204 - Gaffered
Earl
Descended to Eeyore to continue rigging Kanga pitch. Bolts had been placed on the previous trip, so adding a deviation enabled us to
descend. Tony and Brian had won the only available instrument set, so we escaped without surveying. Explored around the bottom; only way
on leads to a small chamber with pitch (not promising) which may connect to a pitch in the main Kanga area.
After that we moved round to the Sirens traverse to look at rigging around the big pitch Black Maria (03-17B). First part of
traverse was easy (big ledge, 2 naturals and a bolt) but then ledge ran out. Next bolt shattered the rock on setting, but there is scope
for a good Y-hang to the floor. Traversing on towards 03-18B will be nontrivial; probably bolting into overhanging wall, losing
height and scrambling back up to the QM. Ran out of enthusiasm, so left it at that.
Returned up Gaffered and wet for a tourist around Swings. Stuart found a previously unnoticed QM (later pushed to a blind pitch)
(between 01-83C and the connection to The Slide). We then went to Treeumphant and Great Oak Chamber before returning via 204E.
Stuart continues: After scrotting around at the base of Eeyore etc, Earl managed to increase the grade of the climb out by ~2 grades by removing one of the footholds. This makes getting out for whoever surveys it "interesting". [It wasn't actually all that bad - DL].
Swings QM is a climb up on the right, where a gallery looks through several holes to Swings below. Hurrah for excessively bright + pointy lights in finding such delights.