136 - 136 to Lost in Space
Becka Lawson
Andy + John went straight to where Wookey left off surveying at top end of the boulder chamber in Lost in Space. Andy freeclimbed over a boulder & put a 7m rope on it (needs a bolt + a longer rope on it), then rigged ~30m sloping pitch down from the boulders choked in the passage (3 spits including a v. free-hanging rebelay). They went to the base of the sloping-down - wedge boulder-floored chamber at the bottom, poked around, then surveyed back up to Wookey's survey. Brian + Becka tried to bolt the pitch which Julian had been working on just _before_ all the big stuff. A _very_ pretty chamber after the 5m sloping pitch down which Julian had already rigged, then a strongly drafting hole looking out to a dripping large-echo chamber. Lots of pretties just at the pitch head, together with some lovely loose boulders. Brian threw a few pretties down the pitch + belayed off the boulders. Oh well! Then the drill battery turned out to be dead. Then we found that the hammer had no handle and the driver had no handle. And it was a damn cold place to bolt. After Brian had messed around for a bit + I'd let my infected foot cool down we decided we weren't _quite_ interested in jerry-rigging it _just_ off the boulders so we went off to find Andy + John. Brian put a bolt in on the pitch below Andy's (which needs a backup if anyone else is doing it, currently backed up off a boulder). Down ~35m (pitch provisionally called Steady Aim) to steeply sloping down bouldered floor leading at ~240°, clean-washed (area "water chute") + some drips coming in various spots. End on a jammed boulder at a pitch (~?10m) following the stream down. Finally getting a bit smaller here, pretty big everywhere above. Andy + I got out + Brian + John got out a bit later.
Oh yes, Brian + I found a bit more on the left at the start of the survey that Wooks + I did 2 days ago + we surveyed it. Its just before Lost in Space, a couple more avens on the LHS as you go in.