CUCC Expeditions to Austria: 1976 - 2023

Dave wanted to learn how to drill bolts so down to Earl's drill in the Underworld ... but first we surveyed + derigged Eeyore. Then Dave derigged the 26m that Earl + Stuart had started to rig along the traverse in Sirens yesterday (they'd hoped to get to 03-18B). Took all the junk to the end of Quiz Rift then Earl supervised Dave rigging 03-29A which went down the mud ramp then a Y-hang (bolt + boulder) then a rebelay bolt then drop down to sloping ledge (~10m) to rebelay off a small knobble then down to floor. Another pitch beyond this which Dave bolted but didn't have enough rope to descend.

Meanwhile Becka was hand bolting a traverse to get to 03-30B – three naturals and five (yes, far too many) bolts later I got to the muddy up-slope only to be told there was no time to check it out because I had to survey Dave's pitch. Actually I was pooped by the having spent half an hour suspended 5m above the floor in a rift far too wide to bridge, trying to get to the far side. I tried prusiking up my own long cowstail, putting slings for extra footloops into cowstails + sheer brute ignorance. It was also pretty exciting (i.e. dynamic) getting back – a free-hanging traverse. Surveyed Dave's pitches. Names: my traverse will be The Generation Game, Dave's first pitch is Gardeners' World, and his next one is University Challenge. Way out up Gaffered was way, way, way too muddy – I'd had to do a welly-brake on the way down + both my hand + my chest jammer were slipping on the way up ... but I didn't have nearly as much fun as Dave who became an incandescent Mr. Angry + ended up prusiking twice as far as the rest of us. I left him to Earl's calming tongue. [I think my jammers are knackered – the teeth don't bite like they used to.—DL].