Climbing to Creature's Beginning, 5-6 November 2010
Post date: Nov 9, 2010 3:13:37 PM
Cavers: Steve 'Muh' Macnamara, Al 'Penguin' Kennedy
During our speedy trip through Cascades to the upstream parts of the Brandywine with Helen on the Monday after the SUICRO 2010 weekend, Steve and i had become enthused about climbing Creature's End aven. At the pub the following Thursday a plan was hatched: join QUBCC at the Scout Hut on Friday evening, and cave through the night...
Friday, 1630: after collecting Conor and a boot-and-backseat load of QUBCC gear and food, we hightailed it to Fermanagh. Steve was to collect the bolting kit on his way directly from work while i cooked a mega-feed of pasta-spicy-bolognese-sans-onions in the Scout Hut. For a while it seemed that Steve would beat us to the Scout Hut as we fretted in M1 gridlock, however he was inexplicably late and found his dinner cold.
Around 2100: fed and watered, we started prepping kit. Gaelan, Petie and Éabha arrived at the Scout Hut to join QUBCC (then represented only by Conor as the remainder were still in transit) for a night of revelry. Our original plan was to take 2 bags in, but this increased to 3 and we left out the static rope; 4 chocolate bars and a packet of powdered custard came along for sustainance. The forecast was worrying to the others but looked grand to us, in fact i was reckoning that Friday night would be the driest part of the weekend. At the worst we wouldn't be able to get into Cascades, but with dry weather forecast overnight until midday Saturday we were expecting the water to be high after a wet week but to fall during the night. Nevertheless it was mizzling during dinner...
Just before 2200: kitted up we set off along Cladagh Glen. Call out had been left for 1000 on Saturday so that no-one would have to wait up. We expected to be back in the wee small hours - or by 2230 if Cascades was still flooded. It was now a beautifully clear evening, with not a cloud to be seen.
2210: we entered Cascades. The water was noticeably high, and very recent foam covered the ceilings; we got a little wetter than usual and the water was much colder than a fortnight before. With 3 bags our speed was fairly slow, and the mega-dinner was taking its time about kicking in. Eventually we crawled out into the Boulder Hall and the going became easier. However there were many waterfalls from the ceiling and walls in the upper mainstream...
Saturday, 0005: Creature's End. With relief we dropped the bags and emptied out welly-water. Opening the drybag with our food and stove to get my extra layer, the aven was suffused with the gentle scent of Bird's custard as that part of our rations had burst.
Steve kitting up
Sometime after midnight: Steve began climbing. Everything went well, if a little slower than expected. The lower part of the climb was overhanging.
Into the wee small hours: about 5 metres up as Steve started to traverse diagonally left a through-bolt stuck in its hole and wouldn't drive home. So did the next, and the third. Steve lowered the drill so i could change the bit as we thought it might have worn. The tungsten tip had broken off. With a change of bit and battery climbing began again. Then we took a break, to the relief of our hips, and Steve came down for a chocolate bar and sup of water.
Around 0330: After Steve made some unsuccessful attempts to get a sling around a flake, we decided to call it a night. Steve rigged the rope on the top 2 bolts and abseiled down while i got a brew on. We had climbed about 10 metres in about 3 hours, less than expected. At Steve's suggestion the remainder of the custard powder was added to the tea, thickening and sweetening it. Not unpleasant, but lumpy tea wasn't pleasant either.
0400: we left Creature's End, having packed everything into 2 bags to speed up the journey out, leaving the climbing rope rigged and the remainder of it in one of the bags with the rest of the bolts, the tea, and the gas can. The water in the Withywindle and the Brandywine had dropped by an inch or so, but remained cold and wet.
0530: after 50 minutes in the Entrance Series we emerged to a fine, cold night and walked quickly back to the Scout Hut. Sadly the party was over and the revellers were sleeping.
A rough video of the climb...
A.