Last year, Samantha and I went (in our bubble) to P8.
It was a memorable trip!
“I loved the traverse”
“I wanna do the SRT again”
“Let’s explore round here more”
Read on to hear why these quotes from Sam are questionable at best.
Sam’s first reply on seeing the entrance was “wow, how are we possibly climbing out of there”
We rigged the first pitch as a straight-hang to suit the skills available and descended.
We climbed up out of the main chamber, and followed the high level route above the streamway – the first time I’d done this – til we got to above the top of the second pitch.
We did the “exciting” bolted traverse above the second pitch to the high level route to mud hall.
At the climb down to that route, I left a short handline rigged to a natural to make sure we could return the way we’d come.
The passage from then on was very pleasant, and we soon made it to mud hall – where I’d been once before with Kim and Judith.
I’d been recommended the P8 streamway, but I’d not expected us to get to this point so fast – maybe even at all. Even with the survey and route descriptions I had, I was eager not to lose ourselves.
We dropped into the streamway and walked upstream, noting various passages and ways on, but not seeing a handline possibly marked on the survey.
We walked the streamway downstream, with shrieks as I got parts of me wet. Until we realised a higher level, dry, bridging option was available to a handline, the sump and I think an area called T’Owd Man’s Rift.
From there, we returned the way we’d come. The traverse was equally exciting in reverse.
On the otherside of the traverse, I went to look at a side passage that was definitely easier to get to than get back from – resulting in Sam helping rescue me.
The straight-hang ascent was pure misery and like being waterboarded, and a great advert for why rebelays are a necessary evil.
Idiot’s Leap was moist for the first person (Sam) who then made a dam with the tacklesack so I could climb it in relative dry. She then boldly lead the way, face-first up the final easy chute in the entrance.
All in all, a great trip and 8/10 on the P8 wetness scale!
Originally posted on this post on Instagram
