204 - Slimy Sludge Chute continued
Richard Mundy
Having forgotten the misery of my last trip down to the Underworld
(cold, mud, tightness, nastiness), I allowed myself to be dragged down
there by Djuke. Kathryn had wisely decided to abandon this lead.
The chute itself is steep, tight and horrid. A cold wind blows up it
and a wet mud transfers itself all over you. Sharp "popcorn" exists
everywhere and has ripped the arse from my oversuit.
Surveying with the Pony I was becoming rapidly fed up, even given
some interesting phreatic passage branching off. Eventually we were
rewarded for our efforts when the shute tipped into the top of a chamber,
The Happy Hippocampus. Some bolting warmed me nicely and I soon
dangled onto a boulder floor set in mud slopes. Other passages led in to
the chamber ceiling (circa 15m up) and other leads included a boulder
choke and a steep mud and boulder climb down. The chamber is around 10m
in diameter. We decided to leave further exploration for when we have
courage, so beat an exhausting retreat.