Scanty Lardos

Ami, James, Klaudia, Sophie (OG), Tom

Possibly the last time this one will be done as an evening trip! With tantalising rumours of major extensions to this already fun trip, we made the hefty drive to the furthest evening trip in our patch – only really doable as it’s just metres from the parking spot.

Rain was due at about 10-11ish so we kept tackle at a minimum – just to cover the original trip then a nosey along to the first new pitch, we promised ourselves. Ami rigged us expertly down the awkward entrance pitches, making false claims of being rusty. The diggers’ ropes were in-situ, pointing the way to the deviation flake we’d failed to find last time (even though it’s ‘right there’). Onwards through the twisty turning Ann Summers, which is a knackering mixture of different heights (especially when dragging 60m of rope) and a good soaking, and we were at the next pitch. The rigging’s a little unusual, taking you round a corner to a ledge making for an acrobatic little manouevre (especially on the way back up) but on to a lovely drop from there (and much drier than straight down the waterfall like we did last time).

We reached the old final chamber in under an hour from the surface, and while we waited for James and Klaudia to catch up we spent a few puzzling minutes trying to figure out the route through the boulder choke. Sophie sniffed it out, and dropped her signature dump of jelly babies as her and Ami dove enthusiastically into the choke. With the others down we squirmed through delicately to join them – the hanging death rating in here is a solid 8/10. Once through into the new stuff there were various comments along the lines of ‘ey this is alright isn’t it?’ and we headed down new streamway, before reaching a step up to the groin-splitting traverse to the first new pitch. The temptation to use the in-situ rope was overwhelming, particularly since the note left in the entrance stated that use of these was at your own risk, rather than forbidden, which we deemed an invite. This pitch is lovely! You’ll see when you get there.

At the bottom we couldn’t be held back, as we headed further down the fantastic new streamway sections, before we remembered our plan to avoid drowning by the forecast rain. Some turned back to make a start on the pitches, while others may have snuck a bit further ahead, unable to contain themselves. Back at the old final chamber, the prize of jelly babies was consumed by the passing cavers, and we moved back up the cave surprisingly (to me, anyway) knackered, with Ann Summers passage feeling triple the length it felt on the way in. 

Back upstairs the rain had arrived, and it’s gone dark again 🙁 Summer is over. We made a pact to get it booked in as a weekend trip on the next meets list.