CUCC Expeditions to Austria: 1976 - 2024

Nipped Down had been rebolted the previous trip, but the ropes needed switching to ensure the rope reached the floor. Wookey sorted this while Jess and Michael passed 5m of slack rope along the popped across traverse back to the pitch at too bold for this spit:









Rigging now fettled, the team departed for the N end of China + Korea and spent some time checking for leads at and below floor level - Wookey moved some scary boulders under Korea but all that was found was the pitch pushed by O+J the previous year. However, the climb to the alcove 20m up the N wall of the Aven at the N end of China looked promising.

Having so far found nothing new, the three now departed for the A lead at the S end of China - 13-CH-11A. 7m climb was rigged with a handline from a single bolt ½ way down:







Large smooth-walled high rift passage was found heading S to a 20m pitch, which J+W bolted:







The passage was found to continue as hading rift with chocolate river until a final chamber with an aven was reached. Due to time now being short, all 3 exited and a return was planned the next day to complete the surveying, though the passage was given the name "The Last TSA" courtesy of Michael wearing his Dad's old TSA oversuit [it's not a TSA, it's a Caving Supplies oversuit - Philip S.].