204a - Runnel Stone
Julian
After having taken a day off caving and run out of caves, Becka ordered me to follow her up to top camp, denying me my post canyon relaxing beer and chips. At least I had chips. It was total blackout when we arrived at empty top camp. Faffed and squabbled for long enough in the morning for Noel + Holly to arrive, which proved we could have walked up in the morning. We talked them into following us down to the same pushing front for camping, though Noel is one of the Tunnocks warriors and has never been in 204 or 161 and isn't interested. We gave them the maps. My god it's a long way down. Reminded me of that insane trip down Razor dance I once did in 2007. The Pussy Prance area is all traverses and holes. Team Zeus seemed to have no trouble exploring here day after day when it was being pushed. I am used to being outdone by girlies. After doing what has been disclosed to is known as a 'Julian', we went down some slimy pitches in Dog Days to check out a B-lead before pulling up the rope. I left my warm things in the tacklesack at the top and terminated the surveying when I got too cold in the drafty passages. Back at Pussy Prance, H and N had turned up. Fat Cat head to airy traverses and finally the connection to KH. Romped all the way down to the end, pointing out leads left and right, to the end station 30m away from Chicken Flied Nice. It didn't look appealing (bolt up boulders up to passage above) when there were so many other leads to do. Noel + H took the first B-lead on the left going out, and Becka and I took the two A-leads on the right of the Runnel Stone, which joined and headed on North and in several different ways. Decided to move out as a group at 7 pm. Although the route in is in many ways more direct than going all the way through 161H and all that, it doesn't feel easier. Out at 2 am.