161 - Silent Fellow
Ian Walker
Further trip to what is now Solid rock precipitated by availability of drill more thatn desire to cave. I myself was perilously close to bimbling the day away after yesterday's nerve-wracking dangling sesh.
Turns out we make a well matched pair and with only a Li-Ion drill to hold us back ("Are you sure there's a drill in this bag?") we got to Silent Fellow ins 1hr 45min. Had a quick snack and tackle sorting then got to work. Edvin went to put a spit in Satan's Sitting room pitch (deviation to avoid mild rub point, 4m below rebelay) and left me to face Solid Rock on my own. But this time with a drill...
Put in a Hilti anchor in SF (above pit at bottom of chamber) to double the belay which had been simply thread round boulder in slope. Rigging the 60m rope over the 30m already there continued past the previous bolts and slig spike thread. Reaching the large window a small swing aloows a stance on the sill. A rebelay bolt was put in just on far side for hanf into parapel shaft (used a short AS hanger and a maillon to avoid rub, but a twis and 3 maillons may suffice in the future). Shaft clean and sound, solid rock walls and floor, much unlike Solid Rock itself. Investigated the floor gully and met a couple of short drops (4ft?) on right. Dry rift oxbow on left was rigged for y-hang (Hilti sleeves in opposing walls). Short chamberer where ways meet is followed by second rift pitch . Didn't have any rope left to returned to SF to fetch Edvin and 30m rope. Lone exploration until this point lead to the parallel shaft and subsequent rift acquiring the name Private Investigations continuing the Dire Straits theme.
With Edvin in tow, rigged down 2 more shortish (10m?) pitches in a very tasty clean-washed Yorkshire-esque streamway pitch series of small/medium chambers with gully/rift exits. After running out of rope and depleting the drill battery we exited surveying back to the tie-in with SF as we went. Could see two more pitches, so the lead was still going.
Exited in manner similar to entry. Swift and efficient. Had a jubilatory cup-a-soup each on Anthony's meths stove in Pipeless before heading out proper.
T/U 10hrs