Wednesday 11th December 2024

Mike Kushy, Callum Simmonds, Sam Hill and Mike Wise.

MK went in early to fill up bags and buckets and with drill. By the time all the bags and buckets were filled SH arrived and started moving them up cave. When MW arrived he and SH moved up cave to empty stuff into the Boulder Rift Chamber. Meanwhile MK started reducing bigger rocks with pfs. CS arrived at some point and took rocks and bags from MK and started ferrying them up cave. A large rock moved from the floor and blocked the ability to fill and more buckets, so whilst MK set to on this the others moved stuff as far up cave as they could. Big rock dealt with, more bags and buckets filled until the hole in the floor looked passable. MK wiggled on through, a flat out horizontal squeeze through the bedding ceiling into an erratic boulder 'chamber'. All the boulders were very big and well calcified up, so it didn't feel too dodgy. In the chamber it is possible to stand up and climb around a little, there's plenty of space to pack spoil into. Being in the 'chamber' the draught was not obvious anymore. Looking back towards the squeeze (out) everything on the left looks very clean washed, everything on the right is uninformed and erratic, the floor of the chamber was also bone dry! It is possible to squeeze through head first, turn around and come out head first too. The floor could be dug more when in the chamber, the floor leading up to the squeeze is solid bedding. Next step I think is to try and take away some of the wall and floor and get back to the line that heads into the "cliff". SH came down at the end of the session to have a look/take photos and squeezed through into the chamber too. 3 1/2 hours for me. Mike.

Mike in the new chamber, scraping the floor back. Photo SH.

Mike coming out of the new chamber. Photo SH.

 

Sam with his legs in the squeeze that lead to the chamber. Photo SH.

The current face. Photo SH.

Closer view. Photo SH.

Mike going through the squeeze. Photo SH.