204 - Gaffered
Dave
Woke up to find the weather was still minging, so we elected to avoid it by going deep. Nial guided us down through the Underworld and Fat Worm; I put in a 1999 rope on the Cerberus traverse, which we can leave there permananently. Dour and I inspected the rig on the big pitch in Apocalypse, and decided it was fine, despite Nial's reservations. I abseiled down to the floor (below where Martin + Nial had swung off on their previous trips), noticed another pitch (~5m, with another beyond) and a side passage leading off from a ledge slightly above. This was a peculiar spiralling tube in very sharp rock, which I followed for some distance past a tight bend until it closed down. SRT kit removal was needed to get out past the tight bend, and somewhere en route I had ripped my oversuit.
Prusiking back up to the swing-off into the Underground, I found a somewhat frustrated Dour, who had dropped his dangly bag - containing the Hiltis - down a pitch. He abbed down off one bolt, and I hauled up the dangly on the end of the rope and put in a proper Y-hang that we could safely prusik back up. Much fun was had with the next pitch, a funnel-shaped hole through boulders. Nial located a large but loose thread, and I put in a bolt for a Y-hang and a deviation off the other side. Unfortunately I put it in a bit close to the edge, making a very tough get-off. At this point we realised it was time to go. Took nearly 5 hours to get out; Nial + I surfaced at 1.20am, Dour somewhat later.