If you don’t like caving, don’t read this.
If you like caving, don’t read this.
Don’t try to replicate this.
Earlier this year I decided I needed some downtime. Giants hole, solo?
Loaded with kit, survey and guide and my cheapo MP3 player banging out cheesy techno in my headphones I headed in.
I rigged Garlands for SRT, and zoomed down to the crabwalk.
It’s a narrow rift with water in the bottom. Fuck crabwalk. Seriously fuck crabwalk. It’s not even the hardest part of the cave.
Problems with crabwalk:
Լ it never ends
‘º it lures you in with nice gentle dryness and then you’re completely committed when it soaks you
‘º it felt like it’d be harder to reverse due to the gravity assist. 1/4 of the distance on the survey in, and I already felt committed to the round trip.
I turned the corner and found the 4m climb eyeing me menacingly with a waterfall and dainty handline running down it.
Fuck this freeclimb. Without the handline, I’d have had to retreat. With the handline, fuck this climb.
With imaginery footholds, a lot of brute strength, a string of swearwords and cheered on by the world’s most embarrassingly shit dance music, I fought my way to the top and headed on.
Then I arrived.
Giants Windpipe is the sort of feature that puts people off caving. ‘This isn’t as bad as I remembered’ I thought at the start.
I turned the corner.
Fuck Giants Windpipe.
My not-at-all-waterproof MP3 player was clipped to the back strap of my helmet. At least if I was going to do this, I’d do it by turning up, turning up, turning up the BASS!
I turned up my nose and got my cheek in the water. There was just enough room for my helmet and then I panicked.
Just for a second, just long enough to realise I was very tense. Just long enough to realise it would be ok.
I relaxed, breathed and pushed through the miserable section. Did I mention it was shit? Also, it was shit.
I was now on the home stretch. I flew through the obstacles with a huge sense of satisfaction and happiness.
Despite the swearing, it’d been a good trip.
I’d solo’d Giants round, and despite the skill, physical and mental obstacles, I’d won.
Enjoyment: 8.5/10
Time: 4 hours (car to car).
Originally posted on this post on Instagram
