Dave W2003

Created on:: Before records began
Last changed on:: February 6, 2020 13:13

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.

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Page last modified on January 01, 2008, at 02:59 PM