CUCC Expeditions to Austria: 1976 - 2024

Chi had come up to top camp hoping to continue pushing 2nd comng with some people who might help him carry the gear out after, unlike some. So we set off in the drizzle for Homecoming entrance, making use of part of the shortcut to the [?] that we scouted when dropping off our gear at the entrance the day before. Down the rerigged entrance series, some of my rebolting still needs some work, especially the descending traverse below wallace. Then onwards down gromit and onward to the pushing front. made quick time across some south wales esque traverses, before arriving at one where 3 excellent naturals had been ignored infavour of 3 shit bolts placed at ankle height. A common theam of the trip.

A bit more ropes the we arrived at Swiss Cheese where Chi, Wassil and Merryn camped. Atrociono campiste, freezing and muddy (felt sorry for him). It was from here that the quality of equipment raidly deteriorated and I became very cross. Moved along a traverse apparently rigged by top climbber Dan Heins in 2019, really muddy and cunty. Slight rage. heavily corroded litter rigging. 'Wilfully endagering lives' quite appropirate name.

Continued along the shitshow then down a terribly rigged pitch before arriving at an insane step across a gap, where it was entirely possible to rig on the original side all along. Arrived at Chi's rigging which was a substantial improvement unitl we arrived at the pitch, where my bay (8.5 m rope) had been desecrated. I then learnt that Wassil had rigged some of the worst rigging I have ever seen. From a blak canvas of rock he had created the worst rub possiblle over an unstable boulder pile, truly abysmal and pathetic for an expedition caver.

We continued to the main hag where Chi had tried his best in the circumstances but had nonetheless suffered from a lack of suspension. a massive rum point followed by a 25 m hang to a loose boulder climb to a one bolt wonder ~350 m deep into a harsh alpine cave. At this point I became very upset. No one should be at this poisition on their 1st expo. We rerigged Chi's 1 bbolted to add another bolt then continued. At this point luke and I had decided we needed to completely derig this llead to prevent future idiocy. Not only that but we had passed at least 5 A leads on route to the pushing front that Chi had guided s to. We carried on to the actual pushing front with a pretty nasty traverse reigged by Chi to a massive drop into a huge space. We could see into a massive continuation, possibly a ~10m phreas [?] even bigger. But this project was not one for 4pm the day before leaving top camp. We derigged the ropes then chi headed out with a full bag while luke and I stripped out all of the shit rigging until the south wales style traverese which we left because our bags were full. Left full rope bags just before Gromit traverese. Then I added a new y hang rebbelay to gromit while luke left. I exited the cave very dehydrated and still angry

LEARNING POINTS
1. do not use shit bolts that are 5 years old.
2. Traverese lines are meant to be tight, NOT slack like a via Ferrata rope.
3. Rope protectors are not jor use unless there is no alternative.
4. rope rub is unacceptabble, especially on 9 mm rope or thinner
5. 1 bolt wonders are never ok especially not on pitches deep into alpine caves.
6. new expo cavers need appropriate supervision, especially if they claim they are experienced despite only having attened expo for 3 days in the past (not Chi)
6. Fuck Haydon Saunders
7. Fuck Wassil Janssen

thru bolts used: 2