Present: Messrs. A. Day, J. Redhead, L. Warrington and R. Leech
Dinner meet Saturday and four plucky cavers headed out for adventure underground – though back in time for tea. Nettle Pot was selected and the ropes packed in the sunshine. The day was off to a good start. Before we knew it we had paid the farmer and started to zig-zag our way up the field. It would have saved us all a lot of time if we’d remembered the cave was in the next field (under the fluorescent marker post).
Our goal was Dratsab passage and with our deadline set by tea we had little time to lose. The pitches weren’t spacious but none disappointed, particularly the final drop which really gives you your moneys worth on the way out with its One Inch Prussik (like the One Inch Punch, but more frustrating than deadly).
It’s worth remembering to swing through the window on the 3rd pitch; otherwise you are liable to spend an inordinate amount of time puzzling at why you can’t get through the floor. Other points of note are the walls and roof in the rift passage below the final climb and how much they want to be the floor. Eating a delicious roast dinner is definitely preferable to this bit of cave. A point of practically no interest is the traverse along the bottom of the Grand Canyon. We missed it completely.
All in all, a top cave made even better for emerging into a cracking sunset, shower and dinner.