Bring Warm Socks; Bloody Wet Squeeze; Battered, Wet, Satisfied; Beers With Stories.
I had not been to BWS before, so I was excited to hear a torrent of a waterfall raging not too far away as I donned my furry. “Chris I bought some ear plugs. Reckon I’ll need them?” I asked as I prepped for my first ever capping trip.
I have wanted to blow some rocks up for a long time and this trip really got me excited. “you can wear them but you probably wont need them. Be reyt mate” came the reply.
We treaded carefully down the muddy slope, the waterfall getting louder and louder. We have had a lot of rain recently and the pool was full. To nights plan was to try and make progress on the bypass for the sump.
I stepped over the log, and got on my stomach and watch Chris slide off into the distance. Pushing the heavy bag I followed in to a low flat out crawl, head to the side as I couldn’t lift it up it was that low. I love these types of crawls. Arms over head I pushed the bag around a corner and then found a groove in the floor to gain more room. (By more room I mean that I could turn my head) I could see Chris’ light facing me and suddenly this heavy bag was pulled out of my way and I popped up into a small chamber with a pool at the bottom.
Chris climbed down into the pool. “yep its sumped still” I had a look at the way on and yep, no air space at all. We climbed back up for Chris to point out a small passage high up.
“This is the route to get over the top of the sump we reckon. Go and have a look”
*Chris in the passage at the dig face
F*$king B*%tard Rock!
I clambered over the worlds most awkward rock, then had to lie on my left hand side with my bottom arm extended overhead. I posted myself into the vertical slot that ran a few metres forwards. My light showed that it curved to the right, and I could just about get then but it was tight.
Returning was a strange sequence of thrutches. Why cant I get out of this? I wondered, unable to move my head fully, then I realised that stupid boulder had pinned my ankle. Eventually I freed myself and returned to Chris.
“Reyt Ben” Chris said as he was laying out the drill and various bars and hammers. I got the low down on capping and was allowed to have a go. First job, make that stupid boulder smaller.
I drilled a long hole, carefully placed 2 caps in and like a gentleman, I used my rod to ease the caps into gently down to the end. Wrapped the tackle sack around the rod and started the gentle tappity tap until I felt some resistance. Looked at Chris and got the nod of approval. Safety squints engaged I gave the bar a hard blow and “BANG!”
I removed the tackle sack to see a very satisfying pile of rocks. I had taken the annoying boulder down by a third. Another go capping and some chiselling got it to a point where it was easy to get over and bring the equipment with us.
The Team Awesome playlist filled the chamber as Chris set to widening the corner of the passage. A few more bangs later and I was starting to think I should have put my ear plugs in as they were ringing away.
I slid in to have a go on the right hand side. This was harder because I was lying flat out with both arms over head. I drilled my hole, but it was laboured. Maybe the battery is on its way out. It was taking some time. Chris passed me a new battery, I swapped out but it wasn’t much better. Maybe he forgot to charge them the silly sausage.
I reached forwards to poke my caps in. felt around on the floor without being able to see properly for my bar and then got to the ol’ pokey pokey, gently gently. Wrapped the bag as best as I could around the bar.
Now, swinging a lump hammer with your left arm overhead when you are on your left hand side, with not much room to bring it back for a full attack is surprising taxing. I was working hard hitting the bar as hard as I could to no avail. I was advised to use the T bar to rotate the rod to put the firing pins in a better position. Another swing, nothing. I was started to get annoyed now, I had taken my safety squints off and wasn’t even holding the bar properly as I swung pathetically as this rod. “BANG” came an almighty boom as the rod shot back towards me. Safe to say neither of us was expecting it and made us jump. I removed the bag however to see the most beautiful sight. I had taken a large chunk off the right hand side wall, so I collected my spoils to pass to Chris for stacking.
Not wanting to hog all of the fun, I let Chris do the next bit. Man that drill sounds shit. “pass us the other battery” came the call, I grabbed the third and final battery. Shortly later.....silence.
“Drills fucked”
I sat there feeling quite sad, we had only been underground 30 mins or so and it was already over. Chris also looked pissed off, but then, like a cartoon I saw a lightbulb go off in his brain. “Eavies has a drill”
*New drill = Happy Ben
One small cap for man, One giant bang for mankind
Exactly 30 mins later we had a fresh drill and were ploughing on. Chris cleared the left hand wall and so now, with both left and right widened you could comfortably turnaround the corner and see straight ahead.
There were two large boulders in front and one in the floor in some kind of cross rift. We could see roots in the ceiling ahead so we knew we were near the surface, but couldn’t workout if the draft was surface draft, or from below as the route on seems to head in front and down.
Chris unofficially called this passage litter picker passage as we were finding old glass bottles, old tins that had been washed through the boulder choke.
I spent some time blowing up more rocks ahead and really enjoying myself as we made progress. But I still kept getting caught on that bloody boulder on the way out each time. As Chris was working I tried to sit near to pass the caps, but once again my brain wouldn’t shut up about this rock. If only it wasn’t here!! I retreated back past the needs more lube stone to carefully place our glass bottles and trapped my over confident probe.
I had had enough so I chiselled away, making small progress. Time eventually told us that Jon would be at the pub and we should call it a night, although I could have happily stayed working away until we ran out of caps.
Chris was about to pack everything away when I asked if I could do one more bang. I drilled deep into the heart of this nutcracker of a rock. This time I had ample room to swing a hammer and my goodness did I swing it. One final bang occurred, that sweet smell filled the chamber and I pulled the bag away like a formula one team revealing their new car for the season. It had been blown into smithereens. We moved the rock and stacked it up to find we now had a nice space to sit in.
*The end of the Dig currently, a small crossrift
I headed out first along the flat out crawl. I could hear alot of grunting or noise from behind as Chris struggled with the heavy bag, I got to the turn and span around so that I could reach through and pull it out.
We retreated from the cave happy and content, ready for a well-earned cider.