Sirens stalactites

Dave Loeffler at the start of The Underworld, the first horizontal passage one encounters after the six pitches of the Gaffered to the Walls series. Notice the mud floor, which consists of a very thin dark layer covering a thicker band of light brown clay; it is a conservationist's nightmare, impossible to walk across without destroying. The inevitable accumulation of mud on one's gear also renders the prusik out very interesting as the rope becomes more and more slippery.

Photo © Earl Merson, 22/07/2004 11:49:50