Plateau
Andy Waddington
AndyW draws the short straw (Ta, Wooks) and has to be ready at 06:30 hrs to show Sepp & Robert a wide variety of entrances which he has never seen before and which they could therefore have found just as easily themselves...
Remarkably (given 00:30 crash) we are off by 06:45 and at Top Camp disturbing Wooks & Andy before eight. Tried to sidle off looking for entrances on my own, but Wook soon despatches Sepp & Robert with his line: "Waddington! Want any Austrians? We seem to have a couple spare over here..." So we start at 164, attaching bolt on metal numbers using Hilti drill Sepp has about his person. Next 189, then 190, 171, 172.... 176, 175 (had to go back a bit to find this one). Photos and video also taken. Found Dropped Rucksack Schacht (lost in 1993) and took appropriate bearings. Then tried to find 177, which is unmarked and has no bolts. Might have found it - but how do you tell? There was a "might be a cairn". So painted "177?" in blue on a loose rock, and left. Repainted number on laser point 0/6 at 76 entrance. Back to Top Camp where we decided to jack for the day - 9 hours in the sun was enough! No-one at Top Camp, trailed back to Hildes.
P.S. 190 involved some very dodgy SRT when first explored. Robert TWC took one look, free climbed in, ticked it off, and climbed nonchalantly out again. T/U 90 secs.
''[Editor's note: it wasn't the entrance pitch that involved the dodgy SRT, and upon reflection, the author realises that he freeclimbed in and out of the entrance himself in 1977, when the cave had the 1976 number "B9"!]''