204 - Gaffered

Wed 21 Jul 2004
Earl



Descended to Eeyore to continue rigging Kanga pitch. Bolts had been placed on the previous trip, so adding a deviation enabled us to descend. Tony and Brian had won the only available instrument set, so we escaped without surveying. Explored around the bottom; only way on leads to a small chamber with pitch (not promising) which may connect to a pitch in the main Kanga area.

After that we moved round to the Sirens traverse to look at rigging around the big pitch Black Maria (03-17B). First part of traverse was easy (big ledge, 2 naturals and a bolt) but then ledge ran out. Next bolt shattered the rock on setting, but there is scope for a good Y-hang to the floor. Traversing on towards 03-18B will be nontrivial; probably bolting into overhanging wall, losing height and scrambling back up to the QM. Ran out of enthusiasm, so left it at that.

Returned up Gaffered and wet for a tourist around Swings. Stuart found a previously unnoticed QM (later pushed to a blind pitch) (between 01-83C and the connection to The Slide). We then went to Treeumphant and Great Oak Chamber before returning via 204E.

T/U 9.5hrs


Stuart continues: After scrotting around at the base of Eeyore etc, Earl managed to increase the grade of the climb out by ~2 grades by removing one of the footholds. This makes getting out for whoever surveys it "interesting". [It wasn't actually all that bad - DL].

Swings QM is a climb up on the right, where a gallery looks through several holes to Swings below. Hurrah for excessively bright + pointy lights in finding such delights.

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Survex files on this date:
    caves-1623/248/248-2
    caves-1623/204/deepsouth/razor8
    surface/1623/251to204d
Wallets on this date:
    2004#06 razor 8 ['razor8extend', 'razor8notes2', 'razor8plan', 'razor8notes1']
    2004#08 248-2|248 part 2 ['2003-02-elev-all', '2003-02-02notes1', '2003-02-02extend', '2003-02-02notes2']
    2004#14 ['notes2', 'notes1']
Logbook trips on this date:
    Loser Plateau - Surface Prospect
    204 - Gaffered
    99 - 99
    204 - Razor Dance
    2003-02 - (Blaudrachenschact)