plateau - Prospecting near Garlic Cave
Pete Talling
This started as a trip to the bivvy site at Garlic Cave, to retrieve bivvy gear
stashed there last year. We went via Fish Geschicht to Homecoming cave, which had
some fun scrambling. If you go only 50m beyond Homecoming you reach the spray
painted hunters trail that heads up hill to Garlic Cave. But the team cut up direct
to the Garlic Cave GPS. Pete then lost his prized hat (that one had his toe bone in
it) down a crevice above a big hole. Then he abseiled into the hole, which is just
above the Garlic Cave bivvy, and retrieved the hat. The leads were also checked and
none went.
Then the team headed downhill along the hunter's path, towards homecoming. About
halfway to Homecoming Becka found an old Mark Shinwell GPS, while Nat dropped to see
no way on.
Pete then went 30m further downhill to a second inclined hole, which was probably
also a Mark Shinwell GPS entry (1626.p2018.ms03). This was eventually given a
Katraster Tag (CUCC-2019-PT) A squeeze blocks at base of dolime, is soon followed by
easy 3m climb down into catchy rift. That soon reaches a 5m pitch down, and a body
sized tube heading up on left.
LABELLED DIAGRAM ON PAGE 21 OF LOGBOOK PDF
Pete first dropped the pitch from a single bolt at the very top of rift. It rubs a
little, but OK. The pitch lands in small chamber, with a very narrow and immature
rift below. With SRT ? off, Pete forced ? for 6m, but gets narrower, and no draft.
This is not a great lead.
From the top of pitch down, Pete then squirmed up the body sized tube, which has a
strong draft. This eventually reaches a small bolder blockage, after 30-40m. It is
feasible to move small boulder with a short rope and crow bar. The draft is very
strong. But Pete's best guess is this is near the surface, and this a recirculating
draft. After 1.5 hours Pete got back out to see Nat and Becka sunbathing.
They went home on hunters path to near Homecoming and then via Fishgeschicht to
Top Camp. You could get back to the drafting tube, to move small boulder, and see
where draft is going. But probably recirculating from a surface entrance.
OTHERSIDE OF PG 21 AND ONTO 22 BRIEF RIGGING GUIDES FOR TRAVERSE IN LIPSTICK
DIPSTICK AND BALKON