Topic

The weather was extremely bad over the past weeks and the forthcoming weather didn't promise anything nice. But there was one hope. Perhaps two. One is called Alex Ritchie. The other one was a rainless slot on Friday evening which encouraged 6 cavers to meet at the car park with somewhat clear sky and raging wind. The weather forecast gave us a few hours to visit Knacker Trapper before another set of torrential rains arrive around midnight.

The walk towards the entrance was more straightforward than we would expect since we missed the main path and accidentally carried on directly to the cave. The entrance was very peaceful, not much sign of water and the sky looked innocent equally. One by one are squeezed to the caved entrance behind leading Alex. Despite the flatness of the crawl it's a quite nice place to be as it's warm, dry with small stones which help with the progress. Soon we emerge in slightly larger passages leading to the first pitch which is freeclimbed...as expected with Alex. This is soon followed by second pitch which is fortunately not freeclimbed but at least handlined. Most of us re-assemble in the spacious chamber just before the (in)famous Bosch rift. At that time some squeaking noise was coming from the tiny rift. We could hear swearing Shezi (the swearing box would be full after that) which didn't promise anything good. She didn't struggle in Peterson's where I nearly broke my knees. With lot of respect but still determined I dive into the rift which is pretty narrow but nothing too impossible. After a few minutes a find myself sidecrawling on the floor level bending my body around an easier corner. This is followed by upwards crawl to the widest point of the rift around which I'm supposed to turn and pop out in the larger passages.

I try, I try even harder but length of my legs doesn't allow me to bend around it and it looks like I'm facing the wrong wall. But there is no space to turn around! After a few attempts I decide to reverse and go back...good heavens...impossible. It's just impossible to pass one place in the rift, I keep trying pushing, shouting, taking off helmet etc. After many long minutes of struggle Alex decides to come to me, brings me some water (!!!) and tries to push me backwards. No success. The time is ticking away. There is no way backward, this is for sure. It's a really cruel and hard decision that the only way out from the cave is to go further to the cave... I follow Alex again back to the horrible corner but again no success. At this point, I think, everybody is very nervous, but no single word is uttered. The last think I can do is to try to turn around my body so I would be facing the right side. YES! I managed to do this...first positive think. I crawl back to the corner and still with some pain I manage to go through! I dive into a larger chamber on Shezi's, Alex's and Mike's heads. I feel like a rock star which is carried by the crowd! After one hour of despair I'm out! Well...I'm further in the cave...

There is no time to carry on to the cave since the weather is chasing us and also I wasted so much energy in the rift... The way out is surprisingly relatively easy and in several minutes we are all crawling back to the surface. The wind is even stronger, it starts to rain/snow...and the walk to the car is endless. Buy I feel so released... Getting changed at the cars is almost even more challenging, proper Grade V.

Despite the horrible experience I'm very determined to come back and push the cave till the bottom. Don and Stuart who were behind me didn't even get the chance to go through the rift...





Time: 3hrs
Party: Alex, Don (Black Rose), Shezi, Ales, Stuart and Mike (ULSA)

It's nice of you to give Alex some rescue work practise for his UWFRA responsibilities.

Without a doubt Ales, it sounds horrific, I wouldn't be wanting to return in a hurry, I hope you manage to crack it next time.

Cheers Ian. In fact, if I would be hard enough I would managed to pass through at the first try...

The book used a term 'awkward squeeze' which usually means very painful but possible for me...it was at the end.

Thought you'd like it

Nice one Ales, sorry I missed it

It has been already rescheduled for the nearest caving weekend, perhaps as a Friday warm up

Will do it whenever it stops raining... hows 2016 for you, I hear there might be a few days in July?

P.s. Good on you for wanting to face your demons and for staying calm enough in the rift.