Team Divbrain
Chris Densham
go on an overnighter for 1st trip down Niflheim since it was rigged. (on 11th Aug - 12 days ago !!)
Set off at 8.30 (just as it went dark). Dave the hand carried tacklebag with all the bits of gear we could scrounge/find - 1 ladder from camp, braidline from surface, another ladder & more braidline from top of pitch 3 & (shock, horror!) one SRT rope from bottom of squeeze, a whole 15m ! Zoomed down to bottom of seriously damp Niflheim in 2 hrs with no injuries other than a seriously wet wellie.
Looked around at bottom to discover that, contrary to public opinion, it was totally all down here; found lots of passage, 3 pitches, a couple of crawls and a silted-up sump - ideal campsite crapper.
[a great deal of sketching of Ragnarok]
After poking around a bit went down 4m ladder pitch to left of passage & found stream canyon beyond 12m (maybe less) to floor. 17m pitch under rocks in main pasage looked more promising so went down there instead. Dave then bolted next (11m pitch) & he & Chris investigated squalid bits at bottom whilst I went back, nicked the Niflheim rope & bolted down into chanber on oter side of bridge. Promising looking pitch beyond so I started bolting it. Was v. bored when Dave came back saying their route was crap & could they have some rope back to get out with ?
I derigged sufficiently to chuck rope back down, & Dave went to continue bolting whilst me & Chris tried to survey passage - unfortunately had total instrument failure (except the tape - that was OK) so just did sketch and bearings overleaf.
Eventually descended last 6m pitch at 6.30 am to find it went into 'too tight' rift. Now v. bored, cold & tired so exited.
On way out I noticed other way on (p3) & checked that but it was crap as hell ! hmpf.
Out in 2¼ hrs (me & Dave) & 2¾ (Chris)
Chris had the shits all trip and crapped at bottom of 4th (now named 'LOOSE BOWELS') & in 'THE BLACK LAGOON'.
Dave fell asleep at camp 1 & Chris fell asleep on drive back !
Ha, successfully tired him out (Dave) !