CUCC Expeditions to Austria: 1976 - 2023

Julian + I in first with new-from-Eisenhof, 50% bigger crowbar to prod boulders. Across Gaffered 21-Bolt Traverse (mmm, acrobatic), up the boulders, to the top of the tube + looked at the boulders. Not much room for manoeuvre, or for a quick escape when they start raining on your head. Nevertheless Julian + I alternated levering them out (all too easy - some came out even from chucking a rock at them) for an hour or two. Bloody cold in the draft. Finally got enough out to see that the good-looking way on was just a solution pocket whilst the draft was coming from directly above + there could be many, many boulders funnelled up there. Decided we'd stretched our nerves enough. Out + I de-rigged the traverse. By then Earl + Martin had turned up. I then went with Martin rigging into Gaffered (we hadn't wanted to start before the traverse was derigged as loose stuff kept dropping down the pitch). Rigged the 70m, the next pitch, the traverse + pitch and finally the eyehole pitch so 4 pitches in all with Martin adding extra spits here + there to beef up the rigging + avoid dodgy naturals. Meanwhile Julian + Earl had been going to look at Pleasuredome for horizontal leads but got distracted + ended up finding the squitty squeeze off Dutch Beauty which Earl linked up to the end of the 21 Bolt Traverse (doh!)

T/U Martin 8 1/2, Becka 10 1/2, Julian 8 1/2, Earl 6 1/2 or something like that