41 - Phreatic
Dave Brindle
Alpine style starts at 0600 hours just don't work for C.U.C.C. so a leisurely start meant we felt vaguely human as we descended the usual boring entrance. Excitement at the wet pitches with a roar of water (it had been raining). We descended hurtling down through the spray footing it from wall to wall to avoid the worst. Vague doubts about the return are dispelled as we soar down into the Big Chamber. Food was dumped (fromk the tacklebag) and we scrambled into the connection. Damn we're lost. Back and forth, eventually we are on a ledge in 41 but 10m above the floor ! Shit ! BAck again and at last we've done it. On into the Dartford Tunnel - this is huge but better things are to come. Turning left to last year's terminus. Excitelment increases - we are in virgin passage - no, still old footprints in the sand ahead. Suddenly an inscription "cucc/UBSS 81" in the mud and ahead a sloping traverse. This was quickly overcome and ahead a stomping passage leads to - what ? A small climb is overcome and we cross a deep rift with a roar of water but ahead the phreatic tube continues. We're almost running now, pinting out features, not listening, the tension is incredible, a feeling of "how long will it last?" Suddenly a junction with a dry Purgatory in the floor and a dead bat. Hardly pausing we push up Rampant Passage, slower now, panting with exertion and excitement, this tube rises a hundred feet in two hundred feet of length. At the top we suddenly emerge into Cologne Cathedral, a silent but huge chamber. A dangerous climb leads to 30m Echo Aven. We return and push down the rift. Ahead the roar of water and suddenly we're hanging out over over an enormous streamway, water cascades down out of sight. We can't go on so we survey grade 2 out in what we've found. A magnificent trip and the sunset on the Trisselwand as we emerged was quite superb. This was continental caving as I'd really imagined it.
10 hrs
Dave