2012-OK-01 - Prospecting - Bad Forecast (2017-PW-01) found
Philip Withnall
Due to another apocalyptic weather forecast, Phil and Nadia decided to do another day of prospecting north of Balcony rather than potentially getting marooned down a cave. We went back to a potential lead at a cave tagged 2012-OK-01, for which the existing prospecting notes were along the lines of ‘tagged, undropped, unsurveyed’. Not quite as bad as some of the notes for prospects, which were along the lines of ‘lost’. We dropped 2012-OK-01 off 3 naturals, to find a pleasant amount of nothingness with a peephole through to a depression in the plateau. Another one crossed off the list.
We then went back to a potential lead north of 2011-01. Shining a headtorch down it showed a passage and a lot of dry dust. A handline was rigged (p8, 45° slope) gave us access to a cave. With a drafting phreatic passage leading off at 45° down at the bottom. We followed this down 30m until the slope angle increased and a rope was needed (which we didn’t have). Surveyed, photos and GPS coordinates taken. QMA! Nadia christened the cave ‘Bad Forecast’ since it turned out sunny all day.