148 - Surveying
Jenny Black
Went to MM [Marilyn Munroe] with the aim of surveying and finishing
everything below the 48m rope so we could de-rig it and rig it in 76.
Headed down and checked out the 3rd option from the bottom of the pitch
(noted in 1987 to end at an ice climb). Smallish rift passage apparently
directly underneath the passage above with a boulder floor/ceiling
inbetween. Olly climbed up to the 1st squeeze and decided he would need
to remove his helmet so retreated. I had a look and got through, and
wriggled up the next climb and attempted the next squeeze which had a
boulder in the way. I could get all of me through except one leg (could
get either leg through, but not both). I got very annoyed and eventually
gave up. I believed I could see where the ice climb was - this year it
was just wet, but appears to take you back to the passage above (the
survey confirms this). So getting through the squeeze wouldn't achieve
much.
Survey this and joined together the hanging surveys from the previous
week (which made me happy) and surveyed out, derigging the 48m en route.
Paused in the survey to look at the remaining lead (the pitch roughly
below the aven with daylight). Olly went some way down, confirming that
the draught does come from here and that it appears to continue.
Incidentally, the survey suggests that the aven with daylight is ~5m
from the 204 path, so please don't throw rocks down shafts in this area
....