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Should I stay or should I go 03 Apr 2013 00:20 #10283
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- nsteel
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Dave Checkley of the BCRA recently said to me as we strolled towards Black Hill above Malham,
“You did your dissertation on those 500,000 year old fish bones didn’t you?”
“Yes” I replied, “Gaddus morhua” (Cod to most folks)
“And you completed a new system for recording insitu fish bones”
“I did indeed”
He continued,
“would you like to come on an expedition to Madagascar and record the bones that we have found deep in one of its caves, they are associated with human habitation but we have not found the entrance that they used...
yet”
“Not sure”, I said “getting there might be a problem”
“Oh”, he said “we will fly you to Durban with British Airways and then on to Colombo, Madagascar via South African Airways, First Class of course”
“Crikey” I said “all my kit is shagged, suppose I will have to make a few purchases”
“Well” he said
“we will give you £15000 towards equipment and we will buy you a new Pentax eos DSLR camera for recording the specimens, if you are not happy with your photographs we will fly Robbie Shone in to take care of the image recording”
“What is the cave system like, is it in the region of pinnacle limestone? I would like to see that”
“Yes” he said “It is in the rainforest and starts as a 235m free hang in a large doline”
“That is a long drop” I said, “it will take some getting out, I am not the fastest prussiker in the world, they don’t call me 'speedy' at the YSS for nothing”
“By the time you get back to the doline the winch will have been set up”
“Goodness me, how long do we intend on being underground” I gasped,
“Fifteen days” he said quickly, “we will be out there for a month”
Oh, I don’t know” I said, “I am in a new relationship, it will be a long time without the necessary company”
At this point a broad smile lit up his face,
“Don’t worry” he said “Colombo is holding the 2013 Women’s Beach Volleyball World Cup, and the Brazilians are staying at a hotel in the nearest town...
they have sent the expedition an invite to their opening party".
At this point I was warming to the idea,
“It could take us quite some time to get out of the rainforest and to the party” I joked.
“We have thought of that we have commissioned a helicopter to get equipment into base camp, and can use that”
He paused...
then continued,
“The pilot will take you up and give you a few lessons at the helm; it will break your boredom between trips”
"I haven’t had lessons for 22 years, I will not know my collective from my cyclic and lessons may be difficult in the forest”
“Oh don’t worry” he said “Major ‘whiplash’ Mullgovey flew Huey’s in the Nam, when it was hot. He is looking forward to the challenge, said it would remind him of, the good ole days”
“We will pay you twenty grand, as an added incentive” he continued
“In that case count me in “I replied
That was last Monday...I have not heard from him since!
“You did your dissertation on those 500,000 year old fish bones didn’t you?”
“Yes” I replied, “Gaddus morhua” (Cod to most folks)
“And you completed a new system for recording insitu fish bones”
“I did indeed”
He continued,
“would you like to come on an expedition to Madagascar and record the bones that we have found deep in one of its caves, they are associated with human habitation but we have not found the entrance that they used...
yet”
“Not sure”, I said “getting there might be a problem”
“Oh”, he said “we will fly you to Durban with British Airways and then on to Colombo, Madagascar via South African Airways, First Class of course”
“Crikey” I said “all my kit is shagged, suppose I will have to make a few purchases”
“Well” he said
“we will give you £15000 towards equipment and we will buy you a new Pentax eos DSLR camera for recording the specimens, if you are not happy with your photographs we will fly Robbie Shone in to take care of the image recording”
“What is the cave system like, is it in the region of pinnacle limestone? I would like to see that”
“Yes” he said “It is in the rainforest and starts as a 235m free hang in a large doline”
“That is a long drop” I said, “it will take some getting out, I am not the fastest prussiker in the world, they don’t call me 'speedy' at the YSS for nothing”
“By the time you get back to the doline the winch will have been set up”
“Goodness me, how long do we intend on being underground” I gasped,
“Fifteen days” he said quickly, “we will be out there for a month”
Oh, I don’t know” I said, “I am in a new relationship, it will be a long time without the necessary company”
At this point a broad smile lit up his face,
“Don’t worry” he said “Colombo is holding the 2013 Women’s Beach Volleyball World Cup, and the Brazilians are staying at a hotel in the nearest town...
they have sent the expedition an invite to their opening party".
At this point I was warming to the idea,
“It could take us quite some time to get out of the rainforest and to the party” I joked.
“We have thought of that we have commissioned a helicopter to get equipment into base camp, and can use that”
He paused...
then continued,
“The pilot will take you up and give you a few lessons at the helm; it will break your boredom between trips”
"I haven’t had lessons for 22 years, I will not know my collective from my cyclic and lessons may be difficult in the forest”
“Oh don’t worry” he said “Major ‘whiplash’ Mullgovey flew Huey’s in the Nam, when it was hot. He is looking forward to the challenge, said it would remind him of, the good ole days”
“We will pay you twenty grand, as an added incentive” he continued
“In that case count me in “I replied
That was last Monday...I have not heard from him since!
