CUCC Expeditions to Austria: 1976 - 2024

Following yesterdays bolting trip myself and Aidan headed back down to explore a couple of QMAs. We had a smooth entry with no more than the usual level of faff. A couple of slippery climbs down and we reached a pitch that had been surveyed but obviously by much more ballsy cavers than ourselves so we bolted it and rigged the approx. 13m pitch. I got to place my first bolt ever!!! It was very exciting, and I loved it. We had some flapjack and layered up for some surveying. We began surveying down to two QMAs passed the Oxbow. Down to the left was steep and needed rigging so we opted for the right which was down climbable. It resulted in another pitch below but with a slippery "Banana skin" like mud just in front so PROCEED WITH CARE. When we looked up the pitch we could see that we could make a loop closure!! and as first time expo novices this is quite fun! (and spoiler, loop closure all meets on the survey). We had a peek down another lead we anticipate to join the stream way below the pitch and the plan is to return on Saturday to descend the pitches and continue surveying.

Aidan's Note: Unfortunately there was a loop closure error of 13%. :( A week and a half later I have learnt the SAP 5's reference point is different to where I thought it was which explains that. (I thought it was a nail polished corner on the box. It is in fact the brass ring on the back for a keeper cord that kept unscrewing itself.)