CUCC Expeditions to Austria: 1976 - 2023

After a rather late start to say the least (Anthony & I seem to have a way of starting far to late when we cave with the other), I arrived at balcony Gear Dump (Having shown the Hilti-a-Plenty leads found the other day to Pete, Elliott, Aidan & Martin beforehand) at around 3pm. We then headed to the bottom of Long Drop, where kit was sorted & we all got to business - Anthony bolting what was to be the final push along a traverse in a dripping rift, with Ash & I catching up on the survey back log behind. The pitch is very impressive, and the ending to its story is something of an anticlimax - Anthony bolted around the corner & could see around 20m to the floor where the thing closed down into an immature? meander with water in it - seen that before! With all looking rather shit, we decided to turn around. I sprinted up the pitch, having absolutely frozen my tits off despite wearing all my clothes (belay jacket!) while surveying. I sat in the group shelter alone waiting for the others, then we got the derig under way - a warm up paella for the big derig on Wednesday in Tunnocks.

Everything went pretty well, with only 1 intermediate pile before the top (at ICU with a view) and despite an extremely antisocial double fishermans right below a rebelay we got all the knots out and it ran pretty smoothly. At the top it was 10:15 & we were pushing callout, so I headed out while the others sorted things out. Back at Top Camp for 11:25, our midnight callout was made. Great success!