Parallel Universe:
As the last team of campers emerged from WUG, us newbies finally had the opportunity to drop in have a look around. Fortunately for us this year, an entire new series had just been discovered. We'd have front row seats!
For the last decade, this entire series had been missed, despite it being but a single pitch from the mouth of the cave. The series, so named Parallel Universe, was initally discovered in 2023 by Alicia and Amy, two trainee surveyers, on a practice trip with Tom F. All that needed to be done was merely duck under a ceiling on the first turn and bam! (thanks Alicia). It really makes you wonder what else has been missed on the way down.
On this day, Maxim and I would have the pleasure of following behind Alicia and Tom C, who were bolting their way down the comparatively spatious rifts and dizzying pots of this part of the cave, which held laughable contrast to early sections on the historical route. Upon entering Parallel Universe and the cave in a greater sense, one cannot help but notice a savage character. One which seems rather common within alpine caves. Almost without exception, this cave (as it becomes apparent later in my deep trips) is almost totally void of formation, aside from that which is able to form within small cracks and hollows, away from the near cyclical floodpulses.
We make our way down through Parallel Universe quickly, meeting Tom and Alicia at the bottom, stood on an expansive boulder choked rift which yawned out into an enormous chamber beyond, barely visible in our torchlight. The bottom of this series was beautiful, and it's walls were totally oversaturated with large fossils. It had been theorised that at some point, Parallel Universe was destined to rejoin the main route on the way down, and at this stage it seemed like we were at the very top of the 70.
One of the many yawning holes in WUG
While we nattered Tom's head off, he dropped from the rift down into the deep chamber. It was blind, but after a short time, a survey station was found. This confirmed suspicions, and the loop had been closed. Tom made his way back up, and the next goal would be to traverse along a nose in the rock, which for a decade had hidden the end of this series from the trade route. Next, Tom heroically bolt climbed around the sheer wall, to the nose and beyond, all without bolt climbing equipment!
It was at this point that while additional survey and practice groups made their way down we had decided to turn around. I offered to take extra kit as practice for portering, and Alicia, Maxim, and I began our way up and out. Barely after I'd made the first pitch head however, I heard Tom call to me from his position some 30m or so away on the nose, and we quickly realised I'd taken his drill bag! We agreed I continue on, and leave it at the next pitch head. Shortly after, I heard the tumbling crash of rocks from above. Fortunately, my horribly internet-rotted brain came to the rescue - remembering those memes of freshers who look up at falling debris. I quickly tucked myself behind a convenient shelf and braced, feeling a hard glance on my right knee, as the rock tumbled down to the rift, landing with a resounding crash at the base of the pitches. It turned out once we regrouped that this rock had also clipped Alicias toe, talk about an industrious boulder!
Disorganised shouting was made, ensuring that everyone was okay, and we continued out, passing the other teams on the pitches. Being hit by rock was a stark reminder that this new cave was still very much setting under the footsteps of cavers. This was a very fortunate lesson, and in retrospect, it was also one of my favourite memories, "It's not really an expedition until somebody tries to murder you".
On our walk back down to Camelot, I managed to sprain my ankle again, worse this time. Thus, it was time for a rest day!
Active recovery:
Will keep this one short, as not much caving was done. I felt the sorry twinge of my ankle, and as an adequate rest, a small group of us decided to do some Via Ferrata, followed by prospecting. Nothing much of interest was found, aside from the very last lead. Hidden behind a large boulder in a marmot-shire, a small slot was squeezed past into a series of meanders. I found this particularly interesting as, unlike most alpine caves, it was filled with flowstone and moonmilk!
The 110:
With my ankle adequately rested, once again Levi and I were off to WUG, this time with Oscar in the lead. We had a fantastic time moaning about the extremely sunny non-English weather up to the cave, squinting as the light radiated off the limestone, burning our retinas. The plan today would be to drop down to the bottom of the 110, roughly halfway down the pitches. This was the end of the "easy" part of the cave, with nothing but increasingly tight passage, and muddy rope beyond.
I was rather excited on this day, as Parallel Universe had officially been connected to the trade route. Our plan was to enter the traditional way, which involved a tyrolean (ooh!) and leave via the much easier new route. The trip started well, a pebble becoming trapped in the spring gate of Oscars Simple on the second pitch. He had trouble removing it, and spent about 15 minutes whacking it on a rock trying to free it with increasing frustration, so that he could close his descender. However, once he'd fixed it, he was off! racing down the pitches and out of sight. Levi and never had a chance at keeping up with him. Fortunately, every few pitches, he would reappear, hanging off the next rope, napping away.
Oscar napping
We made it to the top of the 70 in decent time, and Oscar warned us of an incredibly sharp flake which lay just shy of the rope, constantly threatening it's existence. I later suggested that it could be hammered off, but there seemed to be a fondness for it amongst the expedition members. I have a feeling that such things in the cave help to preserve the "character", which is consistently sharp and oppressive.
The 70 at the stage is a deep pot. It feels like an evil place, highly scalloped, and active even in bone-dry weather. During flood pulses it is said to produce three large waterfalls, and anybody caught in here during flood would not have a good day. Fortunately for us the weather was dry. A small pool could be seen at the bottom of the pot, and following a cool ledge traverse, we dropped down to it. We left the rope (rare for this part of the cave) and squeezed through a surprisingly tight rift, emerging at a refuge point, which consisted of a line that shelters could be hung from. A number of refuge points exist within the active part of WUG, and it was a very useful excerise to learn these for later trips in the Expedition.
Beyond this small chamber was a single and inconvenient upward pitch. Oscar went first, and I remarked at his technique (I clearly had a lot to learn). Following this was the 110, an enormous pot, approximately 100m deep. My light was totally inadequate to make out the distant walls and floor below, rather scattering into inky blackness. I felt my chest lurch. I had never been in a chamber of such size, let alone remotely this deep! There was a disturbing sensation swirling around my mind, as if I was being pulled into hell, and like Liam, I wasn't sure what I'd got myself into when it would be turn-around-time. We continued on for approximately 5 pitches and I asked Oscar and Levi to illuminate the bottom - large blocks scattered chaotically on a circular floor. It seemed that we were almost there, yet Oscar indicated we were still a good 10 pitches off (~60m)
Me, on the final pitch of the 70
Unfortunately, we had run out of time, and we needed to be out of the cave by 4pm if we wanted to miss the rain and inevitable flood-pulse, something I was quite keen to not experience. The exit was surprisingly easy, and we made it out just before the sound of taunting distant thunder. Oscar reckoned he was not too fond of Parallel Universe, due to it's long and unengaging pitches.
I was quite pleased at the end of this trip, the 6-7 hours of SRT were fantastic on my ankle, acting virtually as a rest, completely eliminating any pain I'd felt. This was also the deepest I'd ever been, at ~250m, and I felt great. I was sure I had a bounce in me, something I did not shut up about for the next week. I had no idea what I was getting myself into...
Stay tuned the final update - Camping in WUG!
