161 - Photo trip - 161d
Wed 24 Jul 1996
Sam Lieberman
That's right it was a photo trip. Waddington was struggling to get to the cave - not because he's a crusty old lag, or because he was carrying a tripod the size of a small planet but because his oversuit didn't bend at the knees. We'd avoided the morning rainstorm waiting for AndyW and Wooks to walk up from Base Camp, (they arrived a bit soggy though) just after we set off several jackers arrived back at top camp with a view to sodding off down the hill out of the rain. Just as we got down to the bottom of the Gully it started raining. This cleared up just long enough to get changed. Off we trundled to take a picture at Bugger. - Wooks dangled around on the rope whilst I tried to look scenic - for a full Hour whilst Andy tried to take 1 picture with 3 cameras 2 flash bulbs 3 electronic flashes and a handful of slave units. Nothing worked.
Moving on to the traverse above Nick's scrotty rift series (ie not far enough to get even remotely warm) we had some slightly more successful shots of Wooks dangling from the traverse line and then moved on to take some pictures down the pitch at the end of the traverse. Wooks abseiled down with a big flash and dangled ½ way down the pitch, Andy & I leant out precariously at the top and - guess what, Wookey's flash didn't go off - so we might have a picture of the top half of the pitch.(*) Heading back with the intention of taking piccies in Purile Humour. We stopped just above Locophobia to take a shot of the good work being done by the cave conservation officer - but once again flash failure thwarted our efforts. AndyA at this point decided it was all too awful and we exited the cave.
(*) Oh, I've just remembered. Just as Wookey reached the top of the pitch an increase in the dripping on the opposite side of the shaft made itself heard. Mmmm it must be raining on the surface. Almost instantly a loud rumbling started above, closely followed by gallons of water. Mmmmmmm it must be raining LOTS on the surface. Please continue reading from the asterisk above, that is, the 1st asterisk above.
Sam Lieberman
- OBJECTIVES:
- Freeze our bollocks off (Juliette excepted)
Swear profusely at expensive gear that doesn't work.
Get rained on, and again - oh and again.
That's right it was a photo trip. Waddington was struggling to get to the cave - not because he's a crusty old lag, or because he was carrying a tripod the size of a small planet but because his oversuit didn't bend at the knees. We'd avoided the morning rainstorm waiting for AndyW and Wooks to walk up from Base Camp, (they arrived a bit soggy though) just after we set off several jackers arrived back at top camp with a view to sodding off down the hill out of the rain. Just as we got down to the bottom of the Gully it started raining. This cleared up just long enough to get changed. Off we trundled to take a picture at Bugger. - Wooks dangled around on the rope whilst I tried to look scenic - for a full Hour whilst Andy tried to take 1 picture with 3 cameras 2 flash bulbs 3 electronic flashes and a handful of slave units. Nothing worked.
Moving on to the traverse above Nick's scrotty rift series (ie not far enough to get even remotely warm) we had some slightly more successful shots of Wooks dangling from the traverse line and then moved on to take some pictures down the pitch at the end of the traverse. Wooks abseiled down with a big flash and dangled ½ way down the pitch, Andy & I leant out precariously at the top and - guess what, Wookey's flash didn't go off - so we might have a picture of the top half of the pitch.(*) Heading back with the intention of taking piccies in Purile Humour. We stopped just above Locophobia to take a shot of the good work being done by the cave conservation officer - but once again flash failure thwarted our efforts. AndyA at this point decided it was all too awful and we exited the cave.
(*) Oh, I've just remembered. Just as Wookey reached the top of the pitch an increase in the dripping on the opposite side of the shaft made itself heard. Mmmm it must be raining on the surface. Almost instantly a loud rumbling started above, closely followed by gallons of water. Mmmmmmm it must be raining LOTS on the surface. Please continue reading from the asterisk above, that is, the 1st asterisk above.