258 - Usual Suspects
Becka Lawson
Despite an actue shortage of rope due to unusually high levels of caving keenness, I managed to snaffle a 60m rope and a drill , plus Tunnock's hadn't yet fallen prey to "we need to derig and 258 isn't on the missions statement" so I arm-twisted Gareth into heading for the big pitch that we'd somehow avoided descending in the past 2 years. Re-rigged entrance rigging (again) on the way down and then used our 60m to rerig caramel catharsis which freed up two 44m ropes for pushing. Used Frank's two spits from 2008 to put in traverse line down to the ledge which is drippy but spacious then 2 naturals to the two pitchhead spits. It all looked deep and scary so I graciously allowed/forced Gareth to head down - and down. Surprisingly iy hung free so he tied the 2 44m ropes together and finally got to a ledge of wedged vulder about 75m down. We were still 30m above the deck and out of rope but since we had the drill we put in a backup and 2 pirchhead spits for the next hand down to the chamber. Both the spits I set (on the left hand wall) cracked the rock which makes 4/5 I have drilled being duff, hmph. Probably a combination of shite rock and me not blowing enough dust out of the holes. With only one 30m tape we couldn't survey the pitch but it was looking really good so we left it partly rigged and carefully prussiked out. We took out the lower 44m rope and Gareth drilled a rebelay spit just belwo ledge. Exit to levely sunset.
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