langcliffe
Well-known member
Having enjoyed a leisurely trip down Lost Johns' via Centipede a few days ago, I was tempted to look out my notes from my first trip down the same route some 49 years ago in December 1968. It was back in the days of tatty wetsuits, Nife cells strapped our waists, hawser-laid ropes, and electron ladders. There were four of us - how we managed to carry all the ladders and ropes between us, I have no idea. I have a distant memory of staggering along the New Roof Traverse with two ladders on both arms, a long rope over my shoulders, and carrying an ammo box...
The following is a section from my notes written just after the trip:
"A ladder was left on Candle, Shistol was free-climbed, and we were then looking down the Battle Axe rift. Here we decided to take the advice given previously by Dave Newell, and rather than ladder straight down, we traversed along the roof of the passage to the left. This traverse is about 50' long, at first 30' above the stream flowing below, and towards the end, some 100' above. Holds were at a premium, but four stemples had been placed across the rift at not very strategic intervals. I used the first three, but for some reason avoided the fourth and shuffled along the last ten feet using shoulder friction. There was no point in using a lifeline as there were nowhere to place any running belays, and a fall would have probably resulted in two deaths.
Beyond the fourth stemple there was a small ledge with a convenient flake to which we belayed the ladder. Bob climbed down first belayed by Mel, and I followed. It was a beautiful pitch, free-hanging for the bottom 90', and for the bottom 50' adjacent to the waterfall, passing a ledge en route. Whilst Ian was climbing down the fourth stemple somehow became dislodged narrowly missing him, and landed on the ledge.
The lifeline wasn't long enough to double the whole pitch, so Ian re-belayed the ladder at the ledge, and double-lined Mel. Mel then had enough rope to line Ian down the rest of the way, before coming down himself, leaving the top section double-lined."
After exploring the passages below as far as the Long Pool downstream, and Lyle Cavern and the start of the Tube upstream, we made our way out. Ian climbed up to the ledge unlined, lined Mel up, and then continued to the top taking the stemple with him, which he replaced.
The whole trip took 7? hours.
We survived on luck in those days. I now prefer to rely on bolts!
The following is a section from my notes written just after the trip:
"A ladder was left on Candle, Shistol was free-climbed, and we were then looking down the Battle Axe rift. Here we decided to take the advice given previously by Dave Newell, and rather than ladder straight down, we traversed along the roof of the passage to the left. This traverse is about 50' long, at first 30' above the stream flowing below, and towards the end, some 100' above. Holds were at a premium, but four stemples had been placed across the rift at not very strategic intervals. I used the first three, but for some reason avoided the fourth and shuffled along the last ten feet using shoulder friction. There was no point in using a lifeline as there were nowhere to place any running belays, and a fall would have probably resulted in two deaths.
Beyond the fourth stemple there was a small ledge with a convenient flake to which we belayed the ladder. Bob climbed down first belayed by Mel, and I followed. It was a beautiful pitch, free-hanging for the bottom 90', and for the bottom 50' adjacent to the waterfall, passing a ledge en route. Whilst Ian was climbing down the fourth stemple somehow became dislodged narrowly missing him, and landed on the ledge.
The lifeline wasn't long enough to double the whole pitch, so Ian re-belayed the ladder at the ledge, and double-lined Mel. Mel then had enough rope to line Ian down the rest of the way, before coming down himself, leaving the top section double-lined."
After exploring the passages below as far as the Long Pool downstream, and Lyle Cavern and the start of the Tube upstream, we made our way out. Ian climbed up to the ledge unlined, lined Mel up, and then continued to the top taking the stemple with him, which he replaced.
The whole trip took 7? hours.
We survived on luck in those days. I now prefer to rely on bolts!