76: 1970's route
Jenny Black
This was to be our final deep trip and we hoped to de-rig the majority of it, so managed an early (for us) start of 1pm. Got down to the bottom of the Spent Ledge fairly efficiently and started off the missing section of survey from the previous trip. Managed to get from the Y-hang at the top of HofGK [Hall of the Greene King] to the very bottom in 2 legs which was nice - the disto helped a lot, though sadly there was too much water drops for it to get a plausible height for the aven (though it must be lots ...). Carrried on the to the p17 (1979 route) and dropped it (rigging from a natural and old spit as we didn't have the drill). At the bottom the stream went the "wrong" way, i.e. not what we expected, and must be a new inlet not the one that drops down before this pitch. Had a little look upstream and it is soon a waterfall but looks straightforward to climb up.
Went downstream (1970's route) through tedious sideways muddy rift which would (I imagine) be crap with tackle. Got to Gents Pitch which we could again rig with a natural back up and a pitch head 1970's spit but also needed a natural deviation - this was level with an inlet which is presumably the stream that got lost higher up. Followed the big rift downstream, an aven came in on the right (presumably the 1978 route), continued traversing, now on ledges above the stream, contiuned till we realised we had lots to survey and the rift was widening. Surveyed back, which was better than I feared as the legs were a reasonable length. Back at the top of the P17 Olly traversed on over the pitch on ledges (above the inlet) and it contunes - a lead for next year.
In all this stuff (and the 1970's route) the draught was into the cave not out as it is from the base of HofGK upwards, which is kind of interesting and needs more investigation next year. Incidentally it was a very hot day and the draught was normal in the higher stuff on the way in and out, so seems unlikely to be a reversed draught day as they only seem to happen when very cold outside.
Went out the cave de-rigging and carrying gear up to below Boulder Chamber when we got tired and went out the cave. Got out before it got light!