204 - Down Treeumphant + turned left down Crowning Glory
Becka Lawson
Down Treeumphant + turned left down Crowning Glory (QM24A). Climbed up free climb at end of main passage where our survey on 11/8/01 down main passage had ended. Put handline (11 metres OK) on + left Earl to put in 2 bolts for pitch down Martin + + went back passage + down left, past snow chamber (put carbides out - Definately Daylight up there, albeit only a glimmer). Down to end of where 11/8/01 survey had ended (down walking passage q. steep down). Continued surveying on until something that looked like a pitch. Kicked rocks down then decided it was freeclimable, called it Helter Skelter. Ended in a draughting hole with boulders which looked like it could be squeezed over if you didn't mind loose stuff or given a bit of crow-bar persuasion. We dug it a bit then finished off the survey there + headed back to Earl. He'd just finished rigging a hand-line (needs ~16 metres) + got down to the floor, avoiding the pitch. He could scramble up a boulder slope the far side of the pitch + said there was another pitch with passage continuing the other side, needing bolting around the pitch to get to. We'd run out of rope, so headed back down main passage (called Bouldercoaster?) + left immediately after free-climb down to get shortcut back to Treeumphant via the QM28A. Did more taping, & showed Earl Cave Tree Chamber, then down to 53A. Earl thought about putting a bolt in for pitch there but decided against it, poor hang + not v.exciting pitch whilst Martin + I surveyed. We realised that 42B joined to 53A, so we surveyed between the two starting at 42B. Finally, still had a bit of time left so started surveying up 12B, which Mark Byers had had a quick look up last year. Quickly became pretty low, wide passage with nice mud on floor + white stals. Stopped surveying at station 7, at top of small chamber. Out, goood, varied trip.