KH - Country for Old Men
Becka Lawson
Only 3 of us in KH today so despite enthusiasm failure due to the incessant rain we had a slick and productive trip. Entrance pitch miserably wet but dried off on the commute. Down to the huge phreatic lead Olaf, Thomas and Stefan had left yesterday and had a handful of fine, long legs in big stuff then it all drizzled out in what initially looked like a mud choke but a steep - down phreatic tube blowing a gale in our faces soon lead us to a pitch head which has to be an A++ lead. Back in the main passage where we'd started surveying I spotted a small passage on the right wall which drafted strongly and led straight to another small pitch - another A lead. Having only hand-bolting gear (we'd taken the two drill batteries out yesterday) we left that too and back to the pitch to the big lead on the right. This went in fine style with lots of ?gypsum? crystals to a climb which we left when it looked like it needed protecting. A side lead on the right just before the climb started with many crystals on the floor then past a freshly dead bad (wings still in tact) and got smaller (crawling) then ended on an easy looking pitch (just too steep to free climb). Draft but not very strong. Thomas took some photos then decided to call it a day. Had a grim, grim time on the entrance pitch with water pouring down especially at the new rebelay - needs FIXING. I was nearly hypothermic by the time Anthony got up so did the walk on my own in the driving rain - thank god for PVC oversuits, cairns and reflectors.