204 - Razor Dance
Anthony Day
Plan was for me and Frank to go pushing in Razor Dance (my last
chance for a trip down there before going home). However, Frank had
a trapped nerve in his back, so Dave got roped in too in case Frank
had to jack. Dave and Frank went down so that Dave could bolt the
pitch at the pushing front under supervision. I followed 1/2 hr
later to find the y-hang almost rigged. Frank headed out at this
point to test his fitness, whilst Dave put in a deviation and
descended what turned out to be an 18m pitch. Dave inadvertently
dunked the drill in a puddle at the bottom, and the battery
promptly started discharging itself. Attempted to start surveying,
but the clin was terminally fogged. Faced with the prospect of
total gear failure, we went for a quick push. From the bottom of
the pitch a rift heads off - similar dimensions to that higher up,
but the rock is less catchy (have we moved into a different bed?)
eventually reaching a pitch. By the time we got back to the bottom
of the pitch the clino still wasn't working, so we dragged the rope
and bolting gear off to the new pitch. There was enough life in the
battery to get 3 bolts in for a descent of ~10m. Dave was freezing
his nuts off by now, so I went on for a quick look at the next bit.
More rift leads to a bit where the water goes down a very narrow
bit. It might be possible to follow it, but it seems foolish given
that there is a comfortably wide section higher up. I followed this
to a widening - couldn't see round the corner but some rope will be
required, either to descend to stream level or protect a bad steop
if the traverse level continues.
With that we pottered sedately out. Thanks to Frank & Dave
for accompanying me down Razor Dance when they would clearly rather
have been somewhere else.
T/U Frank ?, Dave + Anthony 11hrs