The Crux (or not?) - Quaking Pot

[jwtbids]

Hi all,

Myself and some others had a big day out in Quaking on Saturday, getting as far as the Crux, but we couldn't get the whole party through (which I'm sure is quite common!). It left us with some questions for those who are more familiar with the obstacle.

Passing Coitus Corner and chucking our kit into the bypass, I was the first to tackle the Crux. I wriggled as far as the left hand bend and thought that to stay 1-1.5m above the stream (as NFTFH dictates) looked so horrendous I wasn't sure it was really what I was supposed to do. Instead, I gained height above the streamway (eventually getting my feet on what were previously out-of-reach ledges), aiming for the roof tube which appeared much wider. Following the widest section (trending a few centimetres back towards CC) I ended up in the roof tube about 5m above the stream, where without too much difficulty could climb over the rift and drop back down on the other side of the Crux. From here I could easily go and retrieve my helmet which I had foolishly thrown far into the bypass, so I am certain that I had either gone through the Crux, or found a (second) bypass.

Having spoken to people after the trip, and reading a few reports, it seems that the Crux definitely is the horrible-looking section 1-1.5m above the stream - how does it compare to this contrived alternative, if anyone is aware of it? I encouraged a larger member of the party to try follow me into the roof tube but he could not see where I had gone and as such couldn't get through - is there any beta that helps with the intended route?

For reference I am relatively small at 5"7, and was able to barely fit through the stream-level bypass (with bare skin against the rock and a lot of exhaling) on the return.

 

[topcat]

5 7 high but how wide?

 

[jwtbids]

5 7 high but how wide?

My widest point is my chest, 20cm deep (lying on floor) and 87cm circumference (with arms up)

 

[Andrew Wilson]

I certainly recall it being quite beta-specific. Here’s an extract from my diary for that day:
“After skydive tight crawl leads to tight corner and crux. Helmet off (head torch on) clipped high up on bag cord might work better using a 6’ cord on bag so it can be dragged upright in streamway below. Clip bag to LH elbow pad as moving LH down. Keep hips high and keep going to calcite/stal blockage, go higher still and swing legs round and drop hips into opening next to stal blockage. Wriggle down diagonally into streamway and round another tight corner. Headtorch can be left on a stal shortly after.”

Disclaimer: I was 70kg when we did this trip and mentally i think I would be unable to return if I was larger (although this is completely unfounded!)

Andy

 

[porgzilla]

5 7 high but how wide?

Fancy a bash TC?

 

[Samouse1]

You popped in to ask me about this in Inglesport, and I agree the "correct" way through is as the Black Book states, that's how I went through. It does trend slightly upwards but not to 5m I don't think?

The tube you went along, did it end where you get to calcite and can't carry on at that level? If yes then you may have just done the Crux. How wide was the tube, and how far along did you go before dropping to the deck?

 

[jwtbids]

You popped in to ask me about this in Inglesport, and I agree the "correct" way through is as the Black Book states, that's how I went through. It does trend slightly upwards but not to 5m I don't think?

The tube you went along, did it end where you get to calcite and can't carry on at that level? If yes then you may have just done the Crux. How wide was the tube, and how far along did you go before dropping to the deck?

Getting to the tube required about 2/3m of entirely upwards climbing before the left hand bend - It's at ceiling level, i.e. the rift does not carry on upwards above the tube. Once in it, it's very roomy (a lot like other rift traverses). I traversed in the tube for about 4 more metres until reaching a white calcite curtain, and dropped back down using some knobbly ledges.

 

[Samouse1]

Getting to the tube required about 2/3m of entirely upwards climbing before the left hand bend - It's at ceiling level, i.e. the rift does not carry on upwards above the tube. Once in it, it's very roomy (a lot like other rift traverses). I traversed in the tube for about 4 more metres until reaching a white calcite curtain, and dropped back down using some knobbly ledges.

Traverse upright? You've gotten me curious enough to consider going back!

 

[Daniel Rose]

Traversing upwards in the crux was very tight for me (though I have a very deep chest), though I did manage to get to the point where I was upright with my feet on pretty good ledges in a roomier section than the main NFTFH rift level that I believe most people tackle horizontally. Misinterpreting what jwtbids was saying, I ended up pushing a too-tight hole in the roof for a while before deciding that my ribcage was too big. We had already spent about 2 hours there (jwtbids finding the 'new' route took probably over an hour while I was lying in the stream in Coitus Corner) so we headed out. If I had not pushed this too-tight hole, however, I reckon traversing at roof level above the NFTFH route could have worked even for me, with my annoyingly deep ribs. Definitely worth checking out as a potential easier option to the NFTFH crux route.