Others DREAL wanted to come but were not free. I hope soon they will join our small group very nice!
underground Time: 8 hours (10:45 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.)
Purpose: rehabilitation and security in the cavity, with new entrants to the club from Toulouse. The primary goal was to change the strings, then the pose Imperative of some irons in U.
Work done: We left loaded down like mules, with drill, hammer, shovel U.S., a new rope of 80 meters, 20 U-irons, lighting poles, dowels, inserts ... we ran out of mooring equipment, we came out and "tired".
We went almost directly to the bottom, leaving the U-irons in the spaces provided with Denis for a future job output, and after having cut the rope that was too long in coming, due to widening passages with Denis at the foot of the second scale input.
- 1st stop: Schistes La Salle, where we changed the string in place a new one. There remains a link on a stainless steel U section, there should be an anchor bolt with stainless steel or steel quick link on the iron U. The observation shows that the quick links of steel, pride themselves quickly Roquebleu. This must go even faster when you put together, and stainless steel. Bernard Lafage photographed in the Lot, a steel-aluminum mooring that was "dead" after a winter flood.
- 2 ° off: Climb trees to clay, or we've changed the string in place a new one. I was never mounted to trees of clay, and I took with me stakes, and the tag to protect them. We all got up there, and when I got there, I saw he had the punch to secure stakes in calcite. Since I do not want to repeat the round trip, given all we had to do, I left there, the stakes and the string needed for markup. This will be done at the next crossing.
- 3rd stop: La Salle du Sable, or we have made steps in the upper from the climb. On this occasion, we saw that there was a whole essentially detrital clay, with a history of a few decimetres, where the filling is made from small pebbles, which appear to be granite (it should have come out to observe magnifying glass).
We placed an iron U out of the room Sable to a location very slippery slope on a rock. It might be a second ?.... We try with one at the moment, we shall see later the result.
We took the direction of the Volcanoes, and on course, we continued the implementation of the steps in the clay. It's not perfect yet, but it's amazing what one gains in time and fatigue. Friends Rotary Club have worked well, and they have done us a great service here. Should continue to do this all the way up the chimney of the Volcanoes.
- 4th stop: Passage with a rope at the top of a block covered with clay, on exit with Rotary, we drilled holes for placing mooring that we had more, and we scoured the top of the clay block slippery and unstable. We made steps in the clay, for the descent into the volcano. So far, we have placed moorings, and a rope a little short on the side of the entrance of the cavity, since it does not allow attachment to the first stud. However, security is greatly improved. We also enhanced the steps implemented by the Rotary, on the side of the Volcanoes.
- 5 ° off: calcite flow, 50 m before the ascent to Volcanoes , and that they passed in front sock. How sad to see the current state! He could not be otherwise, alas, on a mandatory, busy. Only the lower part of the cast is still white, the rest of the cast became brown clay.
We have almost finished putting the irons for the rise in U (there is one to ask). When I worked at the laying of the irons, I was stuck on the rope up through jumard, and despite the security, I could not get around without sliding laterally on the casting, which seems covered with soap! This corner was almost dangerous, as I have seen during my previous visit in January 2010, with a beautiful sliding down gours located below! It remains to bring a jerry can of water to clean the powder from the holes, because right now it is not nice at all, and water is absent from this sector.
It will also change the string in place on this passage. I did not want to do in order to keep enough rope to climb the chimney of the volcano, thankfully! It will also add a pin to attach the rope downstream of the cave.
irons U show here their preventive efficacy because they had been placed from the outset, only the width of the irons have been contaminated, and the rest of the cast would have remained intact to this day
.
- 6 ° off: Ascent to Volcanoes I totally understand some cavers visitors, or some coaches, who expressed their surprise or dissatisfaction with this equipment, which dates from the discovery in 1991! .... It was almost dangerous, the rope was "vintage", and she rubbed all over. As for the mooring concretions at the top of the well, it was also dangerous, because it is concretionary crusts, concretions and not very frank and strong!
We climbed to the top of the chimney (with the old rope), and we have implemented a new rope from the top. Since I did not receive platelets from stainless EXPE time, I put the main anchor with pin, wafer and quick link while steel, while the two moorings located above are mixed steel- steel yet.
I have split the well every time there was friction on the rope. In the bottom of the well, the stud holes are made (two holes to fit). We must take the studs, plates and quick link to attach the rope at the next exit.
NB missing 5 meters of new rope to the base of the pit. We left the old rope place until everything is perfectly equipped.
V u my lack of material to perfect the equipment, here's what remains to be done.
There are 4 splits into the well, but is equipped so that there is no friction.
From the top:
- 1st pin: replace the quick link stainless steel one.
- 2 pin: ditto.
- 3 stud, everything is OK, that's the main point of the descent.
- 4 pin: I left a carabiner staff, it must be changed by a stainless steel link as soon as possible.
- 5 stud: ditto.
- 6 pin: the hole is made, but no stud in place.
- 7 pin: ditto. At this point, missing from 5 to 6 feet of rope to go down well.
Maybe you just do the next time, you also need 2 or 3 U-irons, for the start of the climb that well, because we are here in the realm of soap out of 5 meters.
We emerged all the old used ropes, they are in the local hardware. They are either disposable or for unblocking, but they should be marked in red if they are kept for unblocking, so as not to be confused with others.
We left all the material not used that day, on top of the room Sable. This is mainly stakes markup, and the end of the coil of wire marking. For the next exit, take the roll of wire that is ready in the local hardware. I think we're going to use large quantities between the current stopping point, and the chimney of the Volcanoes.
We had a terrible time in terms of temperature. It snowing lightly with a strong wind. We dressed in local (frozen despite the fire), and we returned to the room at night for three quarters in vehicles equipped! Moving On return it fairly well until Labruguière snowing lightly, we were chilled out.
Brice and Séverine stayed behind to Enclauses for the night, others have returned to Toulouse (21:45). It began to doze in the car.
is a morning cold despite the sun, we find, from 9 am for the most early, before the local club Courniou . With Rosine, we arrive at 9:15. As usual. Anyway, I'm up late. 
is to 15h, we still decide to restore us, at the crossroads at the foot of the column. 
A note on the windshield of the car of Alain F. : 
RIEUSSEC 
Photos: SCMNE 
