Roger, Andy, Dani and Gemma
A little fresh snow the night before had us wrap up a little more for the walk in up the hill.
Andy set off into the small entrance passage followed by myself. Slow progress crawling and pushing the rope bag until we met the main streamway and the passage opened up into the classic walking size meandering streamway passage.
Andy rigs the Traditional Route - two pitches with the second one having a hanging rebelay following the waterfalls.
I ascend the in-situ fixed rope to rig the High Level Route - with a difficult traverse out to a single pitch landing only a few metres away from the Trad. Route.
After finishing the rigging I head back along the traverse to guide Gemma across. Dani is also following and Andy has rigged and then ascended back up his ropes to assist.
I start to descend the pitch and there was a sudden increase in noise from the waterfall! There was the possibility of some rain about this time so did wonder whether it was because of an increase in the stream level or just because I had moved into the main chamber. At the bottom there did seem like more water but wasn't sure. I take a note of the stream level for reference.
Gemma follows down after about five minutes as I act as anchorman on the rope just in case. Dani and Andy follow. There is no more increase in the stream level as I set off up the Traditional Route.
Gemma sets off up as I observe from the top of the pitch. At the rebelay she struggles to change over on the ropes. I was thinking I was going to have to descend to assist but Andy used the other rope to ascend and pull himself around the corner to get next to Gemma.
Having sorted out how to continue, Gemma gets onto the upper section of rope and continues up.
It is obvious to me now from this position that the top pitch has more water flowing and we are going to get quite wet on the next pitch.
Gemma goes up first whilst I hold the rope tight to try and keep her out of the water as much as possible. Dani arrives at my position and get her to hold the rope for me. Andy is coming up and de-rigging. At the top I tell Gemma to wait for Dani before heading out and to take care as the water is flowing well - but certainly not enough to sweep you off your feet - yet! I head back up the High Level Route to de-rig that.
I get across the traverse and de-rig the Y hang and bag the rope up. The rope does feel particularly heavy whilst pulling it up, until the rope goes taught. The end of the rope still has a knot in it and has snagged! I throw the rope down again in the hope it'll free off. It doesn't. I re-rig the Y hang and descend to where the rope is stuck - in a particularly sharp flake of rock around the side where Andy had pulled himself on this rope. Andy hadn't descended back to the bottom but had transferred to the other rope at the rebelay level - which is why the rope was stuck where it was. I extract the rope and untie the knots from the end. I re-ascend and de-rig and start making my way back along the traverse.
Andy arrives. He thought I had abandoned the rope on the High Level Route and gone out with the girls, so he went out as well to discover only Gemma and Dani at the entrance. He then had come back in in search of me. I finish the de-rig and we make our way out. Water level the same as I'd last seen it.
It's obvious that it had rained quite a bit with the stream level in the valley quite high but manageable.
Back to the cars with cold and numb fingers. Change into dry gear and a cup of tea.
