115 - Pushing (team hydrophobia)
Mike Thomas
Got down to Main Chamber in 1½ hrs for Dig Bicks, then to sump in 1½ hrs, then added a short rope to the stream "Yet another pitch" before continuing. Rebelayed the Letch Pitch to make it slightly less damp though with a bit more enterprise and penduling through the waterfall a comfortable rebelay may have been managed farther round to the right; but it was too cold for acrobatics. Below 'the Slit', Andy + CHas' last pitch, the stream meandered on to a fairly grotty looking pitch 'Coming Soon' which we rigged and then jacked through coldness and the ever pesent paranoia that the damned stream is out to get us. Met Tim + Pete at foot of Letch pitch and left them with the glory hunt and tales of gathering clouds on the surface. Not too hard on exit, it just takes so long, and Mike had a lot of trouble with his genitalia; endeavouring to return them to a state of prepubescence by the application of a non too comfortable prussik truss.
As last year the trips are getting heroically long to place a couple of bolts, and hydrophobia is rife. We definitely need some sustained fair weather, or else we'll all be reduced to surveying trips.
Time 15 hrs
Next pushing trip (following on same day)