Tunnocks, Crossword – Double Barrel Passage
Tom Clayton
A trip to finish bolting a pitch in crossword Passage, which was attempted on a previous
expedition. The first pitch of 12m was descended to a window onto the head of a second. This
was descended for approximately 25m via a deviation and a free hanging rebelay to a
narrowing shaft. Lack of drill power meant this shaft couldn’t be bottomed, but another 10m
depth to the floor is estimated by stones thrown.
On the way up a window at about 15m down from the pitch head was noticed and swung
into. Horizontal passage was found to head off across a small traverse over a pitch
(est. 8m).
The explored passage then continued past a squeeze through which water could be heard and
could be easily enlarged with a hammer to intersect a steep (~30 degree) phreatic tube. This
was first followed up-dip past several cross rifts with possible climbs to eventually finish
in a choke. The largest of the cross rifts gave access to a second descending phreatic tube,
parallel to the first, almost identical to the first. Progress down was halted by a short
traverse. Back at the entrance to the first tube the passage was followed down-dip to a
small chamber where another uphill tube was found. This was suspected to be same on with the
traverse and was confirmed as such when the traverse was found from the other direction.
Both of the tubes (Double barrel passage) had a small rift in the floor which is believed
to drop to a lower level, the best place to drop this would probably be the traverse in the
second tube mentioned above.
