204 - 21 Bolt Salute traverse (Part 1)
Earl Merson
On our tourist trip yesterday, Julian had spotted a QM across
the head of the 70m pitch 'Gaffered to the Walls'. This is on the
edge of the current survey and heading south/southwest direction,
so Julian's cave detector was off the scale given that this passage
is also on the main phreatic level of Steinbrucken. Thus Julian and
I returned to traverse around the right hand wall...
There are significant ledges and other footholds around for most
of the way, which is just as well given the variable quality of the
rock. Starting from the tarvese line by the head of the pitch, we
climbed up to a large ledge. I bolted ahead while Julian hand
bolted a backup. After about 10m the ledge runs out and we were
left hanging on the bolts placed in what limited sound rock we
could find; hardly ideal placements.
A pull up onto a muddy ledge brings us to about the halfway
point. Here a muddy tube slopes up to a mud/sand choke (dry, QM C,
not drafting noticeably). We put on a few bolts on a ledge, and
were now on the NW corner of the shaft but not any better able to
tell if the QM at our objective will go. Incidentally, the ~4
second drop from the traverse to the bottom of the pitch really
impresses! We return tomorrow to finish the job.
T/U ??