Notts Pot - 22 Jan 2006

Sunday January 22nd 2006

Members present: Adrian Turner,  Andrew Vick,  Audrey Teo,  Chuck Holder,  Debbie Flowers,  Dominic Galliano,  Gary Douthwaite,  Holly Read,  Israel Bontempelli,  John Singleton,  Kevin Francis,  Matt Ewles,  Nicola Gover,  Oliver Bunting,  Richard Gover

All went very well indeed! Bags were all packed on Thursday night after training, and teams sorted out well before arrival at Bernies. In fact, our leading-team were out of Bernies by 11am, and on our way up to rig the entrance by midday. We were underground by 1, absolutely amazing efficiency indeed! :)

All went very much to plan, some lovely SRT, nothing too technical or daunting though down centre route though. The streamway was gushing pretty hard but we managed to avoid it nicely and made it down to the terminal sump.

The route back up was a little more technical, up Twilight, and a bit more delayed, as we encountered the other team as we emerged onto the big pitch. They were waiting at the bottom, and had to wait for all of us to get up and off the bolt before they could commence their ascent, so rather a lot of waiting around. Brrrr!!! :o

I derigged, and got a little bit scared on the traverse at the top of the big pitch, where a leap of faith down to the next foothole prompted me to realise that should I miss, it would be a god 2-3 metres fall before the partially derigged traverse line would catch me. The tacklesack was overflowing and I had rope tieing me in knots! Gary was ahead and round the corner but thankfully heard my calls for assistance.

The final faff came trying to get some of our folk up and over the final rock just before the exit. It's a very awkward one to get up, with even experienced members straining. I hurt my back attempting to climb it backwards! The technique involved two people hauling from the top and two people pushing from the bottom, with innumerable gruntings and shouts of 'PUSH' making it sound rather like a maternity ward. We got there in the end though!

Thoroughly exhausting but great fun :)