oli
New member
This trip lurched from near miss to close shave, not quite ending in disaster.
The freshers first started wishing they?d joined the mountaineers when it turned out their heads were too big for the helmets, and that one of helmets light didn?t work. A fresher, C, got my scurion, while I played ?how many back up lights can you tape to your helmet.? C was disappointed that the scurion wasn?t brighter than the sun; he has no idea what to expect from club kit and I confidently predict disappointment for him.
We were soon down Swildon's. Shaun, a fantastic advert for the positive effects of uni caving and the club driver, encouraged everyone down the ladder and helped C, S, and R avoid a soaking in the double pots. They were remarkably unphased by the rift and before long we were looking at the sump. Our friends who had been doing the Short Round popped through while we were eating victory Freddos and complaining about inflation, then headed off out to avoid hypothermia.
Shaun and I downplayed the attractions of freediving sumps and C, S and R agreed that the other group had looked cold, so we turned round. R and I were feeling chilly so were speed caving out when Shaun called us back. C had twisted his ankle.
While Cs ankle was clearly pretty painful there wasn?t much we could do. Shaun, S and R continued while C and I alternated between hobbling and having breaks. Luckily C is nails and didn?t ask for a stretcher or to be left to die. I could tell the rift was a low point because C asked how long it would take to get out. I evaded the question, I?m sure he noticed. He got up the pots using arm strength, a shove and a seriously impressive approach to pain. At this point Shaun, in all his cheerful glory, turned up again having caught up the Short Round group at the ladder and left S and R with them.
Shaun's enthusiasm had a stimulating effect and we soon joined the other group. Unfortunately the change of plan meant S and R hadn?t had anyone at the bottom to check the belay line wasn?t twisted round the ladder and poor R had indeed got tangled up in the waterfall. I rigged up a 2:1 to give S and C a bit of anti-gravity assist and Sam, part of the short round group, helped haul C over the calcite.
We had some tedious adventures on the way out, with Sam looking after the uninjured contingent while Shaun & I helped C. By this point C?s ankle was getting better, and we were soon back on the surface.
As we walked back we ran into lots of other Aber members. Our president, Sophie, said they?d recruited more freshers than they knew what to do with. Shaun & I assured her we?d put off three for her, but it appears we were wrong as C,S and R all caved on sunday.
The freshers first started wishing they?d joined the mountaineers when it turned out their heads were too big for the helmets, and that one of helmets light didn?t work. A fresher, C, got my scurion, while I played ?how many back up lights can you tape to your helmet.? C was disappointed that the scurion wasn?t brighter than the sun; he has no idea what to expect from club kit and I confidently predict disappointment for him.
We were soon down Swildon's. Shaun, a fantastic advert for the positive effects of uni caving and the club driver, encouraged everyone down the ladder and helped C, S, and R avoid a soaking in the double pots. They were remarkably unphased by the rift and before long we were looking at the sump. Our friends who had been doing the Short Round popped through while we were eating victory Freddos and complaining about inflation, then headed off out to avoid hypothermia.
Shaun and I downplayed the attractions of freediving sumps and C, S and R agreed that the other group had looked cold, so we turned round. R and I were feeling chilly so were speed caving out when Shaun called us back. C had twisted his ankle.
While Cs ankle was clearly pretty painful there wasn?t much we could do. Shaun, S and R continued while C and I alternated between hobbling and having breaks. Luckily C is nails and didn?t ask for a stretcher or to be left to die. I could tell the rift was a low point because C asked how long it would take to get out. I evaded the question, I?m sure he noticed. He got up the pots using arm strength, a shove and a seriously impressive approach to pain. At this point Shaun, in all his cheerful glory, turned up again having caught up the Short Round group at the ladder and left S and R with them.
Shaun's enthusiasm had a stimulating effect and we soon joined the other group. Unfortunately the change of plan meant S and R hadn?t had anyone at the bottom to check the belay line wasn?t twisted round the ladder and poor R had indeed got tangled up in the waterfall. I rigged up a 2:1 to give S and C a bit of anti-gravity assist and Sam, part of the short round group, helped haul C over the calcite.
We had some tedious adventures on the way out, with Sam looking after the uninjured contingent while Shaun & I helped C. By this point C?s ankle was getting better, and we were soon back on the surface.
As we walked back we ran into lots of other Aber members. Our president, Sophie, said they?d recruited more freshers than they knew what to do with. Shaun & I assured her we?d put off three for her, but it appears we were wrong as C,S and R all caved on sunday.
