Last year, Alan lead Siobhan, Samantha and me down P8 for a bit of Monday entertainment.
It was quite wet conditions, even for P8.
This was Alan and Siobhan’s first time in P8, so as we descended Pitch 1 to the traverse, they got to experience it all. Specifically all the water, experienced directly into the face. It was invigorating.
We stopped through the upper series passage to the Bad Step to the “Iron Ladder” pitch traverse.
Samantha lead the way here, joyfully pointing out how to do it whilst Siobhan repeated like a mantra “I’m not going to like this bit” whilst we retorted that it was on a rope so she jolly well should like it.
In the end, Siobhan agreed it wasn’t as bad as feared, but potentially stopped short of calling it good.
Alan dropped a line in for the short climb down to the spacious passage so we could descend with decadence (and carry fewer rope bags) and from their we stomped on to mud hall, where Siobhan and Alan both picked up elegant masquerade pieces.
We headed onwards to the streamway where Al rigged the rescue bolts with a traverse line for those that like ropes and we headed onwards towards the Sump.
A waterbottle had mysteriously bailed during the traverse and Alan, whilst determining it wasn’t behind some rocks, almost landed in them as some structural integrity in the streambed rocks rearranged itself.
At the sump, everyone decide to wade waist deep in water to confirm that it was in fact the sump and that it was in fact water. I say everyone, I meant everyone but me, who was feeling fairly chilly at this point.
We returned from where we’d come, pausing only briefly to allow Siohan to check her cowstails were attached properly.
We returned through the torrents and up the waterboarding to the vehicles where we were greeted with brownies and ginger to warm up our innards.
All in all, an aquatic adventure with the Crew, made better by figs and friends!
Originally posted on this post on Instagram
