, rerigged Zimmer. (Zimmer now has no ledge - just 2 drops)
Brian and Dave descended Thursday morning, out Friday 6pm. Pushed end of
Leprechaun down 3 climbs on naturals (bolting with Spits not possible in
decayed rock) Surveyed (including one leg where we had to split a leg
because a 30m tape just wasn't long enough) to junction with large
(climbable?) aven up to left, with a low way to right leading to slope
which soon gains drop requiring some rigging. Rubbing natural hangs *seem*
OK even on cheap 9mm - rock seems weaker than rope. Some climbs a bit iffy
- surfaces get more slippy each time they are climbed on
Photos in: Leprechaun (~ 4 locations), the oxbow bypass in highway 52, Camp
X-ray, and the pitcheads of Space Odyssey and Tesselator on way out.
Saw Tetley & Pete J set off down Saturday just before I walked down to
Ravne with my gear.
A nice steady climb from camp X-ray to the surface is about 6 hours with
light/medium-weight tackle bag, and from the end of Leprechaun it's
currently about 1.5 hours back to camp at a steady sweat-free pace.
