Loser Plateau - Includes 159 and 1998-03
Andy Waddington
Walked up to Top Camp ahead of Kate. Whilst waiting I went to look for B-10. Instead, found a cave with an orange painted number "159". But didn't we just tag a cave "159" a few days ago ? Oooops ! So did a bit of deduction, made a tag "1623 160 CUCC 1988" and took this to replace the 159 tag. Then put the 159 tag on the more northerly of the two spits at 159 (Y-hang). Kate and I then surveyed back to the TC boulder.
Next Kate wandered off to sketch the cave she had dug earlier, whilst I searched in vain for B-10. There are cairned routes all over the area NW of Top Camp. One goes from 159 along a terrace to emerge, surprise ! at 160, by a route other than the one we surveyed. Half way along this terrace, a narrow corridor in the bunde goes off N. This soon emerges at a grassy clearing with a wide karren terrace going west. Follow this and you come to yet more cairns. There is a rift entrance marked "CUCC -" which clearly needs a descent.
Still failing to find B-10, I headed off towards Kate. Found three big shafts, one obviously choked and the other two marked "+" right on the northern edge of the grassy area of lower Top Camp. These need documenting.
Found Kate, tagged her cave "CUCC 1998 03" and surveyed back to existing surface survey.
Wandered back to TC, had a brew. Decided to do a carry down. Thunderstorm promptly appeared behind VSK, but I reckoned it had missed us. Got a few spots on walk back, and another shower made me run the last quarter mile, but basically got home dry. Met rain at Bad Aussee - mega storm at base camp so didn't come back up. That will spell the end of plans for a Schneevulkanhalle photo trip. Drat !