161 - Forbidden Land
Chris Densham
Better sense having been cast to one side, we passed Stairway to Hell to reach Forbidden Land. The hanging death was the worst I have seen, & the route has nothing to to recommend it. The redeeming feature is the direction of travel & strongly drafting _big_ passage. Turned left at the big chossy junction whereupon the quality suddenly improved. Rigged a ladder barely off a thread, then surveyed off right* in the big passage. Double back right, down the poxy hole, or up to climb an aven? 3 peple, 3 routes. The poxy hole went - soon to a big chamber. Down right, following the stream, or straight ahead? Both ways went - straight ahead was big, ending in the side of a huge rift pitch. Could this be a connection to 136? Following the stream also went, soon to leave it, some occasional crawling along an otherwise sizeable rift heading SW. Ended at a traverse needing rope. Returned to the ladder (previously free climb by A + Wookey) & popped in a bolt to get into the chamber left at the jct* above. Down was choss to a small pitch. But past some lovely conglomerate stals (formed by erosion) was a climb some draughting phreas popping out surprisingly at the head of a 6-7 second rattle. Even more surprisingly we survived the return through Stairway to Hell.