R.H.Route again
Dan
After a day of recovery from dinner & general festering with the Hohlenrettung people some keenies drove up & camped on plateau (inc. Wookey). Team less keen went up in morning from Hildes (0800!) & met up with Wookey at camp. Mill around, go to cave, mill around a bit more, & finally underground 1.00, 1.30 in afternoon.
Chris spent ages fiddling with lights etc., & let team 'mega-mug' - (Animal, Jeremy, etc.) overtake & derig Flapjack etc. & as a result missed out on the hot tea at the camp.
Dan & Wookey surveyed Olympus, conveniently meeting team 'de-frig' (Animal Jeremy etc.) as they came up Flap-jack thus getting a closure loop. (oh-dear)
Chris & Adam (meanwhile) rigged down pitch Del had started on, off Olympus. Chris almost put in 2nd attempt at a bolt 15ft down on large ledge (beneath bolt) before 3 cracks appeared in rock & a lump fell out beneath bolt hole.
Adam spurned backup belay (small, highly mobile stone) at head of pitch & used a bigger (& therefore more reliable) rock as back up before descending & putting in a more successful spit underneath Chris's & descending ensuing 20 ft pitch. A stream canyon continued.
The rock split around Adam's next bolt too (to show he's not immune) so Chris free climbed down to a rabbit sized continuation of the stream & disappointment. So went out, noticing rock around bolt at head of pitch also split ho ho. ie. for this short section 5 attempts at bolting: 1: shattered at beginning, 3: rock split around, 1: OK. Not very good !
Adam & Chris said 'Hi' to Dan & Wookey doing the real work of surveying along the gorgeous passage off Olympus joining up with Flapjack from derrière. Chris helped/hindered survey, while Adam put in bolt (after several attempts) at head of pitch over on other side of passage beyond campsite of Knossos (& got v. bored).
Survey of stuff above complete, an Uncle Ben's rice meal was consumed before Dan & Wookey went off to look at the bits around 'Over the Rainbow' & Adam & Chris went to look at pitch Adam had just put a bolt in.
C went down & put bolt at head of 40m* pitch below, then A went down it (after having a false start down without 29m rope to continue to bottom of pitch, knot being required in centre). A. reported 5m pitch down continuing stream passage below.
Time was now 3 a.m. so a fatigued retreat was beat back to surface around 6-6.30 a.m. According to Dan + Wookey about their sojourn at 'Over the Rainbow' - it went. (because Chris' light a bit iffy & fell to bits)
* Of course, 40m is subject to usual 100% bullshit factor. In this case bullshit particularly gross since no knot change for 29m rope so prob. 25m at most. - Ah well !
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