Oxford University Cave Club

Expedition to the Picos de Europa, Spain, 1994

"La Verdelluenga"

Contents

Expedition Diary

2 July The van leaves Oxford and breaks down!
5-6 July "Top Camp" established at the Snow Pole
6 July F65 Located and bottomed JH CJD
F41 Snow digging trip TSG AB PM
7 July F64 Pushed down the first 2 pitches CJD AB
Area F F66, F67 and F68 located TSG PM
Area F F70 and F69 located PMM MN
F64 Surveyed then pushed They Come at Night TSG JPNP JH
8 July F64 Surveyed and pushed Mostly PMM RG
Area F F68 digging rocks, F41 digging snow MN RB PM AH WN
Area F F70 explored JH JPNP
9 July F64 The Fierce Ladies of Cannock reached TSG PM JH JPNP
Area F F70 pushed, F41 snow digging WN RG MN RB
10 July F64 hammering The Fierce Ladies GL AH JH
F64 Survey trip MN JH JPNP
Area F Shaft bashing RB
Area C C6, 7 & 8 examined WN WS
11 July Area F F56 re-examined GL JH
Area F F80 and F81 found PMM
F64 Fierce Ladies and first of Their Sisters passed TSG CJD
F64 Various leads looked into RG AB
12 July C8 Collapsed boulder choke PM WS
F64 Surveying and second sister pushed CJD AH TSG
Shaft bashing RB RG
F64 Pushing up inlet SJP MN
13 July C8 Through the Square Window WS PM
C8 In The Wiggly Bit and the Arched Window WN RG
C8 The Round Window TSG AB
F64 Climbing above They Come at Night RB CJD
Area F F71 and F72 examined PMM SJP
14 July Area F F80 and F81 located, F81 bottomed WS PMM AB SJP
F64 Bad Habits surmounted GL JH
C8 Surveying trip CJD RB JPNP
F71 More work on the squeezes TSG SJP
C8 Smarty Run examined WN KT JB
15 July F64 Old Bore's Hill climbed, choke examined TSG GL
C8 Window cleaning PM JPNP KT
F71 Hammering squeeze RB SJP
Area F Shaft bashing SC JB
F64 Trying The Ladies CV JH MN
16 July F64 Survey trip GL JH KT
F71 Passed squeeze (again) SJP JB MN
Area F F82 located SC
17 July F64 Surveying trip UM ADS JH
C8 Trip abandoned due to chopped rope MN AH SJP RG
F71 Squeeze passed (yet again) MN RB SJP JPNP
18 July F64 An attempt to pass the boulder choke ADS JPNP KT
C8 C9 "found" (C3 rediscovered) WS PM JH
F71 Cave bottomed JB SJP
F80 Quickly ran out of rope RB PMM RG
19 July C3 Explored to boulder choke WS PM JH
Areas C, 9, 6 Shaft bashing GL
F64 Boulder choke attacked ADS
Area F F75-78 located JAR RB SV
20 July C3 Entrance rerigged, Anethical descended PM WS RG
C3 Tourist trip JB UM KT
F64 Tourist trip SV ADS
21 July C3 Good Night Vienna and Bullseye examined WS PM RG
F64 Boulder choke finally solved ADS
F71 Detackling and photo trip PMM CV JB KT
F64 Quicky trip KT JB
C3 Survey trip UM AH MN
22 July C3 Moose Hole to 65p Streamway explored WS PM RG
C3 Surveying AH JH MN
F64 Pushing the rift beyond Tony's pitch GL DL
C3 Rerigging PMM JPNP
C3 Snickers descended (Snab in the Dark) UM ADS HS
23 July C3 Descended the Wet Pitch (She Rises) WS JH
C3 Survey trip DL CV KT JB
F64 Survey trip JH MN SJP
23-24 July C3 Night Games WS PMM JH
24 July F64 Further down into Zodiac Rift GL JPNP RG
C3 Survey team MN SJP HS
C3 Pushed through Tony's wet crawl ADS KT
25 July F64 Checked out loose ends and tided up a bit GL MN
C3 Surveying AH UM DL
26 July F52 Small extension GL
C3 Rerigging and surveying WS JH PMM
Area F F75-78 all bottomed JAR SV
F79 Bottomed KT JB
27 July C3 Jolly trip JH SV
Area G Photo trip JAR
C3 Wet Crawl bypassed, pitch beyond examined ADS DL KT
28 July F80 Surveyed, photographed and derigged PMM SJP
29 July C3 "100 m" pitch traversed over WS JH
F80 Gear recovered PMM
F64 Further work in Zodiac Rift GL JH AH HS
F64 Inlet climbed RG SJP
30 July C3 Photo trip PMM SJP
31 July F64 Further down the rift GL JPNP
C3 A jolly DL MN
Area C C 10-12 located WS
Area F F48 re-examined AH HS
Area F Prospecting SC
1 August Cavers' Holiday
2 Aug C3 Survey trip MN HS JPNP
C3 Meat Cleaver and Defenestrator examined WS DL JH
C10 Bottomed AH SJP GL
3 Aug Area F F70 and 72 re-examined GL SJP SC
4 Aug F64 Deeper in Zodiac Rift GL AH
F64 Photography trip JH SJP
Area C Surface survey MH WS
5 Aug C12 Cave bottomed JPNP AH SJP
C3 The Klingon reached WS JH
6 Aug Area F F24 and 27 re-examined and 83 bottomed GL SC
C3 Photo trip JH PG SJP
C11 Cave examined and dug a little AH MN DL HS
7 Aug F64 Deeper still in Zodiac Rift GL JPNP
F64 Tourist trip MN PG
C11 Little progress made before the site was abandoned AH SJP
8 Aug Area C Shaft bashing IA GN
9 Aug C3 Final pushing trip potential campsite found WS AH JH
F64 Bottom of rift reached WS JPNP
10 Aug C3 Photo trip PG SJP (AA)
Area C C13 and 14 located IA GN
11 Aug F64 Derigged JH GL JP SGR
C3 Derigging DL HS WS MN
C13 Going down, ran out of time, derigged IA GN
13 Aug C3 Derigging SGR PG JH AH
14 Aug C3 Derigging JH DL HS GN IA JPNP
15 Aug C41 Snow plug re-examined GL
15-18 Aug Top Camp dismantled, carried down the hill
19 Aug Beach Party
22 Aug The red van returns to Oxford