tag caver- signal light pit
Posted: Sep 20, 2010 9:19 pm
Hi all.
I have been a caver for about 10 years now. I was a once a week guy for a while, but life happens and that tapered off. BUT, now I am back.
I have been getting my rope work back up to par and find myself pushing every lead these days. I used to skip the belly crawl stuff when I could, but now they are just low passages that lead somewhere awesome (usually).
I have spent the last few trips in Signal Light Pit. I feel I have a good grasp of that cave now, with the exception of a few passages. The one I am constantly thinking of is a high lead in the breakdown room. If one was to take the 1st passage on the left from the pit, then this passage would be on your right before you drop down to the lower level of the cave. Or, if you were to do the belly crawl passage at the pit first, pass through the signature rooms/ awesomely decorated rooms, and come out in the breakdown room, you would essentially be looking across the breakdown at this lead. It looks like it could be free climbed, although it is a steep muddy slope, and a slip could send you down farther than where you began your climb. I saw no bolts for a hand line, and this is probably do-able with some persistance, but any info would be helpful.
Also, the "lake" I have seen mentioned in this cave is not there anymore. I can tell where it was, but it is just thick boot-sucking mud at this point. Drought, I guess. Overall, it is a very cool cave, with a need for many different skills. I have the aforementioned lead to do, and 2 or three little offshoot passages to check. They are tight and muddy, and my guess it that they will tie in to the larger passages nearby as the other ones have, but I wont know for sure until I check.
Look forward to hearing others thoughts on this cave. Happy Caving.
I have been a caver for about 10 years now. I was a once a week guy for a while, but life happens and that tapered off. BUT, now I am back.
I have been getting my rope work back up to par and find myself pushing every lead these days. I used to skip the belly crawl stuff when I could, but now they are just low passages that lead somewhere awesome (usually).
I have spent the last few trips in Signal Light Pit. I feel I have a good grasp of that cave now, with the exception of a few passages. The one I am constantly thinking of is a high lead in the breakdown room. If one was to take the 1st passage on the left from the pit, then this passage would be on your right before you drop down to the lower level of the cave. Or, if you were to do the belly crawl passage at the pit first, pass through the signature rooms/ awesomely decorated rooms, and come out in the breakdown room, you would essentially be looking across the breakdown at this lead. It looks like it could be free climbed, although it is a steep muddy slope, and a slip could send you down farther than where you began your climb. I saw no bolts for a hand line, and this is probably do-able with some persistance, but any info would be helpful.
Also, the "lake" I have seen mentioned in this cave is not there anymore. I can tell where it was, but it is just thick boot-sucking mud at this point. Drought, I guess. Overall, it is a very cool cave, with a need for many different skills. I have the aforementioned lead to do, and 2 or three little offshoot passages to check. They are tight and muddy, and my guess it that they will tie in to the larger passages nearby as the other ones have, but I wont know for sure until I check.
Look forward to hearing others thoughts on this cave. Happy Caving.