CUCC Expeditions to Austria: 1976 - 2024

A hot, heavy walk up from Base Camp saw Sieds and Becka underground at 14.30. At the short drop with a high rebelay before Wallace and Grommit Sieds had accidentally dropped a large, loose rock on his last trip. Unfortunately, he now realised that the huge rock next to this previous rock was also extremely loose. We were aware that there was already a trip below us in Homecoming but the other rock was extremely loose so I derigged the next rebelay and prussiked up to the high rebelay and held the rope out of the way. Sieds then gently pushed the giant rock and it immediately toppled. I then headed down cautiously. The rope initially looked fine but at the Y-hang rebelay for the final long hang the Y-hang arm had been cored and the knot also looked to be damaged. I painstakingly got the knot out and tied out as much as I could then we headed down, leaving a warning not for the other group.

We went to Second Coming and, at the first traverse, wondered why it was rigged 5m above the obvious floor so Sieds scrambled down and checked it was OK to walk down. I derigged the first traverse, releasing four short ropes and plenty of metalware and we put in a short handline to the floor to replace it. We then checked out other lower sections and went to the third traverse. This was, mysteriously, rigged on the right wall, wandering up and down it. Sieds began to rig a more straightforward and easy traverse along the left wall but he ran out of time to complete it.

We got out of the cave at midnight and Sieds walked to Garlic camp and I walked to Top Camp with a full moon and no wind. I could see and hear Sieds as he approached Garlic when I was almost at Top Camp, it was so still and silent. It was nearly 2am before I got to Top Camp and I crept around making food trying not to disturb anyone - I didn't realise until the next morning that there was nobody else there.