Descending into something too tight.

Tommy

Tommy

Active member
Say you descend from a tight pitch head into a rift that you could squeeze through if it were horizontal, but might be too tight to descend 'safely'.

You indeed find you get stuck, how would you get out?

The pitch head is too cramped for hauling without a pulley system leading to the chamber outside of the rift.

Your descender is extended on your short.

You have a standard non-handled SRT kit. It may or may not be on your central mallion for extra thin-ness.

Let's say the rift is too tight to offwidth/chimney your way up, although you may get a bit of a thrutch in.

Would you just cap it instead...? :confused:

"Asking for a friend".  :halo:
 
Leclused

Leclused

Active member
If it is during explorarion I would enlarge it first before descending. Enlarge the top of the pitch enough to move around above the rift an then tackle that rift 

Also bear in mind that if it continues after the rift and you leave it this thigt a rescue from behind this point will be very  difficult. And at that time (during a rescue) every minute counts. Wasting time then is not an option
 
Tommy

Tommy

Active member
I think it will be too tight to use a ladder, it's breathe out and drop territory. Thanks though.

Enlarging it would have to take place all the way from the top down; a fair amount of effort.
I certainly see the logic in doing this work in a context without serious time pressure.
 
K

Kenilworth

New member
If it's "breathe out and drop" then, depending on the length of the constriction, it's going to be more or less impossible to srt back up. So you will need to have enlarged it or decided upon some plan of escape before forcing yourself through.

When I was little I used to carry a length of rope with a stick tied to the end into the woods. I could pick out an unclimbable tree, throw the stick over a branch, lower it to the ground, sit on it, and pulley myself into the tree by hauling on the free end of the rope. This experience was helpful when we began mapping a cave with a very tight descent. We ran a bit of rope from the croll, through a carabiner on the anchor, then back down to allow us to haul ourselves while stuck in an upright position. It's a brutish method, and requires at least average arm strength or below average body weight, but for us worked far better than trying to frog.
 
Leclused

Leclused

Active member
Topimo said:
I think it will be too tight to use a ladder, it's breathe out and drop territory. Thanks though.

Enlarging it would have to take place all the way from the top down; a fair amount of effort.
I certainly see the logic in doing this work in a context without serious time pressure.
Click to expand...

So a no brainer. It needs enlarging first imo.

Last summer we discoverd a new huge pitch but the way to the top and top itself were too unstable and the top itself too narrow. It took us almost 4 days of work to enlarge and stabelise it. We could have squeezed throug on the 2nd day but we did not because it was too tricky/dangerous. On the 5th and 6th day we descended the pitch to -140m, end of rope😄 Next summer the rest
 
Rob

Rob

Well-known member
Tommy

Tommy

Active member
Cheers guys.

Yeah Rob I'll nick Jack or someone's Pantin if I try it. Good suggestion RE the cramp prevention hotline.

In terms of skinny git you're talking to him! 30 inch waist and 36 or so in the chest.

Anyone slimmer fancy a trip? I think I'm going for a look Thursday night with another SUSS member.
 
Mark Wright

Mark Wright

Active member
This reminded me of when we first broke through into the Crystal Orcehasm at the end of the Ice Cream Trail in Rpwter Hole.

It was pretty tight on the way in even with gravity on your side. I was the first one to ever come back up and I'm glad there was nobody at the top to see the look on my face. I reckon it took me over 20 mins to get through the very tight section which was less than 1m. I did get quite worried that I wouldn't be able to get back out and there would have been little the two people below me could have done to help.

It was definitely the hardest pitch head I had ever come across. When I did eventually get through, the resulting bruises were many and painful.
 
A Pantin might well have made it much easier. 

The pitch head has been significantly enlarged since the first trip.

This is the Buttered Badger trip report:

http://www.butteredbadger.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=266:decisions-decisions&catid=42:rowter-dig-reports&Itemid=53

Mark
 
alastairgott

alastairgott

Well-known member
If there were a passage on the other side or underneath, it may be an idea to have a very accurate survey to understand your relationship with it.

Would be very embarrassing to be stuck and prodded with a stick up the arse from below.
 
M

mudman

Member
Mark Wright said:
This reminded me of when we first broke through into the Crystal Orcehasm at the end of the Ice Cream Trail in Rpwter Hole.

It was pretty tight on the way in even with gravity on your side. I was the first one to ever come back up and I'm glad there was nobody at the top to see the look on my face. I reckon it took me over 20 mins to get through the very tight section which was less than 1m. I did get quite worried that I wouldn't be able to get back out and there would have been little the two people below me could have done to help.

It was definitely the hardest pitch head I had ever come across. When I did eventually get through, the resulting bruises were many and painful.
 
A Pantin might well have made it much easier. 

The pitch head has been significantly enlarged since the first trip.

This is the Buttered Badger trip report:

http://www.butteredbadger.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=266:decisions-decisions&catid=42:rowter-dig-reports&Itemid=53

Mark
Click to expand...

You might want to take a look at the Buttered Bagers site. It seems to be launching spurious popups and websites to unrelated content. It does this in Chrome and Firefox on my PC and also on my Android phone.  Doesn't seem to happen all the time but often when one of the links is clicked it will open one of these sites instead.
 
Tommy

Tommy

Active member
alastairgott said:
If there were a passage on the other side or underneath, it may be an idea to have a very accurate survey to understand your relationship with it.

Would be very embarrassing to be stuck and prodded with a stick up the arse from below.
Click to expand...

Disto is on the list too Alastair :). I was thinking of sending someone down to the passages below to shout and wave their light about to see if it links as a quick test.
I have your lump hammer as well as the other bits by the way.
Been teaching my housemate to cap rocks in the back garden today...an important life skill for all.
 
alastairgott

alastairgott

Well-known member
Used your mattock today on mud, great bit of kit. Afraid the "rolson" has rubbed off the side!

Going to have to buy one of them, more useful now than my full size one now. :(

Cya next Saturday i think.
 
D

Dickie

Active member
"You indeed find you get stuck, how would you get out?"

Crevasse rescue technique - jammer with a footloop on the rope and push, breathe out to wedge yourself in, slide the jammer up a bit and push etc....
 
Brains

Brains

Well-known member
Dickie said:
"You indeed find you get stuck, how would you get out?"

Crevasse rescue technique - jammer with a footloop on the rope and push, breathe out to wedge yourself in, slide the jammer up a bit and push etc....
Click to expand...
Footloops belayed seperately from the pitch head, no mm of gain is wasted...
Make it bigger first
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top