After I had my haircut and finished the other stuff I drove to Monyash to have something to eat at the cafe before going underground and when I got there I found Pete's car parked outside with the two of them inside eating! It was about 11:00. They finished before me and headed off for the cave and I said I'd meet them there soon.
There had been a sprinkling of snow overnight but nothing deep and when I drove up Derby Lane, I found them stuck in Pete's car in some ruts. We tried pushing, but that had no effect. We tied on some rope and I tried towing them out and soon they were on their way.
Pete's Car Stuck in the Snow
Soon we were changed and headed down the entrance shaft and on through the breakthrough dig site and into the new extensions (surveyed last weekend at 297 metres altogether).Pete wanted to have a look at the pitch part way along Urchin Passage (the larger continuation of the main passage, named after a small crystalline formation similar toe a Sea Urchin). The problem was that there were some boulders in a small rift passage at the side of the main passage through which we could see a void below which was measured at 17 metres down using a Disto last week. This had been named Elevator Pitch as the boulders at the top started moving downwards for a short distance while Keith was standing on them!
Pete brought along a length of thin aluminium alloy scaffold tubing and started trying to shift the boulders. Some smaller ones began dropping down into the space below and after some time, the tubing snapped. Trying again with a stronger but heavier length of steel rebar, more boulders were moved and again, some fell away below. Eventually we decide on the best locations for some bolts to form a Y-hang once the pitch was clear and Keith placed a Petzl Goujon expanding bolt to be the back-up.
Anyway, while we were doing this, Karen arrived. Pete, Keith and I took it in turns (but manly Pete and Keith) to try shifting boulders but eventually Keith realised that they would require breaking up. After several attempts, the smaller boulders dropped down the pitch leaving a large boulder in place but fairly well jammed.
Karen was beginning to feel cold and headed out to wait for us as her car was also stuck on Derby Lane. She had assumed Pete and Keith had managed to get to the end of the Lane OK and hadn't read my text message warning her not to try and drive the whole way and managed to get her car stuck.
With some prodding with the rebar, Pete managed to drop the remaining loose down the pitch! They way was now open but there were still some loose mud and small rocks which were persuaded to also drop down.
Keith placed the two bolts and rigged a Y hang and carefully dropped down slowly. He could see a rift continuing on alongside and beneath the main passage and luckily the remainder of the drop was solid rock.
He reached a ledge, which we could see below some 15 metres or so down and saw the pitch continuing down further for what seemed a grater distance. Because of the ledge and change in direction, he realised a second Y hang would be required to avoid the rock.
So as time was getting on, we decided to also head out. I reached the surface at around 17:30 where it was dark and very cold. I found a note on my car from Karen saying she had managed to free her car and had gone home.
I was changed when Pete and Keith arrived and I waited for them and then followed them back along Derby Lane in case they got stuck again. They had no problems and we headed back to Winster.
I had a shower and after some tea and coffee, we walked up the hill to have a meal at the Miners Standard.
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